The No. 13 University of Arizona men’s basketball team marked their second win against Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on Monday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. in McKale Center. This was the Wildcats’ last exhibition game before entering their first scheduled season game against the reigning NCAA Champions, the University of Florida Gators.
Senior forward Tobe Awaka led the Wildcats with a double-double consisting of 18 points and 14 rebounds, going 8-for-10 from the paint. Freshman Ivan Kharchenkov trailed with 17 points, adding four rebounds, one assist and two steals to his performance.
“I hope Tobe’s available in every game we play this year. I mean, that makes a difference for us on the glass,” head coach Tommy Lloyd said.
First half
Brayden Burries, a freshman guard, scored the first points of the game in a bucket beneath the hoop. He brought the ball up the court for the Wildcats, with seniors Awaka and Anthony Dell’Orso keeping Arizona sound.
Awaka impressed, bringing home 3 points off a layup and drawing the foul, making his free throw. Burries added to these efforts with lay-ins of his own, ending the night with 13 points, going 5-for-9 from the field.
Embry-Riddle sank two 3-pointers to keep them in the game, leveling the game at 6 up until the first substitution. The Eagles quickly advanced into a 9-6 lead following another 3-pointer from sophomore forward Peter Dress.
This didn’t last long as Dell’Orso and Burries found 2 points each for Arizona.
Motiejus Krivas found his footing for the Wildcats as well, drawing a foul beneath the hoop and sinking both shots. He flashed in and out of the paint, working for easy lay-ins and securing 7 points for the game to advance Arizona’s lead.
Embry-Riddle worked to stay in the match with more outside shots, keeping a close gap. The height difference between the programs put Embry-Riddle at a disadvantage, as it allowed Arizona to work over the top.
Awaka continued to power the court, earning six offensive and eight defensive rebounds. Freshman forward Koa Peat made his mark on the court with an impressive dunk just minutes after subbing into play. Similar results followed for Kharchenkov, who drained a 3-pointer from the outside with 13:33 left to go in the first half.
At this point, Embry-Riddle struggled to find offensive looks and resulted in shooting tough shots that turned into Wildcat possessions.
Kharchenkov stunned with a backwards lay-in on a fouled shot, drawing the and-one and putting 3 points in the bag for Arizona. The Wildcats then led by 11 points.
Embry-Riddle broke the Wildcats’ 10-point scoring streak and drew two back-to-back fouls. As one of these fouls was on Krivas, Awaka came back into the match to put away 4 more points.
“It was fun, I love playing with Mo [Krivas],” Awaka said. “I think he helps me a lot in my game and I think I do the same thing for him […]. He just creates so much gravity in the paint in terms of him ducking in and posting up.”
The Eagles found points here and there, but ultimately could not keep up with the Wildcats’ dominating offense.
Lloyd worked his bench into action, getting almost all players minutes on the court. With four remaining in the first half, freshman guard Bryce James saw the court. Additionally, freshman forward Dwayne Aristode had an impressive dunk nearly closing out the half.
“We’re not a program that really worries about who the starters are,” Lloyd said. “So, I just thought it was an opportunity to get some [different] guys some minutes […]. These guys really contribute to our program in a lot of ways. So, I’m glad they got to get out in front of the crowd and wear the Arizona jersey.”
With several more substitutions in the half, entering players like Peat, Krivas and Kharchenkov, Arizona tallied its final first half points to put them into a comfortable 58-26 lead.
Second half
Awaka and Jaden Bradley kicked things off for Arizona, earning the first points of the period. Bradley earned a layup with an one, advancing the Wildcats by 3 points. Aristode contributed to the Wildcats’ total as well with a bucket under the hoop.
Arizona continued to outrun the Eagles in transition, finding lobs overhead for easy buckets. However, Embry-Riddle still found successful attempts on its end of the court, drawing fouls on the Wildcats and earning looks at the hoop. Despite the Eagles’ efforts, their score only advanced 3 points in the first six minutes of the second half.
“I think I can do a lot of things,” Kharchenkov said. “I can be really flexible […]. I think it depends on what we need. I can get it.”
Fifth-year transfer from Harvard University, Evan Nelson, saw crucial minutes on the court as well, going 3-for-3 from the paint with three rebounds and four assists.
At this point in the game, the outcome was evident. Kharchenkov slipped the ball away from Embry-Riddle, slamming it on the other end. The Wildcats slimmed the Eagles chances of closing the gap until it was ultimately too late for a reachable comeback. With 10 minutes left in the half, Arizona led by 55 points.
James saw more minutes on the court, finding six shots for the match, one field goal completed. Nelson amped up his play in the final minutes of the game, sinking an outside shot and a 3-pointer.
Off the bench, redshirt sophomore guard Sven Djopmo broke the Wildcats’ 100-point mark for the game, earning 6 points in just 3 minutes and 9 points total.
In the final four minutes of the game, the lineup was entirely bench players: Jackson Cook, Jackson Francois, Mabil Mawut, Addison Arnold and Djopmo. They held their own against the Eagles, bringing the game to a close and proving their ability to contribute to the Arizona program.
As the final buzzer sounded, the Wildcats walked away with their second season win, 113-42.
Looking ahead
Arizona men’s basketball will compete in its first scheduled game of the season in the Hall of Fame Series against reigning NCAA Champions, the Florida Gators, on Monday, Nov. 3, at 5 p.m. in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The game will also be streamed on TNT Sports.
“We know who they are. They’re the reigning champs for a reason,” Awaka said.
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