TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona used a dominant second half and a late surge at the free-throw line to pull away from Houston on senior night for a 75-67 victory Tuesday night at McKale Center.
After struggling offensively for stretches of the first half, the Wildcats (12-16, 3-14 Big 12) erupted for 56 points over the final two quarters, including 29 in the fourth, to secure the program's third conference win of the season.
Arizona trailed by as many as nine in the second quarter and entered halftime down 26-19 after shooting just 8 of 29 from the field in the first half. Houston (7-21, 1-16 Big 12) controlled the tempo early, holding the Wildcats to 27.6% shooting in the opening half and building a 7-point advantage at the half.
But Arizona flipped the script coming out of the break.
The Wildcats shot 64.3% in the third quarter, pouring in 27 points to erase the deficit. Sumayah Sugapong led the charge, finishing with 20 points, five rebounds, and five steals in 40 minutes. Senior Noelani Cornfield added 18 points and nine assists, helping orchestrate an offense that found its rhythm after halftime.
Arizona continued its push in the fourth, shooting 60% from the field and converting 15 of 16 free throws in the final period to seal the win. The Wildcats finished 25 of 27 at the line (92.6%), a critical edge in a game that featured 12 lead changes.
Senior Nora Francois contributed 12 points and seven rebounds, while Molly Ladwig chipped in nine points. Arizona also forced 19 Houston turnovers and turned defensive pressure into 18 fast-break points.
Houston was led by Kyndall Hunter's game-high 21 points, including five 3-pointers. TK Pitts added 12 points and seven rebounds, and Amirah Abdur-Rahim recorded 10 points and nine boards. The Cougars shot 36.5% from the field and matched Arizona with 30 points in the paint, but were outscored 29-20 in the decisive fourth quarter.
After being outscored 19-6 in the second quarter, Arizona responded with a 7-0 run midway through the third to seize momentum. The Wildcats took their largest lead - 11 points - in the final 20 seconds.
The Wildcats led for 22 minutes, 26 seconds in a back-and-forth contest that lasted just over two hours in front of an announced crowd of 5,576.
With the victory, Arizona builds momentum heading into the final stretch of conference play, showing resilience in overcoming a sluggish start with its most efficient half of Big 12 action this season.
Arizona takes the court next on Saturday, February 28th, against Utah in Salt Lake City, at 5 p.m. MST. This game will be aired live on ESPN+ ($).
