Caleb Love scores 23 points, Arizona goes up big early in win over Samford

Caleb Love scored 18 of his 23 points in the first half as Arizona led by as many as 25 on its way to a 96-64 victory over Samford on Wednesday night.

BY AP

Dec 18, 2024, 9:57 PM Updated: Mar 28, 2025, 9:48 am

Follow on Google News

Caleb Love #1 of the Arizona Wildcats looks on during the game against the Duke Blue Devils at McKale Center on November 22, 2024 in Tucson, Arizona. The Blue Devils defeated the Wildcats 69-55. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

(Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Caleb Love scored 18 of his 23 points in the first half when Arizona led by as many as 25 on its way to a 96-64 victory over Samford on Wednesday night.

Anthony Dell’Orso and Trey Townsend scored 14 points each and Jaden Bradley and KJ Lewis 11 apiece. Arizona (5-5) shot 58%, sank 25 of 31 free throws and outscored the Bulldogs (9-3) by 25 off fast breaks.

TUFF😤

+18 for Love in 1st half pic.twitter.com/N77UOsVJ1Y

— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) December 19, 2024

Jaden Brownell scored 13 points and Trey Fort and Julian Brown 11 each for the Bulldogs, who shot 37% with 12 3-pointers on 35 attempts. Samford came in as the nation’s second-highest scoring team at 90.5 points per game but was held well under that average in having a five-game win streak snapped.

Samford outscored Arizona 13-4 to open the second half and got within 14 but no closer. The Wildcats finished the final minutes on a 23-8 run capped by consecutive 3s from Dell’Orso.

Arizona shot 61% thanks to 26 fast-break points for a 56-33 first-half lead going up by double figures for good with eight minutes left in the period.

The Wildcats rebounded from a lost opportunity against UCLA, squandering a double-digit lead at Footprint Center in the first of four scheduled neutral-site matchups for the former Pac-12 rivals.

Former Wildcats point guard and current Indiana Pacers mainstay T.J. McConnell was inducted into the Arizona’s Ring of Honor at McKale Center.

UP NEXT

Samford plays at Alabama A&M on Saturday.

Arizona is home against Central Michigan on Saturday.