Arizona Wildcats Remain Unbeaten

Cats Beat UCLA 79 – 75

By Francisco Romero

Photo Credit: Arizona Athletics

Tucson, AZ – In what was supposed to be one of the most difficult games for the University of Arizona Wildcats this season, UCLA turned out to be just another victim of a resilient Wildcat basketball team.  A team that doesn’t take “no” for an answer and finds a way to win.  

It is very difficult for a division I college basketball team to finish undefeated and Arizona will eventually lose a game, but not tonight, not at Pauley Pavilion, not at a game where former Wildcats Luke Walton and Miles Simon were spectators, not at a game where NBA player Steve Nash was watching from front row, not at LA LA Land when Arizona is the No. 1 team in the country. 

You may or may not agree with me, but the more I watch this Arizona basketball team, the more it reminds me of that 1988 team and season, a team that featured Sean Elliott, Tom Tolbert, Steve Kerr, Crag McMillan and Anthony Cook and of course those Gumbies.  

Conference play (Pac -12) just started and by the way the Cats played tonight, against a very good UCLA team, it seems that it will continue dominating its conference foes just as the 1988 team did.  

The Wildcats beat UCLA 79 – 75 in its first conference road game and will play USC on Sunday.   

Nick Johnson scored 22 points while Kaleb Tarczewski was perfect from the field (6-6) finishing the night with 16 points.  Prior to tonight’s game the Cats had lost three in a row against the Bruins.   

Late in the game on a 15-1 run the Bruins took the lead, but Arizona didn’t panic and found a way to win scoring 8 of 10 free throws to finish off UCLA.  

Arizona’s record stands now at 16 – 0 tying the 1932 team.   

The 1988 team ended up making it all the way to the Final Four, will Nick Johnson, T.J. McConnell, Kaleb Tarczewski, Brandon Ashley and Aaron Gordon make it that far?  I think so…maybe a little bit farther.