For Josh Eastern, thank you for following this LIVE of the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 on vavel.com. Come back tomorrow for more LIVEs of the other Sweet 16 matchups
Once again, Arizona beats Xavier 68-60 to advance to the Elite 8 in the West Region.
Matt Stainbrook and TJ McConnell led all scorers with 17 points
Arizona moves on to the Elite 8 to set up a rematch with Wisconsin at 3:09 p.m. PT on Saturday
ARIZONA PREVAILS! They beat Xavier by a score of 68-60
2nd (19.2): Dee Davis loses the ball but it is tapped out to Abell who misses a 3. RHJ goes way up for a rebound and is fouled. He makes the first and second. Stainbrook exits for the final time as a Xavier player
Xavier needs a basket here or this one could be over
2nd (32.9): McConnell makes the first and second. 66-60 AZ. TO Xavier
2nd (32.9): M. Davis with a tough take and turns it over. Could have been a foul but no call. Dee Davis fouls McConnell. Refs are reviewing dead ball contact by Reynolds on McConnell. Nothing comes of it. 2 shots for McConnell
2nd (50.0): Call will stand. XAV ball down 64-60
2nd (50.0): RHJ misses a fadeaway shot at the end of the shot clock. Scrum for the ball and the initial call is Xavier ball. They will of course review the call. Very close
2nd (1:28): RHJ has trouble in bounding but AZ calls TO just in time to avoid the 5-second call
Great pass and vision by Stainbrook to find M. Davis for 3
2nd (1:28): M. Davis for 3! TO Xavier. Got knocked down but no foul called
2nd (1:46): TO Arizona. 64-57 AZ
Xavier picked a bad time to start missing shots right now. Give credit to AZ as they have worked it down low and have made crucial FTs
2nd (1:46): Refs aren't sure who the ball is off of as it goes out of bounds so they call a jump ball. Will review. Looks to be off of AZ
2nd (1:58): Tarczewski to the line for 2 as he is fouled by Reynolds. Makes the first and the second. 64-57 AZ
2nd (2:20): Stainbrook misses a short hook. Time running short for Xavier
2nd (2:44): Ashley with an elbow jumper
2nd (3:09): M. Davis is fouled on the drive by RHJ. Double bonus and he makes the first and the second
2nd (3:36): Ashley fouled by Reynolds, his third, and he will shoot 2. Makes the first and second
2nd (3:51): Stainbrook makes the front end of a 1 and 1. Misses the second
Xavier has to be able to answer this run if they want a shot at the end to win this. Have to make some shots down the stretch
2nd (3:51): Tarczewski now picks up his 4th foul (correction) on Stainbrook as that brings us to the under 4 TO. 58-54 AZ
2nd (4:16): McConnell with a HUGE 3! 9-1 run for AZ. 58-54 AZ
2nd (4:28): Dee Davis weaves to the basket and is fouled by Tarczewski; his 4th. Davis leaves the first shot short and makes the second
2nd (4:42): XAV back to the 1-3-1 and Stainbrook returns to the game with 3 fouls
2nd (5:02): Scramble for the ball and XAV can't lay it in. AZ ball
2nd (5:27): Stainbrook picks up his third foul as he hacks Tarczewski on the shot. He rattles in the first and swishes the second. 55-53 AZ
2nd (6:11): Stainbrook picks up his 2nd foul on McConnell this time. Makes the first and second on the one and one. All tied at 53
2nd (6:18): Tarczewski fouled by Stainbrook; his first
2nd (6:34): Davis drops the inbounds pass after D from McConnell and it goes back to UA
2nd (6:35): Stainbrook gets into trouble and calls a TO
2nd (6:55): Tarczewski with a tough O-rebound and put back
2nd (7:25): Reynolds makes the first and second
2nd (7:25): AZ throws it right to Abell. This 1-3-1 defense by XAV is working really well. Foul on Ashley takes us to the under 8 TO
Xavier has a +3 rebounding advantage and also leads in points in the paint, 34-16. They are dominating in the lane
2nd (8:29): McConnell rebounds his own miss and lays it in. TO Arizona
2nd (9:02): Dee Davis switches hand in mid-air and lays it in. 51-47 XAV
2nd (9:20): Stainbrook pokes it away from Johnson and Davis is fouled in the open court
2nd (9:38): M. Davis takes the foul and lays it in. Makes the FT too
2nd (9:54): McConnell for 2
2nd (10:11): M. Davis turns it over for XAV
2nd (10:43): Johnson fouled by Reynolds. Both FTs are good
2nd (11:05): Reynolds slams it home!
2nd (11:28): Farr fouls Tarczewski followd by another foul by Reynolds on Tarczewski. He makes the first FT and second as well
Update: Kentucky is laying a whooping on West Virginia as they lead the Moutaineers by a score of 78-37 with under a minute to go in the game
2nd (11:37): Stanbrook with a reverse lay in for 2 and then Reynolds is shaken up which brings us to the under 12 TO
2nd (12:06): Long 3 by York! 42-41 XAV
2nd (12:30): Ristic fouls Stainbrook on the shot. He makes the first and second
2nd (12:49): Big O-rebound by Reynolds
2nd (13:19): McConnell has blood on his hand and there is a stoppage in play. He stays in the game
2nd (13:37): Another turnover by McConnell and the ball goes out of bounds to XAV
2nd (14:00): Reynolds corrals an o-rebound and lays it in
2nd (14:28): York answers with a 3!
