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The Daily Wildcat

The Daily Wildcat

 

Notebook: Arizona women’s basketball drops Bay Area series

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Arizona Athletics
Arizona guard Farrin Bell attempts a lay up during Arizona’s 57-52 against California on Jan 4 in McKale Center. The Wildcats fell to the Bears 75-56 on Feb 14.

Losing streak continues

Being losers of six straight games heading into its Bay Area road trip, the Arizona women’s basketball team was looking to stop the losses from piling up, but it was unable to do so as it lost to both Stanford and California.

On Friday, the Cardinal used a 24-7 first quarter to create an early sizable lead over the Wildcats, and it never stopped building on its lead. Stanford led by as much as 34 points, and would eventually cruise to an 82-58 win.

Then in Berkeley, California, on Sunday, the Wildcats were defeated by the Golden Bears. Arizona started well, taking a 25-19 lead midway through the second quarter, but Cal shot over 60 percent from the field in the second half and would ultimately pull away in the end, winning 75-56.

The Wildcats had no answer for Cal center Kristine Anigwe, one of the players listed on the Naismith Trophy Midseason Top 30 Watch List. She scored 24 points and shot a perfect 8-8 from the field.

Arizona, now on an eight-game losing streak, falls to 11-15 overall and 2-12 in Pac-12 Conference play.

Four Wildcats score in double figures

While Arizona is obviously struggling to win games, it isn’t because of a lack of a team effort. During the road trip, four different Wildcats — LaBrittney Jones, Malena Washington, Michal Miller and Jalea Bennett — eclipsed double-digits in the scoring column.

Miller and Bennett scored 12 points a piece against Stanford, while Washington and Jones scored 13 points and 12 points against Cal, respectively.

The team’s overall effort isn’t the issue, rather it’s just unable to put together a complete game on both ends on the court. Both Stanford and Cal shot over 50 percent from the field against the Wildcats, and Arizona turned the ball over a combined 38 times during the road trip.

Wildcats to host Washington schools

The Wildcats are hoping that they’ll have better fortune at home this week when they take on Washington (17-8 overall, 8-6 Pac-12 Conference) and Washington State (12-13 overall, 3-11 Pac-12 Conference) on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

Arizona was swept by the Washington schools in early January, but the Wildcats have fared much better in McKale Center than away from it. Arizona is 8-5 at home this season, but it has lost its last three home games.

Washington features Pac-12 leading-scorer, Kelsey Plum and sharpshooter Talia Walton. Plum is averaging 27.1 points per game this season, while Walton leads the conference in 3-point field goals made (59).

Arizona’s defense, which has struggled lately, will have to step up if it’s going to beat the Huskies. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.

Then Washington State, a team that’s lost its last eight games, will come to McKale Center later in the weekend. While a matchup against the Cougars — a team in the bottom half of the conference standings — represents a winnable game for Arizona, they beat the Wildcats by 21 earlier in the season.

The Wildcats will be looking to prevent history from repeating itself; but either way, one of the two teams will be snapping a lengthy losing streak.

That game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.


Follow Ryan Kelapire on Twitter


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