Buckeye Blowout

It looked like Valentine’s Day in Champaign, Illinois Sunday afternoon as the Fighting Illini hosted 13th ranked Ohio State. Both teams were clad in red and white. The Big Ten teams showed little love for each other, however. It was Ohio State popping the campaign in Champaign, sticking a dagger in the Illini like cupid with an arrow. The Buckeyes blew out the home team 72-53. It was the worst lost suffered at Assembly Hall in 34 years. Ohio State held on the first place and showed they mean business in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes dominated Illinois from the get-go. They went on to rout their 17-9 opponents to pull into a first place tie with Michigan State. It was the ninth straight win for the smug and superior Buckeyes.
The scarlet and gray shooting was hot and consistent throughout the game. The Illini were coming off back-to-back victories over top 15 teams but never mounted a rally against Ohio State. OSU trailed by one point in the first period before going on an 18-6 run. The Buckeyes never looked back. Illinois trailed by 20 points at the half. OSU’s Jon Diebler led the way with 18 points. David Lighty dropped in 17 and Evan Turner finished with 16. Turner snagged 11 defensive rebounds and 8 assists in the win. The Buckeyes shot 53% for the game and frustrated Illinois with a stingy zone defense. The Buckeyes were 11-for-22 from 3-point range. Diebler accounted for six of his team’s long shots. The Illini managed just 16% from the arc.
Thad Matta’s Ohio State offense was clicking on all cylinders and looked very much in form. Illinois got as close as 13 points in the early minutes of the second half, but Turner and Diebler kept up their penetration and shooting prowess to rebuild the lead to 17 over a four minute span. The 6’7” Turner logged six turnovers at point guard. The befuddled home team couldn’t get anything going offensively and never even made a game of it Sunday. The Illini lost for the first time in six tries. Demetri McCamey scored a ghastly nine points in the loss, nearly seven short of his season average. The Illinois guard came into Sunday with the title of Big Ten co-player of the week (along with OSU’s Turner) You can guarantee he won’t be sharing anything close to that title this week. McCamey’s two rebounds and nine assists were only slightly better than his 0-for-4 from downtown. Forward, Mike Davis, was one of three Illini juniors to tally eight points. Bill Cole and Mike Tisdale also contributed eight as their team fell to 20-6 OSU. Cole and Tisdale put up zeros in the assist column. The Illini came into the contest with the conference’s best field goal percentage defense. They sure didn’t appear to be the best in anything Sunday afternoon. Illinois was unable to keep pace with OSU predominately in the zone. The Illini guards were 0-for-14 from the field until freshman, D.J. Richardson’s layup in the final period. The Buckeyes’ pugnacious accuracy provided the lopsided win over Bruce Weber’s Illini. Illinois has some impressive wins at Assembly Hall this season, but Sunday was just a Valentine’s Day massacre they would like to soon forget.

Parting Points: Big Sunday in sports- NBA All-Star game, Daytona 500 and the Olympics heating up. But the headlines are still dominated by college basketball on the heels of March Madness. Number two Syracuse was crushed by Louisville again and Rutgers stunned Georgetown.

Sporting Sweetheart

In the tradition of Valentine's Day, a love poem with a sports twist:

Love is shedding a piece of yourself everyday
It’s a perfect game, a spiral pass
Love wakes the dispirited, as if to say
“Play ball” on a bed of feathery grass
Love lasts long enough to see one through
It’s the rhythmic pace of a tennis match
Love evolves carefully with each caress and cue
The fade away jump shot or deciding bucket to hatch
Love reaches beyond the boundaries of the heart
It’s the captivating hole-in-one that evokes emotion
Love knows no remorse, an honorable art
A picturesque sunrise behind a surfer’s ocean
Love is belonging to a higher power
It’s squaring to bunt for a sacrifice
Love requires a frank face and soft scour
A boxer’s poise or a backhand slice
Love is an unlimited feeling of hope
It’s skating on the wing to find the goal
Love lingers deep and stretches far in scope
The swirling soccer ball and track star curving over a pole
Love is your hand in mine
It’s walking or jogging, dancing to Spring’s song
Love means believing in forever’s time
The grand slam finish after driving long

