Derrick Williams spent a lot of time looking on from the bench in the first half. Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
It’s over. On the last possession, Derrick Williams misses a 3-pointer from straightaway, but the ball bounces to Kyle Fogg who dishes to Jamelle Horne on the angle right.
With a good look at the basket, his 3-pointer — released with 3 seconds left — goes off the rim.
Time runs out.
Season runs out.
UConn wins 65-63.
* * *
Setting the scene: Arizona trails 65-63 with 18.2 seconds left. The Cats have the ball and have called timeout.
Jamelle Horne’s 3-pointer with a minute to go set this up.
* * *
Jeremy Lamb has been a guy who stepped up for UConn. he hits one free throw for his 19th point at 2:31 to go. UConn leads 63-57 … and Arizona responds with a turnover out of bounds because of pressure from Kemba Walker.
* * *
Derrick Williams will be going to the line with 2:44 left, Arizona down 62-55.
* * *
Nervous time. Beyond that, really. Arizona trails 62-55 with 2:58 left as UConn on a 10-0 run.
An unfortunate series of plays for Arizona, as Derrick Williams misses a 3 at the end of the shot clock. On the other end, UConn’s Jeremy Lamb launches a desperation 3 at the end of the shot clock, but the Huskies grab the rebound and score.
Lamb then picks off a Williams’ pass and drives for a dunk.
* * *
Arizona attacking again — eight of past 10 points have come on dunks.
* * *
Derrick Williams gives Arizona the lead with a huge jump stop in the lane, and then he elevates over two UConn players for a dunk. Another poster moment for D-Will. And then Jesse Perry comes down and throws down another dunk for a 53-50 advantage with 7:16 to play.
* * *
Troubling for UConn: Starting big man Alex Oriakhi picks up fourth foul with 8:47 to play.
* * *
A couple of heavyweights here. Arizona throws the latest blows with a quick 6-0 run, highlighted by a steal and dunk from Jesse Perry, and a dunk from Derrick Williams to bring UA within 50-47 with 9:16 left.
UA responds by trying to press and trap (rare for the Cats), and the Huskies solve it for a dunk.
* * *
Huskies pay the price for not double-teaming Derrick Williams. He spins along the baseline, draws the foul from Roscoe Smith, hits two free throws.
* * *
Arizona with only two 3-point baskets with 11:50 to play. Will anybody get hot for the Cats? It is going to be hard for UA to counterpunch without a few knock-downs from long range. Huskies up, 46-39.
* * *
Arizona re-took the lead at 37-36 on a Derrick Williams’ inside basket, but UConn responded with seven quick points, forcing Sean Miller to call timeout at 13:09. Miller angry at Kevin Parrom, who just gave up an open 3-point basket.
Lots of action, crowd into it … Arizona just needs to stop this run.
* * *
Thanks to Jesse Perry — Jesse Perry! — the Cats and the crowd are back into it.
He has all six of Arizona’s points in the second half — on a reverse layup, a dunk off an entry pass from Derrick Williams and another layup. It’s 34-31 UConn with 17:16 to play, as Jim Calhoun calls timeout.
* * *
I was about to write that Arizona weathered the Derrick Williams-less storm, but a horrible final minute for the Cats gives UConn momentum and a seven-point lead.
In that final minute, the Huskies’ Tyler Olander left a layup at the front of the rim, but the ball got batted out, where UConn regained possession. The Huskies missed the ensuing shot, but Jesse Perry fumbled the ball out of bounds.
With yet another, chance, Kemba Walker buried a 3-pointer at the shot-clock buzzer.
Arizona can’t answer on its final possession, and the Cats go into the locker room down 32-25.
How will Derrick Williams (six points, two rebounds) play in the second half with foul trouble? Will Arizona start hitting shots (11 of 37 overall, 1 of 11 from 3-point range)?
* * *
Sean Miller will be questioned for bringing in Derrick Williams with two fouls. To my recollection, that seems consistent with how Miller has handled things in the past; he’ll play guys with two fouls in the first half. Anybody remember anything differently?
* * *
Dangerous final stretch for Arizona, which trails 27-22 with 3:37 to go before halftime. Derrick Williams, with three fouls, has been — as TucsonCitizen.com’s Scott Terrell noted on Twitter, banished to the Fortress of Solitude.
Like with Duke two nights ago, the Cats have to stay in touch at the break … and then try like heck to attack the Huskies after halftime.
