There’s no such thing as an ugly conference road win where you lead by double digits for more than 19 minutes in the second half. But if there was, Arizona showed what it would look like. The top-ranked Wildcats jumped out to a big lead early and then spent the rest of the day withstanding […]
There’s no such thing as an ugly conference road win where you lead by double digits for more than 19 minutes in the second half. But if there was, Arizona showed what it would look like.
The top-ranked Wildcats jumped out to a big lead early and then spent the rest of the day withstanding multiple comeback attempts by TCU in a 86-73 road win on Saturday afternoon.
Arizona (16-0, 3-0 Big 12) matched its second-best start to a season in school history and, combined with previously unbeaten Michigan’s home loss to Wisconsin, should have a much firmer hold on the No. 1 spot in the next Associated Press Top 25. The last poll had the UA with only a one-point lead over Michigan and a 32-29 edge in first-place votes.
Koa Peat had 20 points, his most since dropping 30 on defending NCAA champion Florida in his collegiate debut, while Jaden Bradley and Anthony Dell’Orso had 17 apiece. Bradley was scoreless in the first half but was 6 of 8 from the field after halftime despite dealing with foul trouble.
The UA shot 50.7 percent, 54.8 percent in the 2nd half, and was 7 of 16 from 3 after going 3 for 16 in the last game against Kansas State.
TCU (11-5, 1-2) got 20 points off the bench from Tanner Toolson and shot 42.4 percent. The Horned Frogs were 6 of 21 from 3.
Arizona never trailed and led by at least 10 for more than 32 minutes but wasn’t able to fully blowout TCU like it had the previous 10 opponents. The 13-point margin was its fewest since winning 71-67 at UConn on Nov. 19.
The UA led 43-27 at halftime, the fifth straight game it’s held a double-digit lead at the break, but a 7-0 run by TCU to start the 2nd half got it down to single digits for the first time since the 12:43 mark of the 1st half. Tommy Lloyd called timeout and after the break the Wildcats scored seven in a row and forced Jamie Dixon to call his own timeout.
Arizona extended it back out to 20 but then made only one basket over the next four minutes and the Horned Frogs cut it to 59-47. TCU then got within 10 with just over nine minutes left.
Bradleypicked up his fourth foul with 8:20 to go, and a 3 byToolson got TCU within 65-58 with 6:56 remaining. But then Dell’Orso canned a 3 and Peat hit a turnaround jumper to key a 7-0 run.
The margin remained at least 11 the rest of the way, and when Bradley came back in with 4:19 remaining he scored six in a row and 10 of 14 to help close it out.
Arizona’s first 11 shots were inside the arc, and its aggressiveness to the basket led to four early fouls on TCU guards, including starter Jayden Pierre. The Horned Frogs had to loosen up, which let the UA go on an 11-2 run to lead 19-8.
That run included a 3 by Brayden Burries with 13:11 left in the first half. Arizona didn’t hit its first 3 against Kansas State until the 11:32 mark of the second half.
A 3 byDell’Orso from the TCU logo late in the shot clock was part of a 7-0 run for a 26-9 lead, and the Wildcats were up 20 before the under-8 media timeout. But it was shortly before that when Awaka appeared to get injured diving on the floor for a loose ball that resulted in a tie-up and the UA retaining possession.
Awaka limped off the floor, was looked at on (and behind) the bench by trainer Justin Kokoskie and then taken to the locker room. He returned to the bench a few minutes later and re-entered with 4:17 left in the first half.
The lead got up to 21 before Arizona went more than four minutes without scoring. TCU went on an 11-2 run to get within 39-27 before the Wildcats scored the final four points of the first half.
The UA returns home Wednesday to host ASU. The Sun Devils (10-6, 1-2) snapped a 4-game skid by beating Kansas State on Saturday.
Category: General Sports
