Colorado Buffaloes vs Arizona Wildcats Match Player Stats On Dec 28, 2020

James Akinjo scored 22 points, hit five 3-pointers and had eight assists as Arizona continued its home mastery of Colorado with an 88-74 victory on Monday night in Tucson, Ariz.

The Wildcats (7-1, 1-1 Pac-12) avoided their first 0-2 start in conference play since 2009 while spoiling the first league game of the season for Colorado (6-2, 0-1).

The Buffaloes are 0-9 at Arizona since joining the Pac-12 for the 2011-12 season.

Akinjo, who was 3 of 18 from beyond the arc in the previous four games, hit his first five 3-balls against Colorado, including a running 25-footer at the first-half buzzer to cap an 8-0 run for a 50-44 lead.

Akinjo finished 5 of 7 from 3-point range and won the point guard battle against Colorado's McKinley Wright IV, who was 4 of 12 from the field en route to 10 points, six below his average. Wright limped off in the final minute, favoring his right ankle.

Arizona placed four other players in double figures, including Jemarl Baker Jr. (14 points) and Terrell Brown Jr. (12), who added seven assists. Jordan Brown scored 10, as did sophomore center Christian Koloko for his career-high points total to go with eight rebounds.

Evan Battey was effective down low for the Buffaloes, finishing with 18 points, but only four came in the second half, when he battled foul trouble. Maddox Daniels put in 12 points for Colorado, which had zero fast-break points. Arizona had 18.

Although Colorado closed within 53-50 early in the second half with the help of a pair of 3-pointers by D'Shawn Schwartz, Arizona pulled away and maintained a double-digit lead for most of the final 13:25.

Each team had a scorching start, with the game tied at 25 midway through the first half and the teams continuing to counter punch from there before Arizona got in the last jab, scoring the final eight points in the last two minutes before the horn.

Akinjo made two 3-pointers in the first six minutes of the second half, and the Wildcats extended their six-point halftime lead to 63-52 with 13:25 left on Ira Lee's driving layup.

--Field Level Media