TUCSON, Ariz. — Brayden Burries scored 22 points, Koa Peat added 17 and top-ranked Arizona remained undefeated with an 88-53 dismantling of West Virginia on Saturday.
The Wildcats (20-0, 7-0 Big 12) were unanimous No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the first time in program history to start the week and concluded it with two blowouts.
Coming off a 73-51 win over Cincinnati on Wednesday, Arizona dominated the Mountaineers (13-7, 4-3) while building a 20-point halftime lead and didn’t let up for the program’s best start since opening 21-0 in 2013-14.
The Wildcats are one of three remaining undefeated teams, with No. 7 Nebraska and No. 25 Miami (Ohio).
Chance Moore led the Mountaineers with 12 points.
West Virginia beat Arizona State, 75-63, on Wednesday for its first road victory, but it didn’t put up much of a fight against the nation’s No. 1 team.
Arizona had a seven-point lead in the game’s first 3 1/2 minutes and pushed it 11 despite hitting one field goal in 10 attempts over a nearly five-minute stretch.
The Wildcats had no defensive letdowns during the first half, holding West Virginia to 29% shooting, including 3 of 15 from 3.
Burries hit a pair of early 3-pointers to get the Wildcats going and had 13 points by halftime. West Virginia closed the first half with a sloppy turnover, and Dwayne Aristode converted it to a layup at the buzzer that put Arizona up 43-23.
Burries hit an early 3-pointer in the second half and scored on a during an opening 10-4 run that pushed the Wildcats’ lead to 26.
West Virginia hosts Kansas State on Tuesday.
