By Pricilia Mugwa
Jada Williams Shines Despite Tough Losses to Vanderbilt and Cal
(Photo Courtesy: Arizona Athletics/by Catherine Regan)
PALM SPRINGS (CA) — The Arizona Wildcats women’s basketball team faced a challenging pair of games at Acrisure Arena, falling to both Vanderbilt and California in closely contested matchups.
In Tuesday’s game against Vanderbilt, Arizona (6-2) fell 71-60 despite standout performances from Jada Williams and Breya Cunningham. Williams delivered a season-high 20 points and a career-high six steals while playing nearly 39 minutes. Breya Cunningham added a season-high 17 points and nine rebounds, including four on the offensive glass.
Arizona trailed 31-18 at halftime but showed resilience in the second half, outscoring Vanderbilt in the fourth quarter (23-21). However, the early deficit proved too much to overcome.
HIGHLIGHTS: Vanderbilt 71, Arizona 60
Vanderbilt’s Khamil Pierre led the Commodores with a dominant double-double, scoring 25 points and grabbing 15 rebounds, while Mikayla Blakes contributed 23 points.
The Wildcats returned to the court Wednesday morning to take on Cal but fell 74-62 in another hard-fought game.
Missing starting post Breya Cunningham due to a family emergency, Arizona relied on sophomore Sahnya Jah, who made her first career start and recorded 13 points, five rebounds, and four steals. Williams led the team again with 18 points, while Skylar Jones added 12 points and Paulina Paris contributed nine points, two assists, and two steals.
Arizona started strong, taking a 21-17 lead in the first quarter while shooting 52.9% from the field and forcing nine turnovers. However, Cal surged ahead in the second quarter, leading 37-31 at halftime. The Wildcats mounted a 9-0 run in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to one point behind a three-pointer from Paris and a layup by Williams.
Despite shooting 54.5% in the quarter, Arizona struggled to contain Cal’s Ugonna Oniyah, who finished with a game-high 25 points and 13 rebounds on 11-of-14 shooting.
The Wildcats forced 21 turnovers in the game, converting them into 25 points, but ultimately couldn’t overcome Cal’s dominance in the paint.
Arizona (6-3) will return home to host Seattle on Monday at 6 p.m. MST, aiming to regroup and capitalize on their recent experience.
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