TUCSON, Ariz. (Interstat) — Mickayla Perdue scored 34 points to lead Arizona to an 89-70 women’s basketball victory over Chicago State on Monday night at McKale Center. The Wildcats (8-2) never trailed, opening a 29-19 lead after the first quarter and maintaining a double-digit advantage for the final three periods. Arizona shot 52.5% from the field and converted 20 of 24 free throws. Aiyanna Culver led the Cougars (1-10) with 23 points. Chicago State committed 30 turnovers, which Arizona converted into 31 points. Tanyuel Welch added 18 points for the Wildcats, and Lani Cornfield had 15 points and seven assists. Attendance was 5,219.

TUCSON, Ariz. (Interstat) — Mickayla Perdue scored 34 points and No. 23 Arizona used a dominant first quarter to set the tone in an 89-70 victory over Chicago State in a nonconference women’s basketball game Monday night at McKale Center. The Wildcats, improving to 8-2, raced out to a 29-19 lead after the opening period and never looked back, leading by as many as 24 points in the fourth quarter before a late Cougars push narrowed the final margin. Arizona’s efficient offense, which posted a 103.0 rating on 86 possessions, proved too much for a Chicago State team that fell to 1-10. The most important sequence of the game came early, as Arizona established immediate control. After Chicago State’s Natalia Williams lost the opening tip, the Wildcats scored the game’s first seven points, capped by a Perdue 3-pointer. The Cougars briefly responded, but a 10-2 Arizona run midway through the quarter, fueled by transition baskets and forced turnovers, stretched the lead to 21-11. Arizona closed the period on an 8-2 spurt, with Tanyuel Welch converting a layup just before the buzzer for a 10-point advantage. That early cushion allowed the Wildcats to play with confidence and withstand Chicago State’s highest-scoring quarter, a 24-point third. Perdue, a 5-foot-6 guard from Springfield, Ohio, was the catalyst, adding one assist in 38 minutes. Her performance followed a 27-point outing in a win over Eastern Kentucky last week. She was supported by Tanyuel Welch, who had 18 points, and Lani Cornfield, who contributed 15 points and seven assists. Arizona shot 52.5% from the field and was a sharp 20 of 24 from the free-throw line. Chicago State was led by Aiyanna Culver, who scored 23 points and dished out six assists. Tally Williams added 13 points off the bench. The Cougars struggled with ball security, committing 30 turnovers which Arizona converted into 15 steals and 26 points off turnovers. Despite shooting 48.2% from the floor, Chicago State’s 80.0 offensive rating and minus-10 turnover differential proved insurmountable. Arizona’s defense was particularly disruptive in the first half, forcing 17 Cougar turnovers. While Chicago State found more offensive rhythm after halftime, cutting a 16-point halftime deficit to 12 late in the third quarter, the Wildcats answered every run. A key 9-2 burst early in the fourth quarter, featuring five points from Perdue, pushed the lead back to 19 and effectively sealed the game. The Wildcats finished with advantages in assists (15-11) and steals (15-11). Chicago State won the rebounding battle 34-28, including a 7-4 edge on the offensive glass, but it was not enough to overcome the turnover disparity. A crowd of 5,219 at McKale Center saw Arizona bounce back from a home loss to New Mexico in its previous outing. The Wildcats will host Bellarmine on Thursday. Chicago State, which has lost 10 of its last 11 games since a season-opening win, continues a road trip at Utah Tech on Wednesday.

TUCSON, Ariz. (Interstat) — The Arizona Wildcats, riding a potent offense, will look to capitalize on a favorable nonconference matchup when they host the struggling Chicago State Cougars in women’s basketball Monday night at McKale Center. Arizona (7-2) enters off a narrow 87-83 home win over Eastern Kentucky last Wednesday, a game that showcased the team’s high-scoring capability but also its recent defensive vulnerabilities. The Wildcats have surrendered an average of 73 points over their last three contests. The focal point of Arizona’s attack is guard Lani Cornfield, who is coming off a 22-point, 8-assist performance against Eastern Kentucky. Over her last five games, Cornfield is averaging 16.8 points and 7.2 assists, serving as the primary engine for a Wildcats offense that has eclipsed 80 points in five of its seven victories. Chicago State (1-8) arrives in Tucson mired in an eight-game losing streak since its season-opening win. The Cougars are allowing 78.2 points per game during the skid and are coming off a 57-85 loss at Bradley on Dec. 7. Guard Keona McGee is the player to watch for the Cougars. She leads the team in scoring at 10.8 points per game over her last five outings, including a 16-point effort at Western Illinois last month. Support has been inconsistent, however, with Kayla Mount (11 points vs. Bradley) being one of the few other recent bright spots. The game represents a final tune-up for Arizona before a Thursday clash with Bellarmine and a significant pre-Christmas test against Utah. For Chicago State, it is the second leg of a difficult Western road swing before returning home later this month. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. MST at McKale Center.