The University of Arizona men’s basketball team (18-8, 12-3 in Big 12) secured a bounce-back win on the road, defeating Baylor University 74-67 (16-10, 8-7 in Big 12) Monday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. in the Foster Pavilion in Waco, Texas.
The Wildcats secured this much-needed win after coming off two consecutive losses against Kansas State University and No. 5 University of Houston, forcing Arizona to drop six spots in the latest AP Top 25 rankings.
Tobe Awaka led the Wildcats, securing a double-double consisting of 14 points and 12 rebounds. Caleb Love and Henri Veesaar both contributed 13 points apiece. Additionally, Veesaar added on five rebounds, four assists and two steals.
First half
Arizona came out aggressively on the offensive half of the court, with Anthony Dell’Orso sinking a 3-pointer to put the Wildcats in a narrow 5-2 lead in early minutes of the game.
The Bears kept Arizona on their toes, consistently scoring in response to Wildcat baskets. Dell’Orso continued to find openings both from around the arc and beneath the hoop as well. He ended the game with 11 points, shooting 5-for-9 from the field.
Love found buckets from inside as well, contributing 4 points early on and gradually pulling Arizona into the lead in the first half of the period. However, Baylor’s defense kept him limited on shots, keeping him from going on a scoring streak. Love ended the game shooting 5-for-14 from the field.
The Bears edged into a 1-point lead with 8:42 left in the half. Baylor capitalized on fastbreaks, finding success in transition to help itself catch Arizona off guard. As the game progressed, it became more physical with fouls being dealt to both teams. Arizona found itself in foul trouble during the last few minutes of the first half, leading to player substitutions.
Awaka and Veesaar both played a crucial role beneath the hoop, getting shots off and rebounds. Love drained a 3-pointer in the final minute of the first period and Baylor responded with a deep dunk from VJ Edgecombe. The Wildcats led at the end of the half 41-33.
Second half
Baylor merged from halftime eager to close the gap Arizona had built. A flagrant foul was handed to Baylor’s Norchad Omier, causing an uproar from the crowd and amping up the energy in the arena.
Arizona managed to control its lead with more points coming from Dell’Orso and Awaka. Jaden Bradley brought the ball down court on transition, finding easy baskets from deep court. He ended with 8 points and three assists.
As fouls continued to be handed out, the Bears found success at the free-throw line. However, Arizona did not trail too far behind. Love continued to seize scoring opportunities with impressive dunks from inside the paint, contributing to his total of 13 points.
The Bears sank a 3-pointer with 11 minutes remaining of the game, earning a spike in energy and high-pressured defense against the WIldcats’ offense. In response, Arizona continued to find breakaways on transitions with players like Trey Townsend excelling down low. They were also successful on defensive boards, not allowing Baylor many second shot opportunities.
The Bears continued to apply offensive pressure, steadily closing the large gap between the two teams. As they narrowed the deficit to six points behind the Wildcats, a time out was called to disrupt the offensive frenzy that the Bears were on.
Baylor went on a 12 point scoring run, significantly reducing Arizona’s lead down to only four points with 7:39 left in play.
Love continued to score, shooting an impressive hook shot, adding points to Arizona’s score. With Baylor’s growing offensive efforts, these shots were crucial for the Wildcats to remain in the lead. Notably, Veesaar was a vital part in the final minutes with put back shots and finding lobs beneath the hoop to players like Awaka.
Baylor relied on fouls to gain back possession. Veesaar frequently made it to the free throw line, securing easy points for Arizona. As the game entered its final minute, the Bears had no choice but to foul the Wildcats, putting players like KJ Lewis and Carter Bryant on the line.
As the clock ran out, Arizona secured a 74-67 win, marking the Wildcats second victory over Baylor this season.
Looking ahead
The Wildcats return to McKale Center to take on BYU on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 8 p.m. Arizona defeated BYU 85-74 only six games prior in BYU’s home court.
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