LET'S GO! Ben Ball Warriors Pull Out A Big Win

by Nestor on Feb 23, 2008 3:07 PM PST in Basketball

Phew.

I have to admit. I started getting pretty nervous in the second half this afternoon as this game at the outset had some of the markings of frustrations we were experiencing in our previous three losses. I had to leave the game thread because I personally felt like I had to try something different to create some mojo. :)

It wasn't that our shots were not falling from the outside. Our defense was a little lethargic (at the outset). We were not dominating a smaller team around the boards. And we weren't making our FTs.

No one was stepping up for a while. And then someone decided to impersonate AA.

Uhm yeah. I'd say that got everyone "going." Our defensive tenacity returned. That's right Russell Westbrook stepped up and got his team-mates and the whole Pauley crowd fired up in that emphatic moment in the second half.

That was the moment the whole complexion of the game changed. These guys were in total frenzy

AP Photo/Branimir Kvartuc (via ESPN)

DC stopped being tentative with his dribbling. Love stepped up after Coach Howland encouraged him during a crucial time out. We got out with a huge win. The final score was 75-65. Here is the box score.

Lot more on this game tomorrow (can't wait to see Tele's video package in the morning). For now enjoy the Saturday and enjoy a huge win.

Thread it up in our Ben Ball post game victory thread.

GO BRUINS.

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Kansas/Oklahoma St. update

60-60, 12.6 seconds left, OSU at the line shooting 2.

by bruinhoo on Feb 23, 2008 3:20 PM PST reply actions

And then KU goes down

As I always see ... don't worry about our seeding guys. Its gonna all work out (just like the super delegate situation in a certain primary).

GO BRUINS.

by Nestor on Feb 23, 2008 3:23 PM PST up reply actions

Heh

Good point on both. I can't help but worry though!

by Raisin on Feb 23, 2008 3:31 PM PST up reply actions

Oklahoma St. = #100 RPI

This is essentially Kansas's version of our loss @ UW a couple weeks back.

If the tournament committee were to look at losses in an attempt to differentiate between the two teams, figure that the loss to Oklahoma St = UW, we both lost to Texas, and our loss to $c is similar to their loss to Kansas St.

by bruinhoo on Feb 23, 2008 3:32 PM PST up reply actions

Our loss to Texas

Has the same aura to as our loss to Memphis few years ago. I'd like to take on those guys again with a healthy DC.

by Nestor on Feb 23, 2008 3:33 PM PST up reply actions

Final - #5 Kansas loses, 60-61

And another team that UCLA will jump in the rankings on Monday.

by bruinhoo on Feb 23, 2008 3:23 PM PST up reply actions

Except..

..that the Back East Homers will find some way to whitewash Duke's two, back-to-back losses. I doubt they'll slip past seventh or eighth.

God, it's great to be a Bruin!

by whp68 on Feb 23, 2008 8:04 PM PST up reply actions

Watch Shipp's expression

It's the same look he had when RW dunked on that poor bastard from Indiana in the tournament last year. Funny how he's always in the same position whenever Russ humiliates somebody.

by Tydides on Feb 23, 2008 3:33 PM PST reply actions

Not sure I get the significance.

by Chandler on Feb 23, 2008 3:36 PM PST up reply actions

It's pretty amusing

I got a chuckle out of it.

by Nestor on Feb 23, 2008 3:38 PM PST up reply actions

Good contribution.

by Tydides on Feb 23, 2008 3:41 PM PST up reply actions

some post game thoughts....

Westbrook!.....WOW....by far sports center top play... definitely was the momentum changer of this game in my opinion

bruins played well in the home stretch and were able to pull off an important victory especially with kansas going down and the 1-2 showdown tonight. Crowd was able to stay loud throughout which definitely helped the late run.

couple thing made me quite upset (was at the game front row of student section) from the oregon side. Perhaps they picked up some of their classless moves from the Oregon Pit Crew (the lesser match to our Den). First, Porter made sure that after every time out he chalked up his hands all over the court. It was visible throughout the whole game and probably caused some of those slips (like his own which was improperly called a foul). The refs talks to him a little about that but failed to get that chalk off the court and failed to stop him from doing it. Another, the oregon players in the first half yelled when our players were shooting free throws. I do not believe that its illegal, but have never seen a team do that before. Most are just quiet and show some in-game sportsmanship. Leave it to the fans to be loud.

Overall, refs were horrible and very inconsistent (pac-10 refs of course). I called out one ref in the beginning to my peers and informed them how horrible he was, and sure enough he was out to get us, again. Can't wait to get to the tourney and have those big east refs that allow some contact and stay relatively consistent.

