LOS ANGELES -- On Thursday, the Arizona Wildcats advanced to an Elite Eight matchup against the Wisconsin Badgers with a 68-60 defeat of the Xavier Musketeers at Staples Center in the West Regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament.

Here are five observations from that game:

Dee Davis hits huge shots: The guard was clutch for Xavier. He hit a key jumper early in the second half. His 3-pointer with 14:59 to play gave Xavier a three-point lead as Arizona continued to push at Staples Center, which was filled mostly with Wildcats fans. Those plays might seem insignificant, but Xavier knew it had to stay close to Arizona, one of the most talented teams in the country. Davis' shots helped the Musketeers do that.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson's knee: In the first half, Hollis-Jefferson went to the locker room with a knee injury. He quickly returned but rarely looked like the explosive player he's been all season. With 8:29 to play, Hollis-Jefferson was just 1-for-3 for three points and zero rebounds.

The Jalen Reynolds factor: Earlier this week, Xavier coach Chris Mack said Reynolds would play, even though a Xavier student had filed a complaint against him that is currently being investigated. There were few details about the nature of the complaint, but Reynolds traveled with the team. With 7:51 to go in the game, Reynolds had scored 10 points (5-for-8), a tally that included a monster dunk that will likely crack the "SportsCenter" Top 10.

Stanley Johnson's homecoming: The Arizona freshman star won four consecutive state titles at Santa Ana (California) Mater Dei, just 40 miles from Staples Center. Prior to the game, Johnson said he was excited to be playing in California, especially with the stakes so high. The 6-foot-7, 247-pound NBA prospect started the game 4-for-9. But Johnson didn't crumble like a lot of young players do on this stage. He made huge defensive plays, scored important buckets and picked up a critical steal in the second half -- all plays that affected the game. He was ready to go when the lights came on.

Arizona just too good: With 2:44 to play, Brandon Ashley's jumper gave Arizona a 62-57 lead. On the other end, Hollis-Jefferson overcame his earlier knee injury to snatch a key rebound. Johnson missed his 3-point attempt, but Kaleb Tarczewski cleaned it up and drew a foul. Tarczewski hit both free throws to extend Arizona's lead to seven points. Xavier wouldn't go away, as Myles Davis' 3-pointer with 1:28 to play cut Arizona's lead to four points. But it wasn't enough, as Arizona was too much and too good at the end.