There’s no place like McKale Center for UA
As uneven as the Arizona Wildcats have played over the past six weeks, they always had McKale Center in their back pocket.
Having lost only a four-point game to top-ranked Gonzaga at home this season, the Wildcats this time pulled out their best win of the season so far, beating 20th-ranked Colorado 75-54 with an inspired effort before an equally inspired capacity crowd at McKale.
The Wildcats held Colorado to just 36.7% shooting and crushed them on the glass, 39-25, while shooting 47.5% from the field and hitting 9 of 22 3pointers against a defense that had held their previous four Pac-12 opponents to just 25.7% from long range.
Five Wildcats had nine or more points, with Zeke Nnaji leading UA with nine points and 11 rebounds. Nico Mannion had 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists. With center Chase Jeter missing his second straight game, Ira Lee took advantage of 26 minutes off the bench to collect six points and seven rebounds over while earning salutes from the crowd.
Colorado’s McKinley Wright led all scorers with 15 points but had five turnovers to his five assists.
The win moved Arizona to 13-5 overall and 3-2 in the Pac-12, while 20thranked Colorado dropped to 14-4 and 3-2. A scheduling quirk will have the Wildcats facing only ASU again next week, on Saturday in Tempe.
Leading 34-23 at halftime, Arizona went ahead 45-29 when Dylan Smith hit a 3-pointer on the break with 14 minutes left. Colorado pulled within 45-35 when D’Shawn Schwartz made a 3-pointer and Lucas Siewert received a foul and a goaltend on his layup attempt, then hit the free throw.
But Hazzard fired in his third 3-pointer in six tries to put UA ahead 48-35 and the Wildcats expanded their lead to 20 when Ira Lee dunked to put UA ahead 62-42 with 6:30 left.
In the first half, Arizona used an inspired defensive effort to take a 34-23 halftime lead.
The Wildcats held Colorado to 32% shooting and just 3 of 12 3-pointers, although Buffaloes point guard McKinley Wright banked in a 3 just before the halftime buzzer.
Arizona went on a 24-5 run through the middle of the half and also had five late points from Smith, who hit a 3pointer, then grabbed the ball from Colorado’s Shane Gatling and dunked on the other end before Wright hit his 3.
Smith led the Wildcats in scoring in the first half with eight points while Mannion and Josh Green each had seven, with Mannion also collecting five rebounds. Nnaji had four points and seven rebounds.
Arizona’s 24-5 run turned a 10-5 deficit into a 29-15 lead by the time Max Hazzard fired in a fast-break 3-pointer with 3:57 left after a turnover by Colorado’s Tyler Bey.
The game started out in a defensive battle, with UA not scoring for the first three minutes and Colorado missing 5 of 7 shots through the first four minutes, when the Buffs still held a 7-5 lead. To that point, UA was 2 for 4, with Green hitting a stepback jumper and a layup that drew a foul, but the Wildcats also had three turnovers.
Thanks in part to Hazzard, who scored 24 points off the bench against Utah on Thursday, the Wildcats went on a 7-0 run to take a 12-12 lead with 11:17 left, when the McKale Center crowd began to pick up considerable energy.
With Colorado leading 10-5, Hazzard stole the ball from Colorado center Evan Battey under the basket, leading to a jumper from Mannion.
After both teams failed to score on their next possessions, Hazzard returned to can a 15-footer to tie the game at 10 and, after Battey missed inside, Mannion raced downcourt and made a layup over Wright.
Arizona extended their run to 14-2 over the middle of the first half, getting a jumper from Jemarl Baker, a 23-footer from Smith, and a rebound basket from Nnaji.