Opening up on a 10-2 run Oklahoma never looked back in putting a beat down on Syracuse. The Orange came close a few times in the first half within 5, 3 and even 2 points but never quite got out of the box to pull ahead. My hopes and dreams for the Elite 8 came to a crashing halt with 16:43 left in the second half when Paul Harris clanked the rim on an open three-pointer with the ‘Cuse already down 50-29.
At this point, my girlfriend not wanting to watch the game and continuously cheering for Oklahoma in my left ear decided that we would watch fashion shows for the rest of the night. What not to wear on TLC to be exact, where family members bring specialists in to make-over one of their sisters or mothers because they love them so much that they decided to put them on national television to let everyone know how ugly they are.
The Orange Get a Pyrrhic Victory
After about five minutes of watching that I rolled over sick to my stomach hoping that she was just kidding and would click back to the game. Fear not, she loves me enough that I got to check the debacle every commerical break. I just happened to catch the best play of the game while I was at it. Blake Griffin (30 points, 14 boards; completing his double-double average throughout the tournament) dunked the ball from 78 feet high and smacked his face off the backboard; the Pyrrhic Victory for the smoke show Oklahoma had put on against Syracuse and Boeheim’s 2-3 zone that was supposed to collapse the pocket on Griffin forcing bad three-point shot looks for the Sooners. Obviously that didn’t happen.
Blake Griffin Busts Head on Backboard
Even with Jonny Flynn cutting apart the Sooner defense and scoring early in the paint, it was all for not. The way the game was going came down to a blocking foul called on Flynn when Blake Griffin took a fifteen foot running head start and ran right through Flynn putting him on his backside and making the free throw for the three point play. The feeling of hopelessness overwhelmed me.
The Elite Eight
Although Syracuse is out, the tournament goes on to the Elite 8. The way the bracket looks right now, my Final Four prediction is UNC over Nova and UConn over Louisville. The winner of it all…i’ll let you know after the weekend. Good luck to all those teams remaining, Oklahoma and Blake Griffin, I hope you go down in flames! Boeheim and the Orange will be back next season with that infamous 2-3 Zone and work on the details to make another run.
Love that video of Blake Griffin banging his head off the backboard! Never did like the cut of his gib…
Go Heels!
Even more exciting to see UNC shut the Sooners down today, the road to the Final Four continues.
Haha I thought it was pretty funny watching him hit his head on the backboard.
I’m pulling for Villanova to win it even though I have UCONN winning on my bracket.
Good luck on your bracket Justin, I don’t see Nova making it past the ‘heels but we’ll see next Saturday.
Got to agree with Josh here, UNC all the way!
Well…after going from last to first in my bracket during the sweet sixteen, I had a lot of hope for winning some cash…until Nova decided to be pricks and win on a last second shot…eff Nova…
Then again, I can’t help but root for my sister Augustinian college…what a country!
Good luck with your bracket Eddie, sorry about the ‘Nova incident, but I don’t think they’ll be any more trouble after Friday
78 was a perfect number in a phonetic sense. Well played
Although I can’t stand him for beating the ‘Cuse, he did get off the ground in an amazing way, and got what he deserved.
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