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We've been dreading it for weeks -- Was usc going to get a chance to knock UCLA off the top of the National Rankings by delivering their first loss of the year?
Thanks to the Oregon Ducks, and to one mismanaged Bruin final possession, Figueroa Tech's talented team will NOT get that opportunity. The Ducks played an amazing game, with the help of their raucous crowd and the typical missed calls by the Pac-10 refs. Oregon, led by Point Guard Aaron Brooks, shot lights out in the first half, and took a 40-30 lead into Intermission.
But the Bruins Defense tightened, and Arron Afflalo and Darren Collison, who both had goose eggs of their own before the break, broke out Offensively. The Bruins trailed until the very end, when a Collison three tied it up. But Brooks came down and made a jumper to put the Bruins down by 2 with just seconds left. On the ensuing possession though, the Bruins did not properly execute a play, and Josh Shipp was forced to force up a prayer as time expired. The prayer wasn't answered, but at the same time, neither were the prayers of trOJan fans who wanted to get the bitter taste out of their big mouths after the December 2nd Beatdown.
Of course, a loss to suc next weekend would still be pretty painful. Not only would it extend a losing streak, but it would set a bad precedent for the future, as it is the Bruins' first game at the new Gaylen Center.
The frightening part is that a Bruin loss to the totally unranked trOJans is a very real possibility. All you need to know is that on Thursday, suc BEAT Oregon in Oregon. Apparently, troy caught the Ducks looking ahead to their upcoming battle with the #1 team in the Country, but, they must have some ability, or they wouldn't have been able to still pull it off. Nick Young, and Gabe Pruitt, as everyone knows, are dangerous from all over the court; Lodrick Stewart can still get hot from behind the arc, and impressive Freshman Taj Gibson gives them the Double-Double man that they've been missing.
So, the Bruins are going to have their hands full. The crowd, the refs, and the aftermath of having their streak broken, which reminds the Bruins that they are mortal, will all be huge obstacles to overcome.
So, we've decided to be overly pessimistic... because IT WORKED IN FOOTBALL. We didn't think the Boys in Blue had a chance in Hell, but oh boy did they prove us wrong. So now the Basketball Bruins have a chance to do the same thing. Hey Bruins: Your Offense is too stagnant lately to keep up with the high-flying trojans, so it looks like it may be another painful upset in the making. NOW, PROVE US WRONG. PLEASE!!
But, for your fragile psyches, you have to remember: A loss to troy, now that the unblemished record is toast, would not be NEARLY as tragic as the 13-9 shocker was for thousands and thousands of suddenly near-suicidal trOJans, all of whom had to endure OUR overly-exuberant and boisterous celebrations as we walked by them in the parking area after the game. That's because, UNLIKE the trOJans, the Bruins still have a great shot at winning the National Championship, while troy's loss to the Bruins completely obliterated any hope they had at all for a Title, beyond the Point of NO Return.
[URGENT ALERT: We are told that Chelsey won the Cheerleading National Championship (with your online votes), and that former Bruin Cheerleader Whitney, now a Boston Celtics Girl, is in a contest to make the NBA Cheerleading All-Star team. So, Google it and go vote for Whitney, and check back here tomorrow for a photo tribute to these two gorgeous Bruins who represent the school so well]
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Click here for the T-H Fan Poll -- Which Bruin's team are you rooting for to win the Super Bowl?
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