Bigger, stronger Arizona pushes 13 seed Akron out of March Madness in 93-65 1st-round win
The difference between the nation’s traditional powers and the mid-majors trying to bring the mayhem to March Madness?
It’s fundamental: Size matters.
The blue-bloods such as Arizona have the height, size and skill inside at the forward and center positions that if the second-tier where Akron lives had, it wouldn’t be mid-major.
So fourth-seeded Arizona of the mighty Big 12 relentlessly attacked the 13 seed Akron of the Mid-American Conference at the rim with 6-foot-7, 235-pound linebacker-like transfer forward Trey Townsend Friday evening in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Climate Pledge Arena.
The Wildcats routed the Zips 94-65. And it wasn’t that close.
Townsend was scoreless on just two shots in 8 minutes of Arizona’s last game, a loss to tournament overall number-one seed Houston in the Big 12 Conference tournament. Friday, he scored 16 points on 7-for-8 shooting, almost all near the basket. Three were dunks. He also had eight rebounds.
“Obviously, just seeing the ball go in, that obviously helps confidence,” Townsend said.
“Credit goes to my teammates, you know — especially today. I was getting right at the hoop, and they were passing to me right where I got wide-open shots.
“Wasn’t too hard because I have great teammates.”
Arizona advanced to the second round Sunday at Climate Pledge Arena against the winner of the fourth and final Seattle game Friday between fifth-seeded Oregon and 12th-seeded Liberty. That Sunday game will be for a spot in the East Regional semifinals, the Sweet 16, next week in Newark, New Jersey.
“I want to see what else is out there,” said Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, the former long-time Gonzaga assistant to Mark Few who coached in his 26th NCAA tournament first-round game Friday.
“I’m not going to put any limitations on us.”
The Wildcats (23-12) raced to 9-0 lead on three 3-point baskets to start the game. And Akron never made it close.
“You always want to start the game hitting every, single shot,” Townsend deadpanned.
“Obviously, it boosted our momentum.”
Tavari Johnson and Nate Johnson co-led Akron with 13 points each.
Townsend was Arizona’s fifth-leading scorer at just over 8 points per game playing against the nation’s fourth-toughest schedule and toughest outside the Southeastern Conference this season (according to KenPom.com).
He was the Wildcats’ irrepressible force against Akron (28-7) Friday.
Townsend, who played his first four college seasons for Oakland University in Michigan of the mid-major Horizon League, didn’t just anchor himself in the lane against the smaller, lighter Zips.
His free throw then block of a 3-point shot by Akron’s Seth Wilson led to a Wildcats fast break early in the second. Townsend sprinted down the middle of the floor from backcourt to front. Guard Jaden Bradley’s pass found him in stride at the top of the lane for a dunk. Arizona had its largest lead, 47-33, with 18 minutes remaining. The red sea of fans behind the UofA bench in the arena’s lower bowl roared as Akron called a time out.
A 3 by Bradley following the time out put Arizona up 50-33.
The lead got to 20 on a 3-pointer by KJ Lewis with just over 15 minutes remaining.
The Wildcats had 10 dunks plus seven layups. That’s a good way to shoot 56.5.%.
Akron stayed in the game in the first half by forcing 10 Arizona turnovers in the first 14 minutes, to just one by the Zips. Five of those first 10 turnovers were Akron steals.
But Arizona kept pounding the ball inside on drives and passes into the lane for all the dunks and short-range shots. That had them shooting better than 56% well into the second half. The Wildcats had a 46-20 edge in points in the paint and decisive 53-22 edge in rebounding.
It was as big a rout as the final score indicates.
“I challenged our guys before the game,” Lloyd said. “I asked them, ‘Can we out-rebound these guys by 15?’
“We out-rebounded them by 31. You give yourself a lot of margin for error when you control the glass like that.
“Just a great, moment-to-moment effort by our guys.”
This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 6:56 PM with the headline "Bigger, stronger Arizona pushes 13 seed Akron out of March Madness in 93-65 1st-round win."
