Arizona Wrangles Oklahoma State in McKale
In this story:
The No. 1 ranked Arizona Wildcats made their return to McKale Center following a two gme road trup to Provo, UT and Tempe, AZ and shwoed why it is a nightmare for opposing teams to play at, decimating the Oklahoma State Cowboys by a 77-39 score.
The 2000-2001 men's team honored during halftime. It was the last time Arizona the Wildcats made it to the Final Four of the Men's College Basketball tournament. Arizona took down No. 4 Illinois and No. 3 Michigan State on the way to the championship, but fell short to No. 1 Duke that year.
The Wildcats already held a commanding 40-22 lead by halftime, but continued to put the pressure on the Cowboys in the second half. By the end of the game, Arizona dominated Ok State in rebounds 56-35, 44 of those coming on the defensive side.
Five Wildcats scored in doble digits by the final buzzer. Freshman Brayden Burries led led the team with 15 points while snagging eight rebounds Jaden Bradley was second with 13 points and had four rebounds. Koa Peat had 11 points and Anthony Dell'Orso tied him while coming off the bench. Motiejus Krivas had 10 points and was one rebound shy of having another double-double.
The always physical Tobe Awaka came off the bench and snagged 12 rebounds to go along with eight points scored.
First half
Both Arizona and Ok State struggled to score points in the beginning of the half. three minutes in and each team missed the first five attempted shots. the only points scored were a pair of free throws made by Krivas and one made by Anthony Roy. It was the Cowboys who made the first official shot.
Just over five minutes into the game, Arizona took a 10-6 lead over the Cowboys. Awaka, who came off the bench, scored the last four points of that run. The Wildcats took firm control with 11 minutes to go in the half, skyrocketing to a 19-9 lead following a scoring run that forced the Cowboys to take a timeout.
No one accounted for @BraydenBurries 🤷♂️
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) February 7, 2026
Timeout OSU! pic.twitter.com/cd4fdqGAie
Up 25-18 with seven minutes left to play in the first half, Arizona went on another scoring run to go up big on Ok State. An unanswered 10-0 run put the Wildcats up 35-18 before the Cowboys scored their next bucket. By the final buzzer of the first half, Arizona found itself up 40-22 going into its locker room.
Second half
Both the scoring onslaught and defensive suffocation continued well into the second half. By the first timeout, Arizona was up 47-25 with 16 minutes left in the game. A 6-0 run ensued, putting the Wildcats even further in the lead with a 55-25 score and 13 minutes remaining following the second timeout of the half.
JB WITH AUTHORITY 💥💥💥 pic.twitter.com/amL75AAapV
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) February 7, 2026
The Wildcats then jumped to a 61-28 lead with 10 minutes remaining following a turnover caused by Awaka, which was then dished to Dwayne Aristode and finished with a slam dunk. Arizona took advantage of another turnover, which was followed by a layup by Krivas, making it a 63-28 game.
Arizona then went up by 40 points following a huge made 3-point shot by Anthony Dell'Orso, all but solidifying a win for the Wildcats with just under six minutes to play. Eventually, Arizona ended the game with a huge 84-47 win, punctuating a successful return to its home court.
Tell us your thoughts on Arizona's one-sided victory by commenting on our Facebook page. Also, be sure to give @NateMartTSports a follow on X for updates on all things Arizona Wildcats.
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.