About what one would expect in a game in West Virginia. A wild and crazy place that only someone who grew up there could love. A great regular season for University of Louisville basketball, untarnished in any way by what happened in the final second.
Two players going after the ball, colliding, home team getting the call. Coincidentally, the call being made by the same official making an out-of-bounds call against U of L on a play not convincingly supported by a video replay.
Preston Knowles will remember the call and probably the official who made it. But if the call has any lingering effect on him, it will only make him want to go after the ball even harder next time.
Aggressive defense, including the hacking and slapping, is an integral part of Rick Pitino’s approach to the game, knowing officials can’t possibly call them all. This, combined with his three-point-shot philosophy, has been one of the keys to U of L’s surprising success this season. Then, of course, there is the one-for-all and all-for-one mentality that drives this team, often offsetting the lack of rebounders and continuing injuries.
What really bugs this observer is the lack of any confidence at the free throw line, every trip, every shot an adventure, even with Kyle Kuric at the line.
Other than that, great effort. Not unexpected, the West Virginia weirdness. Write this one off and move on.
You nailed me, Dave. My objectivity comes into question when U of L is playing.
We’re looking forward to playing that game again on a neutral court, without the intimidation influences of Morgantown.
I suppose there are no “intimidation influences” in Morgantown though? So the refs are always against the cards away from Lousiville, unless the Cards win, in which case the refs were probably awesome in your eyes. If you watch many Big East games, you notice that the refs suck in all of them, and each team gets screwed by the refs in every game.
I meant to type there are no “intimidation influences” in Louisville
Great W for WVU. This made up for the loss at Louisville earlier in the year when WVU should have certainly won. Anyway, I’m hoping WVU gets to play Louisville this Thursday in the best tournament ever (BIG EAST) as I see WVU playing solid come tournament time. Also, horrible foul by the Louisville guy – the dumbest foul I think I’ve seen in quite a while. LET’S GO MOUNTANINEERS !!!!!!!!!!!!
No – I thought the Cards looked like they were in command.
Then those last few minutes it slipped away…..
Knowles fouled Bryant. HARD. It was a dumb play on Knowles’ part.. And that out of bounds call? Looked the ball was touching a UL player’s leg while his foot was out of bounds.
Anyways, every time Louisville pressed, they grabbed and slapped the heck out of WVU’s guards. Very few of that was called. The better team won today.
West Virginia won. Better team?
They were better on Saturday.
I felt bad – and we should have had that W. Those last few moments – I was crushed… but,I will take up your advice Charlie and move on. —Go Cards!
Agree with all your observations, and would like to also note that we were out-rebounded by 24. Dieng got one more rebound than Dennis Rodman, who was playing beach volleyball. Ditto for Marra. Four for Jennings. Free throws were and continue to be an aggravation, much like a hangnail. Rebounding is more like a heart failure–in more ways than one. Should have been a W.