TUCSON, Ariz. - Top-ranked Arizona's unblemished start to the season came to an end Monday night in an 82–78 loss to No. 9 Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse, as the Wildcats went cold down the stretch but still had chances in the final minute to tie the game. 

Arizona led 45-42 at halftime after a strong offensive start, shooting efficiently from the field and finding success in the paint. The Wildcats maintained control early in the second half and built a lead that reached double digits before Kansas mounted a comeback.

Brayden Burries led Arizona with 25 points, knocking down four three-pointers and providing consistent scoring throughout the game. Motiejus Krivas recorded his sixth double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds along with a team high six  blocks, giving Arizona a strong interior presence on both ends of the floor. Ivan Kharchenkov also added 13 points of his own. 

Arizona shot 40% from three-point range, and 44% overall from the floor for the game, but went just 8 of 14 at the free throw line while Kansas was 21 of 25. 

The Wildcats jumped out to their biggest lead of 11 points early in the second half, coming out of the locker room with energy. Kansas then rallied behind strong performances from Flory Bidunga and Melvin Council Jr., who each scored 23 points. The Jayhawks key defensive stops to secure the win in front of their home crowd.

Arizona held advantage in bench points 14-4 showing their depth in a challenging road environment. However, second-chance opportunities for Kansas shifted momentum in the closing minutes. 

The Wildcats will look to bounce-back on Saturday Feb. 14th at home against No. 16 Texas Tech at 4:30 MST. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN and will complete a full day of basketball in McKale Center with ESPN's College Gameday show originating from Tucson starting at 8:00 a.m. MST.