Inside The Wildcats

No. 4 Arizona Knocks Down No. 2 Houston Despite Being Shorthanded

The Wildcats were able to knock off the second-ranked team in the nation while missing both Koa Peat and Dwayne Aristode.
Nathaniel Martinez|
Feb 21, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Anthony Dell'orso (3) dribbles against Houston Cougars forward Chase McCarty (24) in the first half at Fertitta Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
Feb 21, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Anthony Dell'orso (3) dribbles against Houston Cougars forward Chase McCarty (24) in the first half at Fertitta Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

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Arizona Wildcats

Coming into the infamous Fertitta Center and leaving with a win has always been a tall task for a visiting team, but the No. 4 Arizona Wildcats were more than up to the task, beating the No. 2 Houston Cougars 73-66 to extend their winning streak to two games.

Prior to Arizona's (25-2) win, Houston (23-4) was 46-1 at home since joining the Big 12 in 2023. The Wildcats handed the Cougars their second loss on their home court despite missing key players Koa Peat and Dwayne Aristode.

It was the defense of the Wildcats that stood out, forcing 12 turnovers, scoring 16 points off those, stealing the ball 12 times and snagging 25 defensive rebounds out of the 37 total. In the last three games, the gameplan was clear: keep Arizona as far away from the basket as possible. This time around, the Wildcats imposed their will in the paint and scored 38 points in that area.

Senior Anthony Dell'Orso has shone in the last three games, scoring both a team and career high 22 points while going 8-for-14 from the field and also stealing the ball four times. Senior point guard Jaden Bradley was second on the team in points with 17 through 37 minutes played. Freshman Ivan Kharchenkov was third with 16 points and nine rebounds through 39 minutes on the court.

First half

It didn't take long at all for Arizona to find its stride on the offensive side of the court, as it quickly took a 9-2 lead over Houston a few minutes into the game. doing so by forcing its way into the paint and finishing its shots near the rim

Soon after, the Wildcats saw themselves up on the Cougars 18-11 with 11 minutes left to play in the first half. By the time, Arizona had forced Houston to turn the ball over four times and scored eight points off of them.

The scrappy Cougars then won on an 8-2 run to pull to a 22-19 deficit, but Kharchenkov's 3-point shot got Arizona back to a six-point lead. Bradley's layup following the media timeout put the Wildcats back up by eight points with a 27-19 score.

Dell'Orso scored the next five points. The layup that was fed to him by Bradley put Arizona up 29-20. His 3-point shot gave his team its first double-digit lead of the day at a 32-22 score with four minutes remaining in the half.

Houston went on a 5-0 run to make it a 34-29 game with just over a minute left, but that streak was stopped after Dell'Orso's layup fell through the basket, putting Arizona up 36-29 with 23 seconds left.

The Cougars scored the final basket of the half to make it a 36-31 game heading into the locker room. The Wildcats' defense was stellar in the first half, forcing seven turnovers, scoring 10 points off them and nothing five steals.

Second half

Arizona scored the first basket of the second half to make it a 38-31 game, but Houston came storming back, going on a 13-4 run to take the lead with a 44-42 score with 14 minutes left in the game.

Both Houston and Arizona exchanged baskets from that point on. Down 50-48, Dell'Orso's huge 3-point shot gave the Wildcats the lead back with a 51-50 score and 10 minutes remaining. Burries' two free throws on the next possession made it a 53-50 game.

It was a physical two minutes where neither team would score and played exceptional defense. Dell'Orso's free throw broke the scoreless streak and Burries' layup put Arizona up 56-50 with just under seven minutes. Krivas' slam dunk put the Wildcats even further in the lead and made it a 10-0 run before a timeout was called by the Cougars.

After Bradley's layup fell through, Houston went on a 7-1 run to shorten the Wildcats lead to a 61-57 score with two and a half minutes to go. Bradley then scored the next six points for Arizona to make it a 67-59 game

It was a competitive final two minutes, but the Wildcats were able to knock down their free throws and stay disciplined enough on defense to come away with the 73-66 win on the road.

Tell us your thoughts on Arizona's win 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.