Arizona Basketball: Ducks squeak out an overtime win over the Cats

A different type of Duel in the Desert, a heart breaking loss to the Ducks, revenge would not be for Arizona Basketball tonight.

The arena was 90% dressed in red, and 10% in yellow and green. The stage was set at McKale North at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

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The Cats lost, a Pac-12 tournament winning celebration was not in the cards tonight. Following is a recap of the game, it was a miracle that they had a chance to win the way they played which was like a stunned deer.

The Cats started out amazingly slow; you could even say they were asleep. Everyone that is, except Ryan Anderson. Allonzo Trier threw up a weak three-pointer and got blocked. Miller couldn’t take anymore, changed out Zo with Parker Jackson-Cartwright, who played calm cool and collected. Chance Comanche came in early, and immediately made a block, but it didn’t matter, the Ducks made a three to answer.

PJC dribbled out of a three-on-one defense, got the ball into Allonzo Triers hands who made his first three-pointer. Oregon, still ahead 22-17, seemed a tad disoriented, amazing how quickly things can change. Ducks Head Coach Dana Altman called a timeout.

Bill Walton pointed out that only one referee was blowing his whistle, but that seemed to change after he said that, the refs swallowed their whistles for most of the remainder of the first half. He was very disappointed in the Cats.

Sean Miller took off his coat early and sat back on the bench uncharacteristically. Kaleb Tarczewski had to sit on the bench with him, suffering from being called twice for fouls, Comanche took over and played effectively.

Gabe York made his first three at the buzzer on a prayer. He hurled the ball up towards the rim, the ball banked off the backboard and swooshed through the basket. Chants of ‘U of A’ could be heard loud and clear. Comanche dunked the ball on the next play bringing the score within two 24-26.

But Oregon couldn’t miss, now 4-9 from three-point land. Anderson took the ball in his hands and drew attention to himself in the paint dished it out to Kadeem Allen, who sunk his own three-pointer.

If you checked out the live stats at this point, about four minutes left in the half, the teams stats were eerily about the same. Oregon made five rebounds, Arizona, four; both were shooting 40% FG’s.

Miller decided to play Chance and Zeus together; Oregon started to pull away, and the crowd began chanting again. That was good but didn’t make any difference.

Bottom line, Arizona’s offense went stone cold, York got caught dribbling, turned over the ball. Oregon’s Bell yelled at PJC after he blocked his shot that resulted in a technical foul and Trier shooting free throws.

It took four minutes and four seconds for Arizona to make more points, and it came on a technical foul, unbelievable! Someone lost Brooks, and he slammed a dunk at the buzzer, the score was defeating: Oregon 46 Arizona 29.

Before the game, Miller told Brian Jeffries that the Cats had to keep the total turnovers in the game to under nine. They had coughed up nine just in the first half. Something had to change if they had any chance to win the game.

Miller didn’t give up, thank God. The Cats didn’t either, came out swinging, and Kadeem scored the first two points.

The Ducks hot hand got hotter in the second half, now 8-14 on three-point shots vs. Arizona’s 4-11.

York hit a three, so you would think that would get the team going, Comanche had some great plays, some nice moves in the paint, he blocked, he rebounded, he make a basket! Zeus scored a slam dunk off of Kadeem’s assist and brought the game within ten, 58-48. There was still 11 minutes to go.

It was a 12-point game, Oregon was ahead 64-52, Cats needed a spark.

Kadeem has a sweet 180-degree layup that is a thing of beauty; he ‘s made it work several times.

A few Oregon fouls and some 50% Arizona free-throw shooting, and the Cats were down by eight points with eight and a half minutes to go.
The referee’s called a ridiculous fourth foul on Allonzo, the Oregon Duck fell backward, traveled, and the call went against Arizona.

These are not necessarily Pac-12 refs, so we cannot blame them, but why does it seem that Arizona is called for more ghost fouls? Somehow, Arizona brought the score within six, Oregon 66 Arizona 60. They were knocking on the door for a comeback.

Brad Allis educated our followers about the referees; they aren’t necessarily Pac-12 referees.

More Ghost calls. More Ducks were shooting free throws. Only 4:27 to go and Oregon was up by nine, 72-63. York played some good defense, caused a turnover, and PJC came back with a seriously needed three!!!

