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Show POST SEASON PLAYOFFS SEND REDSKINS TO NCAA TOURNAMENTIn the final game of the season, the Utes were pitted against Colorado State for a showdown. If Utah could pull off this game, they would be the conference champs; if Colorado State could defeat the Utes, both would have a 9-2 record and there would be a tie for the conference championship. The tough Aggies responded brilliantly to the challenge by fighting to an exciting 50-49 win over the favored Utes. The Redskins had to settle for a Skyline co-championship and were faced with the added problem of beating the Colorado Staters again in order to snare a berth in the NCAA Regional playoffs at Portland. Provo was chosen as the neutral playoff site, and a packed house was on hand to watch Utah finally break through the tight Aggie defense and walk away from the scrape with a close 55-51 victory.This important win placed the Redskins in the NCAA Far West Regionals with two fine teams from California and one from Arizona: Loyola of Los Angeles, the University of Southern California, and Arizona State University. In the first game of the series, played in Portland, the Utes avenged their earlier loss to Loyola of Los Angeles by romping to an easy 91-75 tournament victory. In the second game of the evening, Arizona State surprised everyone by defeating favored Southern California, thus setting up Utah against Arizona State for the Championship of the Far West Regionals. Using their fast break to good advantage, the Ute team was able to run to an easy victory over the Arizona Sun Devils, scoring 88 points to Arizona's 80.With this victory the Utes returned to Salt Lake to practice up for the tough tournament ahead, the NCAA finals held in Kansas City, where the top four collegiate teams in the country battle each year for the National Championship. Besides Utah, the finalists were Cincinnati, Ohio State, and St. Joseph's, promising one of the fastest roughest NCAA tournaments in history. |