Arizona cruises past Texas Southern to win NCAA tournament opener

Not long after No. 14 UAB upset No. 3 Iowa State in the South, the West’s No. 2 Arizona took a 54-33 lead into halftime vs. No. 15 Texas Southern.

And it wasn’t even that close.

The Wildcats, the Pac-12 regular season and tournament champions, opened the game on a 15-2 run en route to a 93-72 blowout win on Thursday in Portland. Their 54 first-half points were the most they'd scored in the opening 20 minutes all season. At that point, even SI’s Seth Davis felt like the game was over.

Arizona. Sharpie.
— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) March 19, 2015

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Arizona shot 69 percent (20-for-29) from the floor in the first half and finished the game at 60 percent (32-for-53). Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led the way with a career-high 23 points to go with 10 rebounds, and all five Wildcats starters scored in double figures. Freshman phenom Stanley Johnson dropped 22 on 8-for-11 shooting, Brandon Ashley scored 14, Kaleb Tarczewski added 13 and T.J. McConnell chipped in 12.

Box Score: Arizona 93, Texas Southern 72

Texas Southern, which won the SWAC, shot well, making 47% of its field goal attempts and scored 72 points against a team that averages giving up only 59 all season. Arizona dominated the paint, however, winning the rebounding margin 35-19.

Arizona will play the winner of No. 7 VCU and No. 10 Ohio State in the Round of 32.

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