Cat Tracks: Wildcats secure fourth seed in Pac-12 tournament with win over ASU
Mar 10, 2013, 12:55 AM | Updated: 12:55 am
Sure, you could read the box score and know who won, but we all know that won’t tell you everything that happened in a basketball game. So, we give you ‘Cat Tracks’, providing you with the analysis, quotes and notes from Arizona’s 73-58 win over ASU on March 9.
The Good:
The Wildcats locked down the fourth seed and a first-round bye in this year’s Pac-12 tournament with a convincing win over rival ASU in their home finale of the season.
Sophomore Nick Johnson played a strong game offensively and defensively for the ‘Cats. He scored a team-high 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting with four rebounds, three assists and three steals in the win. Johnson also scored seven straight points as Arizona put together a 20-5 run to pull away in the second half.
Senior Solomon Hill added 12 points in his final home game at the McKale Center.
The Wildcats got off to a hot start and at one point held a 15-point lead in the first half. The team showed it’s toughness answering a late run by ASU. The Devils pulled to within five but would get no closer in the contest.
The Bad:
Senior Mark Lyons shot just 2 of 10 from the field and had just eight points, and committed three turnovers. He also fouled out of the game on a technical call.
The Wildcats saw Carrick Felix, who performed poorly against them in their last meeting with the Sun Devils, drop 22 points on Saturday.
Noted:
• Arizona scored 21 points on 17 ASU turnovers.
• The Wildcats said farewell to five seniors in Saturday’s finale against the Sun Devils.
• The ‘Cats finished their regular season campaign at 24-6 overall and 12-6 in conference play.
• There was a total of 40 fouls in the game, 25 of which came in the second half.
• Arizona outrebounded ASU by a 35-23 margin.
Coming Up Next:
The Wildcats will open the Pac-12 tournament on Thursday, March 14 at 2:30 p.m. They will play the winner of the No. 5 vs. No. 12 game.
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