KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On March 14, 2026, Jaden Bradley hit the first buzzer-beater of his four-year college career to give No. 2 Arizona an 82-80 victory over No. 7 Iowa State and send the Wildcats into the Big 12 championship game. Bradley did not immediately know the shot had gone through; the backboard flashed red and he found himself beneath teammates in a dogpile as the crowd roared. The finish capped a wildly efficient closing stretch — the two teams combined to make 11 of their final 13 attempts — and turned a tense, exchange-filled contest into one of the tournament’s signature moments.
- Final score: Arizona 82, Iowa State 80; game decided by Bradley’s buzzer-beating jumper on March 14, 2026 in Kansas City, Mo.
- Bradley’s shot was the first game-winning buzzer-beater of his four-year collegiate career and clinched Arizona’s berth in the Big 12 final.
- Arizona and Iowa State made 11 of their final 13 shots, with neither defense recording a stop in the last 4:09 of play.
- Anthony Dell’Orso finished with 26 points and hit six 3-pointers for Arizona.
- Iowa State’s Milan Momcilovic supplied multiple late 3s; Tamin Lipsey, 1-for-10 before the final possession, buried a tying 3 to force the game’s decisive moment.
- Key defensive plays included Motiejus Krivas’s late block that led to another Cyclone 3, and Tobe Awaka’s putback dunk after a missed layup.
- Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd allowed Bradley to “figure it out” instead of calling a set play on the final possession.
Background
The game came in the semifinal of the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City, one of college basketball’s premier conference events, with Arizona entering as the No. 2 seed and Iowa State as the No. 7 seed. Both programs came into the night with nationally ranked defenses; the two teams were cited among the top five defensive units in the country, which made the offensive barrage in the final minutes all the more notable. Arizona’s season has been defined by a mix of veteran poise and younger playmakers capable of late-game heroics, while Iowa State’s recent tournament runs have relied on perimeter shooting and halfcourt schemes run by coach TJ Otzelberger.
Recent meetings and seedings added texture: Arizona’s path to the conference final carried expectations of an NCAA Tournament bid and improved seeding, while Iowa State — buoyed by timely 3-pointers — viewed the Big 12 bracket as a vehicle for momentum heading into Selection Sunday. The coaches on both sides emphasized execution and situational practice in the days leading up to the tournament, and those preparations shaped the final possessions of this semifinal.
Main Event
The closing sequence unfolded as a relentless exchange of makes and quick responses. Arizona’s Ivan Kharchenkov opened the decisive run with a turnaround in the lane that put the Wildcats ahead by five. Iowa State answered through Milan Momcilovic’s outside shooting, and Anthony Dell’Orso matched those treys for Arizona, trading long-range shots in a volley that kept the margin razor-thin.
After a missed layup by Bradley, Tobe Awaka followed with a dunk on the offensive rebound to keep Arizona alive. On the opposite end, Motiejus Krivas blocked a Tamin Lipsey attempt out of bounds, but Iowa State kept the pressure, running a play that freed Momcilovic for yet another 3-pointer. The teams combined to make 11 of their final 13 attempts; in the last 4 minutes and 9 seconds neither defense recorded a stop, turning the endgame into an onslaught of high-leverage offense.
With the game tied and the clock waning, Iowa State’s TJ Otzelberger had earlier employed a trap that led to a first-half steal and a buzzer-running 3 by Momcilovic, giving the Cyclones a six-point halftime edge. Arizona’s coach Tommy Lloyd, refusing to overcomplicate the finale, entrusted Bradley to read and react rather than execute a drawn-up special. Bradley drove, reset, and rose for a contested jumper at the horn; he didn’t see it fall at first, but teammates swarmed and the Wildcats celebrated the 82-80 win.
Bradley described the moment as surreal and physically overwhelming. His teammates and coaches credited situational practice — “figure it out” scenarios the staff emphasizes — with preparing the roster to make the right decisions under pressure.
