TUCSON — The Arizona Wildcats (2-1) beat the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 90-59 on Tuesday night at McKale Center, and the game turned on the ball: Arizona forced 15 Northern Arizona turnovers against only 6 of its own, with 11 steals, and ran off them all night.
Northern Arizona scored first for a 2-0 lead, and Arizona led the rest of the way — 46-22 at halftime. The Wildcats shot 61.7 percent from the field (37-of-60). Northern Arizona shot cold overall at 41.2 percent, but from three the Lumberjacks were the better team — 9-of-26 (34.6 percent) against 8-of-25 (32.0) for Arizona — and the rebounds stayed close, 26-21 to the Wildcats. What Northern Arizona could not overcome was giving the ball away.
The second half is where Arizona ran away with it — fast-break points off the turnovers and the defensive rebounds. Cameron Holmes scored on a layup off a Kharchenkov feed, Motiejus Krivas followed his own offensive rebound with a layup and then set up Kharchenkov inside, Caleb Holt stole the ball from Chris Komin and finished the run with a dunk, and Krivas scored again off a JJ Mandaquit assist to make it 77-46 — the turnovers becoming runouts, possession after possession. The Wildcats shared it the same way at the other end: 26 assists on 37 made field goals.
Ivan Kharchenkov ran the game for the Wildcats: 20 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Four Arizona starters scored in double figures — Holt had 17 points and 3 steals, Krivas 16 points and 7 rebounds on 7-of-9 shooting, and D. Dixon 12 points — and Mandaquit came off the bench for 9 points and 7 assists without a turnover.
Komin led Northern Arizona with 17 points and 5 assists, and R. Abelman added 14 points.
The Wildcats go on the road Friday, Nov. 13, at Auburn, 7 p.m. on ESPN2
Notes: Max Majerle related to former Suns great Dan Majerle 5 pts 1-5 fg 3 free throws 3 rb 2 assist but 4 turnovers
Arizona’s Bryce James father Lebron James, James vs NAU 13 minutes 1-3 field goals, 1-3 3pt 2 assist,1blk
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