No. 9 Arizona keeps Utah from tasting lead, snaps two-game skid

Salt Lake City, UT, United States (4E Sports) – Mark Lyons scored 18 points as No. 9 Arizona Wildcats never allowed Utah to taste the lead in a 68-64 win.

Brandon Ashley added 10 for the Wildcats coming off the bench.

Arizona led by as many as 12 points in the first half with 1:43 remaining as the Wildcats hit five 3-pointers and limited Utah to 37 percent shooting. They opened the second half on an 8-3 run and went on to lead 41-28 with 17:43 left on a twisting layup by Lyons.

Utah responded with a 14-3 run to tie it at 51 with 7:28 remaining on Jason Washburn’s tip-in.

The Wildcats surged ahead 56-51 with a Solomon Hill layup and Lyons three-point play.

Utah pulled to 60-57 on two free throws by DuBois with 3:15 remaining. But freshman Jordan Loveridge, who was 1 of 9 from the field, turned it over and Kevin Parrom scored on a nice feed from Lyons for a 62-57 edge with 1:48 left.

Jarred DuBois had 16 points, as Washburn 15 and Jeremy Olsen added 12 each for the Utes (11-14, 3-10).

Coming off two losses before the Utah match, Arizona is expected to fall when the new rankings are released Monday.

The Wildcats are tied with UCLA for second place in the conference standings, a game behind No. 23 Oregon.

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