Talk about your senior moments – Arizona had them.
And boy did the Wildcats need them and just in time to move into the championship game of the Big 12 after beating tough Iowa State 82-80 on Friday day/night.
It was a game that Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd called it a “great game, an epic battle” in his postgame press conference from Kansas City.
Instant Classic! Do they do those anymore? This one needs to be one.
Heck, it may have been the best game Jaden Bradley has been in.
“For me I think it was,” he said. “Just the back and forth, Iowa State, their defense, their offensive ability. Delly (Anthony Dell’Orso) was hitting shots. Tobe (Awaka) was on the glass. Everybody contributed to this game. It was crazy.”
Bradley couldn’t say “crazy” enough.
After all, it was his jumper – his signature move all season and a shot Lloyd said has seen “JB hit a lot this year” – to move Arizona to its 31st win of the season and fifth in a row.
“I just went with the flow,” said Bradley who finished with 15 points, the final two may have been the biggest of his season. “It was a crazy shot. It was great defense. Just had it going.
Iowa State’s a tough defensive team … So, it was a crazy shot, but it was a great defense, for sure.”
It was his coup de grace!
Iowa State coach TJ Otzelberger said: “Killyan (Toure) guarded Bradley as perfectly as you could guard him. For us, defensively, again, Bradley’s a winning player, a fierce competitor.”
Bench players – who aren’t really bench players – Dell’Orso had a game of a lifetime with 26 points, hitting shot after shot in a game where every shot mattered.
“Delly, he’s crazy, literally,” said Bradley. “No, I’m proud of Delly. He had his ups and downs this season. But we all believe in him. His shot-making ability, his defense has got so much better.
“We just trusted him. We just got so many guys that can get it going at any night, and tonight was Delly’s night. Proud of the way he’s going and he’s going to keep flowing from here.”
And, again, Awaka did what you expect him to do: rebound and be tough. Oh, yes, don’t forget the 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Oh, those seniors on a night when Koa Peat and Brayden Burries looked mortal.
The others fell into place but it was the Arizona seniors that had their moments.
They combined for 21 for 34 from the floor.
But it was the at-the-buzzer shot that floored upstart Iowa State, a team played out of its collective mind and was one shot short of pulling the upset.
“They were able to make one more play,” said ISU coach T.J. Otzelberger.
Adding, “Unfortunately, we’re one play away. And at the same time, our guys are playing terrific basketball. They should hold their head high. And we know we have our best still in front of us. We’re going to use this game moving forward as motivation to be even better come next week.”
It was a game for the ages. Back and forth the two teams went, playing a game of what-you- can-do-I-can-do better as they traded big shot after big shot. The teams combined to hit 11 of 13 shots in the final minutes, including seven 3s.
“It was a crazy two minutes, a lot of shot-making, crazy plays,” said Bradley.
“It was just a real fun game,” said Milan Momcilovic, who hit eight 3s in 14 shots. “I mean, it’s obviously not the result we wanted and we obviously wanted to be in the championship. But, down the stretch it was bucket after bucket, and I mean the crowd was great. It was really a fun game and obviously not the result we wanted.”
Arizona was able to sweep the Cyclones for the season and play in the title game of the Big 12 Conference once again.
“Coach (Lloyd) says it was like a chess match out there, everyone playing at their best and their highest intent,” said Dell’Orso. “And he (Momcilovic) was making good shots and we were making good shots and we were able to get it done.”
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