During its perfect start to the 2025-26 season, Arizona has shown the ability to defend well without fouling while also getting the opponent into foul trouble. Tuesday’s opponent took care of the second half of that equation all on its own.
Abilene Christian committed 26 fouls, leading to 39 free throw attempts for top-ranked Arizona in a 96-62 win at McKale Center. It was the UA’s fifth consecutive win by at least 20, its longest streak since winning the first five games of the 2010-11 season by 20 or more.
It’s also the 7th time in school history Arizona has started at least 10-0, the second under Tommy Lloyd (2021-22). Sean Miller did it three seasons in a row between 2012-15, including a school-record 21-0 in 2013-14, while Lute Olson’s 1987-88 squad started 12-0.
Arizona had six players in double figures led by Brayden Burries, who had 20 points for his third 20-point game in the last five contests. Burries was 9 of 11 from the field and is averaging 19.8 points over the last five games.
Motiejus Krivas had 15 points (making all four of his shots), Ivan Kharchenkov had 11 and the trio of Tobe Awaka, Jaden Bradley and Koa Peat each had 10 with Bradley getting all his points at the line. Bradley is the first UA player in at least 30 years to score in double figures without making a field goal.
The UA shot 66.7 percent but only took 45 field goal attempts, fewest in a game in which it scored 90 or more since 2020. It was 30 of 39 from the line, the second game this season it made at least 30 free throws.
Abilene Christian shot 35.7 percent but did force 18 turnovers. Arizona turned it over only four times in Saturday’s win over Alabama, tied for the fewest in school history.
Abilene Christian’s Joseph Venzant committed two fouls in the game’s first 13 seconds and put Arizona in the bonus with more than 11 minutes left in the first half. Bradley was 10 for 10 from the line in the first 8 ½ minutes.
The game had so many fouls the officials called one on Arizona’s Dwayne Aristode late in the first half when two Abilene Christian players collided on a screen and Aristode happened to be in the area.
An 8-0 run doubled Arizona’s lead to 27-11 with 11:01 left before hafltime, getting the margin to 20 with 4:08 remaining in the half.
The UA led 51-31 at the half, keeping the margin over 20 the rest of the game and getting it into the 30s with 8:11 to go.
Arizona heads to Phoenix for its next game, taking on San Diego State at 8:30 p.m. MT Saturday at the Mortgage Matchup Center. The game is part of a Hall of Fame Series doubleheader with former Pac-12 foes Colorado and Stanford meeting in the opener.
