The stellar play of the University of Arizona in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament's West Regional said it all for head coach Lute Olson.
In returning to The Pit for the first time in two years - when he said that he would never bring his team back to these hallowed grounds - Olson faced a hostile crowd. Lobo fan, Mark "The Snake" Tichenor this time wearing a University of Wyoming jersey, pounded on the ramp wall, waiting anxiously for Olson.
"Come on, Lute," Tichenor said. "Come out and play!"
Two days later, after defeating Wyoming, the same fan waited for Olson to come up the ramp. Only this time, the ramp was lined with Wildcat fans congratulating the coach for a 68-60 win and a trip to the Sweet 16. The anti-Olson fan could only give a thumbs down as the coach passed by. On the other side of the ramp, a woman in Arizona red waved a sign that read, "Olson for mayor in Albuquerque."
After Saturday's performance, Olson was the toast of the town. He had come back to a place where his record was 2-6 for his career and survived the boos from a highly partisan crowd as well as two teams that pushed his team to the edge.
"I'm pleased the way our guys compete; they are great competitors," Olson said.
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He also endured the questions about his comment two years ago, when the Wildcats lost to UNM 79-78 on a last-second basket by Damion Walker. He complained that the timekeeper was slow to start the clock, affording the Lobos a chance to pull off the upset, and that the referees gave the Lobos too much of a break.
This time, the breaks went the Wildcats' way. On Saturday in the second round of the West Regional, Arizona shot 28 free throws to the Cowboys' seven. His team was flagged for 13 fouls, while the Cowboys amassed 21 and lost starters Josh Davis and Donta Richardson, who were sidelined with five apiece by game's end.
When Olson was asked if he ever imagined a day when he would get that kind of an advantage at The Pit, he replied, "Not if we were playing New Mexico, I wouldn't, no."
But Olson and the Wildcats had entered the wolves' den and come out alive. They did it with a combination of strong leadership from upperclassmen Luke Walton, Rick Anderson and Jason Gardner. They did it with tough defense that nullified their opponents' strengths at critical times. And they did it because, although they were a young team, the Wildcats had been through the fire.
Walton said the team was ready for the unfriendly environment because of its schedule, which included a Preseason National Invitation Tournament championship and games against the University of Kansas, the University of Texas and Michigan State University.
"Where we've been so far, a hostile environment isn't really going to affect us as much as it would normal teams," Walton said.
Gardner said the hostile atmosphere made the game more entertaining, and that he enjoyed playing in The Pit.
"It was a lot of fun," Gardner said. "I like the rims. I think it's a fun place to play. Getting booed and things like that, I think you got to go ahead. What matters is the ball going through the hoop."
That poise showed in the face of a pro-Wyoming crowd. The Wildcats raced out to an 8-0 lead before the Cowboys battled back to a 19-14 lead. It was the last lead Wyoming enjoyed as Arizona went on a 15-0 run, led primarily by Gardner and fellow guard Salim Stoudamire.
Gardner started the run with a 3-pointer at the 9:22 mark and they combined for 10 points and two more 3-pointers.
Gardner and Stoudamire gave the Wyoming guards fits and forced Richardson into committing three first half fouls that negated his effectiveness. But the Cowboys rallied at the end of the half with a 6-1 run to cut the lead to 34-29 at intermission.
The Cowboys kept the game close throughout the second half, but they could never quite make the critical basket or get the critical stop to overtake Arizona. Twice Wyoming cut the Wildcats' lead to three points, but failed to get any closer.
Down 42-39 early in the second half, forward Marcus Bailey had a chance to cut into the lead after getting fouled on a jumper, but his free throw missed the mark. Late in the game, Josh Davis hit a baseline jumper to cut the lead to 58-55. But Walton, who led the Wildcats with 21 points, made back-to-back jumpers to give Arizona enough of a cushion for the win.
