Mark Lyons goes up for two points in the second half against Ohio State. Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

LOS ANGELES — The Arizona Wildcats’ final game was classic Mark Lyons.

The senior point guard did not have an assist but he scored 23 points to cap a superb NCAA Tournament in which he made 26 of 44 shots and poured in 73 points in three games. He has three turnovers in the Thursday loss to Ohio State in the Sweet 16 — not bad against the Buckeyes’ defense.

This was Lyons’ third time playing in the Sweet 16, the first two coming at Xavier before he transferred to Arizona this season as a graduate student. He also was part of a Xavier team that reached the Sweet 16 while he redshirted as a freshman while academically ineligible.

“The only thing I regret is not getting past the Sweet 16 because I’ve been here so many times and I just feel like I can’t get over that hump,” he said.

“I played with a great bunch of guys this whole year who had a lot of faith in me, and I’m just happy they accepted me to come into their program and try to help them win.”

Lyons averaged a team-high 15.6 points per game this season.

“I don’t know if he’ll ever play in anyone’s NBA,” said UA assistant coach Book Richardson. “But I do know as talented as he is, he’ll have an opportunity to take care of himself in basketball.”

ONE MORE SWEET 16
Senior Solomon Hill has become quite familiar with the intro video at McKale Center in which former Arizona Wildcats tout the accomplishments of the program.

The video will have to be updated before next season to include the phrase “15 Sweet Sixteens” … and perhaps Hill is the man to deliver those words. He just wishes he didn’t have to speak before Derrick Williams utters “nine Elite Eights.”

Said Hill: “Yeah, that would be cool, but in the back of my mind there’s Derrick and trying to get the Final Four one after him, or possible getting that Elite Eight one, getting in a position where it’s our time to say it. That would have been pretty cool. You never want to be anything less than that.

“You talk about being on the video after Derrick, that’s greatness. But we have to settle for a Sweet 16.”

HE SAID IT
“That was about as high-powered a college basketball game as I’ve been a part of. You look at the plays the Arizona players made, the plays that the Buckeyes made. They’re up 11, we get up 10. Just a battle.” — Ohio State coach Thad Matta

IN A RHYTHM
Before LaQuinton Ross made his game-winning 3-point shot, he was 5 of 5 from the free throw line. “When you make your free throws, you’re in rhythm,” said Arizona senior Solomon Hill. “I think that’s what he was in that rhythm to knock down a three.”

TERRIFIC THOMAS
Forward Deshaun Thomas led Ohio state with 20 points, making 7 of 14 shots from the field, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range. He was, as expected, the most gifted offensive player on the court, looking like the All-American he is.

“He’s a natural scorer,” said Hill, who drew the primary defensive assignment. “He doesn’t need to dribble the ball to score.”

HI, LUTE!
The Arizona pep band dusted off an old tradition, yelling, “Hi, Lute!” as former Arizona head coach Lute Olson made his way to his seats about a dozen rows up opposite the teams’ benches. Olson responded to the band’s waves.

To the fans thank you, to my teammates and especially to my seniors, thank you for everything, I couldn’t of asked for a better year

— Grant Jerrett (@grant_jerrett) March 29, 2013

LaQuinton Ross hits the game-winning shot. Photo by Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

LOS ANGELES — This is the way it ends. This is the way it always ends when you’re not cutting down the nets. In a quiet locker room, elbows on your knees, hands on your head, eyes becoming red.

The end hit the Arizona Wildcats suddenly on Thursday night, with a 3-point shot like a dagger from Ohio State’s LaQuinton Ross with 2.1 seconds left. From 11 points up, to 10 points down, to a tie game on the final possession … to heartbreak.

And so Grant Jerrett sat in the Los Angeles Kings locker room at Staples Center, white towel covering his face, hands on his head, struck by the finality of a 73-70 loss to Ohio State in the Sweet 16. Fellow freshman post player Kaleb Tarczewski spoke to Jerrett’s right. The team’s other freshman post, Brandon Ashley, conducted interviews to his left.

For nearly 20 minutes, Jerrett barely moved. How many times he must have replayed the final, fateful play.

“No one died,” he said, when he finally lifted the towel and spoke to reporters for a couple of minutes, “but when you play basketball and you really love it, it hurts a lot.”

