Derrick Williams carried Arizona in the first half, keeping the Wildcats in the game against Duke. His teammates returned the favor in the final 20 minutes with an offensive barrage that stunned the defending national champions.
Williams scored 25 of his career-high 32 points in the first half of Arizona's 93-77 victory Thursday night, helping the Wildcats reach the final eight for the first time since 2005.
"As a team, we came together and willed ourselves to win," said Lamont Jones, who added 16 points. "Derrick is a great player, but we all contribute."
The top-seeded Blue Devils (32-5) were sent packing from a regional semifinal for the second time in three years. Coach Mike Krzyzewski, with 900 wins, will have to wait until next season to resume his pursuit of Bob Knight's record as the winningest men's coach in Division I history.
"The tournament is cruel," Krzyzewski said. "It's an abrupt end for everybody when you don't win."
Solomon Hill added 13 points for the Wildcats, who shot 54 percent and made 9 of 15 3-pointers, including five by Williams.
Williams had 13 rebounds to help his team dominate the boards, 40-27, while playing 15 minutes from his hometown of La Mirada.
"It makes me feel great," he said. "If we win this game on Saturday, we'll be known as one of the greatest Arizona teams to play."
No comments:
Post a Comment