No. 24 Arizona Looking to Bounce Back with Win at USC

Transcription

1 No. 24 Arizona Looking to Bounce Back with Win at USC WHAT S HAPPENING: The 24th-ranked University of Arizona women s basketball team (18-6, 10-3 Pac-10) will be looking to recover from Thursday s devastating loss at UCLA when the Cats face USC on Sunday, Feb. 15, at 12 p.m. PST. The contest will be broadcast live nationally on Fox Sports Net. SCOUTING ARIZONA: The Wildcats lost their second straight road game on Thursday when they were handed a defeat at UCLA, dropping their records to 18-6 overall and 10-3 in Pac-10 play. The loss dropped Arizona into a tie with Stanford for first place in the Pac-10 standings, each with a 10-3 conference mark. USC is a very close third at 10-4, followed by Arizona State at 9-4 and UCLA at 8-6. Arizona is ranked No. 24 in this week s Associated Press Top 25, marking the first time since November that the Cats have been ranked in that poll. The Wildcats aren t even close to being ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, although their vote total did increase to 30 this week from last week s season-low of 17. The Wildcats have won 25 games in a row at home, the longest home winning streak in the program s history and tied for the second-longest active home winning streak in the nation. Texas has the longest streak, at 32 games before a Feb. 25 meeting with Baylor. Utah and Louisiana Tech are both tied with the Cats for second place, each with 25 straight home victories. Western Illinois is close behind with a 24-game streak. Junior guard Dee-Dee Wheeler remains the Wildcats top scorer, averaging 17.9 points per game. She is the team s assists leader as well, registering 4.8 per contest. Sophomore center Shawntinice Polk is second in scoring, at 15.9 points per game, and is the top rebounder, grabbing 9.8 rpg. Senior guard Aimee Grzyb is third in scoring, averaging 10.6 ppg, followed by sophomore guard Natalie Jones with 8.5 ppg. Junior center Danielle Adefeso is the team s second-leading rebounder, averaging 4.6 per game Arizona Women s Basketball POSSIBLE STARTERS: Stats 00 Shawntinice Polk C 6-5 So.* Hanford, Calif ppg 9.8 rpg 2.5 bpg 50 Shannon Hobson F/C 6-2 Fr. Perris, Calif. 3.9 ppg 2.0 rpg 0.3 spg 11 Dee-Dee Wheeler G 5-6 Jr. Chicago, Ill ppg 4.1 rpg 4.8 apg 13 Aimee Grzyb G 5-7 Sr. San Jose, Calif ppg 2.0 rpg 2.7 apg 23 Natalie Jones G 5-10 So. Anchorage, Alaska 8.5 ppg 4.5 rpg 2.8 apg OFF THE BENCH: (numerical order) Stats 5 CoCoa Sanford F 6-0 So. Inglewood, Calif 5.7 ppg 4.3 rpg 0.6 spg 10 Linda Pace G 5-9 Fr. San Diego, Calif. 1.3 ppg 0.6 rpg 0.4 apg 15 Anna Chappell F 6-1 So. Qualicum Beach, B.C. 0.8 ppg 0.9 rpg 21 Katrina Lindner G 5-6 So.* Glengowrie, Australia 1.7 ppg 0.8 rpg 0.6 apg 25 Rachael Schein G/F 5-11 Fr. Las Vegas, Nev. 1.7 ppg 1.3 rpg 0.5 spg 30 Jessica Duger G/F 5-10 Sr.* Lake Havasu City, Ariz. 1.1 ppg 0.3 rpg 0.4 apg 44 Danielle Adefeso C 6-2 Jr. Los Angeles, Calif. 5.3 ppg 4.6 rpg 0.4 bpg * Has used redshirt year Head Coach: Joan Bonvicini (Southern Connecticut, 1975), 13th year Assistant Coaches: Kellee Barney, Curtis Loyd, Shimmy Gray Arizona Athletics Media Relations Contact: Mindy Claggett (mbishop@u.arizona.edu) Phone: (520) For Immediate Release Fax: (520) Feb. 14, Game 25: at USC Date: Sunday, Feb. 15, 2004 Time: 12 p.m. PST Radio: KJLL 1330 AM (Paul Johnson) Television: Fox Sports Net (Doug McLeod & Tammy Blackburn) Location: L.A. Sports Arena (15,509) Los Angeles, California Arizona Women s Basketball Schedule & Results (18-5 Overall, 10-2 Pac-10) NOVEMBER 22 NORTHERN ARIZONA... W, at #16/#19 UC Santa Barbara... L, vs. Virginia $... L, vs. Navy $... W, at Hawai i $... W, DECEMBER 6 AMERICAN %... W, MASSACHUSETTS %... W, BRIGHAM YOUNG... W, TEXAS STATE... W, at New Mexico... W, NR/#24 WASHINGTON *... W, WASHINGTON STATE *... W, JANUARY 2 ARIZONA STATE *... W, at #17/#18 Louisiana State (Cox TV)... L, at California *... W, at #7/#7 Stanford *... L, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA *... W, UCLA * (FSN)... W, at Oregon *... W, at Oregon State *... W, at Arizona State * (AZ-TV)... L, FEBRUARY 5 #7/#7 STANFORD *... W, CALIFORNIA *... W, at UCLA *... L, at Southern California * (FSN) p.m. PST 19 OREGON STATE *... 7 p.m. 21 OREGON * (OSN)... 2 p.m. 26 at Washington State *... 7 p.m. PST 28 at Washington * (FSN)... 1 p.m. PST MARCH 5-8 at Pac-10 Conference Tournament (San Jose, Calif.) * Indicates Pac-10 contest $ Hawai i Rainbow Wahine Classic (Honolulu, Hawai i) % Fiesta Bowl Women s Classic (Tucson, Arizona) FSN = Fox Sports Net national broadcast OSN = Oregon Sports Network regional broadcast AZ-TV = Local cable broadcast in Tempe BOLD CAPS INDICATE HOME GAMES National rankings are AP/USA Today

