No. 4 Arizona Comes Back to Beat Washington 91-75 Love Scores 28
Tucson, Arizona No. 4 Arizona defeated Washington 91-75 on Saturday, bouncing back from their first home loss of the season behind 28 points from Caleb Love, who reached 2,000 points for his career.
Thursday night, the Wildcats (21-6, 12-4 Pac-12) suffered their first home loss of the season at McKale Center, falling 77-74 to No. 21 Washington State.
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In their last game as Pac-12 members at McKale Center, Arizona bounced back early, outplaying the Huskies with a near-perfect opening 7 1/2 minutes to take a 17-point lead.
Following a quiet first half, Oumar Ballo of Arizona commanded the paint, with 14 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks as the Wildcats successfully repelled every Washington attempt. After a setback, Arizona is undefeated under head coach Tommy Lloyd and has won 99 straight games without dropping a pair—the third-longest run in Pac-12 history.
VIEW: Ballo, Love After the Game
After blowing a 25-point lead, the Huskies (15-13, 7-10) defeated Arizona State 84-82 in overtime on Thursday night to begin their two-game desert tour. After falling behind by 23, Washington tried in vain to recover from the significant early deficit against Arizona for the majority of the afternoon, managing to pull no closer than nine points.
With 17 points, six rebounds, and five assists, Koren Johnson led the Huskies.
In Arizona’s defeat against Washington State, there were several instances of dubious shot selection. When playing the Huskies early on, the Wildcats had no such issues. Arizona controlled the offensive with such skill that they made their first seven shots, started 11 of 12, and took a 27-11 lead. After taking the early knockout blow, Washington rallied, scoring a 10-0 run to close the gap to 42-31.
VIEW: Lloyd’s postgame
However, Arizona continued to make baskets and even had assistance from, Braxton Mea a big guy for Washington, who unintentionally tipped the ball into his own hoop.
In the first half, the Wildcats made 18 of 34 shots, including 6 of 10 from three, to take a 52-35 lead. Arizona left
Using a 14-2 run, the Huskies closed the gap to 69-60 while limiting the Wildcats to only 1 of 10 shots in the rally. Arizona’s offensive woes persisted, but they increased their defensive pressure and extended their advantage to sixteen again.
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Washington: After falling short against Arizona State in the second half, the Huskies faced an uphill climb for the most of the afternoon to wrap up their final Pac-12 desert trip.
Arizona: The Wildcats, who lost their first home game, bounced back nicely with an eighth straight victory over Washington. However, they will probably fall one or two spots in Monday’s AP Top 25.
Next up
Washington: This Thursday night, they host UCLA.
Arizona: Spends Wednesday night visiting rival Arizona State.
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