Pac-12 Tournament: The Day Two Rundown
By Daniel Tran
March 12, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson(23), guard
Gabe York(1), forward
Brandon Ashley(21), and forward
Stanley Johnson(5) smile against the California Golden Bears during the second half in the quarterfinal round of the Pac-12 Conference tournament at MGM Grand Garden Arena. The Wildcats defeated the Golden Bears 73-51. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
(#1)Arizona Wildcats run over the (#8)California Bears, 73-51
The Wildcats must’ve been bumping Rage Against the Machine before their Pac-12 Tournament game against the Cal Bears because no matter how hard Cal tried, they just couldn’t stop Arizona.
Cal played tough against Arizona in the first half, matching the Wildcats’ intensity, physicality, and going shot for shot with the outright Pac-12 Regular Season Champions. The bears were only down by 2 despite shooting 34.6 percent from the field and committing eight turnovers at one point in first half. Their defensive stinginess equaled Arizona.
However, it is impossible to match that kind of pace for the entire game as the Bears found out in the second half. Arizona put their defensive effort into another gear while Cal wilted under the pressure.
Cal shot an anemic 34.4 percent from the field, 28.6 percent from three-point range, and turned the ball over 14 times due to the defensive grindhouse that is Arizona. David Kravish, who went off against Washington State, was held to 6 points, shooting three for thirteen from the field.
Kravish, afflicted by March Madness, got into a scuffle with Kaleb Tarczewski and Brandon Ashley on separate occasions. That is the kind of frustration that Arizona can induce. Arizona’s offensive can also wear teams out.
Stanley Johnson led the way with 19 points, showing his potential for a versatile scoring game by hitting jumpers and going to the rim. Brandon Ashley dominated the painted area by taking advantage of the smaller players that were commissioned to guard him.
Rage Against the Machine may be a band that challenges the establishment, but there is no Pac-12 team that should challenge the Arizona Wildcats’ establishment as the best team in the Pac-12 conference.
Next: UCLA vs. USC