2 ARIZONA WOMEN S BASKETBALL - PAGE 2 Arizona s Last Time Out Game 24: at UCLA at UCLA 87, Arizona 68 Feb. 12, Los Angeles, Calif. Arizona UCLA ARIZONA FG 3FG FT RB F TP A MIN N. Jones* S. Hobson* S. Polk* D. Wheeler* A. Grzyb* C. Sanford L. Pace K. Lindner R. Schein D. Adefeso Team 4 TOTALS UCLA FG 3FG FT RB F TP A MIN W. Jones* L. Willis* J. Veasley* N. Blue* N. Quinn* O. Oren S. Zaidi C. Lezcano A. Livingston E. Tautolo Team 5 TOTALS HOME WIN STREAK STANDS AT 25: With their win over California on Feb. 7, the Wildcats extended their school-record home winning streak to 25 games. The previous record was 15 games from Jan. 4, 1999, to Jan. 6, The Wildcats haven t lost a home game since suffering a close overtime defeat by LSU on Nov. 22, Arizona has also won 17 straight Pac-10 games at home, with their last home conference loss coming to USC (71-64) on Feb. 16, THERE S NO PLACE LIKE HOME: The Wildcats have won 34 of their last 41 home games and are on their home NCAA Division I Women s Basketball Active Home Court Winning Streaks (through Feb. 13, 2004) Team Streak Next Home Game 1. Texas Feb. 25 vs. Baylor 2. ARIZONA Feb. 19 vs. Oregon St. Louisiana Tech Feb. 14 vs. San Jose State Utah Feb. 14 vs. Wyoming 5. Western Illinois Feb. 14 vs. Oral Roberts 6. Liberty Feb. 14 vs. Coastal Caro. 7. Delaware State Feb. 21 vs. Florida A&M 8. Montana Feb. 14 vs. Idaho State SW Missouri St Feb. 19 vs. Evansville 10. Auburn Feb. 15 vs. So. Carolina Notre Dame Feb. 14 vs. Providence 12. Chattanooga Feb. 16 vs. Appalachian St. 13. LSU Feb. 19 vs. Vanderbilt 14. Louisiana-Monroe Feb. 21 vs. McNeese State Rutgers Feb. 14 vs. Connecticut Sacred Heart Feb. 17 vs. Robert Morris 17. Kansas State Feb. 14 vs. Nebraska Villanova Feb. 17 vs. West Virginia\ Old Dominion Feb. 20 vs. Delaware court over the last seven seasons combined. Under head coach Joan Bonvicini, the Wildcats have posted a mark in McKale Center. Arizona has an all-time record of on its home court since the season. Arizona s Last Meeting with USC at Arizona 75, USC 64 Jan. 15, Tucson, Arizona USC Arizona USC FG 3FG FT RB F TP A MIN E. Hoffman* C. Kerr* R. Craig* M. Gkenow* T. Hicks* J. Hagiya J. Cheeks E. Murphy R. Woodward J. Funn K. Gipson Team 6 TOTALS ARIZONA FG 3FG FT RB F TP A MIN R. Schein* S. Polk* D. Wheeler* A. Grzyb* N. Jones* C. Sanford L. Pace K. Lindner D. Adefeso S. Hobson Team 4 TOTALS ARIZONA IN THE PAC-10 STATS: Through games of Feb. 12, Arizona leads the Pac-10 in field goal percentage (.457), is second in scoring (72.8 ppg), second in scoring margin (+7.9 ppg), second in rebounding defense (33.6 rpg), second in blocked shots (3.92 bpg), third in rebounding margin (+4.5 rpg) and third in turnover margin (+2.46 topg). Individually, Polkey is the Pac-10 leader in blocked shots (2.54 bpg), is second in rebounding (9.8 rpg), second in field goal percentage (.564) and fourth in scoring (15.9 ppg). Dee-Dee Wheeler is third in scoring (17.9 ppg), third in steals (2.58 spg), fourth in assists (4.75 apg), fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.28), seventh in field goal percentage (.479) and 10th in free throw percentage (.740). Natalie Jones is second in free throw percentage (.814), while Aimee Grzyb is fifth in three-pointers made per game (1.67 pg) and 16th in scoring (10.6 ppg). SCOUTING USC: The Women of Troy are 13-9 overall and 10-4 in Pac-10 action following a solid win over Arizona State at home on Thursday night. USC has won six of its last eight games overall and seven of its last eight home games. Averaging 15.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, senior forward Ebony Hoffman leads USC in both categories. Fellow senior Rometra Craig follows with a scoring average of 11.2 ppg, while sophomore guard Meghan Gnekow is the squad s second-leading rebounder, at 5.6 per contest. In her seventh season at the helm of her alma mater s program, USC head coach Chris Gobrecht (USC, 1977) has a mark with the Women of Troy. She is in 25 seasons as a collegiate head coach. THE SERIES vs. USC: The Women of Troy also have a lead in the series with Arizona, but the Wildcats have taken five of the last six meetings with USC and the last three straight. Arizona registered a win over the Women of Troy in Tucson earlier this season on Jan. 15. The Cats have a 6-19 all-time record when playing at USC, including a win there on Feb. 16 last year.

