Arizona Wildcats Fight Off Broncos for 88-76 Win

The Arizona Wildcats Basketball team is looking for consistency for the entire game. After some slow starts, the team looked to come out strong against the Broncos of Boise State.

The starters tonight were the same group we’ve seen this year: Kadeem Allen, Gabe York, Mark Tollefsen, Ryan Anderson, Kaleb Tarczewski.

The Pac-12 Network analyst provided their “keys to the game” right before tip-off. One of these keys was to defend the three. What was Boise State’s first bucket? A 3-pointer. In fact, the 3-point seemed to be go-to shot selection early on for both teams. Gabe York came out on fire, hitting his first two 3-pointers. York was being the more aggressive Wildcat early on.

Nov 19, 2015; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Sean Miller reacts during the second half against the Boise State Broncos at McKale Center. Arizona won 88-76. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

But as it has been in the previous two games, each time Arizona scored, Boise State was right there to fire back. In the first 5 minutes of the game, there were five lead changes. Boise State wasn’t backing down.

In a game where Arizona clearly had the size advantage, Boise State was getting inside with ease. A team that likes to shoot 3-pointers, Arizona was slow to force their shooters off of the arc. Nick Duncan and James Web III had their names called early, and often.

Duncan was hitting 3’s from beyond NBA range with little effort. Zeus and Anderson were giving up space to Duncan, and he was taking full advantage. Webb III was making shot after shot, getting rebounds, and slashing to the basket.

The first half was like a boxing match. Each team was throwing body blows, jabs, and the occasional hook looking for the knockout. But neither team was going down early, and Boise State was looking to be the next underdog to knock off a ranked opponent.

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Right before the half, Parker Jackson-Cartwright came alive to help Arizona take a 44-42 lead. This couldn’t have come at a better time for the Wildcats. PJC made sure his 12 points were going to make noise, he was all over the court.

What we were looking for in the second half were better close outs, smoother passes, and more flow from the Wildcats on both sides of the ball. We saw flashes of this, but the consistency just wasn’t there.

Webb III went off for Boise State. Coach Sean Miller threw multiple looks at him: Allonzo Trier, Tollefsen, Elliott Pitts. None of them could slow down Webb III as he alone kept Boise State in this game, and close 3/4 of the night.

For Arizona, Allonzo Trier went to work in the second half. He was the quiet assassin that Arizona needed. With both teams trading blow after blow after blow, Trier showed again why he was one of the top recruits out of high school.

With Gabe leading the way for Arizona at 18 points, and PJC providing 12, Trier decided to take over the role of the aggressor. Trust me when I say this… this is just the tip of what Trier can provide.

Nov 19, 2015; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright (0) dribbles the ball during the second half against the Boise State Broncos at McKale Center. Arizona won 88-76. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

With about 10 minutes left, we all started to see the team Arizona has the potential to be. Gabe York got a much-needed steal, and fed Kadeem Allen for a fast break lay-up. Allen got another steal almost immediately, and had a smooth bounce pass to Trier for the break away dunk.

Arizona jumped out to a 73-66 lead with 7 1/2 minutes left in the game. This is a time when Arizona need to put the nail in the coffin, but Boise State just would not go away. After a pair of free throws, and some more trades in scoring, Arizona had a 76-71 lead with 5 1/2 minutes left in the game.

Anderson let the beast out of the cage late in the half. He was grabbing every rebound close to him. He was taking dish after dish from PJC, Allen, York, and finishing strong at the rim. Anderson had multiple dunks over the Boise State players, sparking fire in the team and the crowd.

York made his presence known again after a bit of a lapse. He led the team all night in points, and he turned his high power gear on just when it seemed Boise State was gaining momentum.

Nov 19, 2015; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Ryan Anderson (12) dunks the ball against the Boise State Broncos during the second half at McKale Center. Arizona won 88-76. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

Just under 5 minutes left in the game is when Arizona finally wore out the Broncos. Boise’s shots weren’t falling near as much as they previously were, and Arizona made sure to make them pay for missed shots. Trier, Allen, York, and Anderson came together and pushed Arizona to take a 10 point lead, and never looked back.

Arizona finished the game with four players in double figures. Gabe York lead the team with 23 pts. PJC finished with 14 pts, 12 of which came in the first half. After a second half rush, Trier finished with 13 pts, 11 of which came in the second half when the team really needed it. Anderson didn’t finish in double figures with points (8 pts), but he dominated the glass with 15 rebounds!

With blocks, dunks, 3’s, steals, and rebounds, this team refused to go down. It was an exciting game, with the “Cardiac Cats” living up to their name.

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It might have been stressful at times, but we saw something tonight. This team fought. They dug down deep, and came together as a team. In the face of adversity, the Wildcats showed just how tough they are. The Wildcats home win streak just increased by one game to 41.

Side Notes:

• Zeus may not have come up big with points, but he did show how dominant he can be. He finished with a couple blocks, and a big, 9 rebounds.
• Dusan Ristic finished with 8 pts and 5 boards. He isn’t putting up lights up numbers, but he has shown his maturity from last year. Through the first three games, he is averaging 7.7 pts and 7 rebounds off the bench.