Bradley's Huge Second Half Propels Arizona to a Narrow Victory Over UCF
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The last three games for Arizona have been nothing short of a challenge for the No. 1-ranked team in the country and one of three teams to remain undefeated. This most recent game against the UCF Knights has only proved that as the season goes along, the games will only become more challenging for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats (18-0) managed to escape Orlando with an 84-77 victory, the third time Arizona has won a game by a single digit after beating its opponents by at least 19 points for 10 consecutive games.
Koa Peat, fresh off his fourth double-double performance and first 20-and-10 game with Arizona, got into foul trouble and only played four minutes in the first half and failed to score a point. Senior guard Jaden Bradley continued to prove why he should be regarded as one of the best guards in the country, scoring 21 points in the second half on the way to a 23-point total, four rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
Freshman Brayden Burries was second on the team in scoring with 18 points. Motiejus Krivas had his fourth double-double of the season, ending with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Arizona was nearly matched by UCF in rebounds, narrowly besting the Knights 37-36. UCF was more than up to the task of challenging the Wildcats in the paint as well. Arizona outscored them 36-28 near the rim.
18-0. pic.twitter.com/AiBnJkj0e9
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) January 17, 2026
Arizona committed fewer turnovers than the Knights, but it was UCF who took advantage of those opportunities more, scoring 16 points compared to the Wildcats' 10. UCF also shot the ball 15 more times than Arizona, but still made one less basket.
First half
It was a battle between Arizona and UCF that saw both teams tied at 9 apiece six minutes into the first half, but the Wildcats eventually came out on top with a 20-11 lead midway through.
Ivan Kharchenkov's dish to Tobe Awaka for the authoritative slam was what started the scoring run for the Wildcats. With nine minutes left in the half, Arizona took a 26-11 lead with Krivas' team-high 11 points.
After the Wildcats took the largest lead of the half, the Knights came storming back to a 29-20 deficit with six minutes left to play before the media timeout. Arizona's lead dwindled to 35-31 until Kharchenkov's layup pushed the Wildcats back to a six-point lead with three minutes left in the half.
UCF, led by Themus Fulks' 15 points, was able to get the Wildcats' lead down to two points due to Fulks' jumper, but Awaka silenced the emphatic crowd by propelling Arizona back to a four-point lead with a layup to make it 40-35, including the extra free throw.
The Wildcats' struggles with guarding Fulks continued as he knocked down a big 3-point shot to pull UCF back to within two points with a 40-38 score. Arizona went into the locker room clinging to a 41-38 lead, spearheaded by Krivas' 15 points and Burries' 11.
Second half
Peat was back in the starting lineup after being held scoreless and playing just four minutes in the first half due to foul trouble. Arizona found its way to a 47-40 lead at the start of the second half. Bradley's layup off the transition accounted for one of the field goals scored during that run.
TOUGH finish JB. pic.twitter.com/RZMUmQkmgq
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) January 17, 2026
Still, the Knights refused to lie down and scrapped their way to a 49-45 deficit with 15 minutes left to play. The Wildcats' struggles guarding Fulks continued in the second half, as his foul-drawing layup cut the Wildcats' lead to 51-49 following the made free throw shot with 13 minutes left to play.
Arizona then went on a 6-0 run to push back to a 57-59 lead with 11 minutes remaining. Bradley, the star senior guard, scored the last four consecutive points during that run. Dwayne Aristode and Bradley brought Arizona's scoring run up to 10-0 following their made shots, making it 61-49 before UCF was able to stop the bleeding with a 3-point shot by Jamichael Stillwell. That shot made it 61-52 with nine minutes left in the game.
Feathery touch. pic.twitter.com/TPSJsUcUyk
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) January 17, 2026
Bradley's jumper to make it 65-52 with seven minutes left accounted for the last eight points out of 12 made by the Wildcats. Stillwell's two 3-point shots helped UCF get back to a single-digit deficit at 69-61 with five minutes left. At that point in the game, the Knights were 7-for-21 from beyond 3-point while Arizona was 2-for-12.
Arizona found itself up by eight points until a made shot by Burries from deep elevated it to 74-63 with just under four minutes left to play. The Wildcats clung onto a 79-73 lead with 38 seconds left in the game until Bradley knocked down his last five of six free throws to end the game with an 84-77 victory, preserving the Wildcats' undefeated season.
The Wildcats will be back in action this Wednesday, Jan. 21, at 7 p.m. when they take on the Cincinnati Bearcats at McKale Center.
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Nathaniel Martinez and a set of shoulder pads at 7 years old. He later graduated from Pima Community College in 2023, where he began writing for the Pima Post. He is working to achieve a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication and Media Studies.