TEMPE—Time will tell how Arizona’s season finishes, but one thing is for certain: none have ever started better.
The top-ranked Wildcats outscored rival ASU by 13 in the second half to win 87-74 on Saturday afternoon at Desert Financial Arena. In doing so the UA (22-0, 9-0 Big 12) broke the school record for consecutive wins to open a season, topping the 21-0 mark set in 2013-14.
Phoenix-area native Koa Peat had 21 points in his first—and almost certainly only—game in Tempe, while Brayden Burries had 17,
Motiejus Krivas 15, Ivan Kharchenkov 12 and Jaden Bradley 10, with four rebounds and six assists. Tobe Awaka added 13 rebounds as Arizona was plus-15 on the boards and outscored ASU 50-20 in the paint.
Peat was 9 of 16 from the field and made both his 3-point attempts. He had been 4 of 15 entering the game.
Arizona shot 50.8 percent for the game, 60 percent in the second half. ASU (11-11, 2-7 Big 12) shot 41.5 percent, was 8 of 24 from 3 and its 12 turnovers were converted into 21 points for the Wildcats.
ASU, which led by one at the break in Tucson earlier in the month, tied it at 38 on a 3-pointer by Noah Meeusen on the final possession of the first half. Arizona opened the second half on a 6-0 run, including a 3 by Peat for the team’s first triple, and a putback by Krivas made it 44-38 and forced Bobby Hurley to call timeout.
Another Krivas putback got him to 15 points but then he picked up his third foul with 15:26 to go after preventing Massamba Diop from a transition poster dunk.Bradley was called for a charge with 14:08 left and also had to sit for a bit, but the bigger foul issue hit ASU not long after.
Moe Odum, who had 15 points to that point and scored 23 in the first meeting, picked up his third and fourth fouls in a 17-second span. The 4th came afterAwaka dove for a loose ball in the backcourt and it ended up with Anthony Dell’Orso, who was fouled by Odum going to the rim.
Dell’Orso made both foul shots, part of a 6-0 run capped by a Peat dunk for a 56-47 lead and another ASU timeout with 13:10 remaining.
The Sun Devils hit a couple 3s to get within three before Burries drained a corner triple to start a 7-0 run to give the UA its first 10-point lead. The only games this season the Wildcats didn’t lead by double digits were against Florida (nine) and at UConn (seven).
Peat had a wild stretch a few minutes later, getting called for his second goaltending of the game then making his second 3-pointer, but as he went back on defense he was T’d up. ASU made the two free throws to get within nine but couldn’t score on the ensuing possession, and Bradley made his first shot on the other end.
Kharchenkov’s layup with 3:26 remaining put Arizona up 13, and a Peat dunk made it 79-65 with 3:05 to go. Then Bradley turned on his closer switch, scoring six straight to get the lead to 20 before coming out to a big ovation from the UA fans with 1:06 remaining.
Arizona missed its first five shots, going more than three minutes without a field goal. It was 4-0 ASU when the student section let out an “overrated” chant.
The Sun Devils had a couple 2-score leads with chances to extend it before Arizona took its first lead at 16-15 on a 3-point play by Krivas. The Wildcats stretched that out to 25-18 with seven minutes left in the first half on a layup by Peat, but on the play he got hit above the eye (ruled incidental contact on review) and had to leave the game for a few minutes.
Foul trouble started to mess with Arizona’s rotation over the final five minutes of the first half, withAwaka, Bradley and Krivas each getting their second and sitting until the break. ASU took a couple 1-point leads after that, with the UA up three in the final minute beforeMeesum hit his 3 just before the halftime buzzer.
Arizona is off until next Saturday when it hosts Oklahoma State. During that game the Wildcats will honor the 2001 Final Four team.
