Mathurin, Koloko power Arizona to Sweet 16 with overtime win

SAN DIEGO (KOLD News 13) - The Wildcats got a test from TCU Sunday night, but Ben Mathurin had all the answers.

Mathurin scored a season-high 30 points as Arizona (33-2) won 85-80 in overtime in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Mathurin hit a game-tying 3-pointer to force overtime and took over in the extra frame to send the No. 1 Wildcats to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017.

Christian Koloko was clutch too for Arizona with a double of 28 points and 12 rebounds. None was bigger than a put-back dunk late in the overtime that sealed the win.

Charles O’Bannon Jr. led the Horned Frogs (21-13) with 23 points while Mike Miles and Eddie Lampkin Jr. each had 20 points.

Turnovers were a huge problem in Arizona’s win over Wright State in the opener Friday night. It was an issue again Sunday night as the Wildcats turned it over 16 times and committed 21 fouls.

Another sore spot for Arizona Sunday night was poor shooting. The Wildcats were only 5-for-27 from beyond the 3-point line.

Arizona will face Houston in the Sweet 16 in San Antonio. The game is set for Thursday, March 24. Tip-off is 7 p.m. and the game will be on TBS. If Arizona beats Houston, they would play Villanova or Michigan in the Elite Eight.

Houston advanced to its third straight Sweet 16 earlier Sunday with a 68-53 win over Illinois. The Cougars, a No. 5 seed this year, lost to eventual national champion Baylor in the Final Four last season.