Arizona handles USC for fifth straight win

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A rare sweep of the LA schools

Cate Reese had 18 points and 17 rebounds and Aari McDonald overcame a slow start to drop 20 points and eight assists as No. 16 Arizona beat USC 73-57 on Sunday for its fifth straight win and first sweep of the LA schools in 15 years.

The Wildcats improve to 18-3 overall and 7-3 in the Pac-12 heading into a daunting road trip at No. 3 Oregon and No. 10 Oregon State.

Arizona, which led by as many as 14 in the first half, shot 63 percent in the second half to pull away after USC narrowed the deficit to four heading into the final quarter.

Dominique McBryde poured in 10 of her 14 points in the fourth, her first time scoring in double figures this season.

McDonald did not make her first field goal until she opened the third quarter with a layup, snapping an 0-for-6 skid. She quickly drove for two more baskets to extend Arizona’s lead to 39-27 with 7:39 left in the third, and wound up scoring 11 points in the period, making all five of her field-goal attempts.

Reese opened the fourth quarter with two free throws, then made two more to make it 61-51 with 6:53 left. She went 6 for 10 from the field.

A 10-0 run with baskets from McDonald, McBryde and Sam Thomas pushed the lead to 73-55 with 2:04 left. McDonald capped it by flinging a one-handed pass to a rolling McBryde for a layup.

McDonald also had six steals and only committed two turnovers, tying her season low for the second straight game.

With McDonald struggling to find her shot early on, Arizona relied on a balanced attack. Seven different Wildcats scored in the first quarter alone. Helena Pueyo capped the period by driving and kicking to fellow Spaniard Lucia Alonso for a corner 3 that gave Arizona a 18-8 lead.

It grew to 24-10 before USC finally got some contributions from someone other than Alissa Pili. After she accounted for USC’s first 10 points, Endyia Rogers, Aliyah Jeune and Alyson Miura hit consecutive 3s to make it a five-point game midway through the second quarter.

Miura hit again from the corner to make it 28-24, but Thomas drilled a 3 from the top of the arc to push UA’s lead to 31-25 at the break. Both teams shot under 35 percent in the first half.

The Wildcats scored the first six points of the third quarter to briefly restore a double-digit lead. Pili scored at the buzzer to pull USC within 50-46 to begin the fourth and finished with 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting.

McBryde spun for a layup and sank a 3 to make it 57-50 with 8:21 left, and later scored underneath to make it 65-55, kickstarting the game-sealing 10-0 run.

Arizona outrebounded USC 35-27 and won the turnover battle 14-9. Sophomore Semaj Smith had eight rebounds off the bench.

This story will be updated.

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