Brandon Randolph scored 20 points while hitting all five 3-pointers he took to lead Arizona to a 95-44 win over Division II Western New Mexico in the Wildcatsโ first of two exhibition games.
Freshman guard Brandon Williams added 14 points, four rebounds and three assists while grad transfer forward Ryan Luther added 13 points and eight rebounds.ย
The Wildcats blew apart the overmatched Mustangs in the first half, going on an early 21-0 run and keeping WNMU to just 15.4 percent shooting while taking a 48-15 halftime lead.
But Western New Mexico made the game somewhat more competitive after halftime.ย Through the first 14 minutes of the second half, UA outscored WNMU only 24-22, gaining a 72-37 lead, though Arizona gradually pushed the lead even higher in the gameโs final minutes.
Although Western New Mexico guard Willie McCray started the game with a surprise, stealing the ball from UA guard Justin Coleman and racing in for a layup, the Wildcats promptly went on a 21-0 run afterward.ย
Playing without the injured Chase Jeter, Arizona started Coleman at point guard with Williams and Randolph on the wings, and Ira Lee and Luther inside.
Williams powered the Wildcats early, scoring seven points on 3-for-3 shooting while collecting a rebound and a steal in the first four minute of the game.
UA coach Sean Miller turned to junior guard Dylan Smith and sophomore forward Emmanuel Akot first off the bench after the first media timeout, when UA had already built a 14-2 lead. He inserted sophomore guard Alex Barcello and former walk-on forward Jake DesJardins two minutes later.
Williams and Smith both finished the half with seven points, while Williams added three rebounds and Smith had four.
Freshman guard Devonaire Doutrive was the Wildcatsโ last scholarship player to get on the floor, entering with 9:50 left. His first shot was blocked by 7-2 WNMU center Alfredo Rodriguez, but Doutrive made a fast break layup a minute later to give UA a 28-9 lead.
Before the game, UA announced that Lee would sit out the Wildcatsโ Nov. 7 regular-season opener with Houston Baptist following his Aug. 19 DUI arrest.
The school issued a statement saying the suspension is "due to a violation of the universityโs student code of conduct and Arizona Athleticsโ community standards related to an incident earlier this year."
A 20-year-old sophomore who is expected to be a key reserve for the Wildcats this season, Lee was arrested Aug. 19 in connection with being a minor with alcohol in his system and several DUI charges, ranging from impairment to the slightest degree to super extreme DUI (blood-alcohol level of 0.20 or greater), the arrest report said.
