Arizona Basketball starts hot, can’t contain No. 3 Gonzaga

Arizona Basketball (4-1) starts hot against No. 3 Gonzaga (5-0), but can’t hold on in their attempt to upset the Bulldogs in Maui.

Well, we knew we’d eventually have our first learning experience. One day after knocking off Iowa State in the first round of the Maui Tournament, the Arizona Basketball team had an even bigger test against No. 3 Gonzaga on Tuesday night.

Considered 10-point underdogs coming into this one, it was another opportunity to see how much fight, this young Wildcat team has. From the start, we could tell it was going to be a battle.

Arizona Wildcats

Arizona made shots, they defended well and rattled the Bulldogs in front of a rather raucous and rowdy crowd. Senior grad transfer Justin Coleman led the way in the first half scoring 17 points while helping pace the Wildcats to an early, eight-point advantage at the half.

You could not picture a more perfect first half than what Arizona played in this one. Only thing is, is that college basketball games are 40 minutes, not 20.

It was only a matter of time before Gonzaga used their talent, depth, and experience to get things rolling.

Not even a minute into the half, Arizona would pull ahead by 13 thanks to a Coleman three-pointer to make it 50-37. That would then prompt Zaga to go on a 15-3 run to over the next six minutes to pull them within one at 53-52.

That’s when things would completely unravel. Just up one, Arizona’s Chase Jeter would get called for a foul as he chased for a loose ball. Unhappy with the decision, the junior transfer would contest the call, slamming his hands to the court, pleading his case.

The ref watching was having none of it, assessing Jeter the technical, putting him out of commission for the rest of his evening with just 12 minutes to go. Arizona would never recover from that point.

Whatever Gonzaga did, Arizona could match it. Big shot, after big shot, Zaga’s experience proved the difference.

In the second half, Arizona suffered from poor shot selections to bad defense, to limited offensive creativity. Whatever the excuse, the Wildcats couldn’t keep up the pace with the high-flying Bulldogs.

From the technical foul on, Gonzaga would finish the game outscoring Arizona by a 39-21 margin.

It was a nice start to the game, but it ultimately wasn’t enough, as the Wildcats fall for the first time in 2018-19, losing to No. 3 Gonzaga by a 91-74 final.

Coleman would finish with a game-high 28 points, and Brandon Randolph would add 19 of his own, but going a quiet, 0-5 from three. Brandon Williams finished with 15.

We can all cite the Jeter technical all we want, and while it was a big play that impacted this game in a serious way, the Wildcats had just three assists in this one. That’s not going to cut it if they hope to have better offensive results moving forward.

Regardless, the show must go on, as Arizona returns to action tomorrow to face No. 8 Auburn for a potential third-place finish.

The game is slated for a 9:30 pm tip-off on ESPN 2.

At Zona Zealots, we are proud of the way the Wildcats battled in this one, just wish the result was a bit closer. Anyways, here’s to hoping Arizona can rebound tomorrow night against Auburn! Bear Down, Arizona!