Obstacles: Allen returned from his sprained knee, but was ineffective and left the game after five minutes. Also, Trier was out, and UA made just 3 of 19 three-pointers.
What happened: The Wildcats found Markkanen more regularly for the first time, and the Finnish forward responded with 22 points on 7 for 12 field goals.
Final score: Arizona 95, Sacred Heart 65
Miller said it: “We have a big mismatch at times and (Markkanen has the) ability to shoot it. That’s not common. It’s up to us to find him. You just can’t play as if he’s a normal big guy out there. There were times he was open and the ball didn’t find him. Then all of a sudden, it did and he went on his own personal 8-0 run (within a 64-second span in the second half). Learning his value on offense and allowing other people to play off him, that’s our responsibility as a coaching staff.”
