LOS ANGELES – The Wildcats of Arizona (11-9, 2-7 Pac-12) are set to face the 13th-ranked UCLA Bruins (16-7, 7-2 Pac-12) in Pauley Pavilion tomorrow at 3 p.m. MST. Arizona is coming off a loss to USC while UCLA defeated Arizona State last night.
 
On the Bruins
The 13th-ranked Bruins are playing well as of late as they have won five-straight and have a record of 16-4 on the year with a conference record of 7-2. Monique Billings has been a force for UCLA as she scores 18.1 points per game, which is fourth in the Pac-12. Billings also shoots 50% from the field and is second in the conference with 11 rebounds per game. Point guard Jordin Canada is fifth in the conference in scoring with 18 points per game and ranks first with 7.1 assists per game. Canada also grabs six rebounds per contest. As a team, the Bruins are third in the Pac-12 with 75.2 points per game and allow just 63 points per game, which is sixth. UCLA has gotten the best of the Wildcats as of late as they have beaten Arizona in eight-straight games.
 
Last 5 vs. UCLA
3/4/16: UCLA 72, Arizona 51
2/26/16: at UCLA 80, Arizona 53
2/7/16: UCLA 73, at Arizona 39
3/5/15: UCLA 80, Arizona 62
2/22/15: at UCLA 75, Arizona 41
 
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 1,098 career points. She moved into 17th after her game-winning basket against Washington State on Jan. 15. She needs 31 more points to pass Candice Warthen to be 16th all-time. The senior forward is averaging a career-high 15.1 points per game this season on 43% 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.), 1,098
 
It's a Block Party and LB is Hosting
LaBrittney Jones has 138 career blocks through 104 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 39 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 third 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.), 138
 
Cleaning the Glass with LaBrittney
After recording 11 rebounds against Washington on Jan. 13, senior LaBrittney Jones moved into 10th all-time in Arizona history in career rebounds. Jones now has 626 career boards and needs 19 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.), 626
 
Jones in the Pac-12
Through 20 games, Jones averages 15.1 points per game, which is tied for eighth in the Pac-12, 7.1 rebounds per game, which is 10th in the Pac-12 and 2.0 blocks, which is ranked third in the Pac-12. Additionally, Jones' 5.7 defensive rebounds per game is seventh in the conference. 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 USC on Friday as she poured in 13 points while finishing with a career-high three steals. 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 six 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 11-straight games. The senior is 14th in the conference in scoring with a career-high 13.4 points per game and is sixth in free throw shooting (82.3%).
 
Buenos Dias, Lucia
Freshman guard Lucia Alonso has started in the first 20 games of her college career at the point guard position. So far, she averages 5.9 points, 3.0 assists, 2.3 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 (44%) minutes played (32.8) and is 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 against California, 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. James played a season-high 28 minutes against USC and scored 10 points and grabbed a team-leading six rebounds.
 
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 and sat out against USC, but did make the trip.
 
Lock It Up
Arizona was outstanding defensively against USC as they allowed the Trojans to score just 58 points on 39% shooting. 58 points is the fifth-fewest points an opponent of Arizona has scored all year. Additionally, the Wildcats forced 23 USC turnovers, which is the second-most Arizona has forced all 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 20 games, the Wildcats have scored 387 points, good for an average of 19.4 points on 46% shooting (147-317). Arizona outscores their opponents by about 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. Arizona made a strong late effort against USC on Friday night as they scored 24 points.
 
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.)
USC: 24 (4th qtr.)
Average: 22.5 points
 
Winning the Turnover Battle
Arizona has won the turnover battle eight of the last 12 games and has averaged just 15 turnovers in Pac-12 play. 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 415 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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