Akinjo, Arizona hold off UTEP for 69-61 win
TUSCON, Ariz. -- — James Akinjo scored 18 points and cold-shooting Arizona held on for a 69-61 win over UTEP on Saturday.
Akinjo made just 2 of 11 from the field but made all his 14 free-throw attempts. Bennedict Mathurin added 13 points and Jemarl Baker Jr. scored 11 for Arizona (5-0).
Baker scored seven points during a 17-6 run that gave Arizona the lead for good and made it 33-23 late in the first half. Azuolas Tubelis made a layup that gave the Wildcats an 8-point lead with 5:05 to play but they went 0 for 5 from the field thereon. Akinjo and Terrell Brown Jr. each went 2 for 2 from the free-throw line in the final minutes to seal it.
Souley Boom — who went into the game averaging 26.0 points (No. 6 nationally) — led UTEP (2-2) and 16 points and Bryson Williams scored 10. The duo combined to shoot 8 of 25 from the field while the rest of the Miners shot 48% (14 of 29).
Arizona shot 39.3% (22 of 56) from the field, including 0 for 9 from 3-point range. The Wildcats, who had made at least 12 3s in each of the last two games, had their streak of 410 consecutive games with at 3-pointer snapped.
UTEP was outrebounded 46-25 and was outscored 25-12 from the foul line despite shooting 80%. Arizona missed just three of its 28 free-throw attempts.
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2020-2021 Conference USA Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Kentucky | 9-2 | - | 16-5 |
| Old Dominion | 10-4 | 0.5 | 14-6 |
| Marshall | 7-5 | 2.5 | 13-6 |
| Florida Atlantic | 5-5 | 3.5 | 10-9 |
| Charlotte | 5-9 | 5.5 | 9-13 |
| Middle Tennessee | 3-11 | 7.5 | 5-15 |
| Florida International | 2-14 | 9.5 | 9-16 |
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVR |
| Louisiana Tech | 12-4 | - | 19-6 |
| North Texas | 9-3 | 1 | 13-7 |
| UAB | 11-5 | 1 | 19-6 |
| UTSA | 9-7 | 3 | 13-10 |
| UTEP | 8-8 | 4 | 12-10 |
| Rice | 6-10 | 6 | 12-12 |
| Southern Miss | 4-13 | 8.5 | 8-16 |
2020-2021 Pac-12 Conference Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA | 13-4 | - | 17-6 |
| Oregon | 11-4 | 1 | 16-5 |
| USC | 13-5 | 0.5 | 19-6 |
| Colorado | 13-6 | 1 | 19-7 |
| Arizona | 11-8 | 3 | 17-8 |
| Stanford | 10-9 | 4 | 14-11 |
| Oregon State | 9-9 | 4.5 | 13-11 |
| Arizona State | 7-8 | 5 | 10-11 |
| Utah | 7-10 | 6 | 10-11 |
| Washington State | 7-12 | 7 | 14-12 |
| Washington | 4-16 | 10.5 | 5-20 |
| California | 3-17 | 11.5 | 8-19 |