UA basketball elite eight loss to illinois
It was a quiet end to a disappointing game.
As the game clock wound down Saturday night, hundreds of Wildcat fans packed in bars along North Fourth Avenue held their breath in anticipation of a hoops win. But despite the last-minute loss, extra police were not needed to calm the frustrated crowds.
Carlos Valdez, a public information officer with Tucson Police Department, said no incidents, such as citations or arrests, occurred Saturday night on Forth Avenue or East University Boulevard, where additional police officers were stationed as a "preventative presence."
"It was not in preparation for any riots," Valdez said. "We had extra officers out there for disorderly behavior on anybody's part."
Valdez said additional police would be stationed at the same locations during the Final Four games and the championship.
"We wanted an increased security presence to help deter violence, but I think the loss played a factor as well," said Roberto Villasenor, assistant chief of police for TPD. "Overall it's been pretty calm and quiet. We had one fight at Gentle Ben's, a few word exchanges in local hot spots, but nothing major."
After the game ended, dejected and inebriated fans piled up along Fourth Avenue, but there were no riots, no incidents - just fans looking forward to next year and vowing to "drink (their) sorrows away," said Evan Adams, who graduated in December with a communications degree.
Adams was watching the game at Maloney's, 213 N. Fourth Ave., which was packed wall to wall with Wildcat fans.
Andrew Miller, an undeclared sophomore, watched the game at Bumstead's, 500 N. Fourth Ave., where both underage and of-age students could hang out. Miller said he was upset and frustrated about the one-point loss.
"I think they had all the potential in the world to go all the way, they were up by 12 with 2:40 left in the game," Miller said.
Miller's sentiment was echoed by other Wildcat fans who were convinced the Cats were headed to the Final Four.
Georgiana Gaxiola, an elementary education alumna who graduated in 1998, watched the game at Maloney's and said it should never have gone into overtime.
"The whole game we thought we were going to win," Gaxiola said. "In the end, (Illinois) did what we usually do."
Arizona was up by 15 with a little more than four minutes left in the game, but Illinois sunk four 3-pointers, forcing the game into overtime and then scored seven straight in overtime.
Gaxiola's husband Noah Gaxiola, a Pima Community College alumnus, said like many fans, he was "in shock, awe and very stunned" during the last few seconds of play.
Wildcat fans at O'Malley's, 247 N. Fourth Ave., had to endure trash talk from a few Illinois fans, said Amanda Bruggeman, a business senior, who said intoxicated Illinois fans poured beer in her hair and threatened to cut it.
But while the UA suffered a loss, Wildcat fans thought No. 1-seeded Illinois was not as good as they were hyped up to be.
"Illinois had to play the game of their life to win," said Jeff Hughes, a business administration graduate student.
Mark Lindley, a business administration graduate student, said although he wished the Wildcats had won, they put up a worthy fight.
"You can't be depressed - Illinois just sucks ass," Lindley said.
Adams said he expects the Wildcats to make it to the Final Four next season because they have "great recruits."
"Arizona should have won - the meltdown at the end cost them the game," Adams said. "But as long as Lute Olson is here, we're fine."
-Troy Acevedo and Anthony D. Ávila and contributed to this report