The Arizona Wildcats opened their exhibition schedule with a commanding 93‑69 win over the San Francisco Dons on Tuesday night at the McKale Center in Tucson. The Wildcats built a double‑digit lead within the first five minutes and never looked back, demonstrating the depth and talent that helped them reach the Final Four a year ago.
Scoring spread and key performances
Motiejus Krivas led the way with 20 points, while senior forward Ivan Kharchenkov added 18. Freshman Caleb Holt made an impressive collegiate debut, contributing 17 points, and transfer Derek Dixon, in his first game as a Wildcat, chipped in 10. Ten different players found the basket for Arizona, reflecting the balanced attack that the coaching staff emphasized.
The Wildcats shot 53.2 percent from the field, including 6‑of‑18 from three‑point range and an efficient 21‑of‑28 from the free‑throw line. In contrast, San Francisco managed just 45 percent shooting and turned the ball over 19 times, yielding 25 points off the mistakes.
Game flow and decisive runs
Arizona entered halftime with a comfortable 52‑34 lead. The second half saw the Wildcats maintain control, never allowing the Dons to close the gap below 14 points. A decisive 15‑4 run, highlighted by a nine‑straight‑point stretch, pushed the lead to 82‑57 with just over five minutes remaining.
Lineup notes and player availability
The starting five mirrored the lineup used in Arizona’s final two games in Lithuania: Kharchenkov at power forward, Krivas at center, and a backcourt of Dixon, Holt and Bryce James. James opened the scoring with a corner three off a Kharchenkov drive.
Junior guard RJ Godfrey was unavailable as his eligibility status remains under review. In his absence, the frontcourt saw notable contributions from transfers Ugnius Jarusevicius (Nebraska) and Evan Otten (Idaho State), who rotated with Krivas in the first half.
An unconventional lineup emerged after the first media timeout, featuring Cameron Holmes, Washington transfer JJ Mandaquit, and Kharchenkov in the backcourt, with freshman Maksim Brnovic and Jarusevicius anchoring the frontcourt. Mandaquit led the bench with eight points in 18 minutes, while Holmes added six points, five rebounds and three assists.
San Francisco’s effort
The Dons fielded a youthful roster, listing 11 freshmen and starting three of them. Among the veterans were 23‑year‑old Danish wing Gustav Knudsen and 21‑year‑old Argentinian guard Dylan Bordon, who scored 22 points, including 18 in the first half.
Looking ahead
Arizona’s next exhibition matchup comes Friday against San Diego State, a team the Wildcats defeated 68‑45 in Phoenix last December. The Wildcats will look to fine‑tune their rotations and continue building momentum as they prepare for the upcoming season.
Original reporting: Arizona Desert Swarm (Tucson Sports) — read the source article.
