Utah slams UA, dreams of repeat die

Associated Press Arizona Daily Wildcat Utah's Hanno Mottola celebrates the victory as the final seconds run out in Utah's upset over Arizona in the NCAA West Regional final at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday. Utah defeated Arizona 76-51.

Twenty one years, a few more pounds and a lot less hair later, the venerable Majerus guided his third-seeded Utah Utes to the Final Four thanks to Saturday's stunning 76-51 upset win over top-seeded Arizona in front of 17,851 fans at the West Regional Final at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim.

"I never thought I'd ever get back there," Majerus said. "I'm overwhelmed."

The loss for UA came a year to the day of its stunning upset win over Kansas in the Sweet Sixteen. Saturday, it was Arizona's turn to fall early.

The Utes studied the book on the Wildcats and employed a triangle-and-two defense that helped answer the question of what would happen if all three Arizona perimeter players had off nights offensively.

"The worst possible situation for us is if all three don't shoot it well," Arizona head coach Lute Olson said.

Welcome to the worst possible situation.

Forward Michael Dickerson and guards Miles Simon and Mike Bibby went a combined 6 for 36 for the game. As a team, the Wildcats shot a dismal 28 percent from the field. Beyond the three-point line it got even worse with UA hitting just four of its 24 attempts.

"They did a great job denying the ball to the guards," Simon said. "We didn't take advantage of anything. Utah capitalized on everything."

UA's only offense came from its fourth guard, junior Jason Terry, who had 16 points and junior center A.J. Bramlett, who had 10 points and six rebounds.

Call it a passing of the torch for Bramlett and Terry, who will be captains of next year's squad.

"Give credit to Utah and their staff for their preparation," Olson said. "They beat us every way you could get beat."

The Utes outrebounded Arizona 49-34.

The vaunted Wildcat press proved to be beatable thanks to the stellar play of junior point guard and West Region most outstanding player Andre Miller, who went for a triple double with 18 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists, all game-highs.

As a result of Miller's sure-handedness and pinpoint passing, 14 of the Utes' 17 field goals were either dunks or layups.

"Every press he's seen in the tournament, he's broken down," Simon said.

The Utes are making the first Final Four appearance by a Western Athletic Conference team since 1966 when the Utes themselves went.

"I'm so fortunate to be their coach," Majerus said.

The Utes advanced to the Sweet Sixteen the previous two years but fell to Kentucky in the 1996 Sweet Sixteen and again in the 1997 Elite Eight.

Against the Arizona Wildcats, however, the Utes finally had the answer.

Utah faces North Carolina Saturday in the first national semifinal.

The Wildcats finished their season at 30-5 with a Pacific 10 Conference championship, but one step short of the goal of returning to the Final Four next weekend in San Antonio. Olson said the shortcoming is no reason for his players to hang their heads.

"They set the standard that every kid that enters this program is going to have to live up to," Olson said.

That standard is a hefty one. In their four years, Simon and Dickerson have compiled 104 wins, three-straight Sweet Sixteen berths and, of course, last year's national title.

UTAH 76, ARIZONA 51

UTAH (29-3)

Mottola 7-12 0-1 14, Jensen 4-7 3-5 11, Doleac 6-9 4-4 16, Miller 7-15 4-8 18, Hansen 1-4 0-0 3, Jackson 3-6 3-4 10, McTavish 0-1 0-0 0, Caton 0-0 0-0 0, Johnsen 1-1 2-4 4. Totals 29-55 16-26 76.

ARIZONA (30-5)

Davison 2-5 2-4 6, Dickerson 2-12 2-2 6, Bramlett 4-7 2-6 10, Bibby 3-15 1-2 7, Simon 1-9 4-8 6, Harris 0-0 0-0 0, Tebbs 0-0 0-0 0, Terry 5-11 2-2 16, Edgerson 0-1 0-0 0, Jenkins 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-60 13-24 51.

Halftime-Utah 29, Arizona 20. 3-point goals-Utah 2-10 (Jackson 1-2, Hansen 1-3, Mottola 0-1, Jensen 0-1, Doleac 0-1, Miller 0-1, McTavish 0-1), Arizona 4-22 (Terry 4-9, Dickerson 0-3, Simon 0-3, Bibby 0-7). Fouled out-Bramlett. Rebounds-Utah 49 (Miller 14), Arizona 34 (Davison 10). Assists-Utah 19 (Miller 13), Arizona 10 (Simon 4). Total fouls-Utah 19, Arizona 21. A-17,851.