Arizona's Men's Basketball Team Triumphs on the Road at UCF
In the first three weeks of Big 12 play, only 12 out of 36 road teams have managed to secure a victory, and Arizona's Wildcats have claimed three of those wins. On Saturday afternoon, the top-ranked Wildcats demonstrated their prowess by outlasting the UCF Knights with a final score of 84-77.
Despite Koa Peat's extended absence from the scoreboard, lasting nearly 32 minutes, and Jaden Bradley's slow start, Arizona maintained its early lead. Brayden Burries and Motiejus Krivas rebounded from consecutive poor performances, contributing 18 and 17 points, respectively, while Bradley scored 21 of his 23 points in the second half. Krivas also added 12 rebounds, contributing to Arizona's (18-0, 5-0 Big 12) impressive start, which ranks as the second-best in school history.
Bradley, known for his second-half outbursts, showcased his skills with 5 out of 6 field goals and 11 out of 13 free throws after halftime. He also recorded six rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Peat, who had back-to-back 20-point games, contributed four points and three rebounds in 20 minutes.
UCF (14-3, 3-2) received a career-high 30 points from Themus Fulks, who performed well in the first half but only 4 out of 10 in the second. The Knights' leading scorer, Riley Kugel, had a challenging shooting night, making only 5 out of 18 field goals. Arizona maintained its lead for nearly 36 minutes, extending it to 15 midway through the first half with a 19-2 run. However, turnovers and defensive rebounding prevented them from pulling away.
The Wildcats turned the ball over 12 times, allowing UCF to score 16 points, and the Knights held a 14-9 edge in offensive rebounds and 19-5 in second-chance points. Arizona led 41-38 at halftime, despite being up by as much as 15 points. Two early scores by Bradley, who had only two points on 1-of-5 shooting in the first half, forced a UCF timeout with the Wildcats leading by seven points.
Back-to-back possessions with second (or third) chances brought the Knights within 47-43, and Fulks' 3-point play made it a two-point game with 13:56 to go. Arizona then took control, with Bradley leading a 10-0 run to extend their lead to 61-49 with 10:13 left.
Peat finally scored with 8:26 remaining, contributing a pair of free throws, and his first field goal came on a lob dunk from Bradley with 6:41 left, extending the lead to 13 points. A 3-point play by Jordan Burks reduced the deficit to 74-66 with 2:35 left, and UCF was within seven points with possession, but they threw the ball away with 1:23 remaining. Bradley then sealed the victory with two free throws, a steal, and two more foul shots.
The Knights made a final push, scoring five consecutive points with a Chris Johnson 3-pointer, narrowing the gap to 79-73. A UA turnover with 34.1 seconds left gave them a chance to get closer, but Johnson missed a jumper, and Bradley secured the win with five free throws in the final 30 seconds.
Arizona's strong start continued with an 11-0 run, leading 26-11, and Peat's absence didn't hinder their performance. UCF responded with seven straight shots, narrowing the gap to 33-27, but Arizona's sixth turnover allowed the Knights to close the gap to four points. Another turnover reduced the margin to 37-35, but Tobe Awaka's 3-point play secured the lead.
Arizona returns home for their next two games, hosting Cincinnati on Wednesday. The Bearcats (10-8, 2-3) have won two consecutive games, including a home upset of No. 2 Iowa State on Saturday.
