ARIZONA WILDCATS BASKETBALL

Arizona extends win streak, leads UCF wire-to-wire

Jan 11, 2025, 11:24 PM | Updated: 11:24 pm

Arizona G Caleb Love...

Arizona Wildcats guard Caleb Love #1 takes a three point shot during the first half of a basketball game between the UCF Knights and the Arizona Wildcats on January 11, 2025, at McKale Center in Tucson, AZ. (Photo by Christopher Hook/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

(Photo by Christopher Hook/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

TUSCON, Ariz. (AP) — Caleb Love scored 16 points, Anthony Dell’Orso made 9 of 9 from the free-throw line and finished with 15 points and Arizona beat UCF 88-80 Saturday night to extend its win streak to six games.

Love made 4 of 7 from 3-point range, grabbed eight rebounds and had six assists. Henri Veesaar added 14 points, Tobe Awaka scored 11 and KJ Lewis 10 for Arizona (10-5, 4-0 Big 12).

Love hit a pair of free throws to open the scoring about a minute into the game, followed with a 3-pointer to make it 5-0 and Arizona never trailed. The Wildcats scored nine consecutive points to take a 14-point lead when Awaka threw down a dunk with 9:38 remaining before halftime.

Darius Johnson hit a 3-pointer for UCF that tied it at 45-all 13 seconds into the second half but Trey Towsend made the first of two free throws 23 seconds later to give Arizona the lead for good. Jaden Ivy-Curry’s 3 cut the deficit to 53-50 but the Wildcats scored 13 of the next 17 points and led by at least eight points for the final 13 minutes.

Keyshawn Hall led UCF (11-4, 2-2 Big 12) with 22 points and Johnson scored 18.

Rokas Jocius converted a three-point play to spark an 18-6 spurt that made it 42-all but Trey Townsend was fouled as he made a layup and hit the and-1 free throw to give Arizona a three-point lead at the intermission.

Arizona made 15 of 30 from the field in the first half but the Knights, who shot 37% (14 of 38), used a 12-3 advantage on the offensive glass to outscore the Wildcats 11-3 in second-chance points.

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