Ohio State’s Aaron Craft, who pulled up for the game-winning 3-point shot against Iowa State on Sunday, had the ball, alone up top, after Mark Lyons had tied the game at 70 with a three-point play with 21.8 seconds left. Nick Johnson was guarding Craft, looking around for screens, seconds ticking away.

With about six seconds left, Craft made a move, dribbling to his right. Ross, guarded by Jerrett, set a screen. Kind of. And that’s when the defensive breakdown happened.

To that point, Arizona had been switching on every screen.

“I felt he didn’t really set the screen,” Johnson said. “He set a lousy, little screen. I felt like I got over it pretty easily.”

Jarrett made an initial move to switch to Craft as Ross rolled off the screen (non-screen) into open space behind the 3-point arc on the left side of the court. Craft whipped a pass back to him and Jarrett couldn’t recover, even fully extended as Ross rose and released and splashed the ball through the net. Jarrett’s body went limp as the game-winner found a home.

“Honestly,” Jarrett said, “I’ll take the blame for it.”

The communication error helped Ohio State end a thrilling tug-of-war between two college basketball powers exchanging haymakers for 40 minutes. The Wildcats, looking every inch of a Final Four team, surged to a 33-22 lead, before going scoreless for 7 minutes, 23 seconds spanning halftime.

Ohio State led by 53-43 with 11:02 left after a 31-10 run.

“They came out in the second half and smacked us right in the face,” said Arizona senior Kevin Parrom said. “We responded kind late and that’s the game.”

It would have been had Solomon Hill not played with the ferocity of a senior not wanting to see his career end — he scored nine consecutive points for the Wildcats in the second half — and if Lyons hadn’t been clutch. He scored seven points in the final 80 seconds.

It was all prelude to another shining moment for Ohio State, the Ross Shot that followed the Craft Shot against Iowa State.

“Players make big plays. Teams make big plays,” Arizona coach Sean Miller said.

“The pressure of the moment, the Sweet 16, going to the Elite Eight, two guys go on one. Whether he made the shot or not, I think we all live with it when it’s challenged and we do what we’re supposed to do. But part of the reason he had such a great look at the end, there were two guys who went with the ball.”

Arizona ends at 27-8, so close to a game against ninth-seeded Wichita State with a spot in the Final Four on the line. The Wildcats, who rose to No. 3 in the polls with a 14-0 start before scuffling through part of the conference play, were playing their best at the end of the season.

That’s what you want, right? It was a 50-50 game against Ohio State, neither team perfect, but each able to think that it should leave the arena victorious. In defeat, Miller’s message to the team was this: Hold your heads high.

“I couldn’t be prouder of our team,” Miller said. “I leave this season with no regrets.”

But the Wildcats do leave. This is the way it ends.

Grant Jerrett reacts after Arizona’s final desperation pass was knocked away. Photo by Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Sean Miller has cause to tout the Pac-12. Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

SALT LAKE CITY — The Pac-12 can take a bow on the opening day of the NCAA Tournament.

The league, generally thought to be under-seeded in the tourney, went 3-0 on Thursday. Oregon, egregiously seeded at No. 12, upset No. 5 Oklahoma State. Cal, another 12 seed, knocked off No. 5 UNLV.

And the Wildcats took care of business with their win over 11th-seeded Belmont.

“It’s a statement that all of us who coach in the league were hoping that we could make,” Arizona coach Sean Miller said. “You get respect by what you do in this tournament.

“I know as a coach how hard that 18 game schedule was. You’re playing against terrific players, some incredible coaches, and teams that can win. And I believe we have the ability as a conference to continue to win here in March.”

Cal coach Mike Montgomery, in his postgame press conference from San Jose, stuck a similar tone.

“I can’t imagine there being a better conference than the Pac-12, across the board, all sports, the whole way we approach the thing,” he said. “For me to say that means nothing, you’ve got to go out and win games.”

The league gets two more chances Friday, with No. 6 UCLA taking on No. 11 Minnesota, and No. 10 Colorado going up against No. 7 Illinois.

UNSWEET T
Arizona’s Solomon Hill was hit with a technical foul with 16:46 to go in the first half, three seconds after hitting a 3-pointer. He clapped his hands as he turned and headed down court, and seemed as surprised as anyone when the technical was called.

“You can’t say anything. It kind of sucks the life out of basketball a little bit,” he said.

“It’s not like I disrespected the player or the coach. I was just hyped up for the game. Things like that happen and now I know better.”