Three Tallies after Three Times

Pittsburgh pulled off a miraculous comeback in triple overtime Friday night at Petersen Events Center. The 25th ranked Panther upset the nation’s number five, West Virginia, in the second installment of this season’s backyard brawl. The Big East game was completed in three overtimes. Pittsburgh erased a seven point deficit in the final 45 seconds of regulation to send the game into the first extra session, and eventually outlasted the Mountaineers 98-95. The low scoring contest ended with Gilbert Brown snagging two free throws. The Panthers’ junior hit the winning buckets with 28 seconds left in overtime number three to hand West Virginia their fifth loss of the year. Pittsburgh improved to 19-6 overall and 8-4 in the Big East. The triumph ties the Panthers with West Virginia and Georgetown for third place in the conference.
Da’Sean Butler lead all players with 32 for the Mountaineers. Butler added 11 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Darryl Bryant sunk a satisfying 20 points for the visitors and sophomore, Devin Ebanks had 17 points and 10 rebounds in the loss. The Panthers were paced by their two gritty guards, Brad Wanamaker and Ashton Gibbs. Both finished with 24 points. The Panthers improved to 6-0 at home against top five opponents, but it was a back-and-forth battle all night. The game was tied 12 times and had 12 lead changes. The Mountaineers took a 37-32 advantage over their rivals into halftime. Pitt surged back to tie the game before the regulation buzzer. Gibbs drilled the game-tying 3-pointer from the corner on an inbounds pass from Wanamaker with 22 seconds left in the fourth. Gibbs was 6-of-13 from the arc Friday night. West Virginia was error-prone in the second half. They held a seven point lead after dominating the Panthers for 39 minutes, but let it slip through their fingers. Pittsburgh responded to WVU’s missed opportunities and turnovers at the end of regulation. The Mountaineers allowed Tavon Woodall (12 points, 7 rebounds) an open look down the lane before he drove it home to pull Pitt within three points. They failed to make easy layups. Bob Huggins’ squad fumbled the basketball and couldn’t make their shots even when they virtually had the Backyard Brawl won.
The Panthers looked like they had the game won in the first overtime. Gibbs muffed a second foul shot with seven ticks and Bryant drilled one from downtown to keep the Mountaineers in the game. Jamie Dixon’s Panthers led by three points with 20 seconds left in overtime number two when Butler was fouled. The 6’7” WVU senior pocketed three free throws to force the third extra session. In the final overtime, Butler cruised past the Panthers to put West Virginia ahead by one point with 40 seconds left. Brown dropped two foul shots in the basket to recapture the Panther edge, 96-95. Ebanks, 7-of-14 from the field, missed a shot on the next Mountaineer possession. Gary McGhee grabbed the last of his 12 rebounds and swung the ball out to Gibbs, who was fouled. Gibbs made a pair of charity stripe points with 11.8 seconds remaining for the game’s concluding three point margin. The Panthers took out the Mountaineers in triple overtime by posting clutch free throws and smartly using the clock to their advantage. It was a fitting and fantastic finale.

Parting Points: It’s nice to see Wayne Gretzky involved in the opening ceremonies.

Song for Saturday- Eleanor Farjeon’s “Morning Has Broken”

