Unprecedented tournament even after more than half a century: 1,092 days without loss, 88 consecutive wins

Surprisingly, on January 19, 1974, the university University of California Los Angeles lost 71-70 to notre dame cathedral After three years full of victories. This Monday marks the 52nd anniversary of that still-unprecedented milestone, as the Bruins completed an impressive streak. 88 consecutive wins. Fans reacted enthusiastically, entering the court and hugging the players.

Until then 1,092 days never lost the university of University of California Los AngelesThe record still stands, as no NCAA Division I men’s team has ever won 50 consecutive games. It was the university of UNLV The closest was 45 in a row in 1990-1991.

In this long continuous record, bruins They defeated their rivals by an average of more than 23 points per game and led the university to its seventh straight championship. University of California Los AngelesAt that time, He won more titles (7) than he lost (5).

That day, John shoemate and gary Brokaw They were the two main characters. Both scored 24 and 25 points, respectively, to lead Notre Dame in ending its historic winning streak. University of California Los Angeles. The difference in rebounds (+9) was also key. That season, the Bruins suffered two more losses in the regular season and were eliminated in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. North Carolina.

Anecdotally, the streak started when University of California Los Angeles In 1971 it began after the decline notre dame cathedralthree years later, the team broke the 1,092-day undefeated record.