UC-Irvine is expected to be one of the best mid-major programs in college basketball this season, and for a half they showed just how good they could be by leading the #2 Arizona Wildcats 29-26 at intermission. However, the Wildcats unleashed a decidedly more effective defense in the second half and took a much more difficult than expected 71-54 victory at the McKale Center on the University of Arizona campus Wednesday night.

Trailing by three at the half and even into the early moments of the second frame, Arizona finally clamped down on defense and held the Anteaters scoreless over a six minutes span that resulted in a game-deciding 15-0 run.

"We can't play any harder or more together on defense," Arizona coach Sean Miller said. "As our offense grows and develops and it will continue to get better, we have to be dominant defensively and that's what won the game tonight."

The highlight of the night belonged to Arizona’s Rondae Hollis-Jefferson who rose up and flushed a left-handed dunk over the outstretched arm of Mamadou Ndiaye, UC-Irvine’s 7’6” center.

"I just knew I had him once I saw him turned slow," Hollis-Jefferson said of his posterizing slam. "I went up and jumped, and from there the rest was history.”

The ensuing explosion of the hometown crowd help Arizona finish out a second half that saw the Wildcats outscore their guests by 20 points.

Leading the way for the Wildcats was Hollis-Jefferson, who scored 19 points including 11 of 13 costless throws. T.J. McConnell added 12 while Brandon Ashley, who is back from a foot injury that held him out of the latter half of last season, scored 11. Stanley Johnson was the only other Wildcat that made it in double figure scoring with 10 of his own.

On the night, Arizona shot only 39% from the field, including a paltry 29% from behind the arc. The Wildcats’ 29 costless throws were the deciding factor. The Anteaters managed to make only 36% of their shots and attempted only 13 costless throws against the hometown team.

Travis Souza and Luke Nelson each scored 11 points in the losing effort. Ndiaye, the tallest player in college basketball this season, chipped in nine points and five rebounds. The big man project had just one blocked shot.

Arizona expected a tough outing against the Anteaters, now 2-1, and the early test will help prepare them for what is certain to be stout competition at next week’s Maui Classic. The 3-0 Wildcats will travel to the Islands to take on the Missouri Tigers on Monday.