The difference in this game after one half of play was essentially the Washington Huskies just spotting the Arizona Wildcats a 16-6 lead early.
The Wildcats simply came out looking more focused and energetic right away and fed off the energy of their “White Out” on national television.
Meanwhile, the Huskies looked totally overwhelmed by the atmosphere.
So although Arizona’s three point shooting definitely made a difference, their energy in the paint might have been the most significant difference in this first half.
And here the Wildcats’ scrappy play hurt the Huskies the most was on the boards – Arizona relentlessly attacked the offensive boards without much resistance from UW and won the offensive rebounding battle 8 to 1. The Wildcats seemed to get the ball off the rim before the Huskies were even off the ground.
That, perhaps moreso than anything else, needs to change if the Huskies intend to win.