Mickayla Perdue scores 31 points as Arizona defeats UC Irvine, improves to 2-0

It remains to be seen how the Arizona women’s basketball team will fare in the Big 12.

The Wildcats have shown they can handle the Big West.

Behind guard Mickayla Perdue’s 31 points, Arizona defeated UC Irvine 75-61 Sunday afternoon at McKale Center to improve to 2-0 under first-year coach Becky Burke.

The win over the Anteaters followed a 62-59 victory over UC Riverside in the season opener Thursday night.

“Really proud of our players,” Burke told reporters Sunday. “That was a really, really good team, picked top two in their league. We’re just getting better every game. ...

“I just hope it’s steady increments of improvement all season. And I think it will be if they keep working.”

Perdue, a grad-school transfer from Cleveland State, scored the most points by a Wildcat since Shaina Pellington had 35 against Utah on Feb. 17, 2023.

Perdue fell two points shy of her career high — 33 points for Cleveland State on March 10 of this year — while making her first start for Arizona. The 2024-25 Horizon League Player of the Year scored 17 points off the bench against Riverside.

Perdue never came off the court against Irvine, sinking 9 of 20 shots, including 5 of 13 3-pointers. She also made 8 of 10 free throws.

“I never lost confidence in her,” Burke said. “It was just challenging her to be the best she can be. She starts dogging again this week in practice and we’ll send her the same message.

“That’s what she wants. She wants to be pushed and challenged and coached. It wasn’t (that) she was coming off the bench because she wasn’t a good player a couple weeks ago. That’s not it.

“I want to continue to challenge and push our players and never let them get comfortable (or) be complacent. I don’t think she drops 31 tonight if she’s not in attack mode.”

Perdue and the Wildcats took control of the game in the second quarter. Perdue scored 14 points as Arizona outscored Irvine 31-17 to overcome a five-point deficit entering the period.

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“It’s nothing that I told them,” Burke said. “They know when they guard, when we have some bounce on the defensive end, we’re able to get live rebounds. We’re able to go out and play with a little bit of pace. ...

“They know their offense this year is gonna come from the defense. We guarded extremely well tonight.”

Arizona limited Irvine to 37.8% shooting from the floor. The Anteaters shot just 33.3% in the second half.

UA point guard Noelani Cornfield added 14 points, 12 assists and five steals. Freshman forward Daniah Trammell had 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Forward Nora Francois had eight points and nine rebounds.

“She makes everyone better,” Burke said of Cornfield, who followed her to Arizona from Buffalo. “I’ve been watching her do it for over a year. I’m fortunate to be her coach. I just get to sit on the sideline, look at our staff and be like, ‘Holy cow, did you see that?’”

Cornfield and Trammell were two of three Wildcats to foul out, along with freshman guard Mireia Jurado, who finished with four points and eight rebounds. Two other UA guards, Sumayah Sugapong and Molly Ladwig, had four fouls.

Irvine got to the foul line 33 times but made only 23 free throws. The Wildcats were 21 of 24 (87.5%).

“We probably set a record for time in the bonus today, which is unbelievable,” Burke said. “It’s hard, every time you touch somebody, when there is a foul called. Again, we have to adjust. We have to make sure that we’re doing a good job.

“When they shoot 33 free throws, it’s hard. Those are free points that they didn’t necessarily earn.”

Arizona’s next game is this upcoming Sunday against Grambling State at 2 p.m. The Wildcats host NAU on Friday, Nov. 21.

Photos: University of Arizona takes down UC Irvine 75-61