Arizona Wildcats find a rating balance, hang on to win in Baylor Bears

Waco, Texas – It turns out that there was no ass. Not even close.

In fact, after Arizona beat Baylor 74-67 to take its two game sequence on Monday at the Foster Pavilion, Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd, barely recognized that he had mentioned the Idea that his team could suffer from such a terrible thing.

After UA lost in Kansas State and Houston last Saturday at the McKale Center, Lloyd told the media that “you all think we are going to get our ass to the Baylor”, because of fatigue, from the quick trip to Waco and their sudden losing habits.

Then, the Wildcats especially found their offensive mojo on Monday while shooting 48.3%, successfully working Henri Veesaar Estonian 7 feet in the starting range for the first time in his career, and jumped a midnight charter flight with two days of rest in advance.

Life was good again for the Wildcats.

“What comment did I give you?” Lloyd said on Monday, and when he was reminded of the ass expectation, added: “Perhaps. I don’t know. Maybe I had juice.

“I knew that coming here today that losing was a possibility, and there is no shame. Scott (Drew, Baylor Coach) does an incredible job. But I also knew that today’s victory was important for our season and our team, and we approve it as such. »»

It was important, if the Wildcats (18-8, 12-3) wanted to stay in the Big 12 race, hunting for one of the four doubles in the Big 12 tournament and in the preferred AA mixture among the four first. Seed in the NCAA tournament.

But it was also important because of the inheritance: the Wildcats rarely lose three games in a row – never – and have not done so since the short -term season of 2019-2020 problems.

But they faced a third consecutive defeat this time, at least in the mind of Lloyd, after the end of game collapse against Kansas State and Houston, and with a mandate to go to Baylor for a match only two days after Houston’s defeat.

“We felt like we had the opportunity to win these two games, and you just don’t want to leave a third going through,” said Lloyd. “But you are in Baylor. It is a pie type of pieces of pieces if you are lucky. So I thought we had done a good job with energy. »»

A large part of this energy began forward, where Veesaar teams up with Center Tobe Awaka to play on the underdentified bears, which had lost 6-10 Josh Ojianwuna center for the season since Ua beat them at McKale Center on January 14.

Awaka collected 14 points and 12 rebounds after struggling in the two AU’s past games. Veesaar added 13 points while pulling 4 for 6 on the field, plus 4 for 6 on the line, and collected five rebounds and four assists.

“These two guys were really good,” said Baylor’s coach Drew. “We knew how good Henri was because he had 19 and seven six for nine, four for six, and we knew how good Henry was. He was 19 years old, seven against us the last time. So I think Again at their size Easies, and they obtained veteran guards who are not accelerated, and they put the ball in the right places.

Together, they had a synergy that Lloyd had trouble seeing. The two played more often when the Power Trey Townsend striker missed two games with a concussion suffered in Byu on February 4, although Townsend started on his return against Houston.

On Monday, Townsend came out of the bench for the first time in his career of more than four years, including Four Seasons as a full -time leaving in Oakland.

“It’s something that has been doing my mind for some time, and it’s not a demotion for anyone,” said Lloyd about the start of Veesaar with Awaka. “I thought it could be a good opportunity to try it. I do not know if we will stick to the long term, but obviously for today, it was ok. “”

The Wildcats also had the balance and production of their wing players, Caleb Love adding 13 additional points while Anthony Dell’Orso had 11 after having scored only 19 points in total in her six previous games.

It was too much for Drew, who recalled that Veesaar was the same guy who had 19 points and seven rebounds of the bench against the Bears of the 81-70 victory from the AU at the McKale Center on January 14.

“These two guys were really good,” said Drew about Veesaar and Awaka. “And we knew how good Henry was. I think their size allowed them to obtain softens, and they have veteran guards who are not accelerated, and they put the ball in the right places.”

Overall, the Wildcats pulled 48.3% and established 20 of their 28 goals in the field with assists, while holding Baylor at 40% of shots in the two halves, although they were not Not as effective as the game.

For them, it was friction.

Arizona pulled 60% of the field in first half while taking an advance of 41-33 at halftime, but only 36% in the second, decelerating in the last 13 minutes after all, but in Taking the bears – and their fans – out of the game.

With 12:49 on the left, Love threw a dunk which gave UA an advance of 53-39 and caused notable groans of the crowd, and applauds the 200 UA fans in the building.

But Baylor returned to less than four different hours on the section, especially when Norchad Omier struck a rider to reduce the AU advance to 67-63 with 1:02 on the left, before UA fired with throws francs in the last minute.

Baylor VJ EdgeCombe goalkeeper made two layups who each reduced the three -point AU’s advance in the last minute, but Kj Lewis made 3 of the 4 free throws while Love and Carter Bryant each did two Meanwhile to keep the wildcats safely forward.

After love, struck her two free throws to put UA back in front of five, 72-67, Langston Love from Baylor missed a 3 for Baylor with 15 seconds of time, and the fans began to sink from the Foster Pavilion.

The clock struck 11:30 p.m., or around 56 hours after Lloyd worries about this very bad possibility that his team was confronted, and perhaps challenge his players through the media.

Where was it? Veesaar said he had said such players at least to players.

Whatever he said, the Wildcats responded.

“He told us to be ready,” said Veesaar. “Anyone can have a day off and have an approximate schedule, fly or fly to the next place, but that doesn’t matter. It is important how you present yourself.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Wildcats find a rating balance, hang on to win in Baylor Bears