A 6-8 pt loss in regulation where we never led and couldn’t quite get over the hump would have been easier stomach.
Being so close and having it in hand….and then what happened stings.
Patty is right….refs and miracle 3 or not, we just needed to be a play or two better especially down the stretch.
Up two, under 30 secs, Graves gets an OK (but contested) shot inside 5’ feet. Make that a two possession game w/ 25 secs and KU has to go in to quick bucket and foul quickly mode.
One other thought I don’t think has been mentioned….you have to foul in that last 2.5 sec situation. Let them burn a sec+ in the backcourt and then foul.
It takes a lot of bounces going your way to get to the Dance, and at the end of the day, you want a chance against a team with a name like that.
It’d be one thing to get blown out, or trail by 6-8 the whole time…, but damn I thought we had it won. Didn’t see the Kentucky 3 until later because everyone stood up when we hit our shot…
Timeout, foul, etc… frustrating stuff but even without it you’d live all day assuming that guy never makes that shot.
Would have loved to play a few more, but if we have to lose, to go out in a classic, against one of the biggest names, in a “we got screwed” fashion that might make Graves want to come back… I can live with that.
Endless proud Broncos wandering around San Francisco today, with many unaffiliated folks saying good game.
Definitely more optimistic about being able to retain our key guys after hearing Graves’ response in the postgame. That being said I would not expect him to say anything different in this situation.
If Graves does not get a first round guarantee then he could easily make a huge step at Santa Clara by increasing his time on the court to closer to 30 minutes a game. Also, he did an excellent job getting in shape during his red-shirt year. Now, he can add 10 pounds of muscle as he matures into his old man strength.
I know Sash got blocked on those 2 threes but we are not even close to sniffing a win without his play in regulation. Hammond is going to be a star if we can keep him. Hopefully Ensminger decides to spend a 5th year on the Mission Campus as well. KJ Cochran making a sophomore leap, Longcor being a good as rumored, Bukky continuing to improve…exciting to think about if a majority of these guys can be retained.
Not sure who all the donors are but we got great ROI on this team. Gemini’s best guess as to the value of the brand awareness created by the tournament appearance and today’s OT/Buzzer beating game.
Absolute heart breaking end to regulation but our Broncos were so resilient throughout the game. I had many fans of other teams tell me how much they were rooting for us and what a great game it was to see. Many of them were also impressed at how well our fan base repped! On a side note 3 Kentucky fans sat next to me at the Pitch bar after the game. They were very impressed with Santa Clara’s team and the fans. We talked college basketball for probably 90 minutes and they bought me 3 beers. There are some good Kentucky guys out there…
I’ve been excited to see what kind of positive brand awareness eventually capital generated by the run. I was concerned that because of the Oweh shot the legacy and story about the game shifts from the accomplishment of SCU in their return and how much of a good game it was to an alternative story about how Kentucky dominated which is alot of what I am Seeing with mainstream media. Almost as if Santa Clara wasn’t a potential threat
I am so proud of the team, the coaches, and all the University staff who gave us so much enjoyment and pride in our school this season. Let’s continue the ride going forward with our attendance and support. Go Broncos!
So many emotions. A game is not won or lost on a single play, but SCU celebrated when Graves hit the big 3 (you can’t celebrate on the floor until the buzzer sounds). Oweh stood there stunned for a second, then got his head back in the game. Nobody made it difficult for him to catch the ball going toward the basket… nobody got in his path to force him to change directions… and nobody was heady enough to get a reach in foul shortly after he got the ball.
On the other side of things, the restart of the clock before the 40 foot bank was late… not sure if it was .7 late (when Oweh ultimately shot the ball) but it would have been super close… and Sendek’s attempt at a TO goes unnoticed.
My buddies and I sat there in shock for a good 15-20 minutes after the final buzzer. It was like our hearts were ripped out. We can make point after point about this happening or that happening then we win. We were 2.4 seconds from being the 5th team to beat Kentucky in Round 1.
As long as the portal doesn’t rip this team apart, I feel we come back stronger and hungrier next season. It’s our time to dominate the WCC now.
To the many Bronco fans I met these past two days, it was fun gathering for this bond that SCU has created. To next season!
@buckets That is an awesome video clip. My friend Roger ‘96 is the guy in the grey shirt who has his hands in the air and then puts his hands on his head. I was 3 seats over from him. My brother Chris ‘87 is the guy in red hat who sits down dejectedly right after the Kentucky shot banks in. In his words: “presenting my head for the guillotine.”
Was able to meet and talk with a number of the players and their families at the event. They are All IN on SCU.
Normand, Tadjo, Longcor, etc parents were SO happy/ effusive with SCU.
Also caught up with Graves after the game. He loves SCU. I wished him well on his NBA endeavor and left it, if things change SCU is there for you….
Bunch of great guys, no wonder they had a season to remember….
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