Probable starters
ARIZONA
1 G Shaina Pellington (5-8 senior)
30 G/F Jade Loville (5-11 senior)
12 F Esmery Martinez (6-2 senior)
23 F Lauren Fields (5-9 senior)
25 F Cate Reese (6-2 senior)
MARYLAND
10 G Abbey Meyers (6-0 senior)
1 G Diamond Miller (6-3 senior)
0 G Shyanne Sellers (6-2 sophomore)
13 G/F Faith Masonius (6-1 senior)
12 G Elisa Pinzan (5-8 senior)
How they match up
History: Arizona is 0-3 against Maryland during the Brenda Frese coaching era. During the 2004-05 season, Maryland traveled to Tucson and won 84-77 in overtime. UA has played at Maryland twice. In December 2005, the Terrapins won 92-67; in November 2006, Maryland won 75-61.
When Maryland is at its best: The Terrapins have a high-octane offense. They are No. 13 in the nation in scoring, averaging 79 points per game. Look down the list on the roster, and they are scoring machines β starting with Diamond Miller, who averages 19.5 points per game. The senior has scored 1,604 points in her career. Abbey Meyers, the former Ivy League Player of the Year who transferred from Princeton, knocks down 14.6 points per game. And Shyanne Sellers hits at a 13.8 per-game clip.
When Arizona is at its best: Itβs team ball and finding multiple ways to win as the Wildcats showed in the first round against West Virginia, when they distributed the ball on offense in the first half, getting everyone involved. In the second half, when Shaina Pellington and Helena Pueyo were on the bench, it was Kailyn Gilbert feeding the posts and the hot hand of Cate Reese. The Wildcats also showed resiliency and depth. Freshmen Gilbert and Paris Clark came in and blended in well with the veterans, giving the Wildcats the spark to get them through the rough spots.
She said it
βWe know that theyβre going to play five guards, so we know that weβre going to face switching defenses, probably some zone.
βThey score a lot of points. I feel like we play more pressure defense. I think itβs just two clashing styles, and I think itβs going to be good matchups.β
β Arizona coach Adia Barnes on the Terrapins
Sidelines
No excuses, just play
Itβs that time of year, where every player has some nagging injuries. Pellington is no different.
Earlier in the season, she fell on her tailbone and on her rib during the Los Angeles trip. She has tweaked her ankle a few times this season.
Now Pellington and others are putting all that out of their minds. Itβs time to just ball out.
βI think itβs do or die. I mean, itβs you lose, youβre done. You know what I mean?β Pellington said. βThatβs whatβs really motivating us. I donβt want to use any of those little nagging things as an excuse for why we donβt make it to the next round.
βI think itβs all just a mindset, and right now my mindset is just do whatever needs to be done to get the job done. Thatβs just where Iβm at right now.β
Pellington credits UAβs athletic training staff and team doctor for helping with rehab every night to put up performances like she had against West Virginia on Friday: 18 points and four assists.
Those sessions include Normatec compression, massages, cupping and mobility stretches. They also use liquid hydration mixes to keep playersβ energy up and make sure they have enough electrolytes.
More motivation for the native of Ontario, Canada: Her parents, Dennis and Arlene, are in the stands. The last time they saw their daughter play in person β for one of the few times as a Wildcat β was at McKale Center during senior weekend. Pellington put up 35 points against then-No. 4 Utah and 19 against then-No. 21 Colorado for a home sweep. She earned Pac-12 Player of the Week and other honors.
βObviously, I donβt get to have my parents at a lot of my games as often as some others,β Pellington said. βIt does mean a lot to have my parents there, my dad being my coach. I mean, heβs my dad. And my mom as well. ...
βAfter a win ... being able to look out into the stands and see your family there, itβs cool.β
UA-Maryland connections
Adia Barnes coached Miller as part of the 2021 Team USA AmeriCup gold-medal-winning team. This is the first time Barnes is coaching against Miller.
βWhat really stood out about Diamond to me was she was really high energy,β Barnes said. βI remember it would be the beginning of practice, everybody is kind of getting warmed up. Some people are kind of just in relaxed mode. She was always like go, like full go. And she had a motor. ...
βJust a good player, great person and a lot of fun. (She) was really funny. I just donβt love playing against her.β
Another Maryland-Arizona connection: Bett Shelby, special assistant to the head coach, was on Freseβs staff as an assistant coach for three years (2016-18).
No assist needed
Last year when UA beat UNLV in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Tucson, Reese had a little problem placing the Arizona name tag on the big board to show the Wildcats advanced to the next round. Pellington had to provide the assist. This time around, the Wildcats trusted Reese to try it again. And it worked.
βShe took her time,β Pellington said. β(Last time) there was a lot of built-up anticipation. We were hyping her up, doing a little dance, and then at the last minute she just threw that thing on there. This time she was a little more calm and was like, βAll right, letβs actually put it where itβs supposed to go.β She was able to execute that well. So, yeah, kudos to her.β
Numbers game
65 β The Wildcats shot 65% of their shots (17 of 26) under the basket against West Virginia. The next-highest volume area on the shot chart was the right wing β 50% (4 of 8). UA was just 2 of 12 from beyond the arc.
1,500 β With her sixth point in the first quarter of Fridayβs game, Jade Loville reached 1,500 points during her collegiate career.
2021 β Aari McDonald (33 points, 11 rebounds) and Trinity Baptiste (12 points, 10 rebounds) were the last Wildcats who put up double-doubles in an NCAA Tournament game. Theirs came in the 2021 Elite Eight game against Indiana. Esmery Martinez joined them with her 13-point, 12-rebound performance against West Virginia. Barnes said her message to Martinez against Maryland: Do it again.
19 β Frese is 19-0 in first round games in the NCAA Tournament.