Published Mar 29, 2021
Game preview: Arizona seeking program's first Elite Eight win Monday
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Matt Moreno  •  GOAZCATS
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Arizona's women's basketball team has already made history this season by advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time in program history after beating second-seeded Texas A&M on Saturday evening. Now, the Wildcats (19-5) will seek out their first trip to the Final Four when they face No. 4 seed Indiana with the winner claiming the NCAA Tournament's Mercado Region.

Here is a look ahead to the monumental matchup for the Wildcats as they look to continue making history this season under head coach Adia Barnes.

Rundown

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Who: (3) Arizona (19-5; last game: 74-59 win over (2) Texas A&M) vs (4) Indiana (21-5; last game: 73-70 win over (1) NC State)

When: 6:00 p.m. MST

Where: Alamodome | San Antonio, Texas

TV: ESPN

All-time series: Tied 1-1; last meeting: Arizona win 87-70 (Dec. 12, 1999)

Favorite: Indiana (-2 1/2)

Arizona leaders vs Texas A&M
PlayerPointsReboundsAssists

Aari McDonald

31 (12-21 FGs)

5

1

Sam Thomas

9 (3-6 FGs)

0

4

Cate Reese

8 (3-9 FGs)

9

2

Trinity Baptiste

7 (3-8 FGs)

7

2

Arizona feeling no pressure entering Elite Eight

The Wildcats have had flashes of being the type of team that makes a deep run in the NCAA Tournament throughout the season, but when the regular season came to a close Arizona was going in the wrong direction. A strong couple weeks of practice changed that as Barnes' squad has flipped the switch and is playing better than it has at any other point this year.

Saturday's victory over the Aggies was a significant one for the program. UA was able to knock off a program that knows what it means to win in the postseason and is led by one of the most accomplished coaches in the history of the sport, Gary Blair.

Arizona is a program that was at the bottom of the Pac-12 just a few short years ago. Barnes has completely flipped the script in her fifth season at the helm of her alma mater, but tournament experience is certainly not on the team's side.

However, that hasn't mattered much through the first three games in San Antonio as the Wildcats have looked like a team that belongs.

Heading into the most significant game in the program's history Arizona is not taking the approach of simply being happy to be there.

"We're not afraid of anybody," Barnes said Sunday. "We play hard, we play 110% at all times, we play with passion and grit and we're tough. So, we're not afraid and we just go out and play. I don't feel like we had pressure yesterday. We know that everybody's good this time of year.

"We know that no one expected us to be here, so just go out and play. There's nothing to lose. They don't give you a medal for the Sweet 16, Elite Eight or just making the tournament so we want to go do something special. We believe we can do that."

McDonald making her presence felt

Arizona would not be in position to play for a spot in the Final Four without star guard Aari McDonald, both literally and in a broad sense. The senior from Fresno, who previously was part of a Washington team that made it to the Sweet 16 in 2017, led the Wildcats with 31 points in the win over Texas A&M on Saturday and was the only UA player to score in double figures.

She was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year and Co-Defensive Player of the Year this season and has been a catalyst for the Wildcats in every game this season. Barnes said earlier in the tournament that she expects stars to step up when it matters most and McDonald has certainly delivered for the Wildcats over the last two weeks.

She is averaging over 22 points per game so far in the NCAA Tournament to go with three steals per contest as well. If Arizona is going to win Monday night it will be McDonald who leads the team there, and she is certainly more than happy to be in that position.

"I'm confident in my abilities, and once I get going I'm hard to stop," McDonald said after her impressive scoring performance in the Sweet 16. "I think I'm hard to stop as it is, and I'm not being cocky at all. I'm just confident in what I can do. I'm just excited.

"I'm liking how things are looking. My teammates are stepping up at the right time. We're playing well together offensively and defensively, and the sky's the limit right now. Like coach said, we're here for the long haul. We do not want to go home, so it's do or die and we want to get to the championship game."

McDonald has scored in double figures in 90 consecutive games, which is the current longest streak in the country.

Yeaney not fazed by playing former team

Arizona guard Bendu Yeaney is part of one of the most intriguing story lines of Monday night's game. The Portland, Oregon native is in her first season with the Wildcats after spending two years at Indiana. What seemed like a long-shot chance of playing her former team has become a reality after the Hoosiers knocked off top-seeded North Carolina State on Saturday.

Yeaney made 69 starts during her time at Indiana, and in most situations she would be at least a year removed from having played with the team because of NCAA rules. However, she was cleared to play in her first season at UA after transferring just last year. So, her relationships with many of the people who will be on the other sideline Monday night are fresh.

For the UA junior she is keeping her focus on her current team with so much on the line.

"It's just another game," she said Saturday about the matchup with Indiana. "I know that's my old school and I have some teammates there, but we're just gonna take it as another game. We're trying to fight for a Final Four spot, so that's all it is."

Yeaney is coming off her best game of the NCAA Tournament having scored seven points and dished out four assists to go with two steals in the win over Texas A&M.

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