(BCSNN) -- No. 4 Arizona closed out a tense, back-and-forth battle with clutch execution in the final two minutes to defeat No. 3 UConn 71–67 on Wednesday night, snapping the Huskies’ 36-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents.
Freshman forward Koa Peat delivered a breakout performance, tipping in a miss at the 2:43 mark to tie the game at 62, then adding a free throw and a key defensive rebound down the stretch. Peat finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds — his first career double-double.
Motiejus Krivas gave the Wildcats the lead for good with 1:12 remaining, converting a second-chance hook shot after grabbing his 14th rebound, a career high. Krivas added nine points and anchored Arizona’s interior defense throughout the night.
Jaden Bradley sealed the win with a driving up-and-under layup off a UConn turnover with 16 seconds left, pushing the margin to three. Tobe Awaka iced the game at the line, hitting four free throws in the final six seconds to hold off a late three-pointer from Silas Demary Jr.
Arizona (5–0) becomes just the third team since 1995–96 to win three of its first five games away from home against Top 15 opponents, joining the 2001–02 Arizona squad and the 2021–22 Gonzaga Bulldogs.
The Wildcats dominated the paint, outscoring UConn 42–24 inside and collecting 16 second-chance points. Arizona shot 46.3% from the field and held a 43–23 edge on the glass, keying its fifth straight win to open the season.
Bradley led all scorers with 21 points and added seven assists, while Peat and Krivas combined for 26 rebounds. Ivan Kharchenkov chipped in eight points, including a key layup during Arizona’s second-half surge.
UConn (4–1) rallied from a 13-point deficit midway through the second half and briefly tied the game on Eric Reibe’s late three, but couldn’t overcome Arizona’s size and timely execution.
Arizona returns home to face the University of Denver on Monday, looking to extend its unbeaten start and build on one of the most impressive early-season résumés in college basketball.
