Wildcats will their way to the Elite 8

Arizona Wildcats Basketball


It was San Diego State's game to win.

The Aztecs 69-year-old coach Steve Fisher had it all figured out. Fisher had a plan in place to knock off the top seed in the NCAA West Region -- and he got a big boost when Arizona's best player fails to make a bucket for 37 minutes.

What Fisher hadn't counted on was the final two minutes and 45 seconds as Nick Johnson, who had been 0 for 10 from the field, scores 15 of Arizona's final 16 points and the Wildcats hung on for a 70-64 win in Anaheim tonight to advance to the Elite 8 in the NCAA Tournament and a showdown with the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday in the West Region Final in Anaheim.

On a night when UCLA falls to Florida and Stanford falls to Dayton, Arizona and its coach, Sean Miller, survives to play another day -- now one win away from the Final Four! The Bruins are gone and the Stanford Cardinal can pack it up and head home, but not the WILDCATS!

The Wisconsin Badgers and the Arizona Wildcats. It should be a dandy, but could the game be as good as tonight's game which saw the aggressive Aztecs come out firing on all cylinders -- rebounding, hustling and making key baskets en route to a 32-28 halftime lead.

In the second half, Arizona fought back with an outstanding defensive effort to go along with Johnson's offensive spurt which included a lay-in, a three-pointer and 10 free throws! The Wildcats outscored the Aztecs 42-32 in the final 20 minutes as Aaron Gordon and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson contributed 15 points apiece, while point guard  T.J. McConnell, pressured all night by the Aztecs, finished with 11 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Arizona (33-4) found a way to take down the fourth-seeded Aztecs (31-5), a team that played like a No. 1 seed for 37 minutes and 15 seconds. Unfortunately, for the Aztecs, the buzzer didn't sound until 40 minutes were exhausted on the clock.

Speaking of being exhausted. It's time for bed.

Way to go, Wildcats!