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A lethargic first half turned into the wildest game of UConn’s truly insane season.
Otto Porter Jr. and Aaron Bowen (AP)
The Huskies stormed back from a 12-point deficit with 4:36 remaining in regulation. Then Georgetown, trailing 78-71 with 2:03 left in the second overtime, scored eight unanswered points — the final two on an Otto Porter layup with 9.5 seconds remaining — to leave Gampel with a shocking 79-78 win.
“This was a very, very, very, very emotional game,” said UConn guard Ryan Boatright.
Yes, the Huskies (19-8, 9-6 Big East) were very, very, very, very close to securing another huge victory. Notes, quotes and links from Wednesday:
*Chris Elsberry column — No one ever thought Ollie, UConn could pull off this season
*Playing with an eight-point lead, UConn’s offense wasn’t crisp down the stretch. A Napier turnover led to Porter’s game-winning layup, and Boatright launched a desperate heave after dribbling to the corner with his head down.
In regards to that final attempt, Ollie said, “We weren’t looking for that shot…You try to push it and get to the rim, see if we can get an offensive rebound, see if we can get a kick-out. They played good defense. They bottled (Boatright) up in the corner and he just had to make a play.”
Boatright explained it like this: “When I made my initial move, (the defender) kind of knocked me off line and I lost the ball. I had to move myself and try to get to an open spot. I thought I had an open shot, but I ran into Smith-Rivera. Once I hit him, I knew I only had two seconds so I went right up with it.”
*Shabazz Napier was in a walking boot for postgame interviews. He “tweaked” his right foot on the first possession of the second half when he landed on the shoe of Georgetown forward Mikael Hopkins. Napier scored 16 points, but needed 16 shot attempts (and 11 3-pointers) to get there. Still, he delivered some big shots in overtime, including a 3-pointer that put UConn ahead 75-71.
*John Thompson III’s take: “I know it’s easier for me to say than Kevin (Ollie) right now, but it was a terrific basketball game.”
*Ollie’s advice for the media: “You can say we’re small, we don’t rebound. You can write whatever you want, but at the end of your articles I hope you write that we’ve got heart.”
Another great Ollie-ism: “Adversity is the intersection between character and opportunity.”
*Highlights below. Enjoy.
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Source:
http://blog.ctnews.com/uconnbasketball/2013/02/28/notesquotes-from-georgetown-this-was-a-very-very-very-very-emotional-game/
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