Arizona outmatched as Michigan advances to national title game

INDIANAPOLIS — Arizona dug itself into a hole it was never able to climb out of in a 91-73 loss to Michigan in the Final Four on Saturday.

The early deficit only grew larger as Michigan once led by as many as 30 in what was the Wildcats’ worst showing of the season.

“I want to give credit to Michigan,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “I mean, they were outstanding tonight. Really had us on our heels tonight. We never could get in a rhythm. So they get a ton of credit for that. No one’s been able to do that to us all year. So it was an impressive performance by them.”

The Arizona offense looked rushed and out of sorts from the opening tip, as the Wolverines wound up opening the game on a 10-1 run not even 2 1/2 minutes in.

Arizona was never able to gain its composure, and the sloppy, rushed theme continued throughout nearly the entire first half.

Instead of moving the basketball and playing to the second side, Arizona often took the first shot available, which proved detrimental.

The Wildcats had just two assists on 12 made field goals in the first half and turned the ball over nine times, which led to 12 Michigan points.

Arizona finished the game with a season-low five assists on 26 made field goals, while 14 Wildcat turnovers led to 26 Wolverine points.

“They did a great job being in the gaps,” Lloyd said, explaining that the Wolverines’ defense kept changing how they handled screens, going over and under in ways that threw his team off. He noted that his players didn’t adjust well to the level of their screens, which made it hard to “get the edge,” and at times they “over-penetrated.”

Beyond that, there were several defensive possessions where the Wildcats had chances to secure rebounds but failed to do so. Those missed opportunities — especially right at the rim — led to easy put-backs. Michigan finished with 19 second-chance points.

“So the combination of those two things got them off to a really good start,” Lloyd said. “Dusty (May) is a really good coach. Once they get on a good start, he kind of really knows how to control the game. And when you’re controlling the game and you’re running your actions and you’re getting some open shots or semi-open shots, you knock them down, it makes it really too tough to come back, and that’s what they were able to do.”

The Wildcats briefly seized momentum and went on a 13-2 run to pull within five with 6:43 remaining in the opening half, a span where Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg stepped on Motiejus Krivas’ foot, prompting Michigan fans to hold their collective breath as Lendeborg went to the locker room to get his ankle iced and re-taped.

However, a 7-0 Michigan run quickly followed to put the Wolverines back up by 12, as an onslaught of Arizona turnovers, missed layups and missed free throws came to haunt the Wildcats.

Arizona, which had only trailed at the half in five games this season and never by more than seven points, found itself down by 16 at the break. The Wildcats had never trailed by more than 12 in any game this season.

“We got down a little bit, and we’ve been down a few times this year, but not like that,” Lloyd said. “Just probably got a little panicky and weren’t able to settle back in.”

In the second half, Michigan shot the lights out and the Wildcats were never able to mount a real comeback as the Wolverines hit shot after shot.

Michigan started 9 of 13 (69.2%) from the field and 6 of 8 (75%) from 3 to begin the second half, which saw the Wolverines take a 72-45 lead with 12:17 to play to put the game out of reach.

“We tried to make a little bit of a comeback in the second half and then they hit 5 of 7 (71.4%) or 6 of 8 (75%), a really good percentage of tough shots,” Arizona freshman Ivan Kharchenkov said. “And this just breaks your neck. Coming back from a big deficit like this.”

Jaden Bradley battled foul trouble and was limited to 25 minutes. He picked up his third foul with 5:09 to play in the first half and his fourth with 18:26 left in the game, forcing him to exit. In what will be his final game in a Wildcats uniform, Bradley recorded 13 points on 4 of 6 (66.7%) shooting.

“It’s definitely tough. Questionable calls, especially in a game like this,” Bradley said. “But I can’t control that. That’s in the ref’s hands, whatever he sees he’s gonna call.

“I just gotta do a better job trying to be out there for my teammates, cleaning some of the fouls up. I wish I could get it back and get a restart but I can’t. I gotta move on.”

Arizona freshmen severely struggle in big moment

Arizona’s freshmen trio of Koa Peat, Brayden Burries and Kharchenkov, who had not played like freshmen all tournament, finally looked like freshmen.

Peat finished with 16 points but shot just 6 of 18 (33.3%) from the field, while Burries started 0 of 8 from the field and did not hit his first field goal until 15:40 remained in the game. He finished with 13 points on 4 of 16 (25%) shooting.

Krivas and Tobe Awaka both said Michigan opting to have Aday Mara guard Peat surprised them.

“We didn’t think that would happen,” Krivas said, while Awaka added, “Maybe the fact that they cross-matched Mara and Morez (Johnson Jr.) that was really the only sort of wrinkle they tossed but other than that it was just a slow start on our part.”

“They had a great defensive plan,” Burries said. “They were pretty bigger. But I feel like most of our shots were just in and out. It was in the rim and then out. And sometimes it’s just not your day, and today just wasn’t our day, honestly.”

Kharchenkov had three first-half turnovers and did not look like the “glue guy” he has been all season. He tallied six points while going 2 of 8 (25%) from the field.

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