(3) Arizona Wins Maui Invitational
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Christian Petersen/Getty Images(MAUI, Hawai’i) — The Arizona Wildcats used 18 points and nine rebounds from freshman Stanley Johnson to defeat San Diego State 61-59 and win the Maui Invitational on Wednesday. It was the 33rd straight non-conference win for the third-ranked Wildcats (6-0), and third win over the Aztecs (5-1) in the last two seasons.
“We have a lot of guys who don’t like losing here and I’m the same way,” said Johnson. His five offensive rebounds helped Arizona net 13 points off second chances.
Both teams came out shooting very strong, with 15th-rated San Diego State making 10 of 19 shots in the first half. The Wildcats were able to keep pace, going 10-for-33, and holding a 32-31 lead at halftime.
In the second half, both squads continued the high-octane pace but neither could gain a strong advantage. That changed as Arizona’s defense began to clamp down, and the offense kept exploding. With less than eight minutes remaining, Kaleb Tarczewski forced a steal that resulted in T.J. McConnell’s three-point shot, giving the Wildcats a 50-48 lead.
The Aztecs would not be able to recover as Arizona hit their free throws down the stretch and prevented a comeback. San Diego State was led by 14 points each from Trey Kell and Winston Shepard. It is the second Maui Invitational title for Arizona after also winning the in-season tournament in 2000.
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