Arizona

Love scores 28, No. 4 Arizona bounces back to beat Washington 91-75

Published

2 years ago

February 24, 2024

Love scores 28, No. 4 Arizona bounces back to beat Washington 91-75

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — One of the hallmark’s of Tommy Lloyd’s tenure at Arizona has been the ability to bounce back from a loss. The Wildcats have been doing it for three years, winning every time, almost always in a blowout.

Washington knew what was coming after the Wildcats lost to Washington State two days earlier. The Huskies just couldn’t do much about it.

Caleb Love scored 28 points to eclipse 2,000 for his career and No. 4 Arizona bounced back from its first home loss of the season with a 91-75 win over Washington on Saturday.

“Today was a response game,” coach Lloyd said. “You just want to get the result.”

The Wildcats (21-6, 12-4 Pac-12) lost at McKale Center for the first time this year Thursday night, falling 77-74 to No. 21 Washington State.

Arizona shook it off quickly with a short turnaround, blistering the Huskies with a near-perfect start to build a 17-point lead in the opening 7 1/2 minutes in the teams’ final meeting at McKale Center as Pac-12 members.

Arizona’s Oumar Ballo controlled the paint after a quiet first half, finishing with 14 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots as the Wildcats turned back every Washington challenge. Arizona is 17-0 under Lloyd following a loss and has gone 99 straight games without losing two straight, the third-longest streak in Pac-12 history.

“We don’t let our last mistake affect our next opportunity,” Ballo said.

The Huskies (15-13, 7-10) had a wild night to start their two-game desert swing, beating Arizona State 84-82 in overtime on Thursday night after blowing a 25-point lead.

Washington spent most of the afternoon against Arizona unsuccessfully trying to dig out of the big early hole, getting no closer than nine after falling behind by 23.

Koren Johnson led the Huskies with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists.

“We knew they were going to come out after a loss and play with that type of intensity and fire — that’s what they do,” Washington coach Mike Hopkins said. “We just didn’t handle it well.”

Arizona was plagued by bouts of questionable shot selection in the loss to Washington State.

The Wildcats had no such problem early against the Huskies.

Crisply running the offense, Arizona hit its first seven shots and opened 11 of 12 to build a 27-11 lead. Washington fought back after absorbing the early body blow, using a 10-0 run to pull within 42-31.

But Arizona kept hitting shots and even got some help from Washington big man Braxton Meah, who inadvertently tipped the ball into his own basket.

The Wildcats hit 18 of 34 shots in the first half, including 6 of 10 from 3, to lead 52-35.

Arizona went on a 9-0 run early in the second half to go up 61-38, but went cold from the floor as Washington started chipping away.

The Huskies used a 14-2 run to pull within 69-60, holding the Wildcats to 1-of-10 shooting during the rally. Arizona continued to struggle offensively, but turned up the defensive pressure to stretch the lead back out to 16.

“The character of these guys is they never give up, but you almost have to be perfect,” Hopkins said. “When you’re playing from behind against a team like that, it’s hard.”

LOVE’S MARK

Love started his career at North Carolina, hitting some massive shots during the Tar Heels’ run to the 2022 national title game.

Love’s role is slightly different at Arizona, but he’s still the go-to player in key moments. He scored 20 points in the first half as Arizona built the big lead and hit a couple more baskets late as the Wildcats extended the lead back out.

Love needed 28 points to become the 22nd active player to reach 2,000 career points and got it right on the nose.

“I wanted to do it at home, God willing, but everything worked out and I got it,” he said. “If I didn’t get it I would have been happy to do it at their (rival Arizona State) place.”

BIG PICTURE

Washington: The Huskies had a second-half letdown against Arizona State and concluded their last Pac-12 desert trip by fighting an uphill battle most of the afternoon.

Arizona: The Wildcats will likely drop a spot or two in Monday’s AP Top 25, but had a nice rebound after losing their first home game with an eighth straight win over Washington.

UP NEXT

Washington: Hosts UCLA on Thursday night.

Arizona: Visits rival Arizona State on Wednesday night.

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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Arizona

Multiple freeways closed as snow moves into northern Arizona

Published

6 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Multiple freeways closed as snow moves into northern Arizona

A winter storm sweeping across the state was dumping snow and whipping up gusty winds in northern Arizona, forcing multiple highway closures and travel advisories throughout the region.

Snow moved into the high country early Jan. 8 and was expected to continue through the afternoon and evening. Flagstaff had picked up 2 to 4 inches, with snow reaching lower elevations, including Prescott and Sedona, according to the National Weather Service in Flagstaff.

“In our area we expect it to come to an end here later this afternoon and early this evening, with only an inch or two more here in the Flagstaff area,” said Brian Klimowski, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. “It’s going to continue this evening and overnight to our east.”

Snow levels dropped as a cold front moved into the region, falling from about 6,000 feet at sunrise to as low as 4,000 feet by late evening. Forecasters say heavier snow was likely this afternoon and evening as the system moves through.

“Roads are bad right now,” Klimowski said. “The highways will be very slick, and we expect conditions will remain in a deteriorated state here this afternoon to this evening, especially along and east of the I-17 corridor.”

Which highways are closed in northern Arizona?

