Arizona knocks off Xavier to set up Elite Eight rematch with Wisconsin

It took nearly 35 minutes of play, but T.J. McConnell and the Arizona Wildcats finally figured out Xavier’s harassing 1-3-1 zone defense.

And when they cracked that code, the second-seeded Wildcats were able to muscle their way into the lead and past the No. 6 seed Musketeers, 68-60, punching their ticket for an Elite Eight rematch against No. 1 seed Wisconsin.

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With its pestering defense wreaking havoc on one end, Xavier ran its offense efficiently through skilled big man Matt Stainbrook, who put up 17 points and 10 boards, helping the Musketeers maintain a narrow lead for much of the second half.

While Arizona leading scorers Stanley Johnson (12 points) and Brandon Ashley (8 points) struggled to attack Xavier’s zone, it was McConnell and center Kaleb Tarczewski who carried the offensive weight down the stretch.

McConnell continually probed Xavier's defense and the Wildcats were finally able to tie things up at 53 with 6:11 to play via a Tarczewski layup and two McConnell free throws.

McConnell, who put up 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists, continued to quarterback the offense, getting Tarczewski (12 points, 12 rebounds) back to the line to take the lead. McConnell then drilled his only three of the night (on six attempts) from the top of the arc to extend Arizona’s lead to four points.

The Arizona defense tightened up the rest of the way, finishing the game on a 19-7 run to pull out a gritty win.

It wasn’t just the 6-foot-10, 263-pound Stainbrook that was causing problems for Arizona. Sophomore 6-foot-9 forward Jalen Reynolds brought a spark off the bench and pitched in 12 points – including a beautiful spin move in the lane early in the second half. Senior guard Dee Davis (12 points) was also able to get in the lane for Xavier, but the Musketeers were miserable from long distance, hitting just 3-of-17 three-point attempts, allowing Arizona to stay within striking distance.

The Arizona win sets up a rematch in the Elite Eight with Wisconsin. The tables were turned in the 2014 tournament as the second-seeded Badgers, behind 28 points and 11 boards from Frank Kaminsky, outlasted the No. 1 seed Wildcats 64-63 in overtime in Anaheim.

You know the Wildcats are hungry for revenge.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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