No. 9 Arizona struggles to shake off Stanford

[February 09, 2017]  TUCSON, Ariz. -- Arizona was looking to bounce back from a lopsided loss to Oregon, playing a Stanford team it beat earlier this season by 39 points.

Instead, the ninth-ranked Wildcats nearly lost again.

Arizona couldn't shake Stanford, needing clutch free-throw shooting and a big night from guard Allonzo Trier to secure a 74-67 victory Wednesday night.

The Wildcats (22-3, 11-1 Pac-12) had double-digit leads in each half, but Stanford (12-12, 4-8) twice tied the game down the stretch, including at 67 on guard Marcus Allen's drive with 1:56 to go. Arizona forward Lauri Markkanen -- who was just 2 of 7 from behind the arc overall -- responded with a 3-pointer on the following possession.

"When we got the game tied, that was a big momentum swing for us," Stanford forward Reid Travis said. "We thought we could carry that energy and keep going. Unfortunately, they were able to get some points and stop our momentum."

The Cardinal came up empty on its next two possessions, and Trier's two free throws with 23 seconds left helped seal the victory. The Wildcats made 25 of 29 free-throw attempts, including their final 19. Trier went 12 of 12 from the line en route to scoring a season-high 22 points.

"Stanford had their chances," Arizona coach Sean Miller said. "Free throws sometimes are underrated. It really was our free-throw shooting that made up for some other things we didn't do as well."

Stanford -- which lost 91-52 at home to Arizona on Jan. 1. -- nearly pulled off the upset thanks to Travis, who bullied the Wildcats down low for 26 points and 11 rebounds. The Cardinal had a 42-16 edge on points in the paint.

"Reid Travis is a terrific player," Miller said. "I knew before the game that Stanford had improved a lot. I don't know if anybody in our conference is doing a better job coaching his team than Jarod (Haase) is. As a first-year head coach, his system continues to improve. He has an experienced team. They are on the up-tick."

Trier, in his sixth game following a 19-game NCAA suspension to start the season, made his first start Thursday night, although he had been averaging 28 minutes as a reserve. He made 4 of 8 shots from the field and grabbed seven rebounds.

Guard Rawle Alkins added 12 points for Arizona, and backup center Chance Comanche scored 11. Comanche was 7 of 8 from the line.

Arizona was coming off a 27-point loss at Oregon on Saturday, although Trier said there was no hangover.

"We left Oregon in Oregon," he said.

Stanford was coming off an 81-75 home win over Utah that ended a three-game skid.

Arizona Wildcats guard Allonzo Trier (35) drives to the basket as Stanford Cardinal forward Reid Travis (22) defends during the second half at McKale Center. Arizona won 74-67. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

"We turned a big corner," Travis said. "I think the Utah win was big for us. We have had spurts where we play good for five minutes, 10 minutes. Even here, we showed we can play with anyone in the country if we're executing, if we're playing hard.

"Although the loss hurts, it is something that is going to fuel us going into the next couple of games."

Allen scored 15 points, and his one-handed dunk down the lane brought the Cardinal within 55-51 with 8:11 to go. Stanford closed the gap to 57-55 about a minute later on guard Robert Cartwright's steal and layup, causing Miller to call timeout.

Arizona was often frustrated by Stanford's 2-3 zone, taking almost half of its shot attempts from behind the arc. The Wildcats attempted 23 3-point shots and 24 2-point attempts.

They missed their first five shots as Stanford took an early seven-point lead, but Trier brought the home team back with 10 points in the first nine minutes. His two free throws put Arizona up 15-13 with 11:28 to go in the first half.

Arizona led 35-32 at the break.

NOTES: Arizona has won 19 consecutive games at home and 68 of its past 69. ... The Wildcats won their 15th consecutive meeting with Stanford, the longest streak in the league between conference members. ... Arizona F Lauri Markkanen was named to the John. R. Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 list, announced Wednesday. ... Stanford F Reid Travis has eight 20-point games this season. ... Stanford, which is 1-5 on the road in Pac-12 action, plays at Arizona State on Saturday. ... Arizona will host Cal on Saturday.

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