1st-half perfection as Arizona Wildcats crush Utah

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


The Arizona Wildcats showed why they are ranked No. 4 in the nation today in Las Vegas as they crushed Utah 71-39 in a quarterfinal matchup at the Pac-12 Basketball Tournament.

Arizona allowed the Utes to score just 13 points in the first half -- a Pac 12 Tournament record and then went out to win by 32 points to tie another record.

It was a picture-perfect first half as the defensive-minded Wildcats put on a clinic, allowing the Utes to score just five field goals while storming to a 34-13 advantage by halftime.

ESPN should have a field day sorting out which dunk, fast break and defensive gem to show on Sports Center tonight. Nick Johnson (14 points, three rebounds, three assists), T.J McConnell (13 points, four assists), Aaron Gordon (11 points, seven rebounds), Kaleb Tarczewski (nine points, five rebounds) and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (seven points and eight rebounds) gave all the sports networks plenty of highlights to choose from.

The Wildcats looked more like the No. 1 team in the nation by the end of the game -- not No. 4. They were that good. Arizona (29-3) will take on Colorado in the semifinals tomorrow night at 6 p.m. with a chance to win No. 30 and instill in the minds of the powers-to-be for an overall No. 1 seed in next week's NCAA Tournament.

Villanova (28-4), ranked third in the country, went down today to Seton Hall, 64-63. Top-ranked Florida (29-2) battles Missouri tomorrow and, of course, second-ranked Wichita State (34-0) has run the table and now await a first-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament.

The No. 1 overall seed may still be up in the air, but the Wildcats' will certainly be the No. 1 seed out west. So, start packing, Arizona fans. It's time for the Big Dance.