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In a hard-fought non-conference battle on Friday night, the Arizona Wildcats emerged with an 80-69 victory over the Auburn Tigers at Neville Arena, pushing their record to 3-1. The Wildcats maintained a lead for roughly 20 consecutive minutes spanning halftime, but Auburn's hot shooting kept the contest tense until the final buzzer.
Caleb Holt paced Arizona with a team-high 24 points, and the starting unit—which now features JJ Mandaquit in place of Bryce James—accounted for 76 of the team's 80 points. The Wildcats will now return to Tucson to prepare for a high-profile matchup against the UConn Huskies on Wednesday.
Holt Shines in Homecoming
Holt, a freshman from New Market, Alabama, entered the game mired in a 1-for-11 slump from beyond the arc but found his rhythm in front of a friendly crowd. He finished with 24 points, nine rebounds, and four steals, delivering highlight-reel plays on both ends of the floor. His outside shooting was particularly impressive, as he knocked down 4 of 6 attempts from three-point range, part of Arizona's 6-for-14 team effort from deep. The game appears to be slowing down for Holt, and his improved perimeter shooting is a promising sign for the Wildcats moving forward.
Auburn's Shot-Blocking Prowess
While opponents often try to slow Arizona by packing the paint and forcing outside shots, Auburn employed a different tactic: blocking everything in sight. The Tigers' big men repeatedly rejected the Wildcats' attempts at the rim. Narcisse Ngoy, a 7-foot-2, 280-pound center, swatted five shots in the first half alone, helping Auburn record nine blocks in the opening 20 minutes and 13 for the game. Arizona may not face many frontcourts as imposing as Auburn's, but similar challenges could arise against UConn and its new center, Najai Hines, next week if the Wildcats fail to adjust.
Defense Holds Strong Despite Perimeter Struggles
Defensively, Arizona was largely excellent, limiting Auburn to 69 points and a dismal 12-of-35 shooting inside the arc. However, the Tigers kept themselves in the game with timely three-point shooting, hitting 11 of 31 attempts (35%). Thomas Dowd took advantage of Arizona's power forward struggles, scoring 15 points and grabbing nine rebounds while going 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. Adam Olsen added 3-of-8 shooting off the bench, including a couple of clutch triples down the stretch that energized the home crowd.
Arizona's challenging schedule continues next week when the Wildcats host Dan Hurley and the No. 4 UConn Huskies on Wednesday, Nov. 18. Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM MST, with the game broadcast on FS1.
Originally reported by headtopics.