Michigan Dominates Arizona's Interior in Semifinal Win

Wolverines' size and physicality neutralize Wildcats' frontcourt advantage

Apr. 6, 2026 at 4:49pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the intense physical battle between Michigan and Arizona's big men, with fragmented, overlapping shapes and planes representing the collision of bodies in the paint.Michigan's frontcourt physicality proves too much for Arizona in the NCAA Tournament semifinal.Michigan Center Today

Michigan head coach Dusty May credited his team's length and physicality as the key factors in neutralizing Arizona's dominant interior game in the Wolverines' decisive win over the Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament National Semifinal. Michigan's frontcourt, led by center Aday Mara's 26-point, 9-rebound performance, completely outmatched Arizona's big men, helping the Wolverines control the paint and force the Wildcats to rely more on perimeter scoring.

Why it matters

Michigan's ability to match up with Arizona's size and strength up front proved to be a major strategic advantage. The Wolverines' defensive intensity and rebounding prowess in the paint disrupted Arizona's typical interior-focused offense, forcing the Wildcats to take more outside shots than they were comfortable with.

The details

Michigan center Aday Mara dominated the matchup with Arizona's Motiejus Krivas, finishing with 26 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. The Wolverines' length and physicality also limited the impact of Arizona star forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who was held to just 11 points in 14 minutes of action. Michigan's defensive effort in the paint helped the Wolverines outscore Arizona 26-12 in points off turnovers.

  • The game was played on Saturday, April 5, 2026 in the NCAA Tournament National Semifinal.

The players

Dusty May

The head coach of the Michigan Wolverines basketball team.

Aday Mara

The starting center for the Michigan Wolverines, who had a dominant performance in the semifinal game.

Motiejus Krivas

The starting center for the Arizona Wildcats, who was outmatched by Mara in the interior battle.

Yaxel Lendeborg

A star forward for the Arizona Wildcats, who was limited to just 11 points due to Michigan's defensive effort.

Tommy Lloyd

The head coach of the Arizona Wildcats basketball team.

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What they’re saying

“A lot of it is simply match-ups....when we've played this model, this Arizona model this year...they're the steroid version of Gonzaga and these other teams...if a team relies on scoring 15 feet and in...because of our size, length, it's going to be tough to score enough points 15 feet and in -- if we're making some shots and we're in a decent rhythm offensively.”

— Dusty May, Michigan Head Coach

What’s next

Michigan will advance to the NCAA Tournament National Championship game, where they will face the winner of the other semifinal matchup.

The takeaway

Michigan's ability to match up physically with Arizona's imposing frontcourt proved to be a decisive strategic advantage, as the Wolverines' size, length and defensive intensity neutralized the Wildcats' typical interior dominance and forced them to rely more on perimeter scoring than they were comfortable with.