Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball star Caleb Love played the hero in the team’s upset over the No. 3 Iowa State Cyclones on Monday night.
The Wildcats were down 71-68 with 2.2 seconds left in the game when Love received the inbound pass. He took a couple of dribbles and heaved up a prayer from well beyond half-court and nailed the shot. Love’s Wildcats teammates celebrated as the team forced overtime.
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Arizona guard Caleb Love, #1, reacts after scoring against Iowa State during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025 in Tucson, Arizona. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Arizona locked in and defeated Iowa State, 86-75. Love had 22 points in the win.
“Best moment of my life,” he said after the game. “Obviously, it wasn’t going our way throughout the game, but you’ve got to trust your work, to stay confident.”
Love, a senior transfer from North Carolina, did not have the best of shooting nights in the win but came up clutch when it mattered the most. He was 8-of-22 from the field overall and only 4-of-13 from 3-point range. He had two assists and two steals as well.
It was the heave that made all the difference.
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Arizona guard Caleb Love, #1, and forward Carter Bryant, #9, celebrate after defeating Iowa State in overtime in an NCAA college basketball game on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025 in Tucson, Arizona. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
“We actually practice half-courters in practice for fun, and he’s decent at it, but I’m probably a little better,” Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd said. “He let it go, it was on line — all you can do is get it on line and don’t leave it short. When it went in, it was pretty amazing.”
Arizona, which came into the game unranked, definitely needed a big-time win for its tournament resume as it improved to 14-6 on the season. The team improved to 4-2 against ranked opponents after losing their first two against Duke and UCLA earlier in the season.
Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey led the team with 18 points. He was 7-of-13 from the field.
Arizona guard Caleb Love, #1, drives on Iowa State guard Keshon Gilbert, #10, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025 in Tucson, Arizona. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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Iowa State fell to 17-3 on the season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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