GO BRUINS!!! CHEER LIKE CHAMPIONS!!!

by bk bruin on Feb 23, 2008 3:35 PM PST reply actions

More Pac-10 action

ASU leads UW 31-21, 5:02 remaining in the first half.

by bruinhoo on Feb 23, 2008 3:42 PM PST reply actions

I don't know about everyone else,

but I think this game was the first that I really felt like we had our team from last year back to go with our new offense-minded freshman. We played great D for most of the game, and everyone with Final Four experience played like it. While everyone was struggling offensively in the first half, Luc was scratching and clawing for position on the low block, getting putbacks, and playing strong position D. Shipp is finding that while 3's are nice, his inside game, slashing, and most of all defense are what WILL be there for him every night. Collison is showing he knows when to attack, when to pass, and how to control the game. Westbrook is playing like he was a starter on that Final Four team last year. And Aboya and Mata know there roles so well...
Of course we didn't look as dominant as I'm making us out to be the whole game, but what was important is that it seemed like we found a way to take control, play our game, and not live or die by Love. And these play from behind games have not been kind to us this year, so that's a whole other breakthrough.

by yarrrp on Feb 23, 2008 4:22 PM PST reply actions

NICE PICTURE

That kid up front sure looks awfully smoove...

by turs12 on Feb 23, 2008 5:13 PM PST reply actions

That was intense

I was a little more emotional than usual...and I definitely lost my voice yelling at the officials...the crowd was good again tonight and we all had a great laugh when hairston and catron fouled out.

definitely nice to see us come from behind as the game felt like and seemingly had march implications. Boy we all jumped out of our seats when russell through down that jam.
yes the offense was bad, but our late game D was fierce Alf, Luc, and Zo really clamped down in the late minutes.

O.A.

by Ollie on Feb 23, 2008 5:40 PM PST reply actions

threw*

and sorry is there a way to repost or edit comments after they're made

O.A.

by Ollie on Feb 23, 2008 5:41 PM PST reply actions

Not happy with win

Oregon has lost 8 of their last 11 and near the bottom of the PAC. Yet they outplayed us most of the game and had us on the ropes. Our offense is not fluid, our outside shooting is horrible and the only way we find a way to score is on transition and turnovers. Somebody better put Josh Shipp's picture on a milk carton cuz he's been lost for several games. I actually had to search the TV screen several times to see if he was in the game cuz I didn't hear Brent or Lav mention Josh's name. We have to jump start the offense soon or were going to look like the Bruin team that got manhandled by Florida the last 2 years at the Final Four. Is anybody else worried about how we can do against the likes of Memphis, Tennessee or North Carolina? On a positive note, Westy looks like "All World" out there. He could very well go ahead of DC and Luc, but not KLove in the NBA draft.

by bruin75 on Feb 23, 2008 5:47 PM PST reply actions

Are You Watching Memphis-Tennessee?

If anybody on Memphis has once rotated over on defense or boxed out for a rebound, I missed it. I'll take our chances against these guys.

by vanaaron on Feb 23, 2008 7:09 PM PST up reply actions

If AA had the athleticism RW showed on that dunk

he'd have been a top 10 pick. Then again if he had that athleticism, he would have only been here a year. 2 tops.

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Feb 23, 2008 5:52 PM PST reply actions

I think

Alfred's problem isn't his athleticism...remember he jumped over joakim a couple years ago...but his fundies if he had a really consistent mid range jump shot he'd do wonders for our offense hes been a bit better though lately.
Same goes for luc if the cameroon crazies were great shooters, i know luc is pretty good but i mean if they really had good touch on the offense end we'd be insane.

O.A.

by Ollie on Feb 23, 2008 6:06 PM PST reply actions

not alfred

AA= Arron Afflalo

by insomniacslounge on Feb 23, 2008 6:19 PM PST up reply actions

ah my mistake

I immediately thought AA2

O.A.

by Ollie on Feb 23, 2008 9:14 PM PST up reply actions

Props to The Den

Loved the pregame, "Is that the loooooooosing coach?" cheer directed towards Steve Lavin.

by insomniacslounge on Feb 23, 2008 6:18 PM PST reply actions

Frickin Lav

Wouldn't put on our tie.

by Tydides on Feb 23, 2008 6:48 PM PST up reply actions

Wow

That's awesome.

by Raisin on Feb 23, 2008 8:29 PM PST up reply actions

The Cheer

Really glad to hear you liked the cheer. It definitely makes it all worth it when things like that go over well and people enjoy it.

by turs12 on Feb 24, 2008 2:44 AM PST up reply actions

As one who watches games with the sound off,

I missed this quip from Brent (even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then) on TV following RW's steal and jam.

