For five minutes on Tuesday night, Saint Louis University played ball with the best basketball team in the country. Unfortunately for the Billikens, Arizona used the game’s final 35 minutes to show the country why they are atop college basketball’s national polls.
The No. 1 Wildcats showcased their talents at the McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz., in convincing fashion, defeating SLU 91-58. Despite SLU’s valiant effort on the boards, Arizona dominated the offensive post while producing an impressive showing in the backcourt throughout the game, giving the 14,500 people on hand a reason to call Arizona the nation’s best. The Wildcats’ complete performance was too much for the Billikens, now 1-3.
“I’m disappointed that we lost this game by 30. I don’t know, I just expected more out of our kids. But I do have to give credit to Arizona,” said coach Brad Soderberg, according to the Associated Press. “They are just a phenomenal ball club.”
In the game’s opening minutes, the teams traded blows down the court. Senior Jason Gardner opened the game with a three-point bucket in the opening seconds. However, the Billikens were persistent, and careful ball control and high-percentage shots in the paint by senior Kenny Brown and junior Chris Sloan kept the Bills in striking distance.
SLU grabbed the lead with 16:20 remaining in the second half on a smooth lay-up by Sloan, who was fouled on his way to the hoop. The old-fashioned three-point play put the Billikens ahead 9-7.
Only then did Arizona, who has returned all five of its starters from last season, showcase its experience on the basketball court. With every point scored by the Billikens, the Wildcats, led by Gardner and Rick Anderson, had an answer.
With 10 minutes remaining in the first half, Arizona had built a 22-13 lead over the Bills. Every time SLU crept closer to tying the game, Gardner, a pre-season All-American, would come up with a key basket. He finished with 16 points, tied for the game high with SLU’s Josh Fisher.
Arizona’s post play was dominating, but Brown, for the most part, held his own in the rebounding category. The senior finished the game with a double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 of the Billikens’ 41 rebounds.
The Billikens, who rely mostly on a quick transition game, were stifled by Arizona’s stubborn defense. The Wildcats forced Billiken standout Marque Perry into a half-court game.
Both Brown and Sloan found it difficult at times to get a shot off in the paint. In one sequence, Brown’s shots were blocked four times by Wildcat big men Isaiah Fox, Dennis Latimore and Channing Frye.
SLU would not go away in the first half, however. The Wildcats’ lead hovered around 15 points for most of the half, but tip-ins by Anderson and Latimore kept the Billikens from stopping Arizona on multiple possessions.
A pretty drive by Fisher with 20 seconds remaining in the half cut the score to 46-31; but as he did the entire half, Gardner answered with a beautiful runner as time expired, increasing the lead to 48-31.
The Billikens’ defense improved in the second half and seemed to tighten up their lock on Gardner around the perimeter.
But the Billikens could not take control of the game’s momentum, and the Wildcats’ deep bench took control of the game.
Arizona posted five players in double digits, as the Wildcats shot an impressive 47 percent from the field. SLU’s 36 percent in the same category was not enough for a team that relies so much on perimeter shooting. Perry was 1-for-4 from behind the arc, while freshman Anthony Drejaj was 2-5 from three-point land.
