Career-high performance by senior guard helps Arizona end road woes
EUGENE (OR) — Caleb Love scored a career-high 36 points as No. 9 Arizona ended a three-game road losing streak by beating Oregon 87-78 on Saturday in Matthew Knight Arena.
Love, a senior transfer from North Carolina, made 12 of 18 shots from the field, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range. He also hit 7 of 8 from the free throw line for the Wildcats (15-5, 6-3 Pac-12), who moved into a tie for the league lead with the Ducks (14-6, 6-3).
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Arizona never trailed and led by double digits for nearly the entire second half after Oregon thrilled the home crowd when Jermaine Couisnard hit a buzzer-beating heave from three-quarters court to pull within 45-38 at halftime.
Love’s previous scoring high was 34 when he was at North Carolina, set on Nov. 27, 2022, against Alabama. Arizona’s Kylan Boswell, who went scoreless in Thursday night’s loss at Oregon State, had 14 points. Keshad Johnson contributed 12 points, while Oumar Ballo had 10 points and nine rebounds.
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, who improved to 76-16 in his third season, has never lost back-to-back games with the Wildcats.
Couisnard scored 20 points to lead the Ducks. N’Faly Dante had 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
Arizona, which led by as many as 16 in the second half, was able to keep Oregon at bay by hitting 10 of 19 3-point attempts.
Oregon’s Keeshawn Barthelemy suffered an apparent lower leg injury when he landed awkwardly as he was fouled driving for a layup with 15:57 left. Oregon staff members carried him off the court and he did not return to the game. He scored seven points in 16 minutes.
The Wildcats, who ended a six-game losing streak at Oregon’s Matthew Knight Arena, led 17-5 early and took their biggest lead of the half at 45-31 with 1:09 left before the break when Love threw down a one-handed fast-break dunk for his 20th point of the game.
But Johnson drew a technical foul for making a gesture after the play, giving Oregon two free throw attempts, which it made. The Ducks scored five more points in the final minute of the half, including Couisnard’s shot from about 70 feet at the buzzer to make it 45-38.
–Field Level Media
