The University of Arizona men’s basketball team won 93-87 against the No. 3 University of Florida on Monday, Nov. 3, at 5 p.m. MST in T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. This was the Wildcats’ first matchup of the season as it came against the reigning NCAA Champions after Arizona was able to make it past the Gators.
Despite Florida seeing a career-high night from junior forward Thomas Haugh scoring 27 points, Arizona’s defense kept the Gators at bay with two Wildcats scoring over 20 points.
Freshman forward Koa Peat led the attack, securing 30 points, shooting 11-for-18 on field goal attempts and earning seven rebounds and five assists. Senior guard Jaden Bradley followed closely with 27 points, three rebounds and five assists. Additionally, freshman forward Ivan Kharchenkov tallied a double-double consisting of 12 points and a team-high 10 rebounds, while going 2-for-2 from the 3-point line.
The Wildcats made it to the charity stripe 38 times, scoring on 31 of those attempts, making it difficult for Florida to stay out of foul trouble as the Gators had to go deep into their bench.
“I’m really happy with how tonight went, you know, it was obviously a great start for our program but having been what we went through last year with the character we have and the certainty in the level of talent that we have, I wasn’t really worried about winning or losing today. I just wanted to come out and compete and get a feel for it,” Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd said.
First half
Florida was the first to score as Xaivian Lee hit an open 3-point jumper to start the game. Arizona center Motiejus Krivas got the Wildcats on the board, floating a jumper in the hoop. Right after, Bradley passed an alley-oop jumper to Krivas, where he was able to finish on the rim.
Notably, Krivas and Lee scored consecutive points for their respective teams. Florida had a 1-point lead but Bradley evened out the score at 6 after hitting a jumper.
Defense was lackluster early as both the Wildcats and Gators reached double figures within the first 6 minutes. The Gators lost their handle on the ball but Arizona turned it right back over as Haugh secured the layup on the other end, lifting Florida’s lead to 7 points. Florida guard CJ Ingram hit a 3-pointer as the Gators continued to find open looks at the basket.
Florida was proving just why the Gators are the reigning NCAA Champs after they found a 12-point lead 7 minutes into the game due to a corner 3-pointer made by junior guard Urban Klavzar.
Peat finished on an alley-oop pass, but the Gators responded with senior center Micah Handlogten dunking in the paint. At this point, Arizona continued trailing Florida 32-22 with 9:37 left in the first half. After Arizona found a stop, Peat hit a turnaround jumper to get the Wildcats within 8 points of the lead.
Arizona did not attempt a 3-pointer up until 12 minutes into the game. Kharchenkov was the first Wildcat to attempt a shot beyond the perimeter, making it a one possession game with less than 8 minutes remaining in the half.
Arizona forced a shot-clock violation and scored on the ensuing possession, putting the game within 1-point, 34-33.
Moments later, players from both teams scrambled on the floor for the loose ball before Tobe Awaka made a layup to tie it at 39. Kharchenkov scored his second and Arizona’s final 3-pointer of the game to give the Wildcats their first lead, 42-41.
The Gators went over 3 minutes without scoring a basket, giving Arizona a chance to gain possessions and get ahead. Arizona slowly built up its advantage as Peat scored on a driving layup, gaining a 2-point lead with less than 4 minutes before the half.
Arizona went into the locker room leading Florida 50-46. Peat and Bradley led the Wildcats with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Peat shot 5-for-7 from the field while grabbing five rebounds and five assists while Bradley secured two rebounds and two assists. Additionally, Arizona held a 21-12 rebounding edge over Florida in the first half.
Second half
Out of halftime, junior forward Alex Condon put up a jumper for Florida as Arizona didn’t score until 2 minutes into the second period. Peat scored back-to-back jumpers that kept Arizona ahead 55-50. A half-court pass allowed Kharchenkov to attempt a layup on the other end as Haugh blocked it, but was immediately called for goal-tending.
Peat capitalized on a Florida turnover with a layup, extending Arizona’s advantage to 61-54. Peat wasted no time getting back on defense, blocking an attempted jumper by Florida. Arizona continued to put pressure on Florida as Peat made another driving layup, prompting a Florida timeout with 13:10 remaining in the game.
After Kharchenkov attempted a shot but was blocked, sophomore guard Boogie Fland scored on the other end for Florida, cutting the deficit to just 2 points. The Wildcats’ lead slowly vanished as the Gators found a 7-0 scoring run, making a 12-point comeback. Haugh made a layup on the fast break, completely eliminating Arizona’s lead with the game being tied at 67.
Peat threw down a powerful one-handed alley-oop then stayed composed under pressure, delivering another dunk that forced a Florida timeout.
Bradley converted a Florida turnover into a driving layup stretching Arizona’s lead to 77-72 with under 5 minutes to play. Lee quieted down the Wildcat crowd with a 3-pointer, trimming the deficit to 4 points. With 3:33 remaining in the game, freshman guard Brayden Burries collected his fifth foul, exiting the game with 3 points and two assists.
The Wildcats found a 9-point lead after Bradley hit a jumper, followed by two-made free throws caused by a Florida turnover. With 44 seconds left in regulation, Haugh made a second-chance layup after Arizona lost the handle on the ball, prompting a 30-second Wildcat timeout.
Anthony Dell’Orso went to the line after a foul was called on Haugh, making the two crucial free throws. However, Haugh kept Florida within striking distance with a dunk that cut Arizona’s lead to 90-87 with 30 seconds left.
Arizona maintained possession by forcing fouls on Florida, giving the Wildcats multiple opportunities at the line for their final 3 points. Ultimately, Arizona came out victorious with a 93-87 victory in its season opener.
Looking ahead
Arizona will travel back home to host Utah Tech University on Friday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. in McKale Center.
Follow the Daily Wildcat on Instagram and Twitter/X
