Arizona
Arizona men’s basketball locks down on defense in 2nd half to win at BYU, remain tied for 1st in Big 12
It counts the same as the previous nine wins, but Arizona may have just had its most impressive performance of Big 12 play.
The 20th-ranked Wildcats outscored BYU by 10 points over the final 7-plus minutes, turning a 1-point game in front of a hostile crowd into a runaway 85-74 victory on Tuesday night. A crowd of 17,274 at the Marriott Center unleashed a few ‘U of A!’ chants in the second half, during which Arizona held the Cougars to 3 of 16 from 3 after making seven triples in the first half.
Arizona (16-6, 10-1 Big 12) remained in a tie for first place with its fifth straight victory, improving to 5-1 on the road in league play. It shot 49.2 percent, went 15 of 17 from the line and outrebounded the Cougars (15-7, 6-5) by 15.
Caleb Love had 18 points, becoming the 57th player in UA history with 1,000 points while also joining an exclusive Division I club, while Jaden Bradley and Henri Veesaar had 17 and Tobe Awaka 14 with nine rebounds. All 17 of Bradley’s points came in the second half, including 13 after he picked up his third foul with 13:29 left but didn’t come out until the final minute.
It was a physical game, but not one with a lot of fouls, only 10 called in the first 20 minutes. Tied at 41 at the half, the physicality that hadn’t led to many calls resulted in two Arizona players getting knocked to the ground in the first 90 seconds of the second half. Trey Townsend smacked his head on the floor and then Awaka was slapped in the face, with both having to come out.
Their absence caused Arizona to go small, and BYU responded by getting to the rim multiple times. But the Wildcats matched that early offense, using a 9-0 run to lead 56-50. In that run was a layup by Love to put him over 1,000 for his UA career, and in doing so became the 12th player in Division I history to get to 1,000 at multiple schools.
Awaka returned with just over 12 minutes left and scored on a putback for a 60-56 edge but BYU scored five in a row to go back in front, a lead that was short lived after Love hit his fourth triple. That sparked a 7-0 run for a 67-61 edge with under 10 minutes to go.
The Cougars pulled within 67-66 on a Dallin Hall layup with 7:47 left but then went scoreless for more than three minutes, during which time Arizona scored nine in a row to built a 10-point lead. The Cougars went more than six minutes without a field goal, missing eight straight shots, before hitting a two garbage baskets in the final minute.
Arizona didn’t play into BYU’s defensive gameplan at the outset, taking nine of its first 12 shots from inside the 3-point line. That prompted the Cougars to switch to a 2-3 zone and force more from the outside, but the Wildcats kept trying to get into the paint, with midrange jumpers by KJ Lewis and Awaka putting them up 24-23 with 10:28 left in the first half.
Along the way the UA had a 10-0 run that immediately followed BYU getting a gift from the officials. A moving screen on the the Cougars was reversed on replay, with Bradley instead getting called for a flagrant 1 foul due to his elbow grazing BYU’s Trevin Knell on the neck.
BYU hit five of its first 11 3-pointers but then started to drive, with Egor Demin leading the way. His miss on a reverse teed it up for Keba Keita to slam home the putback for a 29-28 lead, and Demin led the Cougars with 16 points but was 7 of 20 from the field and had four of their 10 turnovers.
Love went on a personal late run, hitting a pair of 3s to tie it at 39, then his lob to Veesaar led to a tying dunk with four seconds left in the first half.
Arizona returns home for a revenge game on Saturday night, hosting No. 13 Texas Tech. The Red Raiders (18-4, 9-2) have won seven in a row.
Arizona
Arizona’s mountain rollercoasters are open for season. How to ride
Arizona’s natural wonders: See the state’s most iconic sites
Arizona’s diverse geography has created some incredible features. Take a look at the best, including Sedona’s red rocks and the Grand Canyon, of course.
The Republic
Despite its desert reputation, Arizona has several exciting roller coaster attractions that make it a fun destination for thrill seekers. One of the best-known rides is the Desert Storm coaster at Castles N’ Coasters in Phoenix.
Arizona is also home to two popular mountain coasters located in the cooler mountain regions of the state.
Mountain coasters are gravity-powered rides built along hillsides or mountains. Riders sit in individual carts attached to a track and control their own speed using hand brakes. Unlike traditional roller coasters, mountain coasters often wind through forests and natural scenery, creating a mix of adventure ride and scenic experiences.
And Arizona is lucky enough to have two mountain coasters. Here’s how to visit.
What roller coaster is in the mountains in Arizona?
