Arizona

Arizona women’s basketball falls to GCU despite career high by Breya Cunningham

Published

1 year ago

December 6, 2024

Arizona women’s basketball falls to GCU despite career high by Breya Cunningham

Arizona head coach Adia Barnes was concerned about the Wildcats’ energy at practice on Wednesday afternoon. The team was preparing for GCU, an opponent that has exploited the very problem the Wildcats have had all season: turnovers.

Arizona came into the game averaging 19.9 turnovers per game. GCU has forced their opponents into 18.4. The Wildcats kept it slightly under their average, but 17 turnovers, nine missed free throws, and an inability to keep up with Trinity San Antonio were enough to give the Lopes a 69-66 win in the two programs’ first-ever matchup.

“I thought GCU did a really good job of making it really hard to guard them off the dribble,” Barnes said. “We were exploited in the second half, for sure, just isolating us in different pick and roll situations, spreading the floor and misdirecting us and isolating for right hand drives, and we really couldn’t find an answer for it. I thought first half, we did some really good things. I thought that we were really good on the boards. Our guards were offensive rebounding and putting back, and then it was just halted in the second half.”

San Antonio, one of 12 transfers on the 15-player GCU roster, was superb. She had a double-double with 26 points on 9 for 13 shooting, 12 rebounds, four assists, and four steals. The only downsides to her game were the eight turnovers she committed.

She often found the lane wide open for layups. At times, she went coast-to-coast off made baskets and still beat the Arizona defense.

“23 is a quick player,” said Arizona forward Breya Cunningham. “She’s very fast. Their whole thing was just to get the ball in fast and run the ball. So she’s beating us down.”

The loss was Arizona’s second to an in-state mid-major this season after losing to NAU last month.

“That’s bad,” Barnes said.

The Wildcats had five players in double figures. They shot slightly better from the field than GCU. They had two fewer turnovers and scored three more points off turnovers. They had seven more second-chance points. Their bench outscored GCU’s bench by 10. They led for almost 28 minutes of the game. None of it mattered.

“Our offense was good in the first half,” Barnes said. “We took some runs. I think it was good. I think…our approach and our reaction the second half—when they went on a run, we never reacted, got a stop, or we took bad shots and it led to a fast break run. So I think when you’re more experienced, let’s say, you don’t take those quick shots. You get the ball reversed because you understand, like, okay, they’re killing us in transition. Let’s use a better offense. We didn’t get that. The ball stuck, then it’s bad shots that led to the fast breaks. So, an unorganized offense is an unorganized defense.”

In addition to the turnovers and poor shot selection in the second half, the Wildcats hit just 52.6 percent of their free throws. Arizona went 10 for 19 from the line. Until they began fouling the Lopes at the end of the game, the free throw attempts were roughly even.

The Arizona players were also affected by the high two-three zone in the second half.

“We struggled getting open,” said guard Paulina Paris. “Obviously, we struggled finding Breya, who was hot this game.”

The extension of the zone was the biggest problem for the Wildcats

“Even against the zone in the first half, we were getting (Breya) the ball, but because they extended it, we did not,” Barnes said. “We didn’t understand the concept of attacking the gaps. So we’re just dribbling. Have to attack the gas, especially if it’s high, if we get the ball to the baseline, you’re gonna be open because they’re in a 3-2. We couldn’t even get to the corners because we couldn’t start initially and reverse the ball.”

Arizona’s other Achilles heel—fouls in the post—didn’t rear its head until later i” the game. Cunningham has picked up two fouls in the first quarter of four games this season. Against the Lopes, she didn’t pick up her second until the third quarter, but she had her fourth with over four minutes left in the game.

Cunningham had a career-high 20 points to go with six rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. She went 10 for 13 from the field but missed all five of her free throws. In a game decided by three points, it was a dagger.

She wasn’t the only one to miss free throws, though. Skylar Jones went 5 for 11 from the field but missed both of her free throws. Jones ended with 10 points, five rebounds, two assists, and three steals. However, she also had four fouls and a team-high five turnovers.