2nd (14:54): Davis for 3!
2nd (15:19): York misses a 3 off of the inbound
Not too much foul trouble on either side except for Davis and Tarczewski who both have 3
2nd (15:22): York fouled on the fast break by Dee Davis; his third foul. Under 16 TO
2nd (16:37): Arizona going small after Tarczewski picks up his third foul
2nd (16:44): Ashley over Stainbrook for 2
2nd (17:07): Tough lay up goes in for Davis
2nd (17:23): RHJ fouled by Dee Davis. He misses the first and shimmies in the second
2nd (17:58): Tarczewski slams it home off of a great feed from Ashley
2nd (18:25): Abell for 3!
2nd (19:10): McConnell fades for 2
2nd (19:45): Stanbrook fouled while shooting. Makes the first and the second
2nd (20:00): Xavier inbounds and we're off
We are just minutes away from the start of the second half
For Xavier, Matt Stainbrook needs to keep doing what he is doing. He has been active on both ends of the floor. They will also need to get some scoring from players other than just Stainbrook
In order for Arizona to win this, TJ McConnell will need to get back to his usual self and they will have to make some more outside shots. Also, the turnovers will need to be cut down
Matt Stainbrook has been everywhere for Xavier and that is a big reason why this is a tie game at the half.
A key stat in the first half for UA was PG TJ McConnell committing 3 turnovers. Not having his best game in the first half by any means
HALFTIME: Xavier can't get a shot off on the last possession and we are all tied going to the half. Arizona hasn't scored in the past 3:51
1st (1:07): Ashley fouls Davis. Only 4 team fouls for UA
1st (1:24): Use it or lose it TO for Xavier. We are all tied at 28
1st (1:49): Stainbrook for 2
1st (1:52): 28-26 AZ
1st (2:40): McConnell misses a tough lay in. Dee Davis on the other end for 2
Stanley Johnson leads all scorers with 10 points. Matt Stainbrook leads Xavier with 8
1st (3:22): A travel by Farr (XAV) and that brings us to the under 4 TO.
1st (4:05): Reynolds flies through the lane and slams it home! York follows with a 3 for UA
1st (4:30): Johnson knocks down another corner 3 for UA
1st (4:52): Abell makes the first and the second and we're tied at 22
1st (4:52): Abell is fouled by RHJ and he heads to the line for 2
1st (6:10): Stainbrook for 2
1st (6:30): UA misses a 3 and then fouls XAV
1st (6:50): Abell commits a foul for XAV and that brings us to the under 8 TO
1st (7:52): Johnson for 3 for UA. 22-18 UA
Stainbrook playing a GREAT game so far for XAV
1st (8:29): Bluiett for 2 for XAV
1st (9:04): Tarczewski tips in a miss for 2 for UA
1st (9:22): Kick ball and ball stays with UA
1st (10:21): Parker Jackson-Cartwright for 2 for UA followed by 2 for Stainbrook
1st (10:49): Johnson for 2 for UA
1st (11:05): Stainbrook lays it in and misses the FT after he was fouled
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is back on the bench after going to the locker room to test out his knee. Looks like he'll be back
1st (11:23) 13-12 Arizona at the under 12 media TO
1st (11:42): Farr collects an air ball and lays it in
1st (12:07): UA 3 for Pitts
After that media TO, there were three consecutive turnovers. This game has become a bit sloppy since a fast start
1st (12:20): Timeout Arizona after Macura hangs in the air for 2 for XAV. 10-10 tie
1st (12:30): UA turns it over followed by Xavier. Then Reynolds slams it home fo XAV
1st (13:42): Arizona will have the ball coming out of the timeout after a missed 3 by Xavier
This would be a big loss for Arizona if RHJ can't continue. Looked to bang knees with a teammate, but he went down in pain
1st (13:42): 10-6 Arizona
1st (13:42): First media TO and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is down for UA
1st (14:06): Ashley misses a 3
1st (14:52): Scoring has slowed after a fast start. 10-6 UA
1st (15:55): RHJ skies for a dunk!
1st (16:32): Xavier for two! Jalen Reynolds with his first basket
1st (16:55): The basket and the foul for Ashley. Foul on Farr for XAV
1st (17:09): Stainbrook gets on the board for 2
1st (17:29): Xavier commits a foul then Ashley turns it over
1st (17:56) McConnell again for 2 followed by Davis on the other end
1st (18:12): Another turnover for Dee Davis and it goes back to UA
1st (18:27): McConnell sneaks into the lane for 2
1st (18:34): Xavier turns it over
1st (18:54): Stanley Johnson in the lane for 2
1st (19:10): Ashley and Stainbrook exchange misses and then Dee Davis commits a foul
1st (20:00): Arizona controls the tip and we're off!
