Weird things have happened to Arizona in Salt Lake City in recent years. In 2022, an unbeaten Wildcats squad fresh off a dominant performance at the Maui Invitational laid an egg against Utah, and two years later the UA needed triple overtime to get past the Utes.
Arizona
Arizona men’s basketball cruises to win at Utah in Big 12 opener
No such drama this time around.
Top-ranked Arizona jumped out to a 17-point lead before the second media timeout and then coasted to a 97-78 win at Utah on Saturday afternoon to open Big 12 play.
The Wildcats (14-0, 1-0) saw their streak of wins by at least 20 points end at eight, tying the school record set in 1928-29. But the victory was no less dominant than the previous seven, with the UA shooting 53.6 percent, finishing plus-13 on the boards and again getting five scorers in double figures.
Tobe Awaka and Jaden Bradley led the way with 18 points apiece, Awaka going 6 of 7 from the field and 2 for 2 from 3 while adding 12 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Bradley was 7 of 11 from the field and added five assists.
Brayden Burries and Koa Peat each scored 17 and Ivan Kharchenkov added 13 for Arizona, which scored in the 90s for the 10th time this season including eight of the last nine games.
Utah (8-6, 0-1) got 26 points from Terrence Brown and 15 each from Keanu Dawes and Don McHenry but shot 44.3 percent overall and just 5 of 17 from 3. The Utes turned it over 12 times, leading to 18 points for the Wildcats, who had 11 steals for their seventh game with at least 10 swipes.
The UA led 58-39 at halftime, its most points in the first half of a conference game since dropping 63 on ASU in 1998. That offensive explosion did not immediately carry over to the second half, though, as Arizona didn’t make its first post-halftime field goal until 17:06 left.
But then things went back to normal, with an 8-0 run to extend the lead to 70-46 with 13:56 to go. Utah followed with a 12-3 run to get within 15 but that was the closest it would get.
The only real drama down the stretch was if Arizona would again win by 20. It led by 21 after a Burries basket with 51 seconds remaining but Bradley fouled Utah’s Brown with 49.8 seconds to go in order to let backups come in and Brown made two free throws.
Utah scored the game’s opening basket and then Arizona followed with 14 in a row, which included a few baskets off Ute turnovers. Six of those points were byKharchenkov, who scored twice off steals.
The rout appeared to be on early, withAwakanailing a 3 to put the Wildcats up 27-10 with 12:16 left in the first half. But the UA went three minutes without a field goal, allowing Utah to cut the deficit to single digits.
A second-chance 3 by Brown got the Utes within 34-26 with 7:49 left in the half. But Arizona righted the ship on both ends, using a 10-0 run (with another Awaka 3) to build a 46-28 advantage. The Wildcats made their final six shots before the break, shooting 61.1 percent overall in the first half.
The UA plays its Big 12 home opener Wednesday against Kansas State. K-State (9-5, 0-1) fell 83-73 at home to No. 10 BYU on Saturday.
With the Arizona Cardinals’ top two draft picks, two players likely losing their starting jobs.
The Arizona Cardinals added seven new draft picks last month. With these additions, some players already on the roster could have new roles.
Two players in particular, who were slated to be starters, now likely find themselves in a backup role.
RB Tyler Allgeier
Allgeier finds himself in a similar situation to when he was in Atlanta. He played second fiddle to Bijan Robinson, one of the best running backs in the NFL. He signed a two-year, $12.25 million deal to join the Cardinals, expecting to start or at least have a prominent role in the offense.
But the Cardinals selected Jeremiyah Love third overall, so Allgeier finds him behind a young, dynamic back again.
OL Isaiah Adams
Adams began last season and ended last season as the starting right guard. He was slated to be the starting right guard again, but the Cardinals used their second-round pick to select guard Chase Bisontis. With the addition of Isaac Seumalo in free agency, both guard spots seem set, sending Adams to the bench.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
PRESCOTT, Ariz. — The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office says a bobcat believed to have been involved in multiple attacks in the Prescott area was killed by a dog Monday morning.
On Sunday evening, deputies responded to an attack involving a bobcat in the Inscription Canyon area. A man suffered “significant injuries” and was taken to a hospital for treatment, but the bobcat was not located.
On Monday morning, deputies and animal control officers responded to another incident in which a bobcat reportedly attacked a woman. This attack was more than 7 miles away from the first incident.
A third attack was reported a short time later by a person who was walking in an area nearby. The walker’s German Shepherd dog “heroically intervened, successfully fending off and killing the bobcat,” the sheriff’s office says.
Officials say the dog was injured during the attack and is receiving care from a veterinarian.
Another dog was reportedly attacked by a bobcat, marking the fourth known incident in this string of attacks. Officials are now looking for any other possible victims or pets that may have been attacked.
All three people who were attacked are getting treatment for cuts and bites, and it’s believed that the same bobcat was involved in all of the attacks due to the extreme rarity of these occurrences. However, officials are asking the public to remain cautious.
Anyone with information or additional incident reports, including pets, is asked to contact the Arizona Game and Fish Department. You should seek immediate veterinary care if your animal was attacked, the sheriff’s office says.
Firefighters are continuing to battle the Hazen Fires burning in the West Valley near Highway 85. The fire sparked Saturday afternoon and is being worked by the Arizona Department of Forestry. As of Sunday evening, the fire is estimated at 980 acres and remains 0% contained.
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