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

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.

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Samford plays at Alabama A&M on Saturday.

Arizona is home against Central Michigan on Saturday.