CEDAR CITY, Utah – Adia Barnes and the Arizona women's basketball team will be in Cedar City, Utah this weekend to face the Thunderbirds of Southern Utah. The Cats are looking to bounce back from their loss against North Texas on Tuesday. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. MST on Saturday afternoon.
 
On Southern Utah
Southern Utah comes into Saturday's game unscathed as they have a record of 3-0 so far. The Thunderbirds average 74.7 points per game and are led by Darri Frandsen, who has scored 15 points a contest and also leads them in rebounding with 10 a game. Jamie Smith scored 13.7 points per game and Jessica Richardson scored 10.3 points per game. Southern Utah has earned victories against Antelope Valley, CSU Bakersfield and most recently Utah State. As a team, Southern Utah dominates the glass as they have a rebounding margin of +17.3. Through three games, their opponents are averaging just 34.3 rebounds per game.
 
LB in the Record Books
Senior LaBrittney Jones is back for her senior season in Tucson. Jones will go down as one of the great Wildcats as she is sure to climb the record books should all go well. She is currently fifth all time in blocked shots with 106 and needs 16 to pass Marte Alexander for fourth. Jones is also 89 rebounds away from cracking the top 10, which shouldn't be an issue as she has averaged a little over 161 boards a year. Her average of 5.9 rebounds per game for a career is tied for seventh all time. Finally, Jones needs just 119 points to crack the top 20 in Arizona history. Jones led the team with 23 points and nine rebounds against North Texas.
 
Washington's World
Malena Washington led the Wildcats in total points scored last year as she scored 346 for an average of 10.8 per game. She also led the team with 146 three-pointers made, which was the most in one season since Davellyn Whyte knocked down 218 in the 2012-13 season. Although she is a senior, Washington is entering just her third season as a Wildcat as she started her career at Tyler Junior College, where she was named a JC All-American. Washington averages 11 points per game through the first three contests of the season. She scored 18 against George Mason on 7-11 shooting and made two three-pointers last weekend.
 
Go DJ, That's my DJ
Senior forward Dejza James has played more than 13 games in a season just once in her career due to injuries, but she is healthy now and ready to return to action. Last year in 13 games, she grabbed 6.2 rebounds per game and scored 5.3 points per game. She had two double-digit rebounding performances as well, which included 10 against San Diego on Nov. 21 and 13 against New Mexico State on Dec. 2. James finished the game with at least six rebounds in seven of her 13 games played.
 
TG For Three
Redshirt Sophomore Taryn Griffey has been through her fair share of adversity as she has undergone multiple knee surgeries, but she is back this year after having a solid start to her college career in the 2015-16 season. Last year, she shot 42.4% from downtown, which was the third-highest three-point percentage for one season in school history. Griffey scored 14 points off the bench against George Mason and was 4-6 from downtown. After knocking down one three-pointer against North Texas, she leads the way with six made threes this season.
 
It's Your Destiny
Sophomore forward Destiny Graham was a monster on the boards in the season-opener against Alcorn State. She grabbed 11 rebounds, which is a career high and also had five offensive rebounds, another career high. Graham also blocked two shots, which tied her career high. Through three games, she averages 4.7 rebounds per game, which is tied for second on the team.
 
Buenos Dias, Lucia
Freshman guard Lucia Alonso has started the first three games of her college career at the point guard position. So far, she averages nine points, 3.7 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game. Alonso was 3-4 from behind the arc against George Mason and scored 13 points. The freshman lads the team in minutes played so far as she has been on the floor for 107 of the 120 total minutes played this season, which is an average of 35.7 minutes per game. Against North Texas, she played 38 minutes. She is currently second in the Pac-12 in minutes played per game.
 
Loving the Long Ball
Arizona made 10 three-pointers against George Mason last Friday, which is the most since the Wildcats made 12 in a win against Oregon back on Jan. 13, 2013. Arizona was 12-27 (44%) overall from downtown in the Oregon game while the Wildcats were 10-18 (56%) against George Mason last Friday. In the second half alone, Arizona shot 7-10 from distance against George Mason. The Wildcats made three against North Texas on Tuesday with LaBrittney Jones leading the way with two.
 
Finishing Strong
Arizona shot 10-11 (91%) in the fourth quarter against George Mason. That is the highest percentage Arizona has ever shot in a single quarter and it is tied for the second most-made shots in a quarter. Arizona made 10 against New Mexico State (12/5/15) and USC (2/28/16) last year. 28 points is also the second-most points scored in a quarter. The Wildcats scored 30 points and made 11 shots against Gardner-Webb on Dec. 21, 2015. So far this year, Arizona has scored a total of 68 points in the fourth quarter for an average of 22.7, which is the most of any quarter.
 
