Sunday, February 4
Tucson, AZ
11:00 AM
University of Washington
at
Arizona
Huskies Look to Continue Success vs Arizona on Sunday
February 03, 2018 | Women's Basketball
TUCSON, Ariz. --- Washington closes out its trip to the desert, facing off against Arizona on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. PT (12:00 p.m. MT) at the McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona. Listen to the game in Seattle on KKNW 1150 AM with Gary Hill Jr. calling the action. A video live stream of the game will also be available through gohuskies.com. Washington is looking to continue its success against Arizona having won 10-straight vs. the Wildcats and posting a 42-21 overall record in the all-time series between the two teams.
The Huskies struggled from the field on Friday in a 61-41 loss at Arizona State. Washington held the Sun Devils to its lowest point total in a half, allowing just 22 points in the second half. But the Husky offense managed just 16 points in the first half and 25 in the second half. Amber Melgoza scored a team-high 13 points, adding three assists, two rebounds and an assists. However, she was the lone Husky in double figures.
Scouting the Wildcats
Arizona is having a tough season, similar to that of the Huskies, posting a 1-10 mark in conference play and going 5-17 overall. The Wildcats have lost their last four games after a 72-63 home victory over Colorado on Jan. 19–their lone victory in conference play.
Arizona has had a measure of success at home, recording four of their five games at the McKale Center including their lone conference win. On the other hand, the Wildcats are 1-10 away from home including a neutral site loss.
The Wildcats have struggled to score in their losses, especially in Pac-12 play, averaging a conference-low 52.1 ppg in 11 league games. In addition, they have the lowest scoring margin at -20.2 points in Pac-12 games.
Leading the way for Arizona is senior guard JaLea Bennett, who is averaging 14.6 points per game this season. Freshman forward Sam Thomas is contributing 10.0 points and a team-high 7.7 rebounds per contest.
Arizona head coach Adia Barnes was an assistant coach for the Huskies from 2011-16 prior to taking the head job with the her alma mater.
All-Time Series Record
Washington has dominated the all-time series, posting a 42-21 record against Arizona including winning the last 10-straight between the two. The last time the Wildcats beat the Huskies came in the 2010-11 season when Arizona picked up a season sweep. Washington is 17-14 in Tucson and has won the last five, dating back to a 61-58 Wildcat victory on Jan. 20, 2011.
Up Next
The Huskies return home next week, hosting the Oregon schools. First up, Washington faces No. 6 Oregon on Friday, Feb. 9 at 8:00 p.m. in the annual Think Pink game. The Huskies then take on No. 16 Oregon State on Sunday, Feb. 11 at 3:00 p.m.
Last Time Out
Washington struggled from the field and despite a late push, was unable to overcome a big first-half deficit in a 61-41 loss to Arizona State Friday night at Wells Fargo Arena.
Amber Melgoza led the Huskies in scoring with 13 points, but for the second-straight game was the lone UW player in double-figures.
The Huskies as a team struggled from the field in the game, shooting just 30.8 percent and scoring a season-low 41 points. Washington especially had a rough go offensively in the first half, managing just 16 points and trailing 39-16 at intermission.
Washington's defense came alive in the second half, holding ASU to its fewest points in a half this season at 22. But the Huskies could not take advantage of the Sun Devils low total, managing just 25 points over the final 20 minutes.
One Bad Quarter
The Huskies have been plagued by one bad quarter in eight of their 11 Pac-12 games thus far. In those bad quarters (which quarter differs in each game), UW has been outscored by an average of 13.8 points. However, in the other three quarters of those games, the Huskies have outscored their opponents by an average of 5.4 points.
Johnson Catching Fire
Junior forward Hannah Johnson has played well in conference play this year, averaging 10.1 points, 7.7 rebounds while shooting a team-high 43.9%. Her rebounding average is seventh-best in the conference since the start of Pac-12 play. Over a six-game stretch starting with the home game against Colorado, Johnson averaged 12.7 points and 12.0 rebounds per game.
Johnson's rebounding has especially taken off lately as she has established then broke her career-high in rebounding four times over the last seven games. Her latest record-breaking performance came last weekend when she pulled down 17 boards vs. Washington State just days after recording 16 at WSU, giving her 33 in two games. Since the Pac-10/12 added women's basketball in 1986-87, Johnson is one of three Huskies to record at least 33 total rebounds over a two-game stretch (Johnson 2017-18; Chantel Osahor 2015-16 and 2016-17; Amber Hall 1997-98).
