Arizona Wildcats Back in Gear With 76-54 Win Over Oregon State

Feb 6, 2014; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Aaron Gordon (11) and head coach Sean Miller talk after the second half against the Oregon Ducks at McKale Center. Arizona won 67-65. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

TUCSON — The Arizona Wildcats needed to get their offense going to take some of the pressure of losing Brandon Ashley off their shoulders. Shooting 50 percent from the field in a 76-54 win over the Oregon State Beavers was just what the doctor ordered.

Aaron Gordon got back into the swing of things, leading the Wildcats (23-1, 10-1) with 17 points, five rebounds, one steal and a block, while shooting 8-for-12 from the field. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson added 16 with five rebounds, three assists and two steals.

The Wildcat defense played well as a team, holding the Pac-12’s leading scorer in Roberto Nelson to just 10 points on 3-for- 12 shooting. The Beavers (13-10, 5-6) shot just 39.1 percent as a team and were led by Angus Brandt‘s 14 points.

The Wildcats held a 10-point halftime lead and allowed the Beavers to score just 12 points in the first 11 minutes of the second half, opening up a 19-point lead at one point. To top it off, the Wildcats held the Beavers scoreless in a 3-minute stretch as time was about to expire.

A dominating defense plus an efficient offense could lead the No. 2 Wildcats deep into the NCAA tournament, but consistency has been an issue.

Wildcats by the Numbers

• 6 – The Wildcats scored over 70 for the first time in six games.
• +15 – Arizona held a plus-15 edge in rebounding, including a plus-11 in offensive rebounds.
• 13 – In the blowout, 13 different Arizona players saw the court.

He Was a Wildcat

It was nice to see Aaron Gordon have a solid game. He had been all over the board as of late, without being able to put together a good and efficient offensive showing. His 17 points on 12 shots will surely make Wildcats coach Sean Miller happy. The fact that he committed only one personal foul while getting a steal and a block is a bonus.

He Was a Mildcat

Elliott Pitts and Gabe York don’t often get a lot of playing time, so when they got their opportunity, you’d think they’d do their best to shine. Well, at least they tried. They combined for 37 minutes and scored three points on 1-for-7 shooting. They grabbed four rebounds with two assists during that time.

Coming Up

The Arizona Wildcats kick off a three-game road trip, starting with a big game at Arizona State on Friday, February 14 from Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Arizona.