Scouting Report: No. 14 Arizona Wildcats at Colorado Buffaloes

Probable starters

ARIZONA

G Shaina Pellington (5-8 senior)

G/F Jade Loville (5-11 senior)

F Esmery Martinez (6-2 senior)

F Lauren Fields (5-9 senior)

F Cate Reese (6-2 senior)

COLORADO

G Frida Formann (5-11 junior)

G Jaylyn Sherrod (5-7 senior)

C Quay Miller (6-3 senior)

G Tayanna Jones (6-1 senior)

C Aaronette Vonleh (6-3 sophomore)

History of matchup

UA is 9-18 against Colorado all time. Arizona has won five of the last eight games, which includes last year’s 45-43 loss in the Pac-12 Tournament. These teams met only once in the regular season — a 75-56 rout by Arizona at McKale Center. In that game, the Wildcats got off to a slow start — down 17-7 to the Buffs — but went on a run to go into halftime tied at 29 apiece. Pellington scored 28 points (10 of 13 from the field) and knocked down both three-pointers. She also made 6 of 8 free throws, dished two assists, grabbed three steals and pulled down four rebounds. Reese scored 23 points and finished with nine rebounds.

The last time UA and Colorado met in Boulder was in December 2020, Aari McDonald knocked down a free throw with a minute left — and a total of eight in the fourth quarter — to go a perfect 11 of 11 for the game and seal the 62-59 win. McDonald finished with 24 points.

Key players

Colorado — Jaylyn Sherrod

It’s hard to select only one player from Colorado coming off its upset over rival and then-No. 8 Utah last weekend. However, when the game was on the line with 1:15 left, it was Sherrod who picked up three of her five steals. She has 37 steals total and is averaging 2.5 per game, right behind Arizona’s Helena Pueyo, who has 2.7 per game and 45 total. Sherrod is on track to bust through her career high of 55 last season. She has also seen a jump in her other numbers, averaging 5.6 assists per game and shooting 41%, including 50% from the 3-point line.

Arizona — Helena Pueyo

Everything starts with Pueyo. In last weekend’s come-from-behind win over Oregon State, she grabbed a steal and went coast to coast and scored to cut the deficit to eight points. She is a lockdown defender who also steadies the Wildcats on offense. Against Oregon and OSU, she grabbed seven steals and dished 10 assists. She also pulled down eight rebounds, was perfect from the free-throw line and scored 17 points, going 6 of 9 from the field. She does it all for the Wildcats.

He said it

“We have to play high-level defense. This allows us to do what we do even better. We need to defend Colorado in transition and back cuts. We have to defend them well because this is what they do well. Then, we have to be able to guard their action.

“They are a very good team. They have a lot of balance in the inside-outside game in the sense that they can score from the post and they can score from the perimeter. They have athleticism. They have shooters, and they have players that also play good defense. It’s going to be a hard game where we have to play our best, plus we’re on the road.

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“They are playing really well. They’ve won five in a row after losing to Utah (on Dec. 14). They have (not) lost at home (this season), so we have to bring our game.

“They are very good defensive team. They play a little bit of a different style than us. Still, they force turnovers. They do a good job of alternating their man-to- man with a two-three zone. We have to take care of the ball.

“Sherrod is a very good athlete. She is not only able to score, she can also facilitate to her teammates.”

— UA assistant coach Salvo Coppa, who scouted Colorado

Sidelines

Elevation: Jade Loville agrees with Adia Barnes that playing in Colorado and Utah — in the elevation — isn’t as big a deal as some make it out to be. Yes, you definitely have to be prepared. But it’s mainly in your head — which is exactly what those two schools are counting on.

The Wildcats played a few months ago at New Mexico, another school known for its elevation, and the Lobos don’t let you forget about it.

“They put it up on the Jumbotron. They try to tell you know the illness effects of what you may feel. I think it’s all mental. My throat was a little dry, but nothing that water can’t fix,” Loville said with a laugh.

Barnes said the real difference is that Southern Arizonans aren’t used to the cold and snow.

“Colorado and Utah are probably the least favorite on every single Pac-12 coach’s schedule, because it’s a grind,” Barnes said.

“It’s funny when you go there, (both teams) are intentionally trying to run you. (The coaches) are like, ‘Run them,’ because it’s fast at first before the first media (timeout). It’s smart to do that. I would do the same thing.”

Meeting a former Wildcat: Arizona will face Vonleh, who played in Tucson last season, when the ball tips Friday night. She has started nearly every game for the Buffs, only coming off the bench against Tennessee, and she played 25 minutes in that one.

She is averaging 11.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

Barnes has known Vonleh since she was in eighth grade and was the first to offer her a scholarship.

“She’s happy. She’s flourishing. She’s doing so well. She has a great head coach — I love JR (Payne),” Barnes said. “I am happy she’s doing well. You want the kids to be happy at the end of the day, love their college experience and love their role. She does now … so I’m happy for her.”

Fun facts

Arizona: UA has won seven of its last eight games … Loville has hit double figures in 11 of the 16 games this season.

Colorado: Formann’s mom, Karin, played for the Danish Women’s National Team in the 1980s. Her dad, Michael, helped coach the team … Miller’s dad, Eddie Ja’Quay Miller, played basketball for Washington State from 1998-2000.

Numbers game

3.9 — Pellington is averaging 3.9 assists per game. She has 54 assists, just 10 shy of last year’s career high of 64

317 — Arizona is outscoring opponents 317-225 in the third quarter this season

94% — Madi Conner is making her free throws at a 94% clip (16 of 17), which is 24th in the nation