Tommy Lloyd Reacts to Arizona's Gritty Win Over ASU

See what Tommy Lloyd had to say about the Wildcats' latest win over the Sun Devils.

Jan 14, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd talks with the referee during the first half of the game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

A home crowd that never went quiet, a game that was physical all the way to the end, and a gritty win that saw both teams leave it all on the court-this was the making of No. 1 Arizona escaping McKale Center with an 89-82 victory over its long-time rivals, Arizona State.

With the latest win and the closest one since the Wildcats narrowly beat UConn 71-67 on November 19, Arizona is now one of two undefeated teams left in the NCAA following Michigan's loss to Wisconsin on Saturday, Iowa State's loss to Kansas on Tuesday, and Vanderbilt's loss to Texas.

In the Wildcats' narrow win over the Sun Devils, Koa Peat had his fourth double-double of the season and Tobe Awaka scored a career high 25 points, bullying the big men in the paint and even nailing shots from beyond the 3-point line.

Head coach Tommy Lloyd had plenty to say after Arizona's gritty win over its historical rival, but we narrowed it down to three of the most interesting statements he made. Take a look at those statements we have compiled.

Lloyd on what he learned about his team

"We're her for it. We don't have hubris. We don't expect these games to come easy. We obviously take all these games serious. I really appreciatethe battle tonight. I appreciate the competition. I probably would have been okay if we would have lost. I'm really happy we won, to keep things moving. I learned that our guys are here for it. And you put them in tough situations, they're notafraid to make plays and find a way in a really tough game."

On how impressed Lloyd is with Tobe Awaka

Jan 14, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Tobe Awaka (30) celebrates during the first half of the game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

"How much better he's gotten is really impressive. That's what you get when you have a high-character, intelligent, talented player. You give him a little bit of time and kind of let him start feeling the effects of the compound return on his investment, his development and we're starting to see that. So, it's great to have a lot of guys you can count on."

On Koa Peat's efforts

Koa understands what this game means more than other guys. Maybe he kind of had to adjust to it a little bit and I'm sure he really wanted to play well today. One of the things we talk about a lot in our program is the undisiplined want of more. Maybe early inthe game he was a little too aggressive and got sped up a little bit and in an effort to help our team, but maybe he was a little bit undisiplined with it. He really reeled that in in the second half and obviously, he had great numbers today and played a really big game, especially down the stretch."

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