TUCSON, Ariz. -- Lauri Markkanen scored 17 points, Parker Jackson-Cartwright had 15 points and a career-high 11 assists and No. 8 Arizona pulled away over the final 12 1/2 minutes to beat Northern Colorado 71-55 on Monday night.
Kadeem Allen added 10 for the Wildcats (4-0).
Gerard Davis scored 20 for the Bears (1-3). Chaz Glotta, a transfer from Southern Illinois, made 5 of 11 3-pointers for 15 points.
Jackson-Cartwright, whose previous career best was five assists, committed just one turnover. He had none in the previous game against Sacred Heart.
The Wildcats outscored the Bears 34-16 over the final 12:15.
Northern Colorado bothered the Wildcats most of the night with a tight 2/3 zone defense.
The Bears were up 31-30 at the half and Glotta's 3-pointer put them ahead 39-37 with 14:11 remaining.
But Jackson-Cartwright drove inside, was fouled and converted the three-point play that put the Wildcats ahead for good, 40-39, with 12:15 to go. The play ignited an 11-2 run, capped by Markkanen's two free throws that gave Arizona a 48-41 lead with 9:25 to go.
The Bears twice cut it to four before Arizona pulled away.
Neither team led by more than four points in the first 20 minutes.
Markkanen's soaring tip-in of Parker Jackson-Cartwright's miss just before the buzzer cut the Bears' lead to 31-30 at the break.
UP NEXT
Northern Colorado: The Bears play Sacred Heart in the Las Vegas Classic on Wednesday.
Arizona: The Wildcats also head to the Las Vegas Classic, facing Santa Clara on Thursday night. The winner faces the winner of the Butler-Vanderbilt game.
