Breakdown: Wildcats escape Berkeley with ‘W’

The Lowdown: The Wildcats have had a flair for the
dramatic as of late. It started with a thriller against
Washington and continued on the road against a very game
California team.

Behind Kyle Fogg’s clutch shooting and Jesse Perry’s
relentless inside play the Wildcats were in another dog
fight, tied at 72 with just over a minute to play.
After a defensive rebound Fogg put the Wildcats ahead with
a clutch three breaking the tie. Instead of a timeout to
draw up a play the Golden Bears took the ball out of
bounds and ran with it. A pair of Gutierrez free-throws
brought the Bears to within one, but a Perry jumper
followed by a Fogg block closed out another race to the
final buzzer, this time in the Wildcats favor, 78-74.

What went right for Arizona? Down the stretch the
young guards of Arizona showed poise and played like
veterans against a veteran opponent. Nick Johnson and
Josiah Turner set up both scores with assists and played
well overall combining for 15 points and 8 assists.

When it was over? The game was over when Fogg
nailed that three on a pass from Josiah Turner with 1:25
to go in the game. The Bears kept fighting though making
it a game to the finish.

Who stepped up for Arizona? As of late, Fogg has
been on fire from three and has really established himself
as one of the best players – and shooters, in the Pac-12.
His 23 points (5-6 from three)carried the team
offensively.

Who needed to step up? Instead of finding a player
that should have played better, Nick Johnson found his
California shooting stroke and his game. This was needed
for Johnson after his well chronicled struggles in
California to start conference play.

Stat of the Game: The shooting of Kyle Fogg has
become a norm. This was the seventh game this season that
he made at least three shots from behind the arc. He is a
long way from Jimmer Status, but climbing up the all-time
list in Tucson.

What it means: The Pac-12 is still a mess. Arizona
is tied for 5th place and just one game out of 2nd.
Ironically their next two opponents (Stanford, Colorado)
are the next two teams to leapfrog on their way back to
the top of the Pac-12.

What’s Next: The last game on this road trip is
against Stanford on Saturday, a team the Wildcats are
currently tied with in the Pac-12. Then the ‘Cats are back
home to welcome the two new members of the conference,
Colorado, on ESPN Thursday night, and Utah Saturday.

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