Monday Grab Bag: "Your tears Scott, they're so yummy"

The sound of butt-hurt emanating from the Pacific Northwest rang as music to my ears Saturday night.  To get this over with, yes it was a foul.  While most refs would not blow a whistle in that situation, the crew had made a similar tight call on the previous play, which sent Olu Ashaolu to the line for a potential lead.  If the Ashalou play was a foul, then the block on Singler was a foul.

Fouled.  From: the BDC

Watch the replay, there's contact from the defender, Singler, when he was not in position.  Suck it up, Ducks.

Today in the bag, I'll be looking back at the big Buffs win Saturday night, checking in with the fading womens team, and recapping that one football game from yesterday.

Click below for the bag...



Tomlinson's free throw salvages a win -

Somehow, someway, the Buffs ended up at the line for a game winning free throw.  The oft maligned Nate Tomlinson swished the first of two foul shots, intentionally missed the second, and the Duck Hunt was successfully completed.  72-71 final, allowing the packed CEC to exhale in celebration.  The Buffs continue to keep pace at the top of the league, and improved to 7-0 at home in conference play.

Eventually, the hunter always wins.

For the first time this season, I had to turn to "rally M&M's" at halftime.  Sure, the Buffs have trailed at home earlier in the year (Georgia and Arizona games), but this was the first time all season that the break came with a sense of mounting dread.  Shots weren't falling (0-8 from beyond the arc in the first half) and Oregon was dictating its offensive will in the paint.  In fact, I thought CU was lucky to be down only four at intermission.

Lights out first half free throw shooting (15-16), and the sterling play of freshman Askia Booker (13 first half points), were the only things keeping CU close. 

Where would the Buffs have been this weekend without the play of "the Scrat?"  From: the BDC

Even through the start of the second half, the Buffs still weren't playing that well.  While they did manage to finally take the lid off with a few 3-pointers (5-10 in the second half), Oregon seemed to have an answer for every Buffs run.  With the Ducks shooting over 40%, and out-rebounding the Buffs to boot, even late Saturday's game seemed destined to be a Buffs loss.

The scrappy Buffs, however, buckled down, determined to defend the mythos of their home court dominance.  A little defense and rebounding from 'Dre (11 rebounds, seven blocks) kept the Ducks from taking off, allowing big time second half shots from freshmen Spencer Dinwiddie and the aforementioned Booker (combined for 33 points) to key the comeback.

Tad and the Buffs keep rolling.  From: the BDC

The Buffs may not have "deserved" the win, exhibiting far from their best possible performance, but a win is, as always, a win.  A tough trip to the Arizona desert awaits this weekend, with a split the probable outcome.  For now, however, the Buffs sit in a second place tie with Cal, only a game behind the streaking Washington Huskies for the Pac-12 lead.


A long way from perfect - 

It wasn't too long ago that the CU women's program was running through their schedule unblemished... then, the New Year started.  A pair of losses in Oregon this weekend leave the Buffs 3-7 in 2012 after going 12-0 in 2011.

Oregon State blitzed the reeling Buffs by 20 points Thursday evening. 4-24 first half shooting doomed the Buffs before they could settle in.

Things were looking up Saturday afternoon in Eugene as the Buffs held a eight point lead at halftime.  Free throw disparity, however, killed the Buffs in the second half.  Oregon got to the line 32 times to CU's six, even shooting 21-22 in the second half.  Besides being an indicator of some suspect officiating, it's a recipe for disaster.  Sure enough, the Ducks outscored CU 41-28 in the second frame, sending the Buffs home 0-for-Oregon.

The Oregon trip only added to the Buffs woes.  From The Register-Guard

The LadyBuffs now sit in a 3-way tie for 8th in the Pac-12, and slipping fast.


Super Bowl wrap - 

Another Pats-Giants Superbowl, another late New York comeback spurred by a spectacular catch from a Giants wide-out.  It's almost as if that was the only way the game could end.

Eli Manning is a two-time Superbowl champion.  Somewhere, Dan Marino is sobbing quietly.  From: NY Daily News

I don't think it was a "great" game, with the Patriots reeling for most of the first half and the Giants seemingly incapable of finishing off drives, but the finish was exciting enough to keep me awake.

I am starting to wonder about Tom Brady, however.  The immortal QB seemed particularly human yesterday, looking lost a times while throwing behind receivers and taking a little too long to get through his progressions.  It certainly didn't help that his receivers had a corps-wide case of the dropsies.

Eli Manning played his typical Eli game, playing it safe before trying to make big throws late.  Apparently that makes him "elite" now.  Quite a lot can change in a month of football.


Happy Monday!