The last time the Arizona Wildcats faced Gonzaga in the Round of 32 in the NCAA tournament was 11 years ago and it was one of the classics of March Madness history.
Arizona outlasted Gonzaga 96-95 in double-overtime at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.
“It was an awesome game to be involved in,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few was quoted as saying by the New York Times afterward. “It’s a shame there was a winner and a loser. You feel like we both should move on after that kind of effort.”
Few gets another chance at the Wildcats again Sunday after the Zags’ 85-77 victory over Oklahoma State in a Round of 64 game Friday afternoon at Viejas Arena in San Diego. Arizona, the No. 1 seed like it was in 2003, held on to beat No. 16 seed Weber State 68-59 earlier in the day.
ARIZONA 96, GONZAGA 95 — 2 OT (2003 NCAA SECOND ROUND GAME)
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Gonzaga was seeded No. 9 in 2003. It enters Sunday’s game as the No. 8 seed in the West with a 29-6 record. Arizona is 31-4, with the second-most wins in the program’s history (the 1987-88 team finished 35-3).
Arizona was 27-3 after it survived against the Zags 11 years ago. Jason Gardner and Channing Frye led Arizona with 22 points apiece. Gonzaga’s Blake Stepp and Tony Skinner led Gonzaga with 25 points each.
Arizona coach Lute Olson looks relieved after the Wildcats survived a classic double-overtime win over Gonzaga in 2003
Arizona’s leading players Nick Johnson and Aaron Gordon were 10 and 8 years old, respectively, when the Wildcats and Zags met 11 years ago.
Gonzaga’s top players Stepp and Skinner have been replaced by power forward Sam Dower (team-high 15 points and 7.1 rebounds a game) and junior guard Kevin Pangos (14.1 points and 3.7 assists a game). Senior guard David Stockton, son of NBA great and Gonzaga grad John Stockton, leads the Zags with 4.2 assists per game.
Gonzaga’s victory over Oklahoma State puts an end to the pre-tournament hype of the Cowboys and top player Marcus Smart. ESPN announcer Digger Phelps predicted Oklahoma State to go to the NCAA title game on Selection Sunday.
ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He also writes articles for Bleacher Report and Lindy’s College Sports.
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