Arizona is set to start its journey through the Big 12 Tournament on Thursday in the quarterfinals, and now it knows its first opponent.
The top-seeded Wildcats (29-2) will take on No. 8 UCF, which beat No. 9 Cincinnati 66-65 in overtime in the second round.
UCF vs Cincinnati Recap
The first half of the UCF/Cincinnati game was not one that was pretty by any means. Both teams shot under 35 percent from the field and combined for 14 turnovers. Cincinnati’s Moustapha Thiam led all scorers at the half with 11 points and the Bearcats took a 27-26 lead into halftime.
Thiam added another six points in the second half, but the Knights did not go away. What was once a 12-point lead for the Bearcats turned into a tie game. UCF used a 8-0 run in the final two minutes to send the game into overtime.
In the end, UCF hung on to earn a battle with Arizona in the quarterfinals. Jamichael Stillwell led the way in scoring for the Knights with 17 points and 15 rebounds.
Jan. 17 Arizona vs UCF recap
In the first matchup in Orlando, the Knights gave Arizona a surprisingly good fight. The Wildcats knew as the No. 1 team in the country, at the time, that every team was going to give them their best punch.
That day in January, it was Themus Fulks that nearly gave UCF the upset win when he scored 30 points. The Knights only trailed by three going into the half, and kept themselves within striking distance.
A big reason for UCF being able to keep it close was the fact that it was able to keep pace with Arizona on the glass. The Wildcats only outrebounded the Knights by one. UCF was also able to get 19 second chance points, compared to Arizona’s five second chance points.
The difference for Arizona at the end of the day was being able to score in the paint and getting out in transition. UA had 36 points in the paint and 21 points in transition.
There were also five Wildcats that scored in double figures which helped Arizona leave Orlando with a 84-77 win. Jaden Bradley led the way with 23 points.