The University of Arizona women’s basketball team (13-8, 4-4 in Big 12) defeated the University of Cincinnati (11-6, 3-4 in Big 12) 72-62 in McKale Center on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. marking the Wildcats second consecutive victory.
Skylar Jones led the Wildcats to the win scoring 16 points in 16 minutes, shooting 6-of-8 from the field. Additionally, she brought in five rebounds and two assists.
Arizona played exceptional defense in the opening period, limiting the Bearcats to just 7 percent shooting from the field and scoring a season-low 2 points in the first 10 minutes of play. Freshman Lauryn Swann scored 5 points in the quarter to give the Wildcats a comfortable lead 15-2.
In the second quarter, Jada Williams secured 7 points in eight minutes of play, shooting an efficient 3-of-5 from the floor. Williams, the sophomore guard, maintained Arizona’s lead despite the Bearcats outscoring the Wildcats 20-17 in the period.
Swann complemented Williams by putting up an additional 5 points in the quarter, giving the freshman guard a team-leading 10 points at the half on 2-of-3 shooting from beyond the arc. Arizona went into halftime leading Cincinnati by double-digits, 32-22.
With Cincinnati gaining momentum and chipping away at Arizona’s lead, the Wildcats subbed in sophomore Jones for the first time in the game midway through the third quarter. Jones was aggressive from the jump, scoring 7 points to end the period.
“When I’m in a good head space, that’s when I play my best,” Jones said post-game.
During the final 10 minutes of regulation, Jones continued to be aggressive, hitting an impressive 4-of-6 from the field, scoring 9 points along with three rebounds.
Sophomore Breya Cunningham stood out defensively, tallying seven rebounds in the fourth quarter as she finished the game with a career-high 15 total rebounds. Cunningham also scored 9 points to add to her name.
“When she’s [Cunningham] not scoring she’s doing other things […]. She still was effective because she controlled the boards,” head coach Adia Barnes said post-game.
Arizona had four players finish in double-figures in scoring. Alongside Jones, Williams contributed 14 points, four rebounds and four assists. Swann and Paulina Paris had 10 points apiece, with Paris also grabbing two steals.
Looking ahead
The Wildcats look to extend their win streak to three games as the team prepares to host No. 16 ranked West Virginia University on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 6:30 p.m. in McKale Center.
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