The most impressive fact is those numbers have come against two of the best rebounders in the Pac-12. Johnson had 11 boards at Cal, out-rebounding All-American candidate Kristine Anigwe 11-10. Against UCLA, Johnson out-rebounded another All-American Monique Billings 14-8.
Amber Alert
Sophomore Amber Melgoza poured in 25 points in Sunday's game against USC, giving her 45 points for the weekend series against the LA schools. Melgoza has scored 20+ points nine times this season including six times in 10 Pac-12 games. Over the last 14 games, Melgoza is averaging 20.1 points per game and is currently third in the Pac-12 with 19.4 ppg in league play.
Earlier this season at Oregon, Melgoza scored a career-high 31 points–the most by a UW player since Kelsey Plum scored 38 against Oklahoma on March 20, 2017. Melgoza had just eight going into the final quarter, but erupted for 23 points, a Pac-12 record for points in a quarter.
49er Club
The Huskies' goal in each game is to put the opponent in the "49er Club" by holding them to 49 or fewer points. Washington was able to do that for the first time this season when it limited Washington State to 49 points in a 56-49 victory on Jan. 21. The Huskies previous opponent low had been 64 in a 67-64 win over Creighton on Nov. 24.
Huskies in the Rankings
Washington is among the leaders in the conference in a number of categories. The Huskies lead the Pac-12 in turnovers forced at 18.77 per game and rank fourth in turnover margin at +3.32.
Washington also leads the conference and ranks 19th in the NCAA in three-point field goals attempted (567) and is third in the Pac-12 and 34th in the NCAA in three-pointers made with (179). The Huskies also rank second in steals (210) and steals per game (10.0).
Individually, Amber Melgoza is third in scoring in Pac-12 games at 19.4 ppg and is fourth in the conference in overall scoring at 17.4 ppg, fourth in total points (369) and is seventh in free throw percentage at 75.0%. Jenna Moser is fourth in the conference in three-point field goal percentage at 42.0%, fifth in steals at 1.86 per game, and fifth in three-pointers made with 2.00 per game.
Everybody Starts, Everybody Plays
All 10 of Washington's active players have made at least one start this season and each is averaging at least 14 minutes per game. Jenna Moser is the lone Husky to start all 22 games with Amber Melgoza making 18 starts, Hannah Johnson starting 17 games and Mai-Loni Henson starting 15. Moser also leads the team in minutes played, averaging 30.2 mpg with Melgoza playing 27.3, Henson playing 24.7 and Johnson checking in at 23.1 minutes per game. The Huskies have used 14 different lineup combinations through their 22 games including seven different combos over the last nine games.
Strength of Schedule
The Huskies are not shying away from playing tough teams in the 2017-18 season as UW faces seven teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25 and two others receiving votes. In fact, the Huskies' have played the 26th toughest schedule to this point, and have the 29th most difficult schedule overall among the 349 NCAA DI WBB programs.
The Pac-12 conference is the main reason the Huskies' schedule is so tough as the conference boasts five teams in the AP top 25 with one other receiving votes (#6 Oregon, #9 UCLA, #16 Oregon State, #24 Stanford, #25 California, with Arizona State receiving votes). Besides their Pac-12 opponents, the Huskies have also squared off against #8 Texas and #18 Ohio State in non-conference games.
Seven in Double Figures
Washington saw a program-best seven players score in double-figures in the 93-67 victory against Portland on Dec. 3. Mai-Loni Henson and Amber Melgoza led the way with 14 points each while freshmen Kierra Collier, Alexis Griggsby and Missy Peterson each contributed 12 points in the game with Griggsby and Peterson scoring all of their points in the second half. Senior Jenna Moser was the seventh player to reach double-figures in the game, hitting a tough jumper in the lane with 1:23 left to give her 11 while freshman Khayla Rooks scored 10 in the game on 4-of-5 shooting.
No More Overtime, Please
UW's streak of games decided in regulation came to an end earlier this season as the Huskies needed OT to beat Seattle, 84-76, snapping a streak of 133 games without the extra period. Prior to that, Washington's last overtime game came on Jan. 17, 2014 when the Huskies beat Utah 53-52. Another longer UW OT streak ended at Washington State in mid-January as the Huskies lost their first overtime game since Feb. 5, 2012.