The Wildcats had a scare with 7:33 left in the game. Point guard Jada Williams had to be helped off the floor after rolling her ankle. Williams has a nagging foot injury that stretches back to last season, but this looked like it might take her out of the game and possibly more.

Instead, the guard went back to the locker room, got her ankle taped, and returned. The crowd roared with approval as she took the floor again at the 5:47 mark.

Williams hit a clutch 3-pointer that cut the lead to three points with 15 seconds left in the game. It was one of only two makes on the night, although she ended with 11 points. Most of her points came from the line where she went 6 for 7. She added six rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Williams also had three turnovers.

Freshman guard Lauryn Swann gave Arizona all of its bench points. She scored 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting, including going 3 for 6 from beyond the arc. She had two rebounds and two assists but also contributed four of the Wildcats’ turnovers.

The Wildcats played shorthanded for the second straight game. Starting forward Isis Beh remained in concussion protocol. Sahnya Jah was also “unavailable” for the game. Barnes said both should be back for the next game, but it left them shorthanded in the frontcourt.

Montaya Dew started at the four. Barnes tried both Jorynn Ross and Katarina Knežević for brief periods, but none of the three were very effective.

“This is game we really needed four, because they played small, like a 5-11 four and then the shooting four,” Barnes said. “Sometimes we’d play two fives. It’s hard for us to guard a versatile post player. Then, Montaya, it wasn’t her night. She had to be a little bit more physical. And it’s okay, there’s going to be those nights, but then we need to have someone off the bench. We didn’t have a four off the bench.”

Dew ended with two points, five rebounds, three assists, and one block. She also had three turnovers. Ross’ only positive stat was a steal. Knežević recorded one turnover in her minute of play.

GCU took the lead with 2:05 to go in the game. By that time, Arizona had four starters with four fouls each. It made it even more difficult to guard a player like San Antonio. Ultimately, though, Barnes felt it was about toughness and decision-making.

“A little bit more toughness down the stretch, handling the pressure, we win the game, but we weren’t able to,” Barnes said. “They did a great job of not allowing us to.”

Arizona has two more nonconference games before it starts Big 12 play. The first will be against Cal State Bakersfield on Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. MST in McKale Center.

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Arizona

What have the Cardinals done in NFL free agency? – Arizona Sports

Published

8 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

What have the Cardinals done in NFL free agency? – Arizona Sports

The NFL’s legal tampering window is officially open, and it didn’t take long for the Arizona Cardinals to get in the mix.

A running list of the new names and familiar faces coming to Arizona in 2026:

New names on Cardinals roster this free agency

Kendrick Bourne

The former San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots wide receiver brings another body to Arizona’s wide receivers room that includes Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr.

He’s got plenty of familiarity with new Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur from their time together in San Francisco (2017-20). Bourne also spent a year with expected Cardinals starter Jacoby Brissett in 2024 with the Patriots.

The wide receiver caught 37 passes for 551 yards in 16 games played (eight starts) last year.

He’s now on board for two years in Arizona.

Isaac Seumalo

The guard spent the past three years with the Pittsburgh Steelers after a seven-season stint with the Philadelphia Eagles.

He’s started 104 out of 125 games played and has spent time at both left and right guard during his NFL career.

According to Next Gen Stats, the guard allowed a 3.7% pressure rate last year. That was the lowest rate among all eligible guards in 2025.

Gardner Minshew

Minshew agreed to terms on a one-year deal on Monday.

He’s expected to back up expected starter Jacoby Brissett in 2026, according to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro.

Coming off his seventh NFL season and first with the Kansas City Chiefs, Minshew appeared in four games (one start) last year. He completed 46.2% of his throws for 37 yards and an interception.

Before landing with the Chiefs, Minshew spent time with the Las Vegas Raiders (2024), Indianapolis Colts (2023), Philadelphia Eagles (2021-22) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2019-20).

