No. 1 Arizona overcomes slow start in win over No. 2 Purdue to advance to first Final Four in 25 years

SAN JOSE – For the first time in a quarter century, the Arizona Wildcats are heading back to the Final Four! No. 1 Arizona fell behind for the first time in an NCAA Tournament game this March, but used a dominant second half to propel them to an Elite 8 victory and trip to Indianapolis with a 79-64 win over No. 2 Purdue at the SAP Center in San Jose on Saturday night.

Magic from Mr. Arizona

Four players finished in double figures, led by Koa Peat, who earned every bit of his Mr. Arizona nickname, and then some. The Phoenix-area native finished with a game-high 20 points, earning West Regional Most Outstanding Player honors. He shot 9-18 from the field and finished with seven rebounds, including offensive boards, and three assists in 34 minutes.

It wasn’t just the volume of points that made Peat’s performance so impressive – it was the timeliness of his buckets when the Wildcats needed them most. He scored six of the last 10 points in the first half for Arizona, helping to ensure the Boilermakers’ lead did not balloon to double digits before half. He also knocked down a pair of mid-range jumpers in the first three minutes of the second half that helped soften the Purdue interior defense and open up some lanes for the Wildcats down the stretch to re-take the lead.

Peat’s 20 points are the most by a freshman in an Elite 8 game, passing fellow Arizona native Mike Bibby who scored 17 in 1997.

Ivan Kharchenkov was a downhill force for the Wildcats in San Jose. He finished with a near-double-double, scoring 18 points on an efficient 7-11 from the field, while also grabbing eight rebounds and a steal. The German freshman did most of his work on the defensive end in the first half, grabbing six rebounds, but put his head down and got to work offensively in the second, scoring 12 of his 18 points and connecting on all four of his layup attempts.

Jaden Bradley and Brayden Burries each scored 14 points for the Wildcats. Bradley was a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line, while also dishing out six assists. All four of Burries’ field goals came from 3-point range, as the freshman knocked down 4-7 from distance.

A tale of two halves

Things weren’t exactly trending in favor of Arizona through the first 20 minutes. The Boilermakers had a slight edge, but both teams shot the ball around 40 percent in the first half. The difference: Purdue knocked down 7-14 shots from the perimeter, while Arizona was just 1-6, as it went into the locker room trailing 38-31. The Wildcats had a -5 rebounding margin and allowed Purdue to score six second chance points off eight offensive rebounds.

But the second half was a different story. Arizona outscored Purdue 11-4 in the first 4+ minutes of the second half to knot the score at 42 before never looking back. In the second half, the Wildcats outscored the Boilermakers 48-26, holding Purdue to 1-8 from 3-point range, which came in the final eight seconds of the game with the score out of reach. The Wildcats were much more effective on the glass, out- rebounding the Boilermakers 22-16 in the second half and out-scoring them by the same 22-16 margin in the paint as well.

There were two critical moments in the second half that altered the outcome of the game down the stretch. The first was an ankle injury to Purdue All-American point guard Braden Smith, who scored 11 points and shot 3-6 from deep in the first half, but was limited to just two points and shot 0-4 in the second half. The second was Anthony Dell’Orso’s lone bucket of the night, a monster triple that ultimately was the turning point for the Wildcats. Arizona led 48-45 with a little over 12 minutes to play before Delly knocked down the clutch three, forcing a Purdue timeout. Between the shot and then ensuring 8-4 run by the Wildcats, the UA was able to stretch its lead to double digits and never look back.

Arizona’s unsung hero: Mo Krivas

If you just look at the box score, you may not appreciate just how impactful Motiejus Krivas was for the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday night. The 7-foot-2 center was the ultimate disruptor and made things incredibly difficult for Purdue, especially once the 3-point shot stopped falling in the second half.

Krivas finished with six points on 1-5 shooting, but secured 12 rebounds, including five offensive board, along with three assists, a block, and a steal. He was electric out of the gate, grabbing two early offensive rebounds and knocking down his lone jumper in the first five minutes.

There are so many little things he does around the rim that make it nearly impossible for opposing teams to score on him. His activity, verticality, and balance of toughness on defense with touch on offense making him an integral part of Arizona’s Final Four run, as well as one of the most talented big men in college basketball this season.

The Wildcats’ players should all be applauded for the physicality and hard edge they all play with, but Krivas’ toughness was on full display at the SAP Center. He and Purdue center Oscar Cluff got tied up on a foul that sent Krivas tumbling to the ground where he hit his head on the court. The impact was loud enough that you could hear it from across the court. But Krivas got back up and closed out the rest of the game with his teammates, a embodiment of the toughness and grit this team has played with all season.

The Wildcats now await the winner of Sunday’s Elite 8 matchup between No. 1 Michigan and No.6 Tennessee.