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Women's game is fan-tastic!
You think men's basketball is the only game in town watched by a group of apathetic senior citizens? Try packing 1,500 of them into McKale Center for your average home women's basketball game. Tonight is College Night, which means free admission, pizza, pop, T-shirts and contests to all UA students who attend tonight's Arizona-UCLA game at McKale. In return, you'll be treated to 13 women, all wearing long shorts that would make Jalen Rose jealous, and a head coach who makes Lute Olson look relaxed. Most importantly, you'll get to see one of the school's best teams play up-tempo basketball that keeps you on the edge of your seat for 40 minutes. The No. 16 UA women's team has always looked enviously at Tennessee and Connecticut. Not only do they have the top teams and a sold-out crowd watching them, they have a strong student following, something that doesn't exist at Arizona. Now, head coach Joan Bonvicini has turned Arizona into one of the Pacific 10 Conference's top teams, and national success isn't too far down the road. All that's missing is your support. Senior guard Tatum Brown has been dominating down low all season, just like her male counterpart, Loren Woods. Not only does the 6-foot 4 Brown have a better scoring average (15.5 ppg to 15.4), she is putting up better rebounding numbers (8.8 rpg to 6.6). Think Jason Gardner could be a better passer? Maybe he should take some lessons from junior guard Reshea Bristol, who doesn't know about the simple pass. Watching Bristol lead a fast break is as exciting as Kobe Bryant leading the Lakers down the floor. While Kobe simply dishes it off, Reshea goes for the no-look, behind-the-back dribble and finishes it off with a between-the-legs bounce pass. Really. No wonder Bonvicini's heart skips a beat every time she touches the ball. If you need a break from the flash, check out senior guards Lisa Griffith, Felecity Willis and Monika Crank. These three are some of the best guards ever to play at Arizona, and the fact that they routinely hit three-pointers means you have a better shot of getting a T-shirt, which are tossed into the crowd after every triple. But if physical play is your game, turn off Mike Wright TV and watch Angela Lackey live and in person. In last year's NCAA Tournament win over Florida, a game in which the Wildcats overcame a 17-point deficit to win in overtime, Lackey took over the paint, banging and bruising helpless Florida defenders along the way. Whatever your taste, the Arizona women's basketball team has it. Go out and grab some free pizza and watch the Wildcats pounce on the Bruins. Twice in one night.
Bryan Rosenbaum is a junior majoring in journalism. He can be reached at Bryan.Rosenbaum@wildcat.arizona.edu
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