History made.
For the first time ever, Arizona womenโs basketball is dancing all the way to the Elite Eight.
Behind a 31-point performance from Aari McDonald, the third-seeded Wildcats blasted No. 2 Texas A&M 74-59 on Saturday night at the Alamodome.
These stats tell the story of how the Wildcats delivered the biggest win in school history:
31
McDonald has had higher-scoring games, but her 31 points against the Aggies will be talked about as her greatest performance as a Wildcat.
The Pac-12 Player of the Year went 12 for 21 from the field while adding five rebounds and two steals in 37 minutes.
"I didn't want to go home."Aari McDonald showed us that tonight. #ncaaW x @ArizonaWBB pic.twitter.com/ULQZnt9iAI
— NCAA Womenโs Basketball (@ncaawbb) March 28, 2021
13
Arizonaโs 13 3-pointers were the most it has had in a game this season.
Five different players hit a 3. McDonald had six, Sam Thomas had three and Cate Reese had two.
8
The Wildcats turned the ball over just eight times, their second-lowest total of the season.
Texas A&M had 19 turnovers, and the Wildcats took advantage by scoring 28 points off their opponentโs miscues. The Aggies had more turnovers (12) than field goals (10) in the second half.
10
Leading 35-32 at halftime, the Wildcats created separation in the third quarter by outscoring the Aggies by 10. Their defense forced seven turnovers, and the Wildcats went 9 of 16 from the field and knocked down 5 of its 7 3-point attempts.
3
Texas A&M guard Jordan Nixon scored 35 points in her teamโs second round game but was stymied by the UA defense. The Aggies sophomore scored just 3 points on 1-of-6 shooting and turned the ball over three times.
