University of Arizona
2-2
FIU
0-4
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 27 | 38 | 65 |
| FIU | 24 | 34 | 58 |
Cats Advance to Championship Game After 65-58 Win Over FIU
11/29/2014 | Women's Basketball
MIAMI--- The Wildcats shot 18-of-32 from the field for 56.3 percent in the second half, propelling Arizona to its second straight victory, as it earned a 65-58 win over FIU in the opening round of the FIU Thanksgiving Classic, Friday night inside FIU Arena.
The Cats shot a season-high 47.6 percent overall from the field and turned the ball over a season-low seven times, while holding FIU to just 34.8 percent shooting overall and 16.7 percent from beyond the arc.
Senior guard Candice Warthen led the Cats in scoring for the third time this season, as she put in a season-high equaling 18 points on 8-of-20 shooting, while also dishing out a season and game-high seven assists on the night.
Freshman guard JaLea Bennett posted her best performance as an Arizona Wildcat thus far, as she went for a career-high 14 points on an efficient 6-of-9 shooting from the field in 19 minutes off the bench.
Junior guard Keyahndra Cannon also shot the ball well, as she poured in nine points on 4-of-5 shooting, while senior forward Alli Gloyd led the team rebounding effort for the second time this season, pulling down a team-high seven boards in the win.
“It's always good to win, especially when you can get one on the road,” said head coach Niya Butts. “It was great to see us shoot a high percentage from the field. I also thought we competed well and took care of the basketball tonight. We look forward to competing in the tournament championship game on Sunday.”
The Cats dominated the battle in the paint for the second straight contest, as they outscored the Panthers 48-30 inside, while they also scored 17 fast break points, compared to FIU's four. The Arizona bench also outscored the Panther reserves 28-9, marking the second consecutive time the Cats have won the battle of the benches.
Arizona quickly fell behind 4-0, but the deficit didn't last long, as the Cats quickly launched an 8-0 run to take an 8-4 advantage with 14:27 remaining left in the first half. UA never trailed again in the half, as they went up by as many as seven points three separate times before taking a 27-24 advantage into halftime.
However the Cats' resiliency was tested in the second half, as the two team continued to go back and forth in a game that featured five lead changes and 11 ties.
FIU owned a 47-44 lead with 10:49 remaining in the contest, but as they had done all night long, the Cats responded with a mini 6-0 run of their own to reclaim a 50-47 advantage with 8:25 left to play.
Arizona would never trail again, building its lead up to as many as nine points before the final horn sounded.
The Wildcats will take on Toledo in the tournament championship game on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. MST.
