Arizona goes into its first Big 12 season with some confidence, winning three of its last four games at McKale Center, including Monday night’s 87-66 rout of Weber State behind the production of point guard captain Jada Williams and reserve forward Sahnya Jah.
Williams, a sophomore, scored 17 of her career-high 24 points in the first half. She also had seven assists.
Jah, a transfer from South Carolina, finished with career-high totals in points (22) and rebounds (10).
Fellow reserve Mailien Rolf, a freshman, also had a career-high 11 points.
“This week was a rest week for me, just trying to get my body right,” Williams said on ESPN+ after the game, referring to Arizona playing one game in 11 days before playing Monday. “I felt good coming in here. My body felt good, and I think that’s really what gave me an extra boost of energy.”
Paulina Paris, transfer from North Carolina, survived a scare during the team’s shootaround earlier in the day, tumbling over a ball and appearing as if she suffered a painful sprained left ankle. She did not seem to be fazed by the injury during the game, finishing with 12 points, 10 in the third quarter.
Arizona (9-4) was in a funk losing three of four games when Grand Canyon pulled out a win in Tucson two weeks ago.
The Wildcats have since taken care of business, beating Cal State Bakersfield 76-39 last week before overpowering Weber State despite the absence of starting wing player Skylar Jones, out with plantar fasciitis (soreness in her right arch and heel).
“It’s going to get real in a week; it’s going to be a lot tougher,” Barnes said about Big 12 play starting while being interviewed during the postgame radio show on 1400-AM. “We’re closer to being locked in.”
After playing at BYU on Saturday (2 p.m., ESPN+), Arizona does not play again until Dec. 31, when it will host former Pac-12 foe Utah in a Big 12 game (noon, ESPN+).
Jones was on the bench wearing a boot, a precautionary maneuver with Arizona’s game only five days away at Provo, Utah. Barnes said during the postgame press conference that if the game was a Big 12 game, Jones would have played.
“I knew Sky was out and that’s one of my best friends to me,” Williams said. “So I told Sky before the game, ‘I’m gonna pick up your slack. I know she wants to be out here. She’s a little frustrated right now.
“I’m just playing for my teammates. Honestly, they were setting amazing screens. … my teammates were setting me up well and they were hitting shots for my assists as well.”
Barnes went with a post-oriented lineup with Jones out, starting Isis Beh and Breya Cunningham along with starting Montaya Dew at the other forward spot for the fourth time this season.
Williams had eight points and Jah five when Arizona outscored Weber State 19-6 to build a 21-10 lead with 44 seconds left in the first quarter.
Jah had another five points, including her second 3-pointer, and Williams scored the last seven points of a 14-3 run that gave Arizona a 35-18 lead with 5:30 left before halftime.
“Really, just sit back, listen and just see what my coach is saying,” Jah said of the reason behind her improved play during the course of the young season. “Isis and them are good examples to me to look at with good positions, and what I need to do. Stuff like that.”
Williams had 17 points and Jah 10 in the first half, leading the Wildcats to a 45-33 halftime lead.
They combined to make 10 of 18 shots from the field, 5 of 7 from 3-point range, in the half. Weber State as a team was 11 of 24 from the field, 2 of 6 from beyond the arc.
Williams said the enhanced play of Jah as the season has progressed is because of Jah’s “energy.”
“I think she’s hard on herself; she needs confidence,” Williams said. “I think just allowing her to have confidence pouring into her, knowing that she can come out here and be better than everybody else, just gives us extra energy.
“If she continues to play like that, we’re going to be really good.”
Paris’ 10 points in the third quarter allowed Arizona take a 68-43 lead with 1:42 left in the quarter.
Weber State scored the last seven points of the third quarter and it went on a 7-0 run in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 72-56 with 7:27 remaining.
Jah responded by making her career-best third 3-pointer of the game off a pass from Williams.
Arizona had only nine turnovers — a concern of Barnes’ team most of this season — while Weber State had 23.
Arizona’s problem in this game was foul trouble with Cunningham and Beh fouling out in the fourth quarter.
Weber State was 24 of 27 at the free-throw line while Arizona was 6 of 10.
Arizona had 25 fouls; Weber State had only nine.
“I don’t like our discipline defensively,” Barnes said. “We’re reaching too much. We’re not boxing out enough. So now that’s another area of focus. You got to narrow your focus, do one thing at a time and try to get better every game.”
Arizona did not allow Weber State to score a basket in transition, and Barnes’ team dominated in the paint with a 40-22 scoring edge.
Arizona’s bench, behind the production of Jah and Rolf, also had a 40-18 margin over Weber State’s reserves.
“We’re not there yet, but we’re getting there,” Barnes said. “As a coach, you want to see improvement. You don’t want perfection. You want progression, and we’re getting better.”
Weber State (5-6) was led by Antoniette Emma-Nnopu’s 13 points and eight rebounds. Kennedy Eskelson had 12 points and Taylor Smith and Lanae Billy each had 11.
Recommended for you
