No. 1 Arizona Cruises Past Wright State, Advances to 2nd Round of NCAA Tournament

Solid showings from Grant Basile, Trey Calvin and Tim Finke weren’t enough for the Raiders, who were unable to build on the momentum they created with a win over Bryant in the First Four.

Notable Player Stats

• Christian Koloko, C, AZ: 20 PTS, 13 REB, 6 AST, 5 BLK
• Bennedict Mathurin, G, AZ: 18 PTS, 5 REB, 4-of-10 3PT
• Dalen Terry, G, AZ: 13 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST
• Grant Basile, F, WS: 21 PTS, 5 REB, 3 BLK, 2 STL
• Trey Calvin, G, WS: 16 PTS, 4 AST, 2 STL 
• Tim Finke, G, WS: 15 PTS, 6 REB, 4 STL, 3 AST

Arizona Overcomes Sloppy Stretches for Easy Win

A No. 1 seed means this tournament is Final Four or bust for Arizona, making a quick start in the small picture of Friday’s individual game and the overall picture of the Big Dance all the more imperative.

After all, it takes just one quick look at another Wildcats team to know what can happen if an underdog hangs around and starts to believe after 15th-seeded Saint Peter’s stunned Kentucky on Thursday. Eliminating doubt in the early going was surely the goal even if Arizona was without guard Kerr Kriisa because of an ankle injury.

On cue, Mathurin’s three-pointer gave the Pac-12 representative a double-digit lead within the first five minutes.

The game seemed to be over a number of times in the first half as Arizona used its size advantage and physicality to build a 25-12 rebounding advantage. Throw in transition opportunities that came from its athleticism advantage and multiple three-pointers from Mathurin, Justin Kier and Pelle Larsson, and the Wildcats appeared to be in control.

Yet they couldn’t pull away and saw a lead that was as high as 16 shrink to 11 by halftime. They looked to be sleepwalking at times with 10 ugly turnovers, and the defense didn’t have many answers for Calvin’s ability to hit from the outside and get into the lane.

Calvin’s 14 points in the first half kept Wright State within striking distance, which was all the more concerning for the favorites since Tanner Holden scored just two points in the first half after exploding for 37 in the First Four win over Bryant.

Those concerns became more pressing when Basile put the Raiders’ offense on his back early in the second half and cut the deficit to single digits with a three-pointer, and-one and layup. It would have been easy for the Wildcats to tighten up under the pressure, but they responded by taking over the game instead.

Koloko was the driving force with dominant play on both ends. He controlled the glass, facilitated when doubles came, swatted or challenged almost every Wright State shot in the lane, finished a dunk off a lob and even extended his game beyond the arc with a three.

Mathurin hit a three and jumper for good measure, and just like that, the lead was 20, and the competitive portion of the game was over.

Arizona’s team defense also deserves plenty of credit as it put the game away, especially on Holden. Had he replicated his success from the previous game while Basile, Calvin and Finke all played well for stretches, the Wildcats may have been in serious trouble. 

Instead, they swarmed to his looks and held the Raiders as a whole to just 34.8 percent shooting from the field.

There is still plenty to clean up for Arizona, starting with its 19 turnovers, but there were enough good signs in the opening few minutes and during the second half to suggest a deep run is in store.

Especially if Kriisa returns alongside Koloko and Mathurin.          

What’s Next?

Arizona will face the winner of the matchup between No. 8 Seton Hall and No. 9 TCU in the round of 32 on Sunday.