No. 6 Arizona pulls away in 2nd half, tops Washington 95-72

SEATTLE (AP) – That appeared a little bit extra how No. 6 Arizona desires to play with the combo of Azuolas Tubelis and Oumar Ballo dominating on the inside and Kerr Kriisa pulling down photographs from the perimeter.

Tubelis had 25 factors and 10 rebounds, Ballo added 21 factors and 12 rebounds, and Arizona used a giant second-half run to tug away for a 95-72 win over Washington on Saturday.

The Wildcats (19-3, 8-3 Pac-12) received their fourth straight and picked up their first highway sweep in convention play this season. Arizona additionally received for the eighth time in its final 9 journeys to Seattle, every of the previous three victories by 20 factors or extra.

“We haven’t had many video games like this this 12 months, so it felt good to come back out and do it,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd mentioned. “However Washington as a crew, I’ve a ton of respect for. I used to be anticipating this sport to go all the way down to the final 4 minutes, however luckily, we form of made a little bit run and threw some haymakers at them and form of staggered them a little bit bit.”

Tubelis topped 20 factors for the primary time in 5 video games and his rebound putback whereas being fouled with 4:29 remaining gave the Wildcats a 78-63 lead and despatched Washington followers headed for the exits.

Kriisa added 18 factors, hitting six 3-pointers, and Courtney Ramey scored 14. And for not less than sooner or later, the Wildcats confirmed flashes of their potent offensive punch from earlier within the season.

Arizona topped 80 factors in 11 of its first 13 video games, however had reached that mark simply twice since beginning the majority of convention play across the first of the 12 months.

“It exhibits that we are able to win in numerous methods and it exhibits our crew, I don’t know if (it’s) grittiness, but it surely form of exhibits we are able to throw us some form of sport and we have now to search out our approach learn how to win,” Kriisa mentioned.

Keion Brooks Jr. led Washington with 25 factors and Keyon Menifield added 21. However the Huskies (13-10, 5-7) suffered from too many scoring droughts and didn’t have a solution for Arizona’s 19-1 run within the early phases of the second half.

Washington led by 9 early within the first half, however was overmatched on the defensive finish throughout Arizona’s second-half surge, whether or not the Huskies had been going zone or man-to-man.

“We couldn’t cease them. Within the second half they scored 57 factors. That’s not the recipe,” Washington coach Mike Hopkins mentioned.

Arizona’s scoring run was a wave of contributions, however was punctuated by key 3-pointers. Tubelis and Ballo scored baskets on the inside, and it was a pair of 3s from Kriisa and Ramey’s first made basket of the sport — additionally a 3 — that helped the Wildcats push the result in 53-44 with 13:33 remaining.

After a Washington timeout, the Huskies dedicated a turnover and Kriisa and Ramey once more related from deep. Tubelis lastly capped the run with a layup, giving the Wildcats a 61-45 lead with 11:25 remaining.

Arizona led by as many as 26 factors within the closing minutes after escaping with a 70-67 win over the Huskies in Tucson earlier this month.

“I believe our guys settled in offensively a little bit bit at present,” Lloyd mentioned. “Final sport we performed these guys, we didn’t actually do an excellent job attacking the zone and we turned the ball over, so that you shore up these two belongings you give your self a greater likelihood.”

BIG PICTURE

Arizona: The Wildcats rediscovered their offensive efficiency after being held beneath 65 factors in its previous two video games. Each of these had been shut victories over UCLA and Washington State, however the Wildcats shot 52% for the sport and the 95 factors had been a season-high in convention play.

Washington: The Huskies misplaced their fifteenth straight to ranked opponents and haven’t knocked off a crew ranked within the AP Prime 25 since defeating Baylor early within the 2019-20 season.

UP NEXT

Arizona: Hosts Oregon subsequent Thursday.

Washington: At UCLA subsequent Thursday.

Extra UArizona information