Tommy Lloyd asked a bunch of college students to show up early Saturday, then pretty much crossed his fingers.
“Do you think many of these guys wanted to be up at 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning?” the coach said of his Arizona Wildcats. “Probably not.”
But just after noon, barely into No. 4-ranked Arizona’s 91-75 win over Washington on Saturday at McKale Center, it was clear the answer really didn’t matter.
Motivated again for redemption after Thursday’s 77-74 loss to No. 21 Washington State muddied their drive for a final Pac-12 title, and with guard Caleb Love on a personal mission that could help them find some, the Wildcats were already up by double-digits after less than six minutes.
With two assists, a layup and a 3-pointer already at that point, Love was on pace to break the 2,000-point barrier as a collegian. He needed 28 entering Saturday, meaning he either he had to have a big scoring afternoon or risk having to reach the threshold at ASU’s Desert Financial Arena on Wednesday — or, worse, averaging less than 14 points over two games before UA’s final home game next Saturday.
Love finished with exactly 28, ending with a dagger 3-pointer that gave UA a 17-point lead with 1:27 left.
Arizona guard Kylan Boswell reverses a layup around Washington forward Wilhelm Breidenbach on Saturday at McKale Center. UA won 91-75 to bounce back from a home loss Thursday night to Washington State.
“l wanted to do it at home,” Love said. “God willing, everything worked out and I got it. If I didn’t get it, I would have been happy to do it at their place.”
But if he had to do it at ASU’s place, the Wildcats might have been in a different place on Saturday at their place.
Love’s early production led to a 20-point first half, helping the Wildcats take a 52-35 halftime lead, while his game total of 28 points, seven rebounds and five assists helped UA go on to win its 15th straight game after a regular-season loss under Lloyd.
The win moved the Wildcats to 21-6 overall and 12-4 in the Pac-12, while Washington dropped to 15-13 and 7-10.
Love also did it efficiently, hitting 9 of 19 field goals, including half his 10 3-point attempts, while also making 5 of 6 free throws. UA center Oumar Ballo added his seventh straight double-double, with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Pelle Larsson added 17 points, five rebounds and seven assists with no turnovers, and Keshad Johnson had 16 points.
All that production helped offset a rough game for point guard Kylan Boswell, who had nine points and five rebounds but three turnovers and a defensive lapse that led Lloyd to verbally drill into him in the first half.
Arizona center Oumar Ballo tries to get his hands on a rebound in front of Washington forward Wilhelm Breidenbach in the second half. The Wildcats jumped to a 42-21 lead, saw the Huskies climb back to within nine and then pulled away to win by 16.
Arizona had taken a 42-21 lead with 6:23 left before halftime before Washington scored 10 straight points. Lloyd called a timeout with 4:35 to go after Washington’s Nate Calmese sank a 3-pointer and pulled Boswell out.
“We got a little sloppy and we’ve just got to understand how to control the game,” Lloyd said. “Kylan has to learn that and that’s why it was on him, because I know that’s kind of a next step for him.”
While Arizona managed to build back what was 17-point lead at halftime and led 61-38 just three minutes into the second half, the Wildcats slipped again midway through the second half.
Washington went on a 14-2 run to pull within nine points, 69-60, by the time Huskies forward Moses Wood hit a 3-pointer with 9:21 to go.
Suddenly, it was a game again.
But the Wildcats gradually built the lead again, with a 3-pointer from Larsson and a one-handed dunk from Ballo off a feed from Love helping them take an 82-66 lead with 2:13 remaining.
Zig, zag. It was a much more preferable pace for the Wildcats to play at than they did against Washington State’s long and patient defense Thursday, but Washington enjoyed it, too.
“The challenge is that it comes right back at you,” Lloyd said of the pace. “Not a lot of people do that, so it tests your transition defense as well. And, hey, two games in 36 hours? Maybe we got a little bit tired in the second half.”
Maybe. But the Wildcats, and Love, still had plenty of motivation to push them through, though it did bubble over at one point late in the game.
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson throws down a dunk early against Washington on Saturday’s game, which started at noon at McKale Center. UA is next in action at ASU on Wednesday night.
Johnson drove down the middle for an emphatic dunk that gave UA an 84-68 lead, but the UA bench was called for a technical foul for spilling onto the court to celebrate, and UW’s Keion Brooks hit two resulting free throws.
Still, Arizona never lost control of the game from there. Love hit his dagger 3 to give the Wildcats an 87-70 lead, and the video board celebrated his 2,000-point mark.
