Arizona (8-11, 1-7 Pac-12) at Utah (6-13, 0-8 Pac-12)
Salt Lake City, Utah | John M. Huntsman Center
Friday, Jan. 30, 2015 | 7:00 p.m. MST
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Radio: KTUC 1400 AM | Live Stream: Pac-12.com
TUCSON, Ariz.--- The Wildcats will hit the road again, as they make the trek to Salt Lake City to take on Utah, Friday at 7 pm MST in search of their second straight victory. The game can be heard locally on KTUC AM 1400, as senior Candice Warthen looks to join the 1000-point club for her career.
INSIDE THE SERIES...
Arizona vs. Utah
Overall Record......................... 4-15
Home Record............................. 3-5
Away Record............................. 1-6
Neutral Record.......................... 0-4
Longest Win Streak.......... 2 Games
Longest Losing Streak 6 Games, 2x
Current Streak...................... Lost 2
Record in Last 10 Meetings...... 6-4
First Meeting
Jan. 17, 1975 in Tucson, Ariz. (W, 46, 36)
Last Meeting
Feb. 21, 2014 in Tucson, Ariz. (L, 52, 47)
The Series Game-By-Game (Last 10)
11/24/90 L Utah 91, vs. UA 74
11/26/05 L Utah 66, at UA 63
12/9/06 L at Utah 66, UA 60
1/19/12 L Utah 65, at UA 60 (OT)
2/11/12 L at Utah 73, UA 67
1/18/13 W UA 62, at Utah 58
2/17/13 W at UA 61, Utah 52
3/7/13 L Utah 66, vs. UA 48
1/26/14 L at Utah 60, UA 57
2/21/14 L Utah 52, at UA 47
Series Notes: Friday’s contest will mark the 20th meeting all-time between the two programs , as Utah holds a 15-4 lead in the all-time series...the Cats’ lone win at Utah came on Jan. 18, 2013 (W, 62-58)...each of the last two contests between the two programs have been decided by five points or less.
Scouting Utah
Utah (6-13, 0-8 Pac-12) enters this one looking to snap an eight-game losing streak..the Utes average 55.8 points per game, while their opponents average 59.5 points per contest...Utah leads the league in defensive rebounding percentage (.743)...the Utes are led by Taryn Wicijowski, who averages 15.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per contest. Both lead the team....Utah was picked to finish 10th in the Pac-12 according to the conference preseason media poll, while it was picked to place 11th in the Pac-12 coaches’ poll.
Last Time Out For Arizona
Freshman guard Charise Holloway knocked down what proved to be the game-winning three pointer from the left corner with eight seconds left to play in overtime, while sophomore forward LaBrittney Jones came off the bench and went for a career-high 30 points, as Arizona hung on to defeat Oregon, 81-78 in overtime, last Sunday afternoon at McKale Center.
For Jones, the game marked arguably the best performance of her collegiate career, as the 30 points nearly doubled her previous career high of 16 points, as she connected on 10-of-16 shots from the field. She recorded a career-high equaling three blocks for a second consecutive night, while pulling down nine rebounds in the win.
The Time is Now
Arizona just finished up a stretch of seven straight games vs. a team at least receiving votes in the top 25 last Friday....Arizona now is set to play the second game of a three-game stretch, where the three teams combined have just three conference wins.
Road Trippin’
Arizona is set to begin a stretch where six of its next eight contests are on the road....Arizona is set to begin game four of a stretchwhere nine of 13 games are away from McKale Center.
UA to Hold “Still Standing” Reception
The Cats have invited all cancer survivors to a special reception on Sunday, Feb. 8th from 1-2 pm prior to Arizona’s home “Pink Game” against Stanford at 3 pm.
The day as been designated as Arizona’s “Still Standing” game, where the Cats would like to recognize fans, family members, and friends who have been impacted by cancer.
Head coach Niya Butts and the rest of the Arizona coaching staff will speak, while there will be a recap of the “#ChillinForCharity” movement that swept the nation last summer.
Cats Learning Etiquette
For the second straight season, Arizona took part in an etiquette dinner at a local Tucson steak house. At the dinner, players, coaches, and staff were instructed proper etiquette and social standard when dining at fine restaurants.
Ready to “Breakthrough”
Arizona may be 1-7 in conference play thus far, but records can be deceiving. The Cats have put themselves in position to win three separate times during conference play thus far, rallying from big-time deficits in the second half.
