The Arizona Wildcats played their best game of the season on Thursday night and did so in front of a raucous atmosphere at Haas Pavilion. Despite being without Kevin Parrom and losing Jordin Mayes early in the second half to a foot injury, the UA battled back and went on to claim the 78-74 victory over the first place California Golden Bears. The win improved Arizona to 6-4 in conference play.
The game did not start well for the Wildcats and the team trailed 21-9 early. Shots weren't falling on their end and Cal seemingly could not miss. Fortunately, a big 22-6 run sparked by senior guard Kyle Fogg led the Wildcats to a lead midway through the half. Fogg ended with a season-high 23 points, while Jesse Perry came up with 18 and four rebounds.
Angelo Chol was the story of the game. While oozing with potential, the freshman big man was yet to have his coming out party at Arizona. He provided a huge boost off the bench when the team began to struggle in the second half and ended with eight points, four rebounds and two big blocks. If Chol plays at this level on a nightly basis, this team takes on an entirely new identity.
Despite the big win, the 'Cats did not come out of Berkeley unscathed. Backup point guard Jordin Mayes injured his foot and missed most of the second half. The sophomore guard, who had surgery on the same foot over the summer, sat on the bench icing his injury and will be x-rayed on Friday. Head coach Sean Miller did not confirm the foot was broken, but he believed it was definitely a possibility given his injury history.
The Wildcats will now have a quick turnaround before taking on the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m., with FSN Arizona having the live broadcast.