The University of Arizona women’s basketball team is set to play the University of Houston Cougars on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 6 p.m. inside the Fertitta Center in Houston, Texas. The Wildcats (16-12, 7-8 in Big 12) are looking to secure their second straight win, after defeating BYU at home, 65-57 on Feb.19.
The Cougars (5-21, 1-14 in Big 12) have had a tough season so far, grabbing only one win in conference play against No. 24 Oklahoma State University on Jan. 14 in Houston. Notably, the Cougars have yet to snap their nine-game losing streak heading into the matchup against the Wildcats.
History vs. Houston
The Wildcats and Cougars have faced off only once in their history. The matchup took play on to Dec. 6, 1981, when Houston defeated Arizona with a 75-59 victory in McKale. The Wildcats look to even the record on Saturday.
Wildcats to watch
Arizona came out with a powerful offense in the game against BYU, with four players ending the night in double digits to help lead the team to victory. Isis Beh led the team in scoring, putting up 14 points.
Beh also contributed three steals, four rebounds and one block. Beh, a 6-foot-3 forward, is a key player for the Wildcats, being the team’s second leading rebounder and free-throw shooter. She averages 3.7 boards per game and boasts an impressive 82.6% free-throw shooting percentage.
Following close behind against BYU was sophomore Skylar Jones with 13 points, five rebounds, three assists and one steal. Other players with double digits in scoring included Jada Williams (12) and Breya Cunningham (11).
This was Williams’ first game back after sitting out against TCU on Feb. 16 due to an injury. Williams, a 5-foot-8 guard, leads Arizona in scoring, posting a stat line of 12.7 points, 3,5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
Cunningham showed her versatility by playing a key role on defense, grabbing eight rebounds (one offensive, seven defensive), four blocks and two steals. Paulina Paris also showed her strength on defense with three steals and one defensive rebound.
A notable take away from Wednesday’s match against BYU is the Wildcats early dominance, jumped out to an early 16-7 lead in the first quarter. This may be a crucial element in securing a win against Houston on Saturday.
Houston players to watch
Laila Blair leads the Cougars in scoring this season with a total of 300 points, averaging 13.0 points per game. Despite Blair making only 51-of-158 shots from behind the arc, she leads the team in 3-point shooting with a percentage of 32.3%. The 5-foot-8 guard also leads in assists for the team with 59 in total this season.
On defense, key players like Eylia Love and Kierra Merchant will be deciding factors if the Cougars can pick up their second Big 12 victory of the season.
Love, a 6-foot-1 guard, leads the team in rebounding, averaging 6.4 boards per game. She has collected 160 rebounds this season (46 offensive, 114 defensive), along with 53 steals and 18 blocks.
Merchant, a Texas native and 5-foot-7 sophomore, leads the team with 62 steals, averaging 2.4 takeaways per game. She has also collected 119 rebounds (29 offensive, 90 defensive), 62 steals and 22 blocks.
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