Quarterfinal Chaos Unfolds — and more

The latest episode of the popular 32 Thoughts Podcast dives into the chaos that characterized the quarterfinal stage of the ongoing tournament. Hosts break down surprising results, unexpected hero performances, and controversial decisions that have reshaped the championship picture.

With multiple favorites falling and underdogs advancing, the quarterfinals have delivered exactly the unpredictable action that makes sports compelling. The podcast crew discusses what these results mean for the semifinal matchups and which teams might have the momentum heading into the next round.

Warrenton dominated with five state qualifiers: Rayce Sturgell (120 lbs), Javen Zepeda (126 lbs), Finley Marshall (132 lbs), Sean Irwin, and Devon Sturgell (190 lbs). The Warriors finished fourth overall with 163.5 points. At Knappa, freshman Logan Wells impressed by finishing second in the 132 lbs championship match.

Astoria celebrated three first-place finishes as Beau Smith (144 lbs), M.J Brito (215 lbs), and Adrian Balli (285 lbs) all qualified for state. Seaside's Brayden Cooley also won his 157 lbs division to advance to the state championships.

Despite Darius Acuff's career-high 49 points, the Arkansas Razorbacks couldn't overcome Alabama in a double overtime thriller in Tuscaloosa.

The Razorbacks fought hard but ultimately came up short in the intense matchup, extending their road struggles.

In a battle of two teams in the teens of the Big Ten standings, the Northwestern Wildcats (11-16, 3-13 B1G) shook off a five-game losing streak by posting a 78-74 win, topping the Maryland Terrapins (10-16, 3-12 B1G) in their return to Welsh-Ryan Arena. 

It was a starry night in a back-and-forth affair, with Jordan Clayton and Andre Mills recording career-highs in the scoring column.

Nick Martinelli got back on track as he led Northwestern with 29 points on 9-of-17 shooting, while Clayton ended with 20 points, highlighted by his 6-of-7 shooting from three. Angelo Ciaravino had a great day off the bench, scoring 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting with five rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Jake West made two 3-pointers, dished out seven assists and made three steals. 

Maryland leaned heavily on Mills, who delivered a 39-point performance on 12-of-17 shooting, including 6-of-9 from three. Solomon Washington was second on the Terps with 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, translating into his fifth double-double of the season.

The ‘Cats would enter the score sheet first on a trademark contested mid-range jumper from Martinelli, but Mills immediately responded by draining a wide-open three. The teams then traded nearly identical turnovers, with both Jayden Reid and Darius Adams dribbling the ball out of bounds. These sequences would set the table for a band-for-band start of the first half, where the teams continued to match each other’s every move. 

Mills and David Coit would add a pair of tough buckets apiece in the paint, along with another three, while Northwestern responded with treys from Martinelli, West and Ciaravino. The paint was the name of the game for the ‘Cats in a stretch where Arrinten Page backed into a physical finish and Reid kissed a beautiful hook shot off the very top of the glass. Martinelli would also tally two free throws and two 10-footers, wrapping up the first eight minutes of action.

Amid a litany of missed shots for both sides, Ciaravino and Mills traded layups before the Wildcats would finally earn themselves some breathing room courtesy of a Clayton rainbow from outside the perimeter that gave the ‘Cats a 27-19 lead. After that, despite Northwestern procuring an athletic Clayton block plus steals from Reid and Martinelli, the Wildcats would only put up two points in three minutes. In that time, Mills would individually engineer a five-point swing in favor of the Terps, netting seven points, narrowing the NU lead to one possession, and getting himself to 20 points with a little over five minutes remaining. 

Northwestern would claw back to a seven-point lead, capped off by Clayton’s second three of the day, but a combination of smoked layups, bad shot selection, unnecessary fouls, and sloppy turnovers kept Maryland in it. Twos from Elijah Saunders and Mills, on top of an emphatic slam from Collin Metcalf meant the ‘Cats would end the half up by a slim margin of 35-34.

Martinelli led Northwestern scorers at halftime with 13 points, closely followed by eight points from Ciaravino. West and Reid combined for six assists in the backcourt, with Reid anchoring the Wildcat defensive effort with four steals as well. 

Mills led all UMD players at the break with 22 points while shooting 80 percent from the field and 100 percent from the charity stripe. The rest of his team combined had 10 points total. Washington led all players with six boards. 

To open the second half, it was who else but Martinelli swishing his second three-pointer of the game. The two Big Ten foes clearly had their pedals to the metal, and each other’s numbers, as it remained a one-point game for the first five minutes of the period. Ciaravino dunked it with authority for starters and added a pair of points from the charity stripe. Isaiah Watts and Mills both hit threes for Maryland to match, and a bad pass from Reid led to a fast-break driving make from Adams that gave the Terps a 47-44 lead. 

Shortly thereafter, Tre Singleton was charged with his third foul of the game, which continued to force him to the bench. That being said, it ended up being a blessing in disguise, as Clayton came in for him and single-handedly flipped the script. After hitting four (yes, four) increasingly heat-check threes, assisting another, forcing a shot clock violation, and pickpocketing Saunders, ‘Cats fans couldn’t help but feel energized. “JORDAN CLAYTON” chants echoed around Welsh-Ryan Arena in waves, and rightfully so after his effort almost exclusively resulted in a 61-53 Northwestern lead with eight minutes left. 

Not to be outdone, Martinelli added nine more for the Wildcats, including a beautifully arching three-ball, and the Watts/Mills duo from earlier in the half kept UMD within striking distance. By the under-4 media timeout, NU was up 11, although four untimely misses by Martinelli and multiple personal fouls by the ‘Cats, let Maryland creep back to being down just five.

The teams traded free throws with 90 seconds left, maintaining Northwestern’s five-point lead, and Martinelli upped it to seven on a driving layup. Missed opportunities from the Terps, combined with good defense from the ‘Cats’ supporting cast put the nail in the coffin. Mills hit a three near the end, but it was solely for posterity, as a Clayton deflection on the final Terps pass finalized a 78-74 win for Northwestern.

Chris Collins’ squad will next make the trip to face Indiana on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 6 p.m. CST.

No. 9 Sierra Canyon continues to set the pace in California headed into the CIF Southern Section quarterfinals on Friday night.