Allonzo Trier, Deandre Ayton lead Arizona to 88-82 win over Alabama, Collin Sexton
Collin Sexton was as good as advertised, but so were Allonzo Trier and Deandre Ayton
In a game that featured three of college basketball’s brightest stars, the Arizona Wildcats’ high-powered duo of Allonzo Trier and Deandre Ayton outlasted Collin Sexton and the Alabama Crimson Tide, 88-82, on Saturday in McKale Center.
Ayton had career-highs in points (29) and rebounds (18) and Trier added an efficient 25 points and six assists.
Trier scored 20 points in the second half and lived at the free-throw line, sinking 14 of his 16 attempts. The junior was an e4-6 from the field and made three 3s.
Ayton was 12-18 from the field and 1-2 from 3.
“We have weapons that nobody else in the country has and we have to take advantage of it at all times,” Trier said.
Despite foul trouble and not scoring his first basket until midway through the first half, Sexton finished with 30 points on 6-15 shooting.
Sexton’s ability to hit tough shots and get to the free throw not only kept Alabama in the game, but allowed it to lead for over 10 minutes, despite it shooting just 39 percent from the field.
The freshman point guard shot 15-16 from the line and 3-6 from 3.
Sexton banked in a buzzer-beating 3 to put Alabama up 40-38 at halftime, despite the Tide trailing 24-13 early on.
A long 3 by Sexton gave Alabama a 51-45 lead, then he hit sank another to make it 58-53 Tide with 12:37 left.
After 3s by Trier and Brandon Randolph, Sexton made two free throws to tie the game at 76, but Ayton tipped in a miss by Dusan Ristic then sank a free throw to push the Wildcats’ lead to 79-76 with 2:19 left.
Ayton then made back-to-back mid-range jumpers to make it 83-77 with a minute to go to seal the game.
It is the fourth win in a row for Arizona, as both teams are now 7-3.
Rawle Alkins returned from a broken foot and had seven points, three rebounds, and two assists in his debut. The sophomore checked in to a standing ovation with 17:06 in the first half, replacing Randolph, who had scored five early points.
Alkins’ jumper looked shaky, shooting 0-3 from behind the arc, and he air-balled a wide open 3 in the corner with Arizona up 76-72 with 4:47 left, but he made his presence felt with his distributing and defensive intensity.
Alkins drove and dished to Parker Jackson-Cartwright for a corner 3 which put Arizona up 17-13, then Alkins found Dusan Ristic underneath on the next possession to extend the lead to 19-13.
Later, Alkins drew a foul going for a loose ball and split a pair of free throws to put Arizona up 70-67 with eight minutes left.
Aside from Trier, free throw shooting was an issue all game for the Wildcats. They shot 22-35 (63 percent) from the line. Ayton was 4-8. Alkins was 3-6.
Arizona shot 52 percent overall and 8-16 from 3, but the missed free throws kept the Tide around, especially since Alabama shot 24-28 from the stripe itself.
Arizona expanded its lead to 24-13 with 8:59 after a free throw by Alkins which capped off an 11-2 run. That was Arizona’s largest lead of the game.
Sexton was pinned to the bench during that stretch, as he picked up his second foul with 13:42 left.
But Sexton returned later in the period and helped the Tide capture a 40-38 lead at the break.
After a 3 by John Petty, Sexton scored his first points with floater off the glass to cut Arizona’s lead to 24-18.
Alabama continued its push, and two free throws by Sexton and a layup by Davon Ingram trimmed the Wildcats’ lead to 26-24 with 5:53 left.
Sexton would tie the game at 26 with two free throws before Trier snapped Alabama’s 12-2 run with a 3. Trier then found Ayton in transition to make it 31-26.
Alabama answered with a 7-0 run in the final 1:34. Ingram drained a corner 3 to cut Arizona’s lead to 38-37, then Sexton banked in a desperation 3 at the buzzer to give the Tide the lead at the break.
Petty sank four 3s and finished with 13 points. Donta Hall had 15 points and 12 rebounds. Ingram had 10 points, going 5-6 from the line.
Randolph had 13 points for Arizona and Ristic added nine. Sean Miller shortened Arizona’s rotation considerably, as Alex Barcello, Dylan Smith, and Keanu Pinder played four minutes or fewer.
Ira Lee played 11 minutes, and had four fouls. Trier, Alkins, and Randolph also had four fouls in a game that featured 48 fouls between the two teams.
Sexton fouled out with eight seconds left while Ingram had four.
Arizona won the rebounding battle 43-30. Both teams had 26 points in the paint. Alabama had eight turnovers. Arizona had 12.
Arizona returns to action Saturday when it travels to Albuquerque to face the New Mexico Lobos.
The Wildcats are likely to be in the Top 25 come Monday.
There were 19 NBA scouts, two general managers, and three assistant GMs at Saturday’s game, presumably to see Ayton and Sexton play.
Both are expected to be selected in the top 10 (if not top five) of the 2018 NBA Draft.
McKale Center had its best buzz in recent memory. After all, this was the first major-conference team Arizona has hosted in non-conference play since it faced a lowly Missouri team in 2015-16.
The sold-out (and striped out) crowd greeted Alkins with a deafening standing ovation and Alkins later pumped up the crowd when he stepped to the free throw line for the first time.
Follow Ryan Kelapire on Twitter at @RKelapire
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