Arizona eases past UTEP in final tune-up before Maui Invitational

Brandon Williams and Brandon Randolph combined for 40 points. The Wildcats are 3-0.

Brandon Williams scored a career-high 21 points and Brandon Randolph added 19 as the Arizona Wildcats eased past the UTEP Miners 79-46 on Wednesday to improve to 3-0 heading into the Maui Invitational.

Williams was 6 for 12 from the field and scored 15 points in the first half. Randolph shot 7 for 12 and scored 12 in the second half.

Williams also finished with three steals and threw a no-look pass to Ira Lee for a slam, boosting his assist-to-turnover ratio to 14 to 0 on the season.

Chase Jeter supplemented the Brandons with 15 points on nine shots and was active defensively. The big man swatted two UTEP shots and drew a charge on a 2-on-1. One of those blocks led to a layup for Randolph on the other end.

Arizona held UTEP to 33 percent shooting and its 46 points were the fewest UA has allowed in a game since 2016. The Wildcats shot 49 percent as a team and 4 for 16 from the 3-point line. Dylan Smith could not continue his hot streak, missing both 3s he attempted.

Arizona made six of its first nine shots of the ballgame, but cooled down considerably, at one point missing nine of 10, which allowed UTEP to trim the lead to 23-18 with 4:13 left in the first half.

But Williams drilled back-to-back 3s — one from the corner, one from the wing — and later hit a pullup to put Arizona up 34-23 at the break, its largest lead at the time.

UTEP briefly cut the deficit to single digits early in the second half, but Arizona responded with an 8-0 run to extinguish the threat.

Arizona won the second half 45-23 and barely outrebounded the Miners, 36-35. Lee had a team-high seven boards. Ryan Luther hauled in six, but was limited to three points after scoring 17 against Cal Poly on Sunday. The senior only took two shots.

The Wildcats had trouble at the free-throw line, going 17 for 29, perhaps distracted by a UTEP fan who screeched every time they stepped up to take their shots.

That young girl was probably the best defense Arizona faced in its three blowout wins, but that will change Monday when the Wildcats take on the Iowa State Cyclones to open the Maui Invitational.

This story will be updated.

from Arizona Desert Swarm - All Posts https://ift.tt/2z8I7aQ
via IFTTT