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Gritty Utah State digs itself too big of a hole to rally from in NCAA Tournament loss to No. 1 seed Arizona

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SAN DIEGO — For a few brief moments, the ninth-seeded Aggies caught a glimpse of advancing to the Sweet Sixteen next weekend up the road in San Jose.

Despite finding themselves down by 18 points early in the second half of Sunday night’s second-round game against No. 1 seed Arizona, Utah State clawed its way back into the game with its defense and managed to close the gap to just four points on three occasions.

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But each time the Aggies got to within a couple of scores, the feisty Wildcats scored on their subsequent possessions to keep their opponents at bay and eventually ended Utah State’s season with a 78-66 victory at Viejas Arena.

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“It hurts. I don’t want to take the uniform off,” USU graduate guard Drake Allen said quietly. “Knowing it’s going to be my last time wearing it means so much. And it really feels like a family. Everybody in Logan feels like one big family.”

Utah State (29-7) might have been able to get over the hump were not for a brutal performance from the 3-point line. But after going 1 for 12 from long distance in the first half, the Aggies finished just 8 for 32 from beyond the 3-point arc.

“When you can’t find it — the ball won’t go in from 3 — you’ve got to get to the rim,” USU head coach Jerrod Calhoun said. “And I was really proud of our effort around the rim. I thought we were pretty efficient.

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“But to beat a No. 1 seed when you’re a No. 9 seed, you’ve got to make those 3s. And our guys knew that.”

The Aggies knew that going up against the significantly larger Wildcats (34-2) was going to be a challenge, but Calhoun’s crew still ended up with three more field goals than Arizona and Utah State (39.1%) notched an overall field goal percentage that was nearly identical to that of the Cats (39.3%).

But in addition to a rough night from 3-point range, the Aggies were outrebounded by a stunning 54-26 margin, and the Wildcats also shot 28 more free throws.

“So far, they’re 2-0 in this tournament, and they live in the paint,” Calhoun said of Arizona. “They chew the paint up. They play ’80s, ’90s basketball. The number of physical plays in the game — we haven’t seen that all year.

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“… But our guys did a tremendous job, I thought, the last nine minutes of really locking in on some of those details. You’ve got to be at least eight or 10 difference in the rebounding. It can’t be 28. And if you’re not going to rebound, you’ve got to make shots. So, it was just a couple of margins that we couldn’t overcome.”

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Utah State guard Mj Collins (2) attempts to steal the ball from Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0) during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Arizona center Motiejus Krivas (13) reacts after a play against Utah State during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Marcio Jose Sanchez

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Utah State guard Mason Falslev (12) and Arizona center Motiejus Krivas (13) scramble for the ball during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Marcio Jose Sanchez

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Utah State players react on the bench as they trail Arizona during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0) shoots around Utah State forward Garry Clark (11) during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Arizona forward Koa Peat (10), and Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0) celebrate as their team leads Utah State during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Utah State guard Elijah Perryman (1) reacts after a play against Arizona during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Utah State head coach Jerrod Calhoun walks off the court after his team lost to Arizona in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Marcio Jose Sanchez

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Arizona forward Koa Peat (10) shoots against Utah State during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Marcio Jose Sanchez

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Arizona guard Brayden Burries (5) shoots over Utah State forward Karson Templin (22) during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Marcio Jose Sanchez

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Utah State forward Garry Clark (11) shoots around Arizona forward Koa Peat (10) during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Marcio Jose Sanchez

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Utah State forward Karson Templin (22) reacts after a play against Arizona during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Arizona guard Brayden Burries (5) celebrates after a play against Utah State during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill

NCAA Utah St Villanova Basketball

Utah State forward Karson Templin (22) reaches for the ball against Villanova guard Tyler Perkins during the first half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 20, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Utah State forward Garry Clark (11) shoots against Arizona forward Koa Peat (10) during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Utah State forward Karson Templin, left, and Arizona guard Anthony Dell’orso (3) scramble for the ball during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Marcio Jose Sanchez

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Utah State guard Kolby King (7) shoots around Arizona forward Koa Peat (10) during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Utah State guard Mj Collins (2) shoots around Arizona forward Ivan Kharchenkov (8) during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Arizona forward Koa Peat (10) shoots over Utah State forward Garry Clark (11) during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Utah State forward Zach Keller (32) shoots over Arizona during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Marcio Jose Sanchez

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Utah State guard Mason Falslev (12) and Arizona forward Tobe Awaka (30) battle for the ball during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Utah State guard Mason Falslev (12) keeps the ball in bounds against Arizona forward Ivan Kharchenkov (8) during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Arizona guard Anthony Dell’orso (3) drives against Utah State forward Adlan Elamin (35) during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Utah State forward Zach Keller (32) and Utah State guard Mj Collins (2) battle Arizona for a rebound during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill

NCAA Utah St Arizona Basketball

Utah State forward Garry Clark (11) shoots over Arizona center Motiejus Krivas (13) during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Marcio Jose Sanchez

Senior forward Garry Clark came off the bench to give the Aggies a huge lift, going 6 of 8 from the field, scoring 13 points and snagging six rebounds in just 18 minutes. Senior guard MJ Collins Jr. (12 points) and Allen (11 points) were the only other USU players to score in double figures.

