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No. 6 Arizona manages ASU comeback attempt for rivalry win

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No. 6 Arizona manages ASU comeback attempt for rivalry win


TEMPE — No. 6 Arizona separated itself from rival Arizona State early and then stayed solid enough in the second half to pick up an 85-67 victory on Wednesday to sweep the season series.

All five Wildcat starters were in double figures, which is nothing new for that group. Kylan Boswell was the top scorer with 17 points, Caleb Love added 16 and Oumar Ballo’s 14 points and 13 rebounds made up his eighth straight double-double.

Throughout the first half, there was a clear difference in shot quality. Arizona (22-6, 13-4) jumped out to a 14-2 lead for points in the paint just a little over 10 minutes in, which was a big part of jumping out to a 16-point lead. The Sun Devils (14-15, 8-10) did generate some open shots but the majority of them were ones the opposing defense was OK with giving up, as ASU’s five volume 3-point shooters all own percentages between 28-33%.

Boswell and Pelle Larsson did a great job finding the lanes to attack and threaten the defense. Arizona’s movement on and off the ball was crisp, an area where Larsson’s cutting really works wonders. A few minor lapses came in the back half of the first 20-minute period but nothing to let ASU back in it.

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A loud Arizona contingent inspired an ASU home crowd that was already hyped to get even louder, creating a great environment immediately. That sort of washed away at points in the first half before Arizona State’s terrific resilience in the second half got everyone up and vocal once more.

After the Wildcats responded to an 8-0 ASU run to open the second half that cut the advantage to six, Arizona State again crept back in it. For the next 10-plus minutes of the second half, the Sun Devils were grinding through a great effort to drag this game so close to the danger zone for the Wildcats, where the score could get down to just one or two possessions and in “anything can happen” territory on the road with only a few minutes left.

But with just over six minutes remaining and Arizona up eight, the Sun Devils produced back-to-back bad shots that allowed Arizona to get uptempo and play off a miss. One of those resulted in a Love 3 and the other a Jaden Bradley free throw, increasing the Wildcats’ lead to a dozen with 5:08 remaining. It was just enough to avoid getting strapped into that roller coaster. Love drilled his fourth triple two minutes later and a Bradley steal set up a Keshad Johnson lob to all but wrap it up.

“We stayed poised, stayed calm, stayed together,” Bradley said. “(I) like games like that, close games kind of get us ready for the tournament and what’s next.”

The most impressive part of the win for the Wildcats was it was just the third game out of their 28 in which they’ve lost the battle on the free throw line. Arizona only attempted two in the first half and ended up 13-of-18 (72.2%) to ASU’s 18-for-25 (72%) mark. It would have been easy to lose a bit of composure within the atmosphere and not having the usual steady diet of instant offense at the foul line.

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Boswell has had an up-and-down year and really needed a performance like that in a rivalry game to find a rhythm offensively.

“I know he’s been under the microscope a little bit and that’s what happens when you’re the point guard at Arizona,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “I thought he played exceptional tonight.”

Outside of one live ball turnover, Boswell’s decision-making was solid all night and he did a good job seeking out his shot.

“If I’m not open pass the ball, if I’m open let it fly,” Boswell said. “Whatever the game comes to me I just try to let it flow.”

“I always want Kylan to be aggressive,” Lloyd said. “I think Kylan’s playing with two of the best playmaking wings in the country in Caleb and Pelle, so when Kylan’s out there he doesn’t necessarily need to dominate the ball. … When he’s hunting catch-and-shoot shots he’s a really good player.”

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Boswell was coming off a moment on the bench a game prior when Lloyd really got into him during a heated exchange, something Lloyd addressed by noting Boswell apologized while also saying Boswell didn’t even have to do that.

“A lot of people had their own opinions about the moment (but) nobody on the outside knows me and coach Lloyd’s real relationship,” Boswell said of it. “I was upset at myself. Sometimes you don’t want to hear the truth but after reflecting on it I realized of course he’s always going to be trying to get on me, he’s always going to support me and he always wants the best for me.”

Boswell did pick up four fouls midway through the second half, though, and Bradley once again closed the game over him, a somewhat regular occurrence in the last two months.

