Campus Coverage: Arizona Wildcats fend off Weber State

By: Jacob Cavanah

The Weber State Wildcats gained some momentum against the Arizona Wildcats late in the game, but it wasn't enough to pull off the upset.

Arizona had a 21-point lead at one point, until Weber State's offense caught a rhythm late in the second half. The near 87 percent free throw shooting kept the underdog alive; Arizona's defense was too much for Weber State to overcome.

Every Weber State field goal attempt was heavily contested, and a 30 percent shooting day was a result of that.

Center Caleb Tarczewski and forward Aaron Gordon played ruthless defense throughout the entire game, each recording five blocks. Defense carried Arizona to the early round victory, but the offense was there too.

Gordon's contributions didn't stop on defense. He had 16 points and eight rebounds in his national tournament debut. Forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was perfect from the field with 13 points and had a dunk in the second half that got Arizona and its fans excited.

All-American candidate Nick Johnson started off slow but got hot when it mattered. 12 of his 18 points came from three pointers.

For Arizona to advance further into the tournament some aspects of its game are going to have to improve, like free throw shooting, but as of now head coach Sean Miller's team is advancing to the next round.