(Tucson, AZ)
Bill McCulloch
This game provided some home cooking for the young Cats to return from an arduous road trip. Would the familiar setting and fans be enough to get off of a four game losing streak?
San Diego State came to town with a better record and a more experienced team to counter the Cats in this intersectional rivalry.
Coach Adia Barnes, a native of America’s Finest City and a star at Mission Bay High School wanted to beat her hometown university and brought in high hopes for a victory.
In the first quarter the Wildcats came out like gang busters with great perimeter ball movement, good floor spacing, hustle and an upbeat attitude. Arizona only trialed by one at the end of the first quarter 21-20.
After giving up the first basket, Sam Thomas drained one of her two three pointers to get the Cats going.
Back and forth both teams went with eight lead changes and the biggest lead of the quarter was four points by the Aztecs.
Arizona, which will give up size to almost every team this year pounded it down low with twelve of their twenty points in the paint and with fifty percent shooting from the field. A positive start that the Wildcats needed.
The second quarter was very different. Less ball movement and missed layups something that this year’s Lady Cats cannot afford to do and stay competitive as Arizona trailed by as much as nine points.
Subsequently Aztecs star Mckynzie Fort went five for six from the field with a three pointer, three points from the charity strip and a layup with one second left on a nice assist from Geena Gomez. She finished with sixteen first half points to give San Diego St. some breathing room going into the half 41-34.
Aztec’s Naje Murray emerged as well going two for three for behind the arc and finished the half with eight points. A potent one-two punch for the visitors.
Coming out of halftime, and a much needed rest, Arizona and SDSU went toe toe, punch-counter punch. With a seven point cushion, every time these scrappy Cats would mount a comeback, the Aztecs would drain a three pointer to stop the run. The lead only increased to eight by the end of the third quarter.
JaLea Bennett continued her solid play scoring six points and keeping the Cats within striking distance along with Sammy Fatkin draining a three with two seconds left.
Heading into the final stanza, this was turning out to be the Coyote/Roadrunner saga. The Wildcats would pull within two 60-58, just to see the Aztecs hit a crucial three by Lexi Thorderson to put the lead back to a two possession game.
Again with the lead at three 65-62, SDSU’s Gomez hits the trifecta and keeps Arizona at bay.
Back came the resilient freshman Fatkin for the Cats with her own three pointer to once again bring the game to a single possession 68-65. After The Aztecs went one for two at the line, Destiny Graham scored inside and their lead was suddenly just two points 69-67.
Fatkin was all over the court grabbing loose balls and getting two key offensive rebounds to keep the possessions alive, but the Cats couldn’t convert with multiple chances. Fatigue was starting to show.
That would be the last points of the game for Arizona as the Aztecs finished the game with a 9-0 run when the Cats had to go for threes without success.
San Diego State has their best effort shooting today as time after time the basket became their friend as it hadn’t been in games past. It wasn’t because a lack of Wildcat defense, it just was that kind of game.
Lucia Alonso, who is one of the returning stars and leader uncharacteristically couldn’t find her touch today going scoreless for the game.
Arizona definitely has shown improvement in every game this year, but wanted to get the monkey off their back and get back in the win column. The hustle is there, the rebounding is much improved as it will need to be all season long, and the team chemistry is starting to show. Attitudes are staying positive and the best is yet to come.
The pieces of the puzzle are slowly starting to fit together. Coach Barnes has reiterated all season, “it’s a marathon not a sprint.” The weakness that will plague the Wildcats all year is a short bench that sometimes only goes six deep for the game and will limit some options both offensively and on defense.
This young team has and will take some lumps this year, but the foundation has been laid, now it’s time to start building the house.
