Arizona passes latest Big 12 road test despite challenges including travel, time zones and more

Another road test for Arizona, another passing grade.

After the Wildcats thumped the UCF Knights 75-53 Saturday in Orlando, they have now won both away games. But, as Arizona coach Adia Barnes said, it’s about taking care of things at home.

UA’s next home game is Wednesday against Baylor.

Winning at home hasn’t been easy in the Big 12 as the Wildcats experienced a 69-48 loss against Utah last Tuesday. They aren’t the only ones, as Baylor lost to Oklahoma State at home and in turn, the Cowgirls lost to Kansas at home Saturday.

For the Wildcats, who are in the first season in this new-to-them conference, everything is different from style of play, teams, coaches to travel.

In the Pac-12, Arizona knew the styles of the 11 other teams in the Pac-12 and as USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said in an interview with The Next on her first year in the Big 10, “You just don’t have history on your side. You don’t have the experience of, ‘This is what this coach likes to do when they’re down or when they’re up or out of a timeout,’ and I don’t know that there’s any amount of film that can provide for you years’ worth of experience.”

When comes down to tactics, without playing most teams twice this season – UA only gets two shots against ASU, Utah and BYU this season – there aren’t opportunities to adjust the second time around.

For the most part, Arizona is playing one game at home each week, instead of being on the road for the entire weekend in the Pac-12. The lone away week is against the Kansas schools the week of Jan. 13.

The trip to play UCF was the longest, miles-wise this season at 2,028 miles – crossing two time zones. In the Pac-12, the Wildcats stayed on the west coast and only crossed one time zone – so no jet lag.

“Before our furthest was Washington (and) that’s a direct flight,” Barnes said. “This (trip) was going like 3 ½ hours, then layover, then another three hours. It’s just a long time. The time difference, it’s just different. I think you have more rest in between — a day in between (games in the Pac-12). You get to practice at another facility and stuff. I think that’s the difference and it’s just you’re not as familiar with a new conference and new teams. Like, we’re very familiar with the Pac-12 and just all the teams there. I think it’s just new places you’ve never been to and so that’s different. And I’d say the style of play is really different so far — the Big 12 versus the Pac-12. But I think it’s good. Change is always good. Change is opportunity.”

The other thing that was different on this cross-country trip was that the Wildcats took a commercial flight, once again this season. For all those Pac-12 away games since the pandemic hit, the Wildcats have been using charter flights. This accounted not only for that layover that Barnes talked about, but getting into Orlando around midnight Thursday and coming back to Tucson around the same time Saturday night/Sunday morning after UCF game.

In addition, the Wildcats didn’t get in shoot around on game day because of the time difference. Barnes said the time in the arena was scheduled for 7:00 a.m., which is 5:00 a.m. in Tucson.

High expectations

It didn’t take Skylar Jones long to put her stamp on Saturday’s game.

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After not starting for the first time during games that count this season – she didn’t start in an exhibition game in October – Jones came onto the floor on a mission with a little more than two minutes left in the first quarter.

She dished an assist to Sahnya Jah who finished a layup, then she picked a steal and was fouled on the other end going up for a basket. She proceeded to make both free throws – the first two of a perfect 5 for 5.

With six more minutes on the court in the second quarter, she added 10 points, a rebound and another assist. Jones finished with a Wildcat high and a season high 17 points (going a perfect 5 for 5 from the field) and three assists.

“Sometimes when you make a change in the lineup, people are really motivated,” Barnes said.

It was a turnaround of sorts for Jones who had an uncharacteristically rough game against Utah – scoring only two points (1 for 7 from the field), had one steal and no assists.

It should be noted that Jones has been suffering from plantar fasciitis in her right foot. She has been taping up her foot like a cast, having treatment and trying to rest it as much as possible with practices and games. She did not play against Weber State — the final non conference game — to be ready for Big 12 play.

However, that’s not why Jones didn’t start against UCF. Barnes usually lets players play through a one-off rough game or even a slump. Instead, this was a teaching moment. Jones has a hard time hiding her emotions on plays that don’t go her way or even a foul call. She hangs her head and is visibly upset. Having Jones come off the bench was about playing the right way – the Arizona way.

“The main reason is the way we want to play, the mentality we want, the body language and attitude and cohesiveness we want and that’s the standard,” Barnes said. “I think Sky did a really good job of responding in a positive way. I thought she was so much more coachable. I thought her body language was so much better.

“But those are things that affect your team, so these are always teaching moments. And I think I always look at the bigger picture as not only about basketball, it’s about life. It’s our job as coaches to teach these things that are going to help our players for their lives and long term. I’m proud of the way that she responded. I’m proud of the way that the team responded. Because it’s not so easy and she could have hung her head (and) not played hard and she actually played awesome on offense, on defense. I thought every in every way, she was great on the bench. That’s like the expectation I have for her, that she’s capable of doing.”

Rim Shots

Paulina Paris didn’t start as Barnes said she “wasn’t 100%.” She did play for three minutes in the first half.

Breya Cunningham picked up two fouls in the first quarter against UCF. She played the entire third quarter not picking up another foul and finished with 15 points (7 of 9 from the field), four blocks, five rebounds and only one turnover in 19 minutes of action.

The Wildcats scored 28 points in the paint with Jones (11) and Cunningham (14) combing for 25 of them.