TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Keshad Johnson scored a career-high 17 points and No. 3 Arizona used a 17-0 run spanning halftime to pull away for a 97-59 win over Southern on Monday night.
The Wildcats (3-0) trailed by five midway through the first half before outscoring the Tigers 60-18 over the next 20 minutes.
“I think we played a really good team,” Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd said. “We’re kind of learning our way, just like everybody else. I tip my hat to Southern for the effort and energy they played with.”
Johnson, a senior transfer from San Diego State, was 6 of 8 from the field and 5 of 6 from the line. He scored 14 points in each of Arizona’s previous two games, including a 78-73 win Friday at then-No. 2 Duke in which he converted the go-ahead three-point play with under a minute remaining.
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Motiejus Krivas and KJ Lewis had 12 points each and were among six Wildcats to score in double figures. Arizona has gotten 10 or more points from at least five players in each game this season.
“I always like to be balanced,” said Lloyd. The Wildcats have had 19 players in double figures through three games.
Arizona led 35-23 at halftime, holding Southern without a field goal the final 11:13 of the first half. After scoring the final seven points of the first half the Wildcats opened the second on a 10-0 run to build a 22-point advantage with 18:23 remaining.
Southern ended a five-minute scoring drought with five straight points from Tai’Reon Joseph to get within 45-28, but Arizona followed with a 16-2 run.
Joseph led the Tigers (1-2) with 22 points on 8-of-20 shooting, while the rest of his team was 12 of 41.
Southern built a 17-12 lead with 11:13 left in the first half on a 3-pointer by Brandon Davis, taking advantage of seven early Arizona turnovers. However, the Tigers missed their next 15 shots.
“I thought we fought for about 16 minutes,” Southern coach Kevin Johnson said. “But when those guys are so big and so good, it makes just a routine play difficult. I looked up and we had like nine guys in foul trouble. It makes it difficult.”
Southern: The Tigers were originally set to host this game as part of the Pac-12/SWAC Legacy Series that began last season, but Arizona requested the game be moved to Tucson in order to fulfill its allotment of games at McKale Center. The teams are scheduled to play in Baton Rouge on a future date.
Arizona: Coach Tommy Lloyd improved to 64-11, the second-most wins in 75 games to start a Division I career behind former Wisconsin coach Doc Meanwell (71-4). Lloyd already has the most wins in a coach’s first two seasons (61) and needs 26 more to pass Brad Underwood (89) for the most in his first three seasons.
Southern: At Western Illinois on Friday.
Arizona: Hosts Belmont on Friday.
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