Yeah, but what did he say?

“Nothing. I didn’t say anything,” he said.

It was suggested to him that it looked like he did nothing more than the clapping.

“Exactly. We’re on the same page,” he said.

Miller, who was baffled by his own technical foul last week against UCLA, said he wasn’t disappointed in Hill.

“I don’t think he did it intentionally. He was emotionally charged up. That was the first shot that he made,” Miller said.

“He may have turned and said something after the shot. This is a tournament where you have to dot your I’s, cross your T’s and be on it. I’m sure he learned his lesson.”

SORRY, PREZ
It was a good conversation piece in the Arizona locker room when President Obama on Wednesday picked Belmont to upset the Wildcats in his bracket. UA won and so gets the last word.

“He’s just another person who has a busted bracket,” Hill said.

If all the chatter about Arizona being an upset victim worked to help motivate the team, even a tiny bit, then all the better.

Mark Lyons just shrugged.

“You have to pick your upset somewhere, so why not start with us or any other team,” he said.

“They’re not Miss Cleo or anything like that. They can’t determine what really is going to happen. They’re just doing their job. If they’re not talking, they’re not doing their job.”

GET SOME REST
Arizona didn’t know its Saturday opponent as it sat in its postgame locker room — Harvard as it turns out at 3:10 p.m. Tucson time — but it didn’t matter to Kevin Parrom. He already knew his routine.

“Get rested, off our feet. I’m the veteran; I know this stuff,” he said.

“Straight to my bed. I’m not even going to turn my TV on. Mark (Lyons) is my roommate. I told him we a rule — we don’t want games, we don’t turn the TV on, nothing. We just go back to the room, watch film, sleep.”

PLENTY OFFENSIVE
The Arizona Wildcats were called for six offensive fouls in the first half, but Mount Miller kept his cool over the series of calls that didn’t go his team’s way.

“That’s on us,” guard Nick Johnson said of the offensive fouls.

“We knew that they were scrappy, knew that they played hard and everything. They really jumped out at us. We adjusted a little bit in the second half, maybe jumped around them a little bit or make the extra pass, and it all worked out.”

Solomon Hill answers a question at a press conference Wednesday afternoon in Salt Lake City. Photo by Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

SALT LAKE CITY — President Barack Obama filled out his NCAA Tournament bracket on ESPN for the fifth consecutive season, and one of his early upset picks is Belmont over Arizona.

“They’re small,” Obama said of the Bruins, “but they shoot lights out.”

The general response of Arizona’s players: Whatever.

“He’s lost Arizona in the last two elections, so he probably has it out for us a little,” said senior Solomon Hill. “It really doesn’t matter to me.”

Belmont has been a trendy upset pick, so if that serves as an iota of extra motivation, so be it.

Guard Nick Johnson, asked if he cared about the president’s pick, said: “Can’t say that I do. I definitely would have liked him to pick us, but we just have to go out there and play our game and prove him wrong.”

Sixth-seeded Arizona plays No. 11 seed Belmont in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday at 4:20 p.m. Tucson time.

Obama picked Florida, Indiana, Louisville, and Ohio State to make his Final Four, with Indiana winning it all.

Last season, he tabbed North Carolina as the champ, but the Tar Heels lost in a regional final.

“I don’t think his bracket has really worked out for him,” Hill said.

Solomon Hill has struggled with his 3-point shot in the past 10 games. Photo by Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Arizona plays Belmont in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday — a game that shows up on many “upset watch” lists — and here are 20 numbers to help get you ready:

0 — All-time victories, in five tries, in the NCAA Tournament for Belmont.

0.7 — Percent chance of the Arizona Wildcats winning the NCAA championship, as determined by Nate Silver at his blog on the New York Times website. So you’re telling me there’s a chance.

1 — Number of eligible players for Belmont taller than 6-7 (and 6-11 Chad Lang barely plays). Arizona has four players taller than 6-7 and could — should — come away with a double-digit rebounding edge. “We have a great chance against them, especially with our height and our ability to rebound the ball,” said Arizona senior Solomon Hill.

3 – Former Arizona players in the NCAA Tournament: Iona senior guard Momo Jones, Kansas senior center Jeff Withey and Colorado State sophomore guard Daniel Bejarano.

4 — Losses in five tries when Arizona plays on March 21, the date of its NCAA tourney opener against Belmont.

