Arizona's Men's Basketball Team Suffer Their First Loss of the Season
The highly-ranked Arizona Wildcats have suffered their first defeat of the season, falling to No. 9 Kansas on Monday night. The game was a tough one, played at one of the most challenging venues in college basketball, and the Wildcats were without their star player.
Despite a strong performance from Brayden Burries, who scored 25 points and made 4 out of 7 3-pointers, the Wildcats couldn't maintain their winning streak. The team struggled during a 10-minute stretch in the second half, being outscored by 16 points and missing 13 of 14 shots. Motiejus Krivas contributed 14 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, and six blocks, while Ivan Kharchenkov had 13 points, six rebounds, and three steals.
However, the rest of the team had an off-night, particularly Jaden Bradley and Koa Peat, who scored only six points each. Bradley, who had averaged 19.8 points against ranked opponents, was only 2 of 8, while Peat was 2 for 11. Tobe Awaka also had six points but just two rebounds due to foul trouble.
The Jayhawks, led by Flory Bidunga and Melvin Council, who scored 23 points each, won their 61st consecutive Big Monday home game. Despite the absence of freshman guard Darryn Peterson, a potential No. 1 draft pick, who sat out due to flu-like symptoms, the Jayhawks' supporting cast stepped up.
Kansas' defense was a key factor in their victory, especially inside. Arizona's shooting percentage dropped from 44.4 percent to 37.1 percent after halftime, and their 2-point efficiency was the second-worst of the season at 45.6 percent. The Wildcats also struggled at the free-throw line, making only 8 of 14 attempts compared to Kansas' 21 of 25.
The game was close throughout, with Arizona leading 45-42 at halftime. However, Kansas took control in the second half, with a 55-44 lead after a Krivas block and a 3-point play by Burries. The Jayhawks then went on an 8-0 run, with Bidunga dunking over Krivas and fouling, cutting the UA lead to 62-61 with 11:38 left.
Kansas then took the lead with 9:33 to go, with Bidunga dunking after a double dribble, despite the violation. This was part of an 8-0 run, with the Wildcats going over four minutes without points, putting the Jayhawks up 69-64.
Burries ended the Wildcats' drought with a 3-pointer, but Arizona missed 13 of 14 shots in a 9-minute stretch. Kansas narrowed the lead to six, but then went three minutes without scoring, with Kharchenkov's layup getting the UA within 73-71 with 2:09 left.
A Burries 3-pointer cut the lead to 77-76 with 33.6 seconds left, but the Jayhawks made five of six free throws down the stretch. A steal and score by Kharchenkov started a game-opening 6-0 run, prompting Self to call a timeout just 95 seconds in. The Wildcats maintained a 2-score lead until Kansas scored six in a row, tying it at 19 on a Tiller 3-pointer.
The game was a close battle throughout, with both teams trading leads. Arizona's first attempt from the perimeter was a 3-pointer by Dwayne Aristode, which keyed a 10-3 UA run to go up 29-22 with 7:47 left in the first half, forcing another Kansas timeout.
Kansas blocked six of Arizona's first 28 shots before the Wildcats hit back-to-back triples, building a 7-point lead. But the Jayhawks then went on a 7-0 run, tying it again at 38 with 3:01 left in the half. A shot clock violation gave Kansas a chance for its first lead, but Council missed a 3-pointer, and Arizona scored five in a row to keep the edge going into the break.
