Many experts predicted that the Arizona Wildcats would be ousted in the second round by the upstart Belmont Bruins, who came into the NCAA Tournament looking for their first NCAA Tournament victory.
Belmont vs. Arizona: 2013 Wildcats were ‘dominating as can be’ in March Madness victory
The Wildcats dominated from start to finish, moving on to face Harvard in the third round.
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Instead, Belmont was snuffed out from the start, with Arizona coasting to a 81-64 victory on Thursday in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The Wildcats controlled the pace and tempo from the outset, using size to their advantage. As Kevin Zimmerman wrote on our Wildcats blog, Arizona Desert Swarm, the game was never in doubt due to the prowess Sean Miller’s team showed on the interior:
The Wildcats won the rebounding 44-18, and they scored the difference in the game (17) off the offensive glass. It was dominating as can be for a team that still hasn’t shown the ability to put the final club to the opponent’s head.
Zimmerman also talked about how Arizona’s size opened up other lanes for the guards:
On the other side of the ball, the Wildcats got their own three-point looks thanks to solid inside-out play. Sometimes, because of the massive advantage on the interior, it was simply inside play.
Now, the Wildcats will prepare for the shocker of the tournament thus far: the No. 14 Harvard Crimson. Harvard outlasted the massively favored New Mexico Lobos on Thursday evening, setting up a clash between another David and Goliath on Saturday.
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