ARIZONA BASKETBALL
No. 6 Arizona basketball keeps Washington State at arm’s length in road win
Arizona forward Azuolas Tubelis grabs a rebound during the second half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Washington State, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, in Pullman, Wash. Arizona won 63-58. (AP Photo/Young Kwak)
PULLMAN (AP) — Azuolas Tubelis had 18 points and 12 rebounds and No. 6 Arizona beat Washington State 63-58 on Thursday night.
Kerr Kriisa added 15 points to help Wildcats (18-3, 7-3 Pac-12) split the season series with the Cougars (9-13. 4-7).
“They were a handful, so getting a road victory here is really meaningful,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “There’s games like this that come down to matchups. So, I was really proud of our guys for getting off to a good start and then just kind of hanging with it.”
Washington State beat a Top 5 team on the road for the first time when it upset the Wildcats 74-61 in Tucson this month. The Cougars ended Arizona’s 28-game home winning streak with the biggest victory of Kyle Smith’s coaching tenure.
The Pac-12 leader in assists → The Pac-12 leading scorer
That @KerrKriisa to @azuolaz10 connection comes through again!
📺 FS1 pic.twitter.com/wKMchr4QXM
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) January 27, 2023
Justin Powell and Mouhamed Gueye each scored 15 points for Washington State. The Cougars shot 19 of 58 and made just four 3-pointers.
Arizona broke out of a scoring slump midway through the second half, scoring on five straight possessions to open a double-digit lead. The Wildcats overcome 16 turnovers and a sub-par shooting night.
UP NEXT
Arizona: At Washington on Saturday.
Washington State: Hosts Arizona State on Saturday.
