No. 1 Arizona pulls away from ASU as freshmen Peat, Burries surge in 2nd half

TEMPE — No. 1 Arizona wore down ASU the way it’s done to many opponents this season en route to an 87-74 win on Saturday, keeping the Wildcats’ perfect start to the season intact.

Arizona’s 22-0 start is the Wildcats’ best in program history and ties a school record for the longest winning streak, set during the 1914-17 seasons.

The Wildcats’ 9-0 start in Big 12 play also ties the Big 12 record for best start to a season (1996-97 Kansas).

“We’re okay with (playing in close games). … The record, the streak literally has nothing to do in our world. That’s your world,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said postgame. “We’re just looking at this game by game, we know it’s gonna be tough. … We love the opportunity to compete.

“When you take that risk as a competitor, there’s a risk you’re gonna lose, and you gotta be okay with that. And we are.”

The two sides were tied at 38 at halftime before Arizona freshmen Koa Peat and Brayden Burries sparked the Wildcats to some breathing room, eventually separating for the double-digit win.

Peat had a dunk with 3:03 left to put Arizona ahead by 14 and the game out of the Sun Devils’ reach.

The star freshman who calls the Valley home hit two 3s in the second half, a career high for makes in any full game.

“Koa Peat was 4-for-15 on the season from 3, he just made two more,” ASU coach Bobby Hurley pointed out postgame. “Granted, we weren’t guarding him at all out there and that was by design.

“Things like that start happening, and it makes it even harder to win against a team this good.”

“It’s kind of too late to put things together, I would say … But we came close to our ceiling today.”

Bobby Hurley reflects on a 13-point loss to Arizona after ASU had it tied at halftime. pic.twitter.com/1j9W2657km

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) January 31, 2026

Peat (21) and Burries (17) combined for 24 points in the second half after scoring 14 in the first. Fellow freshman Ivan Kharchenkov added 12 points.

ASU (11-11, 2-7) point guard Moe Odum kept things tight early, responding to a seven-point deficit that was the largest of the first half with two 3s on the next three Sun Devil possessions.

However, Odum picked up his fourth foul with 13:34 left when ASU was within seven.

Hurley thought the contact was marginal, and Odum called it a “baby foul.” The coach noted the point guard has to know better as a veteran.

Arizona reached its first double-digit lead thanks to a 12-6 run that coincided with Odum’s exit, as the Wildcats outscored the Sun Devils 19-7 in the nine minutes he sat.

Arizona was joined at 22-0 by Miami (OH), which beat Northern Illinois on Saturday. They’re the only two undefeated teams left in Division 1.

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