Arizona women’s basketball has four players averaging double-digit scoring this year and another just under 10 points per game. With one of those players out of commission against Weber State on Monday evening, the question was who would pick up the scoring.
The answer came from an unexpected source with Sahnya Jah having the best game of her career to help lead Arizona to a 87-66 victory over the other Wildcats. Jah was one of four UA players who ended with 10+ points, only two of which average that many.
Jah had a career-high 22 points on 9-for-20 shooting, including 3 for 6 from 3-point distance. Her 10 rebounds—also a career high—gave her a double-double. She added one assist.
“Her 3-point shot has improved,” said Arizona head coach Adia Barnes. “I think she is more under control, not turning the ball over as much. I think valuing each possession. I think she’s improved a lot.”
With starters Breya Cunningham and Isis Beh saddled with foul trouble again, Jah not only hit from outside but also gave Arizona much-needed punch inside. Cunningham fouled out in just 12 minutes on the court. Beh had three fouls in the first half and fouled out in 18 minutes of play.
“Jah’s an athlete, and she can guard multiple positions,” Barnes said. “So when we have her playing like that defensively, giving that energy, she even dove on the floor today. I mean, just those little things, and we laugh but those little things matter. It’s effort. It’s intensity and focus. And we need that, because we’re going to guard teams that have versatile post players. They can face up, and she’s one of the few that can defend that. So she’s really important for us moving forward, especially entering in the conference.”
Jah bested her previous scoring high of 17 points against NAU earlier this season. Her previous high in rebounds was set when she was at South Carolina. She had seven against Mississippi Valley State last season.
Sharing the scoring load was point guard Jada Williams, who also went off for a career high with 24 points on 8-for-15 shooting. She went 4 for 7 from beyond the arc. Her scoring bested the 23 points she had against Stanford last season.
Williams led the team with seven assists and shared the team lead with four steals. She added two rebounds. She also got one questionable technical foul.
The point guard didn’t pick up any fouls until the second half. With just 3:22 left in the game, teammate Erin Tack fouled a Weber State player. As the opposing player lay on the ground, she grabbed Williams’ foot and pulled her down. It didn’t make the UA guard very happy, but she did not appear to curse at the player or the refs based on the replay. Nonetheless, the officials announced that she was being given a technical for “taunting” and was immediately drowned out by the boos raining down in McKale Center.
“Usually, if I get a tech, I could be like, ‘Okay, that was a tech.’” Williams said. “But this one, I didn’t say no cuss words. And then I just said, ‘Don’t grab my foot. That’s dangerous.’ And they said it was taunting. But I’m not tripping. I play with passion. It’s gonna happen. It’s okay.”
Paulina Paris got into the scoring groove, as well. She had 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting, including 2 for 3 from distance. She had two rebounds, three assists, four steals, and one block.
It didn’t look like it was going to be Paris’ night. She injured her ankle in warmups and looked to be in a great deal of pain.
“We were warming up, doing the stretches we normally do, and…I wasn’t facing the court, because it was like backwards open,” Paris said. “And I heard somebody say, ‘Ball,’ but I didn’t think it was near me. And then I came down on it, and at that point, there’s nothing I could do about it. So twisted it, but I’ll be good.”
She returned and played 19 minutes without any noticeable impact on her movement.
Mailien Rolf also hit double-digit scoring with 11 points. The freshman guard was a perfect 5 for 5 from the floor including hitting her only 3-point shot. She added a rebound, an assist, and three steals.
Williams started the game hot, scoring 8 of the first 10 Arizona points. When she left at the 2:34 mark in the first quarter, Jah was one of the players who came in. She took over where her teammate left off, immediately hitting a 3-pointer and then getting a putback on a missed shot by Lauryn Swann.
Jah continued the hot streak, hitting another 3 to get Arizona’s first points of the second quarter. Her next points came on the box out and offensive rebound following Paris’ missed free throw. She missed the first putback attempt but kept at it, getting another offensive board and scoring the basket.
After a rough start to the season, which included missing the GCU game, Jah looked has like a different player and person the past week both in games and at practice. She credited it to a change in her mindset.
“Just really my confidence and just stop getting in my head,” Jah said. “So just really my teammates telling me to stay confident.”
Arizona played without Skylar Jones, who is trying to recover from plantar fasciitis.
“If we would have been in the Big 12, she would have played today,” Barnes said. “But right now she doesn’t have to. We want to rest her up and have her healthy for the Big 12, and this is the perfect time to do it. And it gives other people a chance to step up and be able to play without her.”
The other players were ready and they did step up. It was the most encouraging thing for Barnes.
“The first thing I liked and I complimented and talked to the team about was in shootaround, their energy and their focus for the game, which is very hard this time of year,” Barnes said. “If you talk to any coach in the country, this is that time of year where it’s the mental block for these players, players this age—the finals, it’s almost Christmas, but it’s not Christmas, it’s been a long season and you’re getting ready to really start your real season. Because I think it’s hard mentally for players, especially freshmen. It’s that wall. So they had great energy at shootaround. They were focused for the game and ready to play, and that’s a growth thing for us.”
The Wildcats now get ready for Big 12 play. They go to BYU to open the conference season on Saturday, Dec. 21 before taking a week off for the holidays.