No Kerr, No Problem, Arizona Basketball overpowers Colorado

LAS VEGAS, NV – Looking to avenge their previous loss to Colorado, No. 2 Arizona Basketball (30-3, 18-2) came to play, overpowering a hot Buffaloes team.

It was an electric game from the tip as both teams scored a combined 154 total points and shot 44.6 percent from the field, including 46.8 percent from three as Arizona Basketball came away with the 82-72 win.

Colorado had been rolling coming into this one, as they were winners in three straight games. And from the start, they brought the intensity, matching the Wildcats stride for stride until Arizona was able to overpower Colorado and pull away at the end.

Led behind the 20 points and 11 rebounds from Azuolas Tubelis, Arizona proved to be too much for the Buffaloes.

Senior transfer Justin Kier would also come up big here, serving as a great replacement to the injured Kerr Kriisa. Justin would finish his evening scoring 13 points, grabbing five rebounds, and dishing three assists.

Weathering Colorado’s hot shooting from beyond the arc, No. 2 Arizona Basketball came away with the impressive win late.

Colorado would start the game hot, jumping out to a 16-8 lead over the first four-plus minutes of play. Fortunately for the Wildcats, that would be their biggest lead in this one as Arizona would respond with a big run of their own, pulling ahead 22-21.

Just moments later, the Wildcats would extend their lead to 31-24 with 7:58 to play in the first, before Arizona closed out the half, outscoring Colorado 16-14 to take a nine-point halftime advantage.

However, a back and forth second half would keep this one closer than we all would have liked to have seen.

Picking up right where they left off, Colorado would continue to keep their hot shooting hand, pulling within one at 51-50 with 16:16 to play in the game.

Unfortunately, with every run that the Wildcats would make, the Buffaloes seemingly had an answer, keeping things close.

Arizona would extend their lead to seven at 64-57 with 8:40 to play, and from there, the Wildcats seemed to maintain control eventually coming away with the 82-72 win.

So where does Arizona Basketball go from here?

With the win, Arizona improves to 30-3 (18-2) and advances to the Pac-12 Conference Tournament Finals. The Championship will also be in Vegas where the Wildcats will take on either UCLA or USC.