Breakdown: Arizona moves past UCLA

The Lowdown: Arizona took control of the game early
and did not look like they would relinquish it for the
first 8-10 minutes. Solomon Hill was on fire and
aggressive from the perimeter knocking down three
consecutive three-pointers that made him look to the UCLA
bench as if to say, “Who is going to guard me?”

As the first half wound down, the favored Wildcats found
themselves up 29-23 after a small UCLA flurry.

The second half was another story as the officiating was
inconsistent at best, stopping any flow or momentum from
being gained by either team. UCLA had Joshua Smith foul
out with 11:04 remaining, Travis Wear with 2:52 remaining,
and David Wear sat on four fouls with 4:43 remaining. It
was that kind of game.

Arizona took advantage as they were the aggressor causing
most of the fouls led by Jesse Perry who went 9-10 from
the free-throw line in the second half helping the
Wildcats build a 58-51 lead with 4:26 to go. All of those
freebies were necessary, every last one as the Wildcats
fought, clawed, and scrapped for the 66-58 win.

It was as tough a win as the Wildcats had all season as
the frontcourt of Hill and Perry both stand 6-6 and they
outworked the much, much bigger front-court of the Wear
Twins and Smith.

What went right for Arizona? While the team did not
shoot well from the field (34.9%), they did from the line
going 31-36 (86.1%). They took 20 more free throws than
UCLA thanks to an aggressive mentality and physical play.

When it was over? The game was essentially over
when Angelo Chol caught a pass in the paint and finished
over David Wear for the three-point play putting the
Wildcats up 58-51 with 4:43 to go. The Bruins did not
recover after that.

Who stepped up for Arizona? Solomon Hill really
stepped up early and closed the game out late with his
consistent and versatile play. His early 11 points paced
the team in the first half as he finished with 25 for the
contest, on just 9 field goal attempts. For good measure,
Hill added 12 boards and 3 steals.

Stat of the Game: The backcourt of Nick Johnson and
Kyle Fogg finished with five (six) blocks on the game.
Fogg was not credited with an early block that he did make
and Johnson was a one man wrecking crew. His block on
David Wear with 2:07 to go was key in the victory.

They said it: “Well, I don’t think they did us a favor by beating
Washington. I know what you mean, because Washington was the favorite.
But when you win in March, it’s not always the best team. It’s the team
that plays the best, or in particular, the team that plays the best today in
this game. Oregon State is very talented.” – Arizona head coach Sean
Miller on whether or not Oregon State did the Wildcats a favor by beating
Washington

What it means: This win makes the Wildcats 22-10
and they get to play another game. Unfortunately this is
not a marquee win like the team needs, but a win
nonetheless. It is not over as Fogg told me after the
Arizona State loss, “There is no way we are in the (NCAA)
Tournament now, we have to win the whole thing (Pac-12
Tournament).”

What’s Next: They live, they live to fight another
day. That next fight is Friday night against Oregon State
after they upset top seeded Washington. This is poetic
justice for both teams, especially after how their last
meeting ended. No love was lost after Arizona won in
overtime following a physical encounter between Jared
Cunningham and Kyle Fogg. This time there is more riding
on the outcome as the winner heads to the first ever Pac-
12 Championship game.

Follow @Vincemarotta