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Arizona Wildcats blow by Cal Poly with balanced attack

By Mark Barrera

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 26: Wilbur the Wildcat is seen before the Arizona Wildcats take on the Xavier Musketeers in the West Regional Semifinal of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Staples Center on March 26, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 26: Wilbur the Wildcat is seen before the Arizona Wildcats take on the Xavier Musketeers in the West Regional Semifinal of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Staples Center on March 26, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /
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The Arizona Wildcats took on the Cal Poly Mustangs for the second game of the season. With Arizona still outside the top-25, the Wildcats keep looking to make a statement.

Sean Miller and Arizona are still trying to put pieces together from losing six, key figures, from last year’s team. With a good blend of young and old, the Wildcats continue to find balance.

Against the Cal Poly Mustangs, Arizona showed small signs of a more balanced attack. Ryan Luther and Chase Jeter led Arizona with 17 and 16 points in the 82-61 win over the Mustangs on Sunday. Luther made three 3’s and grabbed five rebounds, while Jeter pulled down six of his own.

Dylan Smith, who received criticism from fans but praise from Miller after the first game, came off the bench and found his stroke again. Smith finished with 12 points, shooting 4-7 from deep.

After the two Brandon’s led the team in points against Houston Baptist, both were quieter Sunday. Brandon Randolph scored 10 points after dropping 25 against Houston Baptist. Even though Brandon Williams only finished with nine points, he dished out eight assists with zero turnovers. In Arizona’s first two games, Brandon has dished out 13 assists, to ZERO TURNOVERS.

Ira Lee made his season début against Cal Poly. He had to miss the first game of the season due to his DUI over the Summer. Although he only played 13 minutes due to foul trouble, Lee finished with six points and eight rebounds, which led the team.

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Seeing Lee, Luther, and Jeter, pulling down 5+ rebounds each is a very good sign for the Wildcats moving forward. Cal Poly was definitely the smaller team Sunday, but so was Houston Baptist last week when they outworked Arizona on the glass.

After the game, Coach Miller echoed how good it was to see his post players grabbing boards. “Having all those guys playing well and healthy, it gives us a better opportunity to rebound and do some things that we’re going to need to do moving forward.”

Just like the Houston Baptist game, Arizona played a contested first half. The shots weren’t falling as much, and at halftime, the Wildcats only held a seven-point lead, 41-37.

The second half was a completely different story. Arizona attacked early and shots were falling. Dylan Smith made a pair open 3’s and Arizona went on a 20-0 run as Cal Poly went scoreless for more than seven minutes.

Arizona’s athleticism and energy gassed the Mustangs in the second half. Cal Poly head coach Jo Callero talked about how his team looked fatigued. Callero mentioned how the shots were coming up short and his team didn’t look like they were in “big-game” shape.

More about the upcoming Maui Invitational.... dark. Next

The Wildcats return to the court on Wednesday, November 14th, when they face UTEP at home. It will be their final test before the Maui Invitational kicks off on the 19th against Iowa State. Arizona will face some stiff competition. If they keep playing tough, balanced, and together, Arizona will have plenty of chances to show a national audience what they’re all about.

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