Who: Cal Baptist (2-2) vs. No. 15 Arizona (4-0)
Where: Jenny Craig Pavilion, San Diego
When: 5 p.m. Friday
Radio: 1400-AM
Probable starters
ARIZONA
G Shaina Pellington (5-8 senior)
G/F Jade Loville (5-11 senior)
F Esmery Martinez (6-2 senior)
F Lauren Fields (5-9 senior)
F Cate Reese (6-2 senior)
CAL BAPTIST
G Trinity San Antonio (5-10 sophomore)
G Brittany Klaman (5-11 senior)
F Kinsley Barrington (6-1 junior)
G Sila Finau (5-9 senior)
G Nae Nae Calhoun (5-5 junior)
Key players
CAL BAPTIST — Trinity San Antonio
San Antonio burst onto the scene as three-time WAC freshman of the week last season. She earned a starting position in 15 of 32 games and 7.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists per game. On the defensive end she had 52 steals and 10 blocks. Now, she taken it up a notch, averaging 23.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game — and she’s already picked seven steals.
ARIZONA — Cate Reese
Reese is the reliable Wildcat. She’ll always get her points, a few steals, maybe a block and grab a bunch of rebounds, even if it takes a little while. Sunday against Long Beach State, Reese bodied her opponents and wore them down, and in the fourth quarter she had an eight-point scoring burst on her way to a 14-point, nine-rebound, three-assist showing. Reese is averaging 13.3 points and six rebounds per game this season.
Matchup history
This is the first time that Arizona is playing Cal Baptist. The Lancers have only been a Division I school since 2018-19.
She said it
"We've been really harping on defense and being able to contain the basketball. We're going to have to do that with them specifically in transition defense, because they really like to push tempo and get out and take quick shots. (They) like a lot of possessions. They have mostly all guards in their lineups. We're going to really have to be locked in.
"Rebounding and points in the paint will definitely be key for us. I feel like offensively we can go in rebound and get some second-chance opportunities and definitely want to get the ball inside. They don't have the size we do." — UA assistant coach, Erin Grant, who scouted Cal Baptist
Sidelines
Making the jump
During the 2020-21 season, Cal Baptist’s third as a DI school, the Lancers showed they belonged. They won 26 straight games before losing to Rice in the third round of the WNIT.
Lancers coach Jarrod Olson won the Kay Yow Coach of the Year Award, given to the top Division I coach in the nation. The Lancers have gone 85-38 in Division I play under Olson, who is in his 10th season.
Blue collar
While at Oklahoma State, Lauren Fields was known for her scoring (15.4 ppg) and quick hands (67 steals). She’s easing into the Wildcats system, averaging 7.5 points per game and six steals in nonconference play. Arizona coach Adia Barnes said she brought Fields to Tucson for more than just what’s in the stat sheet.
“I chose her for the momentum and the fire she gave us,” Barnes said. “… She's active on the ball and she's working hard on the court. She's like a blue-collar player. I love it.”
Fun facts
Arizona: Jade Loville and Esmery Martinez combined to score 20 of UA’s 30 points in the second quarter of Sunday’s game. The Wildcats made 10 3-pointers against Long Beach State. The last time they had at least 10 was Dec. 12, 2021, when they put up 13 against New Mexico.
Cal Baptist: Sisterly love: After playing four years at Colorado, Cal Baptist's Sila Finau now feels close to home. Her sister Mele plays at UC Riverside, which is only 8.5 miles from Cal Baptist's Riverside campus. Freshman Grace Schmidt’s older sister Emily, played at Cal Baptist from 2014-18.
By the numbers
29 — Arizona is 29-2 at McKale Center since the 2020-21 season. The losses were to Stanford and UCLA.
3 — Through Sunday’s games, Arizona ranked third nationally in scoring, averaging 93 points per game. The Wildcats also ranked fifth in field goal percentage, hitting 51.8% of their shots.
1.2M — Sunday's matchup between No. 1 South Carolina and No. 2 Stanford drew 1.2 million viewers.