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The Aggies’ one-two scoring punch of Collins and junior guard Mason Falslev (8 points) went a combined 7 of 26 from the field and 4 of 15 from 3-point range in the loss.

Thanks to Clark, Utah State’s bench outscored Arizona’s 27-10. But then, the Wildcats’ starters totaled 68 points by themselves, with guards Jaden Bradley (18 points) and Brayden Burries (16 points) leading the way.

Burries also delivered one of the biggest blows to the Aggies’ chances of an upset with 2:18 left and Utah State still within six points. The freshman guard buried a 3-pointer with 6-foot-9 USU wing Adlan Elamin closing in on him, extending Arizona’s advantage to 73-64.

“Obviously, Burries’ 3 was a dagger,” Calhoun declared. “I thought we played that possession really well. It was just a six-point game. … There’s a lot of plays through a 40-minute game that could impact it. And I thought that 3 by him was just a big-time shot in a big moment, and that kind of carried Arizona to the win.”

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Burries ended up going 3 of 3 from 3-point range while the rest of the Wildcats went 4 of 13 from long range.

“I think Brayden’s a winner, and he has ultimate confidence,” Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd said. “It’s been a joy to coach him. … He’s a laid-back, kind-of-unassuming guy, but he has a killer in him. And that’s a beautiful attribute.”

The Wildcats, who have won 11 straight games, also got 14 points from freshman forward Koa Peat, and 11 points and 14 rebounds from junior Motiejust Krivas. The 7–foot-2 center blocked three shots, caused the Aggies’ offense and all sorts of problems and went 7 of 8 from the free-throw line to help Arizona advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the fourth time in Lloyd’s five seasons in Tucson.

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Conversely, Utah State still hasn’t won two games in the same NCAA Tournament since 1970. But despite never holding the lead — Burries buried a 3-pointer just 24 seconds into the game — trailing 33-24 at halftime and falling behind by 18 points early in the second half, the Aggies still gave their fans hope.

After a 10-foot jumpier by Burries forced Calhoun into calling a timeout with his team trailing 51-33 with 14:43 left, Utah State turned up the intensity defensively, holding Arizona without a field goal for over seven minutes while creating turnovers with its full-court defense.

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Two free throws by Elamin pulled the Aggies to within 56-51 at the 7:22 mark, and a 3-pointer by Allen closed the gap to just four points a minute later. But a putback by Krivas — one of Arizona’s 21 offensive rebounds — stretched the Cats’ lead back to 60-54.

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Two more free throws from Elamin got USU back to four points once again, but those two points were offset when Arizona finally broke the Aggies’ press, leading to a 3-point play by Bradley. Following a missed 3-pointer by USU forward Karson Templin, Falslev came up with one of his three steals, which led to the Aggies getting back to within four points for a third and final time.

Allen enjoyed the moment, turning towards the Aggies’ fan section to celebrate Utah State getting back to 63-59 with just over five minutes to go. But his joy was short-lived, and USU’s momentum soon disappeared when Bradley scored the next three points of the game.

Although Allen did managed to slice through Arizona’s big men for a layup that left Utah State down 66-61, four free throws by Krivas and Burries’ clutch 3-pointer carried Arizona to the victory and brought Utah State’s spectacular season to an end.

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“I think it’s very hard for a season to end anytime; it just comes abruptly,” Calhoun noted. “Its one of those things that you don’t ever want to end. You just want to coach these guys another day, another game.

“We wanted to get to San Jose, but we weren’t able to do it.”

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The Masters 2026 LIVE: Leaderboard, scores and Augusta updates as Rory McIlroy faces fight for green jacket after blowing six-shot advantage

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Cameron Young drops a shot

A third bogey in four holes for Cameron Young, a skid saved only by the interspersing of a birdie in that run.

And Rory McIlroy misses his birdie putt! A look of frustration and a thrust of the hand at a break he hadn’t seen coming. Justin Rose remains top of the tree, all alone.

Tyrrell Hatton, meanwhile, has scrambled superbly to a four on the 17th. That just about keeps his chances alive, though he’d love a birdie at the last to really put the pressure on.

