In the first game of a weekend in Washington, Arizona women’s basketball picked up its second win in the last seven games, beating the University of Washington on Thursday night, 69-59.

With the win, Arizona is guaranteed a winning record, its first since the 2010 season, which shows that head coach Adia Barnes has this team and program heading in the right direction not only this year, but for years to come.

Although the Wildcats ended up winning by 10, the game was much closer for its duration, with teams trading buckets, especially in the last two minutes of the game. The game was tied eight times, with 14 lead changes.

The ‘Cats lead after one quarter of play 18-15 and after a second quarter that saw both teams score 10 points went into the locker room with a 28-25 lead.

In the third, the Huskies would make a cut into the Wildcat lead by one point, with the score at 46-44 heading into the final frame.

In the fourth quarter, Arizona’s defense clamped down on UW, forcing it to a 23 percent shooting percentage from the field. After some late free throws, the game was in hand, with the Wildcats coming out on top.

Redshirt sophomore Aari McDonald finished with 24 points, one less than her average of 25.3 that has her as the nation’s second leading scorer, while also adding seven rebounds. Eleven of McDonald’s points came from the free throw stripe.

Sophomore Sam Thomas continued her strong season with 15 points, adding six rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. She had a three pointer late in the game that ultimately was the dagger.

Overall, the Wildcats shot 53 percent from the field, their best percentage of the season, while holding Washington to 37 percent. The ‘Cats forced 17 UW turnovers, but had 22 of their own, which is one less than their season high.

The Wildcats will look to complete the sweep of the Washington schools on Saturday, Feb. 9, when they take on Washington State.

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