Bradley’s been a big-time spark plug off the bench defensively and plays with a downhill mentality offensively that brings a different dimension to the lead guard spot. Ironically enough, Arizona is pretty darn good with both on the floor, and Boswell said he thinks he plays his best ball when he’s out there with Bradley.

A deep Arizona run in the NCAA Tournament is highly unlikely without Boswell playing more like he did on Wednesday, and the balance between the two point guards has been something for Lloyd to figure out all year that will certainly loom over tight games in March.

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Love provided eight rebounds, five assists and a steal to go with his 14 points. He has all but locked up Pac-12 Player of the Year honors.

Ballo’s double-double streak is two away from tying the school record. There are conveniently three regular season games left for him to break it.

Arizona State was led by Adam Miller’s 16 points and 15 more out of Frankie Collins.

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Ex-Utah running back Mike Mitchell commits to Arizona

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Ex-Utah running back Mike Mitchell commits to Arizona


In producing one of the top rushing offenses in the country this past season, Seth Doege relied on several ball carriers to churn out more than 200 yards per game at Marshall. That looks to be the plan at Arizona as well, as the Wildcats have added a second running back from the NCAA transfer porttal since hiring Doege as offensive coordinator last month.

The UA has earned a commitment from former Utah rusher Mike Mitchell, who will have three seasons of eligibility remaining. He joins ex-Texas State running back Ismail Mahdi in a backfield that also includes returners Kedrick Reescano and Kayden Luke and incoming freshman Wesley Yarbrough.

The 6-foot, 211-pound Mitchell played in 10 games this past season for the Utes, rushing for 158 yards and a touchdown on 47 carries as a redshirt freshman. He had three carries for two yards against Arizona in September.

Mitchell was a 3-star prospect from Florida in the 2023 recruiting class, picking Utah over Florida State, Louisville and Washington State, among others.

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He is Arizona’s 18th transfer pickup this offseason, 11th on offense and second running back. The Wildcats have also landed four offensive linemen, three receivers, a tight end and a quarterback.



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Corbin Burnes finds Arizona oasis: Contract details, fantasy impact on Cy Young candidate

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Corbin Burnes finds Arizona oasis: Contract details, fantasy impact on Cy Young candidate


Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

The Diamondbacks leap out of shadows on Friday evening to reportedly sign ace Corbin Burnes to a six-year, $210 million contract, which includes an opt out following the 2026 season, after the Giants and Blue Jays seemingly balked at his contractual demands. The 30-year-old right-hander fills an obvious need for Arizona’s reeling pitching staff following a half-decade run as one of the most durable aces in baseball, recording a sparkling 2.88 ERA (3.01 FIP), 1.02 WHIP and 29 percent strikeout rate across 816 2/3 innings (134 starts) between the Brewers and Orioles since the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. Let’s take a deeper dive into how Burnes impacts Arizona’s rotation mix and his immediate fantasy outlook at Chase Field.

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How does Corbin Burnes’ arrival impact Arizona’s starting rotation?

Burnes provides Arizona’s starting rotation mix with a certifiable front-of-the-rotation ace after the club’s pitching staff allowed the fifth-most runs (4.86 per-game) last season and got just 72 starts combined between their veteran quartet comprised of Zac Gallen, Jordan Montgomery, Eduardo Rodriguez and Merrill Kelly. According to multiple reports, the Diamondbacks are looking to move on from Montgomery, who struggled to a calamitous 6.23 ERA across 117 innings (25 appearances, 21 starts) last year in his Arizona debut, and seems like the most obvious trade candidate prior to spring training. The club also jettisoned some of its pitching depth earlier this month when it shipped former prospect Slade Cecconi to Cleveland as the centerpiece of the Josh Naylor trade. It goes without saying that Burnes’ arrival will make a significant impact for the Diamondbacks given his track record as a durable innings-eater to pair with former top prospect Brandon Pfaadt, who made a career-high 32 starts this past season.