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Four point game, Oregon 72 Arizona 68. Elgin Cook limped off the court, would that help, would he be back? Allonzo fouled out; Cook was still limping, free-throws for Oregon.

Two minutes to go, and the Cats shot four missed three-pointers and fell behind by six, 74-68. Cook, still limping, fouled PJC who was our clutch player at this point, he made both. Arizona 70 Oregon 74.

What felt like a dagger to the heart, Brooks launched and made a three-pointer. Upon further review, it was only a two,, so that was a nice break for the Cats.

The Arizona fans did whatever they could to invigorate their team cheering and chanting. Arizona still behind six, 76-70 Oregon. Miller was coaching and teaching on the sidelines, probably thinking ahead to the NCAA tournament. It wasn’t going to be easy to get a win here, especially because Oregon had zoned in on York and stifled his three.

The referees had trouble determining what the clock should say, which gave extra time for Miller to coach up his team.

That tweet kind of tells the story, doesn’t it?

Still a seven-point game. Miller put Mark Tollefsen into the game and out of nowhere Mark Tollefsen made a three-pointer! Miller seemed to forgot he had Tolley on the bench. He barely played, only five minutes, but what a five minutes it was! Miller felt there was a chance, you could tell because he was furiously coaching, had one time-out left.

Thirteen and a half seconds to go, Comanche used his wingspan to guard the inbound pass. Oregon got the ball in anyway, at the last possible second, PJC fouled Brooks who missed both free throws. The Cats came back, Zeus attempted a dunk, missed, the ball was batted by Tolley out to Gabe York who shot and MADE THE THREE!!!

The ball came into Tolley who threw up a prayer with almost no time left on the clock. It was a miracle, usually doesn’t happen to Arizona, the referee’s called a foul with ZERO seconds left.

If he makes these shots, Arizona Wins! If he makes one, they go to overtime.

He is a 72% foul shooter, he missed the first one. just his luck. One chance down, one to go. As Widlcats fans held their collective breath, HE MADE THE SECOND ONE! The game went to overtime!!!

Overtime started with a ghost foul called on PJC when he went for the rebound. Oregon made one of two free throws, a turnover on the other end of the court, Arizona’s 13th. Foul on PJC, he fouled out of the game.

Anderson went at Cook who had four fouls and made the layup, Zeus rebounded a missed shot and then Oregon got called for blocking down low on Kadeem. Free throws for Allen who only made one to tie the score at 80.

Oregon’s Dwayne Benjamin came back in the game injured, how? No one knows, he looked like he was out for good after he went to the locker room. He immediately was effective and hit a three-pointer. His teammate Dillon Brooks hit one too for back-to-back three’s. Was this going to be the nail in the Wildcats coffin?

Oregon now up six, 86-80. Arizona had never led in this game. After Arizona’s 14th turnover, the fast break for Oregon resulted in Kadem Allen’s fifth foul and a missed dunk. But the Cats didn’t give up, you had to admire that, and York hit another three.

Justin Simon came in for Allen, he could have played earlier in the game, who knew three of his teammates would foul out. Oregon looked like a cat playing with a hurt bird. Only trick up Miller’s sleeve was intentional fouls, Oregon’s Tyler Dorsey made his free throws.

York hit another three, cannot explain why he wasn’t making them early unless possibly the Ducks forgot to guard him because he missed so many three’s during the game.

Oregon was up by eight, 91-86. Anderson was called for a block, two more free throws for Oregon. Then, just when they needed it the most, Anderson missed a three, Oregon made free-throws. But York got a hot hand, and nailed another three, he got hot a little to late, but he went out swinging.

And that was the end of our Seniors Pac-12 games. They came within one free throw of upsetting Oregon to play the winner of the Utah vs. Cal game. They split the series with both of those schools. So close, yet so far away…Arizona is not going to be lucky enough to get a top-four seeding in the NCAA tournament, they will probably keep a six seed because they took a two seed into overtime.

Gabe ended up with 21 points and five rebounds on the night and Arizona’s season ended with a record 25-8. Kadeem and Chance gave the Cats a great boost, Dusan Ristic and Ryan Anderson did not contribute as much has they have this season, that has to change for the NCAA tournament.

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Beardown Arizona, on to the NCAA tournament! Revenge will have to wait until next year.