NCAA Tournament Seattle 2025 score | Akron Zips vs. Arizona recap, highlights

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NCAA Tournament Seattle 2025 score | Akron Zips vs. Arizona recap, highlights

Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal

Fri, Mar 21, 2025 ·

12 min read

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SEATTLE — The Akron Zips went dancing again with the hope securing their first March Madness victory in program history, but they were instead battered and blown out by the Arizona Wildcats .

Thirteenth-seeded Akron fell 93-65 to No. 4 Arizona in a first-round NCAA Tournament game in the East Region on Friday night at Climate Pledge Arena. Akron produced its second-lowest point total this season — the Zips scored 58 in a loss to Yale on Dec. 28. Meanwhile, Arizona advanced to meet No. 5 Oregon , an 81-52 winner over No. 12 Liberty, on Sunday in the same venue.

Here is how Akron (28-7) versus Arizona (23-12) unfolded through our updates.

Akron basketball column: With Nate Johnson leading way, key Zips expect to return. So March Madness again?

Akron Zips routed 93-65 by Arizona Wildcats in first round of March Madness

The Zips were manhandled by the Wildcats, as evidenced by a 53-22 rebounding discrepancy.

Guards Nate Johnson and Tavari Johnson led Akron with 13 points apiece.

Guard Jaden Bradley had a game-high 19 points for Arizona, followed by forward Trey Townsend with 16 points.

Zips eliminated from March Madness: Akron men's basketball team hurt by historic season ending with bruising loss in NCAA Tournament

It keeps getting uglier for Akron Zips vs. Arizona Wildcats

During a media timeout with 2:38 left in the second half, Akron trailed 88-57. The 31-point lead was Arizona's largest of a game it dominated.

The Zips, at this point, were outrebounded 52-20 and outscored in the paint 46-20. The Wildcats blocked nine shots compared with four blocks by the Zips.

Zips news: What will Akron basketball roster look like in 2025-26 after March Madness run this season?

Akron will need a miracle as it trails Arizona 75-53 with 7:13 left in the second half

The Zips have been dominated by the Wildcats.

Akron trailed 75-53 during a media timeout with 7:13 remaining in the second half.

To come back and keep their season alive, the Zips will need a miracle. However, nothing about the way this game has unfolded suggests Akron is capable of reversing its fortunes.

The Zips have never led. The Wildcats have led by as many as 23 points, and they led by 22 at this juncture.

Arizona racking up nine dunks so far is an example of how the Wildcats have taken advantage of being the much bigger team in this matchup.

Arizona asserting its will and leads Akron 64-46 with 11:47 left in the second half

Arizona threw down two nasty dunks with big man Henri Veesaar involved with both plays.

With 13:47 left in the second half, forward Carter Bryant slammed an alley-oop pass from Veesaar. And with 12:09 remaining, Veesaar hammered his own dunk, which Akron didn't contest. The Wildcats have eight dunks so far.

Meanwhile, the Zips are in danger of their lowest point total of the season, which was 58 on Dec. 20 in a loss to Yale. Guard Shammah Scott has led the Zips with six points in the second half thus far after scoring five in the first half.

Akron falls behind Arizona 54-37 in the second half

Akron encountered its largest deficit of the game when it trailed 54-37 during a media timeout with 15:47 remaining in the second half.

A dunk by forward Henri Veesaar and a turnaround jump shot by guard Caleb Love resulted in Arizona's 17-point cushion.

Akron trails Arizona 47-33 with 18:18 left in the second half

Akron coach John Groce used a timeout early in the first half, and he did it again early in the second half.

Arizona forward Trey Townsend has been crushing Akron. His fast-break dunk gave the Wildcats a 47-33 lead and prompted the Zips to use a timeout. Townsend had 14 points and six rebounds at this stage of the game.

On Thursday, Groce told the Beacon Journal Arizona's ability to create easy baskets for itself concerned him. He was right to be worried.

Akron Zips face 41-31 halftime deficit vs. Arizona Wildcats

The ending of the first half proved to be fitting for the Zips. The one Akron player who has excelled thus far is guard Tavari Johnson, and he made a floater just before the buzzer to trim the Zips' deficit to 41-31 at halftime.

Shortly before Johnson's bucket, Arizona forward Carter Bryant followed his own missed 3-pointer and produced a putback dunk.

The Wildcats won the rebounding battle 30-13 and outscored the Zips 24-12 in the paint and 10-2 on second-chance points through the first half.

Johnson led the Zips with 13 points in the first half, followed by guards Nate Johnson and Shammah Scott with five points apiece.

Forward Trey Townsend led Arizona with 11 points and added five rebounds in the first half. Guard Jaden Bradley contributed nine points, and Bryant pitched in seven.