Even with Montgomery potentially being subtracted from the picture, that doesn’t exactly leave a rotation spot for talented youngsters like Ryne Nelson, who posted a serviceable 4.24 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 126/34 K/BB ratio across 150 2/3 innings (28 appearances, 25 starts) last year during a mini-breakthrough season or Yilber Diaz, who showed some flashes in seven appearances (four starts) last year at the highest level. Nelson is most likely ticketed for a versatile swingman-type role but could still wind up making plenty of starts given the health question marks swirling around Gallen, Kelly and Rodriguez. He’s a name to monitor in deeper mixed leagues as he’s currently being selected just inside the top 400 picks (389th overall), on average, in early NFBC drafts.

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How much does Chase Field alter Corbin Burnes’ fantasy outlook?

Here’s a slight oversimplification: Burnes is unlikely to be significantly impacted by the move to Chase Field, which ranks sixth out of 30 ballparks in Baseball Savant’s park factors over the last three years. It’s undoubtedly a more hitter-friendly offensive environment than the “Walltimore” era of Camden Yards that Burnes operated in last year, but it’s not like Milwaukee’s American Family Field was a pitcher’s paradise earlier in his career. Burnes won’t be completely immune to the high-octane offensive settings that come with the move to the NL West, but he’s done an excellent job in limiting hard contact (including home runs) over the past half-decade, which mitigates some of the immediate risk. Burnes remains a certifiable fantasy ace heading into the 2025 campaign, even if we bake in some slight pullback from a run-prevention standpoint.

The bigger concern from a long-term standpoint is whether he’ll wind up reversing a linear four-year decline in the strikeout department with the move to Arizona. After topping out at a whopping 36.7 percent during the shortened 2020 campaign, Burnes’ strikeout rate continued dipping to a league-average 23 percent mark during his lone season in Baltimore. A quick peek under the hood reveals that he’s generating fewer whiffs these days on his cutter and curveball than previous years, but it’s not exactly a cause for alarm since his previously elite control remains firmly intact. There’s also the possibility that Burnes actually fixed his cutter during the late stages of last year by adding a couple inches of additional horizontal break to the offering, which led to a surge in whiffs. There isn’t a huge margin for error here with Burnes moving forward, especially if his control starts to move in the wrong direction and he starts giving up more hard contact, but his continually declining strikeout rate isn’t a cause for total alarm just yet. It’s possible last September’s results weren’t a late-season mirage and he actually fixed his cutter. We’ll see.

Volume matters, especially from a fantasy standpoint, which is why Burnes’ extensive track record as a durable fantasy ace keeps him as an early-round selection in all fantasy formats, even as he starts to show some early warning signs of decline. The veteran stalwart is currently being selected in the third round (35th overall), on average, in early NFBC drafts and he’ll most likely wind up going off the board next spring as a borderline top seven starting pitcher in all fantasy formats in the same range as Logan Gilbert, Garrett Crochet, Chris Sale, George Kirby and Jacob deGrom.

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Arizona Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for Dec. 27, 2024

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Arizona Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for Dec. 27, 2024


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The Arizona Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Arizona offers Powerball, Mega Millions, The Pick, Triple Twist, Fantasy 5 and Pick 3 as well as Scratchers, Quick Draw and Fast Play.

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Lottery players have seen enormous jackpots recently, with previous winners of both the Powerball and Mega Millions breaking into the top 10 largest jackpots in U.S. lottery history. Money raised from Arizona lottery games goes toward funding higher education, health and human services, environmental conservation and economic and business development in the state.

Mega Millions

03-07-37-49-55, Mega Ball: 06, Megaplier: 3

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 3

4-7-6

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

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Fantasy 5

11-14-28-38-41

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Triple Twist

06-08-15-24-33-37

Check Triple Twist payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news and results

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Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Arizona Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $100 and may redeem winnings up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Arizona Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to P.O. Box 2913, Phoenix, AZ 85062.

To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID to any of these locations:

Phoenix Arizona Lottery Office: 4740 E. University Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4400. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Tucson Arizona Lottery Office: 2955 E. Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, 520-628-5107. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

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Phoenix Sky Harbor Lottery Office: Terminal 4 Baggage Claim, 3400 E. Sky Harbor Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4424. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.

Kingman Arizona Lottery Office: Inside Walmart, 3396 Stockton Hill Road, Kingman, AZ 86409, 928-753-8808. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://www.arizonalottery.com/.

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

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Where can you buy Arizona lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arizona Republic editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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