In two-plus seasons playing for the Arizona Wildcats, Azuolas Tubelis and Kerr Kriisa had never lost before fans at McKale Center
So when it finally happened Saturday — when Arizona shot just 31.7% in a 74-61 loss to Washington State — it wasn’t hard to imagine the emptiness they might have felt.
“It feels like s---,” Kriisa said.
The loss not only snapped Arizona’s 28-game homecourt winning streak but also an overall eight-game streak, while also putting the Wildcats (14-2 overall) at just 3-2 in Pac-12 play.
The fifth-ranked Wildcats last lost at McKale Center on Feb. 13, 2021, in a game against Oregon. But that game came during the COVID-restricted 2020-21 season when fans weren't allowed inside McKale. The last time UA lost at McKale Center with fans present was on March 7, 2020, when Washington beat Arizona 69-63 just five days before the entire sports world crashed to a halt because of COVID concerns.
That history also meant Saturday's game was the first UA coach Tommy Lloyd had lost at McKale Center. But despite that, despite the disappointment Tubelis and Kriisa flashed on the postgame interview podium, Lloyd offered a more measured disappointment.
He even cracked a smile or two.
“I've lost before in my life,” he said. “It’s something that happens. This is basketball, and I think I keep a pretty good perspective on things. You’re not going to go undefeated forever.
“I just wish … today had an opportunity to be a special day at McKale. We had a Saturday afternoon game; and beautiful, Tucson, perfect weather; and everybody can go out to dinner after and have a good time; and unfortunately, it just didn't happen.”
Washington State forward Mouhamed Gueye gets a hand to the ball and Arizona forward Azuolas Tubelis in the first half at McKale Center. Tubelis was one of the Wildcats’ few bright spots Saturday.
Instead, the Cougars were the ones who had a good time. Maybe that part was overdue.
Washington State (7-10, 2-4) was expected to land somewhere around the middle of the Pac-12 race but has played all season without two key players — center Dishon Jackson (injury) and guard Myles Rice (cancer) while also struggling with other injury issues.
Still, the Cougars took Utah to overtime on Dec. 4 and lost just 67-66 to UCLA on Dec. 30 in Pullman. Then, after beating USC on New Year’s Day, they struggled again in a six-point loss at ASU on Thursday.
Then, this.
“The win is huge, obviously,” WSU coach Kyle Smith said. “We had a good opportunity with UCLA, and we couldn’t put it away. But we came back to beat USC. Our guys are really resilient. That’s a good quality of what we’re about.”
Playing a gritty defense — with swarms of 6-foot-6 players anchored by center Mouhamed Gueye, who had 24 points and 14 rebounds to lead WSU — the Cougars kept the Wildcats to their worst field-goal shooting of the season. Arizona also made things tough on itself, missing many lightly contested shots and making just 17 of 28 free throws.
Arizona also made just 4 of 25 3-pointers, with Kriisa going just 2 of 11.
“We’ve got to take full responsibility for the shooting percentages,” Kriisa said. “We missed, I don't know, how many free throws? Eleven free throws at home? That's a lot of free throws. That's 100% on players.”
Arizona center Oumar Ballo muscles his way into the paint against Washington State forward Mouhamed Gueye in the first half at McKale Center. Ballo, coming off an illness, was not his usual self.
At least one of the Wildcats had an excuse. Having been hospitalized with an undisclosed illness after Arizona faced ASU last weekend, center Oumar Ballo managed 11 points and six rebounds but shot just 4 of 11 from the field and hit only 3 of 10 free throws.
Ballo logged 34 minutes on Thursday in UA’s 70-67 win over Washington, but Tubelis said he thought Ballo was still taking medicine and fighting the issue.
“He’s just not 100%, I think,” said Tubelis, who led the Wildcats with 29 points and 14 rebounds. “You have to understand that.”
Lloyd said Ballo practiced with the Wildcats on Friday, though the entire team did not practice much. Lloys also indicated that the 7-footer wasn’t his usual self.
“He had a tough week,” Lloyd said. “He’s probably still battling, and he's our guy. He's had an incredible season. I thought there were moments he was going to kind of get back in that game today, but it was one of those days… I know he'll bounce back.”
The Wildcats were down 37-27 at halftime, and Ballo couldn’t help things get better. Arizona hit only 4 of 10 shots to start the second half – and two of those shots were a result of WSU goaltending.
The Cougars held a 47-35 lead when they fouled Ballo heading into a timeout with 13:29 left, but Ballo missed both ensuing free throws to become 1 for 8 from the line at that point.
