James Akinjo scores 20 points as Arizona Wildcats blast Cal, 71-50

The Wildcats' leader in points, assists and steals, Akinjo is an East Bay native who initially committed to UConn and played for Georgetown before transferring to Arizona in the middle of last season.

While Akinjo hit the 20-point mark for the fifth time this season, Jordan Brown had 12 points, two rebounds and a steal while tying his career high in blocks with three. Azuolas Tubelis added 12 points, Bennedict Mathurin had 10 and Christian Koloko had nine points and six rebounds.

As a team, the Wildcats shot 51.9% while outrebounding the Bears 33-23 and scoring 15 points off 16 Cal turnovers. Cal also shot just 38.3%, although guard Matt Bradley had 21 points on 7-for-10 shooting.

The win moved Arizona to 13-4 overall and 7-4 in Pac-12 play heading into a game Thursday at Utah, while Cal dropped to 7-12 and 2-10.

Up by 15 at halftime, the Wildcats kept having fun early in the second half. Leading 43-28 after Akinjo hit a jumper with 17:36 left, Koloko picked up the ball from Bradley and Akinjo took off with the ball, dishing behind the back to Azuolas Tubelis as he drove the lane and barreling over Bradley, who was not able to set a legal position in time. Tubelis finished with an uncontested dunk.

Then, after Cal guard Joel Brown was called for traveling, Mathurin took off for a fast-break dunk that quickly made it 45-28. Later, two free throws and another layup from Akinjo gave UA a 52-30 lead with 13:37 left.

Cal continued its shooting struggled midway through the second half, going 2 for 12 at one point while UA build leads of up to 24 points. By the time Akinjo hit his second 3-pointer with 7:36 to go, the Wildcats led 65-38 and coasted from there.

In the first half, Brown scored 11 points and Mathurin added another eight while Arizona took a 37-22 halftime lead.

Brown shot 5 of 7 inside for Arizona while Mathurin collected his points inside and out as the Wildcats stayed comfortably ahead of the struggling Bears.

Cal shot just 30.0% from the field and had nine turnovers that led to nine Arizona points. The Wildcats shot 53.6% from the field and outrebounded Cal 16-12.

The Bears stayed somewhat in the game because guard Matt Bradley scored 13 points on 4-for-6 shooting while making 3 of 4 3-pointers.

Arizona took early leads of 10-2 and 19-7 while Cal struggled to shoot or take care of the ball. The Bears didn’t score until Bradley hit a 14-foot baseline jumper with 14:32 to go and missed all their other six field goals through the first eight minutes, when Cal also had six turnovers that led to five UA points.

A layup and 3-pointer from Mathurin gave UA its biggest lead of the half, 32-17, with 2:01 left before Bradley hit a 3 to pull the Bears within 14.

Arizona had all its players on hand, though injured freshman forward Daniel Batcho has not been on the team bench. UA has been working Batcho back in practice from a preseason knee injury but he was expected to only have a limited role if he returned later this season.

Arizona took early leads of 10-2 and 19-7 while Cal struggled to shoot or take care of the ball. The Bears didn’t score until Bradley hit a 14-foot baseline jumper with 14:32 to go and missed all their other six field goals through the first eight minutes, when Cal also had six turnovers that led to five UA points.

A layup and 3-pointer from Mathurin gave UA its biggest lead of the half, 32-17, with 2:01 left before Bradley hit a 3 to pull the Bears within 14.

Arizona has all its players on hand, though injured freshman forward Daniel Batcho has not been on the team bench. UA has been working Batcho back in practice from a preseason knee injury but he was expected to only have a limited role if he returned later this season.