TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- Brandon Randolph scored six of his 21 points in overtime and Arizona escaped with an 84-81 victory over Utah on Saturday to give the Wildcats a 2-0 start in Pac-12 play.
Sedrick Barefield scored 26, including 5 of 9 3-pointers, for Utah (7-7, 1-1) but fouled out with 1:44 to play in regulation. Donnie Tillman added 21 for the Utes, who were 11 of 21 from 3-point range.
Chase Jeter had 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Wildcats (11-4, 2-0). Dylan Smith and Brandon Williams added 11 points apiece.
Both teams muffed chances in the final minute of regulation. With the game tied at 72-72, Tillman forced a shot in traffic, then Justin Coleman missed badly on a floater for Arizona. Utah turned it over when Tim Allen couldn't handle Tillman's pass and Coleman missed a long 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Arizona carved a 78-74 lead in overtime but Parker Van Dyke sank a 3 with his first shot to cut it to 78-77. Williams' two free throws made it 80-77 but Tillman's three-point play put Utah ahead 81-80 with 1:12 left. Randolph's driving layup put Arizona ahead for good 82-81. But after a jump ball gave Arizona possession Williams missed two free throws with 33.5 seconds left. But Van Dyke missed a 3, Arizona rebounded and Randolph sank two from the foul line with 1.6 seconds left for the final margin.
Utah fell to 1-13 against Arizona since joining the Pac-12. The Utes have never won in Tucson since joining the conference.
The game was tight throughout.
Barefield and Both Gach each sank 3s in a 10-0 run that put Utah up 20-10. Arizona scored the next nine, though, capped by Dylan Smith's 3-pointer, and nobody led by more than six points after that.
A pair of inside baskets by Jeter had Arizona up 36-33 with 1:29 to play but Barefield's fourth 3 - in as many tries - made it a 36-36 game at the half.
Barefield made 7 of 9 shots in the first half, 4 of 5 3s, for 19 points.
The Wildcats took a six-point lead twice midway through the second half and were up 60-55 after Randolph split two defenders on a driving layup with 9:53 to play but Tillman sank consecutive 3s and Barefield made one in a 9-0 run that put Utah ahead 64-60 with 8:05 to play.
Utah stretched the lead to 68-62 on Tillman's two free throws with 5:32 to play. Jeter's tip-in, followed by his dunk, cut it to 68-66 with 4:26 left, Coleman made one of two free throws to make it 68-67 with 3:37 to go.
Barefield stole the ball from Coleman, leading to Jayce Johnson's dunk and the Utes were up 70-67 with 2:53 left. Arizona made five of six free throws from there to force the extra session.
Notes:
- Saturday's win over Utah was Arizona's 600th victory at McKale Center. The Wildcats are 600-106 all-time at their home arena, which opened in 1973.
- Arizona improved to 13-1 against Utah under coach Sean Miller and 7-0 against the Utes at home.
- The Wildcats are now 91-4 at home since the start of the 2013-14 season, which is the beste mark in the nation.
- Redshirt junior center Chase Jeter tied his career high with 21 points and set a new career-high in rebounds with 13. It marked his fourth double-double of the season. It's the first time an Arizona player has had at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in a game since Deandre Ayton had 28 points and 18 rebounds at Oregon last season. Jeter also had a career-high four assists in the win.
- The overtime win over Utah was Arizona's first overtime win of the season and first since beating UCLA 78-67 on March 9, 2018. It was Arizona's first home overtime win over Utah since outlasting the Utes 101-95 in triple overtime on Feb. 23, 1973.
- Sophomore Brandon Randolph scored 21 points and has scored in double figures in all 15 games this season. It was the fourth time this season Randolph has scored 20 or more points. Randolph is shooting 55-61 (.902) from the free throw line this season, which leads the Pac-12.
- Randolph (40 minutes) and Jeter (39 minutes) both set career highs in minutes played Saturday. Randolph's previous high was 35. Jeter's was 34.
- Junior Dylan Smith tied his season high with 29 minutes played and scored in double figures for the fifth time this season, all off the bench. Smith was a perfect 4 of 4 from the field. Smith also had a season-high three assists.
Quotes:
"I really think from the opening tip throughout the game it was certainly a great college basketball game. Somebody had to win, and somebody had to lose. I know how Utah feels: probably as if they had a lost opportunity. One of the keys to us winning was Sedrick Barefield fouling out. I thought we did a really good job of attacking him when he had three and four fouls. It's one thing to try to do, but it's another thing to accomplish. Fouling him out really changed the game down the stretch, and playing without him in overtime is a different task versus playing with him." – Sean Miller.
"Different players really stepped up and its certainly one of the best victories we've had here in McKale during my time just because of how hard the game is and how easily it could have gone towards Utah. I think Utah will be a load in the month of January and February." – Miller.
"Those are the type of games that we all sign up for when we come to Arizona, so to be able to have that toughness and the will and fight from everybody. To close that game out in overtime was big for us, so I think that's the best thing that any player could ask for, on this squad especially." – Chase Jeter.
