Arizona Wildcats Dominate the Paint in Convincing Victory Over California Golden Bears
The Arizona Wildcats now stand with an impressive record after a decisive 66-55 victory over the California Golden Bears. The Wildcats demonstrated their dominance on their home court at McKale Center, outscoring the Golden Bears in every quarter but the first.
From the outset, it was evident that the Wildcats had a game plan focused on exploiting their strength inside. They amassed a total of 36 points in the paint compared to just 8 by the Golden Bears. This inside presence was bolstered by an efficient shooting performance, with Arizona converting 51 percent from two-point range and maintaining an overall field goal percentage of 50.
The defensive effort by Arizona was equally notable as they racked up 12 steals and capitalized on turnovers, scoring 20 points off turnovers. Their defensive rebounds were critical in limiting second-chance opportunities for California, who managed only seven second-chance points.
On offense, Arizona's ball distribution was effective; they tallied more assists than California with a count of 13 to 11. This teamwork helped them maintain control throughout most of the game despite experiencing lead changes seven times and being tied nine times.
California did show resilience from beyond the arc, sinking ten three-pointers at a rate of 37 percent which kept them within striking distance for much of the contest. However, their efforts were not enough to overcome Arizona's balanced attack and solid free throw shooting – both teams shot an identical impressive rate from free throw line at around 83 percent.
As fans look ahead, they can anticipate another exciting matchup when Stanford Cardinal visits Tucson to face off against Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center on January 28th at noon local time (2:00 PM Eastern Time). The game will be broadcasted live on Pac-12 Network for fans unable to attend what promises to be another showcase of collegiate basketball talent.