The Washington Huskies (10-8 overall; 2-6 PAC) go on the road to face the #19-ranked Arizona Wildcats (15-4 overall; 5-3 PAC) — at 6pm PST, Friday, January 27th.
Arizona is a perennial Top 20 women’s basketball program led by head coach Adia Barnes.
The Wildcats allow only 63.2 points per game and hold opponents to 41.1% shooting overall and 30.8% shooting from three-point range.
Arizona’s national reputation is of a lockdown defensive program, however, the defensive numbers are lot less stellar this year – likely due to the loss of multiple key players due to graduation and transfers.
Still, traveling to Arizona’s McKale Memorial Center and getting a road victory is still a very steep task for anyone, including the Huskies.
Arizona Wildcats Player Preview
Offensively, the Wildcats are a difficult matchup due to very balanced scoring — four players average in double figures in points per game.
Arizona’s starting five (individually previewed, below) demonstrates above average effectiveness from all areas of the court — except left-side three-pointers.
Let’s review Arizona’s starting five now.
Arizona’s 6’2″ abrasive big #25 Cate Reese is infamous for being a player that opposing fans love to hate.
Reese averages a team-leading 12.5 points per PAC-12 game, along with 5.3 rebounds (2.1 offensive/3.1 defensive) and 0.4 blocks in 28.7 minutes.
On offense, Cate Reese “eats” in the paint, 77.2% of her shots are within the paint — 57.9% of her shot attempts are at the rim (within 4.5 feet of the basket), where she averages six points per game (Top 3% in the nation).
6:20, 1Q
Arizona 6 | Arizona State 4That Shaina to Cate connection ????
???? https://t.co/HQFGQUlh5O#MadeForIt x #LeaveALegacy pic.twitter.com/J7IX4979YK
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaWBB) January 22, 2023
Defensive Matchup: Pretty simple, Cate Reese is a low post scorer and Darcy Rees is the Huskies best low post defender.
Rees is rated in the Top 37% of Low Post Defenders nationwide (per Synergy).
However, it is unlikely that Huskies Head Coach Tina Langley will start Rees, so it will be Dalayah Daniels drawing the Reese assignment early.
Daniels is rated in the Top 47% of Low Post Defenders, about 10 percentage points lower than Darcy Rees.
Hopefully, for the Huskies’ sake, Daniels will not get in early foul trouble against Rees.
Arizona’s 5’8″ senior lead guard, #1 Shaina Pellington, averages 11.5 points per PAC-12 game, along with 4.0 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.9 rebounds in 27.5 minutes.
Arizona’s fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth-leading scoring combinations feature Pellington as an assister:
5. Shaina Pellington (assister) to Cate Reese (scorer);
6. Shaina Pellington (assister) to Lauren Fields (scorer);
7. Shaina Pellington (assister) to Jade Loville (scorer); and
8. Shaina Pellington (assister) to Esmery Martinez (scorer).
Shaina Pellington steal and score ????
???? Pac-12 Network
???? https://t.co/wqrq1QPNcJ #Pac12WBB | @ArizonaWBB pic.twitter.com/VuoSI4JY61— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) January 15, 2023
Defensive Matchup: Pellington is a super-quick and super-athletic guard that will require the attention of UW’s own super athletic defender, Jayda Noble.
Arizona’s 6’0″ senior guard Helena Pueyo is Arizona’s X-Factor player — think a better-shooting, but less athletic, Jayda Noble with more experience.
Pueyo averages 6.6 points per Pac-12 game on 66.7% shooting from two-point range and , along with 4.3 rebounds, 3.0 steals, 3.3 assists, and 0.9 blocks in 27.1 minutes.
Arizona’s first and second-leading scoring combinations feature Pueyo as an assister:
1. Helena Pueyo (assister) to Cate Reese (scorer); and
2. Helena Pueyo (assister) to Jade Loville (scorer).
Arizona’s third-leading scorer, 5’11” guard #30 Jade Loville, averages 11.0 points per Pac-12 game, along with 2.4 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 25.1 minutes.
Arizona’s second, third and fourth-leading scoring combinations feature Loville as the scorer:
2. Helena Pueyo (assister) to Jade Loville (scorer);
3. Lauren Fields (assister) to Jade Loville (scorer); and
4. Cate Reese (assister) to Jade Loville (scorer).
9:39, 1Q
Arizona 2 | Arizona State 0Jade came ready to play ????
???? https://t.co/HQFGQUlh5O#MadeForIt x #LeaveALegacy pic.twitter.com/qyJnH0c2jz
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaWBB) January 22, 2023
Esmery Martinez averages 10.3 points per Pac-12 game, along with a team-leading 7.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 0.9 assists in 25.2 minutes.
Arizona’s eighth and ninth-leading scoring combinations feature Martinez as the scorer:
8. Shaina Pellington (assister) to Esmery Martinez (scorer); and
9. Helena Pueyo (asisterto Esmery Martinez (scorer).
Martinez is a double-double threat (10+ points and 10+ rebounds) and must be kept off the offensive boards at all times.
Although, Martinez only posts-up about 10% of the time, she is one of the nation’s best scorers on the block (Top 2%) averaging 1.3 points per post-up.
Defensive Matchup: UW’s Haley Van Dyke should be able to neutralize Esmery Martinez as one of the nation’s top 22% low post defenders — Van Dyke only allows an average of .625 points per post-up.
In order to defeat the Arizona Wildcats, the Washington Huskies must:
(1) contain Arizona lead guard Pellington on offense, five of Arizona’s top 10 scoring combinations invole Pellington as the assister or scorer, she is the offensive spark for the Wildcats ;
(2) limit Cate Reese’s offensive output on the blocks — forcing her to take shots outside the paint dramatically reduces her effectiveness;
(3) generate Husky offense inside the paint, preferably around 30 points in-the-paint;
(4) take limited three-pointers but convert the shots the Huskies do take at a 30% or better rate; and
(5) control the defensive boards to limit Arizona’s offensive rebounds and putbacks, particularly by Cate Reese and Esmery Martinez.
If the Huskies do all this it will be a competitive game and the Huskies could secure a road victory.
