Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus No. 9-Seed Cincinnati (1st Round) on March 10, 2026 , Loss , 66, to, 73
Final Score
Men's Basketball
66
vs No. 9-Seed Cincinnati (1st Round)
73
The University of Utah Athletics
No. 8 Wisconsin vs. No. 1 Arizona
3/17/2000 12:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 17, 2000
Associated Press
GAME: No. 8 Wisconsin (19-13) vs. No. 1 Arizona (27-6), West Regional, Second Round.
TIME: Saturday, 5:50 p.m. EST.
SITE: Jon H. Huntsman Center, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Wisconsin sets out to frustrate another high-powered offense as it takes on top-seeded Arizona in the second round of the West Region.
The eighth-seeded Badgers played an outstanding all-around game in beating No. 9 Fresno State 66-56 victory Thursday. Jon Bryant hit seven 3-pointers and fellow reserve Duany Duany added four threes as the duo accounted for half of Wisconsin's points.
The Badgers used a 26-2 run in the second half to erase a 44-38 deficit.
"I just stood in the corner," said Bryant, who hit four consecutive 3-pointers from the left side after he found a dead spot in Fresno State's 2-3 zone defense. "(Andy) Kowske was setting good screens, I was trying to move on the baseline and get open. They were able to get me the ball."
Kowske added 14 points and 14 rebounds for Wisconsin, which has never advanced to the round of 16. Wisconsin won the 1941 NCAA tournament when it consisted of eight teams and also competed in the eight-team 1947 edition.
The Badgers can record consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time in the program's 102-year history with a victory Saturday.
Arizona began a tournament run that won't include center Loren Woods with a win Thursday, routing No. 16 Jackson State 71-47.
Woods, out with a back injury, left a gaping hole in the middle for the Wildcats. But sophomore forward Michael Wright responded with 19 points and 13 rebounds as Arizona overcame a sluggish first half in which it shot 30 percent from the field.
"We were really tight," Arizona coach Lute Olson said. "We played like the three freshmen we had on the court. That was one of the things we said at halftime. You've just got to loosen up and play."
Freshman Gilbert Arenas contributed 16 points for the Wildcats, who held the Tigers under 30 percent shooting from the field, forced 18 turnovers and held a 41-33 rebounding advantage.
Arizona won the last meeting between the schools 51-46 on Dec. 3, 1962, evening the all-time series at 1-1.
The winner of Saturday's game will play No. 4 LSU or No. 5 Texas in the regional semifinals at Albuquerque, N.M., next Thursday.
PROBABLE STARTERS: Wisconsin - F Maurice Linton (4.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg), F Kowske (9.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg), C Mark Vershaw (12.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg), G Mike Kelley (5.0 ppg, 2.6 apg), G Roy Boone (5.8 ppg, 1.6 apg). Arizona - F Luke Walton (5.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg), F Wright (15.9 ppg, 8.7 rpg), F Richard Jefferson (11.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg), G Arenas (15.2 ppg, 2.0 apg), G Jason Gardner (12.6 ppg, 4.8 apg).
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Wisconsin - At-large bid, Big Ten Conference, beat Fresno State 66-56, first round. Arizona - Automatic bid, Pac-10 regular season champion, beat Jackson State 71-47, first round.
ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RECORD: Wisconsin - 6-4, 6 appearances. Arizona - 27-17, 18 appearances.
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