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Koa Peat's Debut Sparks Arizona's 93-87 Upset Over No. 3 Florida in Vegas Thriller
In a thrilling season-opening showdown at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas as part of the Hall of Fame Series, the No. 13 Arizona Wildcats pulled off a stunning 93-87 upset victory over the No. 3 Florida Gators on November 3, 2025. The game, which featured relentless back-and-forth action, saw Arizona seize control late in the first half with a dominant 32-16 run, shooting an impressive 11-of-18 from the field while clamping down Florida's offense to a frigid 5-of-16 clip. By halftime, the Wildcats held a 50-46 edge, having connected on 50% of their shots overall. Jaden Bradley emerged as the hero for Arizona, erupting for 27 points—including 11 of the team's final 18—to seal the win, while Ivan Kharchenkov battled through a late first-half injury to add 12 crucial points. This marked Arizona's first victory in a highly anticipated matchup that highlighted both teams' explosive potential early in the 2025-26 season.
Florida, despite the loss, showcased their vaunted frontcourt depth with Thomas Haugh leading the charge at 27 points, complemented by Xaivian Lee's 14 and double-digit efforts from Alex Condon and Micah Handlogten with 11 each apiece. The Gators' returning stars like Haugh, Condon, and Rueben Chinyelu affirmed their status as one of college basketball's most formidable interior units, but defensive lapses allowed Arizona to capitalize on transition opportunities. "We showed heart tonight, but give Arizona credit—they executed down the stretch," Gators head coach Todd Golden said postgame, reflecting on the narrow defeat. For the Wildcats, the win sets up a quick turnaround against Utah Tech on Friday, while Florida hosts North Florida on Thursday, both eager to build momentum in what promises to be a grueling non-conference slate.
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https://x.com/jgtrends/status/1985539200406675582?t=DTFh-YYF63D_GgWSyR46Ag&s=19
https://x.com/ArizonaMBB/status/1985552392449077321?t=Pw6WukXXs7xLbqPO4GpZGA&s=19
Peat.Is.A.BEAST !
Awaka had 1 more point, 3 less rebounds than Krivas. Got in foul trouble quickly.
Quote from: WILD on November 03, 2025, 10:15:27 PMhttps://x.com/ArizonaMBB/status/1985552392449077321?t=Pw6WukXXs7xLbqPO4GpZGA&s=19
That's a group of kids that want to win...and enjoy being around each other. We'll inevitably lose some games (for multiple reasons) but pending a healthy frontcourt, Arizona can go far in March.
If this team goes far in March it will be because we have multiple guys that can create for themselves and score, without needing to get up 15+ shots. Krivas's value is basically standing in the paint and deterring the other team from trying to drive and score. I hope he can continue to get comfortable and play better but at this point he looks the same as last year. Awaka needed a few games last year to get comfortable and I think it will be the same this year. Thank god he plays in the big 12 or he might foul out of every game. Koa caught Florida off guard, other teams will collapse on him in the paint and force him to make the pass, I think he's good enough to handle that. Burries won't foul out again, if he played decent last night we win by 15.
Completely agree. Burries will bring a lot of value, especially when we play an opponent that leaves him open along the perimeter.
Krivas had a handful of balls rim "in and out". He had good looks and seems to be better at timing his block attempts in the paint.
Florida's "massive frontcourt" was supposed to be the difference in their victory. Despite not putting up stellar numbers, Awaka and Krivas completely negated the efforts of the Gator bigs.
I will try to keep my points very short, but hear me out.
1. Salute to Lloyd for not waiting to long to start the better prospect. He did that last season with Bryant when we ALL knew he needed to start. He put Kharchenkov in immediately. Thank you!
2. I appreciate the bigger lineup of Burries/Dell'Orso/Kharchenkov in the backcourt. This team is long and versatile on the perimeter and as much of a DOG as Bradley is, I do believe there needs to be times when Bradley sits and Burries is at PG.
3. The defensive rotation has to get better or this team will lose LOTS of games. You cannot continue to rely on Krivas to be the rim-protector when most of your prospects are getting beat off the dribble and/or rotation. You better hope that uptempo offense can travel if you don't.
4. Peat is a MONSTER, but I hope Lloyd is telling Burries to let the game come to him. You could tell he was pressing once he came back in the game after the 2PF. Take your time young grasshopper. You are going to shine and get plenty of minutes to do so. Let the game come to you.
All in all, I am happy Arizona won on the biggest stage on national TV with the world watching.
I really do hope things gets tweaked and adjusted during the season because as a former player/coach, I saw a lot of opportunities I would exploit on film that would give Arizona FITS on defense.
#BearDown
Let's say it like it was: Gators got bullied by a freshman!
They were spanked on the glass, fouled out their two bigs, and ripped the jersey from another. In this game Arizona had the best backcourt - and the best frontcourt.
Still smiling from the great win! ;D
Vegas, the media and the fans primarily think that Florida has the better team on paper.
Arizona's win is proof that we won, strictly on coaching, effort and a red hot freshman.
I'd love to see consistent wins in this fashion, although I won't hold unrealistic expectations for this young team until Spring.