Caleb Love Stats Today: How did the Arizona star fare vs Oklahoma? (Nov 28) 

Senior guard Caleb Love delivered a solid all-around performance, but the No. 24 Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball couldn’t complete a comeback, falling 82-77 to the Oklahoma Sooners in the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinal on Thanksgiving.

Love led the Wildcats with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists, including 12 points in the second half. However, it took 18 shot attempts to reach his total, and his efforts weren’t enough to push Arizona past the Sooners.

Caleb Love was one of four Arizona players to score in double figures. His first half started slow, missing five shots before converting a layup assisted by KJ Lewis. He closed the half with a deep 3-pointer from the logo with 32 seconds remaining but committed a costly foul with four seconds left, allowing Jalon Moore to extend Oklahoma’s lead to six at the break.

In the second half, Arizona came out strong, making 8-of-15 shots and narrowing the gap to within one score with 10 minutes remaining. Love found his rhythm early in the half, hitting four of his first five attempts. However, as Love cooled off, Oklahoma heated up from beyond the arc, hitting timely 3s to maintain its lead.

Down 78-75 in the final minute, Arizona had three chances to tie or cut the lead. Caleb Love and Jaden Bradley missed 3-pointers while KJ Lewis had a shot blocked. Oklahoma sealed the game with a defensive rebound and two clutch free throws, giving them a four-point edge.

Arizona’s struggles continue

Arizona struggled with consistency throughout the game, starting 2-of-16 from the field and failing to regain the lead after Oklahoma’s early 7-0 run. Defensively, Arizona allowed Oklahoma to capitalize from beyond the arc, with the Sooners shooting 12-of-29 (41.4%) from 3-point range compared to Arizona’s 5-of-19 (26.3%).

Despite shooting 54.1% in the second half, Arizona’s inability to match Oklahoma’s efficiency from deep proved costly. Oklahoma’s eight second-half threes were pivotal, outpacing Arizona’s three successful long-range shots in the same span.

Arizona’s free throw shooting was a bright spot, as the Wildcats hit 12-of-13 attempts. They also limited Oklahoma to 39.3% shooting from the floor and 4-for-15 on 3s in the first half. However, the Wildcats couldn’t capitalize on these defensive efforts, finishing with their third loss in four games.

Arizona, now 3-3, will face West Virginia in the Battle 4 Atlantis third-place game on Friday at 1:00 p.m. MST on ESPN2. West Virginia, holding a 4-2 record, is coming off a 79-70 overtime loss to Louisville in the other semifinal. The all-Big 12 matchup offers Arizona a chance to rebound as it seeks to regain momentum early in the season.