New top 'Cats: Arizona dethrones Kentucky in OT 



Box score  

INDIANAPOLIS (Scripps Howard News Service) -- A fast, furious and fiercely competitive national championship game Monday night came down to one of basketball's fundamentals: free throws. 

The Arizona Wildcats won their first national title, in overtime, from the free-throw line. 
THE GAME AT A GLANCE 
Star of the game: Arizona junior guard Miles Simon, who began the year academically ineligible, ended his season on fire. The Tournament most outstanding player scorched Kentucky for 30 points and scored 84 points in the last three games.

 

Pivotal stat: Despite all the clutch 3-pointers and nifty transition play, Arizona won the game at the free throw line, hitting 34-of-41 shots (83%). Kentucky hit only 9-of-17 shots from the line.
Arizona's Wildcats scored all 10 of their points on foul shots in overtime and ended Kentucky's gallant effort to repeat as national champions with an 84-79 victory. 

When it was over, forward Bennett Davison turned to his coach, Lute Olson, and rubbed his hands through his well-coiffed head. Fifth in the Pac-10 and seeded fourth in the tournament, Arizona had just completed an impressive and almost unbelievable run. 

"I still have difficulty believing this has happened," Olson said. "For excitement, effort, defense ... I wish I could have been there as a spectator." 

In rampaging through the tournament, the Wildcats (25-9) defeated three of the most storied and tradition-rich teams in college basketball, all of them No. 1 seeds and all ranked in the top five: Kansas (No. 1), North Carolina (No. 4) and Kentucky (No. 5). 

"No one thought they could do it," Olson said as he accepted the championship trophy. "Three No. 1 seeds went down. This is one tough group of 'Cats." 

Kentucky finished 35-5, and lost because it couldn't find the basket in overtime. But there was no shame from Kentucky, or its coach. 

"I'm not a bit disappointed," Rick Pitino said. "I'm so proud of the way we battled the whole night and season that it's the same feeling as we had last year when we won a championship. I'm just as proud of this year's team as last year's, maybe more." 

That the game went to overtime was fitting, for it was back and forth, up and down, with few easy shots and almost everything earned. Critics will point to the fact that Arizona shot 37.9 percent and Kentucky 41.7 and say it was not a beautiful game. But it was enjoyable for its competitiveness. 

"Like a boxing match," Arizona center A.J. Bramlett said. "I'd look up and we'd be up three, then we'd be down one. It was that way the whole night. Both teams played their hearts out the whole way." 

Guard Miles Simon led Arizona and tied his career best with 30 points to earn the game's Most Valuable Player award. Scott Padgett, who kept Kentucky in the game late with jump shots and 3-pointers, scored 17. 
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM 
Name School Pos.
Mike Bibby Arizona G
Miles Simon* Arizona G
Bobby Jackson Minnesota G
Ron Mercer Kentucky F
Scott Padgett Kentucky F
*Most Outstanding Player 
There were 20 ties and 18 lead changes, and when regulation ended tied, the 47,028 in the RCA Dome stood and cheered as if to say they merely enjoyed what they were watching. 

Arizona's biggest lead in regulation was six, Kentucky's two. And the final minute was frantic. Kentucky was whistled for 29 fouls and Arizona 16, but Pitino did not complain. He merely said the team's losses this season came because it put the opposition on the foul line. 

"Credit to them for getting there," Pitino said. 

Simon alone took 17 free throws, making 14. But Pitino again said it wasn't the calls, but Simon's ability. 

"He's a wonderful, wonderful basketball player," Pitino said. 

"They did a great job. We did a great job. It was a whale of a ball game." 

Arizona was within a whisker of winning in regulation, leading by four with 51 seconds left. But a Ron Mercer three cut the lead to one. 

Arizona again increased the lead to three with 20 seconds left when freshman Mike Bibby found Davison for a layup on a picture-perfect pass at the end of a drive. But Anthony Epps swished a three with 13 seconds left, and Simon's last-chance shot with four seconds left was no good. 

Arizona could have been sulked, but didn't. Instead, Olson challenged his team. 

"We weren't down," Bramlett said. "They just made a good comeback. We knew we could still win, and Coach told us whoever was physically and mentally toughest would win." 

In overtime, Kentucky couldn't find the basket, and after misses fouled Arizona. While Kentucky was missing shots, Arizona scored eight points from the free-throw line to take an 82-74 lead. 

"I don't think this will sink in for a while," said Olson, who has been oft-criticized for the three first-round losses his Arizona teams had in past tournaments. "It's kind of like a dream." 

By Pat McManamon for Scripps Howard News Service.