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Wildcats down Kent in first round

KNOXVILLE, TENN.-

With the UA women's basketball team's 73-61 first round defeat of Kent Saturday, the Arizona players and coaches are finally able to alter their attention to what has been looming before them for over a week- a chance at knocking off six-time National Champion Tennessee.

The eighth-seeded Wildcats' defeat over the ninth-seed Golden Flashes in Thompson-Boling Arena was a bit of a rollercoaster ride. But in the NCAA Tournament, a team will take a win in whatever way they can get it, especially if it leads to a match with the the Goliath of women's basketball.

Displaying their eagerness for a date with the top-seeded Volunteers, the Wildcats blew open a 23 point lead with 13 minutes remaining in the ballgame, but relented that attack. Kent responded with a 22-4 run, lasting 10 minutes and placing the Golden Flashes within five points.

Just as Arizona was beginning to witness deja-vu of their game against Oregon on March 4, where the Ducks dissolved a 22 point second half UA lead to win the game, senior guard Felecity Willis hit a 15-foot jumper to re-invigorate the Wildcat offense.

UA notched the final seven points of the game, sealing the victory.

"We knew they were going to make a run on us and they did in the second

half," Bonvicini said. "We really hit a wall and didn't get the ball into our posts at all. We felt as if we were playing three-on-five for a while in not utilizing our posts.

"Thank goodness Felecity Willis hit that jumper," Bonvicini said. "You've got to give Kent a lot of credit, they're smart and never backed down."

Up until Arizona relaxed, senior guard Lisa Griffith spearheaded the Wildcat offense with five three-pointers, including three to begin the second half.

"I just felt good," she said. "When tournament time comes around, you've got to put it all on the line. I've been here before and you have to hit your shots if you want to win. My team did a great job getting me the ball."

Arizona forced 21 Kent turnovers, but what pleased Bonvicini even more was that UA was able to capitilize on the Golden Flashes' mistakes, as the Wildcats tallied 27 points off of the turnovers.

"I think our defense so much creates our offense," she said. "We were forcing them to take some contested shots and got some quick rebounds, steals and were finishing really well."

Arizona was able to shut down Kent senior guard Dawn Zerman, the MAC Player of the Year, a task that UA coaches didn't expect to be simple.

"We ran a little bit of a 3-2 (defense) and she likes to drive a lot and get to the free throw line," Bonvicini said. "And I thought that (defense) was something that would help us take away her drive. And it did."

Led by junior center Julie Studer, the Golden Flashes' unrenowned post play kept Kent in the game.

"I was really concentrating on her because she was killing us inside," said sophomore forward Elizabeth Pickney, who expected the majority of Kent's scoring to come from the perimeter.

Studer had a game-high 20 points and nine rebounds. Griffith finished with 19 points, as Willis had 13, senior forwards Tatum Brown and Angela Lackey had 11 and 10 respectively. Arizona only shot 39 percent from the field and were outrebounded 42-36, but the Wildcats' effort from behind the three-point line made up for it.

Griffith and sophomore guard Julie Brase helped the Wildcats convert 7-of-12 three-pointers (58 percent). "The first game is always so tough in the NCAAs," said Bonvicini, who extended her NCAA Tournament first round record to 14-0. "So many times in the NCAA Tournament there are first game jitters, and that's very normal. But I am just very proud of our team in coming together at the end."