They also connected on 33.3 percent of their 3-point shots.Īrizona was launching 3-pointers. The Rebels hit 52.9 percent of their shots from the field in the opening frame.

The bigger problem was on the other end of the floor where they had already surrendered 22 points to UNLV. “And that’s a concern because we’re kind of a step late on everything.”Įsmery Martinez did all she could, scoring eight points to help the team reach 13 after the first 10 minutes. “The concern to me is we’re not coming up with those 50-50 balls,” Barnes said. At 4:40 in the first quarter, Arizona had four points and had given up 11. Nothing worked right for the Wildcats in the first half. That pall hung over the court from the first tip. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy as the hosts pushed their lead back out. Despite things starting to turn in their favor, everyone but Gilbert seemed to lack any sense of urgency. The lead was down to 14 on several occasions with well over 10 minutes to go.

They started hitting shots in the third quarter as Kailyn Gilbert began to find her way. It wasn’t the first time that the Wildcats appeared to be almost resigned to their fate. UA finally started trapping and pressuring the ball after that, but it was far too little far too late. It encapsulated how the game went for both teams. UNLV promptly launched another 3-pointer to push the lead to 18. With under two minutes to go in the game and a 15-point deficit, the Wildcats didn’t pressure the Rebels. And I think they just got us on our heels and we never knew how to respond.” “Absolutely.I don’t know if it’s coming back from a long break or just, I think, surprise getting punched in the mouth first from the get-go. “Lack of toughness, lack of urgency, lack of fight,” Barnes said. Even as the clock ticked down at the end of the game, they didn’t make a strong stand on either end of the court. The Wildcats came out without much fire and never really heated up.

So, I think we had a really tough time guarding the ball and staying disciplined and sticking to the game plan.” “It was off pure guarding the ball, not getting into rotation, and then when you’re in a rotation, you’re vulnerable on box outs. “We had a hard time guarding them and it wasn’t off of any plays,” Barnes said. That was the case in a 72-53 loss to UNLV at the Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday evening. When the defense deserts them, though, they can be in deep trouble. When the Wildcats have played lockdown defense in the past, that philosophy has been successful for them even when they weren’t sharp offensively. Arizona head coach Adia Barnes wants the identity of her program to be defense.

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