Analysis & Implications
The immediate consequence is straightforward: Arizona advances to the Big 12 championship game and gains the momentum that comes with a dramatic semifinal victory. For Arizona’s NCAA profile, a win like this can reinforce the team’s résumé and public perception, possibly affecting seed movement and committee narratives about the Wildcats’ resilience in tight games.
Strategically, the game exposed both teams’ late-game offensive strengths and occasional defensive lapses. Even defenses ranked among the nation’s best struggled to generate stops in the final stretch, suggesting that fatigue, matchup advantages and hot shooting overcame schematic preparation. For Iowa State, the absence of a defensive stop in the closing minutes will likely be a focal point for offseason adjustments and practice emphasis.
For players, the outcomes shape reputations: Anthony Dell’Orso’s 26-point night and six triples reinforce his scoring profile, while Bradley’s buzzer-beater elevates his standing as a late-game decision-maker. Coaches on both sides can point to teachable moments — from turnovers and traps to rebounding and contesting shots — that will frame offseason work and recruiting messages.
On a broader scale, the game amplifies the Big 12 tournament’s narrative value for television audiences and NCAA seeding discussions. Classic finishes attract attention that can ripple into program visibility, recruiting conversations and even donor engagement for the schools involved. Whether that attention translates to long-term advantage depends on how each program follows up in subsequent games and on Selection Sunday.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Final score | Arizona 82, Iowa State 80 |
| Final 13 shots made | 11 combined |
| Anthony Dell’Orso | 26 points, 6 three-pointers |
| Bradley | First career buzzer-beater |
The table above collects the game’s defining numbers; those figures underline how an offensive surge can overwhelm even highly rated defenses in pressure situations. Coaches and analysts will study the film for possession-by-possession breakdowns, but the shared stat — 11 made shots out of the final 13 attempts — succinctly captures the game’s improbably efficient finish.
Reactions & Quotes
“That’s stuff you dream about in the backyard — counting down, hitting the shot.”
Jaden Bradley, Arizona guard
Bradley said the shot left him breathless and that the team’s situational reps helped him make the read he needed on the final possession.
“JB kept finding me.”
Anthony Dell’Orso, Arizona forward
Dell’Orso, who finished with 26 points and six 3s, credited Bradley’s reads for giving him clean looks throughout the stretch.
“We practice a lot of figure-it-out situations. The players have to, in the moment, figure out the right plays to make.”
Tommy Lloyd, Arizona head coach
Lloyd defended the decision to leave the last possession to a player’s instincts rather than call a set play, noting the team’s emphasis on adaptable execution in late-game scenarios.
Unconfirmed
- It is not yet confirmed how much Bradley’s buzzer-beater will change Arizona’s exact seeding on Selection Sunday; that will depend on other conference results and the selection committee’s assessment.
- There is no official report that any player sustained an injury on the final play; medical updates from either program have not been released as of this writing.
- Long-term recruiting or transfer impacts attributable directly to this single game are speculative and unverified at this time.
Bottom Line
Jaden Bradley’s buzzer-beater provided a dramatic conclusion to a semifinal that showcased both teams’ offensive firepower and late-game nerve. Beyond the immediate thrill and Arizona’s advance to the Big 12 final, the contest highlighted how situational practice and individual composure can decide high-stakes matchups. The win gives Arizona a momentum boost and a headline-grabbing moment that will be replayed in highlights and considered by analysts as Selection Sunday approaches.
For Iowa State, the loss will be examined for the defensive lapses in the closing minutes and for the missed opportunity to convert a hot-shooting night into a tournament final berth. Both programs will carry lessons from Kansas City into the remainder of the postseason — Arizona with renewed confidence, and Iowa State with precise areas to correct — while fans and neutral observers gain one of the season’s most memorable finishes.
Sources
- The New York Times (national news outlet) — game report and quotations.
- Big 12 Conference (official Twitter account) — postgame highlights and conference commentary.
- ESPN (broadcaster/sports media) — televised coverage of the Big 12 semifinal.