That all changed with the game on the line. The emotion that the Wildcats displayed down the stretch seemed to be missing much of the first half. Just got to give credit to my teammates and coaching staff. “And he told us we’ve got to hang in there. Koloko, who has been with Arizona his entire collegiate career and remained despite the 2021 postseason ban, knows a thing or two about fighting through adversity. Junior center Christian Koloko played almost 40 minutes and delivered the game-clinching dunk off Bennedict Mathurin’s missed 3-point shot in the final seconds of overtime. “And for a bunch of young guys that have never been to an NCAA Tournament – with a first-year head coach – for them to hang in there in a game like that, this says a lot about them. “These games are hard and the pressure is immense,” Lloyd said.
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With the ups and downs the program has gone through as a backdrop, Sunday night’s game was a crash course from the Wildcats on how to fight through tough times. “And I’m so thankful that they get to experience this. “I don’t know if I deserve this, but those players deserve it,” said Lloyd, a former Gonzaga assistant who’s in his first year at UArizona. With the blare of Wildcats fans honking their horns in the background, Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said the fans and his players earned the right to celebrate.Īfter all, Arizona had not even played in March Madness since 2018, and the program served a self-imposed postseason ban last season amid an on-going NCAA investigation. The controversy did nothing to mute Arizona’s celebration. Thomas siblings square off in Arizona women’s NCAA Tournament “It was a foul,” Miles told reporters after the game.
Terry scooped up the ball and raced to the hoop with a chance to break a 75-75 tie, but his dunk came a millisecond after the buzzer, sending the game into overtime. The ball came loose as they collided, but there was no call of a foul or backcourt violation. 1 in the South region – outlasted Texas Christian, 85-80, to move on to San Antonio, Texas, where they will face fifth-seeded Houston in the regional semifinals.Īrizona survived a wild scramble in regulation when Dalen Terry trapped TCU guard Mike Miles at the midcourt line. It took overtime, but Arizona – seeded No. What has for Wildcat basketball over the past few years? SAN DIEGO – Spent and elated as they emerged from the fog of a classic March Madness battle, the Arizona Wildcats, their coaches and fans walked out of Viejas Arena with satisfied smiles.įor the first time since the 2017 NCAA men’s championship tournament, Arizona clinched a berth in the Sweet 16. Mathurin’s 30 points paced the Wildcats in an 85-80 overtime victory over Texas Christian. Led by guard Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona emerged from several years of adversity to reach the Sweet 16 in the NCAA men’s basketball championships for the first time since 2017.
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