SAN DIEGO — The “U of A” chants began 20 minutes before tipoff of Friday’s first-round NCAA Tournament matchup between Arizona and Long Island University, the energy and anticipation building inside Viejas Arena like a summer storm.

The cheering and thumping rolled like thunder when Arizona’s first 3-pointer, a shot by Brayden Burries, went in. When Jaden Bradley then hit one, it felt like the skies might open up.

And then Burries hit his second long ball, capping a furious opening salvo and erasing any doubt.

Arizona beat 16th-seeded LIU 92-58 on a day when it rained 3-pointers like a chubasco in the Sonoran Desert. The Wildcats will play ninth-seeded Utah State on Sunday for a spot in the Sweet 16.

“Coach (Tommy Lloyd) talked about punching first, hitting first, and I felt like it was a home game out there,” said Bradley, who finished with seven points in 24 minutes on a day the Wildcats’ walk-ons got plenty of playing time. “The fans brought the energy, so we appreciate that. Defensively, we got stops.”

And offensively, Arizona — typically one of America’s most reluctant 3-point shooting teams — hit its shots.

The Wildcats connected on six 3-pointers in the first half as they raced to a 24-point halftime lead.

Long Island had a choice, the way Bradley explained it: pack the lane to try to stop 7-foot-2 Mo Krivas and 6-8 bruiser Koa Peat, leaving the Sharks vulnerable to the 3-pointer; or contest every shot and let the big boys dominate.

“They gotta take away something,” Bradley said.

LIU coaches crunched the numbers. They knew just 26.7% of Arizona’s shot attempts this season have been 3-pointers, the third-lowest mark among America’s 366 Division I teams. The decision was probably simple: make ’em shoot.

So what did the Wildcats do?

They opened with a jumper, a jumper, a layup and three 3-pointers to take a 15-4 lead. Ivan Kharchenkov’s 3 with 7:21 left in the first half increased Arizona’s lead to 38-18.

“Today, we made our shots,” Burries said. “It was in our favor.”

Friday’s rout allowed Arizona fans who packed the morning session to finally exhale.

The Wildcats have struggled with early NCAA Tournament exits ever since 1993, when Steve Nash and 15th-seeded Santa Clara stunned second-seeded Arizona in the first round. As recently as 2023, Lloyd’s second-seeded Wildcats fell to 15th-seeded Princeton in the first round.

This year’s team certainly seems different. Physically gifted, experienced and composed, the Wildcats appear to have all the traits needed for a deep tournament run.

Bradley, the Big 12 Player of the Year, is a senior point guard who began his college career at Alabama. Krivas is strong and savvy — he wowed Friday’s crowd with a tap-pass that led to a dunk and a behind-the-back dish. And freshmen Burries (18 points), Peat (15 points) and Kharchenkov (14 points) played Friday like future stars.

Even Arizona’s down-the-bench players got some time in the spotlight.

A Tucson local by way of Harvard, Evan Nelson, checked in for the Wildats with four minutes remaining. Then came Addison Arnold, the son of former UCSD player and Hawaii coach Gib Arnold. Then it was Jackson Francois, the son of Arizona athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois. Then Sven Djopmo, a French walk-on who hasn’t played more than four minutes in a game all year.

By then, Krivas and Bradley, who have dealt with finger and wrist injuries this season, were joking at the end of the bench. Peat stretched out on a folding chair, bags of ice Saran-wrapped to both knees and one calf.

The Wildcats’ stars leapt to their feet when Sidi Gueye, a 6-11 reserve center by way of Senegal, thundered home a second-chance dunk with 33 seconds left.

The cheers rained down again — not just from the stands, but from the bench, too.

“Not everybody gets to go out there in March and go score,” Bradley said. “We’re very excited for those guys and happy for their opportunity.”

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