Inside The Wildcats

Burries Shines in Blowout Win Over Alabama

The Wildcats came into Birmingham and thwarted Nate Oats' No. 12-ranked Crimson Tide.
Nathaniel Martinez|
Dec 13, 2025; Birmingham, AL, USA; Arizona guard Brayden Burries (5) shoots a three over Alabama guard Houston Mallette (95) at Legacy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News
Dec 13, 2025; Birmingham, AL, USA; Arizona guard Brayden Burries (5) shoots a three over Alabama guard Houston Mallette (95) at Legacy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News | Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Arizona Wildcats

Down by two points in the first half, the No. 1-ranked Arizona Wildcats basketball team utilized a huge scoring run in the second to surge past the No. 12-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide to remain undefeated.

Jaden Bradley made his homecoming after transferring from the program following the 2022 season. Arizona played Alabama the following season, but the game was held in Phoenix at the Footprint Center.

The Wildcats continued to show why many consider them to have the best recruiting class in the country, using their speed and precise shooting to pull away from the Crimson Tide eventually.

First Half

Arizona won the jump ball and immediately started picking the Alabama defense apart on the interior, jumping to an early 8-5 lead with a pair of layups made by Ivan Kharchenkov and Motiejus Krivas.

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Dec 13, 2025; Birmingham, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward Amari Allen (5) dribbles against Arizona Wildcats forward Ivan Kharchenkov (8) during the first half at Legacy Arena at BJCC. Mandatory Credit: David Leong-Imagn Images | David Leong-Imagn Images

The Crimson Tide refused to be bullied and tied it back up at eight apiece thanks to a 3-point shot by Latrell Wrightsell Jr. with 16:54 to go in the half.

Alabama briefly held the lead following the tying 3-point shot. Labaron Philon knocled down two free throws to make it a 10-8 game, Arizona went on an 8-0 run to put it back on top with a 16-10 lead. Brayden Burries tore through the Alabama defense, scoring five out of the eight points that were scored in that streak.

It was a back-and-forth game from there, as the Crimson Tide crept back into the lead by chipping away at the Arizona defense by making easy shots in the paint.

Up 22-21, Arizona lost the lead on a long 3-pointer by Labaron, putting Alabama up 24-22 with 10:49 left in the half.

The Wildcats found themselves in a 37-30 deficit with seven minutes remaining in the half and roared back to take the 39-37 lead. Koa Peat scored the tie-breaking jump shot to put the Wildcats up by two points.

By halftime, Arizona was down by just two points, 41-39. In classic Nate Oats fashion, Alabama found its shot at 3-point range, ending the half with a 41% shot. Arizona struggled to find theirs, going 33% from the field and 29% from beyond the 3-point line.

Bradley led the team in points at the half with 11 and Krivas led in rebounds with six. Burries was second on the team in points with eight

Second half

With a narrow 44-43 lead in the second half with 17 minutes left, Burries nailed a huge 3-point shot to put Arizona up by four points. That shot had Burries score in double digits for the fourth game in a row, indicating that he has grown comfortable with the elevated college basketball competition.

That 3-point shot was a part of a 14-2 run that put Arizona up 53-45 with 15 minutes to go in the game.

From there, the Wildcats began to run away with it, going on a 19-4 run to go up by a big 72-51. Alabama was never able to recover from that huge run, finding themselves in the hole 90-71 with 2 minutes remaining in the game.

The Wildcats took advantage of turnovers and rebounds, going across the court to turn both of those into points. Burries has clearly gotten used to the pace of Division I basketball, scoring 20 points in the second half to bring his total to 28 by the final buzzer.

Arizona also outrebounded Alabama 28-13 in the second half, which suggests it may have the best frontcourt in the country. Arizona eventually finished the game with a convincing 96-76 win in hostile territory.

Tell us your thoughts on Arizona's decisive victory over Alabama by commenting on our Facebook page. Also, be sure to follow @NateMartTSports on X for updates on all things Arizona Wildcats.

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Nathaniel Martinez
NATHANIEL MARTINEZ

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.