The University of Arizona women’s basketball team beat ASU in a dominating 71-59 road win on Saturday, March 1, in Tempe at 4 p.m. in the Desert Financial Arena. This victory marks the Wildcats 10th conference win in the Big 12 and 19th win this season under head coach Adia Barnes.
The Wildcats (19-12, 10-8 in Big 12) recorded a season-high 15 3-pointers, led by Lauryn Swann who shot 6-for-8 from beyond the arc, contributing to her 18-point total. Swann also had five rebounds, and two assists.
Some of the biggest contributors to the Wildcat win include team captain Isis Beh, who scored 15 points throughout the game, along with eight rebounds and three blocks. Fellow team captain Jada Williams contributed 13 points, with 9 of them coming from beyond the arc. Williams also grabbed eight rebounds and three assists.
Arizona ended the first half with a 37-29 advantage led by Beh and Swann who scored 9 points apiece. Both players had perfect field goal percentages, next to Beh grabbing four rebounds, showing her prowess on both defense and offense.
The Sun Devils (9-21, 3-15 in Big 12) closed their season with a loss on Senior Night, and two back-to-back losses coming from the University of Colorado, Boulder and the matchup against Arizona. ASU struggled in the turnover game against the Wildcats, with a rate of 21% leading to 15 points Arizona converted off of those errors.
The Sun Devils’ depth seemed to have a lack of offensive rhythm in the game. The bench was of little help, only contributing 3 points all scored by Adison Novosel.
The leading scorers for ASU were Tyi Skinner, who poured in 20 points in 40 minutes of play. Nevaeh Parkinson also contributed with 17 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the field. Parkinson was also a force on the boards, dominating with 19 rebounds and proving her all-around versatility.
While the Sun Devils posted a scoring percentage of 45.8% from the field in the first half, they fell short of an elite performance. Additionally, their points per possession (0.952) indicates that they struggled with offensive efficiency throughout the game.
Rebounds were a strong suit for the Wildcats as they secured 21 boards in the second half (16 defensive, five offensive), along with an impressive 53.8% percentage from deep.
The bench played a huge role in the second half for the Wildcats, contributing 14 points. Katarina Kneževic contributed 5 points, adding to her 8 point total with one shot from beyond the arc on 2-of-4 shooting from the field.
This victory completes the Wildcats regular season as Arizona did an impressive job winning four consecutive games, building momentum heading into the Big 12 Championship on Wednesday, March 5, in Kansas City, Mo.
With this strong finish, the Wildcats are poised to carry their confidence and form into the postseason, eager to make a deep run and contend for the title.
Looking ahead
The University of Arizona Women’s Basketball Team is set to compete in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship starting March 5 in Kansas City, Mo., aiming for a deep postseason run.
The Wildcats remain as the No. 8 seed in the Big 12 women’s basketball ranking, earning a first-round bye as they face the winner of No. 9 Colorado and No. 16 University of Houston in the second round taking place on Thursday, March 6 at 12:30 p.m. MST.
Follow the Daily Wildcat on Instagram and Twitter/X