3 LAST MEETING WITH USC: In a game that saw a combined total of 66 turnovers, the Wildcats survived a physical battle with USC and came out on top, 75-64, at home on Jan. 15. Through the first seven minutes of the game, there were three ties and six lead changes before the Cats finally gained control of the contest with a 7-0 spurt that gave them a nine-point (24-15) edge at 9:57. Five minutes later, USC s own 13-6 run cut the Cats lead to just two points (30-28) with 4:16 to go in the half. Arizona then scored 14 unanswered points to end the period and took a solid lead into the break. The Wildcats stretched their advantage to 19 points (49-30), their largest lead of the game, early in the second half, but the Trojans went on a 10-2 run that brought them back to within 11 (51-40) at 14:42. Arizona kept at least a double-digit lead through the next nine minutes, going ahead by as many as 16 during the stretch. The Cats had a 14-point (69-55) lead with 5:05 to play, then committed nine turnovers as USC capitalized on the miscues and scored nine unanswered points to chop the lead to just five (69-64) with 1:12 to play. Arizona made two free throws and a pair of lay-ups down the stretch to preserve the victory, its 22nd in a row on its home court. Dee-Dee Wheeler posted a game-high 20 points, with 17 coming in the first half, and snagged a team-best five steals. Shawntinice Polk shot 7-for-9 from the floor for the game, finishing with 17 points, six rebounds, four steals and three blocks. Aimee Grzyb and Natalie Jones each added 11 points, with Jones tying her career-best by pulling down a game-high eight rebounds. ARIZONA HEAD COACH JOAN BONVICINI: The winningest coach in Arizona women s basketball history, Joan Bonvicini has taken the Wildcat program from obscurity into the national limelight. In her 13 seasons at the helm of the Arizona program, Bonvicini has guided the Wildcats to seven post-season appearances, including five NCAA tournament berths and two in the WNIT. Entering her 13th season with the Wildcats, Bonvicini holds a (.615) mark at Arizona and is (.721) in 25 years as a head coach. She has a career record of in NCAA tournament play and has lost in the first round only once in 13 appearances. Prior to taking over at the UA, Bonvicini led Long Beach State to 10 consecutive NCAA appearances, including two trips to the Final Four. She registered a mark in 12 seasons with the 49ers. ARIZONA WOMEN S BASKETBALL - PAGE 3 Arizona s Practice Schedule Saturday, February 14 practice 1-3 p.m. PST at USC Sunday, February 15 at USC, 12 p.m. PST return to Tucson Monday, February 16 OFF Tuesday, February 17 5:15-7 p.m. - McKale Wednesday, February :30 p.m. - McKale Thursday, February 19 vs. Oregon State, 7 p.m. Friday, February :30 p.m. - McKale Saturday, February 21 vs. Oregon, 2 p.m. Sunday, February 22 OFF All practice dates and times are subject to change. Please contact the Media Relations Office at for more information. Wildcats on the Television Sunday, Jan. 4 - Cox TV Baton Rouge at #17 LSU 76, Arizona 66 Saturday, Jan Fox Sports Net at Arizona 70, UCLA 54 Saturday, Jan KAZ-TV at Arizona State 68, Arizona 60 Sunday, Feb p.m. PST at USC (Fox Sports Net) Saturday, Feb p.m. vs. Oregon (Oregon Sports Network) Saturday, Feb p.m. PST at Washington (Fox Sports Net) DID YOU KNOW: Since Joan Bonvicini took over the Arizona program in 1991, the Wildcats have gone against Pac-10 teams, although they have an mark against conference teams over the last eight seasons combined. LOOKING AHEAD: Next weekend, the Cats will play their final home games of the season when they play host to the Oregon schools. On Thursday, Feb. 19, Arizona faces Oregon State at 7 p.m., then the Wildcats will take on Oregon on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 2 p.m. in a contest will be broadcast in Oregon on the Oregon Sports Network. Arizona will close out regular-season play on the road the following week. The Cats will play at Washington State on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. PST, then they take on Washington on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 1 p.m. PST. That contest will be broadcast live nationally on Fox Sports Net. RECAPPING ARIZONA S LAST ACTION -- at UCLA (Feb. 12): Despite a seasonhigh-tying 25 points from Dee-Dee Wheeler, the Wildcats suffered an loss at UCLA on Feb. 12. Arizona scored the first two points of the game, but that would prove to be the Cats one and only lead of the game, as UCLA quickly jumped out to a 13-6 advantage at 14:25. The Wildcats used an 11-6 spurt to get back to within two points (19-17) six minutes later, but the Bruins reponded with an 11-1 run that gave them a 12- point (30-18) edge with 4:03 left in the half. The Cats then scored 11 unanswered points to chop the deficit to just one point Wildcats on the Radio Tucson s Jolt, KJLL 1330 AM, is the radio home of Arizona women s basketball again this season. With Paul Johnson returning for his ninth year as the Wildcats play-by-play announcer, the Jolt will broadcast every game, home and away, throughout the season. The Jolt also airs the Joan Bonvicini Coach s Show every Monday during Pac-10 play. Who to Contact Assistant media relations director Mindy Claggett is the contact for Arizona women s basketball. She can be reached via telephone at (520) or at mbishop@u.arizona.edu. UA Media Relations Office UA Media Relations Fax Women s Basketball Office Mindy Claggett Cell Phone Mindy Claggett Home Arizona WBKB Press Row Pac-10 Conference Office

4 ARIZONA WOMEN S BASKETBALL - PAGE 4 Recent Arizona Box Scores Game 23: CALIFORNIA at Arizona 77, California 59 Feb. 7, Tucson, Arizona California Arizona CAL FG 3FG FT RB F TP A MIN L. Gregory* K. Williams* N. Anaz* K. Iwanaga* L. O Keith* O. Volkova E. Geraedts K. Levy J. Sanchez R. Wright Team 8 TOTALS ARIZONA FG 3FG FT RB F TP A MIN S. Hobson* S. Polk* D. Wheeler* A. Grzyb* N. Jones* C. Sanford L. Pace A. Chappell K. Lindner R. Schein J. Duger D. Adefeso Team 4 TOTALS Game 22: #7 STANFORD at Arizona 88, #7 Stanford 83 Feb. 5, Tucson, Arizona #7 Stanford Arizona STANFORD FG 3FG FT RB F TP A MIN N. Powell* S. Kimyacioglu* T. Thiel* K. Suminski* S. Borchardt* K. Rappahahn C. Bodensteiner C. Trotter K. Denny A. Perryman Team 4 TOTALS ARIZONA FG 3FG FT RB F TP A MIN S. Hobson* S. Polk* D. Wheeler* A. Grzyb* N. Jones* C. Sanford L. Pace K. Lindner R. Schein D. Adefeso Team 3 TOTALS (30-29) with 1:18 left in the first, but the momentum swung back UCLA s way and the Bruins held a lead at halftime. Out-scoring Arizona 18-9 over the first six minutes of the second half, the Bruins gained a 19-point (57-38) advantage. The