SEATTLE — The Arizona Wildcats survived a tense finish to secure an 87-83 win over No. 5 seed Oregon in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 23, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Oregon had jumped out to an early 15-point lead, but Arizona responded with a 9-0 run to cut the deficit. The Wildcats went on to finish the first half strong, leading 42-38 at the break.
Caleb Love led the charge for Arizona with 29 points, while Tobe Awaka dominated on the boards, finishing with 14 rebounds. Oregon’s Jackson Shelstad scored 25 points to pace the Ducks, who struggled at the free-throw line, making only 12 of 22 attempts.
The game remained tight in the second half as Oregon made a push to reclaim the lead. However, Arizona built an 11-point cushion before Oregon mounted a late comeback, cutting the gap to just two points in the final minute. Shelstad made a layup with 10 seconds left to bring the Ducks within one, but free throws from Anthony Dell’Orso and Caleb Love sealed the victory for the Wildcats.
Arizona’s defense was key in the win, with the Wildcats out-rebounding Oregon 44-36 and forcing nine turnovers. Arizona shot 70.8% from the free-throw line compared to Oregon’s 54.5%.
The Wildcats’ victory sends them to the Sweet 16 to face top-seeded Duke in the next round, where Arizona will look to continue their March Madness run.
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Reporter Reyna Stanley covers the Phoenix Mercury and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow her on X @rey_stanley776.
