Women's hoops opens season with close Red-Blue Game

The Blue team, led by Felecity Willis, Tysell Bozeman and Tatum Brown, defeated the Red team, led by Angela Lackey, Elizabeth Pickney, LaKeisha Taylor and Lisa Griffith, by a score of 72-68.

"For now, it's more about staying patient with the new play-ers," said junior guard Griffith, who was the only Wildcat to play the entire game. "We know that there will be a few mistakes."

Willis led all players with 19 points, while Brown and Bozeman had 14 and nine points, respectively. Freshman Jenifer Callahan had nine points as well.

For the Red team, Lackey had 15 points, followed by Taylor (12 points), Griffith (10 points) and Michelle Mitchell (8 points).

Freshman forward Elizabeth Pickney played the first half on the Blue team, scoring 10 points, and the second half on the Red team, scoring 13.

Taylor led all players with 12 rebounds.

"It was- different because of the atmosphere," Pickney said. "We're doing a lot of learning right now, but we're doing all right."

The Blue team was coached by assistant coach Denise Dove, who improved her Red-Blue coaching record to 7-0. The Red team was coached by new assistant coaches Sam Dixon and Karen Caires.

"Lisa and Felecity showed their experience tonight," head coach Joan Bonvicini said. "Another player who is doing well for us is Angela Lackey. She has guard skills with a post body."

Bonvicini said that she would like to see the team's three-point shooting improved. The teams shot a combined 3 of 24.

"I don't want to put pressure on the players because they're young," Bonvicini said. "These kids have been very successful in high school and have been well-coached. A lot of this stuff, it doesn't faze them."

Bonvicini and her staff will know a little more about where their team stands when it faces Slovan Bratislava of Slovakia in an exhibition Friday night at McKale Center.

Bryan Rosenbaum can be reached via e-mail at Bryan.Rosenbaum@wildcat.arizona.edu.