A Clockwork Orange
2022 Cali Winner (Overall Record)
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- Aug 14, 2011
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The only thing I keep comparing this to is USA-USSR in 1980. Not the magnitude of the game, but the absolute unlikeliness of what happened.
The USA was given no chance against the Russians. Down 15 with with 9:32 left, 539 probabilities gave us a 1% chance to win. 1 %. There's also the stat that Bennett's teams were 68-0 when leading by 10+ at halftime. Winning the way we did is akin to the US beating the Soviets. Completely and totally improbable. So I figured I'd post an anatomy of the comeback.
9:31 - Perrantes drills a long triple to but UVA up 54-39. House Party nails his 6th trey of the game, a UVA tournament record. Kid wouldn't score again.
9:18 - SU moving quickly now. Cooney gets around the UVA defender, and makes a pretty little pass in the lane to Roberson for the jam. How often does Cooney pass that ball? The first strange thing in a series of strange occurrences. 54-41 UVA.
9:16 - SU tries to throw on the press, but UVA got the ball in way too quickly and got it beyond halfcourt in about four seconds.
8:52 - Brogdon drives the zone, and takes an off balance lay up. Lydon cleans up the board, and then throws a sweet one handed side armed outlet pass to Cooney. That pass allows SU to get past the UVA defense, and Coon Dawg drives the lane for a lay up. SU definitely decided to speed up the pace, and not only throw on the press, but also to try and beat UVA's defense down the court. That's two straight possessions where SU scored easy points.
8:42 - SU throws on the press. UVA breaks it easily. Thompson scoops and scores around Lydon. At this point I tell the wife that SU's press is meant to speed up the other team as much as force turnovers. It's about getting them into a game they aren't accustomed with. UVA up 56-43 with 8:30 left.
8:23 - Malachi curls around receives the pass from Michael, and is fouled in the lane. 1-1 . Makes 2. Three straight possessions with points. 56-45 UVA.
8:23 - SU throws on press. Nice trap on the sideline, but an even nicer pass to Thompson who is ahead of the defense. Gbinije recovers quickly, but Thompson makes a nice pass to Hall, who gets it down to Gill for an easy dun... Nope, dude WALKED! SU ball.
7:58 - Michael feints a drive down the lane. It squeezes the two UVA defenders up top just enough (the Pack Line defense) that he's able to make a quick pass to a cutting Malachi, who gets past the first line of that pack line, takes it straight at a hesitant Gill and scores on a double pump lay in. 56-47 UVA. SU has scored on four straight possessions.
7:48 - Nice halfcourt pass by Perrantes to Thompson who has a 1 on 1 against Lydon at the hoop. He hesitates briefly, contemplating passing the ball to Gill underneath. In that moment of indecision, Michael strips the ball. One steal due to the press. Again though, it's about speeding them up. Malachi quickly takes it up court, misses the drive to the hoop, but Roberson is there and fouled trying to clean the boards.
7:37 - Roberson makes both! free throws, SU down 56-49. Has scored on five straight possessions. In 1:40 of game action, SU has cut the lead from 15 to 7. Harlan mentions that Roberson's two free throws makes it 14 consecutive free throws. Another oddity in an improbable run. Down seven while shooting 34% to UVA.
7:33 - UVA breaks the press with ease, Hall scores to put them up nine, 58-49.
7:13 - Richardson nails that nasty step back three over Hall. Hall is completely overmatched against Malachi. 58-52. There's a din in the crowd. Perrantes tries to go over the top again to Brogdon, but SU is lying in wait. Malachi makes a run for the ball, tosses it off Brogdon out of bounds, 'CUSE BALL! Steal #2 due to the press.
6:50 - SU runs the motion offense, and for some reason UVA decides to let Tyler Lydon stay open beyond the three point line with 6 foot seven Wilkins guarding him. Not the right move. Lydon buries the triple and it's 58-55. UVA is rattled, and the crowd is into it.
6:48 - UVA timeout, it sounds like the Carrier Dome. SU pumped on the sideline, there's no quit in this team. The UVA bench looks like someone just killed their dog. And seriously, think about it -- this UVA team had never faced a team who did THIS to them down the stretch. They'd never experienced this type of adversity because of their typical style of play. They didn't know what to do with a desperate team willing to give every ounce of themselves every play down. This is the point in the game where UVA grinds teams. SU didn't let it happen.
