It encapsulated how the game went for both teams. UNLV promptly launched another 3-pointer to push the lead to 18. With under two minutes to go in the game and a 15-point deficit, the Wildcats didn’t pressure the Rebels. And I think they just got us on our heels and we never knew how to respond.”
“Absolutely.I don’t know if it’s coming back from a long break or just, I think, surprise getting punched in the mouth first from the get-go. “Lack of toughness, lack of urgency, lack of fight,” Barnes said. Even as the clock ticked down at the end of the game, they didn’t make a strong stand on either end of the court. The Wildcats came out without much fire and never really heated up. So, I think we had a really tough time guarding the ball and staying disciplined and sticking to the game plan.” “It was off pure guarding the ball, not getting into rotation, and then when you’re in a rotation, you’re vulnerable on box outs. “We had a hard time guarding them and it wasn’t off of any plays,” Barnes said.
That was the case in a 72-53 loss to UNLV at the Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday evening. When the defense deserts them, though, they can be in deep trouble. When the Wildcats have played lockdown defense in the past, that philosophy has been successful for them even when they weren’t sharp offensively. Arizona head coach Adia Barnes wants the identity of her program to be defense.
