Back at full strength for the first time in two weeks, Arizona went on an early 19-0 run and eventually took a 39-28 halftime lead over Kansas on Saturday at McKale Center.
The Wildcats, who entered the game 26-2 overall and 13-2 in the Big 12, can clinch a share of the Big 12 title if they beat Kansas. UA received forward Koa Peat (lower leg injury) and Dwayne Aristode (illness) back on Saturday, though Aristode did not appear in the first half.
Arizona forward Koa Peat (10) looks for room to shoot around Kansas guard Tre White (3) in the first half of their Big 12 game in Tucson on Feb. 28, 2026.
The Wildcats shot 48.4% from the field — though they made only 1 of 9 3-pointers — while holding Kansas to 29.0% shooting and outrebounding the Jayhawks 23-15.
Guard Brayden Burries led UA in the first half by collecting 11 points and nine rebounds, including a defensive rebound that he took coast-to-coast for a layup during UA's early 19-0 run.
Arizona guard Brayden Burries (5), left, and forward Tobe Awaka (30) put the squeeze on a shot from Kansas guard Tre White (3) in the first half of their Big 12 game in Tucson on Feb. 28, 2026.
While Kansas star freshman Darryn Peterson hit a 3-pointer just 25 seconds into the game and Kansas took a 5-2 lead with 18:12 to go, Arizona ripped off 19 straight points from there, outrebounding the Jayhawks 11-4 over the first eight minutes of the game while Kansas shot just 3 of 15 to that point.
Motiejus Krivas dunked twice during the run while Peat also did, less than five minutes into his first game since suffering a lower-leg injury that kept him out of UA’s previous three games. Peat later dunked off an alley-oop feed from Burries, descending carefully after briefly hanging on to the rim.
The teams played evenly through most of the rest of the half.
Arizona forward Ivan Kharchenkov (8) drives past Kansas center Paul Mbiya (34) and to the bucket in the first half of their Big 12 game at McKale Center, Feb. 28, 2026.
