LAS VEGAS – After downing the Broncos on Thanksgiving Day for a second consecutive year, the Arizona Wildcats have advanced to the championship game of the 2016 Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational. The Wildcats will draw the Butler Bulldogs in the final game of the non-conference tournament at the Orleans Arena.

No. 8/9 Arizona vs. Butler
Friday, November 25 at 8:30 p.m. (MST)
TV: Fox Sports 1 (Justin Kutcher & Bill Raftery)
Radio: Arizona IMG Radio Network (Ryan Radtke & Ryan Hansen)
Stats: www.statbroadcast.com
Twitter: @APlayersProgram
#BearDown
 

• Arizona enters its second game in as many days after defeating Santa Clara 69-61 on Thanksgiving Day. Lauri Markkanen led the Wildcats in scoring and rebounding with 16 points and nine rebounds. It was the fourth time in his first five collegiate games that he has led UA in those two categories.
• The Wildcats and Bulldogs will meet for the first time on Friday since the 2001 NCAA Tournament. Arizona defeated Butler 73-52 in that game in Kansas City. Gilbert Arenas paced UA in scoring with 15 points with eight rebounds. Luke Walton recorded eight points and ten rebounds in the game as well.
• Freshman Rawle Alkins recorded three blocks in his team's win over Santa Clara, which were the most by a UA guard since Kadeem Allen had three blocks in UA's quadruple overtime thriller at USC in January. Alkins had just one block in four games prior to Thursday's game.
• UA is 17-12 (.586) against the current Big East membership in program history. The Wildcat's 58.6 winning percentage against the Big East is its third lowest fourth lowest against the 27 non-Power Five conferences Arizona has faced. Butler is one of only three current Big East members that Arizona has not lost to, joining Xavier and St. John's.
• Arizona carries a record of 41-6 (.872) in the month of November under Sean Miller to Friday's finale of the 2016 Continental Tires Las Vegas Invitational.
• With wins in their first five games of the season, the Wildcats have gotten off to a 5-0 start for the fifth consecutive season.
• Friday's meeting with Butler will be the culmination of a seven-day stretch that featured four games for Arizona.