2017 NCAA Tournament: Arizona overcomes slow start to beat Saint Mary’s
By Connor Hope
After an early challenge from Saint Mary’s, the Arizona Wildcats were able to rally for a 69-60 victory. Their win secured them a spot in the Sweet Sixteen, and two wins away from Sean Miller’s first Final Four.
In a Round of 32 game between two of the West Coast’s best teams, the Arizona Wildcats were able to secure a spot in the Sweet 16.
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Going into this game, it was clear that the team that controlled the tempo was going to have the upper hand.
For the first 20 minutes, Saint Mary’s was that team, slowing the game down to their preferred pace. With a slower tempo, the Gaels were able to jump out to an early lead and hold it at halftime.
Down 30-29 at the half, Sean Miller had to make a few halftime adjustments to help his team pull away. This biggest adjustment was figuring out how to increase the pace.
The Wildcats did this by attacking the basket, trying to get the ball inside often. Not only did this lead to high percentage shots, it also led to a lot of fouls. In the end, Gaels committed 20 fouls, sending Arizona to the line 23 times.
The star in this game for Arizona was freshman forward Lauri Markkanen. Markkanen finished the game with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks. His effort down low led to 10 free throws, and he held Evan Fitzner and Dane Pineau to seven combined points.
While Calvin Hermanson and Jock Landale were able to produce at their usual rates, the other Gaels were not able to get anything going from deep. Hermanson and freshman guard Tanner Krebs made all five of Saint Mary’s three-point field goals. For a team that relies on slowing the game down and hitting open jumpers, the higher pace and missed shots led to their loss.
The biggest scare for the Wildcats came when freshman guard Rawle Alkins suffered an injury to his hand. Alkins had suffered a dislocated finger and a minor fracture but was able to return to the game. It will be important to watch how this injury might bother him for the remainder of the season.
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Arizona is set to play Xavier in the Sweet 16, which will be a tough game for the Wildcats. Xavier has been hot through the first two games and can run with Arizona more effectively than Saint Mary’s was able to on Saturday.