There are two mountain coasters in Arizona: the Canyon Coaster Adventure Park in Williams and the Sunrise Apache Alpine Coaster at Sunrise ski resort.
Canyon Coaster Adventure Park in Williams AZ
Canyon Coaster Adventure Park features the Canyon Coaster, which spans 1 mile with a scenic mountain backdrop. It has a peak height of 35 feet and is integrated into the natural curves of the landscape. The 13-acre park also offers tubing across 400 feet of track in summer and snow-covered slopes in winter, facilitated by two conveyor lifts. There’s also a restaurant and bar.
Where: 700 E. Route 66, Williams, Arizona.
When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-7p.m. Fridays-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday year-round.
Admission: The Canyon Coaster costs $20 per person per ride. Riders must be over 4 feet, 5 inches tall. Children who are at least 3 years old and 38-54 inches tall ride for $10 with a driver who is 18 or older. Visit the website for other attractions and pricing.
Details: 928-707-7729, canyoncoasteradventurepark.com.
Sunrise Apache Alpine Coaster at Sunrise ski resort
Spanning over half a mile with 3,287 feet of track, the coaster’s carts can reach up to 25 mph. Hand brakes let you choose a mellow or zippy ride. Sunrise Park has skiing and other snow activities in winter, plus mountain biking, scenic chair lift rides and more in summer. Dining options include a restaurant and pub.
Where: Sunrise Park Resort, 200 State Route 273, on the Fort Apache Reservation near Greer.
When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday-Sunday, closed Monday-Thursday. Open every day starting June 2026.
Admission: $19 per ride or buy two rides for $38 and get a third ride free. Tickets are available in person. See the Sunrise Park website for other seasonal activities and prices.
Details: 928-735-7669, sunrise.ski/apache-coaster.
Got a story you want to share? Reach out at Tiffany.Acosta@gannett.com. Follow @tiffsario on Instagram.
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Arizona
Arizona Diamondbacks Gameday Thread, #42: 5/13 @ Rangers
Last night was the seventh consecutive game where the Diamondbacks were held to six hits or fewer. That ties a franchise record, last done in April 2022, and previously in August 2011. The team’s .477 OPS over that time is actually lower than either streak, though due to the efforts of the pitching staff, Arizona are actually 3-4 during the current run. They went 2-5 in 2022, and 1-6 in 2011. There hasn’t been a longer streak in the majors since the Angels went nine in April last year. In the National League, the Pirates went eight in June 2023. And in case you are wondering, the last team to reach a double-digit streak of games with 6 or fewer hits each time? The 1968 Astros reached 11, the year before the mound was lowered.
Let’s hope the D-backs render that moot and the offense comes to life a bit. The three runs added in garbage time last night, because one of the Rangers’ relievers couldn’t find the strike-zone, certainly padded Arizona’s resume. But they were more because of walks than hits. I’ve no doubt the team will hit better. They have batted .152 over the past week. It’s the second lowest in franchise history for a seven-game span. The only worse was April 7-15, 2022 when Arizona hit a remarkable .135, going 28-for-208 in that span. They actually scored three more runs than the current streak, mostly because they had twice as many home-runs (6-3).
Arizona
Arizona Democrats debate for state’s top education job
Superintendent Tom Horne speaks at 2026 State of Education address
Arizona Superintendent Tom Horne spoke about controversial topics like DEI and ESAs at the State of Education address to the Legislature on Jan. 20, 2026.
Provided by Arizona Legislature
Democrats Brett Newby and Teresa Leyba Ruiz are set to make the argument to voters that they’re the best candidates to serve as Arizona’s top education official for the next four years.
The Arizona Republic will be streaming the Democratic debate for the Superintendent of Public Instruction race in partnership with the Arizona Media Association. The debate starts at 6 p.m. on May 13.
The office is currently held by Tom Horne, who will on May 14 face off in an Arizona Media Association debate against fellow Republican candidate Kimberly Yee, who currently serves as state treasurer.
Newby has worked as a behavioral analyst and professor, according to his campaign. He received a master’s degree in special education. His campaign has hinged on issues like downsizing the state’s controversial Empowerment Scholarship Program, retaining teachers and hiring more school counselors.
Ruiz attended Roosevelt Elementary School District and Phoenix Union High School District as a child before earning her Ph.D. from Arizona State University. She worked as a teacher at the middle and high school level before becoming president of Glendale Community College.
Like Newby, her campaign has also focused on the ESA program. She has also focused on advocating for more funding for public schools and supporting both rural and urban school districts. Ruiz has also spoken publicly about the teacher retention crisis as part of her campaign.
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