Cate Reese has career night as Arizona routs Tennessee State for first 10-0 start in school history

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There have been a lot of firsts for the Arizona Wildcats under Adia Barnes.

Check another one off the list.

No. 18 Arizona blew out Tennessee State 77-42 on Thursday in front of 3,891 to capture its first-ever 10-0 start.

It hasn’t been all that difficult. All 10 wins have been by double figures and by an average of 31.3 points.

Sophomore forward Cate Reese, the reigning Pac-12 Player of the Week, poured in a career-high 23 points Thursday, including 12 in the first quarter, helping the Wildcats build an early double-digit lead that they’d never relinquish.

Reese went 9 for 13 from the field and swished a pair of 3s. She toppled her previous career-high of 22 points late in the third quarter when she buried two free throws to put Arizona up 57-25.

UA’s defense, which entered No. 1 in the country in opponent field-goal percentage, was as disruptive as usual.

Alternating between man and zone but never wavering with their ball pressure, the Wildcats held TSU, one of the worst teams in the country, to 26 percent shooting and forced 23 turnovers, resulting in 24 points the other way.

Arizona was uncharacteristically sloppy with the ball, with 24 turnovers of their own. Aari McDonald had seven, all in the first half. The redshirt junior had 17 points (4-12 FG) and a game-high 12 rebounds, her second double-double of the season.

Arizona doubled up TSU on the glass (48-24) and outscored them 40-14 in the paint. The Wildcats shot 50 percent.

Dominique McBryde (ankle), Tee Tee Starks (shoulder), and Sevval Gül (concussion) all remain out. Mara Mote (ankle) didn’t play Thursday, either.

McBryde, a starter, is expected to be out for another week or two. The others are day-to-day.

The Wildcats have plenty of time to heal as they are off for nine days before they host UC Santa Barbara on Dec. 21 to wrap up the non-conference season.

This story will be updated.

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