The University of Arizona women’s basketball team (19-13, 10-8 in Big 12) prepares to host NAU for the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament on Thursday, March 20 at 6 p.m. in McKale Center. The Wildcats earned the No. 2 seed in the WBIT conference.
History vs. NAU
The two programs faced off earlier in the season on Nov. 20, with the Lumberjacks winning 92-75 in Flagstaff. Arizona leads the all-time series record 34-7, as the Wildcats look to continue building their lead in Thursday’s matchup.
NAU players to watch
The Lumberjacks are led by eighth-year head coach Loree Payne. Payne led NAU to a record of 26-7 (16-2 in Big Sky) good enough to rank second in the conference. Since taking over the helm in 2017, Payee has collected six straight winning seasons for Northern Arizona after setting the program’s single season win record of 25 wins last season.
6-foot-2 forward Sophie Glancey leads the Lumberjacks in scoring, averaging a team-leading 18.3 points, almost 9.6 rebounds and almost two blocks per game. In her last five games, Glancey is putting up a double-double, recording 21 points on 44.3% shooting from the field alongside 11.2 rebounds per game. Additionally, she leads the team with total blocks collected in conference play with 34 rejections.
In the last matchup against Arizona, Glancey finished with 17 points, six boards and a pair of blocks. She was also able to get to the line, shooting 7-for-12 from the charity stripe.
Junior guard Taylor Feldman is looking for a bounce back game in Thursday’s matchup. Feldman is coming off of a match against the University of Montana in the Big Sky semi-final where she finished with only 1 point and three assists. In the 71-67 loss, Feldman failed to make a field goal, going 0-for-8 from the floor.
The junior guard on the season averages 16.2 points while dishing out almost four assists a game shooting 35.9% from beyond the arc. Last time out against the Wildcats, Feldman dropped 16 points, five assists and secured 6-of-7 shot opportunities from the free throw line.
Wildcats to watch
Ninth-year head coach Adia Barnes leads the Wildcats in Thursday’s rematch against NAU. After ending Arizona’s four-year streak of an NCAA Tournament appearance, Barnes looks to make a strong case in the WBIT.
“The WBIT is super competitive, a lot better than I even anticipated […]. With a chance for us to go do something special,” head coach Adia Barnes said.
Sophomore Skylar Jones looks to rise to the occasion against the Lumberjacks. Jones averages 10.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game shooting 48.9% from the field. In Arizona’s most recent loss, falling to Colorado in the first round of the Big 12 Championship on March 6, Jones secured 17 points, three rebounds on 7-for-10 shooting, despite the 61-58 collapse to the Buffaloes.
Redshirt senior Isis Beh is set to take the court once again in a Wildcat uniform as the forward puts up 8.5 points and picks up 4.4 rebounds per game. Beh’s offensive asset serves well for Arizona as she shoots 81.7% from the line. In her last five games, she is averaging 14.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.
Jada Williams is listed as a game-time decision against NAU, possibly opening a spot for transfer junior guard Paulina Paris. Paris averages 8.4 points and three rebounds shooting 40.5% from the floor.
In Arizona’s last meeting against the Lumberjacks, Paris dropped a team-high 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting for the night while bringing in eight rebounds and four steals.
“She’s [Williams] been having a nagging injury; she’s been out of most of the practices for most of the year […]. She has to decide if she’s willing to play in the WBIT,” Barnes said.
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