Looking back at Arizona’s 2003 NCAA tournament showdown with Gonzaga
Mar 22, 2014, 4:46 AM | Updated: 4:15 pm
When the Arizona Wildcats take the court against the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Sunday evening in San Diego, prepare to hear a plethora of references to their meeting over a decade ago, in the second round of the 2003 NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
Arizona, a No. 1 seed in 2003, outlasted ninth-seeded Gonzaga in a 96-95 double-overtime thriller that day, on March 22, 2003.
Current Gonzaga head coach Mark Few was at the helm of the program then while former Arizona coach Lute Olson was leading the Wildcats.
Names like Andre Iguodala, Channing Frye, Luke Walton and Salim Stoudamire filled the Arizona roster. Tony Skinner and Ronny Turiaf were a couple of the Zags’ key players.
Arizona trailed Gonzaga 44-41 at halftime, but managed to force overtime and edge out Few and company, thanks in part to double-doubles from Frye (22 points, 12 rebounds) and Rick Anderson (17 points, 11 rebounds).
The complete game is below, thanks to NCAA On Demand.
The Wildcats and Bulldogs have met twice since that contest, once in 2008 and again in 2011.
Arizona won in 2008, 69-64, thanks in part to Jordan Hill’s 22-point effort on 9-for-14 shooting. Elias Harris and Gonzaga won the two teams’ most recent matchup, in 2011, when the Bulldogs beat the Wildcats 69-64. Harris had 25 points and eight rebounds on 11-for-15 shooting that night.
