TUCSON, Ariz. – The Arizona Wildcats (16-8, 6-7 Pac-12) got some revenge and forced the Utah Utes (18-6, 7-6 Pac-12) to shoot 29.7% from the field en route to a 66-55 win in McKale Center on Friday night. The nation's second-leading scorer
Aari McDonald finished with a game-high 26 points.
McDonald, who became the second player in school history to score 600 points in one season tonight, recorded her fourth double-double of the season as she scored 26 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and added in six assists. Since the 1999-00 season, only Kelsey Plum and Chiney Ogwumike scored 600 points in one season faster than McDonald.
Sam Thomas continued her stellar play, scoring in double-figures for the third-straight game and fourth time in five games. She finished the night with 14 points, four blocks and two steals.
Dominique McBryde was huge on the defensive end all night as she drew the assignment of guarding one of the Pac-12's best players Megan Huff. She certainly disappoint as Huff finished the night with just six points on 1-13 shooting. McBryde saved all her scoring for the fourth quarter where she scored all nine of her points in the final 10 minutes and grabbed seven rebounds throughout the game.
Utah got out to an early lead in the first quarter, but the Wildcats would battle back to cut their lead to 17-14 heading into the second. Arizona tightened the screws defensively in the second quarter allowing just five points on 1-13 shooting to the Utes.
The Wildcats would take a 27-22 lead after Thomas hit a three-pointer with just a few seconds remaining on the clock.
Utah figured it out on the offensive end in the third quarter, scoring 20 points on 6-14 shooting, but Arizona nearly matched them scoring 19 on 43% shooting to give the Cats a 46-42 lead heading into the fourth.
The Arizona defense came back to life in the fourth quarter, forcing the Utes into 24% shooting while the Wildcats made 54% of their shots in the fourth quarter. McBryde scored all nine of her points in the fourth quarter and Thomas had seven.
Next up for Arizona will be the Colorado Buffaloes on Sunday at noon MST on the Pac-12 Networks in the second annual Unity Game.
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