Provo, UTAH – The Arizona Wildcats secured their first Big 12 victory in a thrilling 57-53 win over BYU on Saturday afternoon at the Marriott Center. The win improves Arizona to 10-4 overall and 1-0 in Big 12 play.

Breya Cunningham led the way for the Wildcats on both ends, posting a career-high 21 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks. Jada Williams and Skylar Jones each added 11 points, with Jones also grabbing six rebounds. The Wildcats shot 43% from the field and continued their dominance in the paint, outscoring the Cougars 38-22.

Arizona's defensive efforts were key to the victory, forcing 18 turnovers and converting them into 19 points. BYU's Delaney Gibb led all scorers with 23 points, including five three-pointers.

How It Happened

The Wildcats started strong, jumping to a 12-point lead after the first quarter behind 47% shooting and a commanding defensive effort. Arizona controlled the paint early, outscoring BYU 10-6 in the first frame.

BYU responded in the second quarter, sparked by Delaney Gibb. Gibb knocked down three of her five three-pointers in the period as BYU outscored Arizona 22-7 to take a 30-25 halftime lead.

Arizona adjusted coming out of halftime, with Cunningham scoring eight points in the third quarter to help the Wildcats regain a slim lead. In a back-and-forth fourth quarter, Skylar Jones came up big with a fast-break layup off a turnover, and Cunningham's put-back layup with 20 seconds left sealed the game.

Arizona returns to action on December 31st against Utah as they continue Big 12 play.