TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) The reconstructed, guard-oriented Arizona Wildcats cruised to another victory. Now the team heads for Maui where the competition gets a whole lot tougher.
Brandon Williams and Brandon Randolph scored 21 points apiece and the Wildcats tuned up for that trip with a 79-46 rout of UTEP on Wednesday night.
The freshman Williams scored 15 in the first half as Arizona took a 34-23 lead at the break. Randolph, a sophomore, scored 14 in the second half, when the Wildcats blew open a 35-point lead.
Chase Jeter, a transfer from Duke who sat out last season, added 15 points for the Wildcats (3-0).
''We're far from perfect but I like our hustle,'' Arizona coach Sean Miller said. ''Evidence lies in the number of charges we attempted to take, some of which were called, and a number of shot blocks and hard plays on the ball. For us this year, that's the direction we're going to have to go. We're going to have to be an excellent defensive team.''
Paul Thomas scored 14 and Efe Odigie 11 for the Miners (1-2).
Arizona committed just six turnovers to UTEP's 22.
''Anytime you go on the road you have to take care of the basketball,'' Miners coach Rodney Terry said. ''We had some turnovers that cost us times where we had a chance to try to make a game of this situation.''
Williams has yet to commit a turnover in his three collegiate games, which Arizona coach Sean Miller called ''astonishing.''
''I'm just trying to take what the defense gives,'' Williams said, ''whether it's me scoring or me getting the assist. I'm just happy to not turn the ball over.''
Part of the reason for the team's lack of turnovers is that Arizona often has four perimeter players on the floor, Miller said.
''We have multiple ball handlers on the court at one time,'' he said.
The Wildcats never trailed, scoring the first eight points of the game, and were up 21-11 after Ira Lee's dunk with 10:32 left in the half.
The Miners followed with a 7-2 spurt to cut it to 23-18 on Kobe Magee's 3-pointer with 4:13 to play before the break. But Williams responded with a 3-pointer and the lead was 26-18. Paul Thomas scored to UTEP to make it 26-20 but Williams sank another 3 and it was 29-20 3:18 before halftime.
The rest of the half was sloppy, with both teams missing free throws, but Arizona's 34-23 lead at the break was its largest of the half.
The Wildcats scored three points to UTEP's one the final 2:39 of the half.
UTEP scored the first five points of the second half, cutting the Arizona advantage to 34-28 when Thomas sank a 3. But the Wildcats responded with seven unanswered points to go up 41-28 on Williams' 15-footer with 17:43.
A 9-0 run ballooned the lead to 22 points. Capping the spurt, Jeter blocked Evan Gilyard's shot, resulting in Randolph's layup that put the Wildcats ahead 57-35 with 9:38 to play. It just got more one-sided from there.
Notes:
- Wednesday's win marked the 250th of Coach Sean Miller's Arizona career. Miller is now 250-74 in 10 seasons at Arizona.
- With Wednesday's win, Arizona has won 50 straight non-conference home games, dating back to 2011. Arizona is 85-3 in its last 88 home games.
- Freshman guard Brandon Williams posted his third straight game without committing a turnover Wednesday against UTEP. Williams has 14 assists to zero turnovers through the first three games of his college career. Williams also established a new career high with 21 points. He also had a game-high four steals.
- Sophomore guard Brandon Randolph produced his second 20-point game of the season Wednesday, scoring 21 points on 7 of 12 shooting from the floor. Randolph was 6 of 6 from the free throw line and is now 17 for 18 from the line in three games this season.
- Arizona committed just six turnovers Wednesday and has just 13 turnovers in its last two games combined. The 13 turnovers over a two-game stretch are the fewest since the third and fourth games of the season in 2016-17 versus Sacred Heart and Northern Colorado.
- UTEP's 22 turnovers were the most by an Arizona opponent since Arizona State turned it over 22 times on Jan. 4, 2015.
- Redshirt junior center Chase Jeter scored in double digits for the third straight game Wednesday. He scored 15 points on 7 of 9 shooting from the floor. He had five rebounds and two blocked shots.
- Arizona has scored 36 points off turnovers the past two games and allowed just seven such points.
Quotes:
"We are far from perfect, but I like our hustle. (The) evidence lies in the number of charges we attempted to take, some of which were called, and a number of shot blocks and hard plays on the ball. I think for us this year, this is the direction we have to go and we are going to have to be an excellent defensive team. So we're working really hard to get better in that area and I think that we have made some strides in the last couple of weeks." – Sean Miller
"He is doing what the defense gives him and he is really fun to play with. He's only a freshman and he's going to get better and I'm excited to see where he goes throughout the season." – Brandon Randolph on Brandon Williams
"I think we are gelling together really well, and we are practicing, getting along on and off the court, and we are playing really well together. It is our first time playing with each other and we will see how it goes as it gets later in the season." -- Brandon Randolph on playing with Brandon Williams
"I wanted to see us come into an obviously really good venue to play on the road; one where we knew we were going to be challenged by a very athletic team that had a lot of length. (I wanted us to) value taking care of the basketball, and try to execute on both ends of the floor. We wanted to get some meaningful stops, and try to execute what we're trying to do from an offensive standpoint as well." – UTEP coach Rodney Terry
