TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) – Arizona Men’s Basketball beat Saint Mary’s 81-68 in its first exhibition of the season.
The Wildcats never trailed the WCC power at McKale Center.
Senior point guard Jaden Bradley scored a game-high 23 points on 7-11 shooting. He scored 15 of those points in the second half.
Four other Wildcats scored in double figures. Motiejus Krivas had a double-double with 11 points and 17 rebounds. It was his first game since Dec. 7, 2024 due to injury. Anthony Dell’Orso added 13 points and four steals. Freshman Brayden Burries had 10 points and seven rebounds, while fellow freshman Koa Peat had 10 points and two blocks.
Arizona shot an efficient 53.3% from the field, while holding Saint Mary’s to just 39.3% shooting. The Wildcats also capitalized on turnovers, converting 12 Gaels miscues into 20 points, compared to just 10 points off seven Arizona turnovers for Saint Mary’s.
Saint Mary’s was led by Joshua Dent, who scored 14 points, and former Wildcat Paulius Murauskas, who added 12.
The Gaels made a push in the second half, cutting the deficit to three with under six minutes to play, but Arizona responded with a 9-0 run capped by a Bradley fast-break layup and free throw to seal the win.
“I told our guys if you’re able to lead a team like that for 40 minutes, kind of weather a storm and a few runs… that’s a good place to start,” Lloyd said.
The Wildcats will take on Embry-Riddle on Monday, Oct. 27 at 7:00 p.m. MST in McKale Center.