No. 14 Arizona women’s basketball can’t complete comeback at Oregon State

If No. 14 Arizona girls’s basketball had any hopes of internet hosting the opening rounds of the NCAA Ladies’s Basketball Event, it in all probability needed to win each video games this weekend. As a substitute, the Wildcats grew to become the group that ended Oregon’s seven-game shedding streak and Oregon State’s nine-game shedding streak. Even worse, they misplaced key reserve Helena Pueyo to an harm with 3:10 left within the first half.

The Wildcats have been in a position to battle again after falling behind by 20 factors, however the shorthanded group couldn’t overtake Oregon State within the 78-70 loss. It was redemption for the Beavers, who squandered a 12-point third-quarter lead in Tucson in a loss earlier within the season.

Pueyo was knocked to the ground after hitting heads with an Oregon State participant. She had a lower over her eye. Head coach Adia Barnes mentioned after the sport that Pueyo required stitches, however she shouldn’t be in concussion protocol. She didn’t return to the sport.

The Wildcats have been led by Esmery Martinez with 16 factors on 6-for-8 capturing. She added eight rebounds and two steals.

Madi Conner was the one different Wildcat to finish in double figures. She had 11 factors, 4 rebounds and one help. She additionally took an important cost on Oregon State’s Raegan Beers late within the recreation.

“She’s aggressive,” Barnes mentioned of Conner. “She’s bodily. She performed nice protection on Raegan Beers and she or he’s a guard. We’d like that very same depth from our submit gamers.”

The others who bought near double digits have been Shaina Pellington and Lauren Fields, each of whom scored 9 factors. Pellington added three rebounds, seven assists and 4 steals. Fields had 4 rebounds and one help.

Arizona struggled with foul hassle in opposition to the larger Oregon State group. Paris Clark had two fouls within the first quarter. Cate Reese picked up her second foul within the second quarter and Maya Nnaji was whistled for 3 within the first 20 minutes.

“I believe it was the scale,” Barnes mentioned. “And since we’re undersized inside we needed to…assist they usually have been doing a fantastic job of skipping the ball.”

Reese fouled out late within the fourth quarter attempting to cease a quick break. Pellington and Martinez each ended the sport with 4 fouls. Fields, Conner, Clark and Nnaji all ended with three apiece.

It wasn’t as if the Beavers have been making a residing on the line within the first half, although. They took no free throws within the first half whereas Arizona went 4 for six over the primary 20 minutes. The Wildcats racked up fouls in non-shooting conditions or on the offensive finish of the court docket which left them struggling to defend Oregon State’s huge entrance court docket with gamers who stand lower than six ft tall.

Issues began to even out within the third quarter when OSU shot eight free throws and UA went to the road 4 instances. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Wildcats had a ten to eight benefit in free throws tried regardless of 5 gamers on OSU having zero fouls and solely Bendu Yeaney having as many as three.

It regarded just like the Beavers have been going to run away with the sport within the third quarter. They constructed a 20-point lead with 1:30 left to go within the interval.

Arizona knew that it might come again in opposition to this Oregon State group, although. So did the Beavers.

Final time they met, the Wildcats erased a 12-point deficit within the third quarter to win. Fields performed an enormous function within the comeback in Tucson.

On Saturday, Fields once more performed an enormous function in a comeback. She ended with 9 factors on 3-for-8 capturing. All three got here from past the arc within the second half. She added 4 rebounds and one help in 31 minutes.

Arizona trimmed 5 factors off the lead within the ultimate 90 seconds of the third quarter. The Wildcats began the ultimate quarter sizzling. Nnaji hit a midrange jumper. Pellington bought two on the fastbreak. Fields hit the final of her three 3-point photographs. The lead was in single digits with simply eight factors separating the 2 groups.

The Beavers pushed it again to fifteen solely to see the Wildcats take one other run at them. The lead was right down to 4 with 1:06 to go within the recreation. Arizona solely scored as soon as extra as OSU shot six straight free throws. The Beavers’ ultimate discipline purpose got here with 4:13 left within the recreation, however their free throws have been sufficient to safe the victory regardless of UA hitting two 3-pointers and two layups over that interval.

Arizona subsequent performs on Thursday at 1 p.m. MST within the Michelob ULTRA Enviornment on the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nev. The fourth-seeded Wildcats will face the winner of the opening spherical recreation between the No. 12 and No. 5 seeds.