SALT LAKE CITY – The Arizona Wildcats (9-5, 0-3 Pac-12) are in Salt Lake City, Utah for their fourth Pac-12 game of the season as they take on the Utes of Utah (12-2, 1-2 Pac-12) on Sunday, Jan. 8 at noon MST at the Huntsman Center. This marks the first game of the season that Arizona will play on the Pac-12 Networks.
 
On the Utes
The Utah Utes got off to a hot start to the year as they won their first 11 games of the season, but have faltered at the start of conference play as they have lost two of their last three games. Those two losses though came against ranked opponents in No. 10 UCLA and No. 19 Arizona State. The Utes are led by Emily Potter who scores 16.4 points per game, grabs 9.7 rebounds per game and blocks a Pac-12 leading 3.1 shots per game. Malia Nawahine (11.5) and Tanaeya Boclair (11.2) are Utah's two other double-figure scorers. Utah's defense has been stellar all season as they are fourth in scoring defense (58.2 ppg), first in field goal pct. defense (32.7%), three-point field goal pct. defense (23.8%) and blocked shots (13.6 bpg).  
           
Last 5 vs. Utah
1/15/16: Utah 60, at Arizona 55
3/1/15: Arizona75, at Utah 41
1/30/15: at Utah 62, Arizona 48
2/21/14: Utah 52, at Arizona 47
1/26/14: at Utah 60, Arizona 57
 
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 night against Colorado on a fast break layup to make her Arizona's 19th 1,000-point scorer in school history. She climbed up to 18th all-time with 1,003 career points. She needs 58 more points to pass Kim Conway to be 17th all-time. The senior forward is averaging a career-high 14.8 points per game this season on 44% shooting. She has also made eight threes this season after only making 14 in the previous three seasons.
 
Arizona Career Scoring Leaders
14. Natalie Jones (2003-06), 1,149
15. Yolanda Turner (1984-87), 1,144
16. Candice Warthen (2010-15), 1,128
17. Kim Conway (1990-94), 1,060
18. LaBrittney Jones (2013-pres.), 1,003
 
It's a Block Party and LB is Hosting
LaBrittney Jones has 128 career blocks through 98 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 29 this season. Throughout her career, she has posted 34 games where she has blocked multiple shots and as blocked 3+ shots in 18 games. Her career high was set back on Feb. 1, 2015 when she sent six shots into the seats. This year, Jones is second in the Pac-12 with 2.1 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.), 124
 
Jones in the Pac-12
Through 14 games, Jones averages 14.8 points per game, which is 11th in the Pac-12, 7.4 rebounds per game, which is ninth in the Pac-12 and 2.1 blocks, which is ranked second in the Pac-12. Additionally, Jones' 5.9 defensive rebounds per game is seventh in the conference. Jones has led the Wildcats in scoring six times this season and has led the team in rebounds eight 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 had another big game against Colorado as she scored a game-high 22 points on 7-15 shooting and 6-6 from the line. She also dished out five assists against the Buffs on Friday night. The senior is 13th in the conference in scoring with 13.7 points per game and is second in free throw shooting (86%), only behind Washington's Kelsey Plum (89.5%). The Beaumont native has scored in double-figures in all but two games this season and has led the Wildcats in scoring four 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 five-straight games.
 
Buenos Dias, Lucia
Freshman guard Lucia Alonso has started in the first 14 games of her college career at the point guard position. So far, she averages 6.9 points, 3.0 assists, 2.4 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. Alonso has turned the ball over just two times in the last four games combined. The Spaniard is second on the team in field goal percentage (46.8%), is first in three-point percentage (43.8%) and is also second in the Pac-12 in minutes per game (33.7), just behind Washington's Kelsey Plum (36.4). Alonso is also ranked ninth in the Pac-12 in three-point percentage.
 
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 five. Over the last nine games, Workman has scored 9.3 points per game and has grabbed 5.4 boards per game in 24.8 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 8.1 points and 4.7 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 fifth in the Pac-12 in free throw shooting (79.4%) and leads the team with 1.5 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 42.9% of her threes this year (15-35) and also has a career three-point field goal percentage of 42.5% (51-120). 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.
 
Bucket City
Through 14 games this season, the Wildcats average 68 points per game. The last time an Arizona team averaged at least 68 points through 14 games was back in the 2011-12 season when the squad averaged 71.3 points per game. Davellyn Whyte averaged 19.2, Candice Warthen averaged 16.8 and Erica Barnes averaged 12.5 points per game. That team had a record of 12-2 through 14 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)
22, Malena Washington (at Colorado, 1/6/17)
21, JaLea Bennett (at Southern Utah, 11/26/16)
 
About That Third Quarter
It's not even close, the third quarter has been Arizona's best quarter in the 2016-17 season. Through 14 games, the Wildcats have scored 291 points, good for an average of 21 points on 47.3% shooting (111-234). 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 252 (18.0 avg.).
 
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.)
Colorado: 18 (3rd qtr.)
Average: 22.8 points
 
Cats Have the Clutch Gene
Through 14 games this season, Arizona has shot a combined 47% (99-212) 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 six games and has averaged just 14.5 in its last four 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.
 
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 six seniors include LaBrittney Jones, Malena Washington, Breanna Workman, Lauren Evans and Dejza James. They have combined to play in 386 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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