Crowns Clipped in Comeback Classic

The Edmonton Oilers skated into a sellout Staples Center Thursday night and owned a 2-0 lead after fifty minutes against league-leading L.A. The Kings rallied late in the third period to erase the deficit and send the tie game into overtime. Five minutes of sudden death failed to declare a winner and the contest went to the shootout. Former King and current Oilers defenseman, Lubomir Visnovsky, snapped Edmonton’s 11 game road skid with a tenth round game winning shootout goal. The marathon shootout ended on Visnovsky’s breakaway snot past Erik Ersberg to upend the Kings 3-2. Ersberg was starting Terry Murray for just the sixth time this season. The Kings usual goaltender, Jonathan Quick, did not play because of flulike symptoms. Ersberg made 21 stops in net. The Kings could have used Quick and his 12-4 shootout record Thursday night. It took the league’s worst club, Edmonton, to put an end to L.A.’s nine consecutive victories in games decided by shootouts. It was the Oilers first road win in two months.
The Kings have dropped two in a row after rolling off nine wins. Rich Clune made his NHL debut for L.A. The Kings took 43 shots on goal to the Oilers’ 23. L.A. was down by a pair of goals last night as the Oilers kept pace on the ice. Edmonton was impressive in penalty killing and limiting the Kings on the power play. Oilers goalie, Jeff Deslauriers made 41 saves in a tremendous road effort. L.A. attempted more shots on goal than Edmonton, but the Oilers secured the first one that counted in the second period. Denis Grebeshkov capitalized on a deflection off Matt Greene’s stick near the crease to tap in the first Edmonton goal. It was Grebeshkov’s sixth goal of the season and provided the Oilers a 1-0 edge. Dustin Penner fooled Ersberg in the opening of the third period to put the Oilers on top by two goals. Penner increased Edmonton’s edge with a sharp angle shot at 7:47 of the third, scoring on a power play wrister. It was Penner’s team leading 24th goal of the season. Four minutes later, the home team wiped away the gap altogether. L.A.’s comeback began with Dustin Brown’s desperation goal with 8:55 remaining in regulation. Brown got the Kings back within one by backhanding the puck through the posts and beyond Deslauriers’ reach. Ryan Smyth tied the score with an open net flick with under five minutes left. A scuffle broke out in the dying minutes of regulation, resulting in a four-on-four for two the final two minutes.
Overtime in L.A. almost didn’t occur. Patrick O’Sullivan was the sudden death star for Edmonton but Ersberg robbed the former King of a slick game winning shot. The Kings took the hapless Oilers to a franchise-record ten round shootout. Ersberg and Deslauriers frustrated the first shooters but pucks soon found the back of the net. Shawn Horcoff, Penner and Gilbert Brule scored in the shootout for Edmonton. Kings’ forward Anze Kopitar, Wayne Simmonds and Michal Handuz found the net and beat Deslauriers in the shootout. Simmonds nearly missed a goal in the first period off a Brad Richardson feed. The Kings outshot Edmonton 36-16 after the first period, but it was Deslauriers’ play that disrupted their demanding offense. Visnovsky drained the dramatic goal to seal the tenth round, and made Pat Quinn’s Oilers road victors for the first time since December 11th. The Kings were undeservedly booed by the home crowd.

Parting Points: Note to TMac: Please do not sign with the Knicks.

Connecticut Comeback Crushed

Syracuse squandered a 48-34 lead with 14 minutes left to play, but held on to defeat Connecticut 72-67 in men’s college basketball. The second ranked Orange held a 16 point lead in the second half before the Huskies pulled within three points. UConn staged a furious rally to tie the score, but couldn’t get over the hump. Wednesday was the first time since the epic six overtime affair between the Big East rivals. Syracuse hung on to top Connecticut and snag their 11th straight victory. The Orange improved to 24-1 overall. For the Huskies, the game marked their sixth road loss of the season. UConn is 0-6 on the road and 1-5 against ranked opponents. Syracuse is on a ten game winning streak for the second time this season.
Rick Jackson led the Orange with 15 points but it was the Huskies’ Jerome Dyson leading all scorers with 19 points and five assists. Dyson notched the tying basket with 2:33 to play. The Connecticut senior guard paced the Huskies and was 7-of-21 from the field with 8 rebounds. The game tying shot was followed by a critical and controversial timeout call. The Huskies didn’t wilt, even after being down by seven at the intermission and trailing by as many as 10 in the first half. Even without Jim Calhoun on the sidelines, Connecticut ripped through the Carrier Dome hard enough to scare the Orange. Stanley Robinson added 16 points for the visiting team, but only made two second half points. Kemba Walker accounted for 14 and Gavin Edwards 12 for UConn. Syracuse junior, Scoop Jardine, clocked 21 minutes and scored 7 points. Wes Johnson finished with a baker’s dozen points and matched teammate, Arinze Onuaku, with a game high nine rebounds.
Dyson missed a chance to give the Huskies the lead with over a minute left when jumper bounced off the rim. Andy Rautins, the Orange’s indispensible senior guard, scored eight points but was summoned to the bench after being whistled for his fourth foul at 50-34 ‘Cuse. The offense wobbled and the defense allowed the Huskies back in the game without Rautins. The Huskies went on a 14-2 run and were within one point (61-60) after a Dyson trey with just over four minutes. Connecticut outrebounded the Orange in the second half 26-14. They dominated the glass but were unable to control the game. Syracuse managed to survive the contest on a pair of Johnson free throws with 33 second remaining. The Orange lead would not be threatened again. Dyson missed a three-pointer with 13.5 seconds and Kris Joseph hit two more from the charity stripe to give the Orange a four point edge. This matchup wasn’t heading into overtime. It ended in regulation with the Orange coming out winners.

