March Madness first round: Arizona tops LIU 92-58
Long Island Shark Eddie Munyak celebrates a three-pointer during March Madness at Viejas Arena on March 20, 2026. Photo by Nate Tubbs/EVT
The Arizona Wildcats got the first win at Viejas Arena, topping the Long Island University Sharks 92-58 in the first round of March Madness.
SAN DIEGO — Arizona looked collected and aggressive in its first-round win. They jumped out to an early lead and never let up, leading by 24 points at the half.
The Wildcat’s Brayden Burries buried 4 threes and led the team in scoring with 18 points. Ivan Kharchenkov put up a double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 boards.
Rebounding is where Arizona controlled the game best. With 52 to LIU’s 31, several second-chance points were created, while the Sharks’ opportunities in the paint were minimized.
The last time LIU made it to the big dance was 2018, and they come into the matchup hoping to exploit the one-seed’s timid shooting beyond the arc. Arizona shoots an average of 16.3 three-pointers per game, 354th in Division 1 MBB.
The Wildcats finished with 6 made threes on 13 attempts, but it was what they held the Sharks to from beyond the arc that made the difference. LIU put up 27 threes and made 8, the majority of which were contested.
Arizona played stout defense throughout, and the team credited it to the respect they had for LIU’s scoring ability.
The Sharks’ Greg Gordon and Mason Porter-Brown both showed athleticism that put the Wildcats on their heels a few possessions. They led the team in scoring, but Arizona’s scheme was too much for them to overcome.
About three-quarters of Viejas Arena was packed with U of A fans who created a home atmosphere. But the whole crowd erupted when LIU’s Eddie Munyak called the bank from deep, and it was open.
It was Munyak’s second appearance of the season; the sophomore now has a perfect field goal percentage in the NCAA Tournament.
Arizona awaits its round two opponent
Playing next is Villanova and Utah State, the 8 and 9 seeds, respectively. Koa Peat, who finished with 15 points and 7 boards, said the team remains focused inward.
If Utah State wins, the Cats will certainly focus on handling MJ Collins Jr., who has dominated the Mountain West this season. If it’s Villanova, forward Duke Brennan will pose the biggest threat.
Nate Tubbs is a recent graduate of Journalism at San Diego State University. In his time at SDSU, he wrote and photographed several different sports for Aztec Link, the school’s NIL collective. He also co-hosted a weekly podcast featuring Aztec athletes, sharing their stories and goals for the season. Tubbs is passionate about photography, storytelling, and most of all, San Diego sports.