LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) – Kaleb Tarczewski scored 18 points, Gabe York added 15 and No. 3 Arizona hung on to win its first close game of the season, beating Kansas State 72-68 Tuesday in the Maui Invitational semifinals.
Arizona (5-0) had rolled through its first four games despite some slow starts and shot 53 percent against Kansas State, yet couldn’t shake the scrappy Wildcats.
Trailing by nine in the second half, Kansas State (3-2) whittled the lead down to a single possession in the final minute.
Arizona went up 69-64 after three free throws by Stanley Johnson and York, but Marcus Foster cut the lead to two on a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson finally helped Arizona secure a spot in Wednesday night’s championship game by hitting two free throws with 4 seconds left.