Road Warriors
The Huskies played the bulk of the first half of the season on the road, playing just seven of their first 18 games at home. However, beginning with the game against Washington State on January 21, Washington plays seven of its final 11 games at home. The Huskies' season includes one of its longest road trips in recent memory, a 2,432 mile trip to play North Carolina in Myrtle Beach, S.C. In addition, Washington traveled to Columbus, Ohio and to Las Vegas earlier in the season while also touring the Pacific Northwest.
Viva Las Vegas
Mai-Loni Henson had an impressive trip to Vegas, scoring 23 points in two games, earning her all-tournament honors. Henson scored a career-high 17 points, adding nine rebounds, three assists and three steals in the Huskies big win against Creighton. Overall, she averaged 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists a game in Vegas.
Moser's Incredible Journey
Senior Jenna Moser's road to being a senior captain was not traditional. Moser started at UW as a practice player, not earning a roster spot until her second year. As a sophomore and junior she appeared in just 14 games, playing 30 total minutes and scoring four points. But as a senior, she was awarded a scholarship and has provided leadership to the young team both on and off the court, starting all 20 games and averaging 10.0 points, 1.9 steals and 2.5 assists per game.
Huskies Ink Talented Duo to NLIs
UW coach Jody Wynn announced the signing Haley Van Dyke (Moraga, Calif./Campolindo High School) and Tyiona "TT" Watkins (Walnut, Calif./Walnut HS) to National Letters of Intent during the November early signing period.
Van Dyke, a 6-0 forward, scored the fifth-most points in the state of California last season, pouring in 765 points in 32 games for a 23.9 points per game average. She ranks 21st among '18 forwards according to ESPN and as the No. 82 player overall by Prospects Nation. After an early season ankle injury, Van Dyke returned to the court with back-to-back 30 point performances in December. On Jan. 2, she scored a league record 56 points and added 27 boards in a 96-75 win over Brookside Christian.
Watkins is a 5-11 wing who will wrap up her high school career at Walnut High School in Walnut, Calif., after three seasons at Brea Olinda High School–the alma mater of Head Coach Jody Wynn and Coordinator of Player Development Anna Kim. She is ranked as the No. 14 wing in the class of 2018 by ESPN and No. 20 by Prospects Nation. Watkins, who had to sit out a quarter after transferring schools, just began playing with Walnut High School in early January.
Radio Show
UW Head Coach Jody Wynn joins Elise Woodward for the UW Coaches Show throughout the season at Chinook's at Fisherman's Terminal. The show is carried live on KOMO AM 1000 in Seattle at 6:00 p.m. on the following dates: Feb. 6, Feb. 13, Feb. 20, Feb. 27 and March 5. The show can be heard on gohuskies.com or on the TuneIn App.
The Huskies struggled from the field on Friday in a 61-41 loss at Arizona State. Washington held the Sun Devils to its lowest point total in a half, allowing just 22 points in the second half. But the Husky offense managed just 16 points in the first half and 25 in the second half. Amber Melgoza scored a team-high 13 points, adding three assists, two rebounds and an assists. However, she was the lone Husky in double figures.
Scouting the Wildcats
Arizona is having a tough season, similar to that of the Huskies, posting a 1-10 mark in conference play and going 5-17 overall. The Wildcats have lost their last four games after a 72-63 home victory over Colorado on Jan. 19–their lone victory in conference play.
Arizona has had a measure of success at home, recording four of their five games at the McKale Center including their lone conference win. On the other hand, the Wildcats are 1-10 away from home including a neutral site loss.
The Wildcats have struggled to score in their losses, especially in Pac-12 play, averaging a conference-low 52.1 ppg in 11 league games. In addition, they have the lowest scoring margin at -20.2 points in Pac-12 games.
Leading the way for Arizona is senior guard JaLea Bennett, who is averaging 14.6 points per game this season. Freshman forward Sam Thomas is contributing 10.0 points and a team-high 7.7 rebounds per contest.
Arizona head coach Adia Barnes was an assistant coach for the Huskies from 2011-16 prior to taking the head job with the her alma mater.
All-Time Series Record
Washington has dominated the all-time series, posting a 42-21 record against Arizona including winning the last 10-straight between the two. The last time the Wildcats beat the Huskies came in the 2010-11 season when Arizona picked up a season sweep. Washington is 17-14 in Tucson and has won the last five, dating back to a 61-58 Wildcat victory on Jan. 20, 2011.
Up Next
The Huskies return home next week, hosting the Oregon schools. First up, Washington faces No. 6 Oregon on Friday, Feb. 9 at 8:00 p.m. in the annual Think Pink game. The Huskies then take on No. 16 Oregon State on Sunday, Feb. 11 at 3:00 p.m.
