Arizona outlasts Oregon in thrilling NCAA Tournament battle, advances to Sweet 16

SEATTLE (KYMA, KECY) - In a high-stakes Pac-12 rematch turned March Madness thriller, the Arizona Wildcats held off the Oregon Ducks, 87-83, to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16.

Arizona's star guard Caleb Love delivered a career-defining performance, dropping 29 points on 10-of-18 shooting, including five three-pointers. He also secured nine rebounds and four assists, proving instrumental down the stretch.

Oregon led by as many as 15 points in the first half, but Arizona's relentless rebounding and defensive pressure swung the momentum. Tobe Awaka was dominant in the paint, recording a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, seven of them offensive.

With under two minutes to play, Love took over. He drilled a deep three, followed it up with a powerful dunk, then hit another triple to give Arizona an 80-73 lead. Oregon responded with a late push, but clutch free throws from Anthony Dell'Orso and Love sealed the victory.

Both teams battled foul trouble in the second half. Arizona was whistled for 15 fouls compared to Oregon's 10, forcing key players like Awaka and Henri Veesaar to manage minutes carefully. Despite this, the Wildcats' rebounding edge (41-30) and efficiency from beyond the arc (10-of-18) proved decisive.

Oregon's Jackson Shelstad led the Ducks with 22 points, but his late free-throw attempt to tie the game with 1.8 seconds left missed, allowing Love to grab the rebound and ice the win

Arizona now heads to Newark, New Jersey, where they'll face No. 1 seed Duke in the Sweet 16 on Thursday at 6:39 p.m. PT. The Blue Devils defeated the Wildcats 69-55 earlier this season, setting up a revenge opportunity for Tommy Lloyd's squad.

Arizona's victory marks its second Sweet 16 appearance in three seasons under Lloyd, as the Wildcats look to extend their tournament run against Duke.