Gardner-Webb University
Arizona
Long-Distance Shooting Sends Arizona Past Women's Basketball
December 21, 2015 | Women's Basketball
TRUJILLO ALTO, Puerto Rico- Alexus Hill totaled 14 points and Olivia Parker recorded a career-high five blocks but Arizona knocked down 8-of-16 from behind the three-point line including 5-of-7 in the second half in a 79-60 victory over the Gardner-Webb women's basketball team on Monday afternoon.
With the win, Arizona moves to 8-3 on the season, while Gardner-Webb drops to 6-5. This was the final game for the Runnin' Bulldogs in their five-day trip to Puerto Rico and will now have ten days off, before they host Bluefield College in their final non-conference game of the season.
Taryn Griffey scored a game-high 29 points to lead the Wildcats and knocked down 7-of-11 from behind the three-point arc, including 5-of-7 in the second half. LaBrittney Jones also had 14 for Arizona, while Candace Brown totaled 13 points, Parker had 12 and Tierra Huntsman added 10 points to round out the double-digit scorers for the Runnin' Bulldogs.
Arizona shot 47.0% from the field and outrebounded Gardner-Webb by a 44-24 margin, including holding a 19-8 advantage in offensive boards. Jones came off the bench for the Wildcats and chipped in 14 points and Malena Washington added nine points and five assists as the reserves totaled 35 points on the afternoon for Arizona compared to just nine for Gardner-Webb.
Huntsman connected on 7-of-10 from the free-throw line to lead the Runnin' Bulldogs, as Gardner-Webb was 20-of-29 from the charity stripe compared to just 9-of-13 for the Wildcats.
Gardner-Webb headed to the locker room trailing by just seven, 31-24, but Arizona put the game out of reach shooting 54.5% in the second half and outrebounded the Runnin' Bulldogs 22-4.
The Runnin' Bulldogs jumped out to a quick 6-2 lead over the first four minutes of the period and extended their lead to 11-5 on Hill's layup with 4:57 left, but Arizona would claw back and Washington's three-pointer at the buzzer gave the Wildcats a 16-14 advantage after the first ten minutes.
Hill's jumper tied the game at 18 for GWU and the ensuing free-throw gave the home team a one point lead, but Arizona would reel off a quick 7-0 run over the next five minutes. Huntsman drilled a long three-pointer with five seconds left in the half to cut the Arizona lead to seven (31-24) at the halftime break.
Arizona would continue to hold the lead for the entire third period and Gardner-Webb trailed by just one with 1:45 to go on Brown's three-point play, but the Wildcats ended the quarter on a 7-0 run and would lead 49-42 after 30 minutes of action.
Gardner-Webb stayed within striking distance of the Wildcats keeping the defecit to single digits, but Griffey drilled three shots from behind the arc over the game's final five minutes to send the Wildcats to a 79-60 victory.
The Runnin' Bulldogs will now have 10 days off before they return to action on Dec. 31 when they host Bluefield College at 3:30 p.m.
