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One of UCLA Basketball’s Greatest Moments in the NCAA Tournament… vs. Gonzaga

By Mike Regalado

Mar 19, 2016; Raleigh, NC, USA; A general view of the logo at mid-court prior to the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament game between the Butler Bulldogs and the Virginia Cavalier at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2016; Raleigh, NC, USA; A general view of the logo at mid-court prior to the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament game between the Butler Bulldogs and the Virginia Cavalier at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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With the NCAA Tournament starting today, Go Joe Bruin wanted to get you pumped up as we relive one of the greatest moments in UCLA Basketball’s  history in the Big Dance.

The year was 2006. I was out with my family at a restaurant in Alhambra celebrating my dad’s birthday. It was only the day before I realized the UCLA Basketball team was going to be taking on Gonzaga at the same time as the dinner.

I was so anxious for this game that I was planning my escape in the second half of the game.

When I got to the restaurant, I saw that the bar was playing the game on a few different TVs, but where our party was seated, was in a room on the other side of the restaurant. Needless to say< I had several “bathroom breaks” throughout dinner.

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The thing was, I was not alone. Several of my family members are UCLA fans and also realized the game was going down once they got to the restaurant. There were a lot of us that had to take “bathroom breaks” during the start of dinner.

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Unfortunately, a lot of us were disappointed when we returned from the “bathroom”. The #2 Bruins were not doing well against the #3 Gonzaga Bulldogs. Behind college basketball darling Adam Morrison, Gonzaga was rolling through the first half of this game as they led by 17 at one point.

Once again it seem like the mighty Bulldogs were not going to be stopped. Dinner went on and though we were celebrating my father’s birthday we all were a little out of it, simply because the Bruins we getting whipped.

So dinner continued as the second half started, but it was getting interesting. Dinner had ended ten minutes into the second half. A few family members had left, but the rest of us looked around and said, “Hey, should we stay and watch the rest of it?”

It is a good thing we did because what happens next, especially in the final minutes, embodied what March Madness is all about.

UCLA had fought their way back from 17 down and were getting closer and closer, but could they really pull off a massive comeback against Gonzaga? Behind their stellar defense, UCLA had one of their greatest moments in their NCAA Tournament history.

Even to this day, I get chills looking at that video. To see the defense by Jordan Farmar and then the steal and assist to Luc Richard Mbah a Moute who put up a tough layup, is pure gold.

To see the Bruins play defense with such tenacity was amazing. And then that final lunge by Mbah a Moute to take the ball back. To see Darren Collison jumping up and down the court cheering as loud as he can. To hear the UCLA section explode in fervor made those watching at home explode in fervor… it was something special. And then there was my family and I high-fivng each other and cheering loudly in that bar… that was just as memorable for me.

UCLA won that game 73-71, and eventually went on to the Final Four and their first National Championship Game since 1995.

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It was great time for UCLA Basketball. Unfortunately for Gonzaga, they were exposed to the other side of this. Adam Morrison crying at half court, will forever live in college basketball fans mind’s forever.  Unfortunate for them, but such a fantastic moment for UCLA Basketball and their fans. Go Bruins! And Happy Birthday, Dad!