Last Time Out
Washington struggled from the field and despite a late push, was unable to overcome a big first-half deficit in a 61-41 loss to Arizona State Friday night at Wells Fargo Arena.
Amber Melgoza led the Huskies in scoring with 13 points, but for the second-straight game was the lone UW player in double-figures.
The Huskies as a team struggled from the field in the game, shooting just 30.8 percent and scoring a season-low 41 points. Washington especially had a rough go offensively in the first half, managing just 16 points and trailing 39-16 at intermission.
Washington's defense came alive in the second half, holding ASU to its fewest points in a half this season at 22. But the Huskies could not take advantage of the Sun Devils low total, managing just 25 points over the final 20 minutes.
One Bad Quarter
The Huskies have been plagued by one bad quarter in eight of their 11 Pac-12 games thus far. In those bad quarters (which quarter differs in each game), UW has been outscored by an average of 13.8 points. However, in the other three quarters of those games, the Huskies have outscored their opponents by an average of 5.4 points.
Johnson Catching Fire
Junior forward Hannah Johnson has played well in conference play this year, averaging 10.1 points, 7.7 rebounds while shooting a team-high 43.9%. Her rebounding average is seventh-best in the conference since the start of Pac-12 play. Over a six-game stretch starting with the home game against Colorado, Johnson averaged 12.7 points and 12.0 rebounds per game.
Johnson's rebounding has especially taken off lately as she has established then broke her career-high in rebounding four times over the last seven games. Her latest record-breaking performance came last weekend when she pulled down 17 boards vs. Washington State just days after recording 16 at WSU, giving her 33 in two games. Since the Pac-10/12 added women's basketball in 1986-87, Johnson is one of three Huskies to record at least 33 total rebounds over a two-game stretch (Johnson 2017-18; Chantel Osahor 2015-16 and 2016-17; Amber Hall 1997-98).
The most impressive fact is those numbers have come against two of the best rebounders in the Pac-12. Johnson had 11 boards at Cal, out-rebounding All-American candidate Kristine Anigwe 11-10. Against UCLA, Johnson out-rebounded another All-American Monique Billings 14-8.
Amber Alert
Sophomore Amber Melgoza poured in 25 points in Sunday's game against USC, giving her 45 points for the weekend series against the LA schools. Melgoza has scored 20+ points nine times this season including six times in 10 Pac-12 games. Over the last 14 games, Melgoza is averaging 20.1 points per game and is currently third in the Pac-12 with 19.4 ppg in league play.
Earlier this season at Oregon, Melgoza scored a career-high 31 points–the most by a UW player since Kelsey Plum scored 38 against Oklahoma on March 20, 2017. Melgoza had just eight going into the final quarter, but erupted for 23 points, a Pac-12 record for points in a quarter.
49er Club
The Huskies' goal in each game is to put the opponent in the "49er Club" by holding them to 49 or fewer points. Washington was able to do that for the first time this season when it limited Washington State to 49 points in a 56-49 victory on Jan. 21. The Huskies previous opponent low had been 64 in a 67-64 win over Creighton on Nov. 24.
Huskies in the Rankings
Washington is among the leaders in the conference in a number of categories. The Huskies lead the Pac-12 in turnovers forced at 18.77 per game and rank fourth in turnover margin at +3.32.
Washington also leads the conference and ranks 19th in the NCAA in three-point field goals attempted (567) and is third in the Pac-12 and 34th in the NCAA in three-pointers made with (179). The Huskies also rank second in steals (210) and steals per game (10.0).
Individually, Amber Melgoza is third in scoring in Pac-12 games at 19.4 ppg and is fourth in the conference in overall scoring at 17.4 ppg, fourth in total points (369) and is seventh in free throw percentage at 75.0%. Jenna Moser is fourth in the conference in three-point field goal percentage at 42.0%, fifth in steals at 1.86 per game, and fifth in three-pointers made with 2.00 per game.
Everybody Starts, Everybody Plays
All 10 of Washington's active players have made at least one start this season and each is averaging at least 14 minutes per game. Jenna Moser is the lone Husky to start all 22 games with Amber Melgoza making 18 starts, Hannah Johnson starting 17 games and Mai-Loni Henson starting 15. Moser also leads the team in minutes played, averaging 30.2 mpg with Melgoza playing 27.3, Henson playing 24.7 and Johnson checking in at 23.1 minutes per game. The Huskies have used 14 different lineup combinations through their 22 games including seven different combos over the last nine games.
