TUCSON, Ariz. – The Arizona Wildcats (4-9, 0-2 Pac-12) are looking to bounce back after being swept on the road against Utah and Colorado last week as they are set to face the 24th-ranked Stanford Cardinal (8-6, 2-0 Pac-12) on Friday night in McKale Center. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. MST on the Pac-12 Networks.
 
Friday, Jan. 5 at 6 p.m. MST
TV: Pac-12 Arizona/Bay Area (Krista Blunk)
Radio: 1400 AM (Derrick Palmer)
Twitter: @ArizonaWBB
#MadeForIt
 
QUICK NOTES

• Arizona is 11-21 all-time in Pac-10/12 home openers and is looking for its first Pac-12 home opening win since Jan. 5, 2012 when Arizona knocked off UCLA.
   
• The Wildcats are looking for their first win over Stanford since Feb. 8, 2015.
   
• JaLea Bennett has been a scoring machine for Arizona as she averages a team-high 16.8 points per game, which is fifth in the Pac-12. Over her last eight games, the senior is scoring 19.3 ppg.
   
• Sam Thomas recorded the first double-double for any Wildcat this season with 13 points and 10 rebounds against NAU (12/7). She is the first freshman since LaBrittney Jones to record a double-double. Against Southern Utah, Thomas grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds, which is the most for any Wildcat since Jones had 15 on Dec. 15, 2013. Thomas was one rebound away from her second double-double against Colorado (12/31) as she had 18 points and nine rebounds.
   
• Kat Wright had her breakout game against Southern Utah (12/20) as she poured in a season-high 18 points on 7-13 shooting with four made three-pointers. At the end of double-overtime, Wright drilled the game-winning three-pointer to put the Cats up by two points.

Last Five vs. Stanford
1/20/17: at Stanford 74, Arizona 46
1/1/17: Stanford 77, at Arizona 55
2/12/16: at Stanford 82, Arizona 58
1/2/16: Stanford 59, at Arizona 34
2/8/15: at Arizona 60, Stanford 56
 
Scouting the Cardinal
Stanford had an uncharacteristic non-conference slate as they began the year with a 6-6 record, although five of the six losses were to ranked teams. However, the Cardinal's top player Brittany McPhee played only three of the first 12 games due to injury, but returned to action for the start of Pac-12 play. Unsurprisingly, Stanford swept UCLA and USC. Through five games, McPhee averages 21.4 points and 5.6 rebounds. Alanna Smith and DiJonai Carrington were Stanford's top players during the non-conference season as they averaged 14.1 and 10.5 points per game, respectively. Smith and Carrington are also Stanford's top rebounders (8.6 and 6.8 rebounds per game). Arizona has beaten Stanford just one time since 2004.
 
We See Ya JaLea
JaLea Bennett is one of the two seniors on the team (Kat Wright) and will be looked upon as a leader for the young group of Wildcats this year. Along with Destiny Graham, they are the two remaining student-athletes that played for former head coach Niya Butts. Bennett has turned up the scoring this year as she averages 16.8 points per game, which would be a huge career-high should she maintain and is currently fifth in the Pac-12. The senior has already set a new career-high in total points scored with 218 points. Her previous career-high was 187 total points in 2016-17. Davellyn Whyte was the last player to average at least 16 points per game for a season when she scored 16.8 back in the 2012-13 season. The senior has scored in double-figures 12 times this season and 11-straight, which are both career-highs, after scoring 16 against Utah. Over the last eight games, Bennett averages 19.3 points per game and has led the team in scoring all eight of those games.
 
Thomas Does It All
Through the first 13 games of her career, Sam Thomas has been rather impressive on the floor. All while playing a team-high 37.2 minutes per game, she averages 10 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.8 steals. After recording the first double-double of the season for any Wildcat against NAU (12/7), she became the first freshman since LaBrittney Jones (2014) to finish the game with a double-double. She is also the first freshman and player since Erica Barnes (2011) to have three double-figure rebounding games in the first eight games of the season. Her 15 rebounds against Southern Utah is the most since Jones grabbed 15 on Dec. 15, 2013 and her 49 minutes are the third-most in school history. In the Pac-12, Thomas is second in minutes played (37.2 mpg). third in blocked shots (2.0 bpg), fourth in rebounding (8.8 rpg), fifth in free throw percentage (79%) and seventh in steals (1.8 spg). She is the top freshmen in the categories mentioned in the previous sentence. Thomas is the only player in the Pac-12 to be in the top 10 in rebounding, blocks and steals. For the first time all season, Thomas didn't block a shot against Colorado (12/31). Additionally, Thomas is fourth in the country in rebounds and fifth in the country in blocks per game among all freshmen. Thomas has a shot to break a couple freshman records, and below is a look at where Arizona's top freshmen stood through the first 13 games of their respective careers.
 
