The University of Arizona women’s basketball team (4-0, 0-0 Big 12) extended its win streak to four in a row after taking down the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Rebels 75-66 on Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. in McKale Center.
Arizona’s offensive efficiency and resilience in the final quarters powered the Wildcats to a solid win over a determined UNLV squad that led by multiple points during the game. The Wildcats previously faced the Rebels last season, when Arizona fell short 72-53.
Freshman Lauryn Swann led the charge off the bench, scoring a team-high 19 points going 8-for-9 shooting from the field, including a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. Swann scored a layup with nine seconds left in the fourth quarter, giving Arizona its largest lead of the game at 12 points and helping seal the victory.
“I just feel like the energy throughout the whole game, while I was in was contagious and I just fed off of that,” said Swann.
Following Swann, sophomore Jada Williams tallied 15 points, going 3-for-6 from 3-point range and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Skylar Jones added 9 points and led the team with five assists, while forward Breya Cunningham controlled the boards with a game-high nine rebounds to go along with her 12 points.
For UNLV, Amarachi Kimpson led the Rebels with 14 points and four assists. Following Kimpson, Kiara Jackson and Meadow Roland added on 12 and 8 points, respectively. Although UNLV shot 39.7% from the field, the Rebels struggled from 3-point range, hitting just 7-of-23 attempts.
UNLV led by as many as 5 points throughout the opening quarter, heading into the second period leading the Wildcats 16-15. Jones scored a layup, tying the game 18-18. Soon after, Paulina Paris made a shot from beyond the arc to give Arizona the 28-23 lead. The Rebels responded with back-to-back 3-pointers made by McKinna Brackens and Aaliyah Alexander to take a 36-32 lead, closing the first half.
In the third quarter, UNLV led by as many as 9 points after a layup by Macie James. Swann continued to provide support offensively, trimming the lead down to 48-46 with a jumper in the final minute of the period. In the final quarter, Arizona closed the game on a 5-point scoring run to win 75-66 against UNLV.
Ultimately, Arizona’s ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities made the difference, finishing with an impressive 53.2 field-goal percentage and 88.9 free-throw shooting percentage.
“They have cohesiveness and chemistry and it’s showing more and more,” said head coach Adia Barnes. “[…] We have good young leaderships that are evolving into leaders.” Barnes expressed how proud she was of the team for turning it around after halftime and finishing with a win.
Looking ahead
The Wildcats will head on the road to face Chicago State University on Saturday, Nov. 16 in Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center.