Strength of Schedule
The Huskies are not shying away from playing tough teams in the 2017-18 season as UW faces seven teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25 and two others receiving votes. In fact, the Huskies' have played the 26th toughest schedule to this point, and have the 29th most difficult schedule overall among the 349 NCAA DI WBB programs.
The Pac-12 conference is the main reason the Huskies' schedule is so tough as the conference boasts five teams in the AP top 25 with one other receiving votes (#6 Oregon, #9 UCLA, #16 Oregon State, #24 Stanford, #25 California, with Arizona State receiving votes). Besides their Pac-12 opponents, the Huskies have also squared off against #8 Texas and #18 Ohio State in non-conference games.
Seven in Double Figures
Washington saw a program-best seven players score in double-figures in the 93-67 victory against Portland on Dec. 3. Mai-Loni Henson and Amber Melgoza led the way with 14 points each while freshmen Kierra Collier, Alexis Griggsby and Missy Peterson each contributed 12 points in the game with Griggsby and Peterson scoring all of their points in the second half. Senior Jenna Moser was the seventh player to reach double-figures in the game, hitting a tough jumper in the lane with 1:23 left to give her 11 while freshman Khayla Rooks scored 10 in the game on 4-of-5 shooting.
No More Overtime, Please
UW's streak of games decided in regulation came to an end earlier this season as the Huskies needed OT to beat Seattle, 84-76, snapping a streak of 133 games without the extra period. Prior to that, Washington's last overtime game came on Jan. 17, 2014 when the Huskies beat Utah 53-52. Another longer UW OT streak ended at Washington State in mid-January as the Huskies lost their first overtime game since Feb. 5, 2012.
Road Warriors
The Huskies played the bulk of the first half of the season on the road, playing just seven of their first 18 games at home. However, beginning with the game against Washington State on January 21, Washington plays seven of its final 11 games at home. The Huskies' season includes one of its longest road trips in recent memory, a 2,432 mile trip to play North Carolina in Myrtle Beach, S.C. In addition, Washington traveled to Columbus, Ohio and to Las Vegas earlier in the season while also touring the Pacific Northwest.
Viva Las Vegas
Mai-Loni Henson had an impressive trip to Vegas, scoring 23 points in two games, earning her all-tournament honors. Henson scored a career-high 17 points, adding nine rebounds, three assists and three steals in the Huskies big win against Creighton. Overall, she averaged 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists a game in Vegas.
Moser's Incredible Journey
Senior Jenna Moser's road to being a senior captain was not traditional. Moser started at UW as a practice player, not earning a roster spot until her second year. As a sophomore and junior she appeared in just 14 games, playing 30 total minutes and scoring four points. But as a senior, she was awarded a scholarship and has provided leadership to the young team both on and off the court, starting all 20 games and averaging 10.0 points, 1.9 steals and 2.5 assists per game.
Huskies Ink Talented Duo to NLIs
UW coach Jody Wynn announced the signing Haley Van Dyke (Moraga, Calif./Campolindo High School) and Tyiona "TT" Watkins (Walnut, Calif./Walnut HS) to National Letters of Intent during the November early signing period.
Van Dyke, a 6-0 forward, scored the fifth-most points in the state of California last season, pouring in 765 points in 32 games for a 23.9 points per game average. She ranks 21st among '18 forwards according to ESPN and as the No. 82 player overall by Prospects Nation. After an early season ankle injury, Van Dyke returned to the court with back-to-back 30 point performances in December. On Jan. 2, she scored a league record 56 points and added 27 boards in a 96-75 win over Brookside Christian.
Watkins is a 5-11 wing who will wrap up her high school career at Walnut High School in Walnut, Calif., after three seasons at Brea Olinda High School–the alma mater of Head Coach Jody Wynn and Coordinator of Player Development Anna Kim. She is ranked as the No. 14 wing in the class of 2018 by ESPN and No. 20 by Prospects Nation. Watkins, who had to sit out a quarter after transferring schools, just began playing with Walnut High School in early January.
Radio Show
UW Head Coach Jody Wynn joins Elise Woodward for the UW Coaches Show throughout the season at Chinook's at Fisherman's Terminal. The show is carried live on KOMO AM 1000 in Seattle at 6:00 p.m. on the following dates: Feb. 6, Feb. 13, Feb. 20, Feb. 27 and March 5. The show can be heard on gohuskies.com or on the TuneIn App.
Players Mentioned
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