Arizona’s home opener looked a lot like the kind of November night the Wildcats have made routine at McKale Center.
Behind a career-high 30 points from Motiejus Krivas, Arizona rolled past Cal Poly 104-84 on Thursday night at ALKEME Arena at McKale Center. The win pushed the Wildcats to 52 victories in their last 53 November games at McKale since the 2012-13 season, with the lone loss coming two years ago against Duke.
Krivas was efficient from the floor and relentless at the line, going 10 of 13 from the field and 10 of 12 on free throws. He also added eight rebounds and two blocks, giving Arizona a dominant interior presence after taking only four shots against UCLA’s heavy double team in the opener.
Ivan Kharchenkov followed up his career-best 38-point outing against UCLA with a well-rounded line of 16 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and four steals. Caleb Holt added 21 points and eight rebounds, and Cameron Holmes chipped in 13.
Arizona’s offense was sharp early and its defense created plenty of extra possessions. The Wildcats shot 54.5% overall, held Cal Poly to 43.9% shooting, won the rebounding battle by 14 and forced 19 turnovers while collecting 14 steals. That was Arizona’s highest steal total in three years.
Cal Poly still found some offense from deep, knocking down 16 of 37 3-point attempts. Hamad Mousa led the Mustangs with 30 points and hit eight threes.
The Wildcats came out fast and never really let Cal Poly settle in. The Mustangs were whistled for five fouls in the first 56 seconds, including one on the offensive end, as Arizona surged to an 11-3 lead. One of those early buckets came on a 3-pointer from Bryce James, who finished with five points, two assists, two steals and a rebound in 17 minutes.
James was not the first sub off the bench, either. Maksim Brnovic and JJ Mandaquit checked in just before the under-16 timeout for Holt and Kharchenkov.
Cal Poly briefly clawed within a point twice, aided by some Arizona turnovers, but the Wildcats answered with a 9-0 run and then stretched the margin with a 13-0 burst. That stretch featured nine points from Holmes, who showed more confidence than he did Monday. He buried an open 3, finished a transition layup, dunked after a steal and added a pull-up mid-range jumper.
Arizona led 59-41 at halftime, its highest first-half total since scoring 61 in the 2023-24 opener against Morgan State. With the game in hand, the second half opened up into a looser, messier affair on both ends.
Cal Poly cut the lead to 17 with 11:30 remaining, but Arizona responded with 12 straight points. Krivas passed his previous career high of 25 during that run. The sequence also included Kharchenkov diving on the floor for a loose ball to force a timeout with a 25-point cushion, then turning to mug for the crowd while still down on the court.
The Wildcats had four players in double figures before halftime, and Holmes reached that mark on a putback layup just before the buzzer.
In Other News...
Arizona Faces A Pressure Point As TCU Tests Two Lingering Issues
Arizona heads into the final stretch of its regular season at 6-2 and No. 24 in the AP poll, with TCU coming to Tucson as the next test of how steady this group really is. Brent Brennan and offensive coordinator Seth Doege have both pointed to the importance of staying locked in, especially with the Wildcats trying to keep their momentum after a stretch that has shown both promise and some familiar offensive friction.
The pressure point is twofold: Arizona has had trouble getting its ground game consistently moving, and the defense is still sorting out how well it handles quarterbacks who can hurt you with their legs. Danny Gonzales has made clear that TCUs quarterback run game is part of what Arizona has to prepare for, and with a few weeks left in the regular season, this matchup offers another chance to see whether the Wildcats can clean up those issues before they become a bigger problem. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Delivered The Response Tommy Lloyd Needed After UCLA
Arizona finally got the kind of bounce-back performance Tommy Lloyd was looking for, and it came with a much-needed offensive surge in a 104-84 win over Cal Poly for the Wildcats first victory of the season. After the disappointment against UCLA, Arizona played with better energy and effort from the start, and the scoring was spread around enough to show the group had more life than it did a few nights earlier.
Motiejus Krivas set the tone inside, while Caleb Holt and Ivan Kharchenkov joined him in double figures, and Cameron Holmes gave the bench a useful lift as well. The bigger question now is whether this was a one-night reset or the start of Arizona finding a more reliable rhythm, because the Wildcats still need this level of balance and urgency to carry over once the schedule tightens again. [Read more 🡒]
Arizonas Frontcourt Wait Just Took Another Turn With RJ Godfrey
RJ Godfreys wait to get on the floor for Arizona has now moved from the practice court to the courtroom. The transfer forward and his attorneys filed a lawsuit in Pima County Superior Court as they seek a path to a fifth season, challenging the NCAAs five for five eligibility rule and asking for a temporary restraining order and injunction tied to his status.
Godfrey still has not played for the Wildcats this season, though he has been around the program, practicing with the team and sitting on the bench during games. For Arizona, the frontcourt picture remains in limbo until the legal process plays out, with the university now being asked to determine his eligibility under the NCAA bylaw at the center of the dispute. [Read more 🡒]