Arizona Wildcats Basketball: Cats Stay Hungry Devour Cougars

The Arizona Wildcats basketball team came together in a great team effort to convincingly beat the Washington State Cougars 86-59.

The Cougars stadium seemed half empty. Even so, Cougar fans were loud and proud the entire game supporting their team until the last seconds, got to give it to them. The referees were not whistle happy and not calling fouls early on allowing Kaleb Tarczewski to engage and drive the basket several times, brimming with confidence.

Elliott Pitts made one out of four three pointers, and it counted as it gave Arizona a 12 point lead with 11:43 left in the first half. Arizona only made 4-14 three point shots in the game (28.6%). Brandon Ashley made some impressive back to back dunks, and Washington State coaches decided to take time out to regroup. It gets better.

Feb 15, 2015; Pullman, WA, USA; Arizona Wildcats center Kaleb Tarczewski (35) drives the baseline against Washington State Cougars center Jordan Railey (4) during the second half at Wallis Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum. The Wildcats won 86-59. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

By the end of the first half with 3:52 to go, Arizona had increased their lead by 16 to 28; the score 41-13. The team ended the half impressively ahead by 34, 53-19. Tarczewski and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had combined for 8 of 8 from field totaling 20 points. The Arizona Wildcats shot 60% in the first half versus the Cougars who shot 27%. Arizona with 3 players already in double figures looked extremely confident.

Three players Brandon Ashley, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Kaleb Tarczewski each scored 17 points and T.J. McConnell not far behind scoring a total of 14 points and a team high eight assists. Hollis-Jefferson, Arizona Athletics player of the game, shot 100%, shooting 6/6 from the field adding 10 boards and one steal, assist and block to add to his 17 points.

The highlight of the game: Rondae’s posterizing dunk made over Washington State’s Josh Hawkinson in the second half with 10:05 left in the game bringing the Cats ahead by 35, Arizona 76 Washington State 41.

Arizona shot 60% versus 27% in the first half and 57.1% versus 43.3% overall out rebounding the Cougars 44-23. You could tell the team was playing team ball. Offensively Stanley Johnson was held to only 7 points in a low 17 minutes of play although he played tough defense. One glaring stat where Arizona can look to make a major improvement is in free throw shots made; they shot a low 50% in this game making only 10 out of 20, thank goodness the game did not come down to intentional fouls.