6 – Appearances in the NCAA Tournament for Belmont in the past eight seasons, the same as Arizona.

9 — Number of CBS experts, out of 12, who pick the Wildcats to beat Belmont. Three of the 12 predict the Cats to win twice in the tourney. The most bullish is UA alum Jeff Goodman, whose bracket has Arizona going to the regional final to face Gonzaga. Goodman, though, in a CBSSports.com video contradicts himself when he says he’s not a believer in Arizona. “What I need is good point guard play,” he said. “That’s as important as anything to me in filling out my bracket. Arizona does not have that point guard, which is why I think Belmont could easily pull the upset in this one.”

9.2 — Average seeding of the five Pac-12 teams in the NCAA Tournament. The Mountain West’s five team average a 7.2 seed. Cal vs. UNLV in the first round could be for some conference bragging rights, and the passionate fans of UA and New Mexico could blow the roof off EnergySolutions Arena if those teams advance to meet on Saturday.

17.4 — Turnovers forced per game by Belmont, which averages 9.8 steals, sixth-best in the country. Said former Arizona guard and current TV analyst Miles Simon on Doug Gottlieb’s radio show: “They get a lot of turnovers and steals, and we’re well aware Arizona’s biggest question mark has been at the point guard spot. It should be a very worrisome game for the Wildcats.”

28.9 – Combined 3-point shooting percentage of Mark Lyons and Solomon Hill in the past 10 games, as Arizona went just 5-5 down the stretch. They are UA’s most prolific 3-point shooters … and they’re in a shooting slump at the wrong time.

41 — Margin of victory for Sean Miller’s Xavier team when it took on Rick Byrd’s Belmont team on Dec. 1, 2007 (the score was 90-49). “I have coached against Belmont; they have one of the best coaches in college basketball, and he’s been at it a long time,” Miller said. “They are not just a good team, but a great program. We have the ultimate respect for them.”

44 — Victories for Arizona in the NCAA Tournament since 1985, tied for the fifth-most in the nation since 1985. Duke leads with 79. UCLA is next among Pac-12 schools with 40.

46 – Belmont’s spot in the ratings of basketball efficiency expert Ken Pomeroy, putting the Bruins in the company of Oregon (No. 43), UCLA (No. 44), Villanova (No. 45), Kentucky (No. 47) and Stanford (No. 48). Based on that, looks like Belmont could have been a player in the Pac-12 regular-season race.

46.3 — 3-point shooting percentage of Belmont guard Ian Clark, who ranks first in the nation in that category. He has made 99 of 214 attempts from behind the arc … so we know who Arizona guard Nick Johnson has been studying in film preparation this week.

49.4 — Belmont’s shooting percentage, which ranks fourth in the country. The Bruins make 38.6 percent of their 3-point attempts and have long been known for decades for their prowess behind the arc. “Their frontcourt players can really shoot the ball and put you in those compromising positions,” Miller said. “It’s really what I’ve said since October: It’s so important to defend the 3-point shot. At times, it’s done us in, and the monster we’re dealing with in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament is that very thing.”

136 — Career games played by Arizona’s Solomon Hill. If he and the Wildcats make it to the Elite Eight, he will pass Kyle Fogg (139) on UA’s list for games played. “I see guys like Solomon, Mark (Lyons) and Kevin (Parrom), who are one loss away to end their collegiate careers,” Miller said. “It is the greatest motivating factor for any team and coach.”

276 — Where Arizona ranks nationally in 3-point defense, allowing opponents to hit 36.0 percent. Belmont likes to play fast and get 3-pointers in transition; otherwise, the Bruins could have a difficult time against UA’s length in the half-court game.

$25,000 — Bonus Miller would earn by beating Belmont and advancing to the Round of 32.

$25,000 – Fine assessed to Miller from the Pac-12 for inappropriate conduct toward game and league officials after the loss to UCLA in the conference tournament semifinals on Friday.

$40,000 — Bonus earned by Miller one day earlier for reaching 25 victories in a season.

Solomon Hill is one of the Pac-12′s top all-around players. Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Arizona seniors Solomon Hill and Mark Lyons were selected first-team All-Pac-12 in a vote of league coaches, the conference announced Monday.

Ten players are selected to the first team; five to a second team.

Arizona sophomore guard Nick Johnson earned honorable mention honors to the all-defensive team. Center Kaleb Tarczewski was honorable mention to the all-freshman team.

