By
Bryan Rosenbaum
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Final exhibition tuneup for UA before regular season
Defense and ball control will be the emphasis for the UA women's basketball team as it plays its final exhibition game Sunday.
UA head coach Joan Bonvicini was pleased with the team's 98-53 win against the "Love and Basketball" club team last week, but stressed that there are still plenty of things to work on when the team faces Cassovia Bardejov, a Slovakian club team, at McKale Center at 2 p.m.
In the Wildcats' first exhibition game, six players, including all five starters, scored in double-figures.
Freshman forward Veranda James led the charge with 19 points.
"I'm very pleased with Veranda," Bonvicini said. "She's a very hard worker and an excellent scorer who's going to do very well for us."
Despite holding "Love and Basketball" to 23.5-percent field goal shooting, Bonvicini said the team needs to improve its overall defense. In addition, Arizona had 27 turnovers, a number the coaching staff won't tolerate once the regular season opens Nov. 18 against Brigham Young.
Cassovia Bardejov is in the middle of a nine-game U.S. college tour. The team won the Slovak Cup and finished fourth in the national championships last season.
Currently Cassovia Bardejov is 1-4 on its U.S. tour and lost its last outing to Loyola Marymount 73-61 on Wednesday.
"The biggest thing about playing foreign teams is that their post players come out and shoot the ball really well," Bonvicini said.
Forward Zuzana Skuarekova leads Cassovia Bardejov in both scoring (16.2 points per game) and rebounds (9.8).
While they are able to get points from nearly every player on the roster, Bonvicini would like someone on the team to step up and become its go-to player.
Likely candidates for that role are guard Reshea Bristol, the team's lone senior, junior Elizabeth Pickney, who notched a double-double last week, and James.
"I like that we have good depth, but it's important, as we continue to go on, we see some people step up from the others," Bonvicini said.
The Wildcats will likely start James, Pickney and sophomore Krista Warren at the forward positions and Bristol and freshman Aimee Grzyb at the guard spots against Cassovia Bardejov.
