On Monday night, No. 1 Arizona took on Bethune-Cookman, looking to get closer to the end of the non-conference season and keep the winning streak alive. Arizona would do so with a convincing 107-71 win at McKale Center thanks to a strong end to the first half.
Arizona (12-0) is off to the best start of the Tommy Lloyd era.
It also earned its seventh straight victory by at least 20 points, the longest such streak in the nation.
So far this season, Arizona hasn’t had many games where the team looked disinterested with the opponent and has really played hard every night. However, Monday was a little different as things seemed sluggish even though Arizona never trailed.
The fact the holiday break is right around the corner contributed to what was a low energy start to the game.
Overall, it was a strange first half with the slow start and a 7-point swing for Bethune-Cookman, which resulted from an ejection of big man Mabil Mawut for stepping to the baseline and yelling in the ear of an opponent while that player was attempting a 3-pointer..
Still, Arizona managed to take a 49-35 lead at the half. From that point on, it was all Arizona as it shot 57% from the field and managed to hold Bethune-Cookman to 48% shooting while also committing 22 turnovers.
Against San Diego State on Saturday night, multiple Wildcats scored in double-digits and the game ended with Jaden Bradley and Koa Peat leading the team with 11 points each.
Monday was similar to the game on Saturday night with seven Wildcats scoring in double figures.
Freshman guard Brayden Burries was able to lead the way with a game-high 20 points while going 6 of 10 from the field.
This marks the four 20-plus point performance by Burries this season and his third in the last four games.
Over the last four games, Burries is averaging 19.5 points and is shooting 58% from the field. Although he had somewhat of a slow start to the season, he seems to have found his groove and is scoring driving the ball, making 3-pointers and converting free throws.
It was a game for the guards as not only was Burries a major factor for Arizona but so Bradley, who recorded 11 points while going 4 of 6 from the field. He stuffed the stat sheet with five assists, five rebounds and four steals.
Now, the Wildcats will have a seven-day break and will be back in action next Monday in the final non-conference game against South Dakota State. The game at McKale Center will tip off at 7 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.
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