UCLA center Lauren Betts (51) comes over the top to stuff a shot from Arizona forward Esmery Martinez (12) at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., March 2, 2024.

 Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star

All season long, the Arizona Wildcats have responded after tough losses only 36 or 48 hours before with an inspired follow-up outing.

They’ve dug deep time and again, coming out fighting even after playing 40 to 50 minutes in the previous game.

On Saturday night, however, No. 8 UCLA was just too much from the tip and defeated the Wildcats soundly, 61-41 in front of 7,845 fans at McKale Center

Less than two full days after Arizona hung side-by-side with No. 7 USC through double-overtime, the Wildcats finished their regular season Saturday with a 16-14 overall record and at 8-10 in Pac-12 play. Arizona finished the season in seventh place will face 10-seed Washington Wednesday at 7 p.m. to open their 2023-24 Pac-12 Tournament run.

UCLA, at 24-5 and 13-5, is the third seed in the next week’s tournament and gets a first-day bye. The Bruins play the winner of sixth-seeded Utah and 11 seed ASU Thursday night at 9:30 p.m. in the quarterfinals.

In Saturday's finale — the last-ever Pac-12 basketball game of any kind held at McKale Center as part of a double-header with the UA men's team's Senior Day festivities — UCLA jumped out to a 13-0 lead before Helena Pueyo scored inside to put the Wildcats on the board with just under five minutes left in the first quarter.

Arizona traps UCLA guard Kiki Rice (1) on the baseline as the Wildcats trap late in the fourth quarter of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., March 2, 2024.

Arizona had trouble all night with the 6-7 Lauren Betts’ presence disrupting the UA offense. Betts finished with three blocks and Lina Sontag added two more. It wasn’t just Betts, but a team effort as the Bruins looked like the team that dominated opponents earlier in the season.

Arizona guard Jada Williams (2) reaches in to disrupt the hand off to UCLA guard Londynn Jones (3) from forward Christeen Iwuala (22) in the first quarter of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., March 2, 2024.

Londynn Jones and Angela Dugalic were pesky defenders, as well.

Arizona missed shot after shot inside all game, making only 9 of 26 shots around the basket.

Despite the outcome, Arizona’s defense was working to a point. The Wildcats forced a UA season-high 30 Bruin turnovers — 14 of them steals. However, the Wildcats only scored 19 points from those takeaways.

The Wildcats found a spark in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Bruins 13-10. Pueyo, in what was most likely is her final game at home — if Arizona doesn't make the NCAA Tournament, it's not impossible the UA hosts in a secondary postseason event — led all Wildcats with 16 points. Nine of those came in the fourth quarter, as did two of her six steals; she now has 294 career steals.

During that stretch in the final quarter, Pueyo hit a pull-up jumper, blocked a shot, knocked down yet another jumper, picked a steal and knocked down an emphatic 3 before checking out to a thunderous applause from the crowd with 14 seconds left. It was the likely final time playing in front of the home fans for Esmery Martinez and Isis Beh.

They each got a standing ovation as they were subbed out in the waning moments.

Arizona coach Adia Barnes said that she doesn't see it as an excuse, but she thought Thursday night’s 95-93 loss to USC in double overtime, “took a lot out" of her team.

“I think just mentality," Barnes said, "(and) physically, obviously.

“It was tough but just working so hard and losing on rebounds. I think mentally that was tough.”

She said it

Barnes on the loss: “I'm gonna forget about that one really fast. That was a tough game. We did not play well. Credit to UCLA, they're really good. I wouldn't be surprised if there in the Final Four. Coach (Cori) Close did an incredible job. She's built a really deep good team that I don't think they have a lot of weaknesses.

"They came out and punched up and we never bounced back. We had a run or two, that right after they stopped the runs. We had a tough time scoring. We had a tough time moving the ball. They made everything tough for us. And they controlled the boards. The only good thing we did probably today was we turned them over, but then we couldn't convert.

"So just a tough one that we really have to forget right now.”

Stuffing the stat sheet

Jada Williams: 5 steals.

Martinez: 4 points, 3 assists, 1 steal.

Breya Cunningham: 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal.

Courtney Blakely: 6 points, 3 assists, 3 steals.

The other side

Betts put up a double-double with 11 points, 12 rebounds. Londynn Jones scored 16 points (4 of 7 from long distance). Gabriela Jacquez was the only other Bruin in double figures with 11 points.

By the numbers

28: UCLA’s largest lead was 28 points with 8:27 left in the game.

28%: Arizona only shot 28% (17 of 60) – the worst shooting percentage all season.

18: The Bruins had 18 assists on 23 made baskets. Kiki Rice and Dugalic combined for 10 of them.

Former Arizona Wildcats men's basketball player and longtime Major League Baseball legend Kenny Lofton saw his name placed in the UA basketball Ring of Honor at McKale Center Saturday, March 2, 2024, during a UA blowout win over Oregon. (Courtesy Arizona Athletics)

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Contact sports reporter PJ Brown at pjbrown@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @PJBrown09