There probably won’t be any 71-point blowouts come next week.
Arizona finished up its preseason exhibition slate with a 113-42 win over Embry-Riddle on Monday night at McKale Center, a far less effortless victory than the one nine days earlier against Saint Mary’s. It was the last tune-up before the regular season opener Nov. 3 in Las Vegas against defending NCAA champion Florida.
The Wildcats shot 64.2 percent, outrebounded the Eagles 58-15 (including 31-2 in the first half) and had 68 points in the paint as well as 63 from the bench.
Tobe Awaka, who missed the Saint Mary’s game, had 18 points and 14 rebounds while Ivan Kharchenkov went for 17 and Brayden Burries 13. Awaka and Motiejus Krivas started together, with Burris, Dwayne Aristode and Anthony Dell’Orso in the backcourt.
“We’re not a program that worries about who the started are,” UA coach Tommy Lloyd said.
Fifteen players scored for the UA, with walk-on Sven Djopmo going for nine points which would have been second-most for Embry-Riddle, an NAIA school from Prescott. Bryce James played 15 minutes, contributing two points and three rebounds, and Jackson Francois—son of UA athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois—nailed a corner 3 in front of the UA bench late in the game.
Arizona led 58-26 at the half, pulling down five more rebounds than the Eagles had points. It was back-and-forth for a few minutes, though, as Embry-Riddle came out shooting from deep and made 4 of 6 from 3-point range.
“I think that’s a great lesson for our guys in two ways,” Lloyd said. “One, you got to come out from the tip ready to execute your plan. You don’t ease into a game. Two: teams sometimes make early threes, don’t panic, adjust. I think they made two the rest of the game and I don’t think they had a lot of good looks.”
A 10-0 run, highlighted by Evan Nelson throwing ahead to Kharchenkov for a 3-point play, keyed a 10-0 run that turned a 1-point game into a double-digit lead that would never get back to single. The Wildcats held Embry-Riddle without a field goal for more than six minutes to build a 33-15 lead, getting it to 30 late in the first half and 40 before the first media timeout of the second half.
Next up is a whale of a season opener, facing the third-ranked Gators at T-Mobile Arena. Lloyd feels the two exhibitions, as well as dozens of practices, have his team in good position to compete against the defending champs at a venue that’s been an unofficial second home for the Wildcats.
“I feel right where we need to be,” Lloyd said.