We're set to go now and we're ready to go!
There seems to be some sort of power outage for the TV in LA so we will try to update you when this gets sorted out
Just about to get started from Staples Center for Xavier/Arizona! Winner plays Wisconsin in the Elite 8 on Saturday
STARTERS for Xavier: Dee Davis, Remy Abell, Trevon Bluiett, James Farr, Matt Stainbrook
STARTERS for Arizona: Kaleb Tarczewski, Stanley Johnson, Brandon Ashley, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, T.J. McConnell
Xavier/Arizona will tip at 7:26 p.m. PT
Wisconsin will play the winner of Xavier-Arizona on Sunday
Wisconsin advances to the Elite 8 with a 79-72 win over UNC
75-70 Wisconsin with 16.7 seconds left
UNC misses 2 FTs and Wisconsin is looking to lock this down
Marcus Paige hits a three and UNC is down 71-70 with 54.1 seconds left
Wisconsin leads UNC 68-64 with 2:49 left to go
Wisconsin and North Carolina coming down to the wire as we near the 4 minute mark. 65-63 Wisconsin
For the second round in a row, Sean Miller will face a former colleague in Chris Mack and this is what the current Xavier head coach had to say about his former boss, "I don't know if Sean has a funny side. No, he does. I could share a few stories that may either get him embarrassed, maybe even arrested, but I won't do that. I'm kidding about the arrested part. He's got a dry sense of humor. He is a funny guy behind closed doors, but not very often. Not very often. He's ultra-serious. Too serious. He needs to loosen up."
Xavier was a very good offensive team in the Big East this past regular season as they finished atop the leader board in both shooting percentage (47.7%) and assists per game (16.3). Among Xavier’s best is Senior Dee Davis as he finished second in his conference and 13th in the entire nation dishing out an average of six assists per game.
Continuing with the theme of rebounding for a little bit, and seeing that Arizona is second in the nation with a +9.2 rebounding margin and ranks number one when it comes to rebounding opponents missed shots, the Wildcats lead the nation with a 77.6% mark. All this leads to is the fact the Cats are one of two teams in the nation that are in the top ten in both offensive efficiency and defensive efficiency. The only other school to be in the top 10 in the same two categories? Kentucky.
One of the big factors for this game is whether or not Xavier is going to be able to rebound the ball. While Stainbrook is great player, he is already a couple of inches short than Kaleb Tarczewski who checks in at 7 foot even. This gives the Arizona big man a couple of inches over Matt Stainbrook and it could be a long night on the court especially when you add Brandon Ashley to the mix who stands tall at 6 feet 9 inches. Arizona rebounded 78% of Ohio State’s missed shots and could be the same tonight when factoring in the size differences.
Defensively, in the first round against Texas Southern, Arizona was not very good. They gave up over 70 points to a school from the Southwestern Athletic Conference. It was a good thing that their offense was clicking because that would have been one of the more shocking upsets in recent seasons. That game is where both Stanley Johnson and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson exploded for 22 and 23 points respectively. The dynamic duo made 15 of 20 attempts from the field, with the freshman phenome going 4-5 from beyond the arc.
One thing has given Arizona fits early in games and that’s the 2-3 zone. In their round of 32 game against Ohio State, that’s what Thad Matta threw at his pal, Sean Miller. At halftime, however, Miller made the right adjustments and exploded for 47 points in the second half. TJ McConnell led the way for the Wildcats with 19 points, which is really astounding considering that he is a pass first point guard. That’s one thing that Miller loves about his senior; if others are having an off night shooting the ball, he does not mind stepping up to the plate to ensure that his team wins. Arizona played great defense that game as well, limiting Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell to just nine points on 3/19 shooting despite the fact that he was one of the most offensive oriented guards during the regular season.
Their first round game was against Ole Miss, after they had played BYU in the First Four. In that game, Xavier was lights out from deep that night where they made ten three pointers and missed fourteen, good enough 44%. Senior point guard Dee Davis was most efficient from deep making four of his nine attempts. Also in that game, America came to know Matt Stainbrook. Standing at 6’10” and weighing in at 263 pounds, Stainbrook led the way with 20 points – a game high. He nearly got a double-double by bringing down nine rebounds, with one coming on the offensive glass.
In Xavier’s last game in the third round, they bested this year’s Cinderella story, Georgia State and defeated them by eight points. Jalen Reynolds was spectacular coming off the bench for the Musketeer’s as he finished with a game high 21 points, going 8-9 from the field overall in just 26 minutes of play. As a team, Xavier was lights out on offense shooting a remarkable 68%, missing just 11 shots on the evening.
Hello, and welcome to VAVEL USA’s live coverage of the 2015 NCAA Tournament. This Sweet 16 matchup is between the number 2 seed Arizona Wildcats and the 6th seeded Xavier Musketeers. The game is being played at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and is set to tip-off at 10:17 PM ET. Stay tuned for live coverage!