Box Score TUCSON, Ariz. – The Arizona Wildcats stayed unbeaten on their home court Thursday night, topping visiting Louisiana Tech 77-67 at McKale Center.
The Wildcats are now 5-0 at home this season and 7-1 overall after an impressive victory over the Lady Techsters. Arizona had four players score in double figures and shot 49 percent from the floor. The Wildcats also outrebounded Louisiana Tech 39-31 and posted a 22-5 advantage in assists.
Dejza James led the way for the Wildcats with 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists in 24 minutes. JaLea Bennett played a season high 31 minutes and had 16 points. Malena Washington added 11 to post her fifth double scoring game in the last six contests. Farrin Bell, who made her first career start, finished with 10 points and five rebounds in a career high 24 minutes.
The win marked the first time this season the Wildcats topped 70 points and was the team's highest output since scoring 81 points in an overtime win over Oregon last season. It also was the most points the team scored in a regulation game since the second-to-last game of the 2013-14 season when the Wildcats scored 78.
"Every game we have this saying, 'sometimes you, sometimes me, always us,'" Bell relayed after the game. “With that, everybody knew we had a job to do to get the team a win, and it doesn't take one person."
Bell started for Taryn Griffey, who sat the game out after coach Niya Butts said she took a hit in practice earlier this week. The junior transfer from SMU was a force in her 24 minutes, collecting five rebounds to go with her 10 points.
“Farrin did a great job of stepping into that [starting] role,” Butts said. “She had 10 points, five rebounds, and only two turnovers. She shot 4 of 6 from the field, so that's a pretty good percentage. We feel really good about that decision.”
The Cats took a 39-33 lead into the locker room at halftime in a half that saw Arizona trail for just 22 seconds. The Wildcats shot 18 of 33 from the floor in the game's first 22 minutes and outrebounded the Lady Techsters 17-10.
After an early tie at 6-6, the Wildcats rattled off a 16-4 run to take a 22-10 lead with 1:30 to play in the opening quarter. During the run, the Cats got good minutes from freshman guard Michal Miller. The first-year player from Michigan City, Ind., hit a layup to give Arizona a 14-8 lead. Miller then came up with a steal and found Malena Washington open for a 3-pointer.
After the two teams traded points, Miller hit a 3-pointer of her own to put Arizona up 22-10, which was the team's largest lead in the first half. The freshman finished the half with seven points. She wasn't the only Wildcat who produced in the first. Bell also had seven in the first to go with a pair of rebounds. Malena Washington also had seven points and dished out four assists as well.
In the second half, the Wildcats took a 13-point lead midway through the third quarter, but Louisiana Tech hung around and trailed by 10 after the third quarter. The Lady Techsters cut it to six with less than two minutes to go, but Washington hit a pair of free throws to make it an eight-point lead with 58 seconds left. Breanna Workman and Bell each added one free throw to give the Wildcats their final 10-point advantage and another win at home.
The Wildcats have a six-game winning streak at home dating back to last season.
“All of the wins are sweet to me,” Butts said. “Going into the break 7-1 and taking care of our home court before the Christmas holidays is big for us. We want McKale to be a tough place to play, and we want our fans to leave the arena feeling good about that."
James' 16 points set a new career high. She scored 14 against Grambling last season. Bell also set a new career mark with 10 points.
James, Miller and Washington helped the Arizona bench outscore Louisiana Tech's 44-18.
“That's what we have done this season, we have stepped up as a team,” Butts said. “We like to say 'sometimes you, sometimes me, always us.' We've held true to that, we have done a good job of celebrating each other's successes.”
The Wildcats will return to action Dec. 19 when they open up a three-game in three-day stretch in San Juan, Puerto Rico as part of the Puerto Rico Classic. Arizona will open with SMU on the 19th and follow with Florida Gulf Coast and Gardner-Webb. The team's next home game is set for Dec. 29 against George Mason.
