Arizona Wildcats advance to Sweet 16 with win over Utah State

Zoom in: Utah State was persistent in the second half, narrowing the Cats' lead to four points and keeping the game too close for comfort until UofA pulled away in the final minutes.

• Big man Motiejus Krivas refused to let UofA lose, pulling down nine offensive rebounds, including some key boards late in the game.
• Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley stepped up with some big baskets and led UofA with 18 points.

The latest: Dave Chapin leads the Axios Phoenix March Madness Challenge on the men's side with 530 points, while Allison Childress and M.J. Holt are tied for first on the women's side with 440 points apiece.

What's next: UofA plays No. 4 seed Arkansas in the Sweet 16 on Thursday.

• The Razorbacks have one of the nation's best players in guard Darius Acuff Jr., a first-team All-American and likely NBA Draft lottery pick who averages more than 23 points per game.

The intrigue: No. 11 seed Texas, led by longtime former UofA coach Sean Miller, had one of the weekend's big upsets with a win over No. 3 seed Gonzaga.

• If the Cats beat Arkansas and Texas can pull off another upset against No. 2 seed Purdue on Thursday, UofA will face Miller's Longhorns in the Elite Eight.

The bottom line: It wasn't the dominant performance you'd like to see from a No. 1 seed in the second round, but a win is a win, and the Cats' championship dreams are very much alive.