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Arizona's Miller: Chris Mack 'had his way with us tonight'

Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

The student officially schooled the teacher on Thursday in San Jose, as Xavier's Chris Mack got the best of former boss, Sean Miller, and Arizona.

Mack replaced Miller as the Musketeers head coach in 2009 when he left to take the job with the Wildcats after serving as his assistant for five seasons.

The two programs matched up Thursday in the Sweet 16, and Mack's decisions down the stretch helped Xavier rip off a 9-0 run to end the game and secure the two-point win. Miller was effusive in his praise of his former assistant after the game.

"He had his way with us tonight," Miller told Dan Wolken of USA Today. "He got his players great shots."

Xavier should certainly be commended for the victory, but Arizona's shot selection down the stretch will place a lot of the blame on Miller. From the 2:20 mark until the end of the game, the Wildcats settled for three, deep Allonzo Trier misses on jumpers and a missed hook shot by Dusan Ristic.

The Wildcats second-leading scorer this season was Lauri Markkanen at 15.8 points per contest, but the 7-foot Finnish freshman didn't take a shot in the last 10 minutes.

Miller has enjoyed a great deal of regular-season success in his tenure at Arizona, but has yet to make a Final Four with the club, bowing out before the Elite Eight the past two seasons.

Mack will now attempt to do something Miller, and any other coach in Xavier history, was unable to - make the Final Four.

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