UNLV starts the game off with 10-0 run. Their defense is trapping, pressing, and creating turnovers. They are shooting 3's with great skill and working us inside.
I call a timeout to try to calm my team down.
It's 4 minutes into the game before we score as Everett finds Santos alone on the wing for a 16 footer. 12-2.
After that burst, we play them even for the next 8 minutes or so, but it is taking everything we have to do that.
Our guards and Andres come out exhausted with 8:26 to go. We are down 23-14.
Well, it's not the blowout that I feared so far. We are down 35-27 at the half.
Ernie Waller is the player of the half. The athletic SF has 9 points, 6 boards, and 2 steals at the half.
Hodari leads our team with 7 points and 3 boards. Andres has 4, Santos 6, and Everett 5.
Wow. We have a great run to start the half, including blocks by Santos and Andres. With 16:20 to go, we tie it at 37!
They miss a 3 and we get another fast break going.. Hodari is fouled! He hits both FT's to give us the lead!
Hodari with a block of their next shot and a fast break dunk by Hodari! They take a timeout to try to end our run.
After a missed 3, we get the ball. Hodari uses a baseline screen from Santos to hit an open 14 footer!
After they score a basket, Andres draws a 3rd foul on Sykes on our next possession.
A few seconds later, Andres draws a 3rd foul on Fox!
They start pulling close a few minutes later, when Everett beats their full court press setting up Santos with a run at the basket with 1 defender under it.. he dunks over the defender and gets the foul! He makes the FT. 47-43 with 12 minutes to go, we lead!
We are feeding off the crowd, and no one is tired.
They foul Pait on our next possession, and we are in the bonus. He misses the FT.
The crowd was starting to die down, but our next possession, Andres spins off his man and has a powerful dunk!
They are missing their 3's now. Hodari is doing a great job of defending their SG's. They miss yet another.. We fastbreak off the rebound.. Andres is fouled.
With just over 9 minutes to go, they tie it at 50.
After a miss by Andres, Fox hits a 3 to give them the lead and their crowd is going wild.
We call a timeout and our starters still look good stamina wise.
Andres fakes a 3, dribbles past his man who rushed out to guard it and slams it home. He now has 11.
With 6:33 to go, Andres hits the 2nd of 2 3's in a row. This one gives us a 60-58 lead!
Billings with a 16 footer to tie it up.
After a miss by Andres, Farrell has a fast break slam. We come right back down and Pait is fouled. That is a 4th on Sykes. Pait makes the 2nd. 62-61.
With 5 minutes left, Andres is tired. He'll get a very brief breather.
They miss a 3. We call a timeout to give Andres the breather. Everyone else is going to go the distance I think, unless we need 3 pointers in which case Snow will come/stay on for someone else.
Snow misses a 3. He fouls their shooter at the other end who hits 1 of 2. 63-61, they lead.
Our next possession Snow hits 1 of 2 FT's. After they miss an interior shot, we get it back. Everett passes it to Santos down low.. they double him.. he kicks it out, it is swung around to Everett in the corner.. he drills the 3! 65-63 lead!
Billings with a very quick jumper to tie it at 65.
They trap Everett and force him to pass to Snow who is trapped and turns it over. However, we recover defensively and force them to go their halfcourt set. They miss a 3.
We call a timeout and get Andres back into the game with 2:45 to go.
Hodari misses a 3, but Pait gets an offensive board! He kicks it out to Everett who is fouled while shooting a 3!
Everett makes 2 of 3. They get a good drive to the hoop on their next possession, but he tries a reverse layup and blows it! Pait was in the area.
Santos passes to Andres for a decent look at a 3 but he misses it.
Pait with a block of a drive by Sanders, their PG. They get the ball back. 1:23 to go...
Sykes with a layup. Tied at 67.
A little over 1 minute left.
We work it down to 8 seconds.. Everett passes to Andres.. he shoots over their SF and drills the 3!!! 70-67.
Everett steals it from their PG!!! They intentionally foul him! He hits both FT's.
They miss a 3, but get the board. Sanders hits a 3. 72-70. 8 seconds left. Everett is fouled with 6 seconds left. The freshman hits both FT's!!!
They miss the last second 3 and we win it!!!! 74-70
Andres is the player of the game. 20 points, 6 boards, 2 steals, and 3 blocks He also had 4 turnovers. He shot 8 of 16, 2 of 6, and 2 of 4.
Everett had 14 points, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 3 turnovers. He shot 2 of 5, 1 of 3, and 9 of 10.
Hodari had 14 ponts, 6 boards, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block. He shot 5 of 12, 1 of 6, and 3 of 6.
Santos had 17 points, 7 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks. He shot 7 of 13, 1 of 2, and 2 of 2. He played 37 minutes.
Pait had 3 points, 9 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks.
Snow had 6 points on 2 of 4 shooting, 1 of 2, and 1 of 2.
I can't believe we made it to the Sweet 16 after drawing the #1 seed in the 2nd round
Our 3rd opponent is funny. Remember the NIT from last year. We face the team that knocked us out of it: Pittsburgh. They are the 4 seed in this bracket and they are 25-9 this year. They are an even better team than we faced last year. Rated 90 in overall talent, but no one scares me after we just won that last game. If our starting 5 are on, they can play with anyone.
Pitt doesn't have the depth of the team we just face, but they do have a very strong starting 5:
PF Rwehabura Jordan is 6'10 225 pounds and he is rated 87 overall. He is a great rebounder, very good shot blocker, and a great inside scorer.
PF/C Antwawn Mulligan is a senior who can hit the 3, score inside, rebound, and block shots. Rated 87 overall.
SR SG Grant Lee is a senior who can do everything well and is a great defender. Rated 87 overall.
PF Magnus Jackett is 6'10 250 and he is rated 72 overall. Great 3 point shooter for a big man, shot blocker, fast player for a big man, and good defender. Played SF last year against us and was a tough player for Andres to stop.
A new face: Freshman center Adrian Rhodes is 7'0 255 pounds. Rated 77 overall. He is a classic center, a bit slow, but a solid defender, post player, and rebounder. Very good shot blocker. Decent interior scorer.
Another new face: PG Freshman Lebo Shepard is 6'3 185 pounds. He is very fast, great dribbler, great defender, and a good shooter.
Our goals will be to get their stars into foul trouble.
Their bench is ordinary beyond these guys.