Hair-raising Arizona outlasts Friars in OT 




Box score  

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Simon says Arizona is going to the Final Four. 

Miles Simon scored 30 points and Jason Terry scored five of his 11 in overtime as fourth-seeded Arizona punched a ticket to the Final Four with a 96-92 victory over Providence Sunday in the Southeast Regional Final. 

THE GAME AT A GLANCE 
Stars of the game: The Arizona backcourt. Miles Simon poured in 30 points, and Mike Bibby added 17. Providence had some huge performances as well -- God Shammgod and Jamel Thomas had 23 points each, and Ruben Garces had 16 points and 19 rebounds. 

  

Pivotal stat: Though Arizona gave up 27 offensive rebounds to the Friars, the Wildcats were able to clamp down on defense, holding Providence to 39 percent field goal shooting, including 5-of-23 from 3-point range. 

  

What's next: Arizona plays UNC on Saturday in the Final Four.  
The Wildcats (23-9), making their third Final Four appearance since 1988 under coach Lute Olson, will meet East Regional champion North Carolina on Saturday in Indianapolis. 

When it was over, Olson was more than eager to put to rest any lingering criticism of his program, which in addition to its Final Four appearances has bowed out in the first round three times during the 1990s. 

"I think people need to get to the present," Olson said. "To my understanding now in the last four years, this is two Final Fours and a Sweet 16. So people need to get off what these guys have accomplished." 

Still, Arizona almost added a new verse to the "choker" refrain. Though they built a 12-point lead in the second half, the Wildcats blew it by shooting when they shouldn't have. In the end, however, Providence had no chance because the Friars couldn't shoot straight. 

Perhaps it was because they couldn't seem to keep their cool. 

Providence (24-12), seeking to become the first 10th seed to advance to the the Final Four, sank only 39.5 percent of its field-goal attempts. Particularly damaging was a five-for-23 effort (21.7 percent) from behind the 3-point line, where the Friars had been hot (23-for-55) in tournament victories over Marquette, Duke and Chattanooga. 

Just as hurtful were three technical fouls called against the Friars -- one each on Ruben Garces, Jamel Thomas and Jason Murdock -- that helped Arizona build a 12-point lead in the second half, all after the Friars lost leading scorer Austin Croshere to fouls with 9:46 to play in regulation. 

"This was a very physical game from the beginning," Croshere said. "We got down a little bit and were a little frustrated. Emotion got the best of everybody." 

Said Providence coach Pete Gillen: "I thought that was the difference in the game." 

Even with all that, however, Providence almost made a miracle comeback. The Friars received some help from Arizona in erasing a 12-point deficit in the final 6:08 of regulation: 
  • With 1:02 to play and the Wildcats clinging to an 85-81 lead, Arizona's Michael Dickerson fired an off-balance jumper in the lane off a fast break that clanged off the rim and into the hands of Garces. 



    • That set up a foul shot by Garces, who had 16 points and 19 rebounds, that pulled Providence within three with 47 seconds to play. 
  • Then, with 20 seconds to play, it was Mike Bibby's turn, as his leaning shot was blocked and rebounded by Garces. Jamel Thomas followed with a game-tying 3-pointer with only 14 seconds to play. 



    • "We haven't made it easy all year long, so I guess that continues," Olson said. "Tomorrow we are starting a time-management class, in addition to their others. We made some horrible decisions tonight that we can't afford to make again." 
     
    God Shammgod of Providence tries to make the pass around Eugene Edgerson. 
    Providence, in fact, had a chance to win in regulation. God Shammgod came up with a steal, and after Arizona's Bennett Davison knocked the ball out of bounds underneath the Friar basket, Providence set up for an inbounds play with 3.7 seconds left. 

    The possession, however, resulted in a missed 24-foot 3-point attempt by Corey Wright as time expired after Arizona denied Providence its first option, a pass inside to Derrick Brown. 

    "(Arizona) did a good job on defense," Brown said. "Corey had no choice (but to shoot). He had someone in his face and had no choice but to throw it up." 

    In overtime, the Friars led briefly on Brown's putback on their first possession, but would score only two more field goals the rest of the way. 

    Terry, meanwhile, wrapped a fastbreak layup and a 12-foot jumpshot around a jumper and two foul shots by Simon to help Arizona take control at 94-90 with 1:03 to play. 

    Five other Wildcats scored in the double figures. Bibby had 17 points, followed by Davison with 14, A.J. Bramlett with 12, Terry with 11 and Dickerson with 10. 

    Shammgod and Thomas led Providence with 23 points each. Brown scored 18.