Who will meet Anaheim in the Western Conference finals? Well, we are about to find out! It's Chicago vs. Vancouver in a thrilling Western Conference semifinal series. I hope you enjoy it, SSR. ;-)
(All simulations courtesy of WhatIfSports.com)
Game 1: The game started out rather slow and while Chicago had more shots on goal, you can tell that there was a feeling out period to start the game. The teams exploded in the 2nd though with 2 goals a piece entering the 3rd period. Henrik Sedin scored with 8:28 to go to give Vancouver a 3-2 lead in the 3rd! But, a costly double minor on Alexander Edler for boarding gave the Blackhawks double minor! And because there’s only 2:56 to go, it’s for the rest of the game! Chicago is struggling to get chances. Chance for Vancouver short-handed but it is offsides. Faceoff is won by Adams of the Blackhawks but it’s stolen by Salo! Salo to Henrik Sedin! Sedin to Wellood. Wellwood fires AND SCORES!!! A SHORT-HANDED DAGGER!!! Canucks hang on to win Game 1 by a score of 4-2 and lead the series 1-0!
Game 2: This one was quite the exciting affair. An evenly matched game and they went back and forth all night long. What was once a 2-0 lead for Vancouver quickly evaporated into a 3-2 Chicago lead midway through the 3rd. But it would not stay that way for long as Taylor Pratt TIED THE GAME WITH 9:10 TO GO!!! The back and forth play would continue with chances for both sides but no one could convert and we’re going to overtime! AND ONCE AGAIN, EDLER GETS A DOUBLE MINOR FOR VANCOUVER!!! THIS ONE IS FOR CHARGING!!! Blackhawks with a 4-minute power play in OT. The pass goes to Havlat! HAVLAT FIRES AND SCORES!!!!!! A POWER PLAY GOAL FOR THE BLACKHAWKS AND THIS SERIES IS TIED AT 1 HEADING TO THE UNITED CENTER!!!!
Game 3: Taylor Pratt got things started quickly with 4:50 into this game with an early goal for the Canucks! But that would not be the last time someone scored in this game, that’s for sure. We enter the 2nd period…and Toes ties it up at 1! Sedin scores for the Canucks! 5-minute later it’s Bernier scoring!!! 3-1 Vancouver!! Entering the 3rd period….still 3-1 Vancouver! 8-minutes in it’s Versteeg scoring! And we’re 3-2! Havlat ties it up at 3 5-minutes later!!! 46 seconds later, A DRIVE BY EAGER AND HE SCORES!!! HAWKS LEAD, 4-3!!! Both teams trying to take a 2-1 series lead! Can Vancouver come back??? They jockey back and forth for awhile. Neither team can get a chance on goal for quite awhile. BUT WAIT!!! HANSEN IN FRONT GETS THE PASS FROM MITCHELL AND SCORES!!!!! WITH 2:15 TO GO!!!! This one is heading into overtime!!! Time winding down in OT, under a minute to go! DEMITRA WITH A DRIVE…..SAVE BY KHABIBULIN! AND IT’S GOING TO DOUBLE OT!!! In double OT, there IS A PENALTY ON MATT WALKER OF THE HAWKS!!! And somehow, the Canucks can’t get a chance on goal! How does that happen in overtime??? Kesler has the puck now and he’ll dish to Bernier. Bernier over to Sedin who SHOOTS IT……HEEEEEE SCOOOOOOOOOOORRRREEEEESSSSS!!!!!!!! AND THE CANUCKS HAVE TAKEN GAME 3 IN DOUBLE OT, 5-4!!! WHAT A GAME! Canucks now lead the series 2-1!
Game 4: This was the first game of the series where there was a real discrepancy in shot on goal. The Hawks outshot the Canucks 50-27 in this game! But it was only 2-0 Chicago entering into the 3rd period and the Canucks would not go quietly into the night! 11 minutes to go in the game and Alex Burrows narrows the deficit to 1! 2 minutes later and it’s Daniel Sedin scoring!! All of a sudden, this game is tied!!! But wait, it’s not over!!! 1 minute and 13 seconds later, it’s Pavel Demitra scoring!!!! 3 GOALS IN THE SPAN OF 3 MINUTES AND 5 SECONDS AND THE CANUCKS NOW LEAD IT 3-2!!! But the Blackhawks would continue their offensive fleury, but Luongo would make save after save!!! Talk about huge!! 1 MINUTE TO GO!! KHABIBULIN IS PULLED!! SHOT BY LADD IS STOPPED BY LUONGO!!! CANUCKS CAN’T CLEAR!! DRIVE BY LADD…DEFLECTED OUT OF PLAY!!!! HAWKS WIN THE FACEOFF!!! THEY PASS IT AROUND!!! 20 SECONDS TO GO!!! BOLLAND FIRES IT…..AND HE MISSES JUST WIDE!!! CANUCKS GET A HOLD OF THE PUCK AND THEY CLEAR THE ZONE AND THAT’S IT!!!! VANCOUVER HAS A HUGE 3RD PERIOD COMEBACK TO WIN THE GAME 3-2 AND LEAD THE SERIES 3-1!!! Wow!
