Arizona comeback falls short versus Vanderbilt

A 7-0 Vanderbilt run to begin the second half extended their lead to 38-18 before a furious Arizona run cut the lead to one in the fourth quarter. Vanderbilt closed the game on a 13-4 run to finally pull away for a 71-60 win. Arizona drops to 6-2 with the loss and will play California in the third place game on Wednesday.

Turnovers continued to plague Arizona. The Wildcats committed 26 turnovers that led to 29 Vanderbilt points. Vanderbilt was 23 for 31 from the free throw line and Arizona was six for 11. Khamil Pierre had game highs of 25 points and 15 rebounds on 10-18 from the floor.

Mikayla Blakes led Vanderbilt in the first half with 16 points and finished with 23. Jada Williams had 20 points for Arizona and Breya Cunningham scored 17 with nine rebounds. Blakes, Cunningham, Pierre and Williams were the only players who scored in double figures on Tuesday.

Vanderbilt had a 15-7 lead at the end of the first quarter and closed the second quarter with a 7-0 run to extend their lead to 31-18 at halftime. Arizona shot 30.8 percent from the floor, made 2-9 three-point attempts and had 14 turnovers in abysmal offensive first half. Vanderbilt shot 37.9 percent in the first half and was 4-9 on threes.

Arizona chipped away slightly and pulled within 50-37 at the end of the third quarter. The Wildcats began the fourth quarter with a 16-3 run to cut the deficit to 53-52 with 5:16 remaining in the game. The game was tight until Vanderbilt closed the game strong for a decisive victory.

Arizona will tip off versus California at 11:30 Mountain Time and 10:30 AM in Palm Springs. California lost 78-72 to Michigan State in the first semifinal on Tuesday. Michigan State outscored California 30-12 in the fourth quarter. California enters Wednesday's game with a 6-1 record.