TEMPE โ UA coach Adia Barnes called it Friday. She said the game would be a defensive tussle. And that it would be one of the biggest games of the season.
Thatโs what happens when two rivals and two of the best defenses in the nation square off.
It was a close battle right down to the end, yet No. 18-ranked Arizona wasnโt going to let this one slip away, beating Arizona State 58-53 in Tempe at Desert Financial Arena on Sunday afternoon in the Pac-12 opener for each team.
The Wildcats extended their winning streak to 18 games โ going back to last seasonโs WNIT run โ which is the longest active streak in the nation.
Arizona is now 12-0, its best start in school history, while ASU drops to 10-3.
Not only did the Wildcats keep a streak going, they ended one. ASU had a home winning streak in this series of 19 consecutive games. The last time UA won on this court was in 2000.
The Sun Devils have won 28 of last 34 meetings overall.
โIt feels amazing, especially after learning that it has been 20 years since we beat them (here),โ said UA sophomore Cate Reese, who picked up her fourth double-double of the season by finishing with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
The Wildcats took a lead with 1:14 left in the second quarter and held on the rest of the way. ASU closed within one point at times, and was down just 54-53 in the final minute.
With less than two minutes left in the game, Arizonaโs Aari McDonald fouled out on a call that could have gone either way.
Arizona led 54-50, as Lucia Alonso entered the game for McDonald and Reese stepped up in the huddle with a pep talk.
โEveryone was stressed out,โ Reese said. โI just called the team together. And I said, โwe have to win this game โ regardless of what happened, what calls were called, we just have to pull the game out. It would be worthless if we didnโt.
โWe did that and everyone stepped up.โ
The Wildcatsโ big-game experience took over and it was a team effort with Sam Thomas drawing fouls and making 4 of 6 from the free-throw line down the stretch. She also came up with a big block on a 3-point shot, while Reese, Alonso and Helena Pueyo came up with big defensive rebounds.
Amari Carter came through with her composure, solid defense and big shots when the team needed it, including a reverse layup.
She finished with eight points and four rebounds.
โThey started three senior guards โ a lot more experienced than we are,โ Barnes said. โBut I think our experience from the WNIT and having some high-pressure games. (We were) able to execute. I think that gave us a lot of confidence and then going to Texas (in November) with a big win. I think we were confident on the road.
โRight now, I think this team feels like they can beat anybody. And I love that. And there were times when, in the last year we would have folded before the WNIT โ letโs say during the Pac-12 last year.
โThis year, we calmed down, then we made some big shots, had some big defensive stops, and I thought they did a really good job.โ
Heading into this game, UA led the nation in field goal percentage defense (29.0%) and scoring defense (43.6). ASU entered the game 18th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing only 54 points per game.
It took a while for the offense to get going for both teams. The Sun Devils scored first nearly two minutes in. The Wildcats later had a 9-1 run in the second quarter.
At times the game seemed like a championship fight. Players were thrown to the floor. At one point, Reese was on the ground, stood up and hit a 3. After the game McDonald was sporting two bandages on her throat where she got scratched.
โIt was so brutal,โ McDonald said. โIt was just physical everywhere. Every play was so physical. It was getting chippy a lot. But, my team didnโt back down and I was proud of that.โ
McDonald led all scorers with 20 points. She moved into 17th place with 1,129 career points โ in 49 games โ at UA. She passed Candice Warthen (1,128).
She got two quick fouls early on and spent time on the bench. Before the game she had told her teammates to do their thing, do what they do best. She knew when she got back in the game, it was her time.
At the end of the half she snaked her way through defenders for a layup, giving UA a 26-22 lead at halftime.
She started the second half with a big defensive rebound and another layup.
McDonald had to watch the final seconds tick off the clock โ from the bench. This was a new experience for her.
โIt was a little heartbreaking,โ McDonald said. โMy first time fouling out in the college game, but I have total confidence and faith in my teammates.
โI knew we were gonna pull it out.โ
Rim shots
โข ASU and UA both usually grab a lot of steals, but combined for only 11 Sunday.
โข Thomas finished with seven points, nine rebounds and two blocks.
โข Pueyo had six points, five assists and five rebounds.
โข After the game, ASU coach Charli Turner Thorne said, โI thought they were the tougher team today โฆ we let things bother us. A good lesson for the younger kids on our team. This league is brutal and you have to be tough and play through everything.โ
โข Reese has 11 career double-doubles โ eighth in Arizona history.
โข UA shot 36.4% in the win while ASU was held to 30.3%.
โข UA visits USC on Friday night. The Trojans lost at No. 10 UCLA 83-59 on Sunday. The unbeaten Bruins host UA next Sunday.