RB Tyler Allgeier

Allgeier comes over to Arizona on a reported two-year contract.

Before agreeing to terms on the $12.25 million deal with Arizona on Monday, Allgeier played four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons.

He ran for 514 yards and eight touchdowns on 143 carries last year, while adding another 14 catches for 96 yards.

While he worked mostly behind Bijan Robinson the past three years, Allgeier did surpass the 1,000-yard mark as a rookie in 2022.

Familiar faces

L.J. Collier

Collier is back on a one-year deal.

The defensive lineman appeared in four games in 2025 due to a knee injury suffered in Week 2.

He recorded six tackles and two QB hits in what was his third season with the team.

Roy Lopez

After a one-year stint with the Detroit Lions, Lopez is back with his hometown team on a reported two-year deal.

In 17 games played last year, he recorded two sacks, four tackles for loss and a pass defensed.

Before his time in Detroit, Lopez spent two seasons with Arizona from 2023-24. During that span, he registered a sack, six tackles for loss, three passes defensed and a forced fumble in 30 games played (21 starts).

K Chad Ryland

Ryland is back on a one-year deal, the team announced.

Ryland went through plenty of struggles last season after a having a career year in 2024. His accuracy dropped from 87.5% in 2024 to 75.8% last season. He was especially inconsistent from 40 yards and on, compiling a 13-of-20 mark (65%). Inside 40 yards, though, Ryland was 12-of-13 (92.3%).

Arizona brought in kicker Josh Karty late in the year (more on him later), but Ryland never gave up his role and appeared in all 17 games.

A one-year deal isn’t going to break the bank by any means.

P Blake Gillikin

The Cardinals must feel pretty good about where Gillikin is at in his recovering from a back injury last year with their signing of the punter to a one-year deal.

Before he went down five games into the season, the punter was leading the league in yards per punt with 51.7.

Not only that, across his five seasons (65 games) in the NFL, he holds the all-time record for yards per punt at 48.5.

Staying healthy is key for Gillikin, who also missed time in 2024 due to an ankle injury.

RB James Conner

Technically not a free agent, Conner was a potential cut candidate given his contract.

But after reportedly revising his deal, Conner is returning for his sixth season with the Cardinals.

The running back brings plenty of leadership and a bruising running style to the mix.

He’s coming off an abbreviated 2025 (three games) due to an ankle injury but had rushed for a pair of 1,000-yard seasons the two years prior. He scored at least seven rushing touchdowns each season from 2022-24.

CB Sean Murphy-Bunting

Much like Conner, Murphy-Bunting was another prime cut candidate due to his contract but reportedly revised his deal with Arizona as well.

Murphy-Bunting has a lot to prove after missing all of 2025 due to an injury suffered away from the team facility.

In his first season with the Cardinals, the cornerback recorded 52 tackles, three interceptions, five passes defensed and two forced fumbles across 15 starts.

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Arizona

Arizona’s Jaden Bradley named Big 12 men’s basketball player of year

Published

20 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Arizona’s Jaden Bradley named Big 12 men’s basketball player of year

The Arizona men’s basketball team went 29-2 overall and 16-2 in the Big 12, winning the conference’s regular season title.

The Wildcats were rewarded for their dominance in the Big 12’s men’s basketball awards, which were announced on March 9.

Arizona’s Jaden Bradley was named the Big 12 Player of the Year, while Tobe Awaka earned the conference’s Sixth Man of the Year award and coach Tommy Lloyd earned Coach of the Year accolades.

Bradley averaged 13.4 points and 4.6 assists. Awaka was the nation’s leading rebounder off the bench, averaging 9.7 rebounds and 9.9 points when entering the game as a reserve. Lloyd led Arizona to its first Big 12 regular-season title.

Arizona State was completely shut out of the awards, with Moe Odum not receiving honorable mention honors despite averaging 17.1 points per game and 5.9 assists per game for the Sun Devils.