Lyons is averaging a team-high 14.9 points and 2.97 assists per game.

Hill, earning a first-team nod for the second consecutive season, is averaging 13.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He’s the Cats’ second-leading 3-point shooter, making 38.4 percent (48 of 125).

Here is a look at the Pac-12 postseason awards:

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Allen Crabbe, California
CO-FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Jahii Carson, Arizona State; Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: André Roberson, Colorado
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Dwight Powell, Stanford
JOHN WOODEN COACH OF THE YEAR: Dana Altman, Oregon

FIRST TEAM
G Jahii Carson, ASU, Fr.
G Allen Crabbe, Cal, Jr.
G Spencer Dinwiddie, Colorado, So.
G Larry Drew II, UCLA, Sr.
F Solomon Hill, Arizona, Sr.
G Mark Lyons, Arizona, Sr.
G/F Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA, Fr.
F Dwight Powell, Stanford, Jr.
F André Roberson, Colorado, Jr.
F E.J. Singler, Oregon, Sr.

SECOND TEAM
G/F Kyle Anderson, UCLA, Fr.
G Justin Cobbs, Cal, Jr.
G/F Carrick Felix, ASU, Sr.
F Brock Motum, WSU, Sr.
G C.J. Wilcox, Washington, Jr.

Honorable Mention (receiving at least three votes): Jio Fontan (USC, Sr., G), Arsalan Kazemi (ORE, Sr., F), Roberto Nelson (OSU, Jr., G), Jason Washburn (UTAH, Sr., C), Eric Wise (USC, Sr., F).

PAC-12 ALL-FRESHMEN TEAM

G/F Kyle Anderson, UCLA
G Jahii Carson, ASU
G Damyean Dotson, Oregon
G/F Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA
F Josh Scott, Colorado

Honorable Mention (receiving at least three votes): Jordan Adams (UCLA, G), Kaleb Tarczewski (ARIZ, C).

PAC-12 ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM

C Jordan Bachynski, ASU, Jr.
G/F Carrick Felix, ASU, Sr.
F Josh Huestis, Stanford, Jr.
F Arsalan Kazemi, Oregon, Sr.
F André Roberson, Colorado, Jr.

Honorable Mention (receiving at least three votes): Nick Johnson (ARIZ, So., G), Eric Moreland (OSU, So., F)

Nick Johnson scored all 12 of his points in the second half. Photo by Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

This was the team that beat Florida, that beat Miami, that beat San Diego State, that was ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation.

The Arizona Wildcats, after a sleepy opening 12 minutes, ran Washington out of McKale Center on Wednesday night, winning 70-52 and showing all the pieces that can make them dangerous in March.

The 3-point defense wasn’t “pathetic” — which is the word coach Sean Miller repeatedly used Tuesday in describing his team’s recent effort in that area.

The Cats didn’t back-slide in the second half, another Miller criticism.

They were physical, out-rebounding Washington by six.

They got scoring punch and balance from several players.

They didn’t have to deal with any drama … and, man, was that nice.

“It was a fun game,” said senior forward Solomon Hill, who led Arizona with 19 points, 14 of which came in the first half. “One thing we talked about before the game was to have fun. I think we had gotten away from that.”

Fun. Miller also used that word. But in a different sense. As is “it’s not fun” to play the kind of defense Arizona absolutely needs to play for a full 40 minutes. That’s what it is going to take for the Wildcats to feel as good as they felt Wednesday night.

The fun Arizona had on offense, especially in terms of scoring in transition, isn’t possible without first getting defensive stops.

Arizona stopped Washington plenty of times. The Huskies shot 30.8 percent (20 of 65) and made just 1 of 11 3-point attempts.

“It all starts for us on the defensive end,” Miller said. “We have to be a team that is hard to score against. We’re vulnerable if we aren’t, because that’s our strength. …

“I know most of the world has forgotten that we beat both Florida and Miami, but we haven’t. The reason we were able to beat teams of that caliber was because of our defense, not our offense. If we’re going to be good in March, or finish this deal off like we want to, this defense has to be in place from start to finish.”

Arizona (22-4 overall, 10-4 Pac-12) didn’t find its way until there were about 8 minutes left in the first half. The Cats trailed 13-8 when Mark Lyons hit two free throws, igniting a stretch in which he scored 10 consecutive points for Arizona in 90 seconds.

