Inhistoric.com: The Sports History Blog

It's fitting that Notre Dame, the school that ended the longest winning streak in college football history, also put a stop to the longest win streak in men's basketball.

UCLA came into Notre Dame with an 88-game winning streak almost three years in the running. Bill Walton and the Bruins had accomplished back-to-back perfect seasons and were the winners of seven consecutive national titles.

Notre Dame was the last team to hand the Bruins a defeat, and they'd
do it again on this night. The contest was certainly in the Bruins' hands for most of the way; at one point they were up by 17. With three and a half minutes left, UCLA led 70-59. The shot clock was still ten years from being used in the college level, meaning that all the Bruins had to do was hold on to the ball.

But the Fighting Irish picked up their defense and forced UCLA into several key turnovers. The Bruins never scored again and watched as their lead was trimmed to seven, five, three... They still led, 70-69, with half a minute remaining, when Notre Dame's Dwight Clay sunk a corner jumper to give the Irish the lead.

"I knew the shot was good as soon as it left my hands," said Clay. "We had practiced against zone defenses so much that I was deadly from those corners. I just never got the ball that often once we were in the game."

In the closing seconds, UCLA inbounded the ball to Walton, who missed a short turn-around. Two UCLA players got the rebound and hurled it at the basket to no avail. When the clock ran out, John Shumate flipped the ball into the air in celebration. Before the basketball could hit the hardwood, fans had already rushed the court.

Bill Walton called it the toughest loss he ever experienced, even worse than the double-overtime defeat to N.C. State in that year's tournament. "I have not gotten over it," he said years later. "I will never get over it." Notre Dame coach Digger Phelps was accurate when he stated that "In 10 years, when people think about the streak, they wont remember the details of the game -- just the team that ended it."

The Bruins got their shot at revenge only three weeks later. On their own home court, UCLA won 94-75 and reclaimed the No. 1 ranking in the nation.

Further reading:
Notre Dame ends UCLA's 88 game win streak