Arizona had 12 turnovers in the first half compared with three by Akron. However, Akron didn't capitalize enough, outscoring Arizona just 8-4 in points off turnovers despite the discrepancy.

Akron went 12-of-37 shooting (32.4%) from the field (3 of 10 on 3-pointers) in the first half. Arizona went 18-of-33 shooting (54.5%) from the floor (5 of 12 on 3s) in the first half.

The Zips need to turn their shooting night around to flirt with an upset in the second half.

Akron trails Arizona 39-29 with 34.4 seconds left in the first half

Arizona is willing to concede field goals inside the 3-point arc, but the Wildcats are determined to dissuade the Zips from shooting 3s.

So far, Akron is 3-of-10 shooting from deep. The Zips won't pull off an upset at this rate. Remember, Akron averages 29.8 3-point attempts and 10.9 made 3s this season.

Arizona has 33-22 advantage vs. Akron with 3:50 remaining in the first half

The Zips are having trouble guarding several Wildcats players who are adept at creating their own shots off the dribble.

Bryant provided an example by draining a 3-pointer with 4:35 remaining in the first half, and Love hammered the point home by making a floater over Akron's Nate Johnson with 3:59 left.

Arizona led 33-22 during a media timeout with 3:50 left in the first half.

Wildcats lead Zips 25-16 with 7:30 left before halftime

Arizona led Akron 25-16 during a media timeout with 7:30 remaining in the first half.

For the Zips, this isn't a recipe for success: Arizona is shooting 50% from the field (11 of 22, including 3 of 9 on 3-pointers), and Akron is shooting 28% from the floor (7 of 25, including 2 of 6 on 3s) thus far.

Akron is the smaller team by a wide margin, so the Zips need to get much hotter to stand a chance against Arizona.

Akron Zips face 17-13 deficit vs. Arizona Wildcats with 10:58 left in the first half

The Zips were behind 17-13 during a media timeout with 10:58 remaining in the first half.

The superior size and physical nature of the Wildcats is obvious, and they lead the rebounding battle 14-8 thus far. Arizona 7-footer Veesaar had five rebounds in his first six minutes off the bench.

Bradley led Arizona with seven points at this early stage of the game. Guards Tavari Johnson and Scott paced Akron in scoring with six and five points, respectively.

Akron trails Arizona 11-6, with Tavari Johnson giving Zips a spark

The Zips were behind 11-6 during a media timeout with 16 minutes left in the first half.

At this point, the only Akron player who had scored was guard Tavari Johnson.

After Akron fell behind 9-0 to begin the game, Johnson gave the Zips a spark by making two layups and a floater for six points.

Bradley led Arizona at this juncture with five points.

Mar 21, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Akron Zips guard Tavari Johnson (5) shoots the ball against Arizona Wildcats forward Trey Townsend (4) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images — Akron Zips guard Tavari Johnson (5) shoots the ball against Arizona Wildcats forward Trey Townsend (4) in a first-round NCAA Tournament game March 21, 2025, in Seattle, Washington.

Arizona jumps out to a 9-0 lead with a hot start from 3-point range and prompts an early Akron timeout

Arizona is not known for 3-point shooting prowess, but the Wildcats began the game on fire from deep.

They made 3 of 4 3s to open the game, took a 9-0 lead and compelled Groce to use a timeout with 18:11 left in the first half.

Making the first three 3s for Arizona were Bradley, Townsend and Love.

Here is some pregame information:

What is Akron Zips ' March Madness history in the NCAA Tournament?

The Zips are 0-6 in Division I NCAA Tournament games (1986, 2009, '11, '13, '22 and '24). The 1980-81 season was Akron's first as a Division I team.

Under the guidance of coach John Groce , Akron has won three of the past four Mid-American Conference Tournaments and thereby seized the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2022, '24 and '25.

The Zips also entered March Madness three times with coach Keith Dambrot (2009, '11 and '13) and once with coach Bob Huggins (1986).

NCAA Tournament: 'It just brings supreme confidence': Akron's John Groce has March Madness upsets on resume

Akron men's basketball players celebrate as the Zips are announced as a No. 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament during a Selection Sunday event at James A. Rhodes Arena, Sunday, March 16, 2025. Akron is set to meet No. 4 seed Arizona.

