CLAIRE C. LAURENCE/Arizona Daily Wildcat Junior UA guard Dee-Dee Wheeler drives past a USC defender during last night's 75-64 Arizona win in McKale Center. Wheeler scored 20 points in the game.

UA 75 ð USC 64

Cats overcome 36 turnovers to turn away Trojans

The Wildcats extended their home winning streak to 22 and shot a school-record 65.9 percent to put away Southern California in a physical, turnover-plagued 75-64 victory last night in McKale Center.

In a game that had 66 total turnovers - 36 by the Wildcats - USC head coach Chris Gobrecht put it best: "Wow. That was an ugly game."

"36 turnovers?" UA sophomore center Shawntinice Polk asked rhetorically. "That's amazing. But we planned that way."

Junior guard Dee Dee Wheeler led the way for the Wildcats (13-4, 5-1 Pacific 10 Conference) with 20 points - 17 in the first half - and tied a season high with five steals in the game.

For the first nine minutes of the first half, Arizona never had more than a four-point lead over the Women of Troy. A minute later, the UA went on a mini 5-0 run to make the score 24-15, their biggest lead of the game at the time.

However, USC came back within three to make it 28-25 with five and half minutes left by forcing turnovers and making three, sometimes even four, offensive rebounds in a row, until they were able to convert a shot into points. Overall, USC (7-7, 4-2) out-rebounded the Wildcats 22-4 on the offensive end.

CLAIRE C. LAURENCE/Arizona Daily Wildcat Sophomore guard Natalie Jones drives through a trio of USC defenders during Arizona's 75-64 win against Southern California last night in McKale Center.

About 90 seconds later, USC forward Eshaya Murphy knocked down a 3 to bring the Women of Troy to within two, 30-28. It was the last time they would score in the half.

Fueled by Wheeler's eight points in the last three and a half minutes, the Wildcats scored the last 14 points of the half and extended their lead from two to sixteen by the end of half, 44-28.

Arizona, a second half team as of late, extended its lead to 19 early, but got tired and sloppy, making errant passes that led to 23 second-half turnovers

"It was definitely ugly and very physical," Polk said. "They banged us underneath the basket and we banged them. They tripped us, we tripped them."

USC put heavy pressure on the UA by double and triple-teaming the Wildcats after an inbounds play. The tough defense helped bring USC to within five points with just over a minute remaining.

UA finished strong, getting two straight layups in the final seconds of the game from sophomore guard Natalie Jones, who tied her career high with eight rebounds.

"It was a hack-fest out there at the end," said UA head coach Joan Bonvicini of the physical play by both teams. "It was obviously a battle out there and probably as important a game as we have played all year coming off the loss. It definitely shows the character of our team."

With the victory, the Wildcats extended their school-best home winning streak to 22 games, tied for third longest in the nation.

Arizona will look to extend the streak to 23 against UCLA tomorrow at 4 p.m.