TUCSON, Ariz. -- Four Arizona players finished in double figures in scoring, but the Wildcats came up short in an 82-75 overtime loss to Iona at the Iona College Tip-Off Tournament on Friday.
Junior Candice Warthen led Arizona with 22 points while also dishing out four assists and recording three steals. Freshmen Ashley Merrill, LaBrittney Jones and Dejza James made impressive debuts, as Merrill scored 13 points, James had 11 and Jones recorded nine points and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds. Senior Kama Griffitts also scored in double digits with 13 points.
Iona led 35-30 at halftime, but Arizona went on a 15-0 run in the second half, a flurry in which six players scored. The Gaels then responded with a run of their own and managed to get within three with 14.4 seconds remaining.
From there, MAAC preseason player of the year Damika Martinez took over, hitting a game-tying 3-pointer with seven seconds left to send the game into overtime.
“Obviously, it was a disappointing loss,” Arizona head coach Niya Butts said. “We took control in the second half, and we did a lot of good things to get that lead but put them on the foul line, and they didn’t miss. We didn’t hit anything down the stretch from the foul line, and they hit a really tough shot at the end to send it into overtime.”
It was all Iona in overtime, as the momentum had shifted, and the Gaels outscored the Wildcats 14-7 to pull away.
Martinez and Joy Adams led Iona with 35 and 22 points, respectively. The Gaels were 20 for 24 (83 percent) from the free-throw line.
Arizona has a quick turnaround and be back on the court against Michigan on Saturday at 1 p.m. Eastern time.
