The Arizona Wildcats lost on the road at Stanford a few weeks ago. They have been projected in a lot of outlets as a potential No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament, so after they got ambushed in Palo Alto, it seemed highly unlikely they would stumble in their very next road game.
Surprise!
The Wildcats were once again off balance and out of rhythm — on defense, not just offense — against Washington State. The Cougars took a 10-point lead, held it for much of the game, faltered late, but rallied to win 73-70 over the U of A. Washington State took better care of the ball and exploited Arizona’s defense in the paint. Arizona big man Oumar Ballo was simply not good enough defensively in this game. Arizona’s non-Caleb Love shooters were also not accurate. It all added up to a huge win for Washington State which gives the Cougars a real shot at the NCAA Tournament.
It also throws the Pac-12 race into a state of uncertainty, with Arizona trailing Oregon in the standings. It will be fascinating to see how the various contenders respond to Arizona being knocked off yet again.
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