Parting Points: Song of the day- “If It Makes You Happy” by Sheryl Crow
Happy Birthday Sheryl!

Two Ten (Dos Diez)

It’s strange what you remember. An unexpected answer. A frivolous object. An affectionate hug. Symbols and numbers take on meaningful significance when they are associated with feelings and emotions. I hustled off the heavy yellow school bus in my honey colored sweatshirt. I always sat near the front. The sidewalk was cracked but I triumphantly skipped over the cement chinks in my size six Converse sneakers. My legs followed the narrow path past the main office to the gym. I rushed to the girls’ side of the spacious gymnasium, oblivious to the endless banners hanging quietly above. I stood in front of the equipment closet, where carefully posted was the list that would determine my mood for the day. There wasn’t a doubt in my young mind that I was included on the final cut list. I crept closer to the closet and craftily looked around to make sure I was alone.
As I held my breath, I read each name. My heart raced faster with each one that wasn’t my own. Finally, the list was finished. I wasn’t on it. I walked in a trance to the locker room door and read the word “Girls”. I stood, staring at the door, fighting off tears I knew were coming. Suddenly, I raced out the gym. My violent feet took me to the library corridor. There were four empty picnic tables outside in the courtyard. I leaned up against the windows and held the wide wood railing. I had a quarter in my pocket. My sweaty hand fumbled with the coin as the first teardrop trickled and touched my cheek. All I worked for during the past seven years was out the window like the soft leaves of the pretty courtyard trees. Inside, I was an empty picnic table. Nothing prepared me for this moment. I was a withered flower seeking nourishment. I stumbled to the nearest phone and dialed home with the only twenty five cents I possessed. I was looking for a sign of life.
I remember my mother’s words and emotions that followed. I remember trying hard to keep my mind off the fateful list. I passed through the sixth grade hallway on my way to my homeroom. My former teacher greeted me from Room 210 and asked me about softball. I told him the news. There was no sense in hiding out. I needed his encouragement, maybe more than I needed it from my mother. Someone outside my family believed in me. He knew how hard I worked and how talented a player I was. I acknowledged him and thanked him. He told me not to give up. I wanted to cut my losses. My locker was a putrid pink. It was so slim I was sure I could barely fit my bookbag inside. The size was deceiving. I shamefully tucked away my softball equipment by stuffing it in the locker too. People are good at fitting more than they can into small compartments. All the sadness I felt was more than my overfilled heart could handle.
There’s a reason for everything. Why is the bright side always hardest to see? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? My heart was broken, but it wouldn’t be the first time. I learned a valuable life lesson that day. Nothing is life is guaranteed. You could work hard and believe in yourself but have little to show for it. I ended playing JV softball. The coaches retracted the cut, admitting he made a mistake. Life is mysteriously good if you sit back and watch it unfold. Sometimes you don’t have to make a stink about being cheated. The good times roll around if you keep your cool. I pitched the best game of my life off the bench. It was the first game of the season and I was summoned to the mound. I’ll never forget the look on everyone’s face after that win. My teammates, the fans, my opponents, and the coaches owed me nothing. But somehow, their faces seemed to owe me everything. I’ve learned to carry some pretty heavy loads on my shoulders. Perhaps it stemmed from the milestone moment in junior high when I overcame rejection. The softball bag in my locker came out. I stored it in Room 210 for the remainder of the season. In eighth grade, I got my own locker in the gym. We were taught Spanish that year. There’s a verb in Spanish: “llevar”. It means to bear something with patience. Patience often pays off. Life is series of graduations and adjustments punctuated with joy and sorrow. For me, it starts with hard work and ends with patience.

Parting Points: Song of the day- The Killers’ “When We Were Young”

Silent Sighs

She wiped the top of her head and tips of her hair with her sleeve
Her competitive heart taught her it was too soon to leave
Inside the black webbed glove, a ball rested at peace
The batter in front of the backstop waited for her release
Squatting behind was a catcher with a target to strike
She swiped the sand surrounding the rubber with her spike
Her repetitive motion was readily acquired somewhere in time
The hit from the swing rattled the ring of a clanging chime
Walking away were the evaporating sounds of nine silent sighs