Under the leadership of Tommy Lloyd, Arizona has long been known for a remarkable pattern. It seemed that after every tough loss, there would follow a solid win. However, as we all know, nothing lasts forever. This was vividly demonstrated when No. 17 Arizona faced off against No. 12 Duke at McKale Center on Friday night. The Wildcats, who had been on a roll, found themselves on the losing side for the first time under Lloyd, losing consecutive games for the first time since the 2020-21 season when Sean Miller was the coach.

Offensive Struggles and Rebounding Woes

Arizona (2-2) struggled to get its potent offense into a rhythm. Shooting at just 39.6 percent from the field and 26.1 percent from 3-point range, the Wildcats faced numerous challenges. They went more than two minutes without a field goal on at least four occasions and were outrebounded by 13. This led to 19 points for Duke. Jaden Bradley led the UA with 18 points, while KJ Lewis added 12. Caleb Love had eight on 3-of-13 shooting, including 1 of 9 from 3. The physical play seemed to favor Duke early on, as they led 24-18 by scoring inside and out while Arizona settled for too many 3s and missed nine straight after Bradley's early pair. The Wildcats had a scoring drought of more than five minutes but then hit six of nine shots to get within 28-27 with 2:55 left on a Carter Bryant 3.

Halftime Setback

Duke led 34-27 at halftime, making their last four shots in the first half while keeping Arizona scoreless for the final 2:55. The 27 points were Arizona's fewest at halftime since having 26 against UCLA in a 58-52 home win in January 2023. This halftime deficit set the stage for a tough second half for the Wildcats.

Second Half Comeback Attempt

The Wildcats came out strong after halftime, scoring the first four points and having a chance to get closer. But then they faced another scoring drought, allowing Duke to go on an 8-0 run and lead 42-31 with 15:33 left. It took another minute before Bradley scored on a transition layup, but he had to leave briefly after grabbing the back of his right calf. A driving dunk by Flagg put Duke up 46-33 with 12:27 left, forcing Lloyd to call a timeout. Whatever he said seemed to spark something in Arizona's offensive approach, as they scored on four of the next six possessions to get within 50-43 on a KJ Lewis drive with 8:48. However, Lewis was called for a technical after the basket, and while Tyrese Proctor missed both foul shots, Flagg hit a 3 on the ensuing possession to restore the 10-point Duke lead. Bradley's scoop got the Wildcats within 54-48 only to see Duke's Kon Knueppel drain a pair of 3s to extend the margin back to 61-49 with 3:49 left. Arizona would make only one field goal over the final 5:39.

Refereeing and Game Flow

The refs were initially letting the teams play freely, with only one foul called before the under-16 media timeout. This came with 12:57 left in the first half when Duke led 13-12. The game's first free throw didn't come until 9:06 left before halftime, and Arizona didn't get to the line until 6:20 remained in the first half. This affected the flow of the game and gave Duke an advantage in certain situations.

Upcoming Road Trip

Arizona hits the road next week, playing three games in three days at the Battle4Atlantis in Nassau, Bahamas. The Wildcats open Wednesday against Davidson, looking to bounce back and continue their journey in the face of recent setbacks.