By the time he was done, hitting a 3-pointer with 6:37 to go in the half, Arizona led 18-16. The Cats led by eight at halftime and zoomed away from the Huskies after the break.

Arizona started the game by shooting 3 of 15 from the field. It went 21 of 36 the rest of the way.

“I thought we played probably the best 28, 30 minutes that we played all season long,” Miller said.

Arizona had played 13 conference games before Wednesday night, with only a couple in the bag in the final stretch. A game like this against the Huskies is what the Wildcats needed.

“When you’re the hunted like we are and you’re trying to compete for a conference championship, there’s a lot of pressure on you constantly, just not on game night but in practice. That pressure can really wear on a player, wear on a team,” Miller said.

“It can beat you down being in close games. We’ve been in so many that every once in a while to be in the situation we were in tonight helps you. It helps you moving forward with confidence.”

Lyons and Hill carried the scoring load early in the game, and then Nick Johnson sparked the offense in the second half. He had a stretch in which he scored nine points in a row for Arizona, scoring twice on fast breaks with assists from Lyons.

When Johnson finished his run with another fast-break layup, Arizona led 49-29 with 13:42 to go. Washington trimmed the lead to 14 but was never a serious threat late in the game.

Lyons finished with 14 points, playing only 21 minutes because of second-half foul trouble and an eventual disqualification with 6:55 to go. Johnson scored 12. Freshmen post players Kaleb Tarczewski and Brandon Ashley each had 10.

Hill said it was the team’s best performance since beating USC at home 74-50 on Jan. 26.

“That was a game that was comfortable,” he said.

“Any game we’ve won, it’s always been a fight. It’s good to get a great win like this in front of your home crowd, a place where we’ve dropped two. It’s something we want to change. You don’t want to lose in front of your home crowd.

“I wouldn’t say it’s OK to lose on the road, but protecting home is always key to winning the Pac-12 championship.”

Arizona is only a half-game behind Oregon in the race for that regular-season league title, and Wednesday’s night win looks like a potential catalyst toward a big finish.

Just have more fun.

“I think our guys have been very consistent,” Miller said. “I don’t think they have approached any game as not being fun. It’s never fun to lose, but it’s not as if we’ve lost a whole lot this year. …

“There’s the fine line between pushing and working and also enjoying what we’re doing. We try to balance it as much as possible, and I think we’re in a good place right now in that light.”

Sean Miller is especially questioning his team’s defense of late. Photo by Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Arizona Wildcats coach Sean Miller isn’t one to panic. At least publicly.

His summation Thursday night of the state of the team — “20-4,” he said succinctly — serves both as an affirmation of Arizona’s success and as a shield to criticism.

Hard to argue with the record, right?

But this hardly seems like a time to be yelling, “Scoreboard!”

The ninth-ranked Wildcats have lost two in a row — at home to Cal and Thursday night’s game at Colorado, 71-58 — and haven’t looked good in the process.

The Bears outscored Arizona 17-2 at the start of the second half and led by double digits.

The Buffs outscored UA 20-4 during a 9 minute, 41 second stretch that spanned halftime and led by as many as 15.

“We played hard,” Miller said in his postgame press conference Thursday. “It wasn’t as if I was yelling at our guys to play harder.”

Arizona is still a nicely constructed team, blending size and athleticism, experience and youth. Add a dash of moxie and energy, and sprinkle in some luck, and the Wildcats can be the team that emerged with a 12-0 non-conference record, beating Florida, Miami and San Diego State.

But nothing on the Wildcats is such a strength that they can afford to be off on another part of their game.

A couple of key issues:

–Arizona has become a passive jump-shooting team that, 24 games into the season, continues to launch quick 3-pointers in a possession. The Cats average 21.3 3-point attempts in conference play, the second-highest mark in the league.

On Thursday night, Mark Lyons ended CU’s 20-4 run with a 3-pointer and then, emboldened by the make, came down on the next possession and swiftly heaved a shot from Steve Kerr-land. Lyons is no Steve Kerr. Too often, that is a microcosm of the offense.

Almost half of the shots from Lyons, Solomon Hill and Kevin Parrom have been 3-point attempts (310 of 655, 47.3 percent). That is well beyond their career standards and too high for players of their driving ability. They are making 37.1 percent of their 3-point shots, which is good, but the entire team has slipped here in conference play and more selectivity is needed.

