(Tucson, AZ) The Cats came into this game undefeated, playing well and on fire at 7-0.
Tonight’s opponent was the Monmouth University from West Long Branch, New Jersey. The Hawks came into the contest with a 1-4 record.
Surprisingly, the game was close at 8-7 until Lucia Alonso hit a three pointer just to the left of the top of the key, 11-7 Cats.
To shake things up a bit, Monmouth came out of the media timeout in a half court press. That didn’t seem to phase the Wildcats.
Mara Mote came in with just under a minute left in the first quarter and came down on a Hawk players foot twisting her ankle.
An uninspired opening quarter had Arizona only up 14-10. Neither team shot well with the Wildcats at 31.6% (6-19) and the Hawks 28.6% (4-14).
Arizona woke up at the start of the second quarter and ran off six straight points off steals. The Cats came out in a press of their own which seemed to throw Monmouth off a bit.
Helena Pueyo lit it up from the left wing for three, Aari McDonald followed with a carbon copy from the same spot on the next possession. 30-13 with 4:19 left in the first half.
This year’s Wildcat team is much better on defense than last season. Two shot clock violations and forced nine turnovers.
At the 4:06 mark, Dominique McBryde fell and twisted her ankle. Two Cats down in the first half with injuries wasn’t the way Coach Barnes had things drawn up.
This Monmouth team played very physical, but the Cats needed a test to prepare themselves for the conference wars.
Arizona adjusted knowing that this game wasn’t a “gimme.” Now up 39-13, they really ratcheted up the defense causing a ten second violation on the Hawks with their press.
The teams headed to the locker room with a 41-13 Arizona lead.
The Wildcats took control in the second quarter, holding Monmouth to 5-25 shooting (20%) and with 14 turnovers.
Zona was 9-16 shooting in the second quarter and finished the half 15-35 (42.9%). Not only did the defense force turnovers, they scored seventeen points off of them. Efficient defense until the Cats found their rhythm from the field.
The third quarter opened up the same as the first with both teams trading baskets until Sam Thomas hit a trifecta from the right baseline to put Arizona up 48-16.
Just like last game against UC – Riverside, the Wildcats pressure threw the opponent out of their rhythm and basically said, “you’ll play our way not your style.”
Pueyo continued to impress with her length and court savvy. She will definitely be an impact player in upcoming PAC-12 play.
Arizona was 5-11 from the field in the third quarter, but held the Hawks to 3-12 field goal shooting. Surprisingly the battle on the glass was basically even with a 30-29 edge to the Cats.
The lead grew to forty 72-32 with just a little more than half the quarter gone.
In the final minutes of the quarter, Pueyo once again took control with a layup off a Bryce Nixon steal and a three pointer which is her bread and butter.
There was no let up by the Cats no matter who was on the court. Zona in a cakewalk 86-34.
Still undefeated and continuing to improve game by game. Both McBryde and Mote seem to have sprained ankles but will be evaluated by the training staff.
Attendance tonight was 3,525.
