Los Angeles hasn’t been too kind to the Arizona Wildcats.
Arizona started the 2019-20 season 13-0 before finding themselves playing on a Sunday at the beginning of January. UCLA then handed the UA its first loss of the year.
The Wildcats returned to L.A. on Sunday ranked No. 4 in the nation and sitting undefeated at 11-0.
This time, USC knocked off the Wildcats. The Trojans’ 76-67 win dropped the Wildcats to No. 7 in the country when the AP poll was released Monday.
Arizona (11-1, 1-1 Pac-12) was missing starting point guard Shaina Pellington (undisclosed reasons) and starting forward Lauren Ware (knee). Both are expected to be back this week when the Wildcats play at the Oregon schools.
Helena Pueyo stepped up to start at point guard and had posted two solid performances with Pellington out, putting up a total of 20 points, four assists and three blocks without turning the ball over. Yet Pellington’s athleticism was missed. UA coach Adia Barnes called her “really important for our style.”
“She’s so athletic. She’s very difficult to trap and she’s very difficult to press,” Barnes said. “You don’t see her get pressed a lot because when she gets pressed, she goes downhill. Her athleticism posts a problem.”
Pellington is also one of the Wildcats best defenders.
“Her and Bendu (Yeaney) together are dynamic and really incredible in the press,” Barnes said.
Without Ware, the Wildcats have been forced to play differently on both sides of the court. Cate Reese has been playing the No. 5 position with Ware out. Against USC, that meant the 6-foot-2-inch Reese matched up with the 6-6 Clarice Akunwafo.
Lacking intensity
Sunday’s game was back and forth until late in the fourth quarter, when USC pulled away.
Yet, Barnes said the game was lost much earlier on the defensive end. Arizona’s swarming defense didn’t show up, Barnes said.
“I thought that our defense the intensity was just a step behind the whole game,” she said.
“For us, our identity and who we are it starts with our defense. We did not play defense the way we do,” Barnes added. “We were not on the ball with intensity. We weren’t focused. And I think that that happens sometimes. … but we can always control our defense. That’s a constant for us and always has been.”
Over its last two games — the Wildcats beat Washington State in McKale Center on Friday before heading to Los Angeles — Arizona had just nine steals in each contest. The Wildcats are averaging 12.6 per game.
More rebounds
UA outrebounded USC 36-34 — 14-9 on the offensive glass. However, USC converted its offensive rebounds into 16 points compared to Arizona’s nine.
“We had a really tough time scoring,” Barnes said. “It was very heavily congested in the paint. When Ariyah (Copeland) caught the ball, when Cate caught the ball, it was difficult to make plays. They would put two or three people and they were helping off of some of our shooters, but I would that was a smart thing, because we weren’t hitting our shots. We were 6n for 22 from the 3 … I thought Madi (Conner) had some good looks — the shots didn’t fall.
“I thought Sam (Thomas) had some good looks and they just didn’t fall. But I think that that can happen offensively. But then defensively, you got to be a little bit better.”
It was a tough night for baskets, though there were some bright spots.
Conner hit a layup with 7:30 left, marking her ninth point in 16 minutes of action. Yeaney took over in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, scoring seven points.
Reese followed up a 23-point outburst Friday night with 29 on Sunday. She moved up to No. 9 on the Wildcats’ all-time career scoring list with 1,355 points.
Pueyo, who finished with eight points, had a buzzer-beating 3-point at the end of the half to tie the game at 34.
No excuses
Sunday’s game was played inside a nearly empty Galen Center. With the latest COVID-19 surge, California is only allowing families and guests of the teams to attend games.
Barnes said regardless, the Wildcats have to play well on the road.
“(The Trojans) are used to it more; we are used to having our sixth man, but this is the reality so we got to suck it up and figure it out,” Barnes said. “You have to generate intensity and you have to generate enthusiasm and that’s what it is, and honestly, we played against no fans all last year if you remember, and we had a pretty good year. … Hopefully, it’s not like that in Tucson, because it helps us. But that’s an excuse. You’ve got to be better on the road under any circumstance.”
