Azuolas Tubelis scored 21 points and Oumar Ballo had a double-double as No. 10 Arizona held off No. 14 Indiana 89-75 in the first-ever meeting between the programs on Saturday in the Las Vegas Clash.
The Wildcats (8-1) squandered most of a 19-point first-half lead and had to withstand multiple charges from the Hoosiers, who pulled within three points about midway through the second half and had an 11-2 run to make it 76-71 with 5:11 to go in high-intensity game at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Tubelis then scored six of Arizona’s next eight points to help put away Indiana (8-2), which missed its first seven 3-point attempts but finished 10 of 25 from deep. That shooting could not quite offset Arizona’s superiority down low as Tubelis and Ballo combined to make 15 of 25 shots from the field. Ballo had 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Race Thompson led five Indiana players in double-figures, scoring 16 points and making 4 of 7 shots from 3-point range. He entered the game having made only three 3-pointers all season. Xavier Johnson had 11 points and 11 assists.
Indiana cut a 10-point halftime deficit to 59-56 with 12:44 to go. Soon after, Arizona’s Adama Bal came off the bench to hit back-to-back 3-pointers to spark a 12-2 run for a 74-60 lead before the Hoosiers threatened again in the final minutes.
Arizona closed the game on a 13-4 run and ended with a 42-22 advantage in points in the paint.
Indiana’s Miller Kopp was 4 of 8 from behind the arc on his way to 14 points. Tamar Bates scored 13. Hoosiers’ preseason All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis, coming off a triple-double against Nebraska, was held to 11 points and five rebounds.
Pelle Larsson scored 16 for the Wildcats, and Kerr Kriisa contributed 14 points and seven assists.
Arizona turned harassing defense into transition offense early in the game, going on a 17-0 run that resulted in a 27-8 lead with 11:13 left in the first half.
The Hoosiers were without five-star freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino for the third consecutive game due to a back injury.
–Field Level Media
