After dropping its last regular-season home game against Washington Saturday, the Arizona women's basketball team (20-10, 11-7 Pacific 10 Conference) takes a fifth seed in this weekend's Pac-10 Conference Tournament in San Jose, Calif. Had the Wildcats defeated the Huskies, they would have been guaranteed at least a No. 3 seed.
Arizona takes on Southern California (17-10, 11-7) in first-round action Saturday at HP Pavilion. The Wildcats fell to the Trojans on Jan. 14, 67-54, at Lyon Center but exacted revenge in McKale Center on Feb. 12, 87-74.
The Wildcats hold a 6-7 record in away games this season but feel confident going into the tournament in neutral San Jose.
"I think we've been given a second chance here, and so our game and our season is a one-game season," said Arizona head coach Joan Bonvicini. "We need to beat USC and to play great basketball. Whatever our road record was before, it plays into it a part. We need to go into this as a one-game season and to win the Pac-10 tournament.
"Our players know that we're disappointed with Saturday; it's over, we've learned from it and now we need to move on."
Wildcats improve at the line, on the glass
In seven of the last 11 games, Arizona has shot 70 percent or better from the free-throw line. Over that period, the Wildcats are shooting 72 percent (161 of 224) from the stripe compared to 60 percent in the first 17 games of the season.
Although Arizona has struggled on the glass at times this season, the team is 15-1 when out-rebounding their opponents and is 3-8 when it is out-rebounded. Washington brought down 41 boards compared to Arizona's 40 in Saturday's loss.
"I think there's a lot of improvements that we've made," Bonvicini said. "We've improved from the free-throw line, we've improved rebounding. Obviously, we have a number of different injuries so that's affected us.
"But I think the biggest thing we have to do right now is play hard and play with a great deal of fire and purpose," she added. "The intensity now goes up another notch. It's going to be a lot more physical. With everyone playing, there's so much on the line it comes down to character and pride and how much you want it and which team wants it the most."
Wheeler rewrites record books in her senior year
After three minutes on the court against Washington State Thursday, senior point guard Dee-Dee Wheeler is now first in minutes logged in Arizona history. She has now recorded 3,923 in her four-year career.
In addition, the senior captain has surpassed the 500-point mark for the third straight season as she currently has 520 points on the season, thanks to a 19-point performance against the Huskies.