’Cats’ revenge
Wildcats top Lobos in long-awaited Pit return
This time, it didn’t matter how fast the game clock got down to 00:00.
The No. 23 Arizona Wildcats dominated the feisty, but again clearly outmanned University of New Mexico roster from wire-towire, putting an exclamation point on their long-awaited return to Albuquerque by holding the Lobos without a field goal the final 5 minutes and closing on an 11-2 run for a comfortable 89-73 win Saturday night in Dreamstyle Arena.
“Our defense was awful. I don’t want to pretend it wasn’t,” said Lobos head coach
Paul Weir after the visitors shot 64 percent (32-of-50) from the field, including a blistering 69.2 percent (9-of-13) from 3-point range. “But you do have to give Arizona some credit. They shot the heck out of the basketball tonight. I know those guys are skilled enough to shoot 3s, but, man, they were special. They showed how good a team they are.”
They especially showed it in the opening 20 minutes.
Rawle Alkins gave the boisterous announced crowd of 13,207 a sign of things to come when he opened the scoring with a 3-pointer 30 seconds into the game. He went on to hit three of the Wildcats’ six first-half
3-pointers. Arizona had three players in double figures by halftime and had assisted on 12 of their 17 baskets while shooting 70.8 percent, taking a 49-33 lead into the break.
“That first 20 minutes was among the most embarrassing 20 minutes I’ve had in my career of coaching,” Weir said. “It’s unacceptable, and it has to change if we’re going to turn this season around . ...
“I don’t know if it was scared of the moment or what it was. It just wasn’t good enough and it’s going to change tomorrow.”
Saturday’s game was the first time the two once bitter rivals played in the Pit since a Jan. 16, 1999, game ended with what former Wildcats coach Lute Olson says was a clock error that allowed the Lobos to win. He swore the series off from that point forward. In 2015, Sean Miller signed a home-and-home contract for the teams to play again. Last year, UA beat UNM 77-46 in Tucson.
Saturday at UNM, the Lobos (3-8) did right the defensive ship in the second half, at least relatively speaking.
Arizona (8-3) was held, if that’s the right word, to just 57.7 percent shooting in the second half and the Lobos’ pressure defense finally started paying dividends, forcing seven of Arizona’s 10 turnovers in the second half.
Lobo junior Dane Kuiper, the Alaska native who played high school basketball in Arizona, kept UNM within striking distance down the stretch, celebrating his 21st birthday on Saturday with a career-high 24 points, including six made 3-pointers.
His trey with 5:05 left in the game cut what was once a 19-point Arizona lead to seven at 78-71. Unfortunately for UNM, that was the team’s last field goal (the Lobos were 4-of-5 from the free throw line), continuing a season-long trend of missing numerous shots in the closing minutes of games.
Still, it was Kuiper’s breakout performance that gave the Lobos any chance.
“I’ve been shooting kind of, not like I’d like to the last few games, so every time I had an open shot I just took it with confidence,” Kuiper said. “My teammates found me and having it on my birthday, I said I’m either going to foul out or I’m going to score a lot because I’m so excited.”
Kuiper couldn’t do it alone, though. Alkins ended up with 26 points to go along with 22 from junior Allonzo Trier. And, while they had some highlights, the Lobos were able to keep in relative check Arizona’s twin tower 7-footers Deandre Ayton (14 points, seven below his average) and Dusan Ristic (8 points, one below his average).