Caption: Arizona Wildcats head coach Adia Barnes embraces Arizona Wildcats guard Aari McDonald (2) as the team celebrates their win over Indiana in the Elite Eight NCAA Tournament regional final game at The Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on March 29, 2021. Arizona wins 66-53 and is headed to the Final Four. – Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star.
The University of Arizona men’s basketball team, once one of the elite programs in the NCAA and a feeder of star players to the NBA, has been embroiled in a pay-for-play FBI bribery scandal since 2018. The University of Arizona announced late last year that it is self-imposing a one-year postseason ban on its basketball team. Arizona self-imposes one year postseason ban due to NCAA investigation following FBI bribery probe.
No matter, this team was not good enough to qualify for the NCAA Tournament this year, nor were they good enough to qualify in 2019 and 2020. This scandal has hampered recruiting of top-line players (Arizona was once known as “point guard U”). Who want to play for a program under NCAA sanctions in the era of “one and done” superstar players?
Personally, I believe that coach Sean Miller should be fired and replaced with a new coach who can remove the taint of scandal from this once vaunted program. Even “Saint” Lute Olson’s program previously had a recruiting scandal, for which the team had to vacate 19 wins from the 2007-08 season. NCAA adds to self-imposed sanctions (2010). The Athletic Director and University President who continue to support Sean Miller should also be replaced if they continue to do so, for demonstrating a lack of judgment.
The long overlooked women’s basketball team has emerged from the shadow of the men’s team and has been ascendant during this woeful decline of the men’s basketball program, giving U of A basketball fans someone else to cheer.
In 2019, the University of Arizona Lady Wildcats won their first ever NIT Tournament Championship. The Lady Wildcats were a No.4 seed in the 2020 Tournament, before it was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This year, the Lady Wildcats are a No. 3 seed in the Tournament, and last night qualified for their first ever Final Four appearance. Aari McDonald, Arizona Wildcats soar to first-ever Final Four, top Indiana 66-53:
The historic season continues.
Aari McDonald, Adia Barnes and the Arizona Wildcats’ women’s basketball team are bound for the Final Four for the first time in program history after the third-seeded UA beat No. 4 seed Indiana 66-53 in the Elite Eight on Monday in San Antonio.
Too bad Joe Cavaleri, the Arizona Wildcats’ “Ooh Aah Man” for many years, retired in 2013. Someone else needs to step up and become the next generation of “Ooh Aah Man” for our Arizona Wildcats’ women’s basketball team.
Arizona (20-5) will face top-seeded UConn (28-1) on Friday for a spot in the national championship game.
The UConn Huskies are the most successful women’s basketball program in the nation, having won a record 11 NCAA Division I National Championships and a women’s record four in a row, from 2013 through 2016. UConn owns the two longest winning streaks (men’s or women’s) in college basketball history. This is like facing John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins mens team during his heyday (1961-1975). If the University of Arizona Lady Wildcats win this game, it will be historic, they will be giant killers.
On a stage neither school had experienced prior to this season, Arizona received an encore legendary performance from its star guard Aari McDonald, who finished the night with 33 points on 12-for-20 shooting; she added 11 rebounds and four assists; She’s scored in double figures in 91 straight games, the longest active streak in women’s college basketball.
Trinity Baptiste added 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting. Helena Pueyo added six points on two clutch 3-pointers, and finished with three rebounds and two blocks.
Cate Reese and Sam Thomas scored five points apiece.
Junior wing Bendu Yeaney, who transferred from Indiana prior to this season, scored three points on just one field-goal attempt but tabbed five rebound and an assist.
Arizona’s game came down to McDonald, who — for the second time in as many games — was up for the task. Her 33 points are the most-ever scored by a Wildcat in an NCAA Tournament, surpassing … well, herself. She scored 31 in Saturday’s upset of Texas A&M.
McDonald also moved ahead of Dee-Dee Wheeler to third on Arizona’s all-time scoring list with 1,990 points. McDonald will most likely finish her UA career steady at No. 3 behind Davellyn Whyte (2,059) and Barnes (2,237).
In the first quarter, McDonald shot 4-for-7 from the field made both of her 3-point attempts. McDonald knocked down her third attempt in the second quarter with a bank-shot at the top of the key while the shot clock wound down.
The Wildcats shot 38% from the field in the first half, while IU went 10-for-30 (30%) and 0-for-5 from 3-point range.
Reese and Baptiste each grabbed five rebounds in the first half, and Arizona went into the halftime break leading 27-23 — 20 minutes away from reaching another monumental milestone.
Arizona opened up the second half on an 8-4 run with the help from a Baptiste 3-pointer.
Baptiste scored eight of her 12 points in the third quarter
Indiana forward Mackenzie Holmes’ 10 third-quarter points coupled with a two-minute scoring drought by the UA allowed the Hoosiers to stay within striking distance, 46-44 going into the final 10 minutes.
With 2:35 left to play, McDonald appeared to suffer a left ankle injury after getting her foot caught between a defender while driving to the basket. The crowd hushed as McDonald left the floor. Trainers re-taped her ankle on the sideline and returned to the game with just under two minutes to play.
Reese fouled out late, but Indiana couldn’t catch up. The Hoosiers went three-plus minute scoring drought, and the Wildcats were able to squeeze out the win to advance to their first-ever Final Four.
History made.
Highlights from PAC 12 Network.
The next opponent will present a herculean task as the Wildcats are going toe-to-toe with top-ranked UConn, a program led by Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma. The Huskies are playing in their 13th consecutive Final Four. The Huskies won their region on Monday, outlasting fellow powerhouse Baylor in the final seconds.
Friday’s tipoff time has not yet been announced. Both Final Four games will air on ESPN.
As you used to do for our men’s basketball team, Here’s where you can buy your Arizona women’s basketball Final Four gear:
The University of Arizona bookstores is selling commemorative t-shirts, hats and decals.
You can buy shirts and other memorabilia at the bookstore website or in UA’s campus store.
https://twitter.com/uabookstores/status/1376738479753863168
Whaaa? When the men’s basketball team was in the Sweet 16 and the Final Four, there were T-shirt vendors at every major intersection in the City of Tucson. C’mon people! The University of Arizona Women’s basketball team deserves your support as much as any men’s teams did.
Paint the town red to celebrate this historic team.
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