Wild About '88: Chapter 17: No. 3 Arizona blows out Cal at McKale.

Jan 10, 2023

This season marks the 35th anniversary of one of Tucson’s most beloved teams of all time, the 1987-88 Arizona Wildcats that finished 35-3 and went to the program’s first Final Four. We will celebrate that team by recapping each game during that unforgettable season by referencing newspaper archives and interviews conducted during the making of the upcoming documentary film ‘Wild About ‘88: The Rise of Arizona Basketball.’ (Some interview quotes in this series have been edited for clarity.)

January 7, 1988, vs. Cal

After a close road loss at New Mexico, Arizona discovered they were not invincible.

"We didn't dwell on it so much. We've got to face the reality that we're going to lose sometimes,” Sean Elliott said. “Last year, losses would get us down, down, down. This year, we realize we've got to rebound.”1

Arizona needed to rebound against a Cal program that had pushed Arizona to the brink the previous two seasons at McKale. The Bears and Wildcats got a split after both games went to double overtime.

But this was a different Cal team trying to recover from the departure of seven seniors.

The lack of experience was apparent when Cal was four of 29 from the field in the first half.

Arizona led 43-12 at the break, but the Bears started the second half with a 17-2 run.

“It’s difficult to maintain your intensity when the spread becomes that big,” Lute Olson said. “But we have to keep sight of the things we’re trying to accomplish each time out so we get better as a ball club.”2

“It’s our job as coaches to make sure that happens. We have to do a better job of motivating people,” Olson added.3

Elliott confessed his Wildcats had other things on their mind to start the second half.

“We came out completely out of the game mentally,” Elliott said.4

Once again Elliott led the Wildcats in scoring with 23 points, making seven field goals in only eight attempts. He also led Arizona in rebounds with eight.

Tom Tolbert scored 20 points but Lute Olson was not satisfied with Tolbert’s performance on the glass after only getting one defensive rebound.

“That right now is my biggest concern,” Olson said. “It’s going to be solved, whether it’s with Tom or Joe(Turner) or Jud (Buechler) or somebody. We can’t afford to have one defensive rebound out of that spot.”5

Arizona would go on to win 80-51, improving to 13-1 overall and 3-0 in conference play.

Next Up: Jan 9, 1988, vs. Stanford

Mike Downs, “Poor first-half shooting costs Bears,” The Arizona Daily Star, January 8 1988, Page Two—Section C.; Jay Gonzales, “Arizona rolls over Bears: Cats 13-1 after 80-51 win,” The Arizona Daily Star, January 8 1988, Page One and Two—Section C.; Jay Gonzales, “Arizona rolls over Bears: Cats 13-1 after 80-51 win,” The Arizona Daily Star, January 8 1988, Page One and Two—Section C.: Jack Rickard, “Cats face injury-plagued Bears,” The Tucson Citizen, January 7 1988, Page One—Section C.

Jay Gonzales, “Loss is old news for Wildcats: Players say ‘hangover’ wore off while practicing for Cal,” The Arizona Daily Star, January 7 1988, Page One—Section D.

Jack Rickard, “Wildcats sputter past Golden Bears: California visitors shoot .292 in UA’s Pac-10 home opener,” The Tucson Citizen, January 8 1988, Page One—Section C.

Jay Gonzales, “Arizona rolls over Bears: Cats 13-1 after 80-51 win,” The Arizona Daily Star, January 8 1988, Page Two—Section C

Bear Down Bias

Wild About '88: Chapter 17: No. 3 Arizona blows out Cal at McKale.