SAN DIEGO — Sunday's Arizona-TCU game had everything you’d want in an NCAA Tournament showdown. Even sweeter for UA fans, the top-seeded Wildcats are dancing into the Sweet 16 with an 85-80 overtime win over the No. 9-seeded Horned Frogs.
Down 73-70 with 1:17 to play in the game, Arizona rallied to tie the game and force overtime. The Cats nearly won in regulation had Dalen Terry’s dunk been a fraction of a second sooner before the clock reached triple zeros.
But UA still found a way to win in OT. Here’s key numbers that tell the story of how they did it:
28: Christian Koloko was a force in the first half, scoring 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting. The rest of Arizona’s players were just 7 of 22 in the half. Koloko finished with a career-high 28 points and the game-sealing putback dunk in overtime with nine seconds remaining.
20: Benedict Mathurin took over the game in the second half and overtime, scoring 20 points. His 3-pointer with 13 seconds left in regulation tied the game at 75. He finished with 30 points, one shy of his career-high.
25: Mathurin and Koloko are the third pair of Arizona teammates with 25 points each in an NCAA Tournament game and first since Khalid Reeves and Damon Stoudamire did it in the 1994 Elite 8.
They also combined to score Arizona's last 15 points between regulation and overtime.
48: The Horned Frogs have a reputation for being one of the most physical teams in the country and they showed why, outrebounding Arizona 48-44 and grabbing 20 offensive rebounds to Arizona's 14. It’s just the seventh time UA’s been outrebounded by its opponent all season.
16: Tommy Lloyd opted not to use Azuolas Tubelis much, playing him just 16 minutes as Tubelis struggled to match TCU’s physical play. Instead, Pelle Larsson and Oumar Ballo got extra minutes; Larsson played 30, while Ballo was on the court for 16.
1: After once again struggling with turnovers — UA had 15 in through 40 minutes of regulation — the Cats turned it over just once in OT.
2003: Arizona has now played in six NCAA Tournament overtime games, winning four of them. Sunday's win marked the Wildcats' first OT win in the tournament since 2003. Here's a list:
- 1997: Elite Eight vs. Providence (win)
- 1997: National championship vs. Kentucky (win)
- 2003: Round of 32 vs. Gonzaga (win)
- 2005: Elite Eight vs. Illinois (loss)
- 2014: Elite Eight vs. Wisconsin (loss)
- Sunday: Round of 32 vs. TCU (win)
43: TCU’s Chuck O’Bannon Jr. (23 points) and Eddie Lampkin Jr. (20 points) each recorded career highs in scoring, combining for 43 points. Neither player scored in overtime, however.
1 of 10: The Cats got their spark back with the return of Kerr Kriisa, but the Wildcats' point guard struggled in his return to action after missing the previous three games with an ankle sprain. Kriisa connected on just 1 of 10 shots, but his lone make — a 3-pointer — put UA up 62-58 with 9:03 in regulation.
5: Though he wasn’t sharp offensively, Terry tied his career-high with five steals. His final steal of the night came on TCU’s final possession of regulation. Had Terry gotten his ensuing shot off in time, the Wildcats would have won at the buzzer.
Photos: Top-seeded Wildcats survive a nail-biter with TCU, advance to Sweet 16
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Arizona Wildcats center Christian Koloko (35) relishes the moment as the time runs off the clock in overtime with the Wildcats ahead 85-80 over the TCU Horned Frogs in their second round game in the NCAA Tournament, Viejas Arena, San Diego, Calif., March 20, 2022.
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Arizona guard Bennedict Mathurin lets go with a yell after dropping a floater in the paint and picking up the foul during overtime of last month's NCAA Tournament win over TCU in San Diego.
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TCU Horned Frogs guard Mike Miles (1) goes sprawling to lose the ball after colliding with Arizona Wildcats guard Dalen Terry (4) near mid-court with time running out in the final seconds and tied in their second round game in the NCAA Tournament, Viejas Arena, San Diego, Calif., March 20, 2022.
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TCU Horned Frogs center Eddie Lampkin (4) walks off the court after they dropped their second round game against the Arizona Wildcats in overtime 85-80 in the NCAA Tournament, Viejas Arena, San Diego, Calif., March 20, 2022.
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The Arizona Wildcats watch the final moments of the preceding game between Notre Dame and Texas Tech from the tunnel, waiting to take the floor against the TCU Horned Frogs in a second round game in the NCAA Tournament, Viejas Arena, San Diego, Calif., March 20, 2022.
