Mastering The Sooners

A thing of beauty, the 78-48 thrashing of Oklahoma team by a Louisville team clicking on all cylinders. Second round, NCAA. Sweet 16 and Tennessee, here we come!

Playing loose on offense, tight as glue on defense, stroking those three-pointers,controlling the boards on both ends, reminiscent of the 1980’s but this is the here and now, what U of L fans have been missing for two decades. See kids, that’s what Cardinal basketball was like back then. That’s why Rick Pitino was the guy the Cardinal faithful wanted and why Tom Jurich has never wavered in his faith in the man.

Oklahoma probably still trying to figure out what hit them, out shot 59.9% to 39.1%, out rebounded 33 to 28, out assisted 24 to 9, etc., etc., etc. The Sooners would sooner have been home. Made for never having beaten the Sooners before today. This is the game they will remember for a long time.

Earl Clark playing like a man possessed these last two games, reminiscent of the sixth-man role that Roger Burkman played on the 1980 team except that Burkman did most of his damage on defense. Clark tears up opponents on the inside, just won’t be denied, collecting 14 points in only 21 minutes.

This observer swears Rick Pitino looked 15 years younger today. No need for any foot stomping or expletives on his part, no second guessing by fans, just a time to enjoy the show as the Cards played to near perfection. Can’t imagine what he must be doing to get these guys revved up the last two games. Maybe he not revving them up, possibly cracking jokes, whatever, it’s working. This season has been a success, no matter what happens from here on out.

LADY CARDS ADVANCE — Chauntise Wright just keeps on getting better, scoring 21 points and grabbing seven rebounds to lead the Cards past Miami (O) 81-67 in the first round of women’s NCAA play. Angel McCoughtry added 20 points and seven rebounds, Paricka Barlow had 11 assists and seven rebound as well.

Louisville led by as many as 15 in the first half, but Miami cut it to 58-49 with just over five minutes into the second half.

But Brandie Radde answered with two 3-pointers and Candyce Bingham added a three-point play to stretch the lead back to 67-49, and the Cardinals were never again threatened.

“I knew, being wide open and my seniors telling me to shoot the ball I had to knock that down,” Radde said. “Then I came back down and hit another one, and just stopped their run, started a little run of our own.”

McCoughtry left the game with 4:39 after coming down on a teammates foot and rolling her left ankle. She stayed on the Cardinals bench for the rest of the game, but said she’ll be ready to play on Tuesday.