Arizona Basketball goes ice cold from the field in loss to Gonzaga

TUCSON, AZ – In front of a packed crowd in McKale Center, the Arizona Basketball team (10-2), came up short in their 84-80 loss to Gonzaga (11-1).

The freshman Zeke Nnaji finished with 16 points and 17 rebounds, while Josh Green added another 17 points and four rebounds in this one, but it wasn’t enough for the Arizona Basketball team as they fell 84-80.

Coming off a very convincing, 50-point win over Omaha just a few nights prior, the Wildcats would return to McKale on Saturday evening for a marquee match-up against No. 6 Gonzaga.

Arizona Wildcats

Many were expecting one heck of a college basketball match-up, and in front of a packed house in Tucson, the Wildcats were energized from the start in this one.

Opposite to the Baylor game at first, the Cas looked great, climbing out to a 16-7 lead after a Chase Jeter made lay-up with 14:13 to play in the first half.

But unfortunately for Arizona, basketball games are played for 40 minutes, and it was then that Gonzaga would climb back into this one. Trailing just by nine, the Bulldogs would then go on a 27-16 run over the next 13 and-a-half minutes of play to reclaim the lead at 34-32.

Despite Arizona’s best efforts to stay in front in this one, the Cats couldn’t seemingly buy a bucket, shooting a collective 12-40 from the floor, including 1-15 from the three-point line.

Perhaps the only thing really saving the Cats in that first half was Green’s 11 points and Nnaji’s 10. Also, Arizona had 26 rebounds in that first half as well.

But luckily the Cats just trailed by one at the break.

Then the second half happened…

Hoping for a better shooting performance, the second half would certainly become tough to watch. Despite battling and regaining the lead at 45-42 after a pair of Nnaji free throws made with 16:55 to go, the Bulldogs would have an answer, coming right back in a big way.

Trailing just by those three points, Gonzaga would respond by going on a massive, 27-10 run to really open this game at 69-55 with 7:35 to play.

Looking as if this was about to become a blow-out, Arizona would battle back from as many as 16 down with over two minutes to play, taking advantage of each Gonzaga missed free throw and mistake.

After a Nnaji made lay-up with 24 seconds left, Arizona would trail by just four points at 82-78. A missed shot by the Zags would give the Cats the ball right back, setting up a Jemarl Baker shot to cut the lead to two, but it was too little too late as the Cats fell 84-80.

Listen to Miller following this teams’ loss to Gonzaga.

At Zona Zealots, we’re certainly disappointed in the loss as the Cats have yet to be a ranked opponent, and once again the shooting was abysmal against a good team. As always, Bear Down, Arizona!