Alkins celebrated his first start of the season by scoring a career-high 26 points on 9-for-11 shooting to lead UA to an 89-73 win over New Mexico.
ALBUQUERQUE — A half-hour after his team successfully waded through a torrent of presses at a mile-high altitude, their ears ringing from fan noise that rivals McKale Center on its very best days, Sean Miller stood against a wall for a postgame interview.
His Arizona Wildcats had beaten New Mexico 89-73 at The Pit, so it was time to exhale at a place that tries to remind him he’s not supposed to.
Miller didn’t appear to notice the psychological trick and his players didn’t, either. They shot a season-best 64 percent against the Lobos and, perhaps more impressively, turned the ball over just 10 times against a team that typically forces double that amount.
They had no worries. Especially with Rawle Alkins.
The sophomore forward, who had a career-high 26 points in his first start of the season following a 10-week layoff for a broken foot, even looked puzzled at a question of if he felt a little tired.
“I didn’t feel anything,” Alkins said.
Instead, Alkins raced downcourt for layups when the Wildcats broke a press, or he made all three of his 3-point attempts, or he picked up fouls that gave him five chances to hit five free throws.
If Alkins had any rust in his first game a week earlier, with seven points on 2-for-6 shooting against Alabama, it was all gone now.
“My first game back was all about the win for me,” Alkins said. “The second game, I’ve been working hard on practicing and rehabbing and it’s starting to pay off.
Alkins said starting the game helped him play faster and stay warm, and he clearly appeared to be in a rhythm.
Naturally, Miller was glad to see it.
Not only did Alkins give the Wildcats his usual boost of confidence, athleticism and strength, but he also gave them a much-needed third option.
While Allonzo Trier and Deandre Ayton became one of the country’s top 1-2 punches in his absence, averaging 42.8 points combined through the UA’s first 10 games, Saturday’s game threw a different dynamic at the Lobos.
While they tried to tangle Ayton up inside — the freshman big man was “limited” to 14 points and 13 rebounds — and while they tried to keep Trier out of the lane, that helped Alkins get freer.
Alkins wound up making 9 of 11 shots, while Trier responded by going 6 of 9 from the field and working his way through the defense to pick up enough fouls to go 8 of 9 from the line.
In fact, it almost looked too easy for a while. The Wildcats took a 49-33 lead at halftime, after Alkins had 13 points in the first half.
But New Mexico cut UA’s lead all the way to seven points twice in the final 5:05, bringing Lobo fans to their feet and their vocal chords back to the sort of ear-splitting levels The Pit has long been known for.
Part of the problem for the Wildcats was that Dane Kuiper scored 13 of his team-high 24 points in the second half, finishing 6 of 8 from 3-point range.
In a game when UA held New Mexico to just 38.7 percent shooting and only 12 of 34 from 3-point range, it was a problem that stood out.
“We just broke down on assignments and let a guy get 6 3s,” Trier said.
Over the first 16 minutes of the second half, the Lobos also forced six UA turnovers through the first 16 minutes and had seven offensive rebounds for 13 second-chance points.
As a result, New Mexico cut UA’s lead to 74-66 with 5:33 left on a pair of free throws by Sam Logwood, and later crept within 78-71 on two free throws from Kuiper.
But Trier sliced through the Lobo defense for a layup and after Parker Jackson-Cartwright stole the ball from New Mexico’s Antino Jackson, Ayton raced downcourt for a dunk that gave the Wildcats an 82-71 lead with 2:53 left.
New Mexico coach Paul Weir may have had a feeling there was a limit on the Lobos’ comeback.
“I told them at halftime, you can’t spot potentially the No. 1 team a 16-point lead at halftime, and expect to come back,” he said.
In this case, Weir was right. The Lobos didn’t see single digits again in the final minutes and, gradually, the Lobo fans took their seats.
Then they left the building.
It’s a skill the Wildcats will need ahead. After two more non-conference home games, and a potentially wild Pac-12 opener against ASU at McKale on Dec. 30, the Wildcats will head to Utah and Colorado.
There, the Wildcats will find two of the Pac-12’s tougher road environments — and two places that also are at high altitude.
But now, all that won’t be anything they haven’t seen.
Update: The Arizona Wildcats (8-3) return home after surviving a trip to The Pit, beating New Mexico 89-73 on Saturday. UA has won five straight since the debacle in the Bahamas. ... Sophomore guard Rawle Alkins made his first start of the season against the Lobos and scored a career-high 26 points. ... Freshman star Deandre Ayton continued his run of four straight games with double-doubles by scoring 14 points and grabbing 13 rebounds against New Mexico. ... North Dakota State, of the Summit League, is coming off a 101-58 beatdown of Valley City State at home last Tuesday. The Bison have won two straight.