Favorites in the South section of March Madness, the Arizona Wildcats and Quebecer Bennedict Mathurin were eliminated from the annual competition on Thursday in San Antonio, Texas, after losing their “Sweet 16” duel 72 to 60 against the Houston Cougars.
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Like his teammates, Mathurin struggled offensively, as he only managed four of his 14 shots, including two of seven from downtown, as well as five of his eight free throws, for 15 points. He added four rebounds and three assists.
However, it was Dalen Terry who was the most productive for the Wildcats, with 17 points.
For their part, the Cougars benefited from strong performances from Jamal Shead and Kyler Edwards, who posted 21 and 19 points respectively in the victory.
That Wildcats loss, coupled with that of the Gonzaga Bulldogs a few hours earlier, as well as that of the Baylor Bears in the second round, means that there is only one team ranked first in its division still in life to this edition of Marc Madness. The Kansas Jayhawks, favorites in the Midwest, however, must defeat the Providence Friars to reach the “Elite 8”.