Arizona Wildcats (82) and the Iowa State Cyclones (80) left Kansas City with records of 0-0 in this Conference Tournaments bracket, and the night at T-Mobile Center turned on a 82-80 finish.
First half
The Iowa State Cyclones opened with 43 first-half points while the Arizona Wildcats answered with 37 in the opening half.
The Clones hit 14 3-point field goals on 45 percent shooting from deep to set the early tone.
The Cats stayed attached by shooting 55 percent from the field and logging 19 assists for the game.
The Wildcats forced 11 turnovers and turned them into 12 points off turnovers as the margin stayed within reach.
Second half
The Arizona Wildcats scored 45 after halftime, and that surge flipped a game that featured 5 lead changes and 3 ties.
The Cats leaned on a 38-point paint output, and that interior production came on 70 percent finishing on paint attempts.
Arizona’s bench produced 36 points, while Iowa State’s bench totaled 3, and that gap shaped the comeback arc.
The Wildcats added 9 steals and 4 blocks, and that activity helped cover 12 total turnovers.
Closing stretch
Arizona Wildcats vs Iowa State Cyclones final score reflected how tight it stayed on a neutral floor with a 12-point biggest lead for Iowa State and a 5-point biggest lead for Arizona.
The Wildcats made 10 free throws on 62 percent at the line, while the Cyclones went 4-for-8 for 50 percent.
Iowa State finished at 47 percent overall and scored 13 fast-break points, while Arizona posted 3 fast-break points and relied on half-court efficiency.
The Cyclones collected 34 rebounds and 14 second-chance points, and Arizona countered with 33 rebounds and 7 second-chance points.
Key Wildcats numbers
Anthony Dell'Orso’s previous-game line of 26 points on 71 percent shooting fit the shot-making profile Arizona needed in a 2-point semifinal margin.
Jaden Bradley’s previous-game 7 assists with 0 turnovers matched an Arizona night that produced a 1.58 assist-to-turnover ratio as a team.
Ivan Kharchenkov’s previous-game 17 points and 5 assists aligned with the Wildcats getting 19 assists and 32 made field goals in this win.
Tobe Awaka’s previous-game 10 rebounds tracked with Arizona grabbing 11 offensive rebounds and generating 7 second-chance points.
What it means
The Arizona Wildcats vs Iowa State Cyclones full match report starts with Arizona’s 63 true shooting percent and ends with Iowa State’s 58 effective field goal percent keeping it to 1 possession.
Arizona Wildcats vs Iowa State Cyclones final thoughts center on Kansas City’s 7:00 PM EDT tip on ESPN and a result that came with 19,450 in attendance.
Arizona Wildcats post-game interviews can revisit how Arizona’s 8 made 3-pointers on 50 percent contrasted Iowa State’s 31 attempts from deep.
Run it back by sharing this recap with other U of A fans and pass the link along to keep the conversation moving.