Several major highways across the high country were closed on Jan. 8 due to winter weather and related crashes, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

As of the afternoon, the following closures were in place:

Interstate 40 eastbound at US 93 (milepost 72)
Interstate 40 eastbound at State Route 89 in Ash Fork (milepost 146)
Northbound Interstate 17 at State Route 169 (milepost 278)
State Route 64 (both directions) between mileposts 244-264

ADOT said there is no estimated reopening time for any of these highways.

Drivers can check the latest road closures and travel conditions through ADOT’s AZ511 system, with an online interactive map and mobile app. Information is available at AZ511.gov or by calling 511 from within Arizona.

Snow, wind and cold persist

Flagstaff could see snow totals around 2 to 5 inches, with more at the higher elevations. Snow will continue across eastern Arizona into the evening Jan. 8 and early on Jan. 9, including parts of Black Mesa, the Chinle Valley and the Chuska Mountains.

Gusty winds could reduce visibility, especially in areas with blowing snow. Winds will shift northerly overnight, summoning colder air as the system departs.

“It’s going to dry out,” Klimowski said. “It’s going to be cold and blustery tomorrow and then a slow warming trend through much of next week.”

Lows on Jan. 9 will be 10 to 15 degrees below normal, with wind chills near zero in the High Country. While snow will cease by Jan. 9, slick roads and hazardous conditions could remain,

“Be careful if you’re traveling tonight,” Klimowski said. “It’s going to be slick out there.”

Why does it snow so much in Flagstaff? Here’s what to know

Flagstaff may be in a state known for its scorching summers and years-long droughts, but it is one of the snowiest cities in the United States.

Hayleigh Evans writes about extreme weather and related topics for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Email her with story tips at hayleigh.evans@arizonarepublic.com.

(This story has been updated to add a new video).

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Arizona

Arizona, career nights from Burries, Krivas beat K-State

Published

18 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Arizona, career nights from Burries, Krivas beat K-State

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Brayden Burries scored 28 points, Motiejus Krivas added a career-high 25 and No. 1 Arizona remained unbeaten with a 101-76 win over Kansas State on Wednesday night.

Arizona (15-0, 2-0 Big 12) is off to its best start since winning the first 21 games of the 2013-14 season. Arizona won by at least 18 points for the 10th consecutive game, matching a mark Michigan had earlier this season that tied for the longest such run since 2003-04.

Burries had his fifth 20-point game and matched his career high by going 12 for 16 from the field while adding nine rebounds. It was his 10th straight game in double figures, including at least 20 points in five of those, after just one over his first five.

Krivas was 7 of 10, making 11 of 13 free throws, and had 12 rebounds.

Koa Peat had 15 points and 10 rebounds and Tobe Awaka added nine and 11 as Arizona outrebounded Kansas State 55-32. Arizona shot 49.3% from the field but was just 3 of 16 from 3-point range.

Kansas State (9-6, 0-2) went 8 for 36 from deep and shot 33.8% overall. PJ Haggerty led the way with 19 points on 8-of-20 shooting, while Nate Johnson added 15 and Dorin Buca 12.

Down 15 at the half, Kansas State pulled within 58-49 with 16:09 left on a 3-pointer by Johnson. Arizona responded with a 6-0 run and kept the margin at least 12 the rest of the way. Back-to-back dunks by Burries and Peat and a corner 3-pointer by Jaden Bradley keyed a 13-0 run to put Arizona ahead 92-65 with 3:31 remaining.

It built a 10-point lead less than six minutes into the game and upped it to 20 with 2:52 left in the first half. Burries had 16 before halftime.

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Arizona

Arizona HS football’s No. 1 2027 prospect has ASU, Miami high on list

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Arizona HS football’s No. 1 2027 prospect has ASU, Miami high on list

Hildebrand is ranked as the No. 13 overall offensive tackle in the nation for the 2027 class by 247Sports.
Arizona State, Miami, Alabama, Texas A&M and USC are among his current favorites.
The 6-foot-6 left tackle has started every varsity game since his freshman year at Chandler Basha.

Chandler Basha left tackle Jake Hildebrand, the state’s No. 1 2027 college football prospect, said Arizona State and Miami are among the top potential schools on his recently revealed 10-best list.

Miami is playing in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl as part of the College Football Playoff semifinal against Ole Miss at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Jan. 8.

Hildebrand, 6-foot-6, 293 pounds, has started every varsity game since his freshman year and helped lead the Bears to the Open Division state title this past season. He won’t be able to attend the Fiesta Bowl because he’s in San Antonio, getting ready to play in the Jan. 10 Navy All-American Bowl. The game airs at 11 a.m. MST on NBC.

Hildebrand also has CFP semifinalists Indiana and Oregon, along with Texas A&M, Alabama, USC, Ohio State and Texas among his top 10 colleges.

“A few schools that are my favorite from the top 10 are ASU, Alabama, Texas A&M, Miami and USC,” Hildebrand said in a direct message to The Arizona Republic. “They have definitely been the schools that have been contacting me the most and built the best relationship with.”

There is no timetable for when Hildebrand will commit. He could wait until he makes trips this spring, summer and fall. But he is among the most coveted left tackles in the country, who has 38 offers, according to 247Sports.

The 247Sports Composite has Hildebrand ranked as the No. 13 overall offensive tackle in the country in the 2027 class. He is ranked No. 1 in the class of 2027 by The Republic.

Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. Catch the best high school sports coverage in the state. Sign up for Azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don’t miss a thing. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert

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