Jemarl Baker Jr. scored a career-high 33 points, including 21 in the first half, to lead Arizona to a 96-53 victory over Northern Arizona on Monday night in Tucson, Ariz.

Baker, a junior who is in his second season with the Wildcats (3-0) after transferring from Kentucky, shot 12 of 16 from the floor and made 7 of 9 3-point attempts to go along with three rebounds and three steals.

Baker Jr. made his first nine shots overall, including a 6-for-6 output from 3-point range over that span.

Arizona overwhelmed Northern Arizona (0-1) both in transition and half-court sets with crisp passing as the Wildcats totaled 21 assists. Arizona shot a sharp 78.3 percent (18 of 23) in the first half and 66.7 percent overall, including a 13-of-22 success rate from 3-point range.

Northern Arizona, coming off a 16-14 season in which it went 10-10 in the Big Sky Conference before losing to Idaho State in its postseason tournament, finally got its season started. The matchup with the Wildcats had been postponed from Nov. 25 due to COVID-19 issues in the Lumberjacks program.

Northern Arizona was also scheduled to face No. 1 Gonzaga last Saturday, but that game was cancelled.

Luke Avdalovic led the Lumberjacks with 16 points, and Cameron Shelton finished with 15 points and a team-best five rebounds. Shelton was the team's leading scorer last season.

Northern Arizona struggled to find the mark, shooting 30.5 percent (18 of 59) as the Wildcats blocked 10 shots.

The Wildcats held a 15-0 lead after the first four-plus minutes keyed on the defensive end by Baker and Dalen Terry, who finished with five points, six assists and three blocks.

Arizona's Jordan Brown, a 6-foot-11 forward, recorded his second double-double in three games, helping the Wildcats dominate in the paint with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Arizona outrebounded the Lumberjacks 41-24.

Bennedict Mathurin totaled 11 points, five rebounds and four assists off Arizona's bench. Ira Lee, who had been dealing with a concussion, returned to Arizona's lineup and finished with six points, three rebounds and two blocks.

--Field Level Media