That Arizona squad? They just dropped a hammer on San Francisco, 93-69, on Tuesday night at McKale Center, ALKEME Arena. And for anyone still riding that Final Four high from last season, this dominant exhibition opener felt like a serious statement, setting the stage for what could be another incredible run.
Wildcats Go Off, Hold Nothing Back
These Wildcats wasted zero time. We’re talking a double-digit lead in under five minutes, and they simply never looked back. Motiejus Krivas was absolutely cooking, dropping 20 points, while Ivan Kharchenkov was straight-up nasty with 18. But the real showstopper? Caleb Holt, tearing it up for 17 points in his collegiate debut. And Derek Dixon adding 10 in his first game as a Wildcat? Sheesh, what an introduction! Ten different players hit the scoreboard, and Arizona was feeling it, shooting 53.2 percent overall, including 6 of 18 from deep and 21 of 28 from the line. The defense wasn’t slacking either. San Francisco got held to 45 percent shooting, and Arizona forced 19 turnovers, which turned into a sweet 25 points. They were up 52-34 at halftime, and honestly, it felt like they were playing with their food for most of the second half. The lead never even dipped below 14 with 10:40 left, then BOOM! A 15-4 run, including nine straight buckets, to go up 82-57 with 5:06 left. Pure domination.
New Faces and Deep Bench Making Noise
Speaking of players, the starting five was the same crew from Lithuania: Kharchenkov, Krivas, Dixon, Holt, and Bryce James. And can we talk about Bryce James? That dude drained a corner triple off a Kharchenkov drive and dish to open the scoring! Got the Zona Zoo buzzing from the jump, you know? With RJ Godfrey unavailable as he awaits eligibility clarity, the frontcourt substitutions became the most noteworthy. Nebraska transfer Ugnius Jarusevicius and Idaho State transfer Evan Otten both got their minutes in. The most unusual lineup Arizona rolled out, coming out of the first media timeout, featured Cameron Holmes, Washington transfer JJ Mandaquit, and Kharchenkov in the backcourt, with freshman Maksim Brnovic and Jarusevicius up front. Mandaquit came off the bench with 8 points in 18 minutes, Holmes added 6 points, 5 boards, and 3 assists, and Brnovic chipped in 5. That’s depth, baby! Shout out to San Francisco’s Dylan Bordon, though. The 21-year-old Argentinian guard was a problem, dropping 22 points, with 18 of those in the first half.
What’s next? Friday, they’ve got San Diego State. Remember last December? Arizona smacked them 68-45 in Phoenix. This isn’t merely an exhibition, folks. This is about building that momentum, setting that tone for a season where everyone’s got their eyes on a deep run. You gotta see this team, for real.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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