3 KEY Observations From Arizona's Final Four Loss To Michigan
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The No. 1 (West Region) Arizona Wildcats' epic run in the NCAA National Championship has come to an end, losing their Final Four matchup against the No. 1 (Midwest Region) Michigan Wolverines by a score of 91-73. Despite the loss, it was a season worth celebrating as the Wildcats made it to the Final Four for the first time in 25 years and had the best season in the program's history.
The Arizona defense had trouble with the size and physicality that Michigan brings. With 14 minutes remaining in the first half, the Wolverines jumped out to a 16-5 lead, taking advantage of costly turnovers, missed shots and an unrelenting attack in the paint. The Wildcats were forced to take a timeout because of the onslaught.
The Wildcats went on a 9-0 run to make it a 28-21 game, but that was followed by a 7-0 run by the Wolverines to go right back up to a double-digit lead. By the end of the first half, Arizona found itself down 48-32 and plenty of ground to make up.
Things did not get any better for Arizona in the second half, as Michigan jumped right back to overwhelming the Wildcats, even taking a 30-point lead. By the end of the game, Arizona's chances of making the championship were diminished. Let's take a look at three observations of what went wrong for the Wildcats in the Final Four matchup.
Wildcats Overwhelmed By Perimeter Shooting
It was a tough battle in the paint, where both teams were equal down low. By the end of the game, it was a close---. Where Arizona truly began letting the game get away from it was allowing Michigan to get open looks from beyond 3-point range, where the Wolverines were highly accurate.
By the end of the first half, Michigan went 5-for-16 compared to Arizona's 3-for-7. At the beginning of the second half, the Wolverines went 7-for-9 and finished.
Arizona's Free-Throw Shooting Was Lackluster
When the Wildcats took the floor against the Wolverines, they went right to the formula that worked all season, attacking the paint and getting to the free-throw line for easy points. While Arizona had no trouble getting to the line, it missed key shots that would have potentially kept it in the game.
Ivan Kharhchenkov and Motiejus Krivas combined for four consecutive missed shots early in the second half. By the end of the game, Arizona went 15-for-22 while Michigan went 13-for-16.
Arizona's Bigs Unable To Contain Mara
The Wildcats have thrived at chopping down the best big men that both the Big 12 and the non-conference schedule had to offer. That was not the case when Arizona met Michigan in the Final Four. Aday Mara was an absolute force that both Krivas and Tobe Awaka had trouble guarding.
By the end of the game, the 7-foot-3, 255-pound center had 26 points on 11-for-16 shooting, nine rebounds with six on the defensive end and two blocks. Krivas had a hard time stopping him and scoring off of him, something surprising from the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
Nathaniel Martinez and a set of shoulder pads at 7 years old. He later graduated from Pima Community College in 2023, where he began writing for the Pima Post. He is working to achieve a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication and Media Studies.