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(Getty Images)

Harry Latham-Coyle12 April 2026 21:41

Rory McIlroy starting to find his flow

Rory McIlroy tattoos the flag on nine, a wonderful wedge of the kind he struggled with yesterday. He’ll have something tasty to join Justin Rose at -12.

Cameron Young was forced to punch out of the trees, and has got unlucky, ending up in a divot. Though he finds the green, his score may be heading the other way.

Harry Latham-Coyle12 April 2026 21:37

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Russell Henley drops a shot

Russell Henley tried to play it safe between the two bunkers on the tiny 12th green, yet just overhits it. His chip tumbles down to within range, though he doesn’t like his par putt from the moment it leaves the face.

Down to nine-under in Amen Corner.

Harry Latham-Coyle12 April 2026 21:34

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Birdies for the last pairing at the eighth

A birdie apiece for Cameron Young and Rory McIlroy, with the latter failing to find his eagle putt though leaving it dead. Within one of Justin Rose each moves.

Tyrrell Hatton’s rampage may be over courtesy of an errant adventure into the woods beside the 17th fairway.

(Getty Images)

Harry Latham-Coyle12 April 2026 21:28

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Creativity!

This could go anywhere. A marvellous bit of thinking and shot-making is rewarded as Cameron Young comes back off the backboard having sailed over the flag with his third. So, so clever, and setting up a birdie chance.

Can Rory McIlroy make his eagle, though?

Harry Latham-Coyle12 April 2026 21:25

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Masters fourth round

Not that it will be easy: Rory McIlroy absolutely nails a low-iron that bends brilliantly on to the eighth green. It’s a birdie at worst, you’d suggest.

Up ahead on the 11th, Russell Henley leaves a birdie putt an inch or so high. But Tyrrell Hatton has no such issues – it’s ANOTHER for him at 16 and he’s just two back all of a sudden.

Harry Latham-Coyle12 April 2026 21:23

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Justin Rose extends lead

But also on a hot streak is Justin Rose – three in a row for the regular Masters bridesmaid, and a two-shot lead will have belief building that it might finally be his day.

(REUTERS)

Harry Latham-Coyle12 April 2026 21:19

Tyrrell Hatton joins the party!

We assumed that Tyrrell Hatton had much too much to do from -4 at the start of the round, but three birdies on the spin out of Amen Corner take him to -9 for the tournament with three holes to play. He’s in the mix!

(Getty Images)

Harry Latham-Coyle12 April 2026 21:17

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Rory McIlroy gets one back

Finally, one drops for Rory McIlroy – back to 10-under with a purposeful stride. A long, long, long way to go…

Harry Latham-Coyle12 April 2026 21:09

Justin Rose leads outright!

A bogey for Cameron Young as a wobbly putt trickles by – Justin Rose leads the Masters!

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Harry Latham-Coyle12 April 2026 21:08

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It’s still a big deal to me

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CM Punk opened up ahead of his title match at WWE WrestleMania 42. The Second City Saint will be defending the World Heavyweight Championship at the PLE next weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In an interview with SHAK Wrestling, CM Punk was asked about headlining WrestleMania for the second year in a row. The veteran noted that it still meant a lot to him to be in the main event of The Show of Shows.

“WrestleMania is and always will be the pinnacle, top-shelf show in pro wrestling. Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, those are the guys that were always talking about and hovering around the main event when I was watching. And I kind of developed that same attitude, like the best guys main event the biggest show, so to do it once was sweet, do it back-to-back years. It’s like being on the cover of the video game for a second time, it’s still a big deal to me,” he said. [H/T: WrestleTalk on X]

You can check out the video below:

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Roman Reigns won the Men’s Royal Rumble match earlier this year in Saudi Arabia and will be challenging Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship at WWE WrestleMania 42 next weekend.

Former WWE writer criticizes CM Punk and Roman Reigns’ storyline

Wrestling veteran Vince Russo recently discussed the rivalry between CM Punk and Roman Reigns.

Speaking on Russo’s The Brand, the legend stated that he was sick of hearing Punk cut promos by himself. He wondered where Reigns was and called out The OTC for skipping shows so close to WWE WrestleMania.

“I am so tired of hearing freaking CM Punk’s promos. Like, okay, bro, we get it. I understand. You’re a 60-year-old rebel. I understand. I get it. Like, how many freaking times? And then, maybe I missed something. Where was Roman Reigns yesterday? Where was he? Like, what is Roman Reigns doing that he can’t appear on the show a week before Mania?” Russo said.

CM Punk and Roman Reigns have one more segment together before Wrestlemania April 13th RAW

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The rivalry between Punk and Reigns has become extremely personal. Only time will tell which WWE star walks out of WrestleMania 42 as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion.