Happy Saturday, Coug fans! As has been too often the case this year, Cougar basketball is once again not televised. How many channels would it require to get us on tv, exactly? 2,000? 3,000? As a public service to those of you that are unable to make it to Pullman (for shame!) or do not have a Cougar All Access subscription (for shame!), I will be back here at 3:00 with a Live Blog as the Cougs try to win the day for Crimson and Gray against Cal. It’s the sixth or seventh edition of a must-win game this season, but seriously, this one is a MUST WIN if we’re going to be watching the Cougs in the NCAA tournament this year. I’ll be here for you, followers. See you then!
2:49 PM – I’m back with a couple quick updates before we get started. First, a football note: In case you missed the news last night, Redshirt Freshman Cornerback Tracy Clark is suspended from the team indefinitely after having a felony charge levied against him for allegedly stealing a laptop from a dorm room. It remains to be seen if this will signal the end of Clark’s football career, but with Paul Wulff’s disciplinary track record, it doesn’t bode well.
The second note pertain’s to tonight’s game. Vince Grippi of the Spokesman-Review has reported via Twitter that Cal’s Allen Crabbe is not suited up for the game. While bad news for Mr. Crabbe, this is certainly good news for the Cougs, as the talented freshmen was a thorn in our sides the last time out. A 30 point thorn.
Read on for the rest of the updates…
2:52 – I have to let you know that I’m playing hurt tonight. I just wrapped up a session on Guitar Hero and my left hand is in some pain from the shredding. It’s a sacrifice, but I’ll press on. In more auspicious news, the game feed us up and running on a brand new 17 inch computer screen. In other auspicious news, my beloved Tottenham Hotspur won this morning so things are going well today. Every bit helps.
2:57 – Heeeeeeere come the Cooooougs! Gray unis tonight. Always a crowd favorite, or at least a Tim favorite. Cougs: check, Golden Bears: check, Swedish Fish: check. I think we’re all set to go. Both teams are on fire during layup drills.
3:03 – Riley Corcoran and Braulio Perez are once again providing the commentary this evening. We get the “A Team” on Saturdays. I hope the Cougars “A Team” takes the court as well. It’d be nice to know which version of this Jekyll and Hyde team will take the floor, but I guess it adds to the excitement.
3:06 – Cal Freshman Jeff Powers will be starting in place of the aforementioned Crabbe, his first career start. Cougar starters are Moore, Thompson, Capers, Lodwick and Casto. It seems the Motum/Lodwick starting spot will be based on match-ups…or hunches….who knows?
3:08 – We’re under way! Cougs come out in man-to-man, which is a vast improvement over Thursday night’s “not playing defense” defense. Three pointers exchanged. First Thompson than Powers. Good to see Klay get off early. An early 2 for Casto as well.
3:10 – 5-3 WSU – Lodwick with a missed three and a turnover on consecutive possessions, follwowed by a moving screen on the next one. I’m biting my tongue. Aden in early for Capers.
3:14 – “You got swatted!” Casto with a block, then snatches a rebound with some aggression. He’s already been on the floor for a loose ball. Lack of hustle will not be a problem for DeAngelo Casto tonight. Still 5-3 at the first media timeout. Both teams pretty sloppy offensively early on.
3:16 – Stop me if you’ve heard this one. Abe Lodwick is in foul trouble after a second moving screen. Patrick Simon comes in for Abe after logging zero minutes on Thursday night. Raise your hand if you’ve figured out Coach Bone’s rotations. If you raised your hand, you’re lying.
3:18 – 7-7 WSU. Now that the Pac 10 has overhauled football officiating can they take a look at basketball? Five team fouls for WSU, yet no over-the-back call for Cal using a Cougar as a ladder to get a rebound.
3:21 – WSU switches to zone. A wide open three (missed) and offensive rebound ensue. Seven turnovers for the Cougs. Seven! Yikes. We have a Dre Winston, Jr. sighting.
3:23 – Add the second media timeout, Cal leads it 9-8. Sorry for he disrespect, Dr. Naismith. This game isn’t doing much to make your sport look good at the moment.
3:27 – Cal leads 12-10. Klay just gave his patented pull up three a whirl and hit a spot on the backboard previously unblemished by basketballs. That wasn’t pretty, but hey, it’s still the Cougs’ ball.
3:30 – Whether it’s wide open or contested, Faisal Aden just can’t get anything to go right now. He’s missed three straight 3-point attempts from virtually he same spot. Motum was there for the offensive rebound and putback on the last one. 12-12 with 8:40 left to play.
3:31 – Make that four straight misses for Aden. It’s reasonable to assume his confidence is shaken, especially considering a just passed a wide open lay up to drop the ball off for Casto. Unfortunately, this gave the defense time to close and we came away with nothing from a two on zero break. You don’t see that very often. 14-12, Cal.
3:35 – Cougs now 1-10 from three as a team. Just as I was about to complain to maybe give something else a whirl, Aden attacks the hoop and scores with a beautiful up and under. So much for shaken confidence. Cal answers with a three. Harumph.
3:37 – An Aden three cuts the Cal lead to 21-18. Give the kid credit. He’s not afraid to shoot his way out of a slump. Cal answers with a ucket by Harper Kamp. The lead is back to five. Stop doing that, Cal! We’ll never come back if you score every time we do. Jerks.
3:41 – A Cal hoop, a Klay 3 (woohoo!) and two free throws from Motum tie the game at 23 with (I’d love to tell you how much time is left, but the graphic has disappeared from the feed.)
3:43 – Two minutes left. Sorry about that.
3:45 – Still tied. Thompson and Lodwick miss wide open threes. Lodwick’s reputation as a shooter is still confusing. Time out, Cougs.
3:47 – A beautiful block by Klay Thompson on a Cal break leads to a Cougar run-out that ends with Faisal Aden doing something that I don’t know how to describe. He was definitely either shooting or passing, unless he was doing something else. It was bad. Still 23-23.
3:48 – Moore with a very sneaky (I really have no clue how he didn’t travel) basket to give WSU a two point half time lead, 25-23. A lead is a lead, my friends. Let’s hope for a more attractive brand of basketball in the second half, at least on the part of the home team.
3:57 – Ladies and Gentlemen, your halftime entertainment….the Lewis and Clark High School drill team! Proud moment for my cousin Sean, an LC alum. They looked to do a stellar job, but I’m still of the belief that embarrassing college kids is the way to go when it comes to half time shows. I once went 1 for 12 from the free throw line to win a contest at a women’s game.
4:03 – The teams are back out for the second half. I couldn’t see the rims during half time so I cannot confirm if they were checked for damage. They were clanged against pretty violently in the first half. We’re sure these hoops are regulation, right?
4:05 – Second half underway! The Cougs start by going down low immediately to Casto who his fouled while shooting. That is a wacky idea. Casto hits 1 of 2.
4:07 – My man on the scene reports that Kyle Weaver has entered the building. A look at the scoreboard might have led him to believe he was playing.
4:09 – The last two Cougar possessions have resulted in missed three’s by Lodwick and Moore, respectively. Both were taken early in the shot clock. Sigh.
4:11 – Motum joins the missed three party. In his defense, he was wide open. What’s the definition of stupidity? Something about repeating mistakes and expecting different results? Something like that. A two by Motum and a three point play by Cal’s Powers have us tied at 28.
4:14 – 33-28, WSU. WSU has attacked the inside on four straight possessions and it’s led to baskets on three of them. A couple by Motum and a kick-out from Thompson to Moore for three. Obviously, it would be oversimplifying to say that trying to get inside would have worked all along, but when one thing clearly isn’t working, it’s a nice idea to try something else.
4:17 – WSU posts its largest lead at the game. Two free throws by Motum after attacking the hoop in transition. Motum is the first Cougar in double figures. Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!
4:19 – Terrific steal and coast-to-coast hoop by Aden extends the lead to 9 with 14 minutes left! Cal answers with a three. Aden responds with a pull up jumper and he’s fouled! He makes the free throw. Cougs back up 9. Faisal Aden! I always liked that guy.
4:22 – Mike Montgomery gets T’d up for too much complaining. Aden hits both free throws. Klay just misses a three that would have really made this a big run. A steal by Aden who misses a dunk! That was unfortunate. Back to back hoops by Cal cut the lead to 7. Real missed opportunities turned into sloppy play there. That was a lot of action. Phew.
