Arizona women’s basketball will be looking to get off to a good start this season as the Wildcats play their first game of the season on Nov. 5 against North Dakota at home at 6:30 p.m.
Soon after, they’ll move on to play against Texas in the Lone Star State on Nov. 17. This will be a tough game for the Wildcats on the road. The two teams haven’t met in over a decade, so this will be a new challenge for both sides. Texas was ranked No. 15 last year.
Then the start of the conference play begins on the cusp of the new year on Dec. 29. The Wildcats open conference play away from home against bitter rival ASU. In the last meeting between the two rivals, the Wildcats lost 60-47. The Wildcats will be looking to bounce back this year against the Sun Devils, who were ranked No. 20 last year. The reverse fixture between the two teams will take place on Jan. 24.
Arizona continues their road trip after taking on ASU to face USC. Last year when they last faced off, the Wildcats mauled the unranked Trojans on route to a 76-48 win against the familiar conference opponent. The Wildcats will be looking for a similar result when they meet the Trojans again on Feb. 2.
The Wildcats won’t travel far to face their next opponent UCLA, who finished last season ranked No. 11. Their last game together ended in heartbreak for the Wildcats, losing in triple overtime 98-93. This is a game the Wildcats will be hungry to seek redemption in. They play on Jan. 5 away from home and again on Jan. 31 in Tucson.
The Oregon State Beavers await the Wildcats next. The Wildcats’ last game against No. 7-ranked Oregon State ended in a nail-biting double-overtime thriller. Arizona succumbed to Oregon State 65-60 in the end. The Wildcats will look for redemption when they face Oregon State at home on Jan. 10 and away on Feb. 9.
The Wildcats then move on to face the Beavers’ neighbors, the Oregon Ducks. The Wildcats were blown out by the Oregon Ducks in their last match losing 77-63. The Wildcats will look for vengeance when they face the Ducks, who finished the season ranked No. 7. They play in McKale Center on Jan. 12, and at Oregon on Feb. 7.
The Wildcats then make the trip to Washington to face Washington State, who finished unranked last season. Last year, the Wildcats lost to Washington State in a close game that finished 88-90 between the conference opponents. The Wildcats will look to turn the tide this year when they face off away from home on Jan. 17 and back home on Feb. 16.
Last year, the Wildcats were able to steal a win on the road against unranked University of Washington and will be looking to do the same this year. Last year the Wildcats won in a dominant performance. The score finished 69-59 against UW. The Wildcats play at Washington on Jan. 19 and again back home on Feb. 14.
The Wildcats then move into the final stretch of their schedule. They face Utah, who was unranked at the completion of last season. Their last game ended in an 11-point win for the Wildcats after a strong performance at home. This year they’ll have to do the same away from home, which can always prove to be a challenge. They play on Feb. 21.
The Wildcats then rush to face Colorado. The Wildcats fought hard in their last meeting in the McKale Center, earning them a 63-51 win. The Wildcats will want to repeat their performance on the road against Colorado, who finished last season unranked on Feb. 23.
The Wildcats then get to close out their schedule at home, which could end up being crucial against their next opponent. They face Stanford, who finished the last season ranked No. 3. Their last meeting ended up in a heart-wrenching defeat for the Wildcats, who almost pulled off the upset. The score finished 56-54. Catch the game of the season on Feb. 28 in the McKale Center.
In the final game of the regular season, the Wildcats will play California. The Wildcats played to an 82-76 overtime loss against the unranked Golden Bears away from home last year. The home crowd and desire to win should be enough to overcome California on March 1 in the McKale Center.
Should the Wildcats qualify for the women’s college basketball, playoffs begin on Mar. 5 and continue through until Mar. 8, when the best team will be crowned the champions.
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