(Tucson, AZ)
Bill McCulloch
With #24 Stanford coming to town, Coach Adia Barnes set up her strategy to force the taller Cardinal team to have to beat them from the outside. In part, the plan worked, with Stanford attempting twenty seven shot attempts from beyond the arc.
In the first quarter, the Cardinal ball movement around the perimeter and weak side shooting propelled them to a 23-11 lead going into the second quarter. Kiana Williams went 3-4 from three point land. Stanford would only make three more treys the entire game.
The issue with playing a zone defense was that the Cats were seemingly not in good position to rebound against the much taller Trees. Stanford got seven second chance opportunities in the first quarter to build that big lead, while the Wildcats only shot twenty five percent from the field.
In the second quarter, the Cats and the Cardinal slugged it out with Stanford only scoring twelve points, but Arizona as in the first quarter could only hit four baskets. Stanford ‘s lead only increased by two going into the half, but the hole that was dug in the first quarter would serve to be a giant task against this nationally ranked team and PAC-12 title contender.
Six of the twelve conference teams so far are ranked in the Top 25, making the Pac-12 the toughest women’s basketball conference in the nation.
The rebounding edge, especially offensive boards was vastly in favor of the Cardinal with a 28-14 edge in the first half. This year’s Arizona team lacks a lot of size and has to rely on several freshman and a short bench.
The third quarter Stanford not hitting from the perimeter pounded the ball down in the blocked their big people and got four layups due on a continued assault on the offensive glass and six second chance shot opportunities.
The Wildcats hung tough as Lucia Alonso and Sam Thomas would hit jumpers. Kat Wright sank a three pointer as Arizona and Stanford scored sixteen a piece in the quarter, however the Cardinal still held a 51-37 lead going to fourth quarter.
Both teams were tired by this point as the refs allowed a lot of physical play inside and the wear and tear was showing.
The Wildcats made seven free throws, but could only muster a single field goal on a put back from freshman Kiana Barkhoff.
Stanford also fatigued shot 4-17 in the final stanza as they wore the Cats down and came away with a 61-46 victory.
Alonso led Arizona in scoring with fifteen points and Sam Thomas contributed ten. The always steady senior JaLea Bennet was held to six points on 3-17 shooting from the field. Stanford’s defense forced her to dribble left the entire game.
The Cats played eight players, but the starters were in the game all but nine minutes.
Coach Barnes said after the game, although they lost, “Overall, I do feel we got better tonight. Our zone got better, it’s just the rebounding was a thorn in our side.”
Come Sunday, it doesn’t get any easier as the twenty third ranked Cal Bears come knocking with their star Kristine Anigwe. California is coming off consecutive losses to UCLA last week and ASU last night.
The game Sunday starts at noon in McKale Center.
