UA freshman Paris Cark has breakout game, thanks in part to her calming influence

Sometimes basketball is all about the numbers — points, rebounds, steals and blocks.

But it’s also about those magical, intangible elements — toughness, agility or even how calm you are on the court in the most stressful moments.

Those are the little things that push the game to another level.

Take the last 11 seconds of last Sunday’s game against Utah.

That’s when Arizona freshman Paris Clark had her moment. She scored four points, got a tip and a takeaway, nearly stealing the game from then-No. 10 Utah.

It was a product of the hard work Clark has put in over the last few months to understand the UA system. It was her time.

And then there is this: her Cavapoo, Honey.

Call it coincidence — or not — but Clark seems to be hitting her groove now that her dog has moved Tucson.

“I’ve had her at home (New York) for two years, but then I brought her after Christmas break,” Clark said. “She’s so calm. She’ll cuddle with you all day. That’s all she wants to do is cuddle and be rubbed. She’ll play; we’ll go for runs and walks. Other than that, she’ll just sit down and watch TV with us and lay in our laps.”

Cavapoos are known for being affectionate and an almost therapeutic presence. That could be part of the secret to Clark’s performance on the court.

The Wildcats hope Clark brings at calmness under pressure when No. 19 Arizona faces Arizona State at 3 p.m. Sunday in Tempe. The Wildcats are coming off two losses last weekend, while the Sun Devils had to forfeit because they did not have seven healthy bodies to play. As of Thursday, ASU coach Natasha Adair was expecting to play the game but couldn’t give an exact number of Sun Devils who would be available.

This season has been an adjustment not only for Clark, a 5-8 guard, but also for the other three freshmen in her class: Maya Nnaji, Kailyn Gilbert and Lemyah Hylton.

They are learning the UA system and understanding their role in it. College ball is also played at a faster pace, against bigger and stronger competition. The rookies are also going up against experienced players in practice. And maybe the biggest adjustment of all is having to earn minutes. None of this is easy.

“In the beginning, as a freshman, you get really discouraged, which is normal. You lose confidence because you’re not playing,” Arizona coach Adia Barnes said. “Every freshman goes through it. I’ve seen a big shift in her (Clark’s) attitude and her mentality the last month and just taking it in, being coachable. I think she’s improved. And she has a good mindset right now.”

Clark’s teammates also noticed the difference. Senior Lauren Fields, who also plays guard, said it’s all about “staying along the course — not giving up.”

“She’s been working hard in practice,” Fields said. “She’s been challenging all the starters. We have to go against them (freshmen) every day. (Paris) is always working hard, going hard. Even when she’s tired, she still goes hard.”

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Heading into the Utah game, Clark had played in only two of the six league games. She was averaging 2.3 points in 19 minutes in those games – going 2 of 5 from the field, dishing two assists and pulling down two rebounds.

Clark got into the Utah game early and played most of the fourth quarter, which meant staying ready, executing the game plan, “giving it my all” and putting her own little extra spin on that.

Esmery Martinez missed her free throw, Clark got the long offensive rebound, turned and knocked down a midrange jumper. After Utah called a timeout and tried an inbounds play, Clark tipped the ball out of bounds. The Utes tried another one, and this time it was Martinez who got the tip. Clark picked up the ball, sprinted down the court and scored, giving UA a 79-78 lead.

“Every time I go (onto the) court, no matter where I’m playing, I just play my game,” Clark said. “That’s really all it was. I was just being myself. I don’t like to lose, so I’m going to do everything that it takes to win.”

Clark, a McDonald’s All-American and top-25 recruit, was efficient and productive. She finished with eight points on 4-of-5 shooting, five rebounds, two assists and one steal in 13 minutes. The points were her most since the NAU game Nov. 10, the rebounds her most since the Texas Southern game Dec. 14.

Clark said her shift in mindset comes down to being “more intentional about what I’m doing in practice and really focusing on the details so that I can get a chance to get on the court.”

“A big thing is trusting the process and being confident in myself,” Clark said. “Then really honing in on our system — defensively and offensively. I think every day going practicing, making it a goal to learn something new and get better.”

Those changes — and spending time off the court with Honey — have proved to be the right combination for Clark.

“I’m proud of the fact that she went in and just played free,” Barnes said. “That’s hard for freshmen to do. She hadn’t played in a couple games; you’re going in a situation against a ranked team — a top-10 team — on the road. That’s hard. I was proud (that) she just played how Paris plays.

“I’m really excited for her. I saw her the next day — she was happy. It’s like a weight off her shoulder.”

Rim shots

Arizona volleyball coach Dave Rubio retired this week. Barnes built a strong relationship with him over her seven years at the helm of the women’s basketball program. They recruited junior Lauren Ware together to play both volleyball and basketball at UA. During that time, they learned from each other about different ways to recruit. Barnes also reached out to Rubio for advice.

“He’s helped me tremendously,” Barnes said. “I’ve had talks with him. ‘Hey, have you ever gone through this?’ He’s gone through everything because he coached for so long.

“I just talked to him two weeks ago, and he didn’t tell me that he was retiring. I thought he had a couple more years. ...

“There’s a lot of value for me as a younger coach to talk to someone like him or (former UA softball coach Mike) Candrea. It helps a lot because I can read a book, but I could talk to them for five minutes and learn more than I would in two or three books.”

The Wildcats finished the fall semester with a team 3.36 GPA.