TUCSON, Ariz. — Caleb Love showcased an impressive performance by sinking five 3-pointers and achieving a season-best tally of 33 points, while Henri Veesaar contributed with 15 points on an efficient 6-of-7 shooting display. Arizona triumphed over TCU with a final score of 90-81 in their opening match of the Big 12 conference on Monday evening.
Love proved instrumental for the Wildcats, shooting 11 out of 17 from the floor, making all his six attempts from the free-throw line, and adding seven rebounds and seven assists to his stat line. Jaden Bradley also stepped up, adding 10 points and six assists, helping Arizona improve their record to 7-5 this season.
The Wildcats demonstrated strong teamwork on the court, recording a season-high of 28 assists, with KJ Lewis leading the tally with eight assists along with eight points and three steals. Arizona’s shooting was notably effective, as they made 33 of their 58 attempts from the field, hitting 57% overall, though they struggled with their long-range shooting, converting only 7 of their 22 attempts from beyond the arc.
The game began with Love scoring a layup just 18:30 into the first half, quickly followed by a 3-pointer 33 seconds later, which established a lead that Arizona maintained throughout the game. Five different players contributed during a 13-2 scoring run, expanding the lead to 22-8 with 10:38 left in the opening half. However, TCU responded by scoring 15 of the next 19 points, narrowing the margin to just three points with about four minutes remaining in the first half, and ended up trailing 41-37 at halftime.
The Horned Frogs made several attempts to close the gap in the early moments of the second half, getting within one point on three separate occasions. Nevertheless, Arizona countered effectively each time, ultimately pulling away with a decisive 12-5 run that secured a 76-66 lead following a successful three-point play by Tobe Awaka with 6:30 left in the game.
For TCU, Noah Reynolds had a standout performance, scoring a season-high of 23 points alongside seven assists. Vasean Allette contributed with 15 points despite hitting 6 of 19 attempts from the field, while Ernest Udeh Jr. added 10 points and a personal best of 14 rebounds. Micah Robinson also chimed in with 10 points, rounding off the scoring efforts for TCU, which now holds a record of 7-5.
