Confessions of a hoops junkie
8:30pm
My first visit to SCU s arena since it was turned from mild mannered Toso Pavilion into the super gym Leavey Center. The host SCU broncos race out to a 22-2 lead and never look back in an 82-48 blowout of #8 seed San Diego, last year's tournament champion. It s also the same night of SCU's winter formal, so some SCU students show up dressed to the nines.
10:15 pm
Cal, the worst 3pt shooting team in the Pac-10, goes for a tournament record 11-19 from long range and destroys Oregon (14-15) 82-57. Cal had lost to the ducks by 15 only six days prior. Oregon s ugly band vests do nothing to distract the Golden Bears. (is there any fashion at that school?)
Cal coach Caren Horstmeyer, the pac-10 coach of the year, is speechless. The blowout sets up a rematch of last year s quarterfinal against #11 Stanford.
11:30
Brunch at HP-eggs, bacon, deli sandwiches and cake. yummy.
For the third straight year, USC (15-13) ends its season at the hands of Washington: score 67-50. Giuliana Mendiola plays 39:58.5 and gets 27 points with a career high 12 boards. The 17-11 Huskies have won 7 of 9 against the Trojans in the last three years. USC had a song leader hurt her ankle at the first media timeout of the second half, but her pain was nothing compared to the basketball team. After the game, Coach Chris Gobrecht and Senior forward Ebony Hoffman both have red eyes, apparently crying in the locker room. Gobrecht, her voice choked with emotion said "In seven years I've never seen a a USC locker room in that big a mess"Lisa Love brings tissues for Ebony. Up to coach to accept an NIT bid, but I doubt USC will take it
1:44 pm
I race over to Leavey catch an exciting game. The #1 seed LMU women survive a determined Portland team
5pm
Battle of the Bay 3 Cal vs. Stanford. Cal runs as well as Stanford in the first half and trail by only 3 at the half (32-29). Any hope of the Bears hitting gold ends with a 20-4 Stanford run in the first 5 minutes of the half
We have a Katie Denny sighting!! The RLS grad, who only got 1 point in seven minutes of tournament play last year, gets 2 points and 2 rebounds in the last four minutes of the blowout.
7:30pm
Arrive for the second rivalry game of the quarter finals (Pepp beats LMU by 12). SCU edges USF in a never ending battle of Bay Area Catholic school has the hotter girls. SCU has all girl cheer squad, perfect for building I guess. Oh and the game was nice too.
Finally got to talk to Cheryl Levick of SCU. Saw her bobbing her head to the hip hop music. Despite battling pneumonia, she gave a great interview. I must confess, my questions were not as crisp. I need practice.Talked about fundraising, the rarity of women s ADs. Found out her daughter attends USC, and her eldest went to UCLA.
Afterwards, made it to the hospitality room in the Fremont. Talked and joked with other reporters and SI people from Cal and Oregon State (everything from adventures in babysitting coaches' kids to William Hung). Very fun evening with free cookies and soda (beats the $40 I spent on post game meals last year in San Jose). Although, I should have been asking for radio jobs, but hey passing resumes would only make em be used for coasters.
Spent a good 20 minutes with Kristen, from the Arizona Daily Star. Nice, smart lady; we compared the jobs done by our newly elected governors (Arizona s Janet Napolitanoactually bears a resemblance to their women's coach Joan Bonvicini, I was told) and she mentioned this prison standoff in AZ as the only bad news there. In the most awesome of coincidences, she also used to live in the same Illinois town (Naperville) that I did.
High noon (well 11 am actually) WESTERN SHOWDOWNS
Actually make it up early for lunch beef tacos.
Both UW and Arizona had early morning rallies at team hotel. There were homeless people in the park across the street from them being hassled by SJ police; It looked like the booming tubas bothered them more.
3pm
Finally a good close game! Who would have thought 3-4 years ago I could get excited over a Stanford/UCLA women's game UCLA produce the first single digit margin of the 8 games so far. The Bruins were up 5 at halftime. UCLA had a great transition game, with a lot of pretty one touch passes and five second drills. However, they can't hold off a determined Stanford charge and fall 64-60. Stanford puts up more three-pointers than two-pointers (a record 29 vs.28) It's Stanford vs. Arizona in the finals for the second straight year.
Also, as it pains me to say it, UCLA's band was the most enthusiastic throughout the tournament, both with instruments and without.
I thanked Commish Tom Hansen for the opportunity to come and said I'd be in touch. Feels good to be covering this. It's like I'm actually in a club I belong-talking sports. I may not have the six or seven figure circulation, but I think I'm about even par with those who do.
6pm
Pretty good game St. Mary s vs Pepperdine. Sit next to George Baljevich, St. Mary's grad, radio reporter and observational economist. In the second most awesome coincidence, the game features two Frenchmen of Cameroonian descent guarding each other: Diawara of Pepperdine and Frederic Adjiwonjou of St. Mary s. (yes I'm Nigerian , but the rivalry gets suspended for hoops) George mentions some fun stories abut recruiting foreign players, including this one Nigerian gentleman who called George his father (The highest sign of respect)
We also praised the um,"dancing"abilities of the St. Mary's cheerleaders. Hottie central.Paul Marigney hits a half court buzzer beater and the gaels rush the court at halftime.
I got a history lesson in the media work room: Up until 1985, Santa Clara University was offically called the University of Santa Clara. This of course led to confusion with the other USC in L.A. The confusion hit its head when an architectural firm working on dorms for both schools sent each school the wrong designs. So, Santa Clara had a dorm that looks out of place in the Spanish Mission style campus, and USC has one that looks out of place on its urban campus (Off hand, I would guess that USC's is Kirschoff:it did have a spanish roof and looked church-like)
During the game I notice Celtics' legend Danny Ainge and Jim Harrick (former UCLA and Pepperdine coach) watching the game and getting ready to scout the Zags. It was kind of surreal to be in the hospitality room with them and hear them talk while eating. Danny's nephew from Oregon is going to Tennessee next year..as a quarterback. Nice genes in that family.
8:30 pm
My last official press duty: meet E.J. Rowland, St. Mary s point guard ,and graduate of both Palma and Hartnell he ended up with 21 points to lead St. mary's. We talk about his transition to the big time as well as his slash and crash style. Nice guy, joked about his crystal ball abilities of predicting outcomes.
Talked to St. Mary's SI guy Rich Dani about the Gaels dropping football and how surprised was Vincent White.
I thought there would be another Monterey County person here, especially with the EJ factor
11pm GREAT GAME between Santa Clara and #4 Gonzaga. Both student sections were filled , the first true capacity crowd of the tourney. SCU's student Ruff Riders are a riot.
Ronnie Turiaf of Gonzaga, is our thirdFrenchman tonight. (SCU students chant U-S-A after every faux pas.) His rebound/put back with 5.1 seconds left completes Gonzaga's comeback from 7 down with 3 minutes left and sends the Bulldogs to take on St. Mary's
Next week...ANAHEIM!
For the complete
tournament diaries, visit www.oocities.org/embo1240