After so many 7, 8 and 9 p.m. tip times, playing at 5:30 p.m. had to feel like 5:30 a.m. for the Arizona Wildcats. So forgive them if it took a while for the coffee to kick in.
After sleepwalking through most of the first half, third-ranked UA flipped the switch coming out of the locker room and cruised to an 83-69 win over Oregon State on Thursday night at McKale Center.
The Wildcats improved to 23-2 overall, tied for the best 25-game start in school history, and 13-1 in Pac-12 play. But they trailed the last-place Beavers (3-21, 1-13) on five occasions during the first 14 minutes of the game, allowing a season-high 42 points in the first half.