Dell’Orso, Awaka Lead Arizona to 78-63 Victory Over Colorado

TUCSON, Ariz. — Anthony Dell’Orso scored 20 points, including six 3-pointers, and Tobe Awaka grabbed 15 rebounds as the Arizona Wildcats defeated Colorado 78-63 on Saturday at McKale Center. The win marked Arizona’s ninth victory in its last 10 games, solidifying its strong start in Big 12 play.

Dell’Orso, a junior transfer from Campbell, was instrumental in breaking down Colorado’s zone defense, which the Buffaloes employed for the entire game. “It’s not new stuff to me,” Dell’Orso said. “They were sitting in a zone, and that probably plays more into my specialty a little bit, from the outside. My teammates found me in the right spots, and tonight I was able to knock them down.”

Awaka, meanwhile, dominated the boards, tying his career-high with 15 rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive end. “I thought Awaka was the difference in the game,” Colorado coach Tad Boyle said. “The way he rebounded the ball … we knew Arizona coming into this game is a really good offensive rebounding team. They got 13 tonight. That was a key for us to win the game. We didn’t do that.”

The Wildcats (13-6, 7-1 Big 12) struggled early, shooting just 38.2% from the field in the first half and making only 4 of 14 3-point attempts. However, they found their rhythm in the second half, shooting 56.3% and outrebounding Colorado 19-11. Dell’Orso scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half, including three 3-pointers during a crucial 20-9 run that gave Arizona a 65-51 lead with 6:07 remaining.

Colorado (9-10, 0-8 Big 12) remained winless in conference play despite a strong effort from Julian Hammond, who led the Buffaloes with 19 points. The Buffaloes have now lost 15 straight games to Arizona in Tucson, with their last victory at McKale Center coming in 1965.

“As crazy as it sounds, being 0-8, I’m proud of our guys for not losing the fight,” Boyle said. “Obviously, we’re not a zone team, but we felt like that was the one thing we could do, maybe to try to keep the crowd out of this. I know the crowd’s a big part of it, because when they get going, they thrive on that energy.”

Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd praised Dell’Orso’s performance, noting his ability to step up when needed. “I’ve told Delly all along, you’ve got to stay locked in and ready because there’s gonna be nights where we might need you to be our leading scorer,” Lloyd said. “He did tonight. He was great.”

The Wildcats will face a tougher test on Monday when they host third-ranked Iowa State. Colorado, meanwhile, will look to secure its first Big 12 win when it hosts Arizona State on Tuesday.