The University of Arizona men’s basketball team won 81-68 over Saint Mary’s College of California on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 2 p.m. This exhibition match is the Wildcats’ first matchup this season after putting on the Red-Blue Showcase on Oct. 3.
Senior guard Jaden Bradley led the game with 23 points, hitting 7-of-11 of his shots from the field, including 2-of-2 of his 3-pointers. Senior guard Anthony Dell’Orso followed with 13 points and two rebounds. Junior center Motiejus Krivas saw over 30 minutes of playing time, acquiring a double-double, consisting of 11 points and 17 rebounds.
“I wanted to make sure [the] guys got a lot of reps today and I didn’t want you know, to be subbing guys in and out,” Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd said. “That’s something we got to learn from cause fouls impact the game and rotations and how you sub, so that’s something we have to be mindful of.”
“Getting up-and-down is always hard the first time,” Dell’Orso said.” I think they played well, Brayden [Burries] came out hot early, Koa [Peat] kind of got his legs under him as the game went on so, I think it’s just a matter of time to get that feeling and get those nerves out. They were great, I mean, they contributed on maybe not just points but a lot of things that people don’t necessarily look at. They had a lot of impact for our team both offensively and defensively.”
First half
Freshman guard Brayden Burries was the first to score for Arizona as the Wildcats gained an early 4-0 lead, after Bradley followed with two free throws.
Guard Mikey Lewis was the first to score for St. Mary’s as he made a driving layup, getting the Gaels on the board 6-2. St. Mary’s quickly caught up to the 11-8 score after former Arizona forward Paulius Murauskas scored on a layup. Soon after, Lewis hit a shot from beyond the arc, tying the game at 11.
Both programs traded shots back-and-forth with the Wildcats staying ahead by a possession or two. Soon after, Krivas forced a St. Mary’s turnover. Freshman forward Koa Peat scored a layup, trying to maintain the 19-15 advantage Arizona had.
St. Mary’s made four consecutive turnovers, all resulting in points scored off of layups for the Wildcats. With just under 5 minutes remaining in the first half, Arizona went on a 11-0 run.
After the run, the Wildcats went on a 2 minute scoring drought, allowing St. Mary’s to get within 5 points of the 33-28 score. Dell’Orso was able to hit a jumper that put Arizona ahead 37-30 heading into halftime.
Three Wildcats finished the first half with 8 points apiece including Bradley, Dell’Orso and Burries, who notably grabbed seven rebounds.
Second half
Beginning the second half, Burries found Krivas in the paint as the 7-foot-2 center dunked the ball, allowing Arizona to lead 39-33. Off the fast break, Dell’Orso scored a shot from beyond the arc, keeping the Wildcats ahead by 6 points, 44-38.
St. Mary’s center Harry Wessels cut the score to 46-42 after getting around Krivas for a made layup. Despite what seemed to be a block by Krivas, Arizona was called for goaltending as Wessels attempted layup cut Arizona’s advantage to a one possession game with 11:41 left in the game.
Arizona went on a 7-0 scoring run sparked by another Krivas dunk, followed by Harvard transfer and graduate guard, Evan Nelson, nailing a 3-pointer from the corner. The Wildcats’ scoring run was capped off by Bradley scoring a layup, resulting in Arizona leading by 11.
With both teams trading possessions, St. Mary’s was able to find open looks as the Gaels made back-to-back layups, cutting the score 59-50. Ivan Kharchenkov scored two layups of his own, each time putting Arizona in the lead with double digits.
A 3-pointer by St. Mary’s Dillan Shaw cut the score to 61-53 with just under 10 minutes remaining in the game. Bradley quickly made a layup off the fast break, lifting the lead back to 10.
It didn’t take long for St. Mary’s to cut the lead 63-60 after going on a 7-0 scoring run with just under 6 minutes left in regulation.
The Wildcats fought back, getting their advantage to double-digits after Peat hit back-to-back shots, followed by a second chance 3-pointer by Bradley. Kharchenkov scored a driving layup, separating the Wildcats 72-62 as Arizona spent the final minutes of the game continuing to score.
Off a St. Mary’s turnover, Bradley made a layup, shortly followed by Burries scoring a layup of his own. At this point in the game, Arizona led 79-62 with less than two minutes remaining.
Lloyd took out his starters with about a minute and a half remaining in the game. The substitutes included freshman guard Bryce James and freshman forward Mabil Mawut, who added to the final score with free throws. Closing in on the first exhibition match of the season, Arizona was able to gain the 81-68 victory as the team will continue to suit up for the season ahead.
Looking ahead
Arizona will remain home as the Wildcats prepare to host Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for their second and final exhibition game of the schedule.
After, the Wildcats gear up for its first official matchup of the season in Las Vegas, Nevada, against the reigning NCAA Champions, the University of Florida Gators.
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