Sometimes itโs just about having patience.
Just ask Lauren Fields.
Arizonaโs senior guard attempted two shots until the last three minutes of Friday nightโs come-from-behind win over Oregon State.
But they were big shots. Fields connected on back-to-back 3s and scored on a layup in less than a minute to tie OSU with 1:44 left.
Helena Pueyo gave UA a three-point lead with a 3 from the top of the key and the 15th-ranked Wildcats squeezed out a 71-69 win over the Beavers at McKale Center in front of 7,182 fans.
Arizona improves to 13-2, 3-1 Pac-12, while Oregon State drops to 9-6, 1-3 in Pac-12.
โIt was all part of the plan. Play 37 minutes awful, and then wait to the last 3:24 to play defense and actually play,โ UA coach Adia Barnes cracked after the game. โThat was part of the plan โ all the way it was supposed to be.
โNo, Iโm proud of our team. This was a really big win for us. We showed resiliency after having a tough game against Stanford, and we found a way. That sense of urgency we had with the press down the stretch. We were tired and found a way to when different people stepped up big. Laurenโs, big shots, stuff that sheโs capable of doing. We did a good job of finding her, feeding her and just finding a way to gut it out.โ
Fields finished with nine points on 3-of-8 shooting, adding one steal, one assist and three rebounds. She had only made 12 of 35 3-pointers this season, but that didnโt stop her from wanting the ball.
Arizona Wildcats guard Lauren Fields eyes the basket for a 3-pointer during Fridayโs second half.
โYou know you canโt make a shot if you donโt shoot,โ the Oklahoma State transfer said. โThatโs what I was telling myself โ keep shooting one would eventually will fall and thatโs what happened.โ
Fields had another big shot recently. On Saturday against Cal, Fields hit the dagger โ another 3 โ to give UA the win. Fields finished with nine points.
Friday marked one of the biggest comebacks that Barnes remembers in her tenure as coach at Arizona. Every time UA would go on a run, Oregon State would hit a big basket.
But even with the momentum on the Wildcatsโ side, the Beavers had one last chance to tie the game and send into overtime. Talia von Oelhoffenโs 3 missed the mark with 2 seconds left.
It was quite the comeback for the UA, which trailed by 12 with 3:24 remaining. Down the stretch they collected 3 of their 14 steals, plus two big defensive rebounds by Esmery Martinez and Cate Reese.
During the 15-4 run, Pellington logged two of her three steals and scored three points on a jumper and a free throw.
Arizona forward Cate Reese, left, and Lauren Fields are all smiles after defeating OSU.
โI just tried my best to keep my composure,โ Pellington said. โI mean, like, obviously it was a tough game. We didnโt have control of the game for most of it. So just staying engaged. But when you have like players that are able to do what Lauren did towards the end, it really helps you fuel the fire and then gives you energy. I just try and stay ready so I donโt have to get ready.โ
Pellington finished with 12 points, adding six assists and four rebounds.
Cate Reese led all Wildcats with 16 points. Pueyo chipped in 12 and also dished six assists and collected four rebounds. The senior guard started the run with a steal and a layup. She also added a 3-pointer in the mix.
OSU took a 38-30 into the half. AJ Marotte erupted for 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Freshman Reagan Beers led all scorers with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Arizona was down by 12 nearly three minutes into the third and came back to tie it at 49-49 on a Pellingtonโs jumper with 35 seconds left in the frame. During this run, the Wildcats had four steals. In the fourth quarter, OSU took over and built the final double-digit lead in 3:57.
Next up, Arizona hosts No. 18 Oregon (12-3, 3-1 Pac-12) Sunday at 5 p.m. in a game televised on ESPN2.
Rim shots
The Wildcats were without Maya Nnaji, who was in protocol with a possible concussion. Barnes said she expects Nnaji to play Sunday.
Former Wildcat Bendu Yeaney finished with eight points, five assists, one block, 10 rebounds and five turnovers in 31 minutes of play for Oregon State. Pellington, who guarded Yeaney, said it felt different and strange to play on opposite sides.
The Beavs out-rebounded UA 40-28.
Oregon State shot 52%, while UA shot 44%.
Contact sports reporter PJ Brown at pjbrown@tucson.com. On Twitter: @PJBrown09
McKale Center was built at the University of Arizona in the early 1970s. There have been updates through the years.