Arizona vs. Washington State (01/03/15)
WSU led UA 68-48 | 6:54 remaining
WSU led UA 68-62 | 3:15 remaining
UA goes on 14-0 run
Arizona vs. Washington (01/05/15)
UW led UA 53-31 | 15:07 remaining
UW led UA 60-54 | 8:42 remaining
UA goes on 23-7 run
Arizona at California (01/18/15)
Cal led UA 29-12 | 3:41 remaining 1st half
UA led Cal 48-46-54 | 5:47 remaining
UA goes on 36-17 run
Career Night For Jones
LaBrittney Jones went for a career-high 30 points on 10-of-16 shooting in Arizona’s thrilling overtime win over Oregon last Sunday at McKale Center, including accounting for seven of Arizona’s 12 overtime points. The 30 points scored were the most points any Arizona player had scored since Davellyn White went for 31 points on Feb. 19, 2013 vs. Arizona State.
More on the Oregon Win
The win marked Arizona’s fifth win over the Ducks over their last six meetings inside McKale Center...the 81 points scored were the most amount of points UA had scored at home since putting up 86 on Feb. 10, 2013 at California. It was also the most amount of points scored since scoring 86 on Dec. 20, 2012 vs. Longwood.
Overtime Success
Arizona is a perfect 2-0 in overtime this season.
More is Better
Arizona has boasted two or more double-digit scorers in 16 of its last 17 games.
#Winning
Arizona finished non-conference play with a winning record for the seventh time in the last eight seasons.
Stellar D From Three
Arizona’s three-point defense (.279) is ranked third in the Pac-12 and tied for 43rd nationally.
Shaking it Up
Arizona had used the same starting unit of Candice Warthen, Malena Washington, Keyahndra Cannon, Alli Gloyd, and LaBrittney Jones in 11 straight games before its game vs. Cal on Jan. 18. The Wildcats decided to switch it up last time out, inserting freshman JaLea Bennett in for Keyahndra Cannon and Breanna Workman for LaBrittney Jones. It marked Bennett’s first career start and Workman’s first start of the season after starting 28 of 30 games a year ago. Arizona has used the same lineup in three straight games now.
What’s Trending
Cats have recorded more offensive rebounds than the opponent in 13 of 19 contests this season...Candice Warthen has been the team’s leading scorer in 12 of 18 games this year...Warthen has also led the team in assists in 12 of 18 games and in seven of the last 12...UA has scored 60 points or more in 10 of its last 17 games...Arizona has won the battle of the benches in 10 of its last 17 games.
#Chillin4Charity Challenge Recognized By ESPNW
Arizona’s #Chillin4Charity Cold Water Challenge that took place last summer was ranked No. 3 on ESPNW’s “The Best of the Buzz 2014: 5 Heartwarming Moments” list. The challenge raised over $65,000 for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, while the movement reached over 92 million people on Twitter.
Bench Production
Arizona’s bench has outscored its opponents’ reserves in 10 of its last 17 games...the Cats have boasted 11 double-digit scorers off the bench, including having at least one double-figure reserve in four straight contests...the Arizona bench has accounted for 45 percent (207/455) of its total points over its last seven games.
Candice Climbing
Candice Warthen just needs three more points to reach the 1,000-point plateau in her Arizona career. She currently has 997 career points, which also just three points shy of tying Melissa Handley for 17th on UA’s all-time scoring list.
Closing the Door
Arizona is 8-1 this season when leading with five minutes left in a contest...the Cats are 6-1 this year when leading with 10 minutes left in a game.
Fast Track to Victory
Arizona is 6-2 this season when scoring more fast break points than its opposition.
Home Sweet Home
Six of Arizona’s eight wins have come at home this season.
A Nice First Impression
Arizona played four opponents for the first time in school history this season in FIU, Grambling State, Southern and Tennessee Martin. The Cats finished a perfect 4-0 against them.
A Consistent Option
Sophomore forward LaBrittney Jones is averaging 9.0 points and a team-leading 6.2 rebounds per game. She has recorded a team-leading equaling two double-doubles this season, while she’s scored in double figures in seven of her last 15 games. She also leads the team in blocks (1.3 bpg) and offensive rebounds (2.5 rpg)
Warthen Getting Up
Despite being listed at just 5-foot-5, Candice Warthen ranks second on the team in overall rebounding (6.1 rpg), while she leads the club in defensive rebounding (5.0 rpg).
Do as She Does
Candice Warthen has done it all for Arizona so far, as she leads the team in scoring (13.3 ppg), free throws made (2.9 fpg), field goals made (4.8 fpg), assists (3.1 apg), steals (1.3 spg), defensive rebounding (5.0 rpg) and minutes played (33.5 mpg). The senior has led the Cats in scoring in 13 of 19 games this season.