Arizona has failed to reach 60 points twice in the past five games. It is now being out-shot in conference games (42.8 percent to 42.1 percent). Too many jump shots.

–Defense. Arizona has trouble guarding guys who are 6-6. Oregon’s E.J. Singler. UCLA’s Shabazz Muhammad. Cal’s Allen Crabbe. Colorado’s Spencer Dinwiddie. Those are the four guys who are most responsible for UA’s four losses. UA’s best perimeter defense, Nick Johnson, is 6-3.

Arizona allowed Cal to shoot 65.2 percent in the second half on Sunday. The Cats gave up 59.1 percent shooting in the second half to Colorado. Crabbe and Dinwiddie each scored 19 points in the second half to thwart any UA comeback attempts.

Perhaps the good news is it has taken a couple of epic efforts to bring down the Cats.

“Our defense has been what has gotten us to this point,” Miller said Thursday night. “If you look at tonight or against Cal, our last two losses, our defense has had a hard time getting stops. We really have. Some of it is very good play by the other team and some of it is us.”

It could be just a bump, or two, in the road. No team in the country this season is immune. But, right now, the 20-4 record — boosted by a couple of great escapes — isn’t as soothing as it should be.

“It’s never as bad as its seems and the sky isn’t falling,” Miller said. “For all I know we can go to Utah, play a great game, then we have two home games after that and we get back on track.”

Allen Crabbe hit 12 of 15 shots in the best offensive performance against Arizona this season. Photo by Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

Allen Crabbe’s last basket was like most of his other 29 points: A thing of beauty.

With Arizona having climbed back within 71-69 on a 3-point shot by Mark Lyons with 2:02 to go, McKale Center rocking, eager to see another comeback from the Cardiac Cats, Crabbe answered with the play of the game.

He had the ball near the top of the key, and dribbled right. Arizona’s Solomon Hill was erased on a screen, leaving the defensive assignment to 6-10 freshman Grant Jerrett. Crabbe took the ball to the baseline, elevated, hung in the air, and put up a contested floater over Jerrett.

The ball took a bounce off the rim … and fell in.

It was that kind of night for Crabbe.

Arizona, now trailing by two possessions, missed three shots near the rim on its next possession, followed by Justin Cobbs going the other way for a layup. No McKale miracles for Arizona. Cal squashed the comeback attempt and won 77-69 in a game in which Crabbe scored 31 points and made 12 of 15 shots.

“Allen Crabbe is a great player,” Arizona coach Sean Miller said.

“It wasn’t even close how much he dominated the game and the activity. He is truly a great player. Today, I think he showed everyone in a performance like that how special he is. We had no answer for him.”

Arizona’s perimeter stopper, Nick Johnson, tried. But he was giving up three inches to the 6-6 Crabbe and wasn’t up to the task. Hill had his turns, too. Arizona usually switches on screens and handoffs, so several Cats had their chance against Crabbe, who entered the game leading the Pac-12 with a scoring average of 19.3 points per game.

But he had never had a conference performance like this.

Crabbe made 3-pointers right in Johnson’s face, including one that barely beat the shot clock. He had a four-point play one time when Johnson fouled him on a shot from behind the arc. Crabbe turned in a key basket at the end of the first half, scoring with one second left on a fast-break layup after a steal to trim Cal’s halftime deficit to 38-33.

Arizona had been looking to end the half with a nine- or 10-point lead.

Cal carried the momentum through the break, starting the second half on a 17-2 run in which Crabbe scored 11 points.

“I don’t know how to explain this feeling. It’s wonderful,” Crabbe said.

“To come in and play a No. 7-ranked team in front of a sold-out crowd and upset them out of nowhere is something. Arizona is the only team I haven’t beaten in the Pac-12, and to do it here in their house is a great feeling.

“I can’t think of any other moment in my college memory that felt this great.”

His 31 points were the most by a UA opponent this season. The previous high was 24 by Stanford’s Dwight Powell on Wednesday night.

“He played tremendously well tonight,” said Cobbs, who added 21 points.

“The team fed off him and his energy. He played with confidence and he’s tough to stop. When he gets aggressive and sets his mind to score, he’s unstoppable.”

Crabbe and Cobbs combined to make 20 of 29 shots. Cal shot 58.8 percent (30 of 51).