Wildcats scrapped back to within 14 points (57-43) at 12:00, but that was the closest Arizona came for the remainder of the game. With just under three minutes left, UCLA gained its largest lead of the game at 24 points (84-60) and rolled on to hand Arizona its second straight road loss. In addition to her team-high 25 points, Wheeler racked up five assists. Shawntinice Polk logged 13 points and a game-high-tying 10 rebounds for her 11th double-double of the season. Natalie Jones added eight points, five rebounds and five assists. POLK ON PACE TO BE FASTEST TO 1,000 POINTS: With 919 points through the first 55 games of her career, Shawntinice Polk is on pace to be the fastest Wildcat ever to reach the 1,000-point mark. She also could become the first Wildcat to break that plateau as a sophomore. If she maintains her current scoring average, Polk could reach that mark during the final regular-season game at Washington on Feb. 28, which would be a total of 60 career contests. Former Cat and all-time leading scorer Adia Barnes ( ) currently has the distinction of being fastest to reach 1,000, reaching that mark in 61 games, the first contest of her junior season. Dee-Dee Wheeler is currently the second-fastest, gaining that mark in just 70 career games. CLUTCH WHEN IT COUNTS: Although the Wildcats are struggling from the free throw line overall, making a miserable 67.8 percent of their charity shots for the season, they have been hitting them when it counts the most. In the final five minutes of action during this season s games, the Cats are shooting 75.2 (82-109) percent from the free throw line, including a solid 77.6 (45-58) percent in Pac-10 action. GOTTA TAKE CARE OF THE BALL: Since entering Pac-10 play, the Wildcats turnover average has gone through the roof. After averaging just 15.9 miscues per game in non-conference action, Arizona s average has gone up to 18.7 per contest in Pac-10 games. The Cats committed a season-high 36 turnovers in their win over USC at home on Jan. 15, the highest turnover total for an Arizona squad since the Wildcats had 36 at Arizona State on Jan. 17, A TALE OF TWO HALVES: The Cats are averaging eight more points in the second halves of this season s games than in the first halves. The Wildcats have been posting a first-half average of just 32.2 points per game. In the second half, the Cats have been averaging 40.6 ppg. While Arizona is out-scoring opponents by an average of just 1.4 ppg in the first half, the Wildcats have a scoring advantage of +6.5 ppg in the second half of play. BEEN CAUGHT STEALIN : After registering a paltry 4.2 steals per game during non-conference play, the Wildcats lifted their average to a solid 10.7 thefts per contest in Pac- 10 action. POLKEY SOON TO JOIN ARIZONA SCORING LEADERS: Owning a career total of 919 points, Shawntinice Polk should join the Arizona s Top 20 All-Time Leading Scorers Player GP Pts 1. Adia Barnes ( ) Elizabeth Pickney ( ) Timi Brown ( ) Dana Patterson ( ) Dee-Dee Wheeler (2002-pres.) Kirsten Smith ( ) Reshea Bristol ( ) Lisa Griffith ( ) Yolanda Turner ( ) Aimee Grzyb (2001-pres.) Kim Conway ( ) Melissa Handley ( ) Marte Alexander ( ) Janelle Thompson ( ) Brenda Pantoja ( ) Felecity Willis ( ) Miroslava Acosta ( ) Margo Clark ( ) Regina Grennan ( ) Krista Warren ( ) Expected to join this season -- Shawntinice Polk (2003-pres.)

5 ranks of scoring leaders at Arizona on Sunday at USC. She needs just four more points to tie former teammate Krista Warren for the No. 20 spot with 923 career points. Polk is already among the career leaders in rebounding, currently standing sixth with 571 career boards. TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL: Dee-Dee Wheeler s numbers through the first 10 games of this season were certainly nothing to scoff at. She posted averages of 15.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game, while shooting 43.7 percent (59-135) from the floor. Yet, over Arizona s last 14 games, Wheeler has raised her performance another notch. In the last 14 contests, she has averaged 19.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.1 steals per game. The most notable difference has been in her shooting -- she has hit a hot 50.5 percent ( ) of her shots over the last 14 games, shooting 53 percent or better from the floor in eight of those contests. Wheeler has scored 19 points or more in 11 of the last 14 games. DON T LIKE LIVING OUT OF A SUITCASE: The Wildcats have had a rough time in road games this season, especially since the start of Pac-10 play. Arizona is just 3-3 on the road in conference action and has lost its last two Pac-10 road contests. Struggling on the road has become a disturbing trend for the Arizona program over the last few seasons. Since the season, the Wildcats are just when playing on the road, including a paltry mark in Pac-10 road games. The last time the Cats had a decent road record was in , when they were 9-4 overall and 7-2 in Pac-10 away games. JONES-ING FOR THE PAC-10: Sophomore guard Natalie Jones numbers have gone up significantly since the Cats started Pac-10 play. Against conference opponents, she is averaging 10.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.2 steals per game. She is also shooting 41.1 percent (39-95) from the floor and 81.5 percent (53-65) from the line in Pac-10 action. By contrast, Jones averages against non-conference opponents were 6.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game, and she made just 27.2 percent (22-81) of her field goal attempts. STUFF THIS: With 141 career blocked shots, sophomore Shawntinice Polk is already in second place on the UA career list in that category. She should become Arizona s all-time blocked shots leader before this season is over, as she needs just six swats to match the current career leader, Elizabeth Pickney ( ), with 147. With her eight blocks against Cal on Feb. 7, Polkey joined the Pac-10 career top 10 in blocked shots and currently stands in the No. 10 spot with 141. She will need to surpass Pickney s numbers to move up to No. 9 on the Pac-10 list, the spot that Pickney s performance currently holds. AS DEE-DEE GOES...: So goes her team, or at least that s the way it has seemed since her arrival at Arizona. During Dee-Dee Wheeler s career, the Wildcats have gone 14-5 when she has reached the 20-point mark in scoring. At the same time, the Wildcats are when she scores 15 points or more. In the Cats 18 wins this season, Dee-Dee Wheeler has averaged 17.