The University of Arizona women’s basketball team (19-14, 10-8 in Big 12) suffered a heartbreaking 71-69 loss to NAU in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament. The Wildcats failed to get the final shot off before the buzzer as the 2024-2025 season came to a close.
Sophomore Skylar Jones had a team-high 21 points alongside nine rebounds on 9-for-17 shooting. Breya Cunningham followed closely, posting a double-double consisting of 19 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks while going 8-for-14 from the field.
NAU’s Sophie Glancey led all scorers with 23 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks and a pair of steals on 9-for-17 shooting. Taylor Feldman played a huge role, scoring 22 points and five assists with 16 of those points in the second half.
“I think they outplayed us and I think they wanted it more, and I don’t think we wanted to play and I don’t think we wanted it,” head coach Adia Barnes said.
Arizona jumped out to a quick 5-0 start after Paulina Paris drilled a 3-pointer from long range on the opening possession. NAU responded to cut the lead to 1-point until the Wildcats went on another run that extended their lead 12-6 after a 3-pointer from Lauryn Swann. Both programs traded baskets throughout the quarter as Arizona closed the period leading NAU 22-18. Jones had 9 points and four rebounds on 4-for-6 shooting in the quarter.
The Wildcats continued to stay aggressive offensively as Cunningham converted on a layup to open the second quarter. After that point, Arizona would go on a three-minute scoring drought that allowed NAU to cut the lead to 26-24 before the Wildcats called a timeout to stop the bleeding.
Out of the timeout, Jones nailed a 3-pointer, ending Arizona’s scoring drought and taking the 29-24, cutting the Lumberjacks’ momentum. NAU proceeded to make four of their next five shots from the field to keep the Wildcats’ lead within a possession.
Despite the Wildcats struggling to convert a field goal in the final three minutes before halftime, Arizona got to the free-throw line and went into the break leading NAU 36-31. Arizona forced NAU to shoot 1-for-17 (6%) from deep and 32.5% from the field. The Wildcats shot an efficient 40.6% from the floor and 7-for-10 from the charity stripe.
Less than a minute out of the halftime break, NAU opened the second half on a 9-0 scoring run, taking its first lead of the game 42-40, forcing the Wildcats to call timeout. Later in the period, Jones converted the left-handed layup and drew a foul to tie the game at 54.
Both programs traded baskets to start the fourth quarter until Jones made another tough left-handed layup to take a 64-62 lead before the media timeout. NAU responded immediately after the timeout as Feldman made a shot from beyond the arc, gaining a 5-point 69-64 lead before Arizona called timeout to stop the score from stretching.
The Wildcats tied the game at 69 after redshirt senior Isis Beh went 2-for-2 from the line with less than two minutes to play. NAU’s Nyah Moran drilled a midrange jumper shortly after to take a 71-69 lead.
Arizona had an opportunity to tie the game with just shy of seven seconds remaining, but Jones failed to put up a shot as the buzzer sounded as NAU went on to secure the upset, ending the Wildcat’s 2024-2025 season.
“As a coach, it never comes down to the last play, if you look at it’s never the last play that defines winning and losing […]. It comes down to the toughness and lack of communication from the beginning of the game,” Barnes said.
“Going into this WBIT, I did not think we were going to win the WBIT […]. We did not want to play here, we were discouraged from not being in the NCAA tournament […]. Collectively we didn’t want to win, we were indifferent and that’s how we played so I’m not surprised at the result to be honest, ” Barnes said.
Beh played her final game as a Wildcat and finished with 6 points, six assists, five rebounds and four steals.
“I’ll remember the fans the most […]. A few of my teammates I’m going to miss […]. I’m not going to sit up here and lie,” Beh said.
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