Love is one of only 23 active college players to have reached the milestone, having scored 1,476 over three seasons at North Carolina and now 524 at Arizona.
So far.
“He’s an incredible basketball player, and he’s got a really bright future,” Lloyd said. “We’re lucky to have him. You know, to score 2,000 points is not easy to do… and the way he came out today really set the tone for us. He got us off to a good start.”
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Photos: Arizona takes down Washington 91-75, Pac 12 basketball
Washington forward Keion Brooks Jr. (1) tries to claw back a loose ball from Arizona guard KJ Lewis (5) in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona center Oumar Ballo (11) tries to get his hands on a rebound in front of Washington forward Wilhelm Breidenbach (32) in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona guard KJ Lewis (5) scoops his way past Washington guard Paul Mulcahy (9) for reverse lay up in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona forward Keshad Johnson (16) sends Washington guard Paul Mulcahy (9) flying as the two collide trying to get to an alley-oop pass from Arizona guard Caleb Love (2) in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona center Motiejus Krivas (14) gets a hand on Washington center Braxton Meah (34) trying to win a rebound in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona guard KJ Lewis (5) scoops his way past Washington guard Paul Mulcahy (9) for reverse lay up in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Washington forward Moses Wood (13) gets a hand on the ball as Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0) drives into the lane in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd talks with one of the game officials during a timeout late in the second half against Washington at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) gets wrapped up by Washington guard Nate Calmese (8) on a drive in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona forward Keshad Johnson (16) out jumps Washington forward Wilhelm Breidenbach (32), left, and forward Keion Brooks Jr. (1) to collect the offensive rebound in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) gestures after nailing a three from the top of the key against Washington in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona forward Keshad Johnson (16) roars for the crowd after finishing off a fast break dunk against Washington in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd reacts after the Wildcat bench was assessed a technical foul for coming out on the floor following a basket against Washington in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Washington head coach Mike Hopkins encourages his Huskies after they make a stand against Arizona in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona guard Caleb Love (2) jars the ball out of the grip of Washington guard Paul Mulcahy (9) in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) fights through the pick from Washington forward Wilhelm Breidenbach (32) to keep contact with forward Moses Wood (13) in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona forward Keshad Johnson (16) and Washington forward Keion Brooks Jr. (1) leap for a rebound in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona guard Caleb Love (2), left, and center Oumar Ballo (11) try to drag down a rebound against Washington center Braxton Meah (34) in their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona center Oumar Ballo (11) backs in a basket past Washington center Braxton Meah (34) in their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Washington forward Keion Brooks Jr. (1), left, picks up a goaltending foul on a shot from Arizona center Oumar Ballo (11) during the second half in their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) goes over the top of Washington forward Moses Wood (13) and guard Paul Mulcahy (9) for rebound in their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona guard Kylan Boswell (4) reverses a lay up around Washington forward Wilhelm Breidenbach (32) during the second half in their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona guard KJ Lewis (5) scoops his way to a reverse lay up in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) jostles with Washington forward Wilhelm Breidenbach (32), left, and forward Moses Wood (13) in their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona forward Keshad Johnson (16) throws down a bucket over Washington forward Moses Wood (13) during the second half in their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Washington center Braxton Meah (34), left, and forward Moses Wood (13) can’t keep Arizona center Oumar Ballo (11) from pulling in a rebound in their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona center Motiejus Krivas (14) gets a clean dunk on Washington forward Wilhelm Breidenbach (32) in their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona guard Caleb Love (2) strips Washington guard Koren Johnson (0) trying to head straight up the lane in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona center Oumar Ballo (11) drops a soft shot over against Washington center Braxton Meah (34) in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Washington guard Paul Mulcahy (9) crashes into Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0) on a Wildcat fast break in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Washington guard Anthony Holland (23) grabs Arizona forward Keshad Johnson (16) in attempt to keep him from a quick run to the bucket in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona guard Kylan Boswell (4) finds a crowd in the lane as he tries to drive for a score against Washington in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., February 22, 2024.
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson throws down a dunk early against Washington on Saturday’s game, which started at noon at McKale Center. UA is next in action at ASU on Wednesday night.
VIDEO: Arizona men's basketball coach Tommy Lloyd, speaking after the No. 4 Wildcats' 77-74 loss to No. 21 Washington State Feb. 22, 2024, at McKale Center, discusses the UA's string of one-possession losses. (Courtesy Arizona Athletics)
