By R.L. Bynum
Caleb Love sank four huge free throws in the win at Duke and has had other big moments, but hadn’t asserted himself offensively as an Arizona Wildcat until Friday night.
Love collected 20 points, three 3-pointers, six assists and only one turnover. He shot 8 of 12 from the floor and spearheaded a huge first-half run as the No. 3 Wildcats coasted to a 100–68 home win over Belmont.
“I was a little bit more aggressive coming into this game,” Love said. “The floor was opened up a little more because our offense is really fast, and it opens things up for all of us.”
Love got half of his points when Arizona (4–0) scored 18 consecutive first-half points — including a pair of 3-pointers and a reverse layup — and had 15 points with the Wildcats leading 56–35 at halftime. The run included eight points in 52 seconds.
“I was really proud of the effort he was playing with,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “I felt like he was really establishing a standard of effort for him that was higher than he had done previously. I told him if you stay true to that, your moments are going to come and they did tonight.”
In the second half, the 6–4 senior guard’s corner 3-pointer and dunk pushed Arizona’s lead to 73–44.
“When my shot is falling and things are going in rhythm, it’s just knowing the right shots to take and the right plays to make,” said Love, who dished out three of his assists after halftime, including an alley-oop to Keshad Johnson and a behind-the-back pass to Johnson, who dunked.
Love was one of five Wildcats to score in double figures, including Motieju Krivas, who had 20 points and nine rebounds. Krivas and Love were the first Wildcats to score at least 20 points in a game this season.
“We got a lot of weapons on this team, and so anybody can get to it any given night,” Love said.
Arizona (4–0) returns home Sunday to face UT Arlington at 6 p.m. ET (Pac-12 Networks).
Penn State (4–0) easily beat Morehead State at home 74–51 on Friday night, but D’Marco Dunn and Puff Johnson each had quiet games off the bench.
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In his second game of the season, Johnson had four points, a block and a steal in 16 minutes. Dunn, who has only started one of the Nittany Lions’ four games, had three points on 1 of 4 shooting in 14 minutes.
In Saturday games, Destiny Adams’ Rutgers team (2–2) hosts Saint Francis at noon, Dawson Garcia’s Minnesota team (2–1) hosts South Carolina-Upstate at 2 p.m., Dontrez Style’s Georgetown team (1–2) hosts Mount St. Mary’s at noon, and Kennedy Todd-Williams’ No. 23 Ole Miss team (2–1) faces Howard in the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas at noon.
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan guard
6–1, 180 pounds | Junior | UNC 2023–25 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting point guard ahead of sophomore L.J. Cason
Season statistics — 10 games, ,10 starts, 9.7 points, 45.4 FG%, 37.8 3P%, 58.8 FT%, 3.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2.4 turnovers
Team record: 10–0, 2–0 Big Ten; Rank: No. 2
Monday: No. 2 Michigan 101, (at) Maryland 83 — Started; 34 minutes, 12 points, 5–9 FG, 2–3 3FG, 1 rebound, 10 assists, 1 foul, 3 turnovers, 1 steal, +15
Next game — 4 p.m. Sunday vs. La Salle, Peacock
Trayanna Crisp, Mississippi State guard
5–8 | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 12 games, 12 starts, 8.1 points, 43.8 FG%, 43.5 3P%, 81.3 FT%, 2.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists
Team record: 11–1
Sunday: Mississippi State 87, Southern Miss 64 — Started; 33 minutes, 12 points, 5–10 FG, 2–5 3FG, 2–4 FT, 3 rebounds, 1 foul, 4 assists, 3 turnovers, 1 steal
Wednesday: Mississippi State 105, Alabama State 57 — Started; 22:43, 8 points, 3–6 FG, 2–4 3FG, 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, team-high +47
Next game — noon Saturday at La Salle, ESPN+
RyLee Grays, Tulsa forward
6–4 | Junior | UNC 2023–24 (1 season)
Roster situation — One of four forwards competing for time
Season statistics — 11 games, 2.6 points, 50.0 FG%, 1–2 3FG, 69.6 FT%, 2.5 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 steals
Team record: 7–4
Monday: Oklahoma State 90, Tulsa 58 — 18 minutes, career-high, team-high 14 points, 3–6 FG (FG total career-high), 1–2 3FG (first career 3-pointer), 7–8 FT (career-high for makes and attempts), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 fouls, 4 turnovers, 1 steal, -9
