SAN JOSE — The Arizona Wildcats reached the doorstep of the Final Four on Thursday in a manner all too characteristic of the Tommy Lloyd era, using a balanced and efficient offense to beat Arkansas 109-88 in a Sweet 16 game at the SAP Center.
But while mowing the Razorbacks down, by shooting 63.8% from the field and getting double-figure scoring from six different players, the Wildcats also watched the Razorbacks melt down.
In the second half alone, when Arizona kept building on an 11-point halftime lead, Arkansas was called for two technical fouls, a Flagrant 1 foul and a Flagrant 2 that resulted in the ejection of Razorback wing Billy Richmond.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats kept their cool, reaching the Elite Eight for the first time in five years under Lloyd. Arizona (35-2) will face Purdue (30-8) on Saturday at 5 p.m. for the West Regional title and a chance to make its first Final Four appearance in a quarter century.
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd walks off the court after a win over Arkansas in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in San Jose, Calif.
"We knew the game had potential to get like that," UA coach Tommy Lloyd said. "They had a game against Florida a few weeks back, there were a bunch of technical fouls swayed both ways. We've had a few instances this year where it's been a bit of a melee, and we've participated in it as well.
"We want to play championship basketball. To play championship basketball, you've got to just stand up and walk away from the action. This isn't the playground, you know what I mean? You can't just throw down.These guys have high character and they're winners, but they're competitors, and it's always a fine line for both teams."
Lloyd gave UA associate head coach Jack Murphy for warning the Wildcats during his scouting debrief that the game could "get pretty chippy" if it went as planned -- and the game appeared to go pretty much as the Wildcats planned it.
The Wildcats were aggressive and efficient from the beginning. They built a 12-6 lead in just over five minutes after 3s from Bradley and Burries and were up by double digits after less than nine minutes.
Shootig 64.3% while hitting 15 of 17 free throws in the first half, Arizona took a 54-43 lead at halftime and kept up a similar pace early in the second half.
Arizona forward Ivan Kharchenkov, bottom, is fouled by Arkansas forward Nick Pringle during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in San Jose, Calif.
Arizona took an 18-point lead three minutes into the second half after Brayden Burries converted a three-point play, was up by 20 after seven minutes before Arkansas picked up its first major foul.
With 11 minutes left, Arkansas' Trevon Brazile was called for a flagrant foul for excessive contact to the head, having swung his arm after the ball but missing and hitting Arizona's Tobe Awaka instead.
While Awaka missed both ensuing free throws, the Wildcats took an 89-65 lead about two minutes later when the Razorbacks picked up a technical foul: Arkansas’ Nick Pringle fouled UA center Motiejus Krivas — and then slammed the ball, forcing it to bounce 20 feet above the floor and draw the T.
"Maybe when you're down 20, you're trying to do some stuff," Krivas said. "I don't know."
Anthony Dell’Orso hit both ensuing technical free throws, though Krivas missed the front end of a one-and-one attempt off the personal fouls.
The Razorbacks’ frustration boiled over further as the minutes wore down. With seven minutes left, Richmond was ejected after extending his arm to hit Arizona’s Ivan Kharchenkov, knocking Kharchenkov to the floor and prompting the UA wing to grab his head afterward.
Arizona forward Ivan Kharchenkov, bottom, is fouled by Arkansas forward Nick Pringle during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in San Jose, Calif.
Kharchenkov hit 1 of 2 resulting free throws and, after the game, said the Razorbacks appeared to be both frustrated and trying to shake up the Wildcats somehow.
"Obviously, throughout the frustration they tried everything and nothing could work," Kharchenkov said.
Then, with 5:38 left, Arkansas coach John Calipari joined in, picking up a technical foul that allowed Burries to take a pair of free throws, the second of which he made.
That gave Arizona a 98-75 lead and Peat dunked a minute later to put the Wildcats up 102-77. If it wasn't already, the game was all but over by then.
"You can't really get into the other stuff that's not related to basketball," Peat said. "We're big on keeping our composure and our poise in tough moments like that when games get chippy."
Arizona forward Ivan Kharchenkov drives past Arkansas forwards Malique Ewin (12) and Trevon Brazile (7) during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in San Jose, Calif.
While Burries led UA in scoring with 23 points and Peat added 21, four other Wildcats scored at least 14 points. Together, the 109 points was the most Arizona has scored all season, while its 63.8% shooting was the best they have had against a high-major team (UA shot 66.7% against Abilene Christian on Dec. 16.).
While the Wildcats didn't take full advantage of their 39 trips to the line, making only 30 free throws, they had a zero in the number that may have mattered most Thursday: No major fouls, technicals or flagrant.
"I thought their talents were on full display, and their character and teamwork, Lloyd said. "I'm just really proud to be their coach."
