(Tucson, AZ) The Wildcats were set to honor their Seniors, Destiny Graham, Tee Tee Starks and Lindsey Malecha on their last regular season home game on the McKale floor. If Arizona makes a bid for the NIT Tournament they would most likely have one game at home in Tucson.
Today their concern was the #9 ranked Beavers of Oregon State. This team is very tall and long. A win coupled with one or two PAC -12 Tournament wins next week in Las Vegas, would put Arizona in contention for an NCAA bid.
Both teams came out fairly even but the Beavers were giving Arizona only one shot per possession. At the first media timeout OSU had a three point lead at 11-8.
Out of the timeout, the Beavers hot two quick shots before an Aari McDonald shot went in. Arizona once again this game needed to keep the score within range to have a chance at the win.
The Cats offense was sluggish due to the height of Oregon State closing off scoring opportunities with their center Joanna Grymek altering shots as Arizona would penetrate the lane.
The second quarter started as OSU penetrated and scored but Dominique McBryde hit a three from just left of the top of the key.
Scoring opportunities were scarce as McBryde did her best to keep the Wildcats relevant in the game as she shot 4-5 in the first two quarters.
OSU had a 28-20 advantage at the 2:18 mark and the second media timeout.
McDonald drove left and scored on a nice layup out of the timeout and the folowing possession Cate Reese backed her defender down and scored in the post for her first points of the half with forty two seconds left.
The Beavers went cold in the second quarter after shooting 69.2% to open the game, that allowed Arizona to take the second quarter and outscored OSU 13-8 and only trailed 29-25 at the half.
Arizona didn’t shoot particularly well in either quarter, shooting 32.3% for the half, but key baskets by McBryde kept the Cats close and that’s what they hoped for.
Oregon State held a huge margin on the boards leading 26-10 which was no surprise due to their size advantage.
Arizona in their defensive stand of the second played superb defense for 29.9 seconds of the thirty second shot clock, but the Beavers shot was true in the nick of time.
At the third quarter media time out at 4:10 left in the quarter, the Cats were still in it despite only shooting 30.8% from the field to that point trailing 36-29.
A couple of defensive stops and a McBryde three pointer and the Cats were down only by a single point 36-35 at the 1:43 mark of the third quarter and carried their stellar lock down defense into the final quarter of the final home game giving the #9 fits.
Right off the rip, McDonald scored to put the Wildcats ahead for a few seconds until OSU scored to regain the lead again.
Destiny Graham as she did against California could have given the Wildcats back the lead, but missed both free throws.
Oregon State woke up following Graham’s misses to hit two field goals and extend the lead back to four 43-39.
Graham was fouled again and made one of two 43-40. Sam Thomas with the shot clock running out hit a runner off the glass and was fouled just before the final media timeout. Her free throw after the timeout made it 46-43 with 4:40 left in the game.
Arizona was back within one on a McDonald off balance left handed layup and gave the Wildcats the edge 47-46 moments later.
Once again the Beavers scored on the ensuing possession to regain the lead 48-47 but McBryde continued her magical performance and giving Arizona back the lead off a 12 foot jumper 49-48 with 1:24 left in the contest.
Both teams were 5-9 from the field to that point in the fourth quarter for 55.6%.
OSU’s Destiny Slocum scored down low on a prayer after the Wildcat defense wouldn’t allow any good looks.
The Cats worked the ball inside and our and around to the left wing until they went to the well and McBryde again sank the three. Cats led 52-50 with just 24.3 seconds left.
The Beavers took a time out with 8.6 seconds left after an offensive rebound but were trappped in the corner.
Mikayla Pivec for OSU scored off a running layup to tie the score 52-52. The Cats called timeout with 5.6 seconds left to play. McDonald’s jumper from the top of the key was off and the game went into overtime.
Arizona won the tip but missed their fist shot. On the next possession Graham was fouled again and made one of two from the line to give the Cats the lead back 53-52 with 3:42 left in overtime.
OSU’s Grymek and Pivec scored on the next two possessions to put the Beavers back on top 56-53 with 2:23 left.
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After the timeout, Thomas took it strong to the basket to put the Cats just down by one. The next possession McDonald got fouled after an offensive board, but made only one of two free throws. Tied game again 56-56 with under a minute left.
A ball knocked out of bounds sent the officials to the replay camera and inconclusive evidence forced them to call a jump ball with OSU getting possession on the alternating arrow.
A missed opportunity for the Beavers caused an air ball which Thomas rebounded and called timeout, but only 1.4 seconds showed on the clock. Time ran out before McDonald could get off a shot. A secomd overtime would be needed.
McBryde opened up the scoring with a soft fifteen footer but the Beavers would answer.
McDonald sunk both free throws to put Zona up 60-58. OSU made both their freebie’s at the other end and were tied again at sixty.
The Beavers regained the lead with a nifty pass inside with 1:07 left. The next possession Pivec made only one of two free throws to keep it at a one possession game 63-60 and 38.5 seconds left.
The well came up dry at the end of the second overtime as Arizona’s went scoreless in the last 3:45 of the game. Free throws was their undoing as Arizona went 10-19 from the stripe.
The PAC-12 Conference Tournament is next from March 7-10. 520 Sports Talk’s Bill McCulloch will be in Las Vegas covering the tournament from start to finish.
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