Top-seeded Arizona beats Arkansas 109-88 to reach the Elite Eight for the 1st time since 2015

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — From the opening minutes until the end of the game, Arizona scored almost at will.

The Wildcats used one of the best offensive performances in the NCAA Tournament to get over the Sweet 16 hurdle for the first time in more than a decade.

Brayden Burries scored 21 points and fellow freshman Koa Peat added 21 as part of a record-setting balanced attack that sent top-seeded Arizona to a 109-88 win over Arkansas on Thursday night to reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 2015.

“This is the most fun I’ve had playing basketball, honestly,” Peat said. “I love my teammates. Just seeing them be successful, it just makes me happy. Then they find me as well. So we went out there and played our Arizona brand of basketball. I thought everything fell in place, and I thought the whole team played really good today and a lot of guys stepped up.”

There had never been a performance quite like the one Arizona (35-2) delivered as the Wildcats shot 63.8% from the floor for the best mark in the Sweet 16 since 2005.

Ivan Kharchenkov also had 15 points, while Jaden Bradley, Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka scored 14 apiece as the Wildcats became the first team in NCAA Tournament history with six players scoring at least 14 points in a game.

“I feel like that’s what makes us so special, is because anybody can go off on a given day,” Burries said. “Everybody contributes in their own way.”

The Wildcats will take a 12-game winning streak into the West Region final against second-seeded Purdue on Saturday night. The Boilermakers beat Texas 79-77 in the first game.

“I thought our guys were great offensively today,” coach Tommy Lloyd said. “The great thing about basketball and the tough thing about basketball is, unfortunately, that doesn’t automatically translate to Saturday. We’ve got to find a way to kind of recreate that rhythm we had tonight.”

Lloyd has won a record 147 games in his first five seasons as a head coach but has been unable to find tournament success before this season. Arizona had lost three times in the Sweet 16 and once in the first round as a No. 2 seed in Lloyd's first four seasons.

But the Wildcats have rolled through this year's tournament outside of a couple of tense moments in the second round against Utah State, outscoring the opposition by 67 points in three double-digit wins.

Freshman Darius Acuff Jr. scored 28 points for fourth-seeded Arkansas (28-9) in what might be the final college game for the talented freshman who scored 88 points in three tournament games. But he didn't get nearly enough help against the deeper Wildcats.

The frustration for the Razorbacks boiled over in the second half when Nick Pringle and coach John Calipari both got technical fouls and Billy Richmond was ejected after getting a flagrant 2 foul for shoving Kharchenkov.

The Razorbacks reached the Sweet 16 for the fifth time in six seasons but once again fell short and are still seeking their first Final Four appearance since 1995.

“They were on all cylinders, and we weren’t quite what we’ve been,” Calipari said. “That’s why you get a 20-point bulge. Every one of their guys, they’ve got a bunch of guys that can play, and they’ve got a couple other guys that do exactly what they need to do to help their team win. But they’re good.”

Arizona had a nearly flawless first half offensively, shooting 64% from the field, making 15 of 17 free throws and protecting the ball well against the Razorbacks defense. That helped stake the Wildcats to a 54-43 lead, as they tied for the fifth-most points scored in the first half of a Sweet 16 game.

Arizona built the lead to 18 early in the second half on a three-point play by Burries to the delight of Warriors coach and former Wildcats star Steve Kerr, and Arkansas never really threatened the rest of the way.

“We’ve had the freedom of playing free and it makes it difficult for defenses to lock in,” Kharchenkov said. “If you stop one guy we have another. If you stop that guy we have another. Today everybody popped off.”

The Wildcats are one win away from reaching their first Final Four since 2001.

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Arkansas head coach John Calipari argues a call during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Arizona, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. (5) shoots over Arizona center Motiejus Krivas (13) during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd hands the ball to a referee during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Arkansas, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Kelley L Cox)

Arizona guard Brayden Burries (5) celebrates after scoring during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Arkansas, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Arizona forward Koa Peat (10) dunks during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Arkansas, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Kelley L Cox)

McKINNEY, Texas (AP) — Scottie Scheffler won't be the wire-to-wire winner of his hometown CJ Cup Byron Nelson again this year.

