PHOENIX-Bad shooting nights are going to happen. But if rebounding and defense are still there, it’s manageable.
Top-ranked Arizona tested that theory on Saturday night,stinking up the joint offensively for most of the evening yet still coming away with another lopsided victory thanks to its defense and work on the glass.
Tobe Awaka and Motiejus Krivas combined for 28 rebounds, same as San Diego State’s entire team, in a 68-45 win in a Hall of Fame Series game at Mortgage Matchup Center. It was the UA’s sixth consecutive win by at least 20 points, their longest streak as 1942-43.
awaka had 15 rebounds,his fourth game with at least 15 this season,along with nine points in 22 minutes off the bench while Krivas had three points and 13 boards. The Wildcats (11-0) outrebounded SDSU 52-28, grabbing 20 offensive boards that resulted in 14 second-chance points.
Jaden Bradley and Koa Peat each had 11 points, while Brayden Burries, Anthony Dell’Orso and Ivan Kharchenkov had 10 apiece for Arizona, which shot just 37.9 percent and was 6 of 25 from 3. Three of those makes came in 4-minute stretch in the second half when the Wildcats pulled away after trailing by as many as eight in the first half.
SDSU (6-4) shot 26.3 percent, its worst shooting performance in 11 years, and was 1 of 14 from 3 after coming in shooting 41.3 percent.
Arizona missed its first nine 3-pointers before Dell’Orso swished one in the final minute of the first half to give his team a 28-27 halftime lead,ending on an 8-0 run. Four of the Wildcats’ first five shots after the break were from deep, all misses, before Peat dunked on a runout.
Arizona Wildcats Overcome Slow Start to Defeat San Diego State
The Arizona Wildcats rallied from an early deficit to defeat the San Diego State Aztecs, securing a decisive victory. A notable 12-2 run, fueled by three-pointers from Dwayne Aristode and two from Kylan Dell’Orso, propelled Arizona to a 53-36 lead with 8:31 remaining in the game. A putback slam by Motiejus Awaka extended the lead to 20 points with 4:49 left, solidifying the Wildcats’ control.
Arizona faced early struggles, starting just 4 of 16 from the field and falling behind 19-11 with 10:07 left in the first half – their largest deficit since trailing UCLA by eight on November 14th. forward Keshad Johnson picked up his second foul early and spent the remaining 11 minutes of the first half on the bench.
San Diego State briefly extended their lead to 27-20 with 2:36 remaining in the half. However, Arizona responded with a late surge. A series of plays, including a foul drawn by Caleb Bradley, resulted in free throws. Following Bradley making one of two free throws, San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher received a technical foul, allowing Dell’Orso to add another point from the free-throw line. Bradley then converted the second free throw, bringing Arizona within two points. Dell’Orso then hit a three-pointer off a screen from Uros Plavsic with 30.6 seconds left in the half, giving Arizona their first lead since early in the game (8-7).
dell’Orso proved crucial to the Wildcats’ comeback, contributing significantly to their scoring momentum.
arizona will next host Bethune-Cookman on Monday and South Dakota State on December 29th for their final two non-conference games.