RECYCLED NOTES
Historic Home Defense
The Wildcats held opponents to 45 points or less in back-to-back home games for the first time in program history on Dec. 11 vs. Southern (45 pts) and Dec. 14 vs. UAB (44 pts).
Working Overtime
Arizona’s 72-69 overtime victory on Dec. 7 at Wake Forest marked the Wildcats’ first overtime win since winning at Wichita State ,81-72 in overtime on Nov. 12, 2010....Cats had dropped six consecutive overtime contests before that win.
Cannon and Washington Honored
Keyahndra Cannon and Malena Washington were both named to the All-FIU Thanksgiving Tournament team thanks to their performances in Arizona’s two games vs. FIU (Nov. 28) and Toledo (Nov. 30) earlier in the year.
Historic Day at McKale Center
Arizona held UC Santa Barbara to just 11 field goals made on Nov. 25, equaling the school record for the least amount of field goals any Arizona opponent has ever converted on...Arizona’s 61-34 victory over UC Santa Barbara marked Arizona’s first win on the season...the Cats opened 0-2 last season and also earned their first win over the Gauchos...the 34 points allowed marked the least amount of points Arizona had surrendered since giving up just 32 points to Iona on Dec. 28, 2010...UA held UCSB to just 22.9 percent shooting from the field, marking the lowest opponent field goal percentage since Arizona held Arkansas-Pine Bluff to 21.2 percent on Dec. 18, 2011....it was also the lowest field goal percentage Arizona had held an opponent to at home since holding Iona to just 20 percent shooting on Dec. 28, 2010. ...the 27-point victory marked Arizona’s largest margin of victory over any opponent since defeating Oregon 100-68 on Jan. 13, 2013.
Thank You Fans!
Arizona set a new single-game attendance record on Nov. 25 vs. UC Santa Barbara, as McKale Center entertained a crowd of 6,268 . The mark broke the school’s previous single-game attendance record of 5,272 on March 4, 2000 vs. Oregon.
Breaking Down the 2014-15 Cats
Seventh-year head coach Niya Butts and the Wildcats return three starters and seven letterwinners overall from last year’s squad, including leading scorer Candice Warthen (11.1 ppg). Senior Alli Gloyd (9.4 pts, 6 rebs in 2012-13) and redshirt freshman Dejza James also return after tearing ACLs last year. Arizona also boasts the highest ranked recruiting class in program history coming into the new season.
More the Merrier
Nine players saw game action in Arizona’s season opener vs. Bakersfield, which was the most in 20 straight contests going back to last season’s Dec. 21 contest vs. UC Riverside.
Cats Tabbed 12th in Pac-12 Preseason Polls
Arizona was picked to finish 12th in the conference in both the preseason media and coaches’ polls. The Cats received 12 overall points in the media poll to finish just behind Colorado, who received 42 points. UA tallied 12 points in the coaches’ poll, while Utah claimed 28 votes, as it was placed 11th.
Stanford (116, 7 first place), California (111, 3 first place), and Oregon State (105, 2 first place) rounded out the coaches’ picks for the conference’s top three finishers, while the media picked California (194, 9 first place) to take home the league crown, followed by Stanford (190, 7 first place) and Oregon State (162, 1 first place).
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
The 2014-15 slate is once again littered with top-notch competition, as Arizona will play 17 contests against teams who qualified for postseason play a year ago, including seven matches with teams ranked in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches’ preseason polls in No. 6/6 Stanford, No. 15/14 California, No. 20/21 Oregon State, and No. 23/23 UCLA. Conference foes Oregon, USC, and Arizona State are also receiving votes in either one or both preseason polls. The Cats will clash with those schools a combined five times.
Lights, Camera, Action
Arizona games will be shown on a television a school-record 14 times this season, all on the Pac-12 Networks.
By The Numbers
Arizona returns 53 percent of its total points scored (913/1,736), 48 percent of its rebounds (494/1,020), 54 percent of its field goals made (357/661), 25 percent of its three-pointers made (27/109), 56 percent of its free throws converted (172/305), 41 percent of its assists (140/344), and 53 percent of its steals from a season ago (103/193).
