Arizona Wildcats Face Setback Against Wisconsin in High-Scoring Contest
In their inaugural season as members of the Big 12 Conference, the Arizona Wildcats, under coach Tommy Lloyd, showcased an impressive rise in collegiate basketball, capturing two regular season titles and two conference tournament wins during their tenure in the Pac-12. Expectations were high as they clashed with the Wisconsin Badgers after displaying dominance against Canisius (93-64) and Old Dominion (102-44).
However, Arizona faced its biggest challenge yet and ultimately suffered a 103-88 defeat at the Kohl Center on Friday. The Wildcats started sluggishly, falling into an early 7-0 hole, and despite efforts to regain control, struggled defensively throughout the game. Wisconsin capitalized on their perimeter shooting, hitting 50% from the field and an impressive 46.2% from beyond the arc, leading to a 55-44 halftime margin.
Arizona briefly rallied after the break, narrowing the gap to six points and tying the game at 65 with 14:13 remaining. But they couldn’t leverage that momentum, as Wisconsin’s offensive strategy continued to pay dividends, with the Badgers securing their first significant lead at the seven-minute mark, never looking back.
While Wisconsin thrived offensively—with John Tonje scoring a staggering 41 points—Arizona faltered with a 37.8% shooting rate overall and a dismal 17.4% from three-point territory. Star guard Caleb Love struggled notably, tallying just six points on 2-13 shooting. Conversely, Jaden Bradley led the Wildcats with 22 points, supported by Trey Townsend (17 points) and KJ Lewis (15 points).
Despite this setback, Arizona has a crucial week ahead to regroup before welcoming the powerhouse Duke Blue Devils to the McKale Center on November 22.
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