The University of Arizona men’s basketball team recorded their fifth consecutive win of the season in a nail-biting 71-67 victory over the University of Connecticut on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 5 p.m. in Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Both teams went into this game with a current 4-0 record as Arizona walked out remaining undefeated.

Senior guard Jaden Bradley led the match with 21 points, going 6-for-13 from the field and 1-for-2 from beyond the perimeter. Bradley managed to drive to the line, racking in 8-of-9 points from the free throw line.

On the board, freshman forward Koa Peat and Motiejus Krivas dominated the rim both offensively and defensively. Krivas earned a game high of 14 rebounds, Peat following with 12. Notably, Peat added 16 points as well and Krivas recorded 9.

First half

Bradley started the Wildcats off with the first points of the game in their second possession. Peat added on with a tough finish beneath the basket. UConn looked to come back with a lay-in from 7-foot-1 Eric Reibe, drawing the foul and making his free throw. This made for a close game early on.

Brayden Burries earned his second foul of the game in the first 3 minutes of play, putting his playing time in jeopardy and causing senior guard Anthony Dell’Oroso to check into the game.

Fortunately for the Wildcats, their bench runs deep, Dell’Orso having an impressive 20 points mark in their last defeat over UCLA.

Eventually, Krivas got on the board, tying the game up at 6. His aggression on the board earned several possessions for the Wildcats as well, feeding into more points to advance their lead.

Ivan Kharchenkov sank a 3-pointer on his second attempt of the possession, advancing the Wildcats into a 4-point lead. Dell’Orso hit shots from outside as well, earning 6 points in the match, causing UConn to play a tight defense.

After the first media timeout of the game, Tobe Awaka and Dwayne Aristode entered the match, replacing Krivas and Kharchenkov. Peat remained in the paint for Arizona, continuing to find easy shots from inside the perimeter.

The Huskies responded with their own, with a jumper from Solo Ball just inside the arc.

UConn took its first lead of the game at nearly the halfway point in the first half, but it was quickly reinstated to the Wildcats following a 3-pointer from Bradley. He continued to drive the ball up the court, dominating possession for the Wildcats and maintaining their lead.

A 3-pointer from Jaylin Stewart put the Huskies within reach of Arizona at 19-18. The Wildcats allowed 10 turnovers in the match, granting the Huskies several additional offensive looks at the basket. Another make from Stewart put UConn in the lead by 1, quickly being overturned with a lay-in from Kharchenkov.

As the Huskies went into bonus with seven fouls, Arizona looked to capitalize off these easy chances at points. Bradley secured several buckets from the foul line, going 7-for-8.

With every UConn basket, the Wildcats responded. This kept the score within just a few points for the entire first half.

Stewart continued to find looks for UConn, keeping the Wildcats on their toes and earning reactions from Husky fans. Peat bodied the paint offensively, earning several put-back points.

As Arizona reached early foul trouble, the Huskies earned several chances on the line. Nonetheless, throughout the entire first half, neither team was able to hold onto a lead longer than two possessions.

At the half-time buzzer, Arizona walked off the court leading 35-33.

Second half

Burries started to find his footing in the second half, going 2-for-3 from inside. Awaka found similar results with a look in the paint, drawing a foul and sinking 1-of-2 shots from the free throw line.

Bradley never slowed his efforts offensively, driving through three UConn players and earning a 3-point play. His strength and confidence on the ball was evident throughout this match. Burries and Peat contributed as well, being anything but shy offensively to advance the Wildcats into an 11-point lead 5 minutes into the second half.

The Huskies tried to bounce back with looks from the paint, but Arizona continuously responded. Awaka looked to dominate the boards defensively with seven rebounds in the game. Junior forward for the Huskies, Jayden Ross, found a baseline 3-pointer to advance UConn into an 8-point difference with Arizona.

As the Huskies started to close the gap, UConn fans got loud in the crowd, urging the momentum to continue. Dell’Orso kept the Wildcats on the board with quick-look shots essential to maintaining their lead.

It quickly became a 5-point game as two Wildcats earned fouls and gave the ball back into UConn’s hands. Kharchenkov managed to draw a foul off a Husky, getting to the line to add 1 point to the Wildcats’ score.

Ball became a clutch player for the Huskies with several made opportunities inside the perimeter, ending the night leading UConn with 14 points. Shots were traded back and forth between the teams, keeping the match close and unpredictable. Arizona held onto the lead for a majority of the half but struggled to find makes as UConn hit key shots from outside, bringing it to a 1-point game.

Krivas responded with a dunk on the other end, then UConn hit another 3-pointer from Reibe, his second of the half, to even out the score 60-60. Right after, the Huskies pulled into a 2-point lead, quickly leveled out by Peat with a lay-in on the other end.

UConn had hot hands in the last 3 minutes of the game, making five shots in a row and putting the Wildcats down by 2 points going into a timeout. Off the pause in play, Peat earned a key foul, putting the Huskies into bonus and getting the Wildcats within 1 point.

Krivas added a put-back shot to regain the lead by 1 point, flipping the table. In the Wildcats’ last possession before their shot clock ran out, Bradley made a clutch lay-in to advance Arizona into a 3-point lead.

This gave UConn one remaining chance at the hoop, needing a 3-pointer to even out the score before the end of regulation. With this opportunity, Reibe earned a chance for a 3-point play, but the ball rolled off the rim. While he was given the foul call, he missed both shots from the line. This kept the score 67-64.

UConn then fouled Awaka, putting him at the line 1-1. With 6 seconds remaining, Awaka sank both of his shots. The Huskies responded with a made 3-pointer, making it a 2-point game. On inbound, Awaka got fouled again, being sent back to the line for another chance at two shots.

After draining both, Awaka secured the win for Arizona, 71-67.

Looking ahead

Arizona will return home to take on the University of Denver on Monday, Nov. 24, at 8:30 p.m. in McKale Center.

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