TUCSON, Ariz. – The Arizona Wildcats (11-8, 2-6 Pac-12) are on the road once again, this time to Los Angeles to take on USC and UCLA. First up is the Trojans on Friday night at 8 p.m. MST at the Galen Center.
 
On the Trojans
Tough times for the Trojans as they have lost seven-straight games after beating Colorado by 25 points in their Pac-12 opener. Most recently, USC was swept by their crosstown rival UCLA. Sunday's game was close though as the Bruins came away with a four-point win in Pauley Pavilion. USC does have four double-digit scorers in Kristen Simon, Courtney Jaco, Sadie Edwards and Minyon Moore. Simon leads the Trojans in both scoring and rebounding (15.8 ppg & 9.6 rpg). Last season, the Wildcats and the Trojans split the season series with both teams winning on the road.
           
Last 5 vs. USC
2/28/16: Arizona 63, at USC 56
2/5/16: USC 67, at Arizona 57
2/20/15: at USC 77, Arizona 51
3/6/14: USC 59, Arizona 54
1/12/14: USC  54, at Arizona 45
 
Jones Joins the 1K Club
Senior LaBrittney will go down as one of the great Wildcats in school history. Jones scored her 1,000th career point in the fourth quarter on Friday, Jan 6 against Colorado on a fast break layup to make her Arizona's 19th 1,000-point scorer in school history. Since then, she has climbed up to 17th all-time with 1,088 career points. She moved into 17th after her game-winning basket against Washington State on Jan. 15. She needs 41 more points to pass Candice Warthen to be 16th all-time. The senior forward is averaging a career-high 15.4 points per game this season on 45% shooting. She has also made nine threes this season after only making 14 in the previous three seasons.
 
Arizona Career Scoring Leaders
13. Lisa Griffith (199-00), 1,199
14. Natalie Jones (2003-06), 1,149
15. Yolanda Turner (1984-87), 1,144
16. Candice Warthen (2010-15), 1,128
17. LaBrittney Jones (2013-pres.), 1,088
 
It's a Block Party and LB is Hosting
LaBrittney Jones has 137 career blocks through 103 games, which is good for an average of 1.3 swats per game and is fourth on the Arizona all-time shot blocking list. Last year, she blocked 23 shots in 21 games and she already has a total of 38 this season. Throughout her career, she has posted 37 games where she has blocked multiple shots and as blocked 3+ shots in 19 games. Just this year, Jones has blocked at least three shots in six games. Her career high was set back on Feb. 1, 2015 when she sent six shots into the seats. This year, Jones is tied for second in the Pac-12 with 2.0 blocks per game.
 
Arizona Career Blocked Shots Leaders
1. Shawntinice Polk (2003-05), 222
2. Ify Ibekwe (2008-10), 166
3. Elizabeth Pickney (1999-02), 147
4. LaBrittney Jones (2013-pres.), 137
 
Cleaning the Glass with LaBrittney
After recording six rebounds against Washington last Friday, senior LaBrittney Jones moved into 10th all-time in Arizona history in career rebounds. Jones now has 623 career boards and needs 22 more to move into ninth place. She is also seventh in Arizona history as she averages 6.0 rebounds per game for her career.
 
Arizona Career Rebounding Leaders
6. Davellyn Whyte (2009-13), 691
7. Amina Njonkou (2006-09), 690
8. Kim Conway (1990-94), 647
9. Krista Warren (2000-03), 644
10. LaBrittney Jones (2013-pres.), 623
 
Jones in the Pac-12
Through 19 games, Jones averages 15.4 points per game, which is 10th in the Pac-12, 7.3 rebounds per game, which is 10th in the Pac-12 and 2.0 blocks, which is ranked second in the Pac-12. Additionally, Jones' 5.8 defensive rebounds per game is sixth in the conference. In Pac-12 play, Jones is averaging 16.5 points and 6.6 rebounds. Jones has led the Wildcats in scoring 10 times this season and has led the team in rebounds 12 times.
 
Washington's World
Although she is a senior, Malena 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 exploded for a career-high 26 points against New Mexico State. 22 of her points came after halftime and 14 of them came in overtime. The senior also grabbed a career-high eight rebounds and made a career-high 10 free throws. She made eight alone in overtime, which would've been set a new career-high even if she hadn't made one before overtime. Washington was Arizona's leading scorer against California on Sunday as she poured in 17 points while dishing out a team-high four assists. The senior averages just a hair under four assists in Pac-12 play. The Beaumont native has scored in double-figures in all but two games this season and has led the Wildcats in scoring five times this season. Additionally, Washington has made at least one three-pointer in all but three games this season and has made at least one in 10-straight games. The senior is 14th in the conference in scoring with a career-high 13.4 points per game and is fifth in free throw shooting (82.5%).
 
