Bonvicini's 400th win comes vs. former team

By Craig Sanders
Arizona Daily Wildcat
December 2, 1996

Adam F. Jarrold
Arizona Daily Wildcat

UA forward Adia Barnes battles Monmouth forward Angela Cappadona for a rebound during the Wildcats' 84-42 win at McKale Center Friday night.

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Four hundred wins - to get it requires success and longevity. Arizona women's basketball coach Joan Bonvicini has experienced both - now she's got the 400 wins.

Bonvicini returned home to Long Beach State yesterday afternoon and played a team much removed from the one she built in the 1980s and won 325 games with.

Bonvicini took Long Beach State to back-to-back Final Four appearances in 1987-88, but the 49ers (1-2) were helpless yesterday, losing 97-57 to Bonvicini's Wildcats.

Arizona (5-1) opened the game with a 21-9 run and never looked back. The Wildcats led the game by as many as 44 late in the second period.

Junior Adia Barnes led the Wildcats with a game-high 26 points and 10 rebounds. DeAngela Minter had 15 points and six rebounds. The 49ers were led by Danielle Petty's 12 points and Tomika Cantley's game-high 11 rebounds.

In Friday's game, Arizona hit a few speed bumps early but was able to shift gears in the second half to earn an 84-42 win over Monmouth.

Arizona was again led by Barnes, who scored 20, but even she called the win "ugly." The Wildcats committed 25 turnovers in the game and went through several lapses of lackluster play.

"I wasn't very happy at halftime," Bonvicini said. "But you have to give them credit, they played hard. We came out much more focused in the second half."

The second half, however, showed a revitalized effort by the Wildcats, who forced 37 turnovers on the game and limited the Hawks to 29 percent shooting.

Monmouth played a scrappy game, trailing by only 13 points at the half. Guard Rachel Goodale's aggressive play led the way for the Hawks. Goodale scored 19 points but turned the ball over eight times.

Arizona had four players in double figuires, including Barnes, reserves Mikko Giordano and Kate Crane with 12 apiece and DeAngela Minter with 13.

"We really need to be more focused at home," Barnes said. "On the road we come out and play hard. We have to come out quickly and put teams away."

Wildcat sports editor Craig Degel contributed to this report.


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