03/26/26 11:34:00
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03/26 23:33 CDT Top-seeded Arizona beats Arkansas 109-88 to reach the Elite
Eight for the 1st time since 2015
Top-seeded Arizona beats Arkansas 109-88 to reach the Elite Eight for the 1st
time since 2015
By JOSH DUBOW
AP Sports Writer
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) --- Arizona finally got over the Sweet 16 hurdle under
coach Tommy Lloyd, getting 23 points from Brayden Burries and a dominant
offensive effort in a 109-88 win over Arkansas on Thursday night in the NCAA
Tournament.
Fellow freshmen Koa Peat added 21 points and Ivan Kharchenkov had 15 as the
top-seeded Wildcats (35-2) won their 12th straight game overall to tie a school
record for wins in a season and advance to the Elite Eight for the first time
since 2015.
Arizona will play second-seeded Purdue on Saturday night for a spot in the
Final Four. The Boilermakers beat Texas 79-77 in the first game.
Jaden Bradley, Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka all scored 14 points as Arizona
became the first team in NCAA Tournament history with six players scoring at
least 14 points in a game.
Lloyd has won a record 147 games in his first five seasons as a head coach but
has been unable to find tournament success before this season. Arizona had lost
three times in the Sweet 16 and once in the first round as a No. 2 seed in
Lloyd's first four seasons.
But the Wildcats have rolled through this year's tournament outside of a couple
of tense moments in the second round against Utah State, outscoring the
opposition by 67 points in three double-digit wins.
Freshman Darius Acuff Jr. scored 28 points for fourth-seeded Arkansas (28-9) in
what might be the final college game for the talented freshman who scored 88
points in three tournament games. But he didn't get nearly enough help against
the deeper Wildcats.
The frustration for the Razorbacks boiled over in the second half when Nick
Pringle and coach John Calipari both got technical fouls and Billy Richmond was
ejected after getting a flagrant 2 foul for shoving Kharchenkov.
The Razorbacks reached the Sweet 16 for the fifth time in six seasons but once
again fell short and are still seeking their first Final Four appearance since
1995.
Arizona had a nearly flawless first half offensively, shooting 64% from the
field, making 15 of 17 free throws and protecting the ball well against the
Razorbacks defense. That helped stake the Wildcats to a 54-43 lead as they were
tied for the fifth-most points scored in the first half of a Sweet 16 game.
Arizona built the lead to 18 early in the second half on a three-point play by
Burries to the delight of Warriors coach and former Wildcats star Steve Kerr,
and Arkansas never really threatened the rest of the way.
Up next
The Wildcats are one win away from reaching their first Final Four since 2001.
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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and
coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
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