蜜柚直播 had a down-and-up weekend, finishing on a high note.
The eighth-ranked Wildcats beat ASU 62-58 on Sunday after falling to the Sun Devils 81-77 on Friday night. Both games were physical, with the hard-nosed Wildcats and Sun Devils battling on nearly every possession.
Cate Reese was a constant for the UA, which dropped from No. 6 to No. 8 in the AP rankings Monday. Reese put up 18 points in Friday鈥檚 loss in Tempe and 17 points in Sunday鈥檚 win in McKale Center before 8,480 fans. Reese is averaging 17 points per game in Pac-12 play this season. She has scored in double figures in every league game.
UA coach Adia Barnes says Reese鈥檚 toughness and tenacity is what separate her from others.
On Friday night, Reese went to work on the defensive end. She 鈥渨alled up; put her hand straight up in the post to eat space,鈥 Barnes said. At one point, Reese took an accidental elbow to the cheek and a technical foul was called. Reese walked off the court to have her cheek looked at by the trainer and test for a concussion, then returned right to the bench.
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鈥淵ou know what鈥檚 funny, this is how competitive and great Cate is 鈥 this is why I love her. Cate goes out, she鈥檚 in pain, tearing up, goes out. Sits for a few minutes. She comes back and I run a play for her, and she hit the 3,鈥 Barnes said with a chuckle.
鈥(She) hadn鈥檛 warmed up, just was out in the back. That鈥檚 Cate. That鈥檚 what I love about her and that鈥檚 a separator for her, literally. Because I know how she is 鈥 the first play, she comes into the game like hadn鈥檛 even gone down once (on the other end of the court) and then hit a 3. It was funny. She鈥檚 just competitive and that鈥檚 why I love her.鈥
"She's just competitive and that's why I love her," said coach Adia Barnes of Cate Reese, right.
Not on our court
ASU鈥檚 Jade Loville was the star of Friday night鈥檚 win, scoring 27 points on 9-of-19 shooting while hitting 7 of 8 free throws. Teammate Taya Hanson chipped in with 19 points.
The Wildcats wouldn鈥檛 let them shine on Sunday. Hansen was held scoreless; Loville scored eight points.
UA鈥檚 Sam Thomas was the main defender on Loville on Sunday.
鈥淲e were doing a lot of work early on Jade, not letting her catch it as much making her work really hard to catch,鈥 Barnes said. 鈥淛ust crowding her because at ASU on Friday, she had a ton of isolations where she kind of rocked us and she鈥檚 like a one on one and then she hit some really hard shots. We tried to crowd her from people around her and trap her in different situations.
鈥淚 thought it wore her down a little bit. And it just wasn鈥檛 her night. It was her night the other night. I think she just had to work harder and that鈥檚 what we want to do.鈥
The Wildcats increased their intensity in the second half. ASU hit five 3-pointers in the first half, but missed all seven attempts in the final 20 minutes.
What鈥檚 next?
As 蜜柚直播 prepares for the trip to the Washington schools this weekend, they will be focused on the usual rebounding and free throws, but Barnes also is looking at other ways to improve 鈥 like when and where to be aggressive and how to press without giving up layups.
鈥淭here are certain situations where you can be aggressive, but you don鈥檛 have to go for a reach at half court,鈥 Barnes said. 鈥淚t may not be a foul, it may be a foul, but the action of doing it. You leave that up to chance and I don鈥檛 like that. So that鈥檚 lack of discipline to me. I think just not waiting to a second half to really be intentional about boxing out or fighting for the rebounds, doing that from the get-go.
鈥淣ot starting off slow. we can鈥檛 start off games at home and McKale with 9,000 people or 8,500 people and let the team go 5 for 8 and 3 for 3. That鈥檚 not the way teams can start off especially in our home. That tells me we鈥檙e not defending right. They got three wide-open 3s in the first quarter. And so that鈥檚 helping off the wrong area. That鈥檚 discipline and focus where we don鈥檛 have 100% right now, but we will get better. But there鈥檚 some specific areas that we have to improve on. 鈥 it鈥檚 our job to teach them and we鈥檒l learn, we鈥檒l be better.鈥
Rim shots
Maya Nnaji, a 5-star signee and McDonald鈥檚 All-American who is in UA鈥檚 Class of 2022, is featured in Slam magazine鈥檚 February/March edition.
础谤颈锄辞苍补鈥檚 Bendu Yeaney and Helena Pueyo have combined for 70 steals this season. Pueyo is averaging 1.91 per game, while Yeaney averages 1.73. Yeaney had three on Sunday.
The Wildcats celebrated Pueyo鈥檚 21st birthday Sunday by having fans sing 鈥淗appy Birthday to You鈥 after the game.
