Arizona got off to a quick start but faded before halftime, heading into the locker room down seven points.

They mounted a couple of furious rallies in the second half and looked set to take over the game, but UConn called timeout and answered each time.

The Wildcats had a number of good looks at the end for the game-tying or game-winning basket, but couldn’t get the ball to go through the hoop.

It’s a disappointing end to a terrific season, with head coach Sean Miller falling short of his first trip to the Final Four.

For the second straight tournament game, Arizona had to sweat out the final seconds before coming away with a win.

This time, the Wildcats were the beneficiary of a questionable five-second call on Texas and then no foul being called on the Longhorns final possession.

Texas head coach Rick Barnes was furious after the game, especially with the five-second call.

The hero for Arizona was once again Derrick Williams, who this time knocked down the game-winning free throws.

Arizona trailed the Tigers for much of the game before managing to pull ahead in the final moments.

Up three in the final seconds, head coach Sean Miller opted to foul rather than risk allowing the game-tying three-point shot.

Memphis made the first free throw but missed the second intentionally, and they grabbed the rebound.

However, Derrick Williams came to save the day yet again, blocking the put-back attempt as the final horn sounded.

After taking a one-point lead late in the extra session, Arizona watched in horror as Isaiah Thomas drained the game-winning three-point shot as time expired.

Derrick Williams turned in another fabulous performance, scoring 24 points and grabbing 11 rebounds to lead the Wildcats.

Arizona only turned the ball over eight times the entire game, and that bodes well for their hopes in the NCAA tournament.

However, they were outrebounded by 10. Outside of Williams, they really don’t have a legitimate inside presence. 

Through the regular season, the Arizona Wildcats proved to be the class of the Pac-10 Conference. Now comes the time for the Wildcats to prove it when it matters most.

The Wildcats capped a successful regular season on Saturday, winning their 25th game with a 90-82 victory at home against Oregon.

The No. 18-ranked Wildcats finished 14-4 in conference play, winning the Pac-10 regular-season title. The Pac-10 tournament tips off this week at Staples Center in Los Angeles, and Arizona is the top seed and the favorite to win the tourney crown.

Arizona rebounded from back-to-back losses to USC on Feb. 24 and UCLA on Feb. 26, ending the regular season with victories over Oregon State and Oregon. The two losses ended an eight-game winning streak.

Arizona finished 25-6 overall and is a lock to get a berth in the NCAA tournament regardless of how it fares in the conference tourney. But a Pac-10 title would likely raise the Wildcats to a No. 4 seed when the tickets to the Big Dance are handed out a week from Sunday.

—30—

Derrick Williams lead the Wildcats with 15 points and seven rebounds, but it was hardly his best effort.

Arizona held the early advantage but fell behind by 10 at halftime. Giving up 40 first-half points to the defensive-minded Bruins was disappointing to say the least.

The second half saw Arizona continue to fall further and further behind. Arizona shot just 31 percent from the field and 21 percent from three-point range.

The loss will certainly hurt Arizona’s NCAA tournament seed, but they should still get a good draw.

Kyle Fogg knocked down six three-pointers on his way to a game-high 26 points and three assists.

Derrick Williams struggled to find the bottom of the basket for the second straight game, but his teammates were there to pick him up.

Williams said he was able to find open teammates when the defense collapsed on him, and they made Arizona State pay.

Despite Arizona’s struggles from the field, the Wildcats are closing in on a pretty good NCAA tournament seed.

Lamont Jones scored a career-high 27 point and hit the go ahead shot in the final overtime to lead the Wildcats.

Kevin Parrom finished with 25 points, six rebounds and six assists in a tremendous performance.

Jones said his performance was nothing new to him, saying he has played like that his entire life.

The win helped the Wildcats maintain their surprising first place lead in the Pac-10 over the UCLA Bruins.

Arizona’s normally stingy defense had no answer for the Cowboys, and they quickly fell behind by two touchdowns.

The offense wasn’t much better, turning the ball over four times, including an interception that was returned for a touchdown.

Quarterback Nick Foles wasn’t his sharpest, throwing for 280 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions.

He was also sacked five times, losing him a total of 34 yards. The Wildcats did not record a sack.

Like the other teams that have challenged Oregon this year, Arizona was able to keep things close heading into halftime.

However, the incredibly fast tempo employed by the Ducks finally started to overwhelm the Wildcats in the second half.

Quarterback Nick Foles certainly didn’t disappoint, throwing for 448 yards and three touchdowns. He had just one interception.

Wide receiver Juron Criner was Foles’ go-to guy, finishing with three catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns.