The No. 2 University of Arizona men’s basketball team routed the University of Denver in a 103-73 victory on Monday, Nov. 24 at 8:30 p.m. in McKale Center. The Wildcats mark their sixth consecutive win, remaining undefeated in the early season.
Five Wildcats ended the night in double-figures, including 20 points scored by both freshmen forward Ivan Kharchenkov and freshman guard Brayden Burries. Burries shot 7-of-13 from the field while Kharchenkov hit 9-for-12, respectively.
“I feel like I’m just having fun, like so much fun winning with my teammates and it’s just great honestly,” Burries said.
Kharchenkov was able to keep Denver unbalanced, turning multiple defensive plays into attacking the rim downhill. Burries added on seven rebounds and four assists, along with two steals.
“I knew I could drive, I just had to get the speed down, in what speed and what rhythm, when exactly I could drive and make a play. I think I figured it out a little bit and yeah, I’m going to keep working on it,” Kharchenkov said.
Freshman forward Dwayne Aristode recorded 17 points, going 4-for-8 beyond the perimeter. Defensively, Kharchenkov led with a career-high three steals while senior forward Tobe Awaka gained his second double-double of the season, consisting of 12 points and a team-leading 15 rebounds.
Arizona dominated the paint, pouring in 50 points while limiting the Pioneers to just 22. The Wildcats also controlled the glass, out-rebounding the Pioneers 50-29, creating numerous second-chance opportunities and extended possessions throughout the night.
“I love his [Kharchenkov’s] physicality. I actually think there’s some real potential for playmaking, you know, with him and being able to play through him a little bit in certain scenarios,” Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd said.
Former Wildcat and No. 14 pick in this year’s NBA Draft, Carter Bryant, made a visit to Tucson and was in attendance alongside his teammate and No. 2 draft pick, Dylan Harper.
First half
Arizona set the tone early with its defense and non-stop scoring. Burries got the Wildcats on the board with a 3-pointer, followed by Kharchenkov scoring a 3-pointer as Arizona took an early 6-0 lead.
Freshman forward Koa Peat soon found a one-handed dunk, dominating the rim. The first few minutes of the game saw the Wildcats dominate the floor, going up 13-0 in the first 5 minutes of the game.
Denver’s Zane Nelson hit a shot from beyond the perimeter to slim down the 14-5 Arizona advantage. Motiejus Krivas scored a layup that put the Wildcats back up by 13 points with 12 minutes left before halftime. Kharchenkov scored a layup on the fastbreak off a Denver turnover, but the Pioneers responded with a jumper made by Logan Kinsey.
Kinsey’s jumper was the last shot Denver saw for a while, as Arizona started controlling the game offensively, finding an 11-0 scoring run to lead 33-7. Nelson scored another 3-pointer, putting Denver in double figures.
Denver’s Carson Johnson hit a jumper to make the score 41-14, but the Pioneers continued struggling to cut the deficit. Arizona kept its lead by over 20 points for the remainder of the first period. Aristode hit a 3-pointer with 2:30 remaining before halftime as the Wildcats had a tough 48-21 advantage that they held onto.
Denver did not let the difference keep them from scoring as Didier Maleng dunked the ball, cutting the lead to 26 points. Kharchenkov closed out the first period with a layup as Arizona went into the locker rooms leading 56-28.
Arizona outscored Denver in the paint, scoring 28 points compared to Denver’s 8. The Wildcats also beat the Pioneers in the rebounding game, collecting 29 boards while Denver had 19, adding to the conflicts the Pioneer’s faced against.
Burries led the first half with 13 points, shooting 4-for-10 from the field alongside six rebounds and two steals. Kharchenkov followed closely with 11 points, scoring 5-of-8 shots from the floor and three rebounds. Awaka led defensively, grabbing 10 rebounds, including seven defensive and three offensive.
Second half
The Wildcats went into the second half ready to score, as Burries hit a jumper in the first minute. Denver answered, scoring back-to-back field goals after an Arizona turnover.
Peat made a dunk that lifted the lead to 62-35 with 18 minutes left in the game. Both programs traded shots back-and-forth, but the Pioneers had a long comeback to try and combat with the limited time they had.
Kharchenkov was able to find open shots, hitting another layup, followed by back-to-back 3-pointers by Aristode and Jaden Bradley, extending the lead to 31 points with 12:30 remaining.
Denver was starting to rely on shots beyond the perimeter as Nelson hit a 3-pointer on the fast break, but at this point, Arizona had a solid 27-point lead which the Pioneers had a hard time returning from.
Burries scored a 3-pointer off a turnover as Arizona sat at a comfortable 83-53 lead with 8:52 left in the second half. Shortly after, Aristode hit a shot beyond the perimeter himself, not giving room for the Pioneers to make, let alone find a comeback.
Awaka scored a layup followed by a 3-pointer that separated Arizona even further, 91-57 with less than 10 minutes remaining in the game. Freshman forward Sidi Gueye checked in the game, immediately scoring a layup. With what time was left in the game, it didn’t stop Arizona from finding open looks. Kharchenkov scored a 3-pointer, keeping the Wildcats ahead 96-62.
Lloyd began to empty out his bench, allowing playing time for some other Wildcats. Denver scored on its final two possessions of the game, but ultimately, Arizona built up too big of a lead for the Pioneers to vanquish. The Wildcats earned their sixth consecutive win, beating Denver 103-73 at home.
“If I’m worried about that kind of stuff [AP rankings], I’m not worried about the right stuff […]. I tell our guys the rankings are a vote; they’re voted on by people. It’s not a result, it’s a vote,” Lloyd said after Arizona was placed at the No. 2 spot in the AP men’s basketball poll this week.
Looking ahead
Arizona remains home to host Norfolk State University on Saturday, Nov. 29 at 2 p.m. MST in McKale Center. The game will also be streamed on ESPN+.
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