After starting the game, going 2-6 from the field, Arizona kicked its offense into another gear by hitting its next four shots. From that point on, the Wildcats stayed sharp from the field, winning 84-25 over Eastern New Mexico.

"We have so many weapons, and we can score in a lot of different ways. We're going to have like four or five players on the bench that could be starters," said coach Adia Barnes during her postgame press conference. "So it's going to be hard to choose who starts the game, but we're going to have a starting group, then we're going to have a group that's like starters off the bench. And we're really deep; I think we shoot the ball better. We kind of got cold in the second half, but we still have a lot of great shooting weapons. And we have a really good post presence and I don't think I've had so many shooters and post players in one year, so it's a good problem."

Arizona started the game by rolling out a lineup with Shaina Pellington, Bendu Yeaney, Sam Thomas, Cate Reese and Lauren Ware. The group combined for 32 points and shot 46 percent from the field.

Last season, Yeaney struggled to soot the ball and ended the year shooting 34 percent from the field. Thursday night, she showed that she had been working on her shot this off-season and went 4-4 from the field and knocked down one 3-pointer, scoring nine points in the game.

"It was really important for Bendu to shoot the ball because she's a phenomenal athlete. We know what we're going to get with Bendu, which is consistency," said Barnes. "And that's really important as a coach, and she's a great defender and great athlete. So just being able to shoot the ball makes her hard to guard. And I think you saw that; those are shots she wouldn't have taken last year."

The offense was sparked by the sharpshooting duo of Oregon transfer Taylor Chavez and Madison Conner, who went a combined 6-13 from the 3-point line.

Chavez finished her night with 12 points, two assists and two rebounds while playing a combination of point and shooting guard, while Conner finished with 12 points, three rebounds and an assists.

"Taylor is so smart. There's a reason why she's on watch lists. And she's also really experienced. She can play multiple positions, and she plays with a lot of poise. She's just pretty steady and played today, the one and the two and shot the ball really well," said Barnes.

The shooting ability from behind the arc opened the floor for Arizona to score 34 points in the paint and transfer forward Ariyah Copeland led the way with her 11 points and six rebounds.

"I feel like having shooters like Maddie and I adds a whole other dimension because now you can't help off of us in the corner, that leaves wide open lanes for the point guard or our two-guard to drive. It leaves way more space for the post because their not going to get doubled," said Chavez. "So I feel like it really spreads out the offense a lot more and creates a lot of opportunities for others, whether because I'm sure there'll be some games where Maddie and I don't get a shot because we're getting faceguard, but now we're playing four-on-four which makes for plenty more opportunities for everybody else."

Besides being two skilled shooters off the bench, Chavez and Conner have something else in common, they both came from local high schools in the state of Arizona. Now, they are representing the state in the Wildcats uniform.

"I mean, we grew up competing against each other. We go back home and play pickleball together; we were coached by one of the same coaches. So she's like my sister to me and now even more that we're on the same team together," Conner on her friendship with Chavez.

Arizona will have one more final exhibition game before the regular season on Friday against Arizona Christian at 6:30 p.m. local time.

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