The largest home crowd to ever attend a UA women’s basketball game cheered so loudly on Tuesday that the Wildcats couldn’t hear themselves talk on defense.
It wasn’t enough.
With 6:25 left in the game when LaBrittney Jones was screaming, “Come on, come on, come on,” letting her teammates know she wanted the ball under the basket — it wasn’t enough.
When Jones led the charge to outscore North Texas 19-12 in the fourth — it wasn’t enough.
In a game attended by a throng of Tucson schoolchildren on an annual School Day field trip, the Wildcats couldn’t quite score enough as North Texas defeated Arizona 62-58 in front of 8,442 fans.
The Wildcats (2-1) started slowly, shooting only 35.1 percent in the first half.
“They have to learn that they can’t start with a 7-0 run,” said Wildcats coach Adia Barnes. “We have to be aggressive from the get-go. We dug ourselves a hole early, and it’s hard to recover.”
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The Wildcats kept fighting right to the end. Going into the fourth period they were down 50-39. The defense held North Texas scoreless for 2ƒ minutes. Meanwhile, they found a bit of an offensive spark.
Jones scored 10 points, ending up with a game-high 23 points. She was one rebound shy of a double-double, with nine rebounds.
“I always say, ‘feed the beast,’ ” said Barnes. “When she was one-on-one, she was strong and aggressive.”
Jones went on a stretch where she made four consecutive baskets in the fourth.
“Coach kept saying, ‘Go inside,’ ” said Jones. “It was getting to a point where I had to do what I could to help my team.”
The Wildcats were able to extend the game in the last minute or so with a defensive press and fouling, but they could never close it out.
Jones was the only Wildcat in double figures. Melena Washington, who scored 18 against George Mason and 13 against Alcorn State, tallied only two points. Her lone bucket came under the basket at the end of the first half to tie it at 27.
“Our guards, Lucia (Alonso, who finished with four points) and Melena have to be threats,” said Barnes. “I wish they didn’t both go cold on the same night. When the offensive side is off, they have to do something else that creates value for the team.”
The Mean Green was led by redshirt sophomore guard Terriell Bradley, who scored 17 points. Senior guards Kelsey Criner added 13, and Terra Ellison scored 12.
The Wildcats will play at Southern Utah on Saturday.
Rim shots
- The UA’s LaBrittney Jones and North Texas senior guard Candice Adams were teammates at Cedar Hill (Texas) High School. As seniors, they led their team to a 27-10 record the regional quarterfinal appearance.
- Tuesday marked the 40th anniversary of the North Texas women’s basketball program. The team’s first game was Nov. 22, 1976.
LaBrittney Jones
