Inside The Wildcats

No. 2 Arizona Avenges Previous Loss to No. 14 Kansas by Dominating at Home

The Wildcats continue to roll with their latest win over the Jayhawks.
Nathaniel Martinez|
Feb 28, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) celebrates during the first half of the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images
Feb 28, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) celebrates during the first half of the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

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Arizona Wildcats

The No. 2 Arizona Wildcats made their return to McKale Center at ALKEME Arena and made a statement with their dominating 84-61 win over the No. 14 Kansas Jayhawks.

This latest win was a sweet one, as the Wildcats got revenge over the Jayhawks who beat them earlier in the season in the Phog Allen Fieldhouse by a score of 82-78 on February 9.

Arizona was back to full health for the first time in a while, as Koa Peat and Dwayne Aristode made their returns back to the roster. While Aristode was used sparingly, Peat played most of the game and scored 12 points to go along with seven rebounds and five assists through 23 minutes.

Freshman Brayden Burries led all scorers with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists, his third double-double of the season. Motiejus Krivas also snagged a double-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks.

Ivan Kharchenkov finished the day with 11 points and six rebounds and Jaden Bradley ended with 10 points.

First half

After the Wildcats went on a 5-2 deficit early in the first half, they then went on an 8-0 run to take a 10-5 lead, forcing the Jayhawks to take a timeout three and a half minutes in. That 8-0 run quickly turned into a 14-0 scoring streak that saw Peat scoring for out of six points.

Burries then went on a scoring streak of his own to push Arizona to a 21-5 lead with 13 minutes left to play. The electric guard scored the last five points before Kansas was forced to take its second timeout of the half.

The Wildcats dominated the Jayhawks by cleaning up the glass on defense and scoring in the paint. The Jayhawks began chipping away at the Arizona lead, but couldn't get enough momentum going to get back to within single digits.

Up 31-19, the Wildcats scored six consecutive points to take a commanding 37-19 lead with three minutes left in the half. Eventually, Arizona went into its locker room with a 39-28 lead.

Second half

Kansas went on a 5-1 run at the beginning of the second half to cut Arizona's lead to 40-33, and it was a back-and-forth game from there. Dell'Orso's 3-point shot was enough to bring the Wildcats back to a double-digit lead at 45-35 with 15 minutes remaining.

The Jayhawks then went on a 12-2 run, shortening Arizona's lead to a 49-47 score with 13 minutes left. Kharchenkov's 3-pointer got the Wildcats back on track. That shot was a part of the Wildcats going on a 16-0 run, boosting the Wildcats lead to a dominating 64-47 score before Kansas was able to make another basket.

Burries, who has made his presence known all game, responded and knocked down his long-range shot to make it a 68-49 game with six minutes left. The Wildcats finally took a 20-point lead late in the second half after Krivas' layup went in, making it 76-56 with four minutes remaining.

By the final buzzer, the Wildcats dominated the Jayhawks and left the court with an 84-61 win, splitting the series with Kansas.

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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.