ARIZONA BASKETBALL

By the Numbers: Arizona Wildcats survive Washington’s upset bid with late run

Jan 4, 2014, 9:41 PM | Updated: 10:08 pm

The Arizona Wildcats have passed every test they’ve faced this season.

That trend continued Saturday for the nation’s No. 1-ranked team.

Nick Johnson scored 24 points, freshman phenom Aaron Gordon added 18 of his own to go along with 10 rebounds, and the UA pulled away late to outlast the Washington Huskies 71-62.

Here’s a look back at the win, which matched the school’s best start in 82 years:

0:

Washington forward Shawn Kemp Jr. didn’t score in the second half and fouled out with more than 10 minutes to go after scoring nine points on 4-of-4 shooting in the first half.

2:

Both teams connected on just two 3-pointers, though Arizona’s came on 22 percent shooting from behind the arc while Washington shot just 16.7 percent from deep.

3:

Gordon missed just three shots on the afternoon (8-of-11), including his only 3-point attempt, while converting on a number of wild-looking shot attempts in the lane.

3:

Washington freshman guard Nigel Williams-Goss turned the ball over three times in the second half after not giving the ball away once in the game’s first 20 minutes.

5:

Arizona point guard T.J. McConnell made an impact on all five major categories, with five rebounds, six assists, four rebounds, a block and four points, though he shot just 1-of-5 from the field. McConnell had just two turnovers on the day.

15:

The Wildcats assisted on 15 of their 24 field goal makes, with all but one UA player recording at least one and three racking up multiple dishes.

15:

Arizona has won 15 straight games to open the season, the second-best start in school history. The only one better came in the 1931-32 season, when the Wildcats started 16-0.

25:

Washington’s second-half shooting percentage was 25 percent lower than its first-half conversion rate. The Huskies shot 56 percent from the field in the opening half and just 31 percent to close — finishing at 41.7 percent (25-of-60).

80.8:

The Wildcats — who have struggled with free-throw shooting this season — continued to convert when it counted, hitting 80.8 percent of their shots from the charity stripe (21-of-26).

Comments

Comment guidelines: No name-calling, personal attacks, profanity, or insults. Please keep the conversation civil and help us moderate comments by reporting abuse.
comments powered by Disqus

Arizona Basketball

Keshad Johnson #16 and Pelle Larsson #3 of the Arizona Wildcats speak at a press conference before ...

Damon Allred

Grind of final Pac-12 season prepared Arizona basketball for March

No. 2 Arizona men's basketball will look to make it past the Sweet 16 for the first time in Tommy Lloyd's tenure.

13 hours ago

Caitlin Clark celebrates...

Associated Press

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is inspiring a younger generation of players

Caitlin Clark's deep range has expanded the scope of possibilities for up-and-coming women's basketball players.

14 hours ago

Chase Hunter #1 and PJ Hall #24 of the Clemson Tigers high five during the first half against the B...

Vincent DeAngelis

Clemson basketball looks to continue ‘underdog’ run against Arizona in Sweet 16

No. 6 seed Clemson takes on Arizona on Thursday after upsetting No. 3 seed Baylor in the 2024 NCAA Tournament round of 32

19 hours ago

(L-R) Caleb Love #2, Keshad Johnson #16, Oumar Ballo #11, and Jaden Bradley #0 of the Arizona Wildc...

Vincent DeAngelis

Re-ranking Arizona basketball among Sweet 16 teams in the NCAA Tournament

Multiple publications rank the Arizona Wildcats around the middle of the pack among the Sweet 16 team still in the NCAA Tournament.

3 days ago

Darian DeVries...

Associated Press

West Virginia basketball hires Darian DeVries to be new coach after 6 years at Drake

West Virginia tapped Drake coach Darian DeVries on Sunday to move the Mountaineers past one of the ugliest years in school history.

3 days ago

Tommy Lloyd...

Arizona Sports

How to watch: Arizona vs. Clemson in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

What time and how to watch the No. 2 seed Arizona Wildcats take on No. 6 Clemson Tigers in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

4 days ago

By the Numbers: Arizona Wildcats survive Washington’s upset bid with late run