Arizona defeated TCU 86-73 on Saturday in one of the more physical games that the Wildcats have played all season.
“This is great and it’s exactly what we need,” Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd said. “We don’t have hubris, we understand these games are going to be hard. We don’t expect to come in here and have a 20-point lead build into a 40-point lead. That’s just not how it goes.
“We’re realistic optimists. We’re optimistic that things are going to work out, but realistic in knowing how tough it is going to be. We embrace the challenge and I wanted to make sure our guys understood that,. They have done a great job all season when they have been pushed and tested to respond.”
The game went as expected for Lloyd as TCU tried to make as much legal contact as possible to make Arizona uncomfortable.
“We knew how hard it was going to be,” Lloyd said. “I know how good of a coach Jamie is and he has been doing it a long time. I knew how physical the game was going to be. I understand what Big 12 games are. I thought our guys did a great job. I feel really good how the game went.
“When you do a deep dive on TCU, they had lost 4 games by a combined 14 points and they haven’t lost in regulation since November. This was a team that has a lot of fight in it, they’re well coached, they have a lot of pride as a program, and they are playing at home. When things looked like they were going well for us, we knew they were going to keep coming and credit to them they did.”
Physicality has never bothered Lloyd and although the refs were inconsistent, Arizona responded relatively well.
“We’re built for it,” Lloyd said. “Bring it on. If teams want to play physical with us, we will be physical back. Our guys probably have to figure out how to find a few more advantages with that physicality.
“We had great officials today. We’re not going to sit and beg for foul calls. That’s how it goes. On the road, that’s how it goes sometimes. The other team plays spirited and you maybe have a few calls you wish go your way, but they don’t. That’s called reality and you deal with it. You don’t whine and complain about it.”
Arizona struggled offensively at times as TCU tried to force the scoring into the guards’ hands rather than the front court.
“We made seven threes,” Lloyd said. “That’s not crazy, it’s pretty much an average night. Good percentage. We got some free-throws and finished some layups. I thought the times we bogged down a little bit we got the ball in the paint and didn’t deliver. We had a stretch there in the first half where maybe shot selection and decision making dipped a bit, but our guys were able to reel it back in.”