Blocks
Shawntinice Polk (2002-03) – 29
Sam Thomas (2017-18) – 26
LaBrittney Jones (2013-14) – 25
 
Minutes
Sam Thomas (2017-18) – 483
Reiko Thomas (2008-09) – 479
Lucia Alonso (2016-17) – 438
Davellyn Whyte (2009-10) – 426
 
Marlee Gets Buckets
Freshman Marlee Kyles is Arizona's second leading scorer through the first 12 games of the season by averaging 10.6 points per game off the bench while playing 25.5 minutes per game, which is the sixth-fewest on the team. She scored 17 in the season opener against Iona (11/10), had 18 against Loyola Marymount (11/22) and had a career-high 19 against Long Beach State (11/28). Kyles is third amongst all freshmen in scoring in the Pac-12 and has seven double-figure games.
 
Buenos Dias, Lucia
It's hard to believe, but Lucia Alonso is already the third-longest tenured Wildcat on the 2017-18 roster as a sophomore. Alosno has been outstanding from beyond the arc as she is shooting a team-high 46% (20-44), which is fifth in the Pac-12. Additionally, Alonso third in minutes per game (35.8) and 11th in steals (1.6). Against Hawaii (12/17), Alonso had a terrific game with a career-high 21 points on 8-17 shooting and 3-6 from beyond the arc.
 
It's Her Destiny
Destiny Graham has stepped up her game so far in 2017. She is scoring 9.4 points per game to go along with 5.9 rebounds per game, which is second on the team and are both career highs. Graham recorded her first-career double-double against Southern Utah with 15 points and a career-high 12 rebounds in a career-high 37 minutes. The junior has done a good job of getting to the line and making her free throws as she is 37-44 (84%) from the charity stripe, which is first in the Pac-12. Coming into the 2017 season, Graham had scored in double-figures just three times and has already scored in double-figures six times this season.
 
Your Newest WildKAT
After visiting campus this past April, Kat Wright decided to finish out her college career at the University of Arizona. A transfer from Florida Atlantic University, Wright has 158 career made three-pointers, which would be sixth all-time in Arizona history. Wright was forced to sit out the 2016-17 season due to injury, but during her junior year in 2015-16, Wright lit it up as she made 87 trey balls on 40% shooting while scoring 11.7 points per game. To put that into perspective, only one Wildcat has made more than 82 three-pointers in one season, and that was Lisa Griffith wo made 92 in the 1996-97 season. The highlight of her career came on Jan. 30, 2016 when she drained 11 three-pointers against Charlotte, which is the second-most made three-pointers in NCAA history in a single game. She had her breakout game against Southern Utah as she dropped a season-high 18 points, which is the most she has scored since her 33-point game, and nailed the game-winning three-pointer in double-overtime with eight seconds left on the clock. Wright ranks 12th in made triples per game in the Pac-12 (1.7).
 
Sammy Gets Her Chance
Coming into the San Diego State game (12/3), Sammy Fatkin hadn't played more than eight minutes in a game and hadn't scored since the Utah State game (11/17). However, against the Aztecs, she played 18 minutes and scored 11 points with three made three-pointers.
 
Dynamic Freshmen
There is only one team in the Pac-12 that has two freshmen averaging double-figure points, and that team is Arizona. Marlee Kyles (10.6 ppg) and Sam Thomas (10.0 ppg) are Arizona's second and third-leading scorers and the only freshman pair to average at least 10 points per game.
 
Barnes vs. Stanford as a Player
Adia Barnes has a record of 1-7 vs. Stanford as a player and averaged 17.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Her best game against the Cardinal came on Mar. 6, 1997 when she scored 29 points and brought down seven rebounds. Arizona's lone win while Barnes was a student-athlete came on Jan. 12, 1998 when Barnes scored 22 points and had seven rebounds in a 91-90 victory over the 11th-ranked Cardinal. Reshea Bristol made a buzzer-beating game-winning bucket that day.
 
They're Called Free Throws for a Reason
Arizona has done a good job of converting their free throws this season as they are shooting at an 76% clip, which is third in the Pac-12. Destiny Graham ranks first in the Pac-12 in free throw percentage (84%).
 
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