WSU forward DJ Rodman then hit two 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to give WSU a 53-35 lead with 12:44 left. The Wildcats cut WSU’s lead to just 61-56 after Kriisa hit a 3-pointer and made two free throws, but Arizona's offense sputtered again when Ballo missed a layup and Kriisa’s 3-pointer was blocked by TJ Bamba.
Gueye then hit a 3-pointer just before the shot clock expired to give WSU a 68-56 lead with 1:53 left, and fans began leaving McKale Center.
“We got the momentum back, and I think if we would have got one more stop, I think it would have been our game,” Kriisa said. “But you know what happened. We didn't get the stop, and then we didn’t stay as poised as we usually do. And the result is 74-61.”
Photos: University of Arizona falls to Washington State 74-61
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Arizona guard Kerr Kriisa, left, gets stripped of a rebound by Washington State forward Mouhamed Gueye in the second half of their Pac-12 game at McKale Center on Jan. 6, 2023.
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Washington State guard Jabe Mullins (3) gets all of Arizona forward Azuolas Tubelis (10) as he drives into the paint in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 6, 2023.
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Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) gets jostled trying to control the ball against Washington State guard TJ Bamba (5) in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 6, 2023.
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Washington State forward DJ Rodman (11) celebrates after dropping in a three in the second half of their Pac 12 game against Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., January 6, 2023.
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Arizona guard Cedric Henderson Jr. (45) picks up a foul trying to rob Washington State guard Kymany Houinsou (31) in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 6, 2023.
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Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd reacts after the Wildcats failed to draw a foul against Washington State in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 6, 2023.
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Arizona guard Kerr Kriisa (25) can't believe the Wildcats were guilty of a foul against Washington State in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 6, 2023.
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Washington State forward DJ Rodman (11) leans all over Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) trying to get off a long range shot in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 6, 2023.
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Arizona guard Courtney Ramey (0) and Washington State guard TJ Bamba (5) scuffle for control of the ball in the second half of their teams’ Pac 12 game in McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 6, 2023.
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Arizona forward Azuolas Tubelis (10) reacts after picking up a foul late in the second half against Washington State at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 6, 2023.
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Arizona guard Kerr Kriisa (25), left, and Washington State forward Mouhamed Gueye (35) pursue a loose ball across mid-court in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 6, 2023.
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The looks on the faces of Arizona guard Cedric Henderson Jr., left, and guard Kerr Kriisa tell you everything you need to know about the Wildcats’ performance in a 74-61 upset loss to Washington State
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Arizona forward Azuolas Tubelis (10) and Washington State forward Mouhamed Gueye (35) look for the call after getting tangled up fighting for the ball in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 6, 2023.
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Washington State guard Justin Powell (24) snares the rebound in front of Arizona forward Azuolas Tubelis (10) in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 6, 2023.
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Arizona forward Azuolas Tubelis (10) loses the handle on a rebound in the paint against Washington State in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 6, 2023.
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Arizona guard Cedric Henderson Jr. (45), left, Washington State forward DJ Rodman (11) and center Adrame Diongue (15) try to track down the ball in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 6, 2023.
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Arizona forward Azuolas Tubelis (10) drives into the paint in a crowd of Washington State defenders in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 6, 2023.
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Arizona guard Kylan Boswell (4) can't finish the fast break as Washington State guard Kymany Houinsou (31) recovers from the turnover to swat away his lay-up in their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 6, 2023.
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Arizona center Oumar Ballo (11) muscles his way into the paint against Washington State forward Mouhamed Gueye (35) in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 6, 2023.
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Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) tries to muscle through a screen while tracking Washington State guard TJ Bamba (5) in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 6, 2023.
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Washington State forward Mouhamed Gueye gets a hand to the ball and Arizona forward Azuolas Tubelis in the first half at McKale Center. Tubelis was one of the Wildcats’ few bright spots Saturday.
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Washington State guard Kymany Houinsou (31) makes up ground to stop Arizona guard Kylan Boswell (4) from a lay-up basket after a Cougar turnover in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 6, 2023.
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Arizona guard Kerr Kriisa (25) gives teammate forward Azuolas Tubelis (10) a pat after he scored and picked up a foul against Washington State in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 6, 2023.
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University of Arizona president Robert Robbins, left, and director of athletics Dave Heeke help Bill Walton unveil the school’s gift to him of a custom decorated chair before Arizona’s game against Washington State at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 6, 2023.
