Hoops: The Boys Help QPon Go Out In Style!

UW 97 - UCLA 68
Yesterday was Senior Day at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. One team manager and Quincy Pondexter were the only seniors celebrated.

Quincy has been having a great season and I've written a bunch about him in past posts. He has led the team as well as he has been able, doing it by example, playing defense, scoring, rebounding, the whole package. When the rest of the team shows up to support him, there aren't any teams in the Pac-10 that can hang with us. As evidence, you only have to look at yesterday evening's game.

The team came out on fire! They played excellent defense from the very beginning and their shooting was on. UCLA shot 36% in the first half. I have to give credit for that to the Huskies defense. They are one of the best teams I have seen at closing off passing lanes. Lorenzo Romar recruits highly athletic guys in the 5'8" to 6'8" height range. All of them possess an above-average wingspan, though. Lorenzo teaches them to disrupt passing lanes really well. This means that whoever has the ball usually has an extraordinarily hard time getting the ball to the man he originally intended it for. When the Dawgs defense is hot, their offense gets hot at the same time.

We had great shooting from all over. Q had 14 points in the first half including 2 3s (he finished with 20 again). IT had 13 points in the first half and finished with 17. We got great scoring from the second tier of players as well. MBA has continued to step up his game; he scored 12 last night, all of them in the second half. Suggs had 9, Holiday had 11, Elston Turner had 9, Breshers had 6, and Venoy put up 7 (all in the first half).

UCLA was shell-shocked. No matter how many timeouts they took trying to regroup, when they came back on to the floor we continued to crush them. By the end of the 1st half we were up 49 - 26. The second half was more of the same; crushing defense and efficient offense. The game ended with the Huskies up 97 - 68. We'd have gone over 100 if we hadn't held the ball for the final possession without even attempting to score.

Quincy Pondexter, you were great to watch this season. I especially liked how you really manned up and led the team. I'm disappointed that some of them were not capable of following your lead (yes, I am talking directly to you, Zeke) and others just have some more growing to do. Lord knows I have been frustrated with you in past seasons. I'm so glad I got to witness this one, as this is the way I'll remember you. I wish you a successful NBA career. I certainly think you have what it takes to make it.