TUCSON, Ariz. – Coming off its first Pac-12 win, Arizona (5-13, 1-6 Pac-12) will now host Utah (13-5, 4-3 Pac-12) on Sunday at noon MST on the Pac-12 Networks. Earlier this season, Utah defeated the Wildcats in Salt Lake City 89-55.
 
Sunday, Jan. 21 at Noon
TV: Pac-12 Networks (Krista Blunk & Joan Bonvicini)
Radio: 1400 AM (Derrick Palmer)
Twitter: @ArizonaWBB
#MadeForIt
 
FROM THE TIP

• Arizona is coming off their best game of the season on Friday after beating Colorado 72-63 for its first Pac-12 win of the season. The Wildcats led for over 38 minutes of the game.

• Freshman Sam Thomas has hit her stride her in Pac-12 play as she averages 11.3 points and 7.0 rebounds in conference games. Over her last six games, Thomas averages 12.1 points and 7.2 rebounds. Thomas recorded her second-career double-double against Oregon last Friday with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

• JaLea Bennett has taken the scoring up a few notches for Arizona this year as she averages a team-high 15.4 points per game, which is ninth in the Pac-12. The senior has scored in double-figures in a career-high 15 games this season after pouring in a team-high 23 against Colorado.

• Kat Wright had been struggling to find her shot for most of the season, but the senior transfer from FAU has turned it on in the last three games. Over her last three contests, Wright averages 12.7 points per game and over three three-pointers per game. She knocked down a season-high five triples against Colorado and had 16 points. She has scored in double-figures in three-straight games for the first time this season.

Last Five vs. Utah
12/29/17: at Utah 89, Arizona 55
1/8/17: Arizona 81, at Utah 70
1/15/16: Utah 60, at Arizona 55
3/1/15: Arizona 75, at Utah 41
1/30/15: at Utah 62, Arizona 48
 
Scouting the Utes
Utah is coming off a big win over Arizona State on Friday and is right in the middle of the pack in the Pac-12. Megan Huff, Daneesha Provo and Emily Potter are the three-headed monster for the Utes, all averaging at least 12 points a game. Huff and Potter also dominate the inside, grabbing just over 15 rebounds per game between the two of them.
 
Thomas Hits Her Stride
Through the first 18 games of her career, Sam Thomas has been rather impressive on the floor. All while playing a team-high 37.3 minutes per game, she averages 10.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.7 blocks. 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. Her 15 rebounds against Southern Utah is the most since Jones grabbed 15 on Dec. 15, 2013 and her 49 minutes are the third-most in school history. Against Oregon, Thomas recorded her second-career double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Thomas is the only player on Arizona's roster who is averaging more points per game in conference play than non-conference play. 
 
Sam in the Pac-12
In the Pac-12, Thomas is second in minutes played (37.3 mpg), sixth in rebounding (8.2 rpg), fifth in blocked shots (1.7 bpg) and 10th in steals (1.7 spg). She is the top freshmen in the categories mentioned in the previous sentence and is the third leading scorer among freshmen in the Pac-12. Thomas is the only player in the Pac-12 to be in the top 10 in rebounding, blocks and steals. Additionally, Thomas is third in minutes per game, fifth in rebounds per game and ninth in blocks per game in the country among freshmen.
 
Where She Ranks Among Arizona Freshmen
Thomas has a shot to break a couple freshman records, and below is a look at where Arizona's top freshmen stood through the first 17 games of their respective careers.
 
Blocks
Shawntinice Polk (2002-03) – 39
LaBrittney Jones (2013-14) – 30
Sam Thomas (2017-18) – 30
 
Minutes
Sam Thomas (2017-18) – 671
Reiko Thomas (2008-09) – 639 (1/31)
Davellyn Whyte (2009-10) – 601
 
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 15.4 points per game, which would be a huge career-high should she maintain and is currently ninth in the Pac-12. The senior has already set a new career-high in total points scored with 278 points. Her previous career-high was 187 total points in 2016-17. The senior has scored in double-figures 15 times this season, which is a career-high. Bennett was incredibly efficient against Colorado as she poured in 23 points on 11-15 shooting, including 7-7 in the first half.
 
Marlee Gets Buckets
Freshman Marlee Kyles is Arizona's third leading scorer through the first 15 games of her career by averaging 8.7 points per game off the bench while playing 23.9 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). She missed three-straight games due to an injury, but returned against the Oregon schools.
 
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 outstanding from beyond the arc as she is shooting a team-high 41% (25-61), which is 10th in the Pac-12. Additionally, Alonso third in minutes per game (36.2). Against Hawaii (12/17), Alonso had a terrific game with a career-high 21 points on 8-17 shooting and 3-6 from beyond the arc. She scored a game-high 15 points against Stanford on Jan. 5. Over her last four games, Alonso has an assist/turnover ratio of 17/6.
 
It's Her Destiny
Destiny Graham has stepped up her game so far in 2017. She is scoring 8.7 points (157 total points, a career-high) per game to go along with 6.3 rebounds per game, which is second on the team and are both career highs. Graham recorded her first-career double-double against Southern Utah with 15 points and a career-high 12 rebounds in a career-high 37 minutes. The junior has done a good job of getting to the line and making her free throws as she is 52-63 (83%) from the charity stripe, which is third in the Pac-12. She went 9-10 from the line against Colorado, including some clutch makes down the stretch. Coming into the 2017 season, Graham had scored in double-figures just three times and has already scored in double-figures six times this season. On the rebounding side of things, she came into the season with one double-figure rebounding effort and has three this season after bringing down a game-high 10 boards against Cal (1/7).
 
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 179 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. She had her breakout game against Southern Utah as she dropped a season-high 18 points, which is the most she had scored since her 33-point game, and nailed the game-winning three-pointer in double-overtime with eight seconds left on the clock. Wright has really turned it on in the last three games, scoring in double-figures in all three for the first time this season. During that time, she averages just over three made triples per game.
 
Lock it Up
The Arizona defense really stepped up lately. Against Cal, Stanford and Oregon (all ranked opponents), the Wildcats are allowing just 58.7 points per game. Oregon came into the game scoring just under 87 points per game, but Arizona held them to 62 points, which is the second-fewest the Ducks have scored all season. The only other team to hold Oregon to under 70 points this season is highly ranked Louisville. It was another great defensive effort on the part of Arizona against Colorado, forcing the Buffs to shoot just 32% from the field and 26% from downtown.
 
Winning the Turnover Battle
Arizona has done a good job of winning the turnover battle as of late as they have committed more turnovers than their opponent just two times in the last 10 games. During that stretch, Arizona's turnover margin is +23. Against Oregon State, Arizona committed just four turnovers, which is the fewest in school history.
 
Barnes vs. Utah as a Player
Head coach Adia Barnes never faced Utah as a player.
 
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. Destiny Graham ranks third in the Pac-12 in free throw percentage (83%).
 
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