Allonzo Trier helped lead the Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball team to a 49-36 halftime lead Friday over NAU during the season opener in the McKale Center.

The junior shooting guard paced Arizona’s offense early on, scoring 10 points in the first four and a half minutes of the game. Trier also had three assists to Deandre Ayton and he finished the half on a fast-break slam dunk to give him 22 points, six away from tying his career high of 28. 

Deandre Ayton also had 12 points for the Wildcats at the half, six of them assisted by Trier. 

Arizona’s offense looks sharp, as they shot 64 percent from the floor and 40 percent from deep. However NAU kept the game within arms length and shot 44 percent from the floor. Arizona closed out the half up 13.

Arizona is only playing with eight scholarship players tonight, as senior forward Keanu Pinder joins the growing list of Wildcats on the bench after he was suspended one game for violating NCAA rules. Assistant coach Mark Phelps was also suspended five games without pay for violation of NCAA rules. Arizona confirmed the suspensions in a statement released before the game, but gave no additional information.