Arizona 92-58 Long Island University (Mar 20, 2026) Game Recap
SAN DIEGO — — While a few different No. 1 seeds obtained examined by their first-round matchups in traditional March Madness style this week, Arizona began its title quest with a breezy, businesslike win.
Brayden Burries hit 4 3-pointers whereas scoring 18 factors, Koa Peat added 15 factors and Arizona opened its NCAA Tournament run with a 92-58 victory over Long Island on Friday.
Ivan Kharchenkov had 14 factors and 10 rebounds for the Big 12 regular-season and event champion Wildcats (33-2), who shortly confirmed why they’re the event’s second total seed behind Duke.
But sooner or later after the Blue Devils barely won a thriller about Siena and Howard hung with top-seeded Michigan into the second half, the Wildcats earned a snug victory exactly as a result of they did not consider it as a mismatch.
“I don’t think playing down to the competition is something that ever enters my mind,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd mentioned. “I have a lot of respect for our opponents, and I make sure our players do as well. I told our guys, these 1-16 games, you just don’t know. Obviously, the objective is to win the game. You can’t get emotionally caught up if the game is close at half or anything like that.”
This one wasn’t.
Pushing the tempo on offense and stifling the Sharks with protection, Arizona went up by double digits within the opening minutes and led the Sharks by 27 within the first half whereas delighting the 1000’s of followers who crammed Viejas Arena with purple. Nobody needed to play greater than 28 minutes, which ought to profit the Wildcats down the highway.
“Coach talked about punching them first, hitting them first, and it felt like a home game out there,” mentioned Big 12 participant of the 12 months Jaden Bradleywho scored solely seven factors. “The fans brought the energy, so we appreciated that, and defensively we started getting stops.”
Arizona will return Sunday to face Utah State within the Western Region bracket.
Mason Porter-Brown scored 15 factors and Greg Gordon had 12 for the Sharks (24-11), who completed their fourth season below coach Rod Strickland. Long Island has emerged from a three-win season in Strickland’s debut to win the NEC regular-season and event titles this spring while building a national profile for the Brooklyn faculty.
“That team is predicted to win the tournament, so we knew it was going to be tough,” Strickland mentioned. “I think the lights might have hit us a little bit in the beginning. I thought we played a really competitive second half.”
The Sharks simply did not have sufficient to hold with the deep, gifted Wildcats, who clearly have a shot to win the primary title for any group from the Western US since Arizona gained its solely nationwide crown in 1997.
Arizona’s famed offensive balance was in good tune, with six gamers scoring not less than eight factors. Burries wanted simply 10 pictures to guide Arizona, which hit 57% of its pictures within the first half and maintained that success charge till the ultimate minutes.
Even 11 missed free throws did not gradual the Wildcats’ roll. Arizona dedicated solely three fouls within the first half, and LIU did not shoot a free throw till the second half.
LIU’s final basket of the evening was particular for the Sharks and their followers, who all erupted in cheers when Eddie Munyak banked in a 3-pointer with 53 seconds left.
Munyak teared up on the court docket after scoring his first collegiate factors along with his mother and father, girlfriend and AAU coach within the crowd. The 6-foot-1 Long Island native mentioned he walked on at LIU and redshirted final season earlier than getting a scholarship this 12 months, however he had performed in only one recreation all season — and did not contact the ball — earlier than he obtained to make a lifetime reminiscence in San Diego.
“Emotion came out of me, which is kind of hard to see from a guy like me, really a guy with no emotion,” Munyak mentioned with a smile. “That was amazing. I’m still — I feel like I’m floating right now. … I dedicate my life to basketball. I’ve been through a lot. Injuries, off-the-floor stuff. It’s the greatest.”
The Wildcats made the Sweet Sixteen in three of Lloyd’s first 4 seasons, however have by no means gone additional.
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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and protection: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