“Gloyd” to Have You Back
Senior forward Alli Gloyd returns to action after missing all of last season with a torn ACL. Gloyd averaged 9.4 points and six rebounds per game during the 2012-13 campaign. If one were to plug in her 2012-13 numbers into last year’s overall statistics, she would have led the team in free throw percentage (.739) and overall rebounding (6.0), while her total steals (37) and points per game (9.4) would rank second among all returners. Gloyd scored in double figures 14 separate times during 2012-13.
Healthy Cats
Arizona played the final 13 games of last season with seven healthy players or less. The Cats enter 2014-15 with practically double that amount with 13 healthy players.
New Kids on the Block
Arizona welcomes seven new faces to the program in freshmen guards JaLea Bennett, Cherice Harris, Charise Holloway, and Taryn Griffey, who was ranked as the 21st best guard and the 86th overall prospect in the nation according to ESPNW’s 2014 HoopGurlz Recruiting rankings. The class is considered one of the best in program history. Transfer guards Malena Washington (Tyler JC), Chy Cunningham (Paris JC) and Lauren Evans (Virginia Tech) also enter their first seasons with the program.
All Over the Map
Arizona boasts players from seven different states, as four players are from California, four are from Texas, two are from Arizona, while Georgia, Mississippi, Nevada, and Washington are each represented once on the roster.
Arizona Inks Three in Early 2015-16 Signing Period
The Wildcats signed forward A’Shanti Coleman, guard Michal Miller and forward Destiny Graham during the early signing period.
A’Shanti Coleman | Forward | 6-2 | Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep
Coleman comes to Arizona regarded as one of the top bigs in the nation as she’s been placed as the 108th ranked forward in the country according to “The Jump Off Plus”. She was named to the All-State First Team last year after nearly averaging a double-double, scoring 12 points, pulling down seven rebounds, and blocking four shots per game her junior season. She also helped guide Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep to back-to-back league titles, while leading the Irish to the state title game her sophomore year. Sacred Heart recorded an overall mark of 25-7 and a league mark of 11-1 that season. Coleman also was awarded team MVP honors after her sophomore campaign, where she averaged eight points, seven rebounds, and three blocked shots per contest. Coleman plans to major in psychology.
Michal Miller | Guard | 5-7 | Michigan City High School (Michigan City, Ind.)
Miller comes to Arizona ranked as 35th best guard in the country according to Collegiate Girls Basketball Report. She also brings loads of basketball experience, as she will have started all four seasons for Michigan City High School by the time her senior year concludes. Miller enters her final season at Michigan City as one of the most dangerous all-around players in the state, as she averaged career highs in points (20.4 ppg), rebounds (6.5 rpg), and steals (4.8 spg) last year, while earning All-America, First-Team Underclass All-State and All-League honors. She was also named the team’s most valuable player. During her sophomore campaign, Miller averaged 11.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 3.7 steals per contest on her way to claiming First Team Underclass All-State and Second Team All-League honors, after guiding the Wolves to a 19-4 overall record.
Miller made an impact on the Michigan City program right away, as she started all 25 contests her freshman year, averaging 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 3.5 steals, and a block per game, helping the Wolves obtain an 18-7 overall record. Miller wants to study music or communications when she gets to Arizona.
Destiny Graham | Forward | 6-2 | Eastside College Prep (East Palo Alto, Calif.)
Graham comes to Arizona ranked as the No. 28 forward in the country according to Collegiate Girls Basketball Report. She enters her senior season at Eastside College Prep poised for a breakout year, as she set career bests in points scored (14.6 ppg), rebounds (8.6 rpg), and blocks (3.4 bpg), on her way to claiming league MVP honors and a spot on the All-League First Team. Graham averaged a career-best 5.1 steals per contest her sophomore year, while leading the Panthers to the league title and a berth in the state championship game, after going 22-9 overall. She was named the West Bay Foothill League’s most improved player and earned Second Team All-League honors.
Graham made an impact right away as a freshman, pulling down 8.3 boards per contest and nearly averaging two blocks a game on the way to being named an All-League Honorable Mention. She’s started all three seasons thus far at Eastside. Graham played under head coach Donovan Blythe both at Eastside College Prep and on Blythe’s Basketball AAU squad. She plans to major in criminology.
Follow the Cats!
Fans can keep up with the latest in Arizona athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook.com/ArizonaAthletics), Twitter (@AZATHLETICS), Instagram (azathletics) and YouTube.com (Youtube.com/ArizonaAthletics). In addition, the women’s basketball team has established its own official Facebook (Facebook.com/ArizonaWomensBasketball), Twitter (@ArizonaWBBall), and Instagram (ArizonaWBBall) accounts.
