Caleb Love Leads Arizona to Sweet 87-83 Victory Past Oregon

24 Mar at 10:40 am

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Caleb Love Leads Arizona to Sweet 87-83 Victory Past Oregon/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Arizona survived a wild finish to defeat Oregon 87-83 and reach the Sweet 16 in March Madness. Caleb Love scored 29 points and grabbed nine rebounds, setting up a highly anticipated showdown with top-seeded Duke. Arizona erased an early 15-point deficit and held on late despite a furious rally from Oregon.

Arizona guard Caleb Love (1) reacts as Oregon guard Ra’Heim Moss (0) looks on during the first half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 23, 2025 in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Arizona’s Sweet 16 Journey: Quick Looks

Caleb Love’s Big Night: The senior guard led Arizona with 29 points and nine rebounds, pacing the Wildcats in a high-stakes win.
Next Up – Duke: Arizona advances to face No. 1 seed Duke in the East Region semifinals in Newark, NJ.
Familiar Foe: Love famously ended Duke legend Mike Krzyzewski’s career with UNC in the 2022 Final Four.
Oregon’s Collapse: The Ducks led by 15 early but couldn’t hold off Arizona’s second-half surge.
Tobe Awaka Dominates Inside: The Arizona forward added 12 points and 14 rebounds in a gritty performance.
Oregon’s Free-Throw Woes: The Ducks went just 12-for-22 from the line, a key factor in the close loss.
Pac-12 Pride: Arizona is the last remaining Pac-12 team in the NCAA Tournament after UCLA’s elimination.
Program Histories: Arizona last won the national title in 1997; Oregon’s lone championship came in 1939.

Caleb Love Leads Arizona to Sweet 87-83 Victory Past Oregon

Deep Look

SEATTLE — Arizona is marching on in March Madness — and it’s Caleb Love leading the charge once again.

Love delivered a dazzling performance Sunday night, scoring 29 points and grabbing nine rebounds as No. 4 seed Arizona clawed its way to an 87-83 victory over No. 5 seed Oregon. With the win, the Wildcats advance to the Sweet 16 and set up a must-see showdown with No. 1 Duke in the East Region semifinal in Newark, New Jersey.

This won’t be Love’s first meeting with the Blue Devils on a big stage. In 2022, Love etched his name into NCAA Tournament lore by sinking Duke in the Final Four while playing for North Carolina — a game that ended Mike Krzyzewski’s Hall of Fame career.

“Us going down early, we never panicked,” Love said after Arizona rallied from a 15-point first-half deficit. “We stayed poised and focused on winning the game.”

Oregon opened with a 19-4 run, but Arizona quickly responded with a 13-2 surge of its own to trim the lead. By halftime, the Wildcats had grabbed a 42-38 edge, capping a dominant turnaround behind Love and Tobe Awaka, who added 12 points and a team-high 14 rebounds.

Jaden Bradley’s driving layup gave Arizona its first lead at 32-31 with 4:45 left in the half, a turning point that sparked the Wildcats’ confidence.

In the second half, freshman Anthony Dell’Orso buried a 3-pointer to extend Arizona’s lead to 54-43. He celebrated by pulling on his jersey, igniting the Arizona faithful.

Oregon, to its credit, didn’t go quietly. Jackson Shelstad dropped 25 points, including clutch buckets down the stretch that nearly erased Arizona’s lead. A layup by Shelstad with 10 seconds left cut the deficit to 81-80. But Dell’Orso’s steady free-throw shooting helped the Wildcats close it out, and Shelstad missed a critical foul shot with seconds remaining.

Oregon head coach Dana Altman pointed to missed free throws as a decisive factor.

“We put ourselves in position to come back,” Altman said. “But this is the first game all season where we lost it at the line.”

Wildcats Riding Tournament Momentum
Arizona (24-12) now finds itself in familiar Sweet 16 territory. The Wildcats reached this stage last year before being knocked out by Clemson. But this year, the stakes feel different — and so does the confidence.

“We’ve really emphasized staying even-keeled — not too emotional, not too passive,” said head coach Tommy Lloyd. “This group bought in and executed to perfection.”

Pac-12’s Lone Survivor
The Wildcats are the last Pac-12 team standing. Only three teams from the dissolving conference made the tournament field, with UCLA falling to Tennessee and Oregon falling Sunday. Arizona, bound for the Big 12 next year, is carrying the league’s torch in its final NCAA Tournament appearance as a Pac-12 member.

The Pac-12’s unraveling began in 2023, when USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington announced their move to the Big Ten. Arizona, along with Colorado, Arizona State, and Utah, committed to the Big 12. Washington State and Oregon State will anchor a rebuilt Pac-12 starting in 2026–27 alongside new additions like Gonzaga and Colorado State.

Arizona’s Tournament Legacy
The Wildcats’ storied basketball program is chasing its first national championship since 1997, when Lute Olson led a roster featuring Mike Bibby and Jason Terry to a title over Kentucky. Arizona also reached the title game in 2001 but fell to Duke.

Oregon’s Tournament Run Ends
Oregon (25-10), meanwhile, saw its tournament hopes dashed despite a strong regular season and dominant start. The Ducks haven’t reached the Sweet 16 since 2021, and Sunday’s loss was a reminder of how fragile tournament success can be.

Their only national championship came back in 1939, when the “Tall Firs” won the inaugural NCAA Tournament.