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game and has hit 51.3 percent ( ) from the field. However, in the Wildcats six losses, Wheeler has a slightly higher scoring average (18.8 ppg), but she has shot just 40.9 percent (47-115) from the floor. LOOKING AT THE TRENDS: This season, Arizona is when shooting better than its opponent from the field, but 1-6 when shooting worse when tied or leading at the half when giving up 69 points or less, but 2-5 when allowing 70 points or more when scoring 70 points or more when shooting 40% or better from the field when committing fewer turnovers than its opponent. ARIZONA WOMEN S BASKETBALL - PAGE 5 Pac-10 Women s Basketball Standings (through games of Feb. 12, 2004) Conference Overall W L Pct. W L Pct. Stanford ARIZONA USC Arizona State UCLA Oregon State Washington Oregon California Washington St Arizona in the Pac-10 Statistics (through games of Feb. 12, 2004) Team Statistics Conference Overall Games Only Scoring Offense ppg ppg Scoring Defense ppg ppg Scoring Margin ppg ppg FT Percentage FG Percentage FG Pct. Defense FG Percentage FG Pct. Defense Reb. Offense rpg rpg Reb. Defense rpg rpg Reb. Margin rpg rpg Blocks bpg bpg Assists apg apg Steals spg spg TO Margin topg topg Assist/TO Ratio Off. Rebounds orpg orpg Def. Rebounds drpg drpg 3FG Made Avg pg pg Individual Statistics - Overall Scoring 3. Dee-Dee Wheeler 17.9 ppg 4. Shawntinice Polk 15.9 ppg 17. Aimee Grzyb 10.6 ppg Rebounds 2. Shawntinice Polk 9.8 rpg Field Goal Pct. 2. Shawntinice Polk Dee-Dee Wheeler.479 Assists 4. Dee-Dee Wheeler 4.75 apg Free Throw Pct. 2. Natalie Jones Dee-Dee Wheeler.740 Steals 3. Dee-Dee Wheeler 2.58 spg 3FG Made 5. Aimee Grzyb 1.67 pg Blocked Shots 1. Shawntinice Polk 2.54 bpg Ast./TO Ratio 4. Dee-Dee Wheeler 1.28 Off. Rebounds 1. Shawntinice Polk 3.79 orpg Def. Rebounds 2. Shawntinice Polk 6.04 drpg

6 ARIZONA WOMEN S BASKETBALL - PAGE 6 Arizona in This Year s Polls Week AP USA Today Preseason No. 23 No. 22 Nov. 17 No. 22 No. 21 Nov. 24 No. 21 No. 18 Dec votes No. 25 Dec votes 61 votes Dec votes 51 votes Dec votes 40 votes Dec votes No. 25 Jan votes 52 votes Jan votes 28 votes Jan votes 22 votes Jan votes 30 votes Feb votes 17 votes Feb. 9 No votes This Week s Polls Associated Press (Feb. 9) 1. Texas 2. Connecticut 3. Tennessee 4. Duke 5. Purdue 6. Louisiana Tech 7. Texas Tech 8. Penn State 9. Kansas State 10. Minnesota 11. Stanford 12. Colorado 13. DePaul 14. Auburn 15. North Carolina 16. Louisiana State 17. Michigan State 18. Baylor 19. Georgia 20. Florida 21. Virginia Tech 22. Texas Christian 23. SW Missouri St. 24. ARIZONA 25. Houston Receiving votes: Miami (Fla.), Utah, Boston College, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Arizona State, West Virginia, Villanova, Montana, George Washington, Marquette, Chattanooga, Vanderbilt, UC Santa Barbara. USA Today/ESPN (Feb. 9) 1. Connecticut 2. Texas 3. Tennessee 4. Duke 5. Purdue 6. Louisiana Tech 7. Texas Tech 8. Penn State 9. Kansas State 10. Minnesota 11. Stanford 12. Colorado 13. DePaul 14. North Carolina 15. Michigan State 16. Louisiana State 17. Georgia 18. Auburn 19. Virginia Tech 20. Baylor 21. Houston 22. Texas Christian 23. Miami (Fla.) 24. Oklahoma 25. Boston College Receiving votes: Southwest Missouri State, Florida, ARI- ZONA, Arizona State, Chattanooga, Notre Dame, Utah, Vanderbilt, Villanova, Montana, Creighton, Liberty, George Washington, Arkansas, Southern California, Rutgers Arizona opponents in bold. WINS vs. LOSSES: This is a very noticeable difference in Arizona s statistics in its victories versus its losses this season... Stats in Wins PPG Margin RPG Margin FG% 3FG% FT% APG TOPG BPG SPG Arizona Opponents Stats in Losses PPG Margin RPG Margin FG% 3FG% FT% APG TOPG BPG SPG Arizona Opponents WE LIKE TO SCORE: During Joan Bonvicini s tenure at Arizona, Wildcat teams have won 73 games by margins of 20 points or more. Ten of those blowouts happened last season alone, and the Cats have logged five more 20-plus wins already this year. LONG-RANGE DEFENSE?: The Wildcats are allowing opponents to drain a rather high average of 6.4 three-point field goals per game this season. While the Cats limited nonconference opponents to just 28.3 percent (54-191) shooting from beyond the arc, they have allowed Pac-10 teams to make 37.1 percent (99-267) of their three-point attempts. Arizona has allowed more three-pointers in conference action than any other Pac-10 team. 80 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER: It seems that the 80-point mark almost always means adding another to the win column for the Wildcats. In the 32-year history of UA women s basketball, the Cats have posted a record when scoring 80 points or more in a game. Under Joan Bonvicini, the Wildcats have gone when topping the 80-point plateau. GOING POLLING: Five of Arizona s opponents were either ranked or received votes for ranking in this week s polls. According to the Associated Press poll, Stanford is No. 11 and LSU is No. 16. Arizona State and UC Santa Barbara were among teams receiving votes for ranking. In the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Coaches Poll, Stanford is No. 11, and LSU is No. 16. Arizona State and USC both received votes for ranking. CAT SCRATCHES: The Arizona women s basketball program has a (.473) all-time record, however it is (.695) from the 1996 season to present... Joan Bonvicini has a career record against Pac-10 teams. ON LOCATION: This season, the Wildcats have a 12-0 record at home, are 5-5 on the road and 1-1 in neutral contests. Last year, Arizona was 13-1 at home, 7-6 on the road and 2-2 in neutral games. POLKEY EARNS SECOND PAC-10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR (Feb. 9): Sophomore center Shawntinice Polk was named the Pac-10 Women s Basketball Player of the Week for Feb Polk averaged 18.0 points, 16.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 4.5 blocks in a home sweep of Stanford and California. Polk also shot 16-of-30 from the floor (53.3 percent) and recorded her ninth and 10th double-doubles of the season. The Player of the Week honor was Polk s sixth, her second this season and the 31st all-time selection for Arizona. ARIZONA GOVERNOR MAKES SPECIAL APPEARANCE AT CAL GAME: In conjunction with the celebration of National Girls & Women in Sports Day, Arizona governor Janet Napolitano was a guest coach on the Wildcat bench at the home game against California on Saturday, Feb. 7. As a guest coach, Governor Napolitano sat on the Arizona bench during the game and was in the locker room with the team both before and after the contest. She also served as the honorary Master of Ceremonies for the halftime celebration of National Girls & Women in Sports Day. Napolitano previously served as a guest coach last season during the Cats blowout of Washington State on Feb. 8, 2003.

