ARIZONA BASKETBALL

Cat Tracks: Wildcats stave off Southern Miss to stay undefeated

Dec 5, 2012, 5:05 AM | Updated: 5:26 am

Sure, you could read the box score and know who won, but we all know that won’t tell you everything that happened in a football game. So, we give you ‘Cat Tracks’, providing you with the analysis, quotes and notes from Arizona’s December 4 win over Southern Miss. Final score: Arizona 63, Southern Miss 55.

The Good:

The No. 8 Wildcats improved to 6-0 and are off to their best start since the 1999-2000 season, overcoming a sloppy first half.

Nick Johnson led the offensive charge for the Wildcats with 23 points in Tuesday night’s win over Southern Miss.

Kevin Parrom added 14 points, 13 of which came in the crucial second half.

The Wildcats’ defense stepped up huge after the half, forcing 17 Southern Miss turnovers.

The Bad:

Sean Miller’s squad had trouble with Southern Mississippi’s pressure zone defense, especially in the first half.

Arizona turned the ball over a season-high and uncharacteristic 27 times, despite holding on for the win.

Noted:

• Southern Miss and Arizona combined for a staggering 50 turnovers.

• The ‘Cats were ranked fifth in the nation shooting at 52.3 percent and sixth in scoring at 85.2 points per game entering Tuesday night’s contest.

Coming Up Next:

The Wildcats will look to stay undefeated when they travel to Clemson on Saturday. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 6:00 p.m. local time.

Arizona Basketball

Keshad Johnson #16 and Pelle Larsson #3 of the Arizona Wildcats speak at a press conference before ...

Damon Allred

Grind of final Pac-12 season prepared Arizona basketball for March

No. 2 Arizona men's basketball will look to make it past the Sweet 16 for the first time in Tommy Lloyd's tenure.

22 hours ago

Caitlin Clark celebrates...

Associated Press

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is inspiring a younger generation of players

Caitlin Clark's deep range has expanded the scope of possibilities for up-and-coming women's basketball players.

23 hours ago

Chase Hunter #1 and PJ Hall #24 of the Clemson Tigers high five during the first half against the B...

Vincent DeAngelis

Clemson basketball looks to continue ‘underdog’ run against Arizona in Sweet 16

No. 6 seed Clemson takes on Arizona on Thursday after upsetting No. 3 seed Baylor in the 2024 NCAA Tournament round of 32

1 day ago

(L-R) Caleb Love #2, Keshad Johnson #16, Oumar Ballo #11, and Jaden Bradley #0 of the Arizona Wildc...

Vincent DeAngelis

Re-ranking Arizona basketball among Sweet 16 teams in the NCAA Tournament

Multiple publications rank the Arizona Wildcats around the middle of the pack among the Sweet 16 team still in the NCAA Tournament.

3 days ago

Darian DeVries...

Associated Press

West Virginia basketball hires Darian DeVries to be new coach after 6 years at Drake

West Virginia tapped Drake coach Darian DeVries on Sunday to move the Mountaineers past one of the ugliest years in school history.

4 days ago

Tommy Lloyd...

Arizona Sports

How to watch: Arizona vs. Clemson in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

What time and how to watch the No. 2 seed Arizona Wildcats take on No. 6 Clemson Tigers in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

4 days ago

Cat Tracks: Wildcats stave off Southern Miss to stay undefeated