SAN JOSE, Calif.—One hurdle down, one even bigger one to go.
Top-seeded Arizona put on its best offensive display of the season, and one of the best in NCAA Tournament history, crushing No. 4 Arkansas 109-88 on Thursday night. The win snapped a 4-game losing streak for the Wildcats (35-2) in Sweet 16 games, advanced them to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2015.
The UA will face No. 2 Purdue, which beat No. 11 Texas 79-77 on Thursday in the first regional semifinal, Sunday at 5:49 p.m. PT.
A win would send the Wildcats to their first Final Four since 2001.
Six Wildcats scored in double figures, something that hadn’t been done in an NCAA game since the 1997 Elite Eight. Brayden Burries led the way with 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting while Koa Peat had 21 and was 8 of 11 from the field. Ivan Kharchenkov had 15, Jaden Bradley and Motiejus Krivas 14 each and Tobe Awaka 13.
Arizona shot 63.8 percent, its second-best accuracy in an NCAA tourney game. The 109 points were most in regulation and five shy of the program record from an overtime NCAA contest against UNLV in 1976.
Arkansas (28-9) got 28 points from freshman Darius Acuff Jr. and shot 47.7 percent but was just 5 of 23 from 3. Arizona was 5 of 8 and also made 30 of 39 free throws, upping its season total to a school-record 730 made foul shots.
Arizona led 54-43 at halftime, tied for the 2nd-most points in the first half of an NCAA tourney game in program history, but also allowed the 7th-most points. Arkansas made 13 of 20 2-point shots, 10 on dunks and layups.
Five straight makes to open the second half, including a 3-point play by Burries, upped the edge to 65-47. The margin topped 20 after aAwaka dunk with 13:19 remaining.
The inevitable scoring drought finally came, with the UA going nearly three minutes without points—including when Awaka missed two free throws following a flagrant foul on Arkansas’ Trevon Brazile—untilKrivas dunked to make it 80-62 with 10:36 left.
Anthony Dell’Orso drained a 3 to get the lead back over 20, then Arkansas’ Nick Pringle was hit with a technical foul after slamming the ball following a loose ball foul. Dell’Orso would make both technical shots for an 89-65 lead with 8:41 remaining.
The Razorbacks ran off seven in a row, fueled by a pair of Arizona turnovers, to get within 17, but couldn’t keep their composure. Billy Richmond III checked Kharchenkov to the ground, resulting in a flagrant 2 foul and ejection with 7:14 left. The antics continued when Arkansas coach John Calipari was T’d up with 5:38 to go … while his team was at the foul line.
Arizona could hardly miss early, starting 11 of 14 from the field and making all three 3-point attempts to go up double digits less than nine minutes in. A jumper by Burries upped the lead to 15 with 4:39 left in the first half.
Arkansas didn’t put together a run of consecutive scores until a dunk and a transition layup got it within 46-35 with 3:01 to go before halftime.