“I tell you 30 of 51 is about as big of a punch as you can take,” Miller said. “They played the best against our defense as any team has played this season.”

Hill and Kevin Parrom talked about how they should have asked to take on a bigger defensive role against Crabbe because of their superior size to Johnson. Maybe that would have helped. Maybe not.

“Nick has done an outstanding job all season as our go-to defender,” Miller said.

“He ran into a player tonight who made some really tough shots. Allen is taller; certainly his size advantage helped. But if you watch the game closely … we switched quite a bit.

“It didn’t matter. He also got a lot of points in transition. He scored off backdoor cuts. He just did a fantastic job.”

When Solomon Hill strikes a pose on a 3-pointer these days, it has about a 50-50 chance of going in. Photo by Chris Morrison-USA TODAY SPORTS

Solomon Hill had the ball on the wing, his feet planted behind the 3-point arc. His defender backed away.

Hill heard the voice inside his head:

Don’t shoot it, don’t shoot it … well, OK, maybe I should shoot it. You know, I’m open. Shouldn’t I take an open 3? Yeah. Of course, I should. That’s it. OK, I’m shooting this thing. Ready? I’m really going to shoot this. Yep. Here goes …

Clank.

That could have been a scenario anytime from Hill’s first two-and-a-half seasons with the Arizona Wildcats. Opponents dared him to shoot. He was neither a good nor confident 3-point shooter, and, for Hill, one has a lot to do with the other.

And then a year ago, right around this time of the season, practice habits finally intersected with success, which bred confidence, and, seemingly almost overnight, Hill became a shooting star.

Here’s the proof:

Before Jan. 14, 2012: Hill was 31 of 106 from 3-point range (29.2 percent)

Since then: 56 of 120 (46.7 percent).

“It’s mental,” said the 6-6 senior forward.

“Once I stopped thinking about it and started shooting it because I knew I could make it, that’s when it started going in. I think I used to second-guess myself, with just the way they played defense on me, backing off.

“I would take the shot just because I was open, not because I was thinking I was going to make the shot. Now, it’s like, ‘If you leave me open, I’m going to make the shot.’”

Hill leads the seventh-ranked Wildcats in 3-point shooting this season, hitting 44.6 percent, as they head off to Saturday’s rivalry game at Arizona State (12:30 p.m., Fox Sports Net). While Nick Johnson was Arizona’s non-conference MVP, Hill has established himself, as expected, as the team’s best, most consistent, most versatile player through four conference games.

Hill is averaging 16.5 points, a team-high 6.5 rebounds and has made 12 of 18 3-points in conference play this season.

“The start that he had through four conference games has really offset some poor shooting by some of our other key shooters,” said Arizona coach Sean Miller.

Hill made four 3-pointers as a freshman, 17 as a sophomore, 37 in his junior year and is on pace for about 60.

“First of all, he deserves the credit because that doesn’t happen unless the player invests a ton of time,” Miller said. “Not only during the season, but, most of the time, outside of the season, which he has done. He deserves a ton of credit.

“Same thing if you look at his body,” Miller added. “As a freshman, we were constantly on him to lose weight in a productive way — less body fat. That wasn’t easy for him because he has a strong body. But he’s done it.

“If you look at physically how he is right now … he runs better, he jumps better, he’s more active than he has ever been. That might be even more hard to do than become a good shooter.”

Hill will have to be at his best against Arizona State senior Carrick Felix, one of the most improved players in the conference on both ends of the court.

“Right now, I don’t know if there’s a guy that’s playing better defense anywhere,” ASU coach Herb Sendek said in his weekly news conference Wednesday. “He was a good defender (last season). He’s even a better defender now.”

Hill is coming off a game in which he made five 3-pointers in a win at Oregon State.

The “no, no, no” inside his head has changed to “go, go, go” when he gets a good look from 3-point range, even if defenders no longer willingly give him the space to launch.

Here is one more stat: Hill is shooting a Steve Kerr-esque 53.7 percent from behind the arc in his past 21 conference games, including the 2012 Pac-12 tournament.

“I have been an admirer of Solomon Hill,” Sendek said.

“I thought even before this, his senior year, he was one of the best players in our conference, and he hasn’t skipped a beat. I just think he is versatile and tough. He is a really hard matchup. I don’t think it is a stretch to say he is undeniably one of the best players in college basketball.”