NASSAU, Bahamas — In an impressive display at the Battle 4 Atlantis, the No. 24 Arizona Wildcats defeated the Davidson Wildcats with a score of 104-71, concluding their two-game losing streak. Anthony Dell’Orso led the charge for Arizona, hitting five three-pointers and finishing with 21 points, while Caleb Love contributed with three shots from beyond the arc for a total of 20 points.
Arizona’s offense was further bolstered by Trey Townsend, who scored 17 points, and Tobe Awaka, who not only added 13 points but also grabbed 10 rebounds. Motiejus Krivas rounded out the scoring with 10 points. The Wildcats exhibited impressive shooting, connecting on 57% of their attempts and converting 11 of 22 three-point shots.
On the opposing side, Davidson’s Connor Kochera led his team with 20 points, while Bobby Durkin also made his mark by hitting five three-pointers for 15 points. However, Davidson struggled overall, managing only 38% shooting and hitting 11 of 34 three-point attempts.
After leading by 17 points in the second half, Arizona saw their advantage shrink to just six about seven and a half minutes into the period. Nevertheless, the Wildcats responded strongly, outscoring Davidson 36-9 in the remaining minutes of the game. Arizona held a halftime lead of 49-37.
The Wildcats entered this tournament looking to recover from back-to-back losses to Wisconsin and Duke, which had caused them to drop from a previous ranking of No. 9 to their current position at No. 24 in the polls. This victory is a crucial step in attempting to maintain their streak of being ranked in the AP Top 25 for the last 61 polls.
A pivotal moment in the game occurred when Townsend hit his second three-pointer, capping off an 18-4 run that left Davidson trailing once again after they had managed to close the gap.
Statistically, Arizona’s dominance on the inside was apparent, as they scored 50 points in the paint, compared to Davidson’s 28. Their defensive strategy effectively contained Davidson’s leading scorer, Reed Bailey, who averages 19 points per game; he finished with only nine points on 3-of-11 shooting.
Next up for Arizona is a semifinal matchup against Oklahoma, who recently edged out Providence 79-77. Meanwhile, Davidson will compete against Providence in the consolation bracket.