The University of Arizona men’s basketball team (16-6, 10-1 in Big 12) crushed BYU (15-7, 6-5 in Big 12) in a 85-74 victory in the Marriott Center on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 9 p.m. With this win, the Wildcats have secured their five consecutive victory.
Arizona marks its 10th Big 12 win of the season and BYU’s second loss on their home court. Caleb Love led the Wildcats with 18 points, hitting 4-of-9 on his 3-point attempts. He also added six rebounds, four assists and two steals, to his impressive performance.
Following closely was Henri Veesaar and Jaden Bradley who contributed 17 points and two steals apiece. Notably, Veesaar was 8-for-10 shooting from the field and Bradley added on four rebounds for the night.
First half
The game started off with intense physicality present. Bradley, a junior guard, was handed an unintentional flagrant foul following a call on a moving screen by BYU. The incident ramped up the energy on both sides of the court.
Love, a fifth year guard for the Wildcats, came out hot, sinking a three to put Arizona in the lead early on in the half. Alongside Love was KJ Lewis, a sophomore guard. Lewis nailed a crucial 3-pointer after the Wildcats’ effective defense, forcing Cougar turnovers that turned into Wildcat possessions. Lewis finished the game with 7 points, five rebounds and five assists.
The Cougars held their own, contributing points to maintain a close distance while Arizona remained in the lead. Richie Saunders, BYU junior guard, had 11 points for the Cougars as well as six rebounds.
Egor Demin, a freshman guard and forward, led the Cougars with 16 points, three rebounds and three assists to his line as well. On the Wildcats’ end, Tobe Awaka helped Arizona extend its lead by making easy inside shots while drawing fouls and creating openings for movement.
With its home court advantage, Saunders showed increased offensive effort, helping BYU take the lead in the final five minutes of the first half. Capitalizing on offensive rebounds, BYU found success and openings on the 3-point line.
As the half came to a close, Love lobbed the ball to Veesaar, a sophomore forward, who completed the alley-oop to end the half. The two programs closed the first half tied at 41.
Second half
Within the first two minutes of the half, both Awaka and Trey Townsend suffered injuries, leading to them being taken out of the game for further evaluation. Veesaar and Carter Bryant stepped into their positions.
The Cougars pulled ahead to a quick lead, maintaining it for a few minutes in the opening of the second half. However Arizona quickly retaliated, as a lay-in from Lewis capped off the Wildcats’ 9-0 scoring frenzy to reclaim the lead at 56-50.
Love continued his offensive rhythm, sinking shots from beyond the arc to help Arizona hold control over the lead. As Awaka re-entered the game, his defensive and offensive efforts beneath the hoop were crucial for Arizona. He secured a game-high nine rebounds and scored 14 points.
Bradley amped up his scoring in the second half, contributing all 17 of his points during the second period with his efforts. He also drew Cougar fouls, earning trips to the line. As a team, BYU found itself in foul trouble in the final five minutes of the game, drawing a total of 11 fouls in the second half.
Fortunately for Arizona, Bradley was frequently at the free-throw line, making a perfect 8-for-8 on his attempts. Notably, Veesaar continued to put up buckets from beneath the hoop with support from Bryant. Along with his 17 points for the night, Veesaar grabbed six rebounds. Bryant put up 6 points, bringing down two rebounds.
In the final seconds of the game, Arizona’s bench saw the court to close out the match. The Wildcats pulled ahead, securing the 85-74 victory.
Looking ahead
The Wildcats will return to the McKale Center to host Texas Tech University on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. The game will also be streamed on ESPN. The last matchup between the two programs on Jan. 18 resulted in a 70-54 defeat for Arizona.
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