Washington Huskies’ Ten Best Tournament Wins Of The Romar Era
The Washington Huskies are once again absent from the NCAA Tournament. With a ridiculously talented 2015 recruiting class set to rejuvinate the program, and most of the current roster returning, next year might be the year. In the meantime. here is a great list of good times to reminisce to.
10) Isaiah and the Huskies take down the Dawgs in the NCAA Tournament
9) Will Conroy sparks the beginning of an era
7) Huskies get their revenge on the Cardinal
6) UW runs New Mexico’s Sweet 16 hopes into the ground
5) Huskies overcome Stoudamire’s 37 for their first Pac-10 Title
4) 2006 Second Round Comeback Against Defending National Runner-Ups
3) UW outlasts Klay’s 43 and hang on for 89-87 win
1) Quincy Pondexter’s winner completes epic NCAA Tournament comeback
8) 2010 Pac-12 Championship Win Over Cal
In an up-and-down season for the Dawgs, it was only fitting that their Pac-12 Championship victory was no different. The game had 22 lead changes, including two massive swings in the final minutes.
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The game was within a possession or two for the first 20 minutes, with the largest lead for either team being four. But five points from Isaiah Thomas, four from Quincy Pondexter and stellar defense by the whole team sent UW on a 9-1 run to take a 61-52 lead with 11:22 to play.
However, the Golden Bears scored on seven of their next ten possessions while holding the Huskies scoreless to take a 66-61 lead.
From that point on, Pac-10 Player of the Year, Jerome Randle, did his best to keep California above water, either scoring or assisting in Cal’s last nine points, but the depth of the Huskies wore the Bears down. Matthew Bryan-Amaning, Venoy Overton, Elston Turner, Justin Holiday, Tyreese Breshers and Pondexter combined to score 18 points in the final five minutes to punch the Huskies ticket into the NCAA Tournament, a tournament that would be a special one for the Dawgs and a certain senior small forward (hint hint, there will be plenty more from the 2009-2010 season on the countdown!).
According to Gohuskies.com, the Dawgs had some fun after the win.
"Only a few hundred Washington fans were left in Staples Center when the celebrating Huskies started an impromptu dunk contest. They tried one elaborate slam after another on the net-less hoop, their purple Pac-10 tournament title hats flying off their heads to the barking crowd’s delight."
The Washington Huskies got into the Big Dance that year, but only as an 11-seed. Meaning that if they didn’t win the Pac-10 Championship, they most likely would have been NIT bound.
Relive the rest of the Washington Huskies’ top ten tournament wins under Coach Romar!
*All of the above photos are from USA Today Sports.
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