6:42 - Brogdon breaks the press, but again, even after the timeout, they don't pull it back out. He takes it to the hoop, Gumby Lydon puts on some pressure and he talks an awkward off balance left handed lay up. Missed, Michael with the board. Right back down the court.
6:36 - Gbinije coast to coast with the lay in, UVA didn't even try to stop him. 58-57 UVA. Eight straight possessions that SU scored. Against that defense. But it really wasn't against he pack line, because SU changed the texture of the game. They made UVA play like SU wanted them to play. And for some bizarre reason, UVA obliged. I mean, the UVA players are standing on the court looking at each other, like "what's happening?" No chance SU loses this game at this point, because UVA's will was broken. They had no idea what to do.
6:36 - SU throws on the press, UVA breaks it, and FINALLY Gill resets the team, and UVA starts taking their time. At this point though it doesn't matter. Their normally unflappable offense is jittery, and SU is playing with more passion. The typical crisp passing, and ball movement is gone. UVA just passes it to the sides. No player is moving, trying to find the weak spots of the zone. They look like a normal team. No clue against the zone.
6:00 - Perrantes puts up an off balance floater, rims out, Lydon with the board.
5:50 - Richardson curls around off a Gbinje pass, takes it to the hoop, weaving between hapless UVA defenders. Scores with the left hand. Gill looks like he's going to cry. Puts his hands up near his waist as if to say "what's going on?" All five UVA players have their heads down, shoulders slumped. They're D-O-N-E. Ninth straight possession SU scored on.
In 3:29 of game action, SU erased a 15 point deficit and took a one point lead. They scored on nine straight possessions, forced Virginia into three turnovers (two steals and a traveling violation). During this stretch Virginia went 2-5 from the floor. SU went 7-8. 2-2 from three, 4-4 from the foul line.
The press didn't defeat UVA, the speed of the game did. They decided to get into an athletic contest with SU, and lost. SU has better athletes, and they showed it in that stretch. Folks, SU took the lead in 3 1/2 minutes, after being down 15. They made 5 lay ups as part of that run. They forced UVA to play a style they didn't want to, and it cost UVA the game.
The 'Cuse scored 47 in the second half, no team scored that much against UVA in any half this year. This game is the outlier for UVA, which is why it must make Hoo fans sick. This just DOESN'T happen to that team. They usually have more moxie than their opponents. In this game, SU had more, and coupled with their athleticism, there wasn't anything UVA could do.
The USA was given no chance against the Russians. Down 15 with with 9:32 left, 539 probabilities gave us a 1% chance to win. 1 %. There's also the stat that Bennett's teams were 68-0 when leading by 10+ at halftime. Winning the way we did is akin to the US beating the Soviets. Completely and totally improbable. So I figured I'd post an anatomy of the comeback.
9:31 - Perrantes drills a long triple to but UVA up 54-39. House Party nails his 6th trey of the game, a UVA tournament record. Kid wouldn't score again.
9:18 - SU moving quickly now. Cooney gets around the UVA defender, and makes a pretty little pass in the lane to Roberson for the jam. How often does Cooney pass that ball? The first strange thing in a series of strange occurrences. 54-41 UVA.
9:16 - SU tries to throw on the press, but UVA got the ball in way too quickly and got it beyond halfcourt in about four seconds.
8:52 - Brogdon drives the zone, and takes an off balance lay up. Lydon cleans up the board, and then throws a sweet one handed side armed outlet pass to Cooney. That pass allows SU to get past the UVA defense, and Coon Dawg drives the lane for a lay up. SU definitely decided to speed up the pace, and not only throw on the press, but also to try and beat UVA's defense down the court. That's two straight possessions where SU scored easy points.
8:42 - SU throws on the press. UVA breaks it easily. Thompson scoops and scores around Lydon. At this point I tell the wife that SU's press is meant to speed up the other team as much as force turnovers. It's about getting them into a game they aren't accustomed with. UVA up 56-43 with 8:30 left.
8:23 - Malachi curls around receives the pass from Michael, and is fouled in the lane. 1-1 . Makes 2. Three straight possessions with points. 56-45 UVA.
8:23 - SU throws on press. Nice trap on the sideline, but an even nicer pass to Thompson who is ahead of the defense. Gbinije recovers quickly, but Thompson makes a nice pass to Hall, who gets it down to Gill for an easy dun... Nope, dude WALKED! SU ball.