Thursday: Tulsa 67, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 43 — 14 minutes, 4 points, 1–1 FG, 2–2 FT, 2 rebounds, 3 fouls, 2 assists, 1 block
Next game — 2:45 Sunday at Florida
Ian Jackson, St. John’s guard
6–5, 195 pounds | Sophomore | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — In rotation as reserve
Season statistics — 10 games, 3 starts, 11.5 points, 46.6 FG%, 34.1 3P%, 85.7 FT%, 2.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Team record: 7–3, 1–0 Big East; Rank: No. 22
Tuesday: No. 22 St. John’s 79, DePaul 66 — Started; 14 minutes, 10 points, 4–7 FG, 2–3 3FG, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 fouls, 1 turnover, +2
Next game — 12:30 Saturday vs. Kentucky in CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta, CBS
Teonni Key, Kentucky forward
6–4 | RS senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 12 games, 12 starts, 11.0 points, 55.9 FG%, 1–10 3FG, 71.1 FT%, 5.8 rebounds, 1.6 blocks
Team record: 11–1; Rank: No. 12
Sunday: No. 12 Kentucky 77, Belmont 69 — Started, 18:38, 5 points, 2–4 FG, 0–1 3FG, 1–2 FT, 6 rebounds, 3 fouls, 1 turnover, 1 steal, 1 block, +8
Next game — 6:30 Friday vs. Wright State
Ven-Allen Lubin, N.C. State forward
6–9, 250 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 12 games, 12 starts, 13.0 points, 67.4 FG%, 3–6 3FG, 69.0 FT%, 7.2 rebounds
Team record: 8–4
Wednesday: N.C. State 108, Texas Southern 72 — Started; 16:30, 7 points, 3–4 FG, 1–3 FT, 4 rebounds, 3 fouls, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, +15
Next game — 1 p.m. Sunday vs. Ole Miss in Greensboro, ESPN
Plays UNC —7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, ESPN or ESPN2
Tyler Nickel, Vanderbilt wing
6–7, 220 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 11 games, 11 starts, 14.4 points, 49.5 FG%, 44.0 3P%, 83.3 FT%, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists
Team record: 11–0: Rank: No. 13
Wednesday: No. 13 Vanderbilt 77, (at) Memphis 70, OT — Started; 36:46, 8 points, 3–11 FG, 2–10 3FG, 4 rebounds, 3 fouls, 3 turnovers, 2 steals, +12
Next game — 1 p.m. Sunday at Wake Forest, The CW
Paulina Paris, SMU guard
5–9 | Senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting guard
Season statistics — 10 games, 4 starts, 7.2 points, 38.3 FG%, 17.6 3P%, 75.0 FT%, 2.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steal
Team record: 5–6, 0–1 ACC
Wednesday: SMU 57, Coppin State 49 — Started; 26 minutes, 11 points, 3–7 FG, 1–3 3FG, 4–4 FT, 3 rebounds, 4 fouls, 2 assists, 3 turnovers
Next game — 6 p.m. Friday at Sam Houston, ESPN+
Plays UNC —7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, at Carmichael Arena, ACCN
Will Shaver, Samford center
6–10, 265 pounds | RS junior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Roster situation — Reserve minutes
Season statistics — 11 games, 1.8 points, 44.4 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 2–4 FT, 1.9 rebounds, seven assists, 3 blocks, 2 steals
Team record: 6–6
Monday: Samford 106, Bryant 51 — 13 minutes, career-high 8 points, 3–6 FG (ties for most FGs in career), 2–4 3FG (first two 3-pointers of his career), 5 rebounds, 1 foul, 1 assist, 1 block
Next game — 1 p.m. Friday vs. Reinhardt, ESPN+
Cade Tyson, Minnesota wing
6–7, 180 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 11 games, 11 starts, 22.6 points, 52.2 FG%, 40.7 3P%, 81.7 FT%, 5.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists
Team record: 6–5, 1–1 Big Ten
Wednesday: Minnesota 89, Texas Southern 53 —Started; 37 minutes, 38 points, 11–19 FG, 8–12 3FG, 8–11 FT, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 foul, 2 turnovers, 4 steals, +37
Next game — 6 p.m. Sunday vs. Campbell, Big Ten Network
Jalen Washington, Vanderbilt center
6–9, 240 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–25 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Competing for starting minutes at center
Season statistics — 11 games, 1 start, 9.5 points, 60.0 FG%, 26.7 3P%, 77.3 FT%, 5.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks
Team record: 11–0: Rank: No. 13
Wednesday: No. 13 Vanderbilt 77, (at) Memphis 70, OT — Didn’t start; 25:30, 14 points, 2–4 FG, 10–14 FT, 6 rebounds, 3 fouls, drew 10 fouls, 1 turnover, 2 steals, +12
Next game — 1 p.m. Sunday at Wake Forest, The CW
Photo via @ArizonaMBB
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