Seniors steer No. 2 Arizona to comfortable win over No. 6 Iowa State
No. 2 Arizona clinched its first outright Big 12 regular-season title behind senior point guard Jaden Bradley's 17 points on Senior Night in a 73-57 win over No. 6 Iowa State on Monday at Tucson, Ariz.
The Wildcats (28-2, 15-2 Big 12) earned their fifth straight win, four of them against ranked opponents.
Iowa State (24-6, 11-6) has lost three of its last four games, all defeats against ranked foes.
Tobe Awaka, another Arizona senior, finished with 10 points and 15 rebounds. Motiejus Krivas added 13 points and Brayden Burries finished with 11.
Tamin Lipsey led Iowa State with 17 points, and Joshua Jefferson had 12 points and eight rebounds. Both played through foul trouble, each finishing with four fouls.
Jamarion Batemon had 14 points for the Cyclones.
Iowa State's Milan Momcilovic, averaging 17.4 points a game while shooting 50.9% from 3-point range entering the game, was held to five points on 2-of-8 shooting, including 1-of-5 success from beyond the arc.
Iowa State shot a season-low 29.2% (19 of 65) from the field, 23.3% (7 of 30) from 3-point range.
After a 3-pointer by Batemon with 4:02 left in the first half tied the game 22-22, Arizona outscored Iowa State 15-3 the rest of the half in a key stretch.
Lipsey was whistled for his second foul with 3:11 remaining and Jefferson his third with 2:33 left.
Both subsequently exited, and Arizona took advantage of that by holding Iowa State to 1-of-6 shooting from the field for the rest of the half.
The Wildcats made four of their five attempts in that span.
Krivas had six points, including a 4-of-4 performance at the free-throw line, in the 15-3 run that gave Arizona a 37-25 lead at the half.
Bradley had 12 first-half points, having converted all eight of his tries from the free-throw line.
Arizona built its lead to 43-27 with 16:20 left on a Bradley jumper, but Iowa State responded with a 10-1 run.
Lipsey's layup with 13:19 left capped the surge and cut the lead to 44-37.
Jefferson was whistled for his fourth foul with 12:58 remaining. He re-entered with 11:41 left.
Arizona scored seven unanswered points, five by Krivas, to take a 51-37 lead with 10:17 remaining. Iowa State never again got within single digits.
The Wildcats went on a 10-3 run to open a 66-48 lead with 4:28 to go.