Arizona Basketball Unable To Build More Positive Momentum in Loss to Oklahoma
The Arizona Wildcats had to feel good about their performance in the first round of the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis event in the Bahamas.
Facing off against the Davidson Wildcats, they picked up an impressive 104-71 victory.
They clicked on all cylinders, getting back into the win column after two disappointing performances against the Wisconsin Badgers and Duke Blue Devils.
However, Arizona was unable to build off of that positive momentum in their second game of the tournament.
The Wildcats faced the Oklahoma Sooners and were tripped up in an 82-77 loss, dropping their record to 3-3 on the season. A slow first half, in which they scored only 30 points and trailed by six heading into the locker room, proved too much to overcome.
Tommy Lloyd shrunk his rotation, as only two players coming off the bench reached double-digit minutes played; Motiejus Krivas with 21 and Anthony Dell’Orso with 20.
Both played well, as Krivas scored 14 points with six rebounds and one block. The Campbell Fighting Camels transfer added nine points with one rebound and two assists.
Where this game was decided was at the 3-point line.
The Wildcats shot only 5-of-19 from long range, while they allowed the Sooners to shoot 12-of-29.
Four different Oklahoma players knocked down multiple 3-point attempts, including star freshman Jeremiah Fears. He scored a game-high 26 points, knocking down 4-of-7 attempts from deep, while adding five rebounds, five assists and one steal to round out his stat line.
Duke Miles hit 3-of-4 attempts, while Jalon Moore was 2-of-3 en route to 24 points. He and Fears both knocked down eight free throws in the game, a key component to the Sooners pulling off the upset.
Arizona will play one more game in the Bahamas on Friday afternoon against the West Virginia Mountaineers.
It will be a preview of what is to come for the team in their first season as a member of the Big 12.
West Virginia is on the Wildcats’ regular season schedule, as they will be heading to Morgantown on Jan. 7. Losers in three out of their last four games, it would be nice for Lloyd to end their trip on a high note with a victory.
For that to happen, they need their backcourt trio to play better and more consistently.
All three have yet to click at the same time this season, creating a few uneven performances on the court.
