March 10, 2001

Cal Video Presentation

BenBraun and SeanLampley Postgame Video: Braun Postgame Video @56k Braun Postgame Video @250k Players Postgame Video @56k Players Postgame Video @250k

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Box Score

By ROB GLOSTER
AP Sports Writer

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) - Arizona capped its roller-coaster regular season with another victory.

The No. 8 Wildcats held off California 78-76 Saturday night, sending them into the NCAA tournament with a six-game winning streak.

Loren Woods had 22 points and nine rebounds, Michael Wright had 20 points and Gilbert Arenas added 18 for Arizona (23-7, 15-3 Pac-10), which upset No. 1 Stanford on Thursday night.

"Probably the thing that makes me the happiest is the play we got from Loren Woods today," Arizona coach Lute Olson said. "He was much more aggressive and I felt like that was the missing link for us."

Jason Gardner's 3-pointer with 59 seconds remaining gave Arizona a 77-74 lead. Sean Lampley responded with two free throws for Cal, then Richard Jefferson made the second of two free throws with 12 seconds left to give the Wildcats a 78-76 lead.

Lampley missed a 12-foot turnaround jumper at the buzzer.

Lampley had 27 points for Cal (20-10, 11-7), which finished tied with Southern California for fourth in the Pac-10 and hopes for an NCAA at-large berth. The senior forward said coming so close to Arizona is a positive at this time of the season.

"It will give us a boost if we make the tournament, whichever tournament we make," Lampley said. "I'm just going to wait until tomorrow (to find out)."

The Wildcats were No. 1 in the preseason, but were just 5-3 in mid-December and 8-5 after a home loss to Stanford in early January. That defeat came in the absence of Olson, who missed five games surrounding the death of his wife, Bobbi, from ovarian cancer.

Arizona also struggled this season with the NCAA suspensions of Woods for six games and Jefferson for one game.

Since Olson returned to the sidelines in mid-January, the Wildcats are 13-2. Their only losses during that span were at Oregon and an overtime defeat at UCLA.

"Tough games get you ready for tough contests down the line," Olson said.

Then he referred to the tumultuous season as a whole.

"What doesn't break you makes you tougher."

Arizona led 38-33 at halftime, then built its lead to 10 points as Woods had seven points during a 13-8 run to open the second half.

But Cal responded with 10 straight points, tying the game at 51 on Ryan Forehan-Kelly's 3-pointer with 10 1/2 minutes left - his first points of the game.

Wright then took control, powering his way inside for a couple of baskets. Woods made two free throws and, after a Cal bucket, Wright scored again to give Arizona a 59-53 lead.

A short jumper by Woods gave the Wildcats a 64-57 lead with 6:25 remaining, but Lampley then scored seven straight points - including a three-point play with 4:12 remaining - to tie the score at 64.

The teams traded 3-pointers, and Cal took a 72-71 lead with 2:09 left on Shantay Legans' 3-pointer.

Brian Wethers hit two free throws with 1:50 remaining to give Cal a 74-72 lead, but Woods scored on a layup with 1:34 left to tie the game again and set the stage for Gardner's decisive 3-pointer.

Arenas had 13 points in the first half for the Wildcats. Lampley, the Pac-10's leading scorer this season, had 10 at halftime for Cal.

Postgame Quotes

California Head Coach Ben Braun:

"Without that small line-up, we probably don't get back into this game. These are competitors. If it wasn't for Shantay Legans, we don't get back into this game."

"I was disappointed. I think we earned a few more trips to the foul line than we got. I don't mind tight calls as long as you're seeing them at both ends of the floor. It just seemed like there was a parade to the foul line at the end of the game."

"To have Solomon Hughes in foul trouble early hurt us, but Nick Vander Laan showed up and played with a lot of heart tonight."

"If they are one of the top teams in the country, then there's no reason for us to hang our heads. Give Arizona credit for making some great plays."

"I don't have any doubts in my mind. We are one of the top tournament teams. I'm confident our team will be in the tournament. I think I know a tournament team when I see one and this is a tournament team."

Arizona Head Coach Lute Olson:

"I thought tonight was an outstanding college basketball game. There was a great atmosphere here and a tremendous crowd. Basically when it came down to the end, we ended up hitting a bucket and they missed a bucket. I feel proud with the level of intensity that we came out with tonight."

"I'm really happy with the performance of Lauren Woods tonight. I think he's been the missing link and the key to what we've needed and why we won."

"The most important thing is getting better, not just the wins or losses, but just playing well. In 1997, we lost two tough games to Stanford and Cal, but this time around we got two really great wins against great teams. Our toughest task was coming up here because both teams have a huge advantage with their home crowds."

"I'm glad to see Sean Lampley play like a senior. The guy just owned us. Ben (Braun) and his staff have done a tremendous job developing him as a player. He does a great job finding the open men. Teams are going to have a really tough time playing Cal as they head into the postseason. I think that would be a gross injustice if they were not counted in the tournament. I don't see why they shouldn't be included."