4:24 – WSU leads 47-38 after Jorge Gutierrez and Klay Thompson exchange threes, the latter coming off a beautiful two man game between Thompson and Moore. This is more like it. Either the Swedish Fish are kicking in or this game has gotten legitimately exciting.
4:27 – Another timeout with WSU leading by 7. The Cougar attack is looking much more diversified, led by Reggie Moore looking to get into the lane a bit. He got too deep and forced a turnover on one play, but came back the next time down and pulled up for a beautiful mid-range J. Nice adjustment, Reggie.
4:31 – With 8:30 left, the lead is down to three after Gutierrez hits a three from behind a screen. Klay gets to the line and knocks down both to push the lead back to 5.
4:34 – A new career high for Brock Motum! (15 points). Gutierrez answers with an open two off a screen. According to Braulio Perez, he’s heating up like a tea kettle. That can’t be good. Really not good is that DeAngelo Casto just limped off the court in a great deal of pain following an offensive foul. Charlie Enquist immediately springs into action.
4:37 – To the young lady with the blood curdling scream when Cal is shooting free throws, you’re freaking me out.
4:38 – Jeff Powers for three. Game tied at 55-55. Bad times.
4:39 – Moore hits two free throws and Casto is back in! Willis Reed, anyone? Good times!
4:40 – Gutierrez with a pull up three to give Cal the lead after Motum was blocked on what looked to be an easy lay-up. He’s officially feeling it. A WSU turnover leads to a Powers layup. Cal by 3. Really bad times.
4:42 – OHHHHHHHHH!!! DeAngelo Casto with a steal and dunk to give WSU the lead, 61-60. I’ll stop the good times/bad times thing, but that was awesome.
4:43 – Aden for three!!! Cougs lead by 4 with 3:00 left. A quick 7-0 run. That was a very mature response from this team. Zero signs of panic there.
4:46 – A three point play by Harper Kamp cuts the lead to one. Welcome to crunch time. Casto answers with an “And One” of his own! Markhuri Sanders-Frison has fouled out. Casto knocks down the FT.
4:49 – After a near-miss by Cal, Cougs go big to big, Casto to Motum who finshes with the foul! Three more points to up the career high to 19. WSU by 7 with 2:14 left. That was huge. All together now…..Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!
4:50 -Oy! Oy! Oy!
4:51 – Rory Corcoran tricked me. Motum has 17 points.
4:52 – The ever popular lane violation call! Mike Montgomery is bumming. Aden capitalizes and hits the extra free throw. Lead is still 7.
4:54 – After two Gutierrez free throws, Aden misses a layup attempt. Cal ball down 5. A touch foul on Lodwick ends his night and gives Cal thwo free throws. Kamp hits both. Casto and Lodwick have both fouled out. WSU 72 – Cal 69. 52 seconds left. Timeout Cal. I’m sweating.
4:59 – Moore hits 1 of 2 FT’s after a questionable decision to foul by Cal. Even more questionable is the foul just called on Faisal Aden on an apparent steal. Gutierrez hits the first. 73-70, 15.4 left. Timeout. I’m scared.
5:00 – Gutierrez hits the second. 2 point game. Reggie Moore is fouled.
5:01 – Moore hits one of two. Aaaaaargh. 74-71, WSU with 10 seconds left. My son just woke up from a nap. Good timing, son.
5:03 – Jorge Gutierrez rattled out an open 3! Boy did that look good. He got about as great a look as you can ask for. Fasial Aden is fouled and hits a free throw with 1.5 seconds left. Misses the second. It looks like the Cougs will escape with a win.
5:10 – Your final score is Washington State 75, Cal 71. The difference in quality of play from half one to half two was ultimately pretty staggering. After Thursday’s debacle, this was a pretty terrific bounce-back win. They’ll now have to hit the road for a trip down to Arizona. It’s the Wildcats on Thursday and the Sun Devils on Sunday. The tournament resume is as conusing as ever, but a win Thursday would go a LONG way toward impressing the selection committee. It’s a tall task, but it is doable. Until then….
Go Cougs
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