Wildcats Overcome 11pt Deficit in 2nd Half to Secure 89-79 Victory at Colorado

[WILD]

Wildcats Overcome 11-Point Deficit in Second Half to Secure 89-79 Victory at Colorado

In a thrilling comeback on the road, the No. 2 Arizona Wildcats clinched their first Big 12 regular-season title with an 89-79 victory over the Colorado Buffaloes on March 7, 2026, at the CU Events Center in Boulder. Trailing by as many as 11 points late in the first half and down 38-36 at the break, Arizona flipped the script in the second half, outscoring Colorado 53-41 to pull away for the win. The Wildcats' defense tightened up, holding the Buffs to just 1-of-10 from beyond the arc after halftime, while their offense exploded with efficient scoring inside. This marked Arizona's fourth comeback from a halftime deficit this season, showcasing their resilience as they finished the regular season with a school-record 29 wins.

Freshmen sensations Brayden Burries and Koa Peat powered Arizona's attack, combining for 56 points on impressive shooting. Burries dropped a career-high 31 points, including 22 in the second half, going 11-of-12 from the free-throw line while adding seven rebounds and five steals. Peat wasn't far behind with 25 points, 19 of which came in the first half to keep the Wildcats in striking distance. The bench provided solid support, with Tobe Awaka, Ivan Kharchenkov, and Motiejus Krivas each chipping in 10 points. Arizona dominated the paint 54-26 and shot 55.9% from the field overall, hitting a scorching 70.4% in the second half. For Colorado, freshman Isaiah Johnson led all scorers with 28 points, setting a school record for freshman scoring in a season, but the Buffs' 40.6% field-goal percentage and 7-of-22 from three weren't enough to hold off the rally.

Looking ahead, Arizona heads to the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City as the top seed with a double bye, skipping straight to the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 12, at 12 p.m. PT on ESPN or ESPN2. They'll face the winner of the matchup between Cincinnati or Utah and UCF—teams Arizona has already beaten handily this season, including a 26-point blowout over Cincinnati and a 19-point win against Utah. With their high-powered offense and battle-tested grit, the Wildcats are poised to make a deep run, aiming to build on their historic regular season and chase a conference tournament crown.

[mvpreed2]

I know I said it in the notes, but even though Colorado kept this close well into the 2nd half.
At no point did I believe Arizona was going to lose this game though.
With that being said, on this episode of "What Reed Sees: Colorado Edition"

Pros
It is clear that Lloyd is trying to get Peat going on the offensive end. Arizona is going to need him if they are going to make a deep run in the Big 12 and NCAA Tournaments coming up. (++)

After a 9-0 Arizona run, this game is now even with Arizona down 36-34. (++)

You can tell Lloyd told them to get two feet in the paint and attack the basket (++)

Lloyd's OOB plays are very good. I want to call them elite with how easily Arizona is able to score off of them. Either way, they call for easy buckets. (++)

Burries going downhill might be better than him being a shooter. That added weight and his confidence over the past 2-3 months has him playing like an All-Big 12 member and Freshman All-American. (++)

Cons
Kharchenkov with two super quick PFs? Sigh! (-)

It is shots like that where I wish that Krivas had a little more athleticism to play above the rim (-)

Colorado is playing like they are trying to get a win over the 2nd ranked program in the country. Arizona better start throwing their weight around to get control of this game before Colorado gets hot! (-)

Peat with 12pts is amazing! The rest of the team with only 2pts is NUTS! (—)

I am not supposed to say this, but nothing in me believes that Arizona is going to lose this game. Yes, they are down 26-18, but this Colorado team does not scare me as I watch this game. (—)

I enjoy seeing Krivas get post touches, but I do not like how his touches go up based on how aggressive Lloyd wants to be in the 2nd half at times. (-)

Comments
Salute to Boyle for his tenure at Colorado. From Big 12, to PAC-12, and back to Big 12. He has been at Colorado for quite some time!

I am a fan of this Johnson kid from Colorado. He is not going to be in Boulder long. He is going to hit the portal and get paid to play somewhere better than Colorado.

Conclusions
It took Arizona awhile to figure it out, but they did what they needed to do. They ended Big 12 play in a win streak headed into a double-bye in the Big 12 Tournament. Rest up and come into that quarterfinal game fully healthy!
#BearDown