Arizona Survives Rivalry Test, Moves to 17-0 Behind Dominant Frontcourt
TUCSON, Ariz. - As the final seconds ticked off the clock at McKale Center, Jaden Bradley held the ball high in his right hand, soaking in the roar of the Arizona faithful. Then, with a burst of emotion, he slammed it down - a punctuation mark on a game that was anything but easy.
The top-ranked Wildcats held off a spirited Arizona State squad on Wednesday night, escaping with an 89-82 win to remain undefeated at 17-0. It wasn’t a statement win as much as a survival one. In a week where other unbeaten teams - Michigan, Iowa State, and Vanderbilt - all took their first losses, Arizona managed to hold the line.
Make no mistake: this was a rivalry game in every sense. Arizona State, despite a rocky stretch over the past month, came into Tucson ready to throw punches.
And for 20 minutes, they landed plenty. The Sun Devils led at halftime, 39-38 - just the second team all season to be ahead of Arizona at the break, joining Alabama.
But the second half told a different story.
Arizona came out of the locker room on fire, hitting 13 of their first 16 shots to flip the game. The engine behind the surge? A dominant frontcourt pairing that’s quickly becoming one of the most feared in college basketball: freshman phenom Koa Peat and senior Tobe Awaka.
Peat was flawless in the second half - literally. He went 7-for-7 from the field after halftime, finishing with a blend of power and poise that belied his age.
Awaka, meanwhile, continued to do what he’s done all season: own the paint. The duo combined for 49 points and 15 rebounds, controlling the glass and punishing Arizona State inside.
Their chemistry was on full display. With Arizona clinging to a 57-54 lead, Peat backed down his defender and, as the double team came, found Awaka cutting to the rim for an easy dunk just before the shot clock expired.
A few possessions later, Peat delivered a slick bounce pass to a sealing Awaka for another bucket. These weren’t just highlight plays - they were momentum-changers.
“The size and physicality of their front line is different than probably anything that we’ve seen this year,” Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley said postgame. “They’re very good at positioning and sealing and getting angles. They got some really talented players, on the front court especially.”
Hurley’s squad didn’t go quietly. The Sun Devils (10-7, 1-3 Big 12) matched Arizona’s physicality early, committed just one turnover in the first half, and never let the game spiral. But the Wildcats' depth and discipline eventually wore them down.
That depth is what separates Arizona from most teams. Even a player like Awaka - arguably the best offensive rebounder in the country - comes off the bench.
The Wildcats have experience in Bradley, upside in freshman guard Brayden Burries, and maturity beyond his years in Peat. They don’t rely on volume from beyond the arc (they entered the game ranked 362nd out of 365 in percentage of shots from three), but they make up for it with efficiency, size, and execution.
One coach who faced Arizona earlier this season put it bluntly: “I would believe there are not three teams better than them in the country. That doesn’t always mean you win the national championship… but they are very, very talented.”
And the résumé backs it up. Arizona has already racked up wins over Florida, UCLA, UConn, Auburn, and Alabama - all ranked teams at the time.
In Big 12 play, they’ve led by at least 20 in every game but three. Arizona State became just the fourth team all season to keep the margin within 20 the entire way.
But for Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd, the focus isn’t on the streak - even if it now ties for the sixth-longest in program history. It’s not on the Big 12 title, or the NCAA Tournament. It’s about the next opponent, and how his team responds in moments like these.
“Would I have been happy [with a loss]? No,” Lloyd said postgame.
“But I’m going to be all right. I’m built for this.
I don’t judge myself and my team on whether we’re undefeated or not. Literally, it has zero impact.”
That mindset was evident in the way the Wildcats responded to adversity. Down at the half, they didn’t panic.
They adjusted, leaned on their strengths, and closed the game like a veteran group. That’s what matters in January - not perfection, but progression.
And while Arizona fans may be dreaming of a deep March run, Lloyd is keeping his team grounded.
“I told our guys, I don’t care about the Big 12 Championship today. I don’t care about the NCAA Tournament,” he said.
“I just care about beating Arizona State… I’m just going to stay locked into that mindset. I’m not going to get greedy.”
With UCF up next and the streak still alive, Arizona’s journey continues. But if Wednesday night showed us anything, it’s that this team has the toughness, talent, and temperament to navigate the minefield ahead.