Allonzo Trier leads Arizona as Wildcats hold off Stanford

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Allonzo Trier scored 22 points, including 12 of 12 from the free throw line, and No. 9 Arizona escaped with a 74-67 victory over Stanford on Wednesday night.

Trier’s biggest offensive output since he returned to the team six games ago came in his first start of the season.

Lauri Markkanen emerged from a three-game shooting slump to make a 3-pointer that gave the Wildcats the lead for good, 70-67, with 1:40 to go.

Trier added two free throws with 23.7 seconds to go.

Arizona (22-3, 11-1 Pac-12) led most of the game but never by more than 12 points.

Reid Travis led Stanford (12-12, 4-8) with 26 points. Arizona beat the Cardinal by 39 at Stanford on Jan. 1.

Rawle Alkins added 12 points and Chance Comanche had 11 for the Wildcats, who won the game at the free throw line, going 25 for 29 to Stanford’s 9 for 12.

Marcus Allen scored 15 points and Dorian Pickens had 12 for Stanford, which lost to Arizona for the 15th straight time. The Cardinal are the only Pac-12 team without a victory over Arizona in coach Sean Miller’s eight seasons with the Wildcats.

Arizona looked to have a hangover from its 85-58 loss at Oregon last Saturday, a blowout defeat that snapped the Wildcats’ 15-game winning streak.

Stanford never led after the game’s first 8 minutes but stayed close with the inside domination of Travis. The Cardinal tied it twice late, the last time at 67-67 on Allen’s layup with 1:56 to go.

Markkanen’s 3 was his second field goal in nine shots. He was 2 of 7 on 3s.

Stanford jumped to a 7-0 lead before Arizona finally got rolling with an 11-1 run, going up 29-18 lead when Kobi Simmons’ banked in a 15-footer, was fouled, and converted the three-point play with 5:20 left in the half.

But the Cardinal outscored Arizona 14-6 the rest of the half. Allen’s 3-pointer with 25 seconds left cut Arizona’s lead at the half to 35-32.

After Allen started the second half with two free throws to cut the lead to 35-34, the Wildcats scored the next eight — a 3-pointer and driving layup by Alkins, followed by Kadeem Allen’s 3 — to put Arizona ahead 43-34.

Simmons’ free throw with 11:22 to play gave the Wildcats their biggest lead at 50-38. But Arizona went 7:32 without a field goal before Dusan Ristic’s rebound basket put Arizona up 61-57 with 5:18 left. Comanche’s two free throws padded the lead to 63-57 with 4:51 to go.

But Stanford caught up with an 8-2 spurt, tying it at 65-65 when Pickens made a 3-pointer with 2:23 to play. Trier’s two free throws made it 67-65 before Allen got free inside after an offensive rebound and scored to tie it for the final time.

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Stanford was coming off a win over Utah and played a tough, physical game against the bigger Wildcats. The Cardinal look to be no pushover down the stretch. Arizona stayed atop the Pac-12 standings but the Wildcats have some work to do to fix their recent issues.

UP NEXT

Stanford: The Cardinal look to avenge a home loss to Arizona State with a rematch against the Sun Devils on Saturday night in Tempe.

Arizona: The Wildcats go for a Bay Area sweep when they host California on Saturday night.