NCAA Tournament First Round: West Virginia Defeats Arizona

The West Virginia Mountaineers were given something this year they were denied last year: a ticket to the Big Dance. The Mountaineers basketball program saw the team make the Elite Eight in 2005, the Sweet Sixteen in 2006, and the championship game in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) in 2007, which they won (the best revenge for being denied access to the NCAA Tournament). This year's tournament would see them seeded at number seven in the West bracket, matched up against the perennial Dancers, the 10-seeded Arizona Wildcats, who were making their 24th straight tournament appearance, the longest ongoing streak in the NCAA at present.

West Virginia and Arizona looked evenly matched and at halftime there was just a point separating the two teams (WVU 31, Arizona 30). In fact, West Virginia took the lead with 17:53 to go in the second half and never lost it again. It was West Virginia's skill beyond the three-point stripe that would prove pivotal and Arizona's undoing in the long run. The Mountaineers hit 11 of 19 from outside the circle, including two just as the Wildcats pulled within one (60-59) to ice the game. Final score: West Virginia 75, Arizona 65.

Guard Alex Ruoff led West Virginia scorers with 21 points, edging out forward Da'Sean Butler, who had 19.

Arizona's loss adds fuel to the fire that Arizona St. should have been given the slot in the tournament rather than Arizona (who ASU also beat twice this season and finished two rankings ahead of in the PAC-10 Conference standings). This is the tenth time that Arizona has done a one-and-out in the NCAA tournament in their 24 straight appearances. Arizona's loss also ends their 20 straight seasons of 20 wins or more (19-15).

Who knows? Perhaps the Arizona State Sun Devils will enjoy this year the same revenge West Virginia got last year -- they are seeded first in the West bracket in the National Invitational Tournament.

West Virginia will play again Saturday, March 22, in the Second Round of the NCAA tournament, taking on the second-seeded Duke Blue Devils, who narrowly escaped an upset against Belmont earlier in the day.

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