Arizona's strong form continues to bolster Wisconsin basketball's resume
After dropping just six points against the Wisconsin Badgers on Nov. 15, Arizona star guard Caleb Love came alive against No. 3 Iowa State on Monday.
Searching for its first signature win of the 2024-25 season, the unranked Wildcats faced a 71-68 deficit with just 2.2 seconds remaining. Love, who had scored 11 points prior to the game's final sequence, received the inbounds pass with thousands of Wildcat fans praying for a miracle.
Luckily for them, the veteran guard delivered.
From 60 feet away, Love nailed a buzzer-beating three-pointer to tie the contest at 71 apiece and send the game into overtime. In that five-minute period, the former North Carolina Tar Heel added eight more points to his total to finish with 22 on the night.
CALEB LOVE JUST LAUNCHED IT FROM BEYOND HALF COURT TO SEND IT TO OT 😱
📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/PaL8fC6SxQ
— ESPN (@espn) January 28, 2025
The win was easily the most impressive for Arizona all season and immediately bolstered its likelihood of returning to national hierarchies. Iowa State, which had dropped just two games prior to Monday's game, falls to 17-3 with the heartbreaking loss.
Most notably for Wisconsin fans, the team's early-season win over the Wildcats, which held the No. 9 position in the AP Poll at the time, looks much more impressive.
FINAL: Arizona 86, No. 3 Iowa State 75. In overtime.
Caleb Love was peak Caleb Love tonight. Really struggled to make 3s for 99.8% of regulation, hit a 60-footer at the buzzer and couldn't miss from deep in overtime. Massive win for an Arizona team in need of a marquee win.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) January 28, 2025
In that game, Wisconsin star wing John Tonje dropped a career-best 41 points off 21-of-22 from the free throw line to set the tone for the Badgers' 2024-25 season. Love, the hero on Monday, accounted for only six.
All four of Wisconsin's losses prior have now arrived against teams in the top 20 of the NCAA NET Ranking.
This could prove even more beneficial if the Badgers defeat Maryland in College Park on Jan. 29 and Northwestern on Feb. 1. If Greg Gard's group accomplishes that, fans should expect Wisconsin to continue to rise near the nation's top 10.
Story originally appeared on Badgers Wire
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