During The Early 1970s,

DURING THE EARLY 1970S, the University of California at Los Angeles men’s basketball team seemed unstoppable. The Bruins didn’t lose a game for nearly three years as they won 88 straight contests.

But on January 19, 1974, Notre Dame proved to be a tough foe. With a national television audience watching, the second-ranked Fighting Irish hosted No. 1 UCLA.

The visitors, who had collected seven consecutive national titles, shot 70 percent from the field in the first half and took a 43–34 lead into the locker room.

In the second half, the team from South Bend slowly narrowed the gap but still trailed 70–59 with 3:32 remaining. Notre Dame coach Digger Phelps instructed his players to press, and the Bruins committed five straight turnovers that the Irish converted into baskets. With 21 seconds left to play, Dwight Clay completed Notre Dame’s incredible comeback, hitting a jumper from the corner and putting the Irish up 71–70.

UCLA called a time-out to set up a possible winning shot, but Tommy Curtis misfired on a 25-foot jumper. Dave Myers attempted a tip-in that went awry, and the Irish knocked the ball out of bounds with six ticks left on the clock.

Bill Walton of the Bruins took the inbounds pass, but his 12-footer failed to fall. Two more Bruins rebound shots missed the hoop, and the buzzer sounded. Notre Dame had stopped the UCLA streak.

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POINT When we’re on a winning streak, it’s easy to trust in ourselves. We believe in our intelligence, our athleticism, or our knowledge. We think we can’t fail.

The same holds true in life. When all seems to be going well, we often trust in ourselves, holding a high opinion of our gifts and abilities. But then it happens. We fail. Things stop going right. Only when we trust in God can we rise and stand firm. Nothing and no one but him deserves our love and faith.

GOAL! Go to the library or search the Internet to learn more about UCLA coach John Wooden, who guided Bruins teams to ten NCAA men’s basketball titles between 1964 and 1975. Even more than Wooden’s team trusted his coaching, we can thank God for the faith we have in his heavenly guidance.