Jacob Konst/Arizona Daily Wildcat Junior guard Linda Pace fights for a loose ball during the Wildcats’ win over Loyola Marymount earlier this season. The Wildcats dropped eight out of nine games over the break in addition to losing Pace to a season-ending knee injury.

Injuries add to woes in losing streak

It wasn’t exactly a winter wonderland for the Arizona women’s basketball team over winter break.

Hampered by injuries, poor rebounding, and a tough schedule, the Wildcats (5-10, 1-4 Pacific 10 Conference) dropped seven games during the eight-game stretch.

They also found out that guards Linda Pace, a junior, and Rachael Schein, a sophomore, will both miss the rest of the season due to injuries. Pace, a 5-foot-9 native of San Diego, was averaging 5.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and one steal per game before tearing a meniscus in her left knee.

“When we played Washington State, she slipped guarding someone and tore a meniscus, and they had to stitch it, so she’s out for the year,” said Arizona head coach Joan Bonvicini.

Schein saw just four minutes of action this year, as according to Bonvicini, “her knee is just bad.”

On Sunday the team lost 76-60 to Southern California on national television. The Wildcats played an inspired first half, yet still trailed by three points at the break, 30-27.

In the second half, the Women of Troy’s ability to get to the loose ball was the deciding factor in an otherwise closely contested half. The Trojans out-rebounded the Wildcats 43-25, including 20-9 on the offensive glass.

“We just got out-rebounded the second half,” Bonvicini said. “There are things that we can still obviously work on, but our kids’ attitudes — they’re working really hard.”

As was the case during the last half of December and the early-goings of this month, poor shooting was the downfall of the Wildcats, who shot 38 percent from the field and 23 percent from behind the arc.

The Wildcats also lost 84-77 at UCLA Friday despite out-rebounding the Bruins 41-31.

During the eight-game stretch between semesters, the Lady Cats shot under 40 percent from the field four times, and only cracked the 45 percent plateau twice.

Their lone win came at home Dec. 29 against Washington State, 61-52, when the Wildcats forced 35 turnovers. The break started with a loss at then-No. 8 Maryland, 92-67, Dec. 11.

“I think after the trip to Fresno (81-70 and 86-63 losses at Fresno State and UC Santa Barbara, respectively, Dec. 17 and 19), and then coming back and playing (then-No. 10) ASU (an 83-59 loss Dec. 22), I think that the players were just frustrated,” Bonvicini said. “I think there were a lot of issues, not within the team, but just frustration.

“You know, we weren’t playing well, people were questioning — including me — their heart, and how hard they were playing,” she said.

Noticing the problems, Bonvicini said she made an attempt to refocus the team, and through her newly installed buddy system that encourages team-building, she feels the team has a new-found enthusiasm.

That’s despite a four-game losing streak that started with home losses Dec. 31 to Washington, 66-54, and Wisconsin-Green Bay 82-70, Jan. 3.

“We’re right on the verge,” she said. “We’ve got to get over this hump.”

There was a bit of good news Monday, as freshman forward Amina Njonkou was cleared to play and participated in practice for the first time yesterday after missing the first two months of the season with a stress fracture in her foot.

“We’ll bring her along gradually,” Bonvicini said. “Each game she’ll get a little bit more time, get herself back in game shape. She hasn’t practiced in two months.”

Njonkou is expected to make her Wildcat debut tomorrow against Oregon State.

Another newcomer to the Wildcat lineup over the break was highly-touted freshman guard Malia O’Neal, who saw her first action of the season after she was cleared by the NCAA on Dec. 8 following some academic trouble.

The Seattle native snuck her way into Bonvicini’s starting lineup in only her third game — against Washington State.