The Wildcats got away despite the heroics of TCU’s Eddie Lampkin Jr., who scored 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting along with 14 rebounds. Chuck O’Bannon scored a team-high 23 points in the loss.
Bennedict Mathurin and Christian Koloko combined for 58 points, including all 10 of their team’s overtime points to help No. 1 seed Arizona past No. 9 TCU 85-80 in overtime of the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night in San Diego. Mathurin scored 30 points, including a monster dunk and three pointer to force overtime. Koloko had a career-high 28 points on 12-of-13 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds.
Miles finished with 20 points for TCU but shot just 5 for 20, and Emanuel Miller scored 10 before fouling out in overtime.
Koloko scored 18 points and grabbed six boards in the first half and Arizona led 39-36 at halftime. The Horned Frogs went ahead 40-39 early in the second when Miles blocked Azuolas Tubelis’ layup try and Damion Baugh scored on a fast break. They grew it to 50-44 when Miles hit a 3 with 16:40 to play.
It was tied at 52 when Mathurin went to the basket and threw down a one-handed slam dunk over Lampkin, firing up the crowd. The Wildcats rode that wave to a five-point lead, and after four TCU free throws they came back with a mini 8-0 run to make it 67-58 with 7:52 to go, setting the table for a wild finish.
TCU was down nine with less than eight minutes left in regulation, TCU managed to hold Arizona without a field goal for more than five minutes while going on a 12-0 run. Mike Miles Jr.’s tough layup gave TCU a 68-67 lead, and it grew to 70-67 before Dalen Terry broke the Arizona drought with a game-tying 3-pointer with 2:43 left.
Lampkin scored the Horned Frogs’ final five points of regulation. He beat Koloko inside to put TCU up 72-70, and another layup made it 75-72 with 36 seconds left.
Mathurin hit a game-tying 3 from the top of the key with 12.9 seconds. On TCU’s last possession, Miles drew contact and lost the ball, and no foul was called. Terry ran with it and elevated for a lay-in, but he didn’t release his shot before the clock hit zeroes.
In overtime, Mathurin made a layup and two free throws to hand Arizona an 81-77 lead. Miles converted a three-point play with 1:44 left in overtime, and Mathurin responded with a hoop, but he missed his free throw for an 83-80 margin.
O’Bannon missed the three to tie and Koloko’s two-handed putback slam with 9.5 seconds to seal the deal for Arizona.
Arizona advanced in the South Region to take on fifth-seeded Houston in the Sweet 16 Thursday in San Antonio. Houston beat fourth seeded Illinois 68-53 to move on and play the wildcats.
