Saturday will present a battle of the undefeated when Arizona women’s basketball travels to San Diego, as both teams look to improve to 3-0 on the season.
The Wildcats are coming off of a dominating performance in their home opener as they defeated Howard 65-28. Arizona held the Bison to 15.8 percent shooting from the field and forced 30 turnovers Wednesday night. Victoria Gonzalez was the only Bison in double figures with 14, while no other Howard player scored more than five.
“It’s not very often that a team does that,” said Arizona guard Michal Miller, who had 16 points against Howard. “But when you do, you have to take pride in that because it is hard to keep a team from scoring.”
Led by JaLea Bennett’s 18 points and four rebounds, the Wildcats also showcased their depth, as 10 Arizona players played at least 12 minutes and none surpassed 30.
Point guard Taryn Griffey has lead the Wildcats in the early goings of this season, racking up 12.5 points and four assists per game. Bennett is second in scoring and is the only other Wildcat in double figures with 10.5 per game.
San Diego is coming off of an 86-64 victory against Cal State Northridge and is averaging 85 points per game thus far. Offensively, the Toreros have a well-balanced attack and multiple players averaging at least 10 points per game, Arizona cannot key too much on one player.
Malina Hood is the Toreros’ leading scorer with 19 points per game, while her sister, Maya, complements her with 17.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
While San Diego has been seemingly scoring at will, Arizona’s defense has been stingy so far in this young season. The Wildcats currently allow just 43.5 points per game on 30 percent shooting from the field and are more than ready for the challenges the Toreros present.
Although the Wildcats have just two double-digit scorers, their starters have made solid contributions and all five reserves that have seen action.
Players such as Miller and Malena Washington are solid scoring options off the bench, while Destiny Graham and Lauren Evans are two of the top rebounders. Farrin Bell rounds out the reserves with her solid guard play that adds depth to the backcourt.
With the bench playing so well, the Wildcats do not have to worry about a drop-off when the starters need a breather—keeping the players fresh over the course of the season.
Check out TuneIn on Arizona Athletics’ website and KTUC 1400 AM for tipoff at 5 p.m. Saturday, or check the Arizona women’s basketball Twitter feed to stay posted on the game. The Wildcats return to McKale Center on Monday when Kansas rolls into town.
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