With seven newcomers, coupled with the loss of point guard Shanita Arnold to graduation and center Aley Rohde’s transferring, the Arizona women’s basketball team needed someone to emerge alongside senior guard Davellyn Whyte.
Through four games, that has been junior transfer Alli Gloyd.
“Alli [Gloyd] works hard and is a team player,” head coach Niya Butts said. “If she can stay active and stay hungry, she’s going to help us throughout the season.”
Gloyd, a native of Phoenix, joined the Wildcats during the offseason from Mesa Community College, where she was the Junior College Player of the Year and a First Team All-American.
“I’ve always wanted to play at Arizona,” Gloyd said. “It’s been a dream of mine for a while.”
Gloyd was a bit inconsistent in the Wildcats’ first two games, scoring 9.5 points per game and 1.5 rebounds.
But on Saturday against Cal State Northridge, Gloyd made her presence felt on both sides of the ball. She finished with 12 points and seven rebounds and was able to get to the free throw line late in the game.
“Alli is a hard worker and is easy to coach,” Butts said. “We’re glad she’s on our team.”
Butts said she believes Gloyd’s strongest attribute is not her athleticism or her rebounding ability, but her desire to get better.
“I just got to keep working hard and doing what’s best for the team,” Gloyd said. “I want to do whatever I can to help the team.”
Turnovers almost cost Wildcats again
For the second time this season, the Wildcats almost lost because of too many turnovers. The Wildcats committed 24 turnovers on Saturday against Cal State Northridge. In their first game on the road against Cal State Bakersfield, the Wildcats turned the ball over 25 times.
Most of the turnovers, especially on Saturday, came from ill-advised passes, or as coach Butts called it, “Globetrotter” passing. The Wildcats also got burned for cross-court passes that got intercepted or tipped.
“I think we just have to slow ourselves down,” Butts said. “For example, I don’t think Northridge turned us over as much as it was just careless passes. We just got to do a better job with focusing.”
