Utah State proves its toughness in Round of 32 loss to Arizona
Mar 22, 2026, 8:40 PM
SAN DIEGO, California – The 2025-26 season has come to an end for the Utah State Aggies after a second-half comeback fell short in a 78-66 loss to No. 1 Arizona.
West region top-seed Arizona (34-2) took down No. 9 Utah State (29-7) to reach the Sweet 16.
RELATED: Three thoughts after Utah State beats Villanova in NCAA tournament opener
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The Arizona will face No. 4 Arkansas in the Sweet 16.
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No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 9 Utah State
Round of 32 – 2026 NCAA Tournament
Location: San Diego, California
Arena: Viejas Arena
Tip-Off: 5:50 p.m. MT
TV: TruTV
What channel is TruTV on?
TNT is one of four networks that will televise the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
- DirecTV: 246
- Dish: 242
- Xfinity: 44 (in Salt Lake City)
Pregame
The stage is set!
🏀: vs Arizona
📍: San Diego, California
🕕: 5:50 PM (MT)
📺: TruTV #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/XpJVlgjWPq— USU Men’s Hoops (@USUBasketball) March 22, 2026
𝙎𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙫𝙞𝙗𝙚𝙨 🤘#ShowMe x @MarchMadnessMBB pic.twitter.com/kY2HSPBWiz
— USU Men’s Hoops (@USUBasketball) March 22, 2026
WE over me. #ShowMe x @MarchMadnessMBB pic.twitter.com/dELKA8gdzp
— USU Men’s Hoops (@USUBasketball) March 22, 2026
USU – Arizona Pregame show begins now on 1280 – @kslsports
— Scott Garrard (@ScottyGZone) March 22, 2026
Utah State vs. Arizona is now expected to tip off at 6:10 p.m. MT. @MarchMadnessMBB @USUBasketball @ArizonaMBB #aggiesalltheway #marchmadesspic.twitter.com/1ms4KYqN6l
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 22, 2026
“U OF A” and “UTAH STATE!” sound a lot a like when fans are chanting it at the same time in the arena. I guess each fan base will hear what they want to.#MarchMadness #AggiesAllTheWay
— Sam Farnsworth (@Samsworth_TV) March 23, 2026
First Half
Tough start for Utah State as the Wildcats size and athleticism are paying dividends early. #marchmadness #ncaatournament #aggiesalltheway
1H | 16:31@USUBasketball 2@ArizonaMBB 10pic.twitter.com/If6o8szZdW
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 23, 2026
These NCAA tournament games are looking awfully fast right now for Utah State guard Elijah Perryman.
The freshman tossed up an airball on his first attempt after only playing six minutes in Friday’s win.#aggiesalltheway
1H | 10:27@USUBasketball 12@ArizonaMBB 19
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 23, 2026
Utah State has weathered Arizona’s first punch to remain within striking distance.
7️⃣Aggies have scored, led by five points from MJ Collins Jr. #aggiesalltheway #marchmadness
1H | 7:50@USUBasketball 16@ArizonaMBB 22pic.twitter.com/S3u4ZKKpCd
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 23, 2026
Miscommunication between Drake Allen and Karson Templin leads to Utah State’s fourth turnover.
Arizona’s lead is up to 11 thanks to a more than four-minute scoring drought for the Aggies. #marchmadness
1H | 4:21@USUBasketball 16@ArizonaMBB 27pic.twitter.com/DkzGhB3uPi
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 23, 2026
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Second Half
In desperate need of an offensive spark, Karson Templin and Kolby King hit back-to-back Utah State threes to open the second half.
2H | 15:42@USUBasketball 33@ArizonaMBB 47 pic.twitter.com/JxkdRTImhQ
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 23, 2026
Arizona explodes for a 9-0 run to grab a 51-33 lead over Utah State. The Wildcats are 8-of-12 from the field after shooting 29% in the first half.
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 23, 2026
Utah State won’t go away in the Round of 32 against Arizona.
Mason Falslev drifts to the corner for a three that cuts the deficit to 🔟 midway through the second half.
2H | 10:34@USUBasketball 44@ArizonaMBB 54
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 23, 2026
Garry Clark is playing one of his best games as an Aggie. The senior leads Utah State with ten points and five rebounds in 13 minutes off the bench.
Unrelenting defensive effort has the Aggies trailing by 8️⃣ with 9:19 left. #marchmadness #aggiesalltheway
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 23, 2026
Utah State trails 56-49 and has all the momentum in San Diego thanks to a spectacular defensive effort. 7:27 left.pic.twitter.com/How2eCdbF8
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 23, 2026
Mason Falslev gets whistled for his fourth foul with more than five minutes to play. Utah State can’t afford to lose its leader as they battle back against Arizona. #marchmadness #aggiesalltheway
2H | 4:49@USUBasketball 59@ArizonaMBB 63pic.twitter.com/OfR78olbdi
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 23, 2026
DRAKE ALLEN, OH MY!
Four-point game and Arizona wants a timeout! @USUBasketball 😲 pic.twitter.com/7Zj92uL5Xi
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 23, 2026
Utah State seemed to run out of gas after slicing an 18-point second-half deficit to 4️⃣ before bowing out of the #ncaatournament in a 12-point loss. @USUBasketball #aggiesalltheway
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 23, 2026
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