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The backboard buzzer-light flashes at the end of regulation with Arizona Wildcats guard Dalen Terry (4) inches short of a game winning dunk, with the game tied at 75 against the TCU Horned Frogs during their second round game in the NCAA Tournament, Viejas Arena, San Diego, Calif., March 20, 2022.
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Arizona Wildcats guard Bennedict Mathurin (0) gets fouled by TCU Horned Frogs guard Micah Peavy (0) trying to get to the basket during their second round game in the NCAA Tournament, Viejas Arena, San Diego, Calif., March 20, 2022.
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Arizona Wildcats guard Kerr Kriisa can’t believe the ball was called out on him and not TCU Horned Frogs forward JaKobe Coles during a first-half scramble.
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Arizona Wildcats guard Pelle Larsson (3) gets grabbed /t1op/, left, while driving by forward JaKobe Coles (21) during their second round game in the NCAA Tournament, Viejas Arena, San Diego, Calif., March 20, 2022.
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Arizona Wildcats center Christian Koloko (35) gets surrounded by the TCU Horned Frogs defense trying to get a basket during their second round game in the NCAA Tournament, Viejas Arena, San Diego, Calif., March 20, 2022.
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Arizona Wildcats guard Bennedict Mathurin (0) rises out of the crowd to slam home a dunk against the TCU Horned Frogs in the second half of their second round game in the NCAA Tournament, Viejas Arena, San Diego, Calif., March 20, 2022.
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Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd punches the air after his team made a run against the TCU Horned Frogs in the second half of their second round game in the NCAA Tournament, Viejas Arena, San Diego, Calif., March 20, 2022.
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Arizona Wildcats center Christian Koloko (35) eyes the bucket over TCU Horned Frogs forward Emanuel Miller (2) during their second round game in the NCAA Tournament, Viejas Arena, San Diego, Calif., March 20, 2022.
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TCU Horned Frogs guard Mike Miles (1) gestures after nailing a three-pointer again the Arizona Wildcats in the second half of their second round game in the NCAA Tournament, Viejas Arena, San Diego, Calif., March 20, 2022.
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Arizona Wildcats forward Azuolas Tubelis (10) gets a face full of forearm from TCU Horned Frogs guard Mike Miles (1) during their second round game in the NCAA Tournament, Viejas Arena, San Diego, Calif., March 20, 2022.
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Arizona Wildcats guard Bennedict Mathurin (0) hangs on the rim over TCU Horned Frogs center Eddie Lampkin (4) following his second half dunk during their second round game in the NCAA Tournament, Viejas Arena, San Diego, Calif., March 20, 2022.
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Arizona Wildcats center Oumar Ballo (11) throughly rejects a run to the bucket from TCU Horned Frogs forward Emanuel Miller (2) during their second round game in the NCAA Tournament, Viejas Arena, San Diego, Calif., March 20, 2022.
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Arizona Wildcats guard Pelle Larsson (3) chases the ball under pressure form TCU Horned Frogs guard Damion Baugh (10) during their second round game in the NCAA Tournament, Viejas Arena, San Diego, Calif., March 20, 2022.
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Arizona Wildcats guard Dalen Terry (4) looks into the crowd during a Wildcats run gave them a momentary lead against the TCU Horned Frogs in the second half of their second round game in the NCAA Tournament, Viejas Arena, San Diego, Calif., March 20, 2022.
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Center Oumar Ballo will take on a larger role with the Wildcats next season following the departure of starter Christian Koloko and standouts Bennedict Mathurin and Dalen Terry.
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Arizona Wildcats center Christian Koloko (35) tries to get a foul called against TCU Horned Frogs forward Xavier Cork (12) on his three point attempt during their second round game in the NCAA Tournament, Viejas Arena, San Diego, Calif., March 20, 2022.
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Arizona Wildcats guard Pelle Larsson (3) rises up after drawing the foul on his basket in the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs during their second round game in the NCAA Tournament, Viejas Arena, San Diego, Calif., March 20, 2022.
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Arizona Wildcats center Christian Koloko (35) dunks home a bucket in the early going over TCU Horned Frogs guard Francisco Farabello (3) during their second round game in the NCAA Tournament, Viejas Arena, San Diego, Calif., March 20, 2022.
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Arizona Wildcats forward Azuolas Tubelis (10) tosses up a shot amidst the TCU Horned Frogs defense during their second round game in the NCAA Tournament, Viejas Arena, San Diego, Calif., March 20, 2022.