Arizona Basketball: Wildcats win a HUGE game in overtime against the UNLV Rebels

The Arizona Wildcats basketball team looked to grow their confidence on the road against UNLV and they did in an overtime win, 90-87.

“We’re not talented,” said Coach Sean Miller according to Zack Rosenblatt. The Arizona Basketball team proved their coach wrong against the UNLV Rebels in an overtime victory. Early on, there were signs that this may have been a long night for Wildcats fans to endure, but in the end, fans had much to be proud of and Miller was singing a different tune.

This team fought hard and never gave up and came out on top in their first true road game of the season in a difficult environment. That’s how you BEAR DOWN!

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To put this game in perspective, the Wildcats had ONLY EVER won once before in Las Vegas. This would be the Wildcats win No. 2. A win like this on the road shows how much HEART this team has which is a LOT!! Past great Arizona teams have lost at UNLV, it’s not an easy place to win.

There were a lot of unknowns heading into this game. How would such a young team handle a tough environment? Would they play better as a team on the defensive end? How would the team react to Coach Sean Miller’s recent remarks on the teams past performances?

Prior to the start of the game, Rawle Alkins teased fans with a surprise. Many though that meant he end up playing , but he did not. Alkins did though show some of that “savage life” dunk technique during shoot around:

Early on the Wildcats had taken some bad shots, had some turnovers, defense that led to easy layups, missed opportunities on the offensive end, field goals and three-point shots that did not go in, which all sums up how this game went in the first half. The Wildcats finished the first half 14-40 from the field and 1-11 from three-point range and headed into the locker rooms down 11 points.

Their were signs in the first half of the game though that this team was not going to go down without a fight. Allonzo “Zo” Trier doing what Zo does, in this and one:

The way the first half was going, for the Wildcats to only be down 11 was remarkable. One of the reasons it wasn’t a much larger deficit was because the Rebels had nine turnovers in the first half, which led to nine points off turnovers for the Wildcats. Their opponent has five-star, seven-foot standout Brandon McCoy, who gave them everything they could handle. It was fun to watch DeAndre Ayton and McCoy trade blows down low. McCoy finished the game 33 points and 10 rebounds.

Note: Take into consideration that Brandon McCoy and Deandre Ayton were AAU teammates in Cal Supreme, so it was personal for the two of them and they both performed at the top of their games. Wildcats Parker Jackson-Cartwright and Solomon Hill also alumni of Cal Supreme.

https://twitter.com/CalSupremeBball/status/937246452916432896

Then the Cats came out of the locker room in the second half, a half that was one of the most exciting halfs in college basketball yet this season.

The Rebels would take a 13 point lead early in the second half, but then Ayton, Trier and Parker Jackson-Cartwright would help the team take the first lead of the game at the seven-minute mark. Shots were falling, rebounds were grabbed, double-team pressure rattled the Rebels (new for the Cats), transition defensive was better and the Wildcats seemed to get their confidence back. Most importantly the shots were falling and confidence was growing.

Ayton was absolutely HUGE in the second half. He showed why he is the BEST player in college basketball. For a freshman to do what he did late in the game was jaw dropping. Turn around jumpers, strong moves to the bucket, slam dunk finishes, including this one was late in the second half to give the Wildcats a three point lead.

After the Wildcats missed an opportunity to take the lead with about 34 seconds to go, the Rebels missed a fade a way three pointer and we were headed to OVERTIME!. In overtime, Ayton came up big with some big buckets and Trier made crucial free throws to secure the win.

See the highlights of the ‘game of the year’ so far this season!

Key stats for the game

• Zo led the team in scoring with 29 points and had five rebounds. He also was 8-9 from the free throw line, which was a key stat in the Wildcats win.
• Ayton finished the game with another double-double, 28 points and 10 rebounds, including the only three pointer in the first half.
• Jackson-Cartwright was the third Wildcat to score in double digits. He made 12 points, went 2-4 from three-point range, added three assists and only committed two turnovers.
• The Wildcats were 1-1 from the free throw line in the first half. They finished the game 15-17!
• Field goal percentage improved from the first half to overtime. They started at 35% and finished at 47%.
• Three point percentage improved as well. Started at 9% in the first half and ended at 33%!
• Both teams took care of business on the glass. Each had a total of 37 rebounds.
• Dusan Ristic provided the team with some solid minutes and much-needed baskets.
• Brandon Randolph, who started the game, had a solid outing. He finished with eight points and was perfect making 3-3 FG with 2-2 from three-point range. His three-pointers ignited the team and the bench.
• The bench play of Dylan Smith, Ira Lee, Keanu Pinder combined for 11 points and all contributed great minutes with some key plays.

Must Read: More on Arizona Basketball

At Zona Zealots, were a truly proud of how this team performed tonight. So many people doubting this team has what it takes to make a deep run in March. We don’t! We know what this team is capable. So don’t stop believing and Bear Down!

Next up for the Wildcats:

Who: No. 9 ranked Texas A&M

When: December 5th at 7 pm MST/6 pm PST on ESPN2

Where: Phoenix, AZ, Talking Stick Resort Arena

Wildcats fans in Phoenix, time to be loud!