Because Tucson is a neutral site for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament — no favoritism allowed — McKale Center public-address announcer Jimmy Zasa is required to roar with every made basket.
Note to Mr. Zasa: Shaina Pellington and Deja Kelly are playing Monday night. Bring some tea and lozenges.
“It’s going to be a battle,” UA coach Adia Barnes said on Sunday. “I think it’s a really exciting matchup for basketball and for March Madness …
“North Carolina goes when Deja goes. We go when Shaina goes. So we both have to slow each other’s point guards down.”
Pellington whipped Zasa — and the Wildcats’ crowd — into a frenzy with a 30-point performance in Saturday night’s late game, willing the fourth-seeded Wildcats to a 72-67 win over 13th-seeded UNLV in the tournament’s first round. Her showing came a few hours after Kelly put up 28 points in fifth-seeded North Carolina’s 79-66, come-from-behind win over No. 12 Stephen F. Austin at McKale.
All eyes will be on the point guards when Arizona and UNC square off for a spot in the Sweet 16. While they’re two completely different players, both Pellington and Kelly are capable of taking over games.
Kelly connected on a season-high-tying 4 of 9 3-point attempts on Saturday as UNC battled back after trailing SFA at halftime. She saved her best for the second half, when she scored 20 of her 28 points. It’s no coincidence that Carolina rolled with Kelly, outscoring the Ladyjacks 25-10 in the final quarter.
The sophomore averages a team-high 16.3 points per game. She’s UNC’s offensive engine.
Sound familiar?
Pellington is averaging 11.6 points point per game, though she’s capable of much more when hot. Consider: She outpaced her per-game scoring average in Saturday’s fourth quarter alone, putting up 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting while hitting 5 of 9 free throws.
Arizona outscored UNLV 24-14 in the final 10 minutes to win by five.
“Especially when I start hitting 3s, I feel like I’m really in my element — I’m like, ‘OK, they can’t guard me, especially when I was attacking the rim as well,’” Pellington said late Saturday. “I just felt super comfortable, and I think my teammates allowed me to do that. They gave me the confidence. They told me to keep going, that (UNLV) can’t guard you.”
Neither player fits the mold of a traditional, facilitating point guard. Pellington averages just 2.3 assists per game; Kelly: 2.6.
Instead, both are primarily scorers — albeit players with different strengths. Kelly has attempted 140 3-pointers this season, hitting 51 of them, and boasts one of the best mid-range games in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Pellington is often first down the floor fast breaks — and doesn’t hesitate to call her own number in half-court situations. Kelly is more apt to shoot from the wings or front midrange. She was 6 for 7 from the wings on Saturday, 1 for 1 from the corner and 1 for 6 from either inside the key or head-up on the basket.
Pellington is more hard-charging; Saturday, she hit six layups.
North Carolina guard Deja Kelly shoots free throws after a technical foul was called on Stephen F. Austin in Saturday's NCAA Tournament game in McKale Center. Kelly leads the Tar Heels in points per game and 3-pointers made.
“To me, (Kelly) is not only a point guard. And Shaina’s not only a point guard, too, because she can slash,” Barnes said. “Deja Kelly has more pull-ups and 3s, and Shaina’s more run-to-the-rim, open-court.”
It’s a different world, Kelly and Pellington might have been playing in the same backcourt on Saturday night. Barnes recruited Kelly out of Duncanville, Texas, where the point guard starred for ex-Wildcat Jason Terry’s AAU team.
The Wildcats were just building their program, however, and had little to offer beyond immediate playing time. Plus, Barnes said, she figured Kelly would stay in Texas — possibly playing for Kim Mulkey at Baylor.
Arizona’s coach was surprised that Kelly ended up in Chapel Hill, 1,116 miles away.
“I probably should’ve recruited her a lot harder and took my chances. It’s not like she stayed in Texas,” Barnes said with a chuckle. “I should’ve taken my shot and recruited her for Arizona. I really like her, love her family, knew her mom from AAU (and) was good friends with Jason Terry, who she played for. She’s a really good player. I need to find me some Deja Kellys.”
Instead, Kelly and the Tar Heels have found the Wildcats. Get your voice ready, Mr. Zasa.
