Arizona beats UND 100-82 in Fighting Hawks’ Big Dance debut

Arizona (30-4) has loads of potential to reach the Final Four for the first time since 2001.

The Wildcats found success in waves against the Fighting Hawks, grabbing a 16-point halftime lead before North Dakota chiseled it down to seven midway through the second half.

One of the more polarizing players to ever suit up for the Wildcats (which is impressive considering he was in Tucson for just one season), Lyons was a combo guard who led the team in scoring while running the point.

North Dakota has had a terrific season thus far, going 22-9 overall and earning an automatic bid to the Big Dance after winning the Big Sky conference championship. “We stayed true to ourselves”.

Hooker scored 28 points in the overtime win over Weber State and set a Big Sky tournament record with 81 points in three games in 2016 before the Hawks’ semifinal loss.

Indeed, they did. And though the Wildcats held a 72-61 advantage with just seven minutes left, the Fighting Hawks … well, they fought back. I’m just going to bet that if you look at how they scored their 3’s, they got quite a few on a fast push in transition. The combination of Corey Baldwin, Quinton Hooker and Geno Crandall offer a trio of scoring threats.

“They’re a No. 2 seed for a reason”, added Hooker.

“At times we had some good defensive possessions”. Their exit was accompanied by an approving whoop from the Hawks fans decked in green, one waving a sign that read “NORTH DAKOTA PROUD”. “It was going to be a fight”.

Arizona was led by Lauri Markkanen and Rawle Alkins both with 20 points. Kadeem Allen, the team’s lone senior, hit a layup and was fouled. Arizona outscored opponents in conference play by 9.7 points per game and outrebounded opponents by 6.5 rebounds.

The Fighting Hawks, however, are about to face one of the best defenses in the nation.

Markkanen, who’s expected to be a high first-round National Basketball Association draft pick, was a constant as North Dakota couldn’t match his size (7-foot, 230 pounds) or skill.

The Hawks are tough with the lead and well coached and disciplined. We had a stretch there in the first half where we were playing maybe our best and we had times where we didn’t. When key players like Allonzo Trier and Parker Jackson-Cartwright returned, the Wildcats assumed the identity of a potential Final Four team.

Arizona continued to work the ball inside, with Markkanen – a projected NBA Lottery pick – scoring 10 points in the next two minutes as the Wildcats went after undersized UND in the paint.

In the end, Markkanen’s size and shooting, Allen’s defense, and Trier’s star power will be too much for the Fighting Hawks. Yes, Williams led the Wildcats with 17 points, and Solomon Hill contributed 16, but that was expected. This team is built to make a run in this year’s tournament, and are fresh off a victory in the Pac-12 Championship Game.