"Man. (He) took it to Longmire, didn't he? That's a major league facial, that time."

by Bruinut on Feb 23, 2008 7:13 PM PST reply actions

I heard Oregon brought Black uniforms.

Is it a Nike thing? Or did they not learn anything from South Central's failed Black Out?

Didn't get to watch the game, but from what i've read at ESPN it was a good gut check win. I'll take an ugly win over a morale victory any day.

A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment. John Wooden

by MexiBruin on Feb 23, 2008 7:30 PM PST reply actions

DE JA STEVE-OH NO!

How come no one has mentioned the other handicap the Bruins and all true Bruin fans overcame today. Steve Lavin announcing! I cringe every time that man comes within 100 feet of sacred Wooden Court. I don't know what else to say. Thank g-d for Coach Howland! Steve Lavin is the WORST

by DK BRUIN on Feb 23, 2008 7:59 PM PST reply actions

Seriously

I thought we were jinxed as soon as I saw it was him and Pete Carroll's bitch.

I dispise him more now than I did when I was a student and a very young alumna.

by bruinbabe2000 on Feb 23, 2008 8:10 PM PST up reply actions

How about all those photos w/Wooden

shown during the telecast, as if he and Coach were good friends. As I understand it, Lavin rarely had contact with Coach. Now he's trying to deceive the TV audience and he and Coach were buddies. Total BS.

by bluegold on Feb 23, 2008 8:35 PM PST up reply actions

Can't help it, Nestor

I still worry about seeding! Tennessee beating Memphis probably locked up a second 1-seed (unless one of those teams goes on a rather unexpected losing streak). Looks like UNC, Duke KU and UCLA are fighting over the remaining two 1-seeds (and I guess Georgetown and Texas might also be in the running).

by Raisin on Feb 23, 2008 8:36 PM PST reply actions

Can't help it, Nestor

by Raisin on Feb 23, 2008 8:36 PM PST reply actions

I think Texas

is definitely in the running solely because of how impressive 3 of their wins are. At UCLA, Tennesse on a neutral court and versus Kansas. That's a hell of an impressive trio of wins.

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Feb 23, 2008 8:40 PM PST up reply actions

I forgot they beat Tenn too

They're definitely in the mix, you're right.

I do believe getting a 2 seed and an Anaheim-Phoenix route is better than a 1-seed and being saddled elsewhere for the third and fourth rounds.

by Raisin on Feb 23, 2008 8:48 PM PST up reply actions

The only problem with that reasoning

is that if we are a number 1 seed, we'll be in the west, as there are no other teams in the running as west as we are. It wouldn't make sense to ship a team aout west AND us to a different bracket.

by melliott2 on Feb 23, 2008 8:56 PM PST up reply actions

don't lock tennessee just yet

they've got @ vandy and ku at home still left on their schedule with the SEC tournament to go. one loss in the regular season + a loss in the tourney will probably knock em down to a #2.

regardless, i'm not all that concerned with other teams in competition for a #1 seed. if we handle business and win the pac, we'll get that #1 or at least be a #2 in the west, which has worked pretty well for us in the past two years.

by sfatoo on Feb 23, 2008 8:57 PM PST up reply actions

Does the Committee look past W's and L's?

If they do, then I don't think any team from the great state of TN would be a number one seed. I don't think any of them would be a number one seed in the Pac 10 tournament and maybe not even a number two seed. The NBA All Star game featured better defense.

by Fox 71 on Feb 24, 2008 2:34 PM PST up reply actions

when you said KU

I totally amazed by the possible fortune of this late season matchup...but then i realized you meant UK which really in my opinion stands no chance, I think Florida has a better chance of beating Tenn. than UK. Vandy is their last big test before the SEC tourney. After seeing Arizona beat Washington state on the road just now i remembered how big of a road trip this really is gunna. We've got a lot of work to do.

O.A.

by Ollie on Feb 23, 2008 9:20 PM PST reply actions

Westbrook's dunk #1 play on espn

Definitely well deserved. It was created by a great steal, and was a total momentum game changing play. Collison and Love ended up with good numbers but Westbrook was definitely player of the game. Luc was really important too, I thought.

by stephons on Feb 23, 2008 9:25 PM PST reply actions