Barring an unprecedented run in the Pac-12 tournament, the women’s basketball season is all but over. Despite a losing record, Arizona has generally been able to keep games close, especially in the first hal. The Wildcats (14-15, 3-14 Pac-12) experienced much of the same on Saturday, as they fell to UCLA 72-58.
“I’m not really sure what’s going on right now,” head coach Niya Butts said in a press release. “We had more than enough to win this basketball game but we just didn’t get it done for whatever reason.”
Sophomore guard Candice Warthen came off the bench to pace the Wildcats, scoring 17 points on 7-of-16 shooting, including 3-for-4 from 3-point range, and grabbing four rebounds. Davellyn Whyte, Arizona’s leading scorer on the season, struggled to the tune of 12 points on 3-of-15 shooting and 0-for-9 from long range.
In the first half, after the Bruins opened the game with a 7-2 run, the Wildcats went on a 17-5 run of their own to take a 19-12 lead. UCLA immediately answered with a 7-0 run, however, and after some lead changes to end the half, took a 45-40 lead into halftime and never looked back.
“We disappeared in the second half,” Butts said. “I’m not sure why we aren’t responding like we should be.”
The Wildcats scored just 23 points in the second half and shot a lackluster 21.6 percent from the field, including 2-for-10 from 3-point range. UCLA shot nearly 50 percent for the game, and had four players score in double figures. Rebekah Gardner led the way with 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting.
“We should have been using the gaps and attacking the basket with the ball,” Butts said.