The Wildcat women's hoops team clicked its heels three times and let the Oregon Ducks know in no uncertain terms that there's no place like home.
Arizona completed its first-ever perfect home season Saturday, routing the Ducks 84-58 in front of the third-largest crowd in UA history.
"To end our season here undefeated was a goal of our team, (and) to be the first team that does that is a great accomplishment," said UA head coach Joan Bonvicini.
Sophomore center Shawntinice Polk had a game-high 23 points - two short of her season best - and nine rebounds in 25 minutes. Junior guard Dee-Dee Wheeler added 16 points and five boards, and sophomore guard Natalie Jones tallied 14 points, five steals and four assists for the Wildcats (20-7, 12-4 Pacific 10 Conference), who won their 27th straight in McKale Center. The streak is the second longest in the nation.
The Wildcats closed the door on the Ducks (12-14, 4-12) early, scoring the game's first 11 points. Oregon's first points came 5:07 into the game.
Arizona's defense was stifling for the second straight contest, limiting Oregon to one field goal in the game's first nine minutes and 20 points in the first half. The Wildcats held Oregon State to 20 first-half points in a 77-54 win over the Beavers Thursday night in McKale, marking the first time this season that Arizona kept its opponent below 60 points in consecutive games.
"I thought right from the get-go, our intensity defensively really showed," Bonvicini said. "I thought that was the key right away. We established our presence inside."
The Wildcats forced 25 Oregon turnovers, made 13 steals and allowed just six UO offensive rebounds. Arizona out-rebounded the Ducks 37-23.
"We just basically wanted to stick with the same intensity we came out with in the Oregon State game," Wheeler said. "Coach B really emphasized that and we just really tried to do it to (Oregon)."
Senior Jessica Duger tallied a career-high seven points in her final home game as a Wildcat. Duger finished 2-of-2 from 3-point range on the season after hitting a trey with 51 seconds left Saturday, bringing 5,003 UA fans to their feet.
"For Jessica Duger, her last game, to have a career high here - that's great," Bonvicini said.
Freshman forward Shannon Hobson also scored a career high with 13 for Arizona. Hobson was 6-of-7 from the field.
"Shannon, I thought, played her best game as a Wildcat," Bonvicini said. "She's just getting so much more comfortable."
In just her second season, Polk set an all-time UA blocks record with a rejection early in the first half. Polk has 148 blocks as a Wildcat.
"Polkey, again, established her presence. She's just amazing," Bonvicini said.
After Oregon cut Arizona's lead to 50-30 with 13:35 remaining, the Wildcats put the game away with an 8-0 run, capped by consecutive steals and breakaway layups by Wheeler, to go ahead by 28.
"A lot of people have great speed but aren't as skilled as she is," said Oregon head coach Bev Smith of Wheeler. "She's very good in the full court but she's also good in the half court."
A Hobson free throw gave Arizona its biggest lead at 67-37 with 7:02 to play.
Arizona held Oregon to six points in the game's first 10 minutes and led 26-9 with 6:44 left in the first half. The Ducks didn't get closer than 15 the rest of the half, and a fall-away 3 by Jones as time in the first half expired put the Wildcats up 43-20 at halftime.
"The winning will take care of itself as long as you do the process, and the process is playing good defense and being unselfish," Bonvicini said. "For me, it always starts on the defensive end."
Arizona will try to keep its defensive spark alive in its final Pac-10 games of the season; Thursday night at Washington State and Saturday at Washington. The Wildcats are 6-7 away from McKale this season.
"Everything for us is now on the road or at a neutral site," Bonvicini said. "We've just got to get a little bit tougher. Going into Washington will be a big challenge for us."