The University of Arizona men’s basketball team (15-0, 2-0 in Big 12) took its second conference victory, fifteenth overall, this season at home against Kansas State University (9-6, 0-2 in Big 12). The Kansas State Wildcats and Arizona Wildcats met on Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. MST in McKale Center where Arizona won 101-76.
This has been the Wildcats’ best start to the season since 2013-14, when they started the year 21-0. Their victory against Kansas State was the most points scored in a game all season with 101 points.
The Wildcats’ scoring was led by freshman guard Brayden Burries as he had 28 points on 12-16 shooting to go along with his nine rebounds and four assists. Burries was everywhere on Wednesday night, getting to the rim at will and having an amazing night from the midrange game. He was also great on the defensive side, making a huge impact on the glass while creating difficulties for the Kansas State guard.
The second leading scorer for Arizona was junior center Motiejus Krivas. Krivas had his career high of 25 points on 7-10 shooting to go along with 12 rebounds. Krivas was also great from the free throw line as he went 11-12. He was dominant as he used his height to his advantage in order to get multiple offensive rebounds, as well as having a big impact on the defensive side of the ball.
Last but not least, freshman forward Koa Peat ended the night with 15 points on 6-11 shooting along with ten rebounds and four assists. Even though Peat might not have set the world on fire with his scoring, he used his presence to create opportunities for his teammates and helped them get better looks both on the exterior and interior.
With balanced production across the floor, Arizona put together one of their most complete performances of the season. Burries set the tone with his all-around dominance, Krivas controlled the paint on both ends and Peat made his impact felt in every facet of the game. When the Wildcats get this level of contribution from their young players, they become a difficult matchup for anyone, and Wednesday night was a clear statement of just how high this team’s ceiling can be.
The leading scorer for Kansas State is junior guard P.J. Haggerty. Haggerty ended the night with 19 points on 8-20 shooting to go along with seven assists and two rebounds. Haggerty’s assist in the game helped keep Kansas State in striking distance for the majority of the game.
The second leading scorer for Kansas State was senior guard Nate Johnson. Johnson finished the night with 15 points on 3-13 shooting to go along with four rebounds and two assists. Johnson had a great night from the free-throw line, going 7-7 and having timely ball movement for his team.
Game highlights
In the first half, Arizona’s defense shone through as they held Kansas State scoreless for four minutes of the game. Arizona was up 19-6 and Kansas didn’t score again until the 12-minute mark of the first half. From there, it was Arizona piling on the points as they outscored Kansas State 31-30. They ended the first half with a large advantage at 51-36.
Arizona did not lose any momentum going into the second half as they scored 50 more points. They were dominant in the paint and made extra passes in order to find the best shot to set each teammate up for success. Although Kansas State did their best to remain within striking distance, it just wasn’t enough to catch up to Arizona. They were never able to cut Arizona’s lead to below 13 points as the final score for the night was 101-76.
Arizona’s depth and defensive intensity were the difference as they controlled the game from start to finish. With a historic 15-0 start and strong contributions across the roster, Arizona continues to prove it is one of the top teams in the Big 12 and a serious contender moving forward.
Looking forward
The Arizona Wildcats will travel to Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, Texas to take on Texas Christian University on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 2 p.m. The game will be available to watch on ESPN for Wildcat fans to stream.
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