Here are the results of Akron's six Division I NCAA Tournament games:

2024: No. 14 Akron lost 77-60 to No. 3 Creighton in Pittsburgh
2022: No. 14 Akron lost 57-53 to No. 3 UCLA in Portland, Oregon
2013: No. 12 Akron lost 88-42 to No. 5 VCU in Detroit
2011: No. 15 Akron lost 69-56 to No. 2 Notre Dame in Chicago
2009: No. 13 Akron lost 77-64 to No. 4 Gonzaga in Portland, Oregon
1986: No. 15 Akron lost 70-64 to No. 2 Michigan in Minneapolis

Head coach Tommy Lloyd of the Arizona Wildcats watches from the bench during the semifinal game of the Big 12 men's basketball tournament against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at T-Mobile Center on March 14, 2025 in Kansas City.

What is the Arizona men's basketball team's history in the NCAA Tournament?

This is Arizona's 39th time in the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats entered this year's tourney with a record of 60-37 in March Madness. They have been to the Final Four four times and won one national championship in 1997 with coach Lute Olson.

Arizona has earned an NCAA Tournament appearance in each of Tommy Lloyd's four seasons as its head coach and compiled a record of 4-3. The Wildcats advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2022 and 2024. Those runs sandwiched a first-round exit in 2023, when second-seeded Arizona lost 59-55 to No. 15 Princeton .

Akron basketball column: Can the Zips advance in March Madness bracket? Outlining their path

What is the NCAA Tournament men's basketball history for games between No. 4 seeds and No. 13 seeds?

Entering this year's NCAA Tournament, No. 13 seeds have upset No. 4 seeds in 21.2% of their matchups since the March Madness field expanded in 1985.

Heading into the 2025 games, No. 13 seeds had an all-time record of 33-123 against No. 4 seeds.

March Madness: Akron basketball crams for Arizona. What to know about their matchup

Akron's Nate Johnson throws down a thunderous second-half dunk over Central Michigan's Ugnius Jarusevicius on Jan. 7, 2025, in Akron, Ohio.

Did the Akron Zips and Arizona Wildcats have any common opponents this season?

Akron plays in the Mid-American Conference, and Arizona plays in the Big 12. They each met the MAC's Central Michigan this season.

Arizona crushed visiting Central Michigan 94-41 on Dec. 21.

Akron defeated Central Michigan 87-71 on Jan. 7 at Rhodes Arena and won 85-82 at Central Michigan on Feb. 15.

More Akron Zips hoops: Seth Wilson brings pregame tradition inspired by Ric Flair to NCAA Tournament

Akron Zips guard Tavari Johnson (5) celebrates winning the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game at Rocket Arena on Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio. — Akron Zips guard Tavari Johnson (5) celebrates winning the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game March 15, 2025, in Cleveland.

Who are Akron's starters?

Here are Akron's official starters:

Guard Nate Johnson (14 points, 5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.8 steals)
Guard Tavari Johnson (13 points, 3.9 assists, 1.9 rebounds)
Guard Isaiah Gray (9.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.1 steals)
Guard Seth Wilson (6.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists)
Forward James Okonkwo (7 points, 7.3 rebounds)

Mar 14, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Caleb Love (1) dunks during the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images

Who are Arizona's starters?

Here are Arizona's official starters:

Guard Jaden Bradley (11.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.8 steals)
Guard Caleb Love (16.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals)
Guard Anthony Dell'Orso (7.1 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists)
Forward Trey Townsend (8.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1 assist)
Forward Tobe Awaka (8.2 points, 7.8 rebounds)

Mar 13, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Tobe Awaka (30) reaches for a pass during the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks at T-Mobile Center.

How to watch today's Akron-Arizona basketball NCAA Tournament game on TV. How to listen on radio

The game will be televised nationally by truTV , with Lisa Byington serving as the play-by-play announcer, Robbie Hummel and Jalen Rose as analysts and Andy Katz as the sideline reporter.

It can be heard on national radio via Westwood One Sports, with Ryan Radtke assigned as the play-by-play announcer and P.J. Carlesimo as the analyst.

It can be heard on local radio via WHLO (640-AM), with Dave Skoczen doing play by play and Joe Dunn analyzing.

What is the history between Akron and Arizona in men's basketball?

Akron and Arizona have never played each other.

Before Akron hired Groce in 2017, he had been at the helms of Ohio (2008-12) and Illinois (2012-17). However, he has never previously faced Arizona as a head coach.

Groce led Ohio into March Madness twice and Illinois once. In 2012, Ohio advanced to the Sweet 16 as a No. 13 seed. Groce's NCAA Tournament record as a head coach is 4-5.

Lloyd has been a head coach since 2021, when Arizona hired him, so he has not previously met Akron as a head coach.

However, Lloyd was notably a Gonzaga assistant coach from 2001-21, and Gonzaga eliminated Akron from the NCAA Tournament in 2009.

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: NCAA Tournament Cleveland, Akron Zips basketball score vs. Arizona

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