Stunning Storm Slaughter

It was a disastrous opening tipoff to the Big East tournament for the Connecticut Huskies. UConn was routed by the Red Storm 73-51 during a first round game at Madison Square Garden. Tuesday’s loss marked the fifth straight year the Huskies exited the conference tournament without winning a game. Connecticut has not won a tournament game since 2005. St. John’s beat a traditional powerhouse for the second consecutive Big East tournament. The Johnnies defeated Georgetown last season before falling to the Golden Eagles in the next round. Marquette is the second round opponent for St. John’s again this year. The 13th seeded Red Storm advanced thanks to exuberant play from Sean Evans. Evans smacked down 19 points as the Johnnies sunk a stunned Connecticut team on the bubble of the NCAA tournament.
St. John’s halted a nine game losing streak to Jim Calhoun’s Huskies Tuesday in New York. The Red Storm lost three of four games to end the regular season, so it was a bit surprising when they toppled a physical UConn squad. St. John’s shot 50% from the field against the number one defensive field goal team in Big East. Paris Horne and Justin Brownlee aided Evans, anchoring the Red Storm with 13 points each. The Storm paved a 22-12 lead with ten minutes remaining in the second quarter. They extended the advantage to 38-18 after a 13-2 spurt. Evans and Brownlee scored all the points during the Red Storm’s run before the break as the Huskies trailed by 13 at halftime. Kemba Walker managed 12 points for the losing Huskies. Walker was 2-of-8 from downtown for a Connecticut team that finished 30% from long range. Connecticut shot just 37.5% from the field and committed 20 turnovers. UConn hit 6-of-18 from the charity stripe in an embarrassing showing Tuesday. Connecticut scored its fewest points in a Big East tournament game.
The Huskies, a Final Four team a year ago, never got closer than eight points the rest of the game. The Johnnies grabbed rebounds, picked up loose balls and notched 54% of their 3-pointers. St. John’s leading scorer, DJ Kennedy, was limited to 25 minutes because of early foul trouble. Second leading man, Dwight Hardy, was sidelined with a sprained knee for St. Johns. It mattered little for the inspired Red Storm. The defense held 12th seeded UConn’s top scorer, Jerome Dyson, to four points. Dyson dismally turned the ball over nine times during the contest. The Huskies can only hope for an invite to the NIT. Tuesday’s blowout loss was a low moment for the prestigious Big East program. The Huskies went 7-11 in conference play. A below .500 Big East record is never sufficient enough to make a dent in the big dance. UConn’s only shot this season would have been to win the conference tournament. Meanwhile, St. John’s lives to play another day in perhaps the best conference tournaments in men’s college hoops. The Johnnies registered its most wins in a season under Coach Norm Roberts with the victory. Roberts’ players face a tough task Wednesday. Buzz Williams’ Eagles are a team under the radar. Fifth-ranked Marquette endured a rough start but has settled in to make the NCAA tournament. It should be an exhilarating four days on the hardwood. As of this post, St. John trails Marquette by ten at the half. The Red Storm are shooting just 30%.

Parting Points: Other Big East first round winners- USF, Seton Hall, and Cincinnati.

Tough break for the Minnesota Twins- Closer, Joe Nathan could be out for the season.

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!

Scintillating Syracuse Survives Sextuplet Stunner

I am glad I had my radio on at 1:30 A.M. It’s true I was lying in bed, half asleep, listening to the finale of the Big East quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden. I couldn’t turn the radio off, not with the smashing and shocking Syracuse headed into their sixth overtime against Connecticut. I tuned in to listen and fell asleep before the first extra session began. Luckily, the excited voices of the enthusiastic announcers awakened and astonished me out of my slumber. The first overtime instigated a never-ending saga unfolding right before my tired eyes (or ears I should say).
The game is an instant classic and it wasn’t even a championship one. March madness hasn’t officially kicked off, but this is exactly what college basketball is all about. Both teams’ hearts could not have been measured until last night’s epic effigy of a battle. It was as if the jerseys were iridescent and you could see the hearts pumping inside each players’ chest. Syracuse and Connecticut carved themselves into Big East history with the longest conference game ever played. The 127-117 Syracuse win featured many special highlights but here are a few of the standout figures and notable facts:

-The Orangemen did not take a lead during any of the overtime sessions until the 6th and final one.
-70 total minutes of basketball were played and Orange point guard, Jonny Flynn logged a whopping 67 of those minutes.
-8 players fouled out of the game, four on each team
-The 3 hour 46 minute game was the second longest in NCAA Division I history
-Flynn had 34 points and 11 assists, Paul Harris had 29 points and 22 rebounds, Eric Devendorf had 22 points and Andy Rautins had 20 points to lead ‘Cuse. Rautin’s 3-pointer early in the 6th OT was probably the game-deciding blow. He sunk the shot and was an overall critical clutch performer.
-Syracuse made 40 of 51 free throws and Flynn was a perfect 16-16 from the line.
-A.J. Price had 33 points and 10 assists, Stanley Robinson had 28 points and Hasheem Thabeet had 19 points, 14 rebounds and 6 blocked shots for the Huskies.

The Orangemen move on now to the semifinals this evening against Bob Huggins and the West Virginia Mountaineers. The Mountaineers shocked Pittsburgh and are looking for a trip to the Big East finals. Pitt appeared wretched against the walloping West Virginia. Syracuse fans are probably pleased Pitt was purged because most would rather see WVU tonight. The upset-minded Orangemen are coming off a tiring game and I wonder just how much gas they have left. Jim Boeheim needs his players well rested so I expect they will have a very light practice today before returning to the scene of their greatest game. Meanwhile, Jim Calhoun and the formally potential number one seeded Huskies get a break to rest before selection Sunday. Connecticut and Pittsburgh are still hoping to land those top seeds but both are unlikely to get them now that they’ve been eliminated from their conferences. The knockout blows will hurt their seedings but I think the Panthers still have an outside chance. If the selection committee is kind, Jamie Dixon’s talented team can land a number one. They’ve been one of the nation’s most well-rounded teams all season.
In the other Big East semifinal, the Louisville Cardinals face Villanova. There has to be some Villanova vexation after Jay Wright’s team allowed Marquette to masquerade late yesterday afternoon. Had the Golden Eagles come back to beat Nova, it would have spelled the greatest comeback in league history. But, the Wildcats escaped with late heroics and look to upset the top team tonight at MSG. Rick Pitino’s Cardinals should earn a number one seed this weekend if they reach the Big East final game. Even if they fail to advance, they are Final Four contenders.
Flynn said after the Syracuse victory it was the funnest game he ever played in. I must say Flynn is one of the funner players on the court to watch. He can take over a game and he was unquestionably the shining, spinning, stylish star for Syracuse. You had to believe in Syracuse after seeing them battle early Friday the 13th morning. But you also have to give credit to the Huskies for giving their all and staying affluent throughout the contest. The box score doesn’t do justice to just how rocking, rolling and rumbling an affair went down in NYC. Syracuse acted as if it were their prerogative to stay afloat, and they certainly managed to establish damage control.

Parting points: Prediction for the Big East final- Louisville vs. Syracuse