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  • Jaden Bradley's Last-Second Heroics Help The Wildcats Edge Iowa State In Big 12 Semifinals

Jaden Bradley's Last-Second Heroics Help The Wildcats Edge Iowa State In Big 12 Semifinals

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Basketball

Top-seeded Arizona refused to break under the pressure of a barrage of Iowa State 3-pointers, setting up Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley to nail a 20-foot fadeaway jumper as the clock expired to give the Wildcats an 82–80 win in Friday's Big 12 Tournament semifinal at T-Mobile Center.

The win sends the Wildcats (31–2) into the Big 12 Tournament championship game for the second straight season.

Anthony Dell'Orso delivered a huge night off the bench, scoring 26 points on 10-for-14 shooting, including 6-for-9 from three, providing the offensive spark Arizona desperately needed as ISU controlled much of the first half. His versatility—spot-up shooting, midrange creation and transition finishing—kept Arizona within striking distance until its second-half surge.

Jaden Bradley took control late, scoring 15 points and dishing out seven assists with zero turnovers against Iowa State's pressure defense. His final bucket erased Iowa State's tying three just 15 seconds earlier. Bradley scored six points in the final three minutes, repeatedly answering Cyclone runs.

Freshman Ivan Kharchenkov continued his exceptional tournament run with 17 points, including nine in the second half and a pair of key threes that stemmed Iowa State momentum. He added three steals and played 32 impactful minutes.

Arizona also controlled the interior behind Tobe Awaka, who produced 10 points and 10 rebounds, his eighth double-double of the season.

Iowa State's Milan Momcilovic was outstanding with 28 points, hitting eight threes, including two in the final two minutes to keep ISU alive.

After trailing 43–37 at halftime, the Wildcats shot 62.1% in the second half and went 6-for-11 from three, showing the composure of a top seed battling through its toughest postseason test so far.

For the game, Arizona shot 55.2% from the floor, the second-highest percentage that Iowa State has allowed this season. The Cats were also 8 of 16 from the 3-point line in the game.

Arizona now advances to the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship Game, where they will take on No. 2 seed Houston. The game will start at 3:00 p.m. MST on ESPN.