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.

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Cat Tracks: Wildcats stave off Southern Miss to stay undefeated