TUCSON, Ariz. – Arizona (9-4, 0-2 Pac-12) is set to venture off to chilly Boulder, Colo. for a matchup against the Colorado Buffaloes (10-3, 0-2 Pac-12) on Friday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. MST. The Wildcats are coming off a pair of losses to California and Stanford, who are both ranked in the top 25.
 
On the Buffs
The Colorado Buffaloes got off to a hot start this season as they won the first 10 games of the season under new head coach JR Payne. It's been a tough couple weeks though as Colorado has lost their last three games to Wyoming, USC and UCLA. Both Arizona the Colorado lost their first two Pac-12 games of the season, so each squad will look to get off the schneid with a win on Friday night. The Buffs are led by Kennedy Leonard, who has started all 13 games of the season and averages 18.5 points per game, which ranks third in the Pac-12. Alexis Robinson (11.2), Haley Smith (10.8) and Ariana Freeman (10.8) are Colorado's three other double-figure scorers. As a team, Colorado is third in the conference with 79.3 points per game and have the best turnover margin (+6.2). The Wildcats won the last meeting between the two teams, but prior to that, Colorado had won 11 meetings.
           
Last 5 vs. Colorado
1/17/16: at Arizona 63, Colorado 52
2/27/15: Colorado 66, at Arizona 51
2/1/15: at Colorado 81, Arizona 69
2/23/14: Colorado 61, at Arizona 56 (OT)
1/24/14: at Colorado 68, Arizona 47
 
LB in the Arizona 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. Jones scored eight points against California to give her 988 career points, which is 20th all-time in Arizona history. After blocking two shots against Portland State on Dec. 27, she is now fourth all-time in Arizona history in career swatations. She passed Marte Alexander, who had 121 career blocks. Currently, Jones has 124 blocks throughout her entire career. Jones is also 24 rebounds away from cracking the top 10, which shouldn't be an issue as she has averaged a little over 161 boards a year. She already has 94 this year for an average of 7.2. Her average of 6.0 rebounds per game for a career is seventh all time in Arizona history.
 
Jones in the Pac-12
Through 13 games, Jones averages 14.8 points per game, which is 11th in the Pac-12, 7.2 rebounds per game, which is ninth in the Pac-12 and 1.9 blocks, which is ranked third in the Pac-12. Additionally, Jones' 5.9 defensive rebounds per game is sixth in the conference. Jones has led the Wildcats in scoring six times this season and has led the team in rebounds seven 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 scored 12 points against Stanford on Sunday and grabbed six boards. The senior is 15th in the conference in scoring with 13.1 points per game and is second in free throw shooting (83.8%), only behind Washington's Kelsey Plum (90.6%). The Beaumont native has scored in double-figures in all but two games this season and has led the Wildcats in scoring three 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 four-straight games.
 
Buenos Dias, Lucia
Freshman guard Lucia Alonso has started in the first 13 games of her college career at the point guard position. So far, she averages 7.2 points, 3.2 assists, 2.5 rebounds, just under one steal and makes one three-pointer per game. Alonso was red hot from the field against FAU as she scored a career-high 15 points in the first half. For the game, she shot 5-6 from the field and was 3-4 from behind the arc. Against Stanford on Sunday, she scored 12 points, nine of them in the first quarter. In the three games Arizona played in last week, Alonso committed just one turnover. The Spaniard is second on the team in field goal percentage (47.4%) and three-point percentage (41.9%) and is also second in the Pac-12 in minutes per game (33.7), just behind Washington's Kelsey Plum (36.1).
 
Give 'em That Work
Senior Breanna Workman came off the bench in the first nine games of the season and has started in the last four against Utah State, Portland State, California and Stanford. Over the last eight games, Workman has scored 10.3 points per game and has grabbed 6.0 boards per game in 25.1 minutes per contest. In the first four games of the season, Workman scored just 5.3 points per game and averaged 2.5 rebounds per game on 29% shooting. For the season, Workman is averaging a career-high 8.6 points and 5.0 rebounds.
 
We See Ya JaLea
Junior wing JaLea Bennett had a career night against Southern Utah on Nov. 26 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 is seventh in the Pac-12 in free throw shooting (76.7%) and leads the team with 1.4 steals per game. Bennett returned to action against Stanford on Sunday for the first time since Dec. 17. She missed three games in that time.  
 
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.
 
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 42.4% of her threes this year (14-33) and also has a career three-point field goal percentage of 42.4% (50-118). Griffey came off the bench and scored a season-high 19 points in a season-high 27 minutes against Florida Atlantic. She was 3-5 from beyond the arc and still leads the team with 11 three-pointers made this season. 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 hit one three-pointer against Stanford in six minutes off the bench.
 
Bucket City
Through 13 games this season, the Wildcats average 69 points per game. The last time an Arizona team averaged at least 69 points through 13 games was back in the 2011-12 season when the squad averaged 71.1 points per game. Davellyn Whyte averaged 18.9, Candice Warthen averaged 16.8 and Erica Barnes averaged 12.2 points per game. That team had a record of 11-2 through 13 games.
 
Top Five Individual Scoring Efforts
26, Malena Washington (at New Mexico State, 12/4/16)
24, LaBrittney Jones (vs. California, 12/29/16)
23, LaBrittney Jones (vs. North Texas, 11/22/16)
21, JaLea Bennett (at Southern Utah, 11/26/16)
20, LaBrittney Jones (vs. San Diego, 12/7/16)
20, LaBrittney Jones (at George Mason, 11/18/16)
 
About That Third Quarter
It's not even close, the third quarter has been Arizona's best quarter in the 2016-17 season. Through 13 games, the Wildcats have scored 273 points, good for an average of 21 points on 47.5% shooting (105-221). Arizona outscores their opponents by just under six points in the third quarter. The next best quarter for Arizona is the fourth quarter as they have scored 236 (18.2 avg.).
 
Getting A Better Start
Heading into conference play, Arizona averaged just 12.7 points per first quarter. Head coach Adia Barnes has made it a point to get off to a better start, and it has worked since Pac-12 play began. Arizona scored 17 first-quarter points against California and followed that up with 21 against Stanford. In the last two games, the Wildcats have shot 56% from the field in the first quarter. In the previous 11 games, Arizona shot 33% from the field in the first 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. For the first time all season, Arizona highest-scoring quarter was in the first period as they scored 21 points on 64% shooting.
 
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.)
Average: 23.2 points
 
Cats Have the Clutch Gene
Through 13 games this season, Arizona has shot a combined 47% (93-196) in the fourth quarter and overtime. The Wildcats have shot at least 50% in the fourth quarter in five games this season and shot 64% against Southern Utah on Nov. 26.
 
Winning the Turnover Battle
Arizona has won the turnover battle four of the last five games and has averaged just 13 in its last three games. In its previous eight games, Arizona averaged 20.1 turnovers per game and won the turnover battle just three times. Against California, the Wildcats turned the ball over just 10 times, which is a season-low.
 
It's a Block Party and LB is Hosting
Senior LaBrittney Jones has 124 career blocks through 97 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. Throughout her career, she has posted 33 games where she has blocked multiple shots and as blocked 3+ shots in 17 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 third in the Pac-12 with 1.9 blocks per game.
 
Arizona Career Blocked Shots Leaders
1. Shawntinice Polk, 222
2. Ify Ibekwe, 166
3. Elizabeth Pickney, 147
4. LaBrittney Jones, 124
5. Marte Alexander, 121
6. Dana Patterson, 91
7. Anne McFadden, 87
 
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 424 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 606 games. Only one other school in the Pac-12 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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