Cats Have the Clutch Gene
Through two games this season, Arizona has shot a combined 68% in the fourth quarter. Against Alcorn State, the Wildcats were 9-17 from the field and against George Mason, they shot 10-11. The Wildcats are also 20-27 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter this year.
 
Cleaning the Glass
The Wildcats will lean on seniors LaBrittney Jones, Dejza James and Breanna Workman to dominate the boards this year, which isn't a bad things. Last year, James averaged 6.2 per game, Jones averaged 5.9 per game and Workman averaged 4.8 per game. Jones grabbed double-digit rebounds four times last season while James did it twice last season. James' season was cut short last year though due to injury as she only played in 13 games. So far this year, Arizona has outrebounded their opponents 124-101. Jones is averaging 9.7 boards a game to lead the team.
 
Double-digit rebounding games
11/13/16: LaBrittney Jones (12 vs. Alcorn State)
11/13/16: Destiny Graham (11 vs. Alcorn State)
 
It's a Block Party and LB is Hosting
Senior LaBrittney Jones has 106 career blocks through 87  games, which is good for an average of 1.2 swats per game. Last year, she blocked 23 shots in 21 games. Throughout her career, she has posted 26 games where she has blocked multiple shots and as blocked 3+ shots in 15 games. Her career high was set back on Feb. 1, 2015 when she sent six shots into the seats. Jones has now blocked 3+ shots in consecutive games, which is the third time that she has done that in her career.
 
Arizona Career Blocked Shots Leaders
1. Shawntinice Polk, 222
2. Ify Ibekwe, 166
3. Elizabeth Pickney, 147
4. Marte Alexander, 121
5. LaBrittney Jones, 106
6. Dana Patterson, 91
7. Anne McFadden, 87
 
Lock it Up
Arizona was solid on the defensive end last season as they generally didn't allow the opposing team easy buckets and forced them into bad three-point shooting percentages. In the 2015-16 season, opposing teams scored just 62.4 points per game and shot 32.6% from downtown. Both of those were in the top half of the Pac-12 last year. Against Alcorn State, the Wildcats allowed just 59 points and forced the Braves to shoot 29.5%. The Wildcats had a tough time on the defensive end in the first quarter against George Mason as the Patriots shot 73%, but then Arizona buckled down and forced them to shoot 33% for the rest of the game.
 
Depth Isn't Overrated
Last season, nine Wildcats averaged at least 15 minutes on the floor per game. What is the significance of that? Eight of those players are back for the 2016-17 season, so they know what to expect when it comes to college basketball. Against Alcorn State, six Wildcats played at least 16 minutes and four played at least 23 minutes.
 
2015-16 Minutes (min. 15.0 mpg)
1. LaBrittney Jones, 27.9
2. Malena Washington, 25.4
3. Breanna Workman, 24.5
4. JaLea Bennett, 20.9
5. Lauren Evans, 20.4
6. Taryn Griffey, 18.8
7. Dejza James, 18.1
8. Destiny Graham, 15.8
 
One Last Go Around
Of the 13 players on the roster, six of them are seniors, which is the most in the Pac-12 as no other team has more than four seniors on their roster. Those six seniors include LaBrittney Jones, Malena Washington, Breanna Workman, Lauren Evans, Dejza James and Farrin Bell. They have combined to play in 368 games.
 
Experience Pays Off
Although there is a brand new coaching staff in place, this team is generally made up of players who were a part of the 2015-16 campaign. 11 of the 13 current players on the roster are returning this year and have played in a combined 553 games. Only one other school has more than nine returners (Colorado returns 11).
 
Barnes is Back
Adia Barnes is back in Wildcat Country, and this time it's as the head coach of the University of Arizona. Barnes is known as one of, if not the best women's basketball player to come through Tucson. As a player, she is the program's leading scorer as she finished with 2,237 career points (18.5 ppg). She is also second all-time in career rebounds (921). During Barnes' freshman year in the 1994-95 season, the Cats finished with a record of 11-19. The next three years were a complete turnaround as the Wildcats won at least 22 games in each season and made a three-straight postseason appearances. Over those three years, Arizona was 68-23, which is still the best three-year stretch in Arizona history.
 
 
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