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Arizona-Humboldt State game blog: Cats win exhibition

It wasn’t easy early, and the offensive play is going to be too sloppy for coach Sean Miller’s liking, but Arizona comes up with a 60-51 exhibition victory over Humboldt State.

Jesse Perry has team-highs with 12 points and 14 rebounds.

Arizona finishes with 20 turnovers, 11 in the second half.

Check back for postgame reaction later at TucsonCitizen.com …

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Freshmen big men Angelo Chol and Sidiki Johnson have combined to shoot 2 of 10 from the free throw line. Yeah, we miss you, Derrick Williams.

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Here is a teaching moment for Sean Miller. Center Sidiki Johnson shoots a 3-pointer — an air-ball — and is immediately yanked from the game in favor of Angelo Chol with 5:15 to play.

Chol sparks the offense with back-to-back baskets for a 56-47 lead with 3:54 to go.

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I’m usually critical of the way Kyryl Natyazhko plays, but he has five points and 10 rebounds with 6 minutes to go. He hasn’t looked from his not-very-good 3-point shot, content to battle on the boards on both ends. If he can get Arizona about 15-20 solid minutes a game, that would be huge.

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Arizona is only 3 of 12 from the field in the second half but has extended its lead to 48-41 with 7:59 to play. The Cats getting to the free throw line quite a bit, although they are a mere 8 of 15 from the line in the half.

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Josiah Turner doesn’t appear to look for his jumper, but he has a killer left-handed bullet pass into the lane (we’ve seen that twice now) and he has had success tonight getting into the lane.

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Jesse Perry reached a double-double halfway through the second half, with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

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Arizona going with its three-guard lineup, this time using Josiah Turner, Nick Johnson and Kyle Fogg. This unit gets a rare fast-break opportunity, with Johnson finishing for a layup.

Arizona moving ahead now, up 44-39.

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Angelo Chol seeing more time at the center spot in the second half but it’s more out-of-sync offense for the Wildcats, who follow up a shot-clock violation with their 15th turnover of the game.

It’s only an exhibition but another loss wouldn’t be good for the team’s psyche.

It’s anybody’s game, Arizona leading 39-37 with 11:57 to play.

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Arizona’s turnovers are up to 12 with 15:46 to play. The big men have hit the boards, probably to coach Sean Miller’s satisfaction, but the guard scoring has non virtually non-existent against Humboldt State’s zone.

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Into the second half now, and Arizona has only three assists on 12 baskets. That’s a sign that many of their points are coming on second-chance baskets and not from the general flow of the offense.

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Arizona clawed back from a 12-point first-half deficit to lead 34-31 at halftime on Kyle Fogg’s 3-point shot with three seconds left. It’s kind of embarrassing that Arizona had to “claw back” against a Division II team — even when ranked 14th in the nation at that level.

Good news? Sean Miller wanted to see better rebounding from his big men — and he’s gotten it. Power forward Jesse Perry has seven rebounds at half. Backup center Sidiki Johnson has five, and Kyryl Natyazhko has four.

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Freshman Angelo Chol does get a turn at center, as coach Sean Miller suggested he would do. In this lineup, Solomon Hill slides up to power forward, with the Cats using three guards (Brendon Lavender at small forward).

Lavender knocks down the team’s first 3-pointer of the game, and Chol grabs a defensive board on the other end as Arizona is climbing back a bit. Humboldt State leads 28-23 with 3:27 to go in the half.

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Freshman point guard Josiah Turner has twice driven into the lane for points, but there hasn’t been any cohesive offense for Arizona, which is 5 of 14 from the field and 0-3 from 3-point range.

This will improve, but it’s a reminder of who much better Derrick Williams made his teammates.

Arizona down 23-13 with 7:39 to go in the half.

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There has been a Kyryl Natyazhko sighting. On back-to-back possessions, he tips in a missed shot and then dunks in a missed shot. That’s what he is there for — to clean up the messes on offense.

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This just in: Sidiki Johnson is really, really bad from the foul line.

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No offense for Arizona without the Derrick Williams security blanket. Of course, seven turnovers in the first six minutes doesn’t help.

Sean Miller has already called a timeout to try to stop Humboldt State’s momentum and to set his team on the right course. Not working so far. Arizona losing 14-4 with 11:29 to go in the half.

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How worried is coach Sean Miller. About six minutes into the game, he took off his jacket. Cats trail 12-4 with seven minutes gone.

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Humboldt State has a backup point guard, D.J. Broome, who is listed (generously by all accounts) at 5-foot-5. To me, he looks like a much shorter version of Daily Show correspondent Wyatt Cenac.

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Sean Miller has early reason to yell at this team. The Cats began the game with turnovers in their first three possessions and have five at the first media timeout with 15:58 to go in the half. Arizona trying to force too many passes inside. Humboldt leads 5-4.

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With 17:47 to go in the first half, center Kyryl Natyazhko picks up a defensive rebound. That’s one more defensive rebound than he had in the last game.

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And the starter at point guard tonight is … Josiah Turner. So much for the game notes listing Jordin Mayes as the probable starter. It will be the same starting five as in the first exhibition game.

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Senior C Alex Jacobson, who has been bothered (again) by lower back problems, isn’t dressed out tonight. He’s sitting on the bench in a sweatsuit. His return is uncertain.

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Arizona takes on its second Division II team in an exhibition at McKale Center, having lost Thursday to Seattle Pacific. Tonight’s opponent, Humboldt State, is said to be a better team and one with more athleticism.

The Lumberjacks are favored to win the California Collegiate Athletic Association, according to a poll of league coaches it was announced on Thursday. Humboldt State, which was 26-4 last season, is led by senior forward Randy Hunter, who averaged 14.4 points and 7.3 rebounds last season.

Arizona coach Sean Miller will be looking for improved defense and rebounding this time around. The Cats need more from the center position, and could try freshman Angelo Chol there if Kyryl Natyazhko and freshman Sidiki Johnson struggle again.

The other issue is the split of playing time at point guard. Freshman Josiah Turner started against Seattle Pacific; Jordin Mayes is listed as the probable starter tonight … we’ll see.

This will be the spot for our in-game updates and commentary. Keep checking back during the game …

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