SALT LAKE CITY – Big players show up at big moments.
For BYU women’s basketball, Paisley Johnson Harding was a big player in Rutgers ’11th cougars’ first round at the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.
Aari McDonald from Arizona was the big player in Round 2.
McDonald had 17 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and four steals to help the third-seeded Wildcats hold off the Cougars 52-46 Wednesday night at the UTSA Convocation Center in San Antonio, Texas.
Cate Reese had 12 points and five rebounds for Arizona (18-5), which shot only 34% of the field, but forced 15 sales – including 11 steals – in their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1998.
The Wildcats held BYU to one field goal in the 5:11 final.
No team led more than 5 in a game characterized by defense, including two-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year McDonald, a finalist for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year.
BYU held the Wildcats just 3 points over a 10:33 span spanning the third and fourth quarters, leading 43-39 with 5:03 left in the game.
But McDonald doubled Arizona’s scoring output on that stretch by one 3-pointer, and Sam Thomas put in another 3 with 3:43 more to go, putting the Wildcats back in the lead.
BYU’s Tegan Graham cut the deficit to 1 with her third 3 pointer, but the Cougars never led again.
Shaylee Gonzales had 16 points and nine rebounds for BYU, which got 13 points, five rebounds and three assists from Graham. Lauren Gustin added 8 points and 11 rebounds for the Cougars (19-6).
“Our team did a great job in the beginning,” said Gonzales. “Our defense was offensive, our attack went well. But then we changed our defense a little bit, went from man to box-and-one and broke the press well. Then we let them back into the game, and they hit a bunch of threes. I feel like the fourth quarter went by like this, it slipped out of our hands. “
The Cougars proved they could stay with one of the best defense teams in the country, holding onto the Wildcats for protracted scoring droughts, and holding a 4-point lead with five minutes to go.
But Arizona is one of the best defensive teams in the country – the best, if you ask BYU coach Jeff Judkins – and proved it in the last moments.
Perhaps it was fitting then when McDonald took a pass and with three seconds to go to a bucket in the transition, while the Cougars were looking for an open 3 in the final minutes, down 4.
“I totally believed in my team,” Gonzales said of the Cougars’ lead in the middle of the fourth quarter. “It’s such a shame; it’s very frustrating to have that lead and lose. But I’m so proud of my team for how we played today.”
Of BYU’s 15 revenues, Arizona enforced 11. On the other hand, the Cougars only forced three of the Wildcats’ nine sales.
“I think we need to be a little more aggressive on the defensive,” Judkins said. “We played more staff and tried to play team defense.
“I think next year we can do better to put pressure on them. I have some players who can. But of all the teams I’ve had at BYU, this is probably the most complete. a very good attacking team.
Two days after taking 28 points in a 69-66 overwhelming win over Rutgers, Harding was held to just 2 points and four rebounds. The eldest fell on her hand in the first half, shooting just 1 out of 9 in 22 minutes.
That’s the downside of two of the country’s top defensive guards in McDonald and Shaina Pellington.
“I think Arizona did her good,” Judkins said. “Her hand is a little sore after she fell on it, and she can’t do as many things as she wanted. But I think she’s shown a lot of heart. That’s what team basketball is all about. is a special, special player. I’m so lucky to have someone like that. “
Arizona advanced to face No. 2 Texas A&M, which held out in overtime 84-82. Tipoff in the Sweet 16 is scheduled for Saturday at 6 p.m. MDT.