Arizona Wildcats Ranked No. 20 in AP Top 25 Poll Released Today

Information from Arizona’s media relations department contributed to this report.

Arizona (7-0) moved from No. 24 to No. 20 in the AP Top 25 Poll released today after its 70-27 win over UC Riverside on Friday at McKale Center.

The Wildcats, in the rankings for the first time since the 2004-05 season, will host Monmouth tonight at 6:30 p.m.

Some notes on Adia Barnes’ team, which is off to its best start since Arizona started 9-0 in the 1999-2000 season.

• Arizona won seven games in the month of November for the first time in school history.
• The Wildcats allowed just 27 points to UC Riverside on Nov. 29, the fewest since joining the Pac-10.
• Arizona’s scoring margin of 30.7 is the highest in school history through the first seven games of the season.
• The Wildcats are one of two teams in the nation in the top 10 in field goal percentage and field goal percentage defense (Baylor).
• Arizona is second in the nation and leads the Pac-12 in scoring defense (45.6) and is the only team in the conference to allow fewer than 50 points per game.
• Aari McDonald is ninth in the country and scoring and tops in the Pac-12.
• McDonald was named Player of the Week last week by ESPNw, the USBWA and the Pac-12 last week after averaging 34 points per game on 79% (23-39) shooting from the field and 100% (20-20) from the line in two road wins.
• Cate Reese recorded her first double-double of the season vs. PVAMU with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
• For the first time since December of 2000, Arizona won three-straight games while scoring at least 80 points in each of those games.
• McDonald was one rebound short of her first-career triple double as she had 15 points, a career-high 14 assists and nine rebounds. 14 assists is the fifth-most in a single game in school history.
• Sam Thomas became the 11th player in school history to make 100 threes in their career at Montana.