7 WHEELER CANDIDATE FOR NATIONAL POINT GUARD OF THE YEAR: Dee- Dee Wheeler is among 22 women s basketball players under consideration for The Nancy Lieberman Award as the top point guard in the nation for the season. The award, presented by the Rotary Club of Detroit, honors the nation s top collegiate point guard in women s Division I basketball. In looking for the finest point guard, the criterion for the award will be the floor leadership, play-making and ballhandling skills that personified Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman during her career. Sportswriters from across the country will nominate the finalists and eventual winner. The list of this year s candidates includes Wheeler, last year s winner Diana Taurasi (Connecticut), Jamie Carey (Texas), Erin Grant (Texas Tech), Temeka Johnson (LSU), Laurie Koehn (Kansas State), Kelly Mazzante (Penn State), Cappie Pondexter (Rutgers) and Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota). Wheeler is the only Pac-10 player on the list. POLKEY NAMED PAC-10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK (Jan. 19): Shawntinice Polk was named the Pac-10 Women s Basketball Player of the Week for Jan She averaged 19.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.5 steals in a home sweep of the Los Angeles schools. In two games, she shot an amazing 80.0 percent from the floor (16-of-20). OVERALL WIN STREAK ENDS AT 10 GAMES: Winning 10 straight games from Nov. 29 through Jan. 2, the Wildcats tied the school record for longest winning streak, but they saw that streak come to an end with a loss at 17th-ranked LSU on Jan. 4. The streak was the longest for any Wildcat team since the squad posted a 10-game streak early in that season. NEW ADDITIONS TO THE 1,000-POINT CLUB: For the first time in three years, the Wildcats have new additions to the 1,000-Point Club this season. Both Dee- Dee Wheeler (Dec. 27) and Aimee Grzyb (Jan. 2) became the newest members of the UA s 1,000-Point Club this year. They are the first players to achieve this feat since both Elizabeth Pickney and Reshea Bristol joined that list during the season. TALK ABOUT HAPPY HOLIDAYS: The Wildcats finished the month of December with a perfect 7-0 record, going undefeated during the month for the first time since the team went 6-0 that December. This year s 7-0 mark is also the best record for the month since the Cats went 8-0 in December of NICE WEEKEND: Sophomore guard Natalie Jones had a big weekend for the Cats as they opened Pac-10 play with a sweep of the Washington schools. In the first two conference games of the Second-Year Players Approaching 1,000 Career Points This Season (through games of Feb. 13, 2004) Player (School) Pts. 1. Tamara James (Miami Fla.) Khara Smith (DePaul) Cappie Pondexter (Rutgers)* Tara Boothe (Xavier) Shawntinice Polk (Arizona) Seimone Augustus (LSU) Emily Christian (Tenn. Tech) Kim Smith (Utah) Kari Koch (SW Missouri St.) Sophia Young (Baylor) Jayme Wilson (Oakland) Monique Currie (Duke) 776 * Listed as a junior, but is in only second year of eligibility (Initial research by Pete Holtermann, Xavier University) season, Jones averaged 15.0 points, 3.5 assists, 3.0 steals and 2.0 rebounds per game. She also shot a blazing 71.4 percent (10-14) from the floor and 83.3 percent (10-12) from the line. DUBIOUS DISTINCTION: The Wildcats win at New Mexico on Dec. 20 made UA history in several ways that may or may not be good, depending on how you look at them. The win at The Pit marked the first victory in Albuquerque for an Arizona women s basketball team since an win there on ARIZONA WOMEN S BASKETBALL - PAGE 7 Arizona s Records Under Joan Bonvicini Non-conf. Pac-10 Overall # * * # # # # # # * Indicates total including Pac-10 Tournament games # Indicates total including post-season games Arizona Home Game Attendance History Home Year Total Average Games ,405 2, ,137 2, ,491 2, ,181 2, ,333 2, ,012 2, ,378 2, ,524 1, ,334 1, ,262 1, ,129 1, ,364 1, ,328 1, * 7, * Prior to Joan Bonvicini s arrival in 1991 Top-10 Women s Basketball Crowds in McKale Center 1. 5,272 vs. Oregon 3/4/ ,096 vs. Georgia 11/30/ ,693 vs. Virginia 3/15/ ,453 vs. Arizona State 2/24/ ,350 vs. UCLA 1/17/ ,123 vs. Stanford 3/6/ ,111 vs. Stanford 2/5/04 4,111 vs. Arizona State 1/2/04 4,111 vs. Arizona State 1/23/ ,094 vs. Arizona State 2/14/92 Boldface indicates attendance figure from current season.

