No. 6 seed Clemson upsets No. 2 Arizona in Sweet 16, books second trip to Elite Eight

LOS ANGELES — In the battle of the cats, the Tiger prevails.

No. 6 seed Clemson is headed to its second Elite Eight in school history after it knocked off No. 2 seed Arizona 77-72 in a game it handled the majority of the way.

After a lackluster first half, Arizona stormed back in the second half to take its first lead and take control of the game. But the lead was brief; Clemson grabbed it right back and never let go.

It was a two-point game in the final minute, but a clutch 3-point play from Chase Hunter extended the lead and Arizona couldn’t respond. Hunter finished the game with a team-high 18 points.

Clemson’s defense came up big against Baylor in the second round and it was the same story this time around. The Wildcats were among the nation’s best in shooting percentage and 3-point shooting, yet they never found rhythm. Arizona finished the night 25-for-67 (37.3%) from the field and an abysmal 5-for-28 (17.9%) from the 3-point line.

The Tigers will continue one of their best seasons in team history on Saturday, facing the winner of No. 1 seed North Carolina and No. 4 seed Alabama. Meanwhile it’s another March disappointment from Arizona, as it hasn’t advanced to the Elite Eight since 2015.

It's Clemson's first trip to the Final Four in 44 years. As a No. 6 seed in 1980, the Tigers lost to No. 8 seed UCLA 85-74.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness: Clemson Tigers reach Elite 8, upset Arizona Wildcats