Arizona Wildcats cruise to 31 point win over Northern Arizona: 3 takeaways

Three Wildcats lead the way

Ivan Kharchenkov scored 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting, adding seven rebounds and seven assists in 30 minutes. Mo Krivas contributed 16 points and seven rebounds, shooting 7-for-9 in 26 minutes.

Caleb Holt finished with 17 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals. He made seven of eight shots inside the arc but went 1-for-7 from three-point range.

Mandaquit connects from deep

JJ Mandaquit continued to handle primary ball-handler duties when on the court, allowing Derek Dixon to play off the ball. Mandaquit, a 6-foot-1 sophomore, made three of four three-point attempts after entering the game with a 1-for-6 mark from beyond the arc.

Arizona’s other perimeter shooting was less effective. Dixon made two of five three-pointers, while the Wildcats’ non-point guards combined to shoot 3-for-16 from deep, or 18.8%.

Second-half start raises concern

Arizona led 46-22 at halftime, but Northern Arizona opened the second half with a 20-13 scoring advantage. In the first eight minutes, the Lumberjacks made seven of 10 field-goal attempts, two of three three-pointers and all four free throws.

The Wildcats remained efficient on offense and did not let Northern Arizona fully recover. Still, the slow start could become a concern if it turns into a pattern later in the season.

A demanding stretch ahead

The 90-59 result came before Arizona’s difficult finish to November. The Wildcats are scheduled to visit Auburn on Friday, Nov. 13, with tipoff set for 7:00 p.m. MST on ESPN2. Arizona’s 26-to-6 assist-to-turnover ratio, 28-0 advantage in fast-break points and 29-for-35 shooting inside the arc highlighted its control of the game.