ARIZONA BASKETBALL

Cat Tracks: Wildcats win Diamond Head Classic

Dec 26, 2012, 4:40 AM | Updated: 2:55 pm

Sure, you could read the box score and know who won, but we all know that won’t tell you everything that happened in a football game. So, we give you ‘Cat Tracks’, providing you with the analysis, quotes and notes from Arizona’s December 25 win over San Diego State. Final score: Arizona 68, San Diego State 67 .

The Good:

The Wildcats backed up their No. 3 ranking (highest since 2004) with a nail-biting 68-67 win over No. 17 San Diego State in Tuesday’s Diamond Head Classic final in Honolulu.

In a battle of the Pac-12 and Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year selections (Solomon Hill and James Franklin), UA’s senior leader had the upper hand in the tournament final, scoring a season-high 21 points in the victory.

Despite holding a slim lead going into halftime, Arizona fell behind the Aztecs 41-33 four minutes into the second half. However, down the stretch the Wildcats’ veterans proved to be the difference in the non-conference showdown between top 20 teams.

Senior Kevin Parrom scored 12 of his season-high 17 points (7-of-11 shooting) over the final 16 minutes of play. Jones held Franklin to only one field goal in the second half. And, senior Mark Lyons hit two free throws to put Arizona up for good with 13 seconds remaining.

On the game’s final play, the Wildcats relied on the athleticism of sophomore Nick Johnson to preserve the victory. SDSU’s Chase Tapley had a clear lane to basket with only a few seconds remaining on the clock, but Johnson, coming over from the help side, denied Tapley’s last-second shot with an emphatic game-saving block.

The Bad:

Arizona scored 29 points in the first half but shot a putrid 29.4 percent from the field. The Wildcats were even worse in the first 20 minutes of play from downtown. UA hit just three of their first 12 shots from three-point range.

Mark Lyons, who was a key figure in the team’s other win over a ranked team (No. 5 Florida), hit two late free throws Tuesday but was a non-factor for much of the night. The senior guard picked up his fourth foul early in the second half, and finished with just nine points on 2-of-9 shooting.

Noted:

• The Wildcats have now matched the start set by Lute Olsen’s squad back in 1987-88. That team started 12-0 en route to a Final Four appearance.

• UA’s victory snapped two of the Aztecs’ impressive streaks. Steve Fisher’s squad had won 24 straight games in December and 11 straight against Pac-12 teams before Tuesday night’s defeat.

• Arizona remains one of five unbeaten teams in the nation, along with Duke, Cincinnati, Michigan and Wyoming.

• Tuesday’s win marks the first time since December 4, 2008, that the Wildcats have beaten a ranked team in a road/neutral floor contest.

Coming Up Next:

Arizona will open up Pac-12 play in Tucson against Tad Boyle and the Colorado Buffaloes on January 3 at 7:00 p.m. Arizona time.

Arizona Basketball

JuJu Watkins drives on Cameron Brink...

Associated Press

Pac-12 women get 7 teams in NCAA Tournament, including Arizona

The Pac-12 could be poised for a strong showing in its final March Madness run. Arizona, USC, Stanford and more are in the NCAA Tournament.

8 hours ago

Kylan Boswell celebrates...

Arizona Sports

Experts predict Arizona Wildcats’ NCAA Tournament run

Arizona isn't a No. 1 seed this NCAA Tournament, but that hasn't stopped some experts from picking the program from going far in 2024.

9 hours ago

Oumar Ballo #11 and Keshad Johnson #16 of the Arizona Wildcats bump chests after a basket by Ballo ...

David Veenstra

Arizona faces Long Beach State in 1st round of 2024 NCAA Tournament

The No. 2 seed Arizona Wildcats will take on No. 15 seed Long Beach State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Salt Lake City.

1 day ago

Head coach Tommy Lloyd of the Arizona Wildcats calls to his team in the second half of a semifinal ...

Kellan Olson

Arizona projected as No. 2 seed for NCAA Tournament, GCU 12th

The Arizona Wildcats' two recent losses have still been deemed as costly enough to have them miss out on a NCAA Tournament top seed.

1 day ago

Jadrian Tracey...

Associated Press

Oregon captures final Pac-12 Tournament championship with win over Colorado

Oregon secured an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by defeating Colorado 75-68 on Saturday night, ending the Pac-12 basketball era.

2 days ago

Keshad Johnson #16 of the Arizona Wildcats drives the ball against N'Faly Dante #1 and Jackson Shel...

Damon Allred

Arizona eliminated from Pac-12 Tournament in loss to Oregon

Arizona men's basketball packed its bags to leave Las Vegas and the Pac-12 Tournament early after falling 67-59 to fourth-seeded Oregon.

3 days ago

Cat Tracks: Wildcats win Diamond Head Classic