The Arizona women's basketball team secured its first win against a ranked opponent of the season as the Wildcats brought down No. 19 UCLA Sunday at Pauley Pavilion, 84-73.
"(Sunday's) game was a gut-check game and we came out and played Arizona basketball, which is something we haven't done in a couple of weeks," said UA head coach Joan Bonvicini, who recorded her 250th career win at Arizona Sunday. "We played a hard and smart brand of basketball. We played with a great deal of passion. Getting the win on the road was just what the doctor ordered."
The Wildcats (12-5, 4-3) shot 54 percent from the field while holding the Bruins to only 39 percent. Arizona also out-rebounded UCLA 42 to 38.
Senior point guard Dee-Dee Wheeler notched 19 points, a career-high, as well as 11 assists and seven boards on Sunday - a far cry from her five points in 21 minutes in the Wildcats' 67-54 loss to Southern California on Friday.
Wheeler's performance against USC marks the first time she was held to fewer than 10 points in the last 48 games, but she did become Arizona's all-time leader in steals, with 261 after swiping two against the Women of Troy.
"(Wheeler's limited minutes) definitely hurt us," said Bonvicini, as Wheeler was held to a season-low seven minutes due to three early fouls in the first half. "Slowly she was pressing a little bit. We need her; she's our leader. (On Sunday) she did an excellent job of involving other players. Ashley Whisonant off the bench incredible, along with Jessica Arnold. It was just a much better overall game, and fun to watch."
Whisonant recorded a career-high 17 points against the Bruins, while junior center Shawntinice Polk earned her 42nd career double-double and fifth of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Senior guard Katrina Lindner also finished in double-digit scoring with 11 points.
"This was the first win when everyone came together, and not just in games but in practice as well," Bonvicini said. "We just played very well and I'm very proud."
After heading into the locker room with a four-point deficit at 32-38, Arizona began the second half with an 18-4 run. The Wildcats would lead by as many as 23 points before the Bruins made it a 12-point game, 66-54. Both teams exchanged baskets before UCLA netted six consecutive points to cut the UA lead to nine, but Arizona closed out the win, 84-73.
In Friday's loss to USC, only Polk and Whisonant scored in double figures with 18 and 10 points respectively. Polk also brought down nine boards, and it was the first time she had started since injuring her left knee Dec. 27 against Washington. Arnold also played in her first game since injuring her left shoulder, and recorded two points and three boards in 14 minutes on the court.
"On Friday we didn't play well, we had our moments but we didn't play well," Bonvicini said. "We needed to play better defense, we needed to involve other players and we needed to rebound more."
Arizona shot just 9 percent from 3-point range, 45 percent from the free-throw line and were out-rebounded by the Trojans 44 to 34.
The first half was closely contested on both sides of the court with three ties and five lead changes. Neither team led by more than six points on the half, but Arizona held a one-point cushion at halftime, 26-25. The Wildcats were the first to score once play resumed, before the Trojans used an 8-0 scoring run to take a 33-28 lead. Arizona cut the USC lead to four points but would never get any closer than that as the Wildcats were outscored 42 to 28 in the second half.
Arizona continues its home stand as it hosts Oregon Thursday at 7 p.m. in McKale Center.