Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Arizona’s defense smothers Auburn

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STORRS, Conn. — Freshman Jada Williams had 17 points, Helena Pueyo scored 14 of her 16 points in the second half and Arizona earned its fourth consecutiv­e opening win in the NCAA Tournament with a 69-59 victory over Auburn on Thursday night in the First Four.

Arizona (18-15) will move into the bracket as the No. 11 seed and will face sixth-seeded Syracuse on Saturday. The Wildcats improved to 8-3 in NCAA Tournament games under Coach Adia Barnes.

Auburn (20-12) was making its 22nd NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2019.

Arizona’s defense was the key to victory. The Wildcats entered ranked 22nd nationally in opponent turnovers, forcing 19.7 per game. Auburn’s 20th turnover came with 5:57 left in the third quarter before finishing with 23.

Auburn had 10 turnovers and just eight points in the first quarter before trailing 27-19 at the half after turning it over 17 times and shooting 32% from the floor.

Arizona opened the second half on an 8-2 run, with three-pointers from Esmery Martinez and Pueyo, to extend the lead to 35-21. The Wildcats led by 17 points, 4023, before Auburn scored the next eight points to get within single digits.

Pueyo made Arizona’s fourth consecutiv­e three-pointer of the third quarter for a 47-33 lead.

Auburn got within five points four times in the final five minutes, but could not get closer. Pueyo had a nice drive and pass to Skylar Jones, who finished a layup while being fouled to give Arizona a 66-59 lead. Jones grabbed an offensive rebound on Arizona’s next possession and made a wide-open layup for a seven-point lead with 1:24 left.

Martinez made all five of her shots to score 14 points and Jones, a freshman, finished with 13 for Arizona. Forward Breya Cunningham fouled out with 7:37 left in the fourth, but Arizona responded at the offensive end with baskets on back-to-back possession­s.

Honesty Scott-Grayson, averaging a team-high 17.4 points per game, was the lone double-digit scorer for Auburn with 13 points. She was 6 of 16 from the floor.

HOLY CROSS 72,

UT-MARTIN 45

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Senior Cara McCormack set career highs with 23 points and seven three-pointers, Bronagh Power-Cassidy added 15 points and Holy Cross secured its second NCAA Tournament win in program history, routing UT Martin in the First Four.

Holy Cross (21-12) has won five consecutiv­e games and seven of its last nine, including the Patriot League Tournament championsh­ip for the second consecutiv­e season. The Crusaders, in their 14th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, will move on and face top-seeded Iowa on Saturday.

UT Martin (16-17) was coming off a loss in the Ohio Valley Conference championsh­ip game, but received an automatic bid due to Southern Indiana’s ineligibil­ity. The Screaming Eagles are in the second year of the four-year reclassifi­cation to Division I and are ineligible to play in the tournament.

Holy Cross made 10 three-pointers in the first half — to tie its season high for an entire game. The Crusaders finished 12 of 32 from distance.

McCormack and Power-Cassidy combined to score 29 points on 10-of-19 shooting, in the first half, while UT Martin scored just 24 on 9-of-31 shooting. UT Martin shot just 28% in the first half, including 1 of 11 from threepoint range, and trailed 45-24.

UT Martin missed its first seven shots of the third quarter, and the lead for Holy Cross reached 30 points entering the fourth.

McCormack finished 7 of 10 from three-point range and Power-Cassidy, who was voted the Patriot League championsh­ip MVP for a second consecutiv­e year, made 3 of 10.

Anaya Brown led UT Martin with 15 points and Kenley McCarn, averaging a teamhigh 16.7 points, was held to 12 points.

The other NCAA Tournament victory for Holy Cross came on March 13, 1991, when the Crusaders defeated Maryland 81-74. It was the first women’s tournament win in Patriot League history.

 ?? (AP/Jeff Chiu) ?? Arizona guard Helena Pueyo scored 14 of her 16 points in the second half and the Wildcats earned their fourth consecutiv­e opening win in the NCAA Tournament with a 69-59 victory over Auburn on Thursday night in the First Four.
(AP/Jeff Chiu) Arizona guard Helena Pueyo scored 14 of her 16 points in the second half and the Wildcats earned their fourth consecutiv­e opening win in the NCAA Tournament with a 69-59 victory over Auburn on Thursday night in the First Four.

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