4-point play: Instant analysis on Arizona's OT victory vs. Gonzaga
HOW ARIZONA WON: Eighth-ranked Gonzaga controlled most of Saturday's game against No. 3 Arizona, but the Wildcats were the ones who were most poised and opportunistic in the waning moments of regulation and overtime in a taut 66-63 victory on Saturday.
After trailing since the 8:42 mark in the first half, Arizona point guard T.J. McConnell, the leader of Arizona's team, scored the Wildcats' first four points in overtime to finally push the home team back in front.
With 3.3 seconds left in overtime, Arizona's Elliott Pitts fouled Byron Wesley on a three-point attempt with the Wildcats up by three. Wesley airballed the first shot, missed the final two shots and it was over. Arizona extended its home-court winning streak to 26 games, holding Gonzaga to a season-low 63 points.
Arizona was fortunate to win considering that coach Sean Miller felt the team struggled mightily to even move the ball in the first half.
Without a hot touch beyond the three-point line – the Wildcats made five threes in the first half – Arizona would have been in real trouble early. It made just 25 percent of its field-goal attempts inside the arc in the half. ESPN analyst Dan Dakich bluntly pointed out during the telecast that Arizona "has run awful offense" in the first half. The Wildcats weren't moving the ball. They kept the action in the middle of the floor for the most part and drove directly into Gonzaga's front court players on far too many occasions.
But in the end, McConnell helped the Wildcats remain unbeaten.
THE BIG PICTURE: Barring injuries, there is no reason either of these teams can't play deep into March or beyond. But with this victory on its resume, Arizona, as expected, is the favorite to land the No. 1 seed in the West Region of the NCAA tournament.
This was a highly anticipated matchup of two of the game's best coaches who have yet to reach a Final Four. Don't be surprised if one (or both) men crack through that glass ceiling this season.
After reaching an Elite Eight while stewarding Xavier, Sean Miller has constructed a perennial national contender at Arizona. His recruiting is second to no one outside of Lexington, Ky. These Wildcats have a tantalizing blend of athleticism, balance and poise at point guard. Entering Saturday's game, Arizona has had at least four double-digit scorers in more than 60 percent of its games.
In his 16th season as Gonzaga's head coach, the Zags have long shed the label of underdog. Few has built a national power. But that Final Four berth remains elusive for college basketball's winningest active coach by percentage. This Gonzaga team is especially efficient offensively – it ranks third nationally in assists per game and third in field-goal percentage – and balanced. Ten players average more than 13 minutes per game.
This was a terrific early-season litmus test for both teams, and a well-played and entertaining game. A rematch at the Final Four in Indianapolis is definitely possible.
STAR POWER: Arizona forward Brandon Ashley turned it on offensively in the game's final minutes. His jump shot from the top of the circle with 1:14 to play tied the score at 60. McConnell took control of the game offensively early in overtime for the Wildcats, giving them their first lead since midway through the first half.
Gonzaga's Przemek Karnowski, the 7-foot-1 junior from Poland, was a prime catalyst for the Zags much of the day. The offense consistently went through the center, who made an impact both offensively and defensively as well as on the boards. He converted a sort of a no-look bank shot in the game's final five minutes to push the Bulldogs' precarious lead to four points.
Teammate Kyle Wiltjer, the Kentucky transfer known mostly for his three-point shooting prowess, tossed in a virtually uncontested key put-back to stretch the lead to six points with about four minutes to play. Wiltjer, who did not start in the second half, scored from inside and outside Saturday. He missed a last-second corner three-pointer at the end of regulation that would have won the game.
AND-1: Arizona has now won 35 straight non-conference games, the best streak in the nation. Its last non-league loss was against Gonzaga in 2011. The Zags squandered a chance at its first victory over a top-five team since 2006, when it beat North Carolina.