TOLEDO, Ohio – Thanks to strong defense and key shooting, the Arizona Wildcats erased a third-quarter deficit to top host Toledo 62-59 in their season opener Saturday afternoon at Savage Arena.

Taryn Griffey, in her first official game as a Wildcat, scored a game-high 18 points on 6 of 9 shooting from 3-point distance. Lauren Evans, also playing her first game at Arizona, finished with eight points, 10 rebounds and three steals in the win.

Juniors Malena Washington and Breanna Workman added 10 points apiece for the Wildcats.

“It was a great, great environment for us to play in,” Coach Niya Butts said. “It was a tough road environment, a tough team and our kids really hung tough. Toledo made a run on us in the third, and we were able to answer that run and hold on. Everybody on our roster did well when they were in there and helped us pull it out.”

Toledo took a 42-36 lead over Arizona with 3:51 to play in the third on a 3-pointer from Jade Woody. The Wildcats instantly responded with a 3-pointer from Washington and after two free throws from Toledo, Griffey hit a 3 to close it to 44-42. Toledo again scored to make it 46-42, but the Wildcats scored the final four points of the quarter to tie it up entering the fourth. Washington hit a jump shot and Breanna Workman connected on a layup.

The Rockets scored the first basket of the fourth quarter, but Griffey hit another 3-pointer to give the Wildcats a 49-48 lead. Arizona never trailed again.

Griffey and Evans scored the first 10 points of the quarter for the Wildcats and led by as many as six with less than five minutes to go. Toledo eventually tied the game at 57, but Washington came up with a big steal and found Keyahndra Cannon ahead for a driving layup to put the Wildcats up 59-57. Toledo responded with a bucket to tie it, but Workman hit a post layup to put Arizona up for good. The junior forward added a free throw to make it 62-59, which held up as the final.

Evans, a Virginia Tech transfer who sat out last season per NCAA rules, had eight points, 10 rebounds and three steals in her debut. In the first half alone, Evans played 16 minutes off the bench and had four points, seven rebounds, three steals and a block. Freshman post player Destiny Graham, also playing in her first game as a Wildcat, finished with nine rebounds, three assists, three steals and two points in 28 minutes.

“They both worked so hard, and that's why they were in there,” Butts said of Evans and Graham. “Lauren ended up with eight and 10; 10 rebounds from the guard position and the four spot at times. She's just a tough kid. Destiny, she's been battling a cold, she's been sick, and the way she stepped up and played for us is big.”

The Wildcats closed the first half on a 12-4 run to take a 29-23 lead into the locker room. Arizona used its aggressive defense to force Toledo turnovers and Griffey and freshman Michal Miller both canned 3-pointers during the stretch.

Griffey, who nearly had a triple double in Arizona's exhibition win over Eastern New Mexico, was 6 of 7 from 3-point distance at one point and added four assists and four rebounds in the win. She played 23 minutes in front of a large crowd of her friends and family.

“I feel really good; I'm just really happy,” said Griffey, who missed last season with a knee injury. “I really feel like we're playing together and can be a really good team. Like I said before the season, we have something to say this year. It feels good to be able to play, so it was a great game.”

Arizona's defense held Toledo to 21 of 51 shooting from the floor and forced 13 first-half turnovers. The Wildcats outrebounded the Rockets 35-32 and posted 17 assists to the Rockets' 12. Arizona had 11 steals in the win and shot 43 percent from the floor and 50 percent (9 of 18) from 3-point distance.

“It felt great; it was a team win,” Evans said. “We celebrated each other's successes, so it's great. This will definitely give us some confidence going forward.”

The Wildcats will look to move to 2-0 when they play next on Nov. 18 at home against Howard. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m., at McKale Center.