Inside The Wildcats

Burries Leads The Way In Arizona's Win Over West Virginia

The Wildcats are one win shy of tying the 2013 team's record for the best start in program history.
Nathaniel Martinez|
Jan 24, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) makes a three-point basket over West Virginia Mountaineers forward Dj Thomas (5) during the first half of the game at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images
Jan 24, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) makes a three-point basket over West Virginia Mountaineers forward Dj Thomas (5) during the first half of the game at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

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Arizona Wildcats

After defeating Cincinnati 77-51 on Wednesday night, Arizona turned back around to dominate West Virginia, winning by an 88-53 score on Saturday to move up to a 20-0 record. Arizona is now one of just three teams to remain undefeated, joining Nebraska and Miami (Ohio).

The Wildcats outrebounded West Virginia (13-7) 43-30 and scored 36 points in the paint, but momentum began to swing towards Arizona due to its ability to shoot from 3-point range, something it had struggled to do all season.

Against Cincinnati, Arizona went 3-for-13 from long range, which was a less than impressive 23%. This Saturday, the Wildcats went 10-for-23 (43%), a far cry from the 31% they averaged in Big 12 play.

Freshman Brayden Burries led Arizona in scoring with 22 points, going 7-for-12 from the field and 4-for-8 from beyond the 3-point line. Koa Peat was second in points with 17 and went 7-for-9 from the field.

Both Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka were imposing when crashing the glass, combining for 26 rebounds. Krivas had his fifth double-double of the season, scoring 11 points to go along with his 12 rebounds.

First half

The Wildcats jumped out to a 10-2 start three minutes into the first half. Burries shot and sank two huge 3-point shots to help Arizona get to that lead. Against Cincinnati, Arizona struggled from beyond the 3-point line, making just 3-of-13. By the first media timeout, the Wildcats held a commanding 11-4 lead.

The Wildcats' lead only continued to grow with 11 minute left in the first half. Arizona's 20-8 score was fueled by Burries' 10 points and the ability to knockout long range shots. by the second media timeout, Arizona already matched its total in the previous game.

With four minute remaining in the first half, the Wildcats took a 32-16 lead over the Mountaineers. Burries buried his third 3-point shot of the game to get to that total. Overall, Arizona made five long range shots in the half.

Arizona then took its biggest lead of the half at 40-21 with two minutes left. Bradley's nifty reverse layup followed by a huge layup and 3-point shot from Peat helped the Wildcats get to that lead and forced West Virginia to take a timeout and regroup.

Dwayne Ariztode's buzzer beating layup with a second remaining pushed Arizona to a 43-23 lead before both teams went into the locker room. The electric Burries led in points with 13. The air tight defense also caused six turnovers in the half.

Second half

The Wildcats picked up where they left off in the beginning of the second half, being relentless on offense and aggressive on defense. With 16 minutes left, Bradley's layup before a media timeout pushed Arizona to a 53-27 lead.

With 12 minutes left to play, Arizona's lead grew to 28 points following Peat's 3-point shot. With that made bucket, the Wildcats were dominating the Mountaineers with a 60-32 lead and showed no signs of slowing down.

Krivas showed his skills at shooting the ball from long range as well. His shot from beyong the 3-point line gave Arizona a 63-37 lead with 10 minutes left in the game. After a timeout, Kharchenkov connected with Krivas on an alley oop to give Arizona a 65-41 lead. Krivas then fed Awaka on the next possession to boost that lead t0 67-41.

Peat displayed why he is considered one of the top freshmen in the NCAA by scoring six of the last eight points for Arizona. An alley-oop tha was fed by Bradlely made it 72-46. His driving layup on the next possession made it 74-48. Before a West Virginia timeout, his second chance layup made it 78-48 with three minutes remaining.

Anthony Dell'Orso went on a scoring streak of his own, knocking down the last three consecutive shots to bring Arizona's lead to an 85-48 with two minutes left. By the final buzzer, the Wildcats won 88-53 to get to a 20-0 record, just one win shy of tying the 2013-2014 team for the best start in program history.

Arizona will have a chance to tie that record when it plays BYU this Monday at 7 p.m. (MST).

Tell us tour thoughts on Arizona's latest win by commenting on our Facebook page. Also, be sure to give @NateMartTSports a follow 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.

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