TUCSON, Ariz. – The Arizona Wildcats (6-23, 2-16 Pac-12) will play the Arizona State Sun Devils (19-11, 10-8 Pac-12) for the third time in five games on Thursday, March 1. The two teams will tip-off at 9:30 p.m. MST on the Pac-12 Networks in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament at KeyArena in Seattle, Wash.
 
Thursday, March 1 at 9:30 p.m. MST
TV: Pac-12 Networks (Krista Blunk & Mary Murphy)
Radio: 1400 AM (Derrick Palmer)
Twitter: @ArizonaWBB
#MadeForIt
 
FROM THE TIP

• Arizona will try to knock off Arizona State for the first time in the history of the conference tournament. The two teams have faced each other twice and Arizona State has come out on top both times.
   
• The Wildcats hold a record of 12-15 all-time at the Pac-10/12 Tournament. It is also the third-straight year Arizona goes into the conference Pac-12 Tournament as the 11 seed. This will be the seventh time Arizona has faced a six seed and have a record of 3-3 against such teams.
   
• Freshman Sam Thomas is the second leading scorer in the Pac-12 among freshmen (10.2 ppg) and is the leading rebounder (7.1 rpg) among freshmen. After scoring just two points against Oregon State (2/23), she bounced back in a big way with 17 points against Oregon (2/25) on Sunday.
   
• Sam Thomas was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team on Tuesday while JaLea Bennett was named Honorable Mention All-Pac-12.

Last Five vs. Arizona State
2/18/18: Arizona State 69, at Arizona 46
2/16/18: at Arizona State 75, Arizona 50
2/19/17: at Arizona State 67, Arizona 54
2/17/17: at Arizona 62, Arizona State 58
1/24/16: Arizona State 62, at Arizona 47
 
Scouting the Sun Devils
Arizona State knocked off Arizona at Wells Fargo Arena by a score of 75-50 and followed that up with a 69-46 win over the Wildcats in McKale Center on the following Sunday. The Sun Devils have three double-figure scorers in All-Pac-12 selection Kianna Ibis (12.6 ppg), Courtney Ekmark (10.2 ppg) and Robbi Ryan 10.2 ppg). In their two games vs. Arizona, ASU held Arizona to 42.5 points per game and 32% shooting.
 
One of the Best in the Pac
Sam Thomas was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team on Tuesday morning by leading all Pac-12 freshmen in rebounding (7.1 rpg), steals (1.5 spg), blocks (1.3 bpg) and minutes (36.2 mpg) is also second in scoring (10.2 ppg) and third in three-point percentage (37%) and leads the Wildcats in field goal percentage, rebounds, blocks and steals. The Bloomfield Hills, Mich. native has scored in double-figures in 16 games this season, including a career-high 22 points to go along with a career-high five three-pointers against USC on Feb. 11. Her 205 total rebounds is the fourth-most among Arizona freshman and needs two points to move into the top-10 in points scored by a freshman. On Dec. 7 against Northern Arizona, she became the first freshman since LaBrittney Jones (2013-14) to record a double-double as she scored 13 points and brought down 10 rebounds. She had her second double-double of the season on Jan. 12 against Oregon (14 points & 11 rebounds) and notched her third against Washington on Feb. 4 (11 points & 10 rebounds). She is the first freshman since Erica Barnes (2010-11) to have three double-doubles in one season. A few more highlights include her 15-rebound game against Southern Utah (Dec. 20), which is the most any Wildcat has ever had in one game since Jones brought down 15 back on Dec. 15, 2013. She also played 49 minutes that game, which is the third-most in school history. The last freshman to have four double-doubles in one season was Ify Ibekwe (2007-08), who finished with six on the season. After scoring 14 points against Oregon (2/25), Thomas scored in double-figures in 11 of the 18 Pac-12 games this season and is the only player on Arizona's roster who is averaging more points per game in conference play than non-conference play.
 
Sam in the Pac-12
Thomas, who leads all Pac-12 freshmen in rebounding (7.1 rpg), steals (1.5 spg), blocks (1.3 bpg) and minutes (36.2 mpg) is also second in scoring (10.2 ppg) and third in three-point percentage (37%). She is the only player in the Pac-12 to average both 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks and is also the only player in the conference in the top 12 in rebounding, steals and blocks. Additionally, Thomas is fourth in minutes per game in the country among all freshmen. Although she's known for her ability to get to the rim and finish, Thomas shot 41% (25-61) from downtown in conference play.
 
A Fixture in the Lineup
Thomas has started all 29 games for Arizona, which is tied for the third-most by a freshman in school history and her 1,050 minutes is the most minutes any freshman has played in Arizona history. Also, 36.1 minutes per game would be the fifth-highest average in school history for one season.
 
We See Ya JaLea
Senior JaLea Bennett was named Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 on Tuesday morning. 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 14 points per game, which is a huge career-high and is 13th in the Pac-12. The senior set a new career-high in total points scored with 406 points and scored her 900th career point against Oregon. Her previous career-high was 187 total points in 2016-17. She has scored in double-figures 21 times this season and has led the team in scoring 15 times, which is a career-high after scoring a team-high 14 points against Oregon (2/25). In her last eight games, Bennett is shooting 89% from the free throw line (32-36). The Grand Prairie, Texas native is just the third player in the Pac-12 to average at least 14 points per game while playing under 28 minutes per game. This has easily been Bennett's best year as a Wildcat, averaging a career-high in points (406), rebounds (120), three-pointers (15), made free throws (91), blocks (21) and steals (37).
 
