Arizona used a 13-0 run midway through the first half to extend its lead to 33-16 in a 102-66 win over Southern Utah on Saturday at McKale Center. The Wildcats had great balance on Saturday led by Anthony Dell'Orso with 19. Southern Utah had two players in double figures led by Jamir Simpson with 21 points.
Arizona continued to extend the lead throughout the first half to lead 55-23 at halftime. Nine Arizona players scored in the first half. Arizona shot 50.80 percent for the game and made six of its 16 three-point attempts. Arizona continued to struggle to defend the three-point shot as Southern Utah made 10-28 on Saturday.
Arizona utilized its size advantage with a 46-16 edge in points in the paint and outscored Southern Utah 55-10 in points off the bench. Ten Arizona players received at least 15 minutes of playing time and seven scored in double figures. Dell'Orso was exceptional making 6-9 from the floor and 3-4 three-point attempts.
Arizona maintained a 30-point lead for all but 25 seconds of the second half in outscoring Southern Utah 47-43 after halftime. The Wildcats held the lead for 37:38 to 2:01 for the Thunderbirds. Tommy Lloyd was able to look at multiple lineups with Arizona having a big lead for most of the final 30 minutes.
61 points off the bench👀 pic.twitter.com/QjgsAWbKuT
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) December 7, 2024
The last lead for Southern Utah was 3-2 with 18:35 remaining in the first half. Arizona built its biggest lead at 82-41 with 10:58 left in the game. Arizona did what was expected in a game they entered as a huge favorite. It was a needed win for Arizona who had a two-game losing streak entering the game on Saturday.
Arizona is off until December 14 when they play UCLA at the Footprint Center in Phoenix. UCLA is 7-1 before playing at 9-0 Oregon tomorrow. New Mexico gave UCLA its only loss. UCLA will be the last chance Arizona has for a quality non-conference win to boost its NCAA Tournament resume.