8 ARIZONA WOMEN S BASKETBALL - PAGE 8 Current Cats Among UA Career Leaders Games Started 1. Elizabeth Pickney ( ) Lisa Griffith ( ) Adia Barnes ( ) Regina Grennan ( ) Aimee Grzyb (2001-present) Total Minutes Played 1. Regina Grennan ( ) Lisa Griffith ( ) Aimee Grzyb (2001-present) Total Field Goals Made 1. Adia Barnes ( ) Elizabeth Pickney ( ) Dana Patterson ( ) Timi Brown ( ) Dee-Dee Wheeler (2002-present) Miroslava Acosta ( ) Aimee Grzyb (2001-present) Total Field Goals Attempted 1. Adia Barnes ( ) Timi Brown ( ) Pam Roberts ( ) Elizabeth Pickney ( ) Yolanda Turner ( ) Dee-Dee Wheeler (2002-present) Three-Point Field Goals Made 1. Lisa Griffith ( ) Brenda Pantoja ( ) Aimee Grzyb (2001-present) Julie Brase ( ) Dee-Dee Wheeler (2002-present) Three-Point Field Goals Attempted 1. Lisa Griffith ( ) Aimee Grzyb (2001-present) Brenda Pantoja ( ) Julie Brase ( ) Dee-Dee Wheeler (2002-present) Total Rebounds 1. Adia Barnes ( ) Elizabeth Pickney ( ) Dana Patterson ( ) Kim Conway ( ) Krista Warren ( ) Shawntinice Polk (2003-present) Assists 1. Brenda Pantoja ( ) Regina Grennan ( ) Pam Roberts ( ) Aimee Grzyb (2001-present) Steals 1. Reshea Bristol ( ) Adia Barnes ( ) Leslie Martin ( ) Regina Grennan ( ) Dee-Dee Wheeler (2002-present) Blocked Shots 1. Elizabeth Pickney ( ) Shawntinice Polk (2003-present) Double-Doubles 1. Adia Barnes ( ) Shawntinice Polk (2003-present) Rebounding Average (min. 400 rebounds) 1. Shawntinice Polk (2003-present) Adia Barnes ( ) Dana Patterson ( ) Scoring Average (min. 800 points) 1. Adia Barnes ( ) Miroslava Acosta ( ) Shawntinice Polk (2003-present) Dee-Dee Wheeler (2002-present) Feb. 28, The 50 points that the Cats scored is the lowest point total ever in a win for a Joan Bonvicini-coached squad at Arizona. It is also the lowest point total in a win since a victory over Utah at home on Jan. 17, The 35 threepointers that New Mexico attempted set a new Arizona school record for opponent three-point attempts in a game. GOOD BEGINNINGS: With Joan Bonvicini at the program s helm, the Wildcats have won 10 of their 13 season openers. They had a streak of seven straight season-opening wins snapped with a close overtime loss to then-no. 3 LSU at the start of last season. POLKEY EARNS A SLEW OF PRESEASON HONORS: The preseason honors rolled in for sophomore center Shawntinice Polk this year. She was named a preseason All-American by Street & Smith s, Athlon Sports and Women s Basketball News Service. She was also named to the list of top 30 preseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Women s Award, and she was a preseason candidate for the Wade Trophy. Polkey was selected for the five-member Preseason All-Pac-10 Team, and most recently, she was chosen as one of the nation s Top Five Centers by ESPN.com. CATS PRESEASON RANKED FOR FIRST TIME IN FOUR YEARS: Arizona was ranked No. 23 in this year s preseason AP Poll and No. 22 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll. This marked the first time since the season that the Wildcats were preseason ranked in either poll. Arizona didn t even receive votes for ranking in last year s preseason polls, nor in the preseason polls. The Wildcats earned 71 votes in the preseason Coaches Poll and 15 votes in that year s AP poll. The Cats were last preseason ranked No. 24 in the USA Today poll and No. 25 in the AP poll heading into the season. The Cats were listed among the top 25 teams in seven of the nine preseason polls released this year. The Wildcats were preseason ranked No. 16 by ESPN.com, No. 17 by Lindy s, No. 20 by Women s Basketball News Service, No. 21 by Full Court Press, No. 22 by the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll, No. 23 by Athlon Sports and No. 23 by the Associated Press. ARIZONA PICKED TO FINISH SECOND IN PAC-10: Both the Pac-10 women s basketball coaches and the conference women s basketball media picked Arizona to finish second in the Pac-10 standings this year, behind Stanford IN BRIEF: After two seasons of mediocrity, the Arizona women s basketball team burst back onto the national scene in , racking up a solid 22-9 mark and earning the most victories for any team in three years. The Wildcats were 13-5 in Pac-10 play and finished in a tie for second place with Washington, equaling Arizona s best-ever finish in the league standings. The Cats received a No. 3 seed in the second annual Pac-10 Tournament and ran over Oregon State and Washington before falling by a narrow margin to powerhouse Stanford in the championship game. Arizona earned an at-large bid in the 2003 NCAA Tournament, making the Big Dance for the first time since the season. With just four juniors and seniors, the young and inexperienced Wildcat team lost in the first round of the tournament to a veteran Notre Dame club, but merely getting back into the tourney was a step in the right direction. The 2003 Wildcats set or tied 52 school records this season, including most blocked shots (120), lowest opponent field goal percentage (.378) and most doubledoubles (26). By herself, freshman phenom Shawntinice Polk set or tied 19 of those school records, a number that included new marks for single season rebounds (335), rebounding average (10.8 rpg), blocked shots (80) and freshman scoring (538). Polk was named both an Associated Press and Kodak/WBCA honorable mention All-American and was the 2003 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year, marking the second straight season that Arizona featured the league s top rookie. Polk and sophomore guard Dee-Dee Wheeler were named first team All-Pac-10, while Polk also

