Getting off to a good start is critical for Arizona in its game at West Virginia on Tuesday night. West Virginia has been a far better first-half team this season. The Mountaineers are 261st nationally averaging 36.0 points per game in the second half. Arizona is 53rd averaging 41.6 PPG in the second half.
West Virginia led Arizona 39-37 at halftime when the Mountaineers and Wildcats played in the Battle 4 Atlantis in November. West Virginia beat Arizona 83-76 by outscoring the Wildcats 17-10 in overtime. Arizona is seventh nationally averaging 42.5 PPG in the first half and West Virginia is 97th averaging 36.5.
If Arizona can take the lead at halftime, they will put pressure on a West Virginia team that has been far more of a first-half team this season. Arizona is 110th allowing 32.6 PPG in the first half and West Virginia is 10th nationally allowing 27.6 PPG in the first half. West Virginia is 17th allowing 32,3 PPG in the second half and Arizona is 52nd at 34.7.
West Virginia was far better offensively versus Arizona in the first half of their game in December before not missing a shot in overtime. After shooting 43.3 percent from the floor in the first half and making 6-17 three-point attempts, West Virginia shot 29.4 percent and made 4-15 threes in the second half versus Arizona in November.
Arizona was able to get off to a great start on Saturday at Cincinnati then held on late in the second half for the win. The Wildcats led 39-26 at halftime, expanded the lead to 52-33 early in the second half and won 72-67. Jaden Bradley, Caleb Love and Carter Bryant led the first-half surge for Arizona versus Cincinnati.
Bradley and Love each scored nine points and Bryant had eight in the opening 20 minutes. Tucker DeVries scored 26 and Toby Okani had 20 when West Virginia beat Arizona in November. Arizona did a good job on West Virginia leading scorer Jevon Small in November. Small scored 14 points on 2-9 from the floor.
Small averages 19.5 PPG, 5.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists. DeVries is the only other player on West Virginia averaging in double-figures at 14.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 2.8 APG. Okani had by far his best game this season versus Arizona and has not scored more than 13 in any other game this season.
If Arizona can get off to a good start they can set the foundation for the entire game. They would also be able to take the crowd out of the game. West Virginia started their current six-game winning streak versus Arizona. A win by Arizona on Tuesday night would be a second straight quadrant one road victory.