(Tucson, AZ) Cats giddy about their first taste of post season since 2011 came out with a lot of energy. No tension was noticable as Cate Reese posted up and score and completed three point play with the free throw. She followed with a nice six foot jumper and a bank off the glass on the next two Arizona possessions. Cats went up early 9-2 forcing a Idaho State timeout.
At the 6:37 mark of the first quarter Idaho St hit a three pointer to stop the Cats run.
Afters neither team scored for over five minutes, Arizona broke through and went on a 9-2 run and finished the quarter strong with a 18-7 lead.
The Cats were the more poised team early and had the size advantage which didn’t happen against most teams in the schedule this year.
With 9:05 left in the second quarter, Lucia Alonso hit a picture perfect three from the top of the key. Freshman Bryce Nixon followed with another trifecta a possession latter. Zona up 28-12 sending a messsge, “we’re not messing around!”
Tue Wildcats continued to play up tempo and scored with ease on nice ball movement and screening away from the ball.
In the latter half of the second quarter, Arzona deployed a half court trap that threw the Bengals out of rhythm.
Almost everything went right for the Wildcats in the first 20 minutes as they had constant defensive pressure on Idaho State. The Bengals shot 26.7% only hitting eight of thirty shots. Subsequently, Arizona shot 44.4% from both the field and behind the arc.
Cate Reese had 14 points to lead the Cats and went 5-6 from the field. Arizona had ten points off of nine ISU turnovers.
To start the second half, the Bengals used an inside-outside game to go back an 8-2 run cutting the lead to 40-28 at the 7:17 mark and an Arizona timeout.
The Bengals continued out of the time out with a nice turnaround twelve footer from Estefania Ors and Idaho State was back within single digits 40-33.
Reese once again came up big hitting two free throws, but back came the Bengals on a two of their own, at the third quarter media timeout with 4:39 left Arizona led by seven, 42-35.
Zona’s shooting was cold only going 1-4 from the field but 6-6 from the charity stripe helped out.
Arizona played with more purpose in the last four minutes of the quarter highlighted by McDonald’s three pointer from the left baseline. Arizona back in the lead by double digits at the end of the third quarter 51-41.
McDonald not having one of her usual stellar performances shooting 3-11 but 2-4 from three point land and 3-4 from the line is a stark difference from the norm.
Coach Barnes took McDonald out at the eight minute mark to try to settle her down and give her time to regroup. A minute an a half later she returned with the Cats up 53-45.
Reese continued to play with intensity getting fouled down low and hit both free throws. That was a huge factor, especially in th second half as the Cats had cooled off from the field.
Idaho State has plenty of chances to get back in the game, but the turnover bug hit them hard with nine in 5:43.
With under three minutes to go in the game, that spark Arizona needed showed up. McDonald scored on a driving layup off the right and Reese followed with a dagger three to put the lead back to thirteen 60-47 at the 2:38 mark.
Zona woke up to finish the game with a high intensity that was missing most of the third quarter. Tee Tee Starks hit two free throws to put the game out of reach at 63-50 with only 1:18 to play.
The Bengals mustered up six points in the last minute while Arizona was content to play keep away to get fouled. In the end, it was too much Reese and an exceptional free throw performance going 26-32.
Reese finished with a double-double scoring twenty points and grabbing ten rebounds. Even though McDonald didn’t have her normal game, she still ended up with fifteen points. Interestingly, Destiny Graham when 0-6 from the field, but played aggressively and went 10-10 from the free throw line.
Both teams ended up shooting 37%, but Arizona had a huge advantage from the foul line shooting twenty more free throws and going 81.3%.
Both teams combined to make thirty six turnovers, but the Wildcats scored twenty four points off of Bengal miscues while Idaho State only managed seven points off Arizona’s.
On a night where Dominique McBryde sat out due to illness, Arizona rallied as a team on a night where the shooting went south. The win was Arizona’s first post season win in eleven years.
Announced attendance was 3,625 for the first round WNIT Game.
Next game is Sunday against University of Pacific at 3 pm.
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