TUCSON, Ariz. – The Arizona women's basketball team (3-6) is coming off their third win of the season against New Mexico State on Thursday and are now set to host the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine (5-4) on Sunday afternoon in McKale Center at 2 p.m. MST.
 
Sunday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m. MST
Radio: 1400 AM (Derrick Palmer)
Twitter: @ArizonaWBB
#MadeForIt
 
QUICK NOTES

• Arizona was in desperate need of a victory after dropping six-straight games, but came back in a big way with a 39-point win over New Mexico State by a score of 83-44.
   
• Jalea Bennett is on a roll in the last few weeks as she has averages 21.5 points per game in her last four contests. On the season, Bennett averages a team-high 16.7 points, which would be a huge career high for the senior. She scored a career-high 26 points last time out against New Mexico State and has scored 20+ points in three of her last four games.

• Sam Thomas recorded the first double-double for any Wildcat this season with 13 points and 10 rebounds against NAU (12/7). She is the first freshman since LaBrittney Jones to record a double-double.

• Sam Thomas and Kyles were the first pair freshmen to have both scored at least 19 points in one game in the first six games of the season since 2001 when Dee-Dee Wheeler and Robin Roberson did it.

• Arizona's 39-point win is the largest since the 2011-12 season when they beat Washington State by 39.

Last Five vs. Hawaii
11/16/08: UA 62, UH 52
11/30/03: UA 66, at UH 57
11/21/99: UA 86, at UH 73
11/23/90: at UH 67, UA 66
11/3/87: at UH 60, UA 48
 
Scouting the Rainbow Wahine
Arizona will host Hawaii in McKale Center for the first time in school history on Sunday and are riding a three-game winning streak versus the Rainbow Wahine. Along with the three-game winning streak, Arizona has not lost to Hawaii since 1990 when the Rainbow Wahine defeated Arizona by one point. Hawaii hasn't played a game since Dec. 8, which was an overtime loss against Idaho State. Sarah Toeaina leads Hawaii with 15.8 points per game while Julissa Tago (11.7 ppg) and Lahni Salanoa (10.9 ppg) are Hawaii's other two double-figure scorers. The Rainbow Wahine got off to a good start as they won four-straight after dropping the season-opener, but have dropped three of their last four since then. Hawaii has two common opponents with the Wildcats in Northern Arizona and USC. They defeated NAU 84-68 in mid-November and lost to USC 71-60 at the beginning of December.
 
We See Ya JaLea
JaLea Bennett is one of the two seniors on the team (Kat Wright) and will be looked upon as a leader for the young group of Wildcats this year. Along with Destiny Graham, they are the two remaining student-athletes that played for former head coach Niya Butts. Bennett has turned up the scoring this year as she averages 16.7 points per game, which would be a huge career-high should she maintain and is currently fifth in the Pac-12. The senior has scored in double-figures eight times this season and seven-straight, which are both career-highs, after notching a career-high 26 against New Mexico State on Thursday. Over the last four games, Bennett averages 21.5 points and six rebounds.
 
Thomas Does It All
Through the first eight games of her career, Sam Thomas has been rather impressive on the floor. All while playing a team-high 37.8 minutes per game, she averages 9.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.9 steals. After recording the first double-double of the season for any Wildcat against NAU (12/7), she became the first freshman since LaBrittney Jones (2014) to finish the game with a double-double. She is also the first freshman and player since Erica Barnes (2011) to have three double-figure rebounding games in the first eight games of the season. In the Pac-12, Thomas is fourth in rebounding, eighth in steals, second in blocked shots, fourth in offensive rebounding and first in minutes played. Except for offensive rebounding where she is second among all freshmen, she is the top freshmen in the categories mentioned in the previous sentence. Additionally, Thomas is fourth in the country among all freshmen in blocks per game. The freshman is on track to break a few freshman records, and below is a look at where Arizona's top freshmen stood through the first nine games of the season.
 
Blocks
Shawntinice Polk – 24
Sam Thomas – 20
LaBrittney Jones  – 19
 
Minutes
Sam Thomas – 329
Reiko Thomas – 323
Lucia Alonso – 304
Davellyn Whyte – 280
 
It's Her Destiny
Destiny Graham has stepped up her game so far in 2017. She is third on the team in scoring with 10.5 points per game to go along with six rebounds per game, which is second on the team. Graham scored a career-high 17 points against CSUN (11/25) and tied her career-high with 11 rebounds against TCU (11/24). The junior has done a good job of getting to the line and making her free throws as she is 25-30 (83%) from the charity stripe, which is second in the Pac-12. Coming into the 2017 season, Graham had scored in double-figures just three times and has already scored in double-figures four times this season.
 
Marlee Gets Buckets
Freshman Marlee Kyles is Arizona's second leading scorer through the first eight games of the season by averaging 11.7 points per game off the bench while playing 25.2 minutes per game, which is the sixth-fewest on the team. She scored 17 in the season opener against Iona (11/10), had 18 against Loyola Marymount (11/22) and had a career-high 19 against Long Beach State (11/28). Kyles is third amongst all freshmen in scoring in the Pac-12.
 
Buenos Dias, Lucia
It's hard to believe, but Lucia Alonso is already the third-longest tenured Wildcat on the 2017-18 roster as a sophomore. Alosno has been good from beyond the arc as she is shooting a team-high 50%, which is fourth in the Pac-12. Additionally, Alonso is sixth in steals (2.1) and third in minutes per game (36.1). Against Utah State (11/17), she tied her career highs with 15 points, four made three-pointers and four steals. Against New Mexico State, the sophomore had a nice game with 11 points and four assists with no turnovers. The three-point specialist also knocked down three triples. In her last four games, Alonso has an assist/turnover ratio of 20/6.
 
Sammy Gets Her Chance
Coming into the San Diego State game (12/3), Sammy Fatkin hadn't played more than eight minutes in a game and hadn't scored since the Utah State game (11/17). However, against the Aztecs, she played 18 minutes and scored 11 points with three made three-pointers.
 
Your Newest WildKAT
After visiting campus this past April, Kat Wright decided to finish out her college career at the University of Arizona. A transfer from Florida Atlantic University, Wright has 158 career made three-pointers, which would be sixth all-time in Arizona history. Wright was forced to sit out the 2016-17 season due to injury, but during her junior year in 2015-16, Wright lit it up as she made 87 trey balls on 40% shooting while scoring 11.7 points per game. To put that into perspective, only one Wildcat has made more than 82 three-pointers in one season, and that was Lisa Griffith wo made 92 in the 1996-97 season. The highlight of her career came on Jan. 30, 2016 when she drained 11 three-pointers against Charlotte, which is the second-most made three-pointers in NCAA history in a single game. Wright has made at least one three-pointer in each game this season and ranks ninth in made triples per game in the Pac-12 (2.0).
 
They're Called Free Throws for a Reason
Arizona has done a good job of converting their free throws this season as they are shooting at an 75% clip, which is third in the Pac-12. Last season, the Wildcats shot 70% from the charity stripe. Destiny Graham ranks second in the Pac-12 in free throw percentage (85%).
 
A Scoring Barrage
Arizona scored 83 points on Thursday against New Mexico State. The last time the Wildcats scored 80+ points in a game was on Jan. 8, 2017 vs. Utah when Arizona had 81. 83 points is also the most points scored in a game for Arizona since Jan. 13, 2013 when the Wildcats hit 100 vs. Oregon. The 39-point victory is Arizona's largest win since Feb. 16, 2012 when they beat Washington State by 39.
 
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