Buenos Dias, Lucia
Freshman guard Lucia Alonso has started in the first 19 games of her college career at the point guard position. So far, she averages 5.9 points, 3.2 assists, 2.4 rebounds, just under one steal and makes about one three-pointer per game. Alonso dished out a career-high nine assists against Washington and turned the ball over just two times. In Pac-12 play, Alonso has turned the ball over just 1.8 times per game. As a freshman point guard in the best conference in the country that has a plethora of elite point guards, 1.8 turnovers per game isn't so bad. The Spaniard leads the team in three-point shooting (45%) minutes played (32.9) and is tied for second in made three-pointers (17). There have only been three games this season when Alonso didn't play at least 30 minutes.
 
We See Ya JaLea
Back on Nov. 26 Junior wing JaLea Bennett had a career night against Southern Utah as she scored 21 points off the bench for a new career high. Her previous career high was 18 points. Against Southern Utah, she shot 7-11 from the field, made one three-pointer and was 6-6 from the charity stripe. Bennett played 29 minutes against Stanford last Friday, which is the most she has played since Dec. 7 against San Diego when she played 33. She then followed that up with 11 points in 15 minutes off the bench, which is the most she has scored since Dec. 7 as well. The junior hit back-to-back threes in the fourth quarter, which is a season-high for her. Bennett is eighth in the Pac-12 in free throw shooting (77.8%).
 
Go DJ, That's My DJ
Senior Dejza James had the best game of her career against Utah State as she recorded her first career double-double in the first half alone. She finished the game with a season-high 14 points and brought down a career-high 14 rebounds. James was incredibly efficient in the short amount of court time she got against Utah as she scored eight points and had six rebounds in just nine minutes of action. She followed that up with 11 points and four rebounds in 13 minutes against Washington. Against Stanford, she played 22 minutes, which is the most she has played since Dec. 21 and scored seven points.
 
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. So far this year, has knocked down 37.8% of her threes this year (17-45) and also has a career three-point field goal percentage of 40.8% (53-130). Griffey came off the bench and scored a season-high 19 points in a season-high 27 minutes against Florida Atlantic back on Dec. 1, which is a season-high for her. After sitting out against San Diego, Grambling State, Kansas and Utah State due to precautionary reasons, she came back against Portland State and scored six points off the bench in 15 minutes. She knocked down two three-pointers and blocked a career-high two shots. Griffey saw 18 minutes of action in each game against Colorado and Utah and scored seven points against Utah. Against Washington State, she scored nine points and played 21 minutes, which is the most she has played since Dec. 1. Griffey did not make the trip to the Bay Area.
 
Lock It Up
Arizona was outstanding defensively against Washington State on Jan. 15 as they allowed just 55 points, which is the fewest they have allowed in the month of January and the third-fewest all season. The Wildcats forced 24 turnovers, which is the most they have forced all season. Arizona also did a good job of defending without fouling as Washington State got to the line just 14 times, which is tied for the second fewest attempted free throws by an Arizona opponent this season.
 
Top Five Individual Scoring Efforts
26, Malena Washington (at NMSU, 12/4/16)
24, LaBrittney Jones (at Utah, 1/8/17)
24, LaBrittney Jones (vs. California, 12/29/16)
23, LaBrittney Jones (vs. North Texas, 11/22/16)
22, Malena Washington (at Colorado, 1/6/17)
 
About That Third Quarter
It's not even close, the third quarter has been Arizona's best quarter in the 2016-17 season. Through 19 games, the Wildcats have scored 366 points, good for an average of 19.8 points on 47% shooting (144-306). Arizona outscores their opponents by four points in the third quarter.
 
Like Clockwork
It's inevitable that Arizona will have at least one big quarter in a game, it just depends on when. Arizona's best quarter of all time though came last game against San Diego as the Wildcats scored 33 points in the third period, which is the most points scored in one quarter in Arizona history. They also hit 12 of their 16 shots, which is the most made shots in one quarter as well.
 
List of Arizona's highest scoring periods (game-by-game)
Alcorn State: 21 (3rd/4th qtrs.)
George Mason: 28 (4th qtr.)
North Texas: 19 (2nd/4th qtrs.)
Southern Utah: 23 (4th qtr.)
Florida Atlantic: 26 (3rd qtr.)
New Mexico State: 18 (OT)
San Diego: 33 (3rd qtr.)
Grambling State: 24 (3rd qtr.)
Kansas: 16 (4th qtr.)
Utah State: 21 (3rd qtr.)
Portland State: 29 (3rd qtr.)
California: 22 (3rd qtr.)
Stanford: 21 (1st qtr.)
Colorado: 18 (3rd qtr.)
Utah: 27 (3rd qtr.)
Washington: 21 (3rd+4th qtrs.)
Washington State: 19 (4th qtr.)
Stanford: 17 (2nd qtr.)
California: 22 (4th qtr.)
Average: 22.4 points
 
Winning the Turnover Battle
Arizona has won the turnover battle seven of the last 11 games and has averaged just 14.8 in Pac-12. In its first 10 games of the season, Arizona averaged 19.9 turnovers per game and won the turnover battle just three times.
 
One Last Go Around
Of the 12 players on the roster, five 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 five seniors include LaBrittney Jones, Malena Washington, Breanna Workman, Lauren Evans and Dejza James. They have combined to play in 410 games.
 
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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