2026 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Men’s Basketball Awards

Player of the Year: Jaden Bradley, Arizona
Defensive Player of the Year: Flory Bidunga, Kansas
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Freshman of the Year: AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Newcomer of the Year: Melvin Council Jr., Kansas
Sixth Man Award: Tobe Awaka, Arizona*
Most Improved: Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
Coach of the Year: Tommy Lloyd, Arizona

All-Big 12 First Team

Jaden Bradley, Arizona
Brayden Burries, Arizona
Motiejus Krivas, Arizona
AJ Dybantsa, BYU*
Emanuel Sharp, Houston
Kingston Flemings, Houston*
Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State
Flory Bidunga, Kansas
Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
JT Toppin, Texas Tech*

All-Big 12 Second Team

Richie Saunders, BYU
Baba Miller, Cincinnati
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State
Darryn Peterson, Kansas

All-Big 12 Third Team

Koa Peat, Arizona
Cameron Carr, Baylor
Rob Wright, BYU
Themus Fulks, UCF
Xavier Edmonds, TCU

All-Big 12 Honorable Mention:

Arizona: Tobe Awaka
Baylor: Tounde Yessoufou
Cincinnati: Moustapha Thiam
Colorado: Isaiah Johnson
Houston: Joseph Tugler, Milos Uzan
Kansas: Melvin Council Jr.
Kansas State: PJ Haggerty
Oklahoma State: Parsa Fallah
TCU: David Punch
Texas Tech: Donovan Atwell
West Virginia: Honor Huff
Utah: Terrence Brown

All-Defensive Team

Jaden Bradley, Arizona
Motiejus Krivas, Arizona
Emanuel Sharp, Houston
Joseph Tugler, Houston
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State
Flory Bidunga, Kansas*

A tie resulted in an extra position on the team

All-Freshman Team

Brayden Burries, Arizona*
Koa Peat, Arizona
AJ Dybantsa, BYU*
Kingston Flemings, Houston*
Darryn Peterson, Kansas*

All-Newcomer Team

Cameron Carr, Baylor
Themus Fulks, UCF
Baba Miller, Cincinnati
Melvin Council Jr., Kansas
Donovan Atwell, Texas Tech

*- unanimous selection

Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

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Arizona

Arizona gas prices rise above national average amid Middle East conflict

Published

1 day ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Arizona gas prices rise above national average amid Middle East conflict

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The average price of regular gasoline in Arizona surged more than 30 cents in just a few days, according to AAA, leaving the state’s average at around $3.84 per gallon as of Sunday. The national average stands at $3.45.

Arizona is now one of the most expensive states in the country to fill up, topping the national average by nearly 40 cents.

AAA said the war in Iran is affecting crude oil prices, which are now trading at more than $100 per barrel. Arizona’s Family also reported a slowdown in a major ship channel in the Middle East, adding further pressure to the market.

A seasonal factor is also contributing to the spike. The transition to summer-blend gasoline, which is required in spring, is driving prices higher as well.

Drivers at a central Phoenix gas station said they were caught off guard by the rapid increase.

“I was appalled,” one driver said.

“It was ridiculous,” said another.

“That is a lot, especially in such a short period of time,” said Andrea Webb.

The gas station attendant said some drivers are limiting how much they spend per fill-up, putting in only $10 to $20 at a time. Others said they are actively searching for the lowest posted price.

“I feel like I’m always on the hunt for whatever is the cheapest gas,” said Bailey Mitchell. “This was $4.09 versus $4.15, so I’ll take it.”

Not all drivers said they are cutting back.

“I’m gonna bite the bullet. I need gas in my car. I’ll fill it up,” said Webb.

ASU professor of supply chain management, Hitendra Chaturvedi, said oil prices could approach $130 per barrel if the war in Iran continues. That scenario could push Arizona gas prices close to $6 per gallon, the professor said. No timeline was given.

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