7:58 - Michael feints a drive down the lane. It squeezes the two UVA defenders up top just enough (the Pack Line defense) that he's able to make a quick pass to a cutting Malachi, who gets past the first line of that pack line, takes it straight at a hesitant Gill and scores on a double pump lay in. 56-47 UVA. SU has scored on four straight possessions.
7:48 - Nice halfcourt pass by Perrantes to Thompson who has a 1 on 1 against Lydon at the hoop. He hesitates briefly, contemplating passing the ball to Gill underneath. In that moment of indecision, Michael strips the ball. One steal due to the press. Again though, it's about speeding them up. Malachi quickly takes it up court, misses the drive to the hoop, but Roberson is there and fouled trying to clean the boards.
7:37 - Roberson makes both! free throws, SU down 56-49. Has scored on five straight possessions. In 1:40 of game action, SU has cut the lead from 15 to 7. Harlan mentions that Roberson's two free throws makes it 14 consecutive free throws. Another oddity in an improbable run. Down seven while shooting 34% to UVA.
7:33 - UVA breaks the press with ease, Hall scores to put them up nine, 58-49.
7:13 - Richardson nails that nasty step back three over Hall. Hall is completely overmatched against Malachi. 58-52. There's a din in the crowd. Perrantes tries to go over the top again to Brogdon, but SU is lying in wait. Malachi makes a run for the ball, tosses it off Brogdon out of bounds, 'CUSE BALL! Steal #2 due to the press.
6:50 - SU runs the motion offense, and for some reason UVA decides to let Tyler Lydon stay open beyond the three point line with 6 foot seven Wilkins guarding him. Not the right move. Lydon buries the triple and it's 58-55. UVA is rattled, and the crowd is into it.
6:48 - UVA timeout, it sounds like the Carrier Dome. SU pumped on the sideline, there's no quit in this team. The UVA bench looks like someone just killed their dog. And seriously, think about it -- this UVA team had never faced a team who did THIS to them down the stretch. They'd never experienced this type of adversity because of their typical style of play. They didn't know what to do with a desperate team willing to give every ounce of themselves every play down. This is the point in the game where UVA grinds teams. SU didn't let it happen.
6:42 - Brogdon breaks the press, but again, even after the timeout, they don't pull it back out. He takes it to the hoop, Gumby Lydon puts on some pressure and he talks an awkward off balance left handed lay up. Missed, Michael with the board. Right back down the court.
6:36 - Gbinije coast to coast with the lay in, UVA didn't even try to stop him. 58-57 UVA. Eight straight possessions that SU scored. Against that defense. But it really wasn't against he pack line, because SU changed the texture of the game. They made UVA play like SU wanted them to play. And for some bizarre reason, UVA obliged. I mean, the UVA players are standing on the court looking at each other, like "what's happening?" No chance SU loses this game at this point, because UVA's will was broken. They had no idea what to do.
6:36 - SU throws on the press, UVA breaks it, and FINALLY Gill resets the team, and UVA starts taking their time. At this point though it doesn't matter. Their normally unflappable offense is jittery, and SU is playing with more passion. The typical crisp passing, and ball movement is gone. UVA just passes it to the sides. No player is moving, trying to find the weak spots of the zone. They look like a normal team. No clue against the zone.
6:00 - Perrantes puts up an off balance floater, rims out, Lydon with the board.
5:50 - Richardson curls around off a Gbinje pass, takes it to the hoop, weaving between hapless UVA defenders. Scores with the left hand. Gill looks like he's going to cry. Puts his hands up near his waist as if to say "what's going on?" All five UVA players have their heads down, shoulders slumped. They're D-O-N-E. Ninth straight possession SU scored on.
In 3:29 of game action, SU erased a 15 point deficit and took a one point lead. They scored on nine straight possessions, forced Virginia into three turnovers (two steals and a traveling violation). During this stretch Virginia went 2-5 from the floor. SU went 7-8. 2-2 from three, 4-4 from the foul line.
The press didn't defeat UVA, the speed of the game did. They decided to get into an athletic contest with SU, and lost. SU has better athletes, and they showed it in that stretch. Folks, SU took the lead in 3 1/2 minutes, after being down 15. They made 5 lay ups as part of that run. They forced UVA to play a style they didn't want to, and it cost UVA the game.
The 'Cuse scored 47 in the second half, no team scored that much against UVA in any half this year. This game is the outlier for UVA, which is why it must make Hoo fans sick. This just DOESN'T happen to that team. They usually have more moxie than their opponents. In this game, SU had more, and coupled with their athleticism, there wasn't anything UVA could do.