For now, the world's top-ranked player is chasing a leaderboard that includes Brooks Koepka, the five-time major champion looking for his first victory since returning to the PGA Tour from LIV Golf.

Koepka shot an 8-under 63 on Thursday and trailed first-round leader Taylor Moore by one at the revamped TPC Craig Ranch, with Scheffler at 66 under while playing with Koepka and Si Woo Kim, one of seven players at 64.

“I felt like I was getting lapped out there for a little bit,” said Scheffler, who led from the start of last year's Nelson and won by eight shots at 31 under while tying the tour's 72-hole scoring record at 253. “So I was fortunate to make a couple birdies late in the round and keep myself in the tournament.”

Moore, whose only win in his first 128 tour starts came at the 2023 Valspar Championship, made a 14-foot birdie putt from the fringe on the par-5 ninth to finish the best round of his tour career.

The Texas native and Oklahoma resident leads Koepka and Jesper Svensson, who had a chance to join Moore atop the leaderboard but missed a 9-footer on the ninth.

Kim — the highest-ranked player in the field behind Scheffler at No. 24 — had the only bogey in the threesome, on his 16th hole at the par-3 seventh.

One of several countrymen in the event sponsored by South Korean conglomerate CJ Group, Kim closed the gap on Koepka with a birdie at the ninth while Koepka settled for par.

Emiliano Grillo, Keith Mitchell, Stephan Jaeger, Michael Thorbjornsen, Tyler Duncan and Kensei Hirata were tied with Kim. Doug Ghim was at 65 with Mackenzie Hughes, Hank Lebioda, Austin Eckroat and Lanto Griffin.

Koepka, who contended at last week's PGA Championship before fading Sunday, eagled the par-5 12th and was 4 under through five holes. He had four more birdies in a span of five holes in his back nine, capped by a 3-foot birdie putt on the short par-4 sixth.

Kim had four birdies on the front and four more on the back while Scheffler was lagging at 2 under before getting birdies on three of his final five holes.

“It was just a comfortable group,” Koepka said. “Everyone is just kind of feeding off each other, easy. Everyone’s having fun. Makes it enjoyable. I feel comfortable on the golf course as well.”

Even though he hardly recognizes parts of it.

Koepka last played at TPC Craig Ranch in 2021, the year before he bolted for LIV. The sixth Nelson at the par-71 layout about 30 miles north of Dallas was the debut of a Lanny Wadkins-led redesign that cost nearly $25 million and added bunkers everywhere and overhauled the greens with mounds and ridges.

“The greens are totally different than when we played,” Koepka said. “That’s obviously the biggest thing. Off the tee it looks pretty good. Place hasn’t changed too much. It’s familiar. I like it.”

Koepka was a regular at the Nelson a decade ago, including a runner-up finish in 2016 when he lost to Sergio Garcia in a playoff. The 36-year-old also has a little CJ Cup history. He rose to No. 1 in the world with a victory when the event was in South Korea in 2018.

The title sponsorship moved to the U.S. after the COVID-19 pandemic and has been associated with the Nelson since 2024.

The move to LIV forced Koepka to put aside things such as the world ranking, and now he's dealing with stipulations he had to agree to in order to rejoin the PGA Tour. Among them is not being exempt for the $20 million signature events, even though he won a major — the 2023 PGA — while with LIV.

“I think there’s such a huge difference right now of trying to get into signature events, on my way back, coming back to the tour,” Koepka said. “(Winning) would be a big confidence boost for sure because I feel like I’ve been playing well. I feel like I’m knocking on the door, and I’m very, very close.”

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Si Woo Kim, of South Korea, stretches before his tee shot on the 11th hole during the first round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Brooks Koepka hits to the 14th green during the first round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Scottie Scheffler watches his shot on the 14th hole during the first round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Brooks Koepka, right, shakes hands with Scottie Scheffler after playing their final hole in the first round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Brooks Koepka smiles while standing on the ninth green during of the first round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)