If there’s anything the Arizona Wildcats have excelled at under Tommy Lloyd, it’s righting their wrongs in games subsequent to a loss.
Since hiring Lloyd, Arizona is 7-0 in games after defeats — the latest example coming Thursday night, when the UA defeated USC 81-65 at McKale Center. The Wildcats’ average margin of victory after losses under Lloyd is 17.9 points.
Arizona center Oumar Ballo tries to drag down an offensive rebound in the middle of the USC defense in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023.
Numbers game
0 — USC is 0-15 on the road against ranked opponents under Andy Enfield. The Trojans haven’t beaten a ranked opponent on the road since 2010. Zero also represents lead changes in the game. Arizona led USC for 38:29.
4 — Arizona forward Cedric Henderson Jr. started his fourth game of the season Thursday, replacing wing Pelle Larsson. Henderson started the first three games of the season when guard Courtney Ramey was serving a three-game suspension. When Ramey returned during Arizona’s Maui Invitational championship run, Henderson returned to the bench and has served as the Wildcats’ sixth man. Henderson then replaced the defending Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year in Larsson, who recorded 15 points, three rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes off the bench. Four other Wildcats also finished in double figures: Ramey (16 points), Azuolas Tubelis (15), Oumar Ballo (12) and Henderson (11).
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17 — Tubelis set a career high with 17 rebounds against USC. Tubelis has recorded a double-double in four of the last five games. Tubelis’ 17 rebounds are the most by a Wildcat since Zeke Nnaji against Gonzaga in 2019.
26 — USC’s 26 points at halftime are the second-fewest Arizona has allowed in a first half this season.
37 — With the spring semester at the UA recently starting up, the ZonaZoo returned in full force Thursday. It was the first game with students back since Dec. 13 — 37 days ago — against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Every student sitting in the lower bowl received either a red or blue “Make Some Noise” t-shirt and a glow stick.
76 — No. 6 Gonzaga, the team that employed Lloyd for 22 seasons as an assistant coach, lost to Loyola Marymount 68-67 in Spokane on Thursday, snapping the Bulldogs’ 76-game home win streak.
Indiana Pacers’ Bennedict Mathurin dribbles during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022, in Indianapolis.
Benn Mathurin makes NBA history
Bennedict Mathurin’s impressive rookie season has put him at a historic milestone: the most points per game off the bench by any player in a minimum 30 games.
In 46 games this season, Mathurin is averaging 17.1 points per contest, more than Michael Jordan (16.7 with the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards) and Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (16.5), per StatMuse.
In a 126-106 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Mathurin often guarded Thunder guard and former Arizona State Sun Devil Luguentz Dort, who is also a Montreal, Canada, native.
“It was an honor for me … just to have two Haitian-Canadians playing against each other in the NBA,” Mathurin said. “It was a great thing.”
This weekend, Mathurin is playing his first NBA game in Arizona since he was drafted by the Pacers when Indiana faces the Suns at Footprint Center on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Former Arizona guard Reggie Geary points to a backdrop while talking with other attendees before the premiere of “Lute,” a documentary about former Arizona coach Lute Olson, at Centennial Hall.
He said it
“It was huge. I was playing against guys at schools that I saw in summer leagues and played against during league play in high school. USC didn’t recruit me. (USC head coach) George Raveling said he didn’t want to go into Orange County to get kids.
“UCLA recruited me, and I took an official visit and thought maybe I’d be a Bruin, but that wasn’t what I really wanted. … More often than not, we were victorious. … Every time we played them, it’s a big-time atmosphere and a big-time game, you want to do well.” — Former Wildcat and Los Angeles-area native Reggie Geary on facing the Trojans and Bruins (via ESPN Tucson)
Photos: No. 11 Arizona takes care of USC at McKale Center
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) tries to get a lay-up in the first half against USC in their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona forward Azuolas Tubelis (10) goes for the put-back among a crowd in the second half against USC at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona guard Kerr Kriisa (25) exults from the bench after USC missed two free throws earned on one of his fouls in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona guard Cedric Henderson Jr. (45) ties up USC guard Boogie Ellis (5) on a rebound in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd has a few words for guard Kerr Kriisa (25) after he come out of the game in the second half against USC at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson, left, draws the foul from USC guard Drew Peterson in the second half of their Pac-12 game at McKale Center on Jan. 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona center Oumar Ballo (11) lets out a yell after drawing the foul on his dunk against USC forward VIncent Iwuchukwu (3) in their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson gestures to the crowd after his 3-pointer dropped against USC in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center on Jan. 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona center Oumar Ballo, left, gets embraced by USC forward Joshua Morgan on his move under the bucket in the second half of their Pac-12 game at McKale Center on Jan. 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona center Oumar Ballo (11) finishes off an alley-oop against USC in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
USC guard Tre White (22) and Arizona guard Courtney Ramey (0) watch his three pointer hit late in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) gets hemmed in trying to drive into the paint against USC in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd talks to one of the game officials after a technical foul on his team in the second half against USC at McKale Center on Jan. 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona center Oumar Ballo (11), left, and forward Azuolas Tubelis (10) clamp down on USC guard Reese Dixon-Waters (2) stopping him in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
USC guard Boogie Ellis (5) swoops in to intercept a pass to Arizona center Oumar Ballo (11) in the lane during the first half at McKale Center on Jan. 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3), left, and guard Adama Bal (2) go up against USC's defense in the fight for a rebound in their Pac 12 game at McKale Center on Jan. 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona forward Azuolas Tubelis (10) goes up in the crowd for a put-back in a crowded USC lane in their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona guard Pelle Larsson (3) looks to the Wildcat bench after slicing to the bucket and scoring against USC during the second half at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
It was lighted glasses and fake facial hair in the Zona Zoo student section just before Arizona tips off against USC at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona guard Kerr Kriisa (25) drives the lane against USC in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona guard Cedric Henderson Jr. (45) signals his three pointer as he retreats up court to defend against USC in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona forward Azuolas Tubelis (10) takes an elbow to the head from USC forward Harrison Hornery (30) looking for a shot in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona center Oumar Ballo (11) hangs on the rim after slamming home a bucket and picking up foul for a three-point play against USC in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona guard Cedric Henderson Jr. (45) gets ahold of USC guard Drew Peterson (13) trying for the steal in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona guard Courtney Ramey (0) goes airborne from a collision with USC guard Boogie Ellis (5) in the race for a loose ball in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona center Oumar Ballo tries to drag down an offensive rebound in the middle of the USC defense in the first half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023.
University of Arizona vs USC
Arizona guard Adama Bal (2) gets his shooting eye dialed in as the Wildcats get ready to go up against USC game at McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz., January 19, 2023.
McKale Center was built at the University of Arizona in the early 1970s. There have been updates through the years.
Contact sports producer Justin Spears at jspears@tucson.com. On Twitter: @JustinESports
Justin Spears
Sports Reporter
