The University of Arizona women’s basketball team (9-4, 0-0 in Big 12) beat Weber State University 87-66 on Monday, Dec. 16 in McKale Center. Arizona now has two consecutive games before entering conference play.
Arizona entered this matchup after a dominant 76-39 victory over California State University, Bakersfield on Dec. 10. Arizona’s defense was in peak form, holding the Roadrunners to shoot just 29.2 percent from the field. During the game, Breya Cunningham and Skylar Jones led the way with 13 points apiece, while Paulina Paris added 11 points and Katarina Kneževic contributed a career-high 9 points.
Recap
Sophomore Jada Williams completed the night with an electric performance on the court, scoring 24 overall points on 8-of-15 shooting, including hitting an impressive 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. On defense, Williams had seven assists along with four steals and two rebounds.
Sahnya Jah had an exceptional night, achieving her first career double-double with a career-high 22 points and leading the team with 10 rebounds, including three offensive and seven defensive.
Paris helped contribute 12 points on an efficient 5-for-8 shooting night, while also knocking down two 3-pointers. Off the bench, Mailien Rolf had a perfect shooting night, going 5-for-5 from the field, including a 3-pointer to finish with 11 points.
Through the first period, the game remained close until Cunningham made a layup, extending the Wildcats lead to 11-points. In the second period, Arizona maintained control of the lead using multiple scoring runs. Kneževic hit a 3-pointer, giving Arizona a 43-26 advantage. Despite a 3-0 run to end the half, Weber State trailed 45-33 at halftime.
The Wildcats opened the second half on a scoring run of their own, giving no room for Weber State to come back. Arizona led by as many as 25 points in the game. Williams nailed the 3-pointer to cap a 7-0 scoring in the final period, sealing the 87-66 victory.
Arizona collectively shot an impressive 53 percent from the field (35-of-66), including 11-of-23 (47.8 percent) shots from beyond the arc, demonstrating impressive efficiency and spacing against Weber State. The team displayed its chemistry, collecting 19 assists.
The Wildcats capitalized on opportunities at the free throw line, making 6-of-10 attempts. Defensively, Arizona recorded 15 steals, applying constant pressure to force multiple Weber State errors.
Antoniette Emma-Nnopu from Weber State delivered a solid performance, contributing 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
This matchup marked the 10th meeting between Arizona and Weber State, but the first under head coach Adia Barnes. With the victory, Arizona improves to a 6-4 series advantage, extending its winning streak over Weber State to five-games. The Wildcats are now 47-13 against Big Sky opponents. This game also marks the third consecutive victory over Weber State in McKale, where Arizona remains a dominant force.
With this non-conference victory, Arizona continues to build on its strong foundation led by Barnes, who has guided the program to six-straight seasons with 18 or more victories.
The Wildcats also set a new attendance record this season, surpassing 6,000 season tickets sold for the first time. Barnes has dedicated this season to the Wildcats’ devoted fanbase, whose unwavering support has helped fuel the team’s success.
Looking ahead
The Wildcats will begin conference play as they head to Provo, Utah, on Saturday, Dec. 21 to play their first Big 12 matchup against BYU at 2 p.m.
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