Citizen Staff Writer
KEN BRAZZLE
kbrazzle@tucsoncitizen.com
The Arizona women’s basketball team pulled its biggest vanishing act of the season against Oregon State on Thursday.
UA was tied with OSU at 25 late in the first half, but it went downhill after that in a 63-55 loss to the Beavers at McKale Center.
“The first 10 minutes I thought we were aggressive,” said Arizona coach Niya Butts. “We bothered them on the perimeter. They passed up shots that they couldn’t get off.
“After that they got anything they wanted. We didn’t locate shooters.”
UA (8-13, 1-9) is next in action at noon Saturday when it hosts Oregon.
OSU (13-7, 4-6) shot 50 percent (8 of 16) from three-point range. The Beavers were especially hot in the first half, converting 7 of 12 field goals.
“We had a series of defensive possessions where we played solid but overall it was poor,” Butts said. “For whatever reason, we just didn’t have it. We have to go back to the drawing board and figure out what we have to do to change it.”
OSU went on an 18-2 run to take a 43-27 lead and eventually opened up an 18-point lead in the second half.
Arizona forward Ify Ibekwe also found it hard to explain where the intensity disappeared.
“We hit them first and then it was like ‘wow.’ They started attacking us back,” Ibekwe said. “They started shooting their threes.”
Courtney Clements led UA with 15 points, while Ibekwe chipped in with 14.
Oregon State got 20 points from Brittney Davis. She hit 5 of 7 three-pointers.
> Box score, 7C