9 received Pac-10 All-Freshman Team laurels. Fellow rookie Natalie Jones was an honorable mention Pac-10 All-Freshman Team selection. For the third time in the last six seasons, head coach Joan Bonvicini was named a finalist for the Naismith College Coach of the Year Award. INDIVIDUALLY IN : With averages of 17.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game, freshman center Shawntinice Polk led Arizona in both categories last year. Racking up a school-record 21 double-doubles on the season, Polk also set new school records for single-season rebounding (335), single-season blocked shots (80) and freshman scoring (538 pts). She became only the seventh player in the program s history to reach the 500-point mark in one season and became the first freshman ever to finish among the top 10 in the Pac-10 in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage. Sophomore guard Dee-Dee Wheeler was second in scoring, with 16.2 ppg, and was third in rebounding, with 4.6 rpg. She logged 501 points for the season, making her just the eighth player to reach that mark in one year. It also marked the first time in the program s history that two Wildcats have reached 500 points in the same season. Senior forward Krista Warren was second in rebounding, averaging 7.2 boards per game, and was third in scoring (11.9 ppg). Junior guard Aimee Grzyb was fourth on the scoring chart, at 10.5 ppg. ARIZONA WOMEN S BASKETBALL - PAGE Wildcat Honor Roll Shawntinice Polk Pac-10 Player of the Week (Feb. 9) Pac-10 Player of the Week (Jan. 19) Tournament Most Valuable Player - Fiesta Bowl Basketball Classic John R. Wooden Women s Award - Preseason Top 30 John R. Wooden Women s Award - Midseason Top 20 State Farm Wade Trophy - Preseason Candidate First Team Preseason All-American - Street & Smith s Second Team Preseason All-American - Athlon Sports Third Team Preseason All-American - Women s Basketball News Service Preseason All-Pac-10 Team Preseason Top 5 Centers - ESPN.com Dee-Dee Wheeler Nancy Lieberman Award (National Point Guard of the Year) Candidate All-Tournament Team - Fiesta Bowl Basketball Classic All-Tournament Team - Hawai i Rainbow Wahine Classic Honorable Mention Preseason All-American - Street & Smith s Danielle Adefeso All-Tournament Team - Fiesta Bowl Basketball Classic

10 ARIZONA WOMEN S BASKETBALL - PAGE 10 Arizona s Record When... Leading at the half Trailing at the half Tied at the half Has better FG% than opp Has worse FG% Has same FG% as opp Has better FT% than opp Has worse FT% Has same FT% Outrebounding opponent Is outrebounded by opponent Has same rebounds as opponent Has more turnovers than opponent Has fewer turnovers Has same turnovers as opp Has more 3FGM than opponent Has fewer 3FGM Has same 3FGM Shooting 50% or better from field Shooting under 50% from field Shooting 40% or better from field Shooting under 40% from field Hitting 70% or better from line Hitting under 70% from line Hitting 80% or better from line Hitting under 80% from line Scoring in the 30s Scoring in the 40s Scoring in the 50s Scoring in the 60s Scoring in the 70s Scoring in the 80s Scoring in the 90s Scoring in the 100s Opp. scores in 30s Opp. scores in 40s Opp. scores in 50s Opp. scores in 60s Opp. scores in 70s Opp. scores in 80s Opp. scores in 90s Opp. scores in 100s In November In December In January In February In March Miscellaneous Statistics Arizona ahead at halftime times, last vs. California (2/7/04) Arizona behind at halftime times, last at UCLA (2/12/04) Arizona tied at halftime... 2 times, last vs. Arizona State (1/2/04) Arizona biggest halftime lead points (46-29) vs. Washington (12/27/03) Arizona largest halftime deficit points (12-44) at Stanford (1/10/04) Arizona largest lead during a game points vs. Texas State (12/14/03) Arizona largest deficit during a game points at Stanford (1/10/04) Arizona most pts. in a half points (2nd half) vs. Texas State (12/14/03) Arizona FG%.500 or better... 4 times, last vs. USC (1/15/04) Arizona FT%.700 or better... 8 times, last vs. Stanford (2/5/04) Arizona largest victory margin points (94-56) vs. Texas State (12/14/03) Arizona largest margin of defeat points (62-84) at Stanford (1/10/04) Arizona largest rebounding margin rebounds (48-22) vs. Navy (11/29/03) Arizona largest rebounding deficit rebounds (39-50) at New Mexico (12/20/03) Number of overtime games... none Arizona Starting Lineups & Records Games Sanford, Polk, Wheeler, Grzyb, Jones Games Adefeso, Polk, Wheeler, Grzyb, Jones Games Schein, Polk, Wheeler, Grzyb, Jones Games Hobson, Polk, Wheeler, Grzyb, Jones Arizona s Double-Figure Scorers (78) Dee-Dee Wheeler times, last at UCLA (2/12/04) Shawntinice Polk times, last at UCLA (2/12/04) Aimee Grzyb times, last vs. California (2/7/04) Natalie Jones times, last vs. Stanford (2/5/04) Danielle Adefeso... 5 times, last vs. Arizona State (1/2/04) CoCoa Sanford... 4 times, last at LSU (1/4/04) Shannon Hobson... 4 times, last vs. Stanford (2/5/04) Arizona s Double-Figure Rebounders (14) Shawntinice Polk times, last at UCLA (2/14/04) Danielle Adefeso... 1 time, last vs. American (12/6/03) Dee-Dee Wheeler... 1 time, last vs. Navy (11/29/03) Arizona s Double-Doubles (13) Shawntinice Polk Nov. 25 at UC Santa Barbara pts., 11 reb.... Dec. 6 vs. American pts., 10 reb.... Dec. 27 vs. Washington pts., 15 reb.... Dec. 29 vs. Washington State pts., 17 reb.... Jan. 2 vs. Arizona State pts., 10 reb.... Jan. 4 at LSU pts., 12 reb.... Jan. 17 vs. UCLA pts., 13 reb.... Jan. 24 at Oregon State pts., 13 reb.... Feb. 5 vs. Stanford pts., 19 reb.... Feb. 7 vs. California pts., 14 reb.... Feb. 12 at UCLA pts., 10 reb. Danielle Adefeso Dec. 6 vs. American pts., 10 reb. Dee-Dee Wheeler Nov. 28 vs. Virginia pts., 10 reb. Arizona s 20+ Scoring Performances (15) Dee-Dee Wheeler... 9 times, last at UCLA (2/12/04) Shawntinice Polk... 6 times, last vs. Stanford (2/5/04) Natalie Jones... 1 time, last vs. BYU (12/12/03) Vs. Ranked Teams On Television Has 1 player in double digits Has 2 players in double digits Has 3 players in double digits Has 4 players in double digits Has 5 or more players in double digits Arizona Scoring Differential WIN LOSS