It's Her Destiny
Destiny Graham stepped up her game in 2017. She is scoring 8.2 points per game to go along with 6.5 rebounds per game, which 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 and had her second one on Jan. 26 against Cal with 10 points and 11 rebounds. The junior has done a good job of getting to the line and making her free throws as she is 72-87 (83%) from the charity stripe, which is second in the Pac-12. For just the third time all season, Graham missed more than one free throw in a single game against Washington (2/4) as she was 2-4. She hasn't missed more than two in one game this season. Coming into the 2017 season, Graham had scored in double-figures just three times and has already scored in double-figures 11 times this season after dropping 12 points against Oregon (2/25). That was the second game in a row she scored in double-figures and is the first time since the first two games of the season she has done so. On the rebounding side of things, she came into the season with one double-figure rebounding effort and has four this season.
 
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 good from beyond the arc as she is shooting a team-high 39% (43-109), which is 10th in the Pac-12. She has made at least one three-pointer in 16 of her last 22 games. Alonso had a 5-6 effort against Washington (2/4) that tied the Arizona single game three-point percentage record (min. five attempts). She scored a game-high 19 points that day. The last time a Wildcat made at least five three-pointers while shooting at least 80% was Aimee Grzyb back on Nov. 22, 2003. Additionally, Alonso is third in minutes per game (36.3) in the Pac-12. 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.
 
Marlee Gets Buckets
Freshman Marlee Kyles is Arizona's third leading scorer by averaging 8.2 points per game off the bench while playing 24.2 minutes per game, which is the sixth-fewest on the team. She started off her career with a bang as 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). After missing three games against Colorado (12/31), Stanford (1/5) and California (1/7) and returned against the Oregon schools.
 
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 200 career made three-pointers. Only three Wildcats ever made 200 threes in their career (Lisa Griffith 285, Davellyn Whute 274 & Aimee Grzyb 208). 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 who 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 had scored since her 33-point game, and nailed the game-winning three-pointer in double-overtime with eight seconds left on the clock. She has 13 such games this season where she has made multiple three-pointers and drained a season-high five against Colorado on Jan. 19. Wright had a nice game on senior day, scoring 12 points and dishing out four assists in 36 minutes.
 
Bennett and Thomas Earn All-Pac-12 Honors
JaLea Bennett was named Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 on Tuesday, making her the second Wildcat in two years to earn such honors (LaBrittney Jones named honorable mention for the 2016-17 season). That is Bennett's first career conference honor. Additionally, Sam Thomas was named to the All-Freshman Team, making her the first Wildcat to be named First Team All-Freshman since Davellyn Whyte in the 2009-10 season.
 
A Balanced Attack
Arizona is just one of two schools in the Pac-12 (California) that has six players average at least seven points per game.
 
The Young Guns
Arizona is the only school in the Pac-12 to have freshmen (Sam Thomas and Marlee Kyles) be two of their top three scorers. Thomas scores 10.2 points per game while Kyles scores 8.2.
 
A Model of Consistency
The Wildcats have played 29 games this season and they have used the same starting lineup in all 29 games. That makes Arizona the only school in the Pac-12 to have the same starting lineup for the entire season as well as the only team to have five players start at least 29 games.
 
Heating Up from Downtown
Arizona has shown their ability to knock down the three-point shot efficiently multiple times throughout the season. Against Washington (2/4), the Wildcats shot 10-21 (48%) from distance. The last time Arizona made at least 10 threes while shooting 47% or better on Nov. 18, 2016 when the Wildcats shot 10-18 (56%) against George Mason. 48% is also the 10th-highest percentage in school history with a minimum of 10 makes. After making eight against UCLA (2/9) and nine against USC (2/11) Arizona was in the middle of a three-game stretch in which they had made at least eight threes in each game before making three against Arizona State. The last time such stretch occurred was back in November of 2011 when Arizona made 15, 9 and 10 in the first three games of the 2011-12 season. Against Colorado (9-19, 47%) and Utah (6-13, 46%), Arizona shot 15-32 (47%) from three-point range (Jan. 19 & 21). Not only was that the first time this season that Arizona has shot over 40% from three in back-to-back games, it was the first time this season Arizona has shot over 40% from three in one game this season. The last time an Arizona team shot at least 46% from three in back-to-back games while making at least six in each game was back in November of 2015 when the Wildcats shot 18-33 (55%) from three against Toledo (9-18, 50%) and Howard (9-15, 60%).
 
An Upward Trend
Arizona has just three returners from the 2016-17 season on the squad this year (JaLea Bennett, Destiny Graham and Lucia Alonso), and all of them are averaging career-highs in points.
 
Bennett
2016-17: 6.9 ppg
2017-18: 14.0 ppg
 
Graham
2016-17: 3.8 ppg
2017-18: 8.2 ppg
 
Alonso
2016-17: 5.3 ppg
2017-18: 8.0 ppg
 
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 a 76.3% clip, which is tied for first in the Pac-12. Should Arizona maintain that percentage, it would be the new school record for free throw percentage in one season. The current school record is 76.0%, which was set in 1990. Individually, Destiny Graham ranks second in the Pac-12 in free throw percentage (83%).
 
Barnes' Numbers vs. Arizona State as a Player
Arizona head coach Adia Barnes averaged 21.6 points and 7.6 rebounds as a player versus the Sun Devils. She made her presence felt from the get go, scoring 31 points and hauling in 18 rebounds in her first career game against Arizona State on Jan. 7, 1995. In eight career games vs. ASU, Barnes came out victorious in each one as a player.
 
FOLLOW WOMEN'S HOOPS ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
Fans can keep up with the latest in Arizona women's basketball by following us on Facebook (Facebook.com/ArizonaWomensBasketball), Twitter (@ArizonaWBB) Instagram (@arizonawbasketball) and Snapchat (arizonawbball).