By
Ryan Finley
When you think of John Ash, technical fouls don't necessarily come to mind.
But in the closing minutes of Saturday night's 104-65 demolition of Oregon, the diminutive former walk-on found himself facing the brunt of his first technical - ever.
The reason? Ash took too long to leave the court and the Wildcats were charged with having six men on the floor.
"I haven't had one before, so it's perfect," the senior said. "I was all over (the UA players) to get a blowout so I could get in early and get some shots off."
Ash's untimely foul was seemingly the only thing to go wrong for the Wildcats in the Saturday romp.
Arizona cruised from the outset, taking a 30-point lead into halftime against a Ducks team that defeated the Wildcats in Eugene, Ore. earlier this season, only to lose eight of its last nine Pacific 10 Conference games.
"We shouldn't have lost that game up there," senior forward Justin Wessel said. "We had something to prove."
The second half was a celebration of Arizona basketball.
Richard Jefferson's dunk early in the period will make highlight reels for years to come. Loren Woods was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field and hit a three-pointer. Even UA President Peter Likins got into the act, hoisting a cheerleader during a timeout.
For the first time at home all season, the cloud of expectation seemed to lift from over the UA basketball team. The team seemed to be enjoying themselves, whether it was on the court or on the bench. Woods may have even smiled once or twice.
Most importantly, the game's score allowed UA head coach Lute Olson to play his seniors - Wessel, Ash, Lamont Frazier, Woods, and Eugene Edgerson - for most of the second half. Playing in their last game in McKale Center, the five seniors averaged just over 15 minutes of playing time.
"When you beat a team by this much, it's something you'll remember the rest of your life," Wessel said. "To win like that is unbelievable. It put closure on an unbelievable experience."
Even the usually docile Arizona crowd got into it, standing for the second half, cheering each bench player as they entered, and then exited, the game. Most stayed for the final seconds of the blowout, applauding ball movement and yelling for Ash to shoot the ball every time he touched it.
After all, it was Ash who seemed to be most touched by the outpouring of emotion in the game's final 20 minutes. The Tucson native had been a reserve for all of his Wildcat career, starting just one game. This season, Ash is second-to-last on the team in minutes played, ahead of freshman Jason Ranne.
But, for the eight minutes Ash played Saturday night, he was the team's star. After lofting a shot over the backboard during his first few minutes on the floor, the senior finished the game perfect, netting a field goal and two free throws.
"I thought I could get out of UA without shooting one over the backboard - I didn't know what happened on that one," Ash said. "(But) it was awesome to get in there for so much time and enjoy my last eight or nine minutes on the floor."
After the game, the Wildcat seniors were rewarded with an on-court presentation, where they were greeted by their families and friends.
Though Woods reluctantly accepted the praise, it was clear that the night wasn't about him. It was about Ash, Edgerson, and Wessel - players who experienced both good and bad while playing all four seasons in a Wildcat uniform. It was about Lamont Frazier, who was questionable to return to the team a year ago after facing a serious illness. It was about the team managers who were honored prior to the players for their contributions to the program. It was about the band members, cheerleaders and mascots who were also celebrating their final game at home.
It was about a five-foot-nothing local kid finally taking the spotlight away from his high-profile teammates by getting a technical foul.
Not a bad way to go out.
