Top-seeded Arizona beats Arkansas 109-88 to reach the Elite Eight for the 1st time since 2015
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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