* * *
Derrick Williams with third foul with 5:52 to go in half. Gulp.
* * *
Derrick Williams has been on the bench for more than four minutes, but he’s coming back with two fouls after a timeout with 6:19 left. UConn leads 22-20.
* * *
Sign behind the Arizona bench, with a nod to CBS:
Can’t
Beat
Sean
* * *
It’s all the other way now. Forget Arizona’s fast start. Derrick Williams is sitting with foul trouble, and UConn is on a 9-0 run, with five consecutive points from freshman guard Shabazz Napier. There’s 7:43 to go in the half.
* * *
Solomon Hill beats teammate Derrick Williams to a rebound in the first half. Photo by Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE
Circle this time: 10:36 of the first half. Derrick Williams picks up his second foul, this one a cheapie beyond the 3-point arc. He leaves the game.
* * *
The reserves hold serve, so to speak, getting Arizona to the second TV timeout with a 16-10 lead with 11:05. The Wildcats have eight offensive rebounds, and UConn star Kemba Walker is 1 of 6 from the field.
Shouldn’t this lead be bigger?
* * *
At 13:56, Arizona has five reserve players on the court. Coach Sean Miller is nothing if not consistent.
* * *
Derrick Williams hits his first 3-pointer of the game. Can he get five this half?
* * *
The game has reached the first TV timeout with 15 minutes left, with Arizona leading 11-5. The Wildcats have been in attack mode again — just like the second half against Duke — controlling the boards and especially chasing down long rebounds.
Arizona is looking to push the pace when it can, a good sign.
UA lead 9-1 at one point. What does an early lead mean? Well … Texas was up 10-1 on the Cats.
UConn’s Kemba Walker has four points, but has missed both of his 3-pointers. Kyle Fogg is trying to check him for Arizona.
* * *
Tweets former Arizona tight end Rob Gronkowski: These games got me hyped! Doing Pushups and Sit ups cause im hyped! Bear Down AZ!
* * *
Don’t know how it translates on TV, but there were times early this season when McKale wasn’t as loud for Arizona as this Honda Center crowd is.
* * *
College basketball stat guru Ken Pomeroy gives Arizona a 5 percent chance of winning the national title. When tournament started, he estimated the Cats’ chances at 0.2 percent.
* * *
Still some seats need filled in, but crowd is to the rafters. The pro-Arizona contingent should be an important factor. This is why doing well at the Pac-10 tournament was important for the Wildcats; getting to the title game protected them geographically and allowed them to stay in the West.
* * *
Butler beats Florida in overtime. When the score is announced here at the Honda Center, the crowd approves. Everyone loves the underdog … if you can really consider a Butler team that is going to back-to-back Final Fours an underdog. Can’t we come up with a better term?
* * *
Arizona takes the court with about 24 minutes on the countdown clock. Late-arriving crowd applauds.
* * *
Tweets former Arizona shortstop Kristi Fox: “Wearing ONE of my national championship rings tonight in honor of the cats!!!”
Nice.
* * *
Here is the prediction and all the game matchups from Javier Morales of TucsonCitizen.com.
My prediction? Eh … who would put much stock in that? I didn’t think Arizona would win either of the past two games, so I’ve been telling people this week that I think UConn will win. But, basically, I think it’s a coin flip.
* * *
Here we are, less than two hours before tip-off. Arizona is in its first Elite Eight since 2005, hoping to go to its first Final Four since 2001.
The last time I was in this building was 1998, when the Wildcats were playing Utah in the regional final. (Beware … I am about to mention these horrifying words: Triangle. And. Two.
The Utes led by nine at halftime, but, at that point — at least as I recall — there was still a vibe in the press area that Arizona would figure it out and everything would be OK. I was with the Arizona Daily Star’s reporting contingent at the game, and I remember getting together and trying to figure out our plan for a Final Four special section.
Never happened, of course.
As for today’s game against UConn, you’ve probably read it all already.
I was talking with ex-Wildcat Matt Muehlebach, the radio analyst for Arizona, a little while ago in the press room, and he was breaking down the matchup. From Arizona’s perspective, he seems concerned about UConn’s length inside; these guys are shot-blockers.
Will that be a problem for Derrick Williams? We’ll see.
Finally, Muehlebach added … all that matchup stuff goes out the window as soon as someone hits five 3-pointers in a half.
We’ll have more tidbits from before the game, and this will be our courtside spot for in-game analysis and commentary. Have your say in the comments section.
Can’t wait to see how this all turns out.