Arizona's first road game of the season turned into a battle.

The sixth-ranked Wildcats had to come back from a double-digit deficit once again this season as Colorado controlled the game for most of the night Friday. Eventually, UA (5-0, 4-0 Pac-12) was able to make enough plays late to pull out the 62-59 victory over the Buffaloes (3-4, 1-3) at CU Events Center in Boulder.

Star senior guard Aari McDonald was once again the catalyst for UA's comeback victory as she scored all but three of her 24 points in the second half of the game. She also had eight rebounds and two assists in the win.

"It started off on the defensive end for us, that got our runs going," McDonald said about how the Wildcats were able to escape with another come-from-behind victory. "Sam (Thomas) got a block. We secured some good possessions, some good rebounds. It started on the defensive end. We just gotta buckle down."

Friday's game marked the third contest in Pac-12 play that Arizona found itself down by double digits in the second half and the second in which it was down by at least 10 in the third quarter. In wins over USC and UCLA, the Wildcats used big performances in the third quarter to pull back and take a lead.

However, Friday night the Buffaloes were pesky and extended their lead late in the third. Eventually, UA turned to McDonald and reserve guard Shaina Pellington to guide a comeback early in the final quarter with the Wildcats ultimately taking the lead on a basket from Pellington with 5:50 to play erasing a nine-point lead to start the fourth.

The redshirt junior is finally this season after transferring to Arizona from Oklahoma. She began the season as one of UA's starters, but early struggles sent her to the bench as a reserve for the Wildcats. Pellington looked like the player the team has seen in practice when she helped pull the team to a win against Colorado on Friday night.

"Shaina came in and Shaina was huge for us," head coach Adia Barnes said. "She was one of the reasons why we won this game. She came in and gave us a spark. She only had seven points, but they were seven huge points. ... I think Shaina is very motivated right now, which she should be.

"I'm glad she came in and played how she could play."

The Wildcats are now 4-0 in Pac-12 play but three of the four games have been far from easy. Slow starts have nearly gotten the better of Barnes' team, and she knows that with a matchup against No. 1 Stanford looming her group needs to make improvements soon if it wants to remain unbeaten.

"We need to jell now," the UA head coach said. "Normally you have more time to work out the kinks and get a rotation. We don't have time for that. ... We need to get better. I think in the next two weeks we have to improve some things in order to beat teams like Stanford. Playing the way we play now we can't always rely on getting in a deficit and coming back.

"That's not good. So, we have to get better. There's some specific areas we need to get better in and we will."

Barnes added that she views her teams competitiveness and ability to fight back in games as one of the "bright spots" for her team early, but she is still looking for the group to improve.

UA is back in action Sunday at noon (MST) against Utah as the Wildcats head to Salt Lake City to wrap up their Mountain road trip.

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