Game 5: Back to Vancouver we go! And after 2 excruciating defeats, the Chicago Blackhawks just do not have it in them to put up a competitive fight in this one. They got some chances early, and stayed tight throughout but 2 Canuck goals in the 2nd period and a dagger from Edler 3 minutes into the 3rd period spelt the end of the series for the Blackhawks and a trip to the Western Conference Finals for the Vancouver Canucks. They win this game 3-0 and the series 4 games to 1.
Showing posts with label Simulations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Simulations. Show all posts
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Conference Semifinals Simulated: Anaheim vs. Detroit
Over the next 48 hours or so, I will have up simulations of the NHL conference semifinal series. And while I can't guarantee you that I will have all of them done by Thursday at 9 (when the Chicago-Vancouver series starts), I can guarantee you that I will have all of them up by the time each series' respective game 1 starts (in other words, I will have Vancouver-Chicago up by 9 PM tomorrow and so on and so forth). Enjoy!
Game 1: Game 1 had quite the intense start with the Red Wings getting multiple chances on goal! And they would cap off those chances with a PENALTY SHOT! Pronger did not agree with the call and got a 10-minute misconduct! Meanwhile on the penalty shot SAMUELSSON SCORES! 1-0 Detroit! But that would not last for them. Despite being heavily out-shot, the Ducks would score 4 of the games’ next 5 goals to take a 4-2 lead in Detroit! But the Red Wings would battle back, with A GOAL BY DANIEL CLEARY WITH 3:02 TO GO! And the Red Wings have a chance in this one! The Red Wings would continue to pound Jonas Hiller with chances but he came up huge each time! And now Osgood is pulled! 1-MINUTE TO GO! SHOT BY RAFALSKI IS SAVED BY HILLER! STUART….NO!!! ZETTERBERG…STOPPED BY HILLER!! AND THAT’S IT!!! DUCKS TAKE GAME 1 IN AN UPSET!! 4-3 OVER THE RED WINGS! And the Ducks lead the series 1-0!
Game 2: Once again, the Detroit Red Wings outshot the Anaheim Ducks. This time, by a total of 55-37, but this game, unlike the last won was a blow-out win. For the Anaheim Ducks, that is! Jonas Hiller was a flat out beast in net, stopping 53 of 55 shots as the Ducks have apparently discovered Chris Osgood’s weakness. Goals by Ken Klee, 2 for Corey Perry, Scott Niedermeyer and Chris Kunitz made this one a 5-2 laugher win for the #7-seeded Ducks and they lead the series 2 games to none as the series moves to the Honda Center.
Game 3: The Detroit Red Wings were relatively limited on shots on goal this game, only getting 38, by far their lowest shot total of the season. But naturally, this was also the game that Anaheim could not light up Osgood like they did twice in Detroit. The Wings scored with 32 seconds left in the 1st when Brett Lebda knocked it home. The Ducks would retaliate 4 SECONDS LATER WITH A DRIVE BY ROB NIEDERMEYER! Into the 2nd and the Red Wings would take back the led with a Holmstrom goal. Into the 3rd, not much action so we will take you to the exciting finish with the pulling of Jonas Hiller…SUTHERBY A DRIVE…..STOPPED BY OSGOOD! PUCK GOES TO GETZLAF! CHANCE; SAVE OSGOOD!!! GETZLAF AGAIN….DENIED BY OSGOOD!!! AND THE RED WINGS CLEAR THE ZONE!!! UNDER 15 TO GO….DUCKS TRYING TO PENETRATE!! DRIVE BY NIEDERMEYER IS BLOCKED AND THE PUCK IS CLEARED AGAIN AND THAT’LL DO IT!!! RED WINGS TAKE GAME 3, 2-1! But the Ducks still lead the series 2-1 as we head into Game 4.
Game 4: The road team has won every game in this series thus far, and this one from Anaheim would be no different. And this one was rather ugly. The Red Wings notched 2 goals in the 1st period and they never looked back despite a scoreless 2nd period. They would go up 4-1 in the 3rd before settling for a 4-2 victory after a garbage time goal for the Ducks by Travis Moen. But the big news is that heading back to the the Joe, this series is tied at 2.
Game 5: The Detroit Red Wings were back to their old home ways of heavily out-shooting their foe, but this one would not be decided by shots on goal. The Ducks started things off in the 1st with a goal by Corey Perry. But in the 2nd period THE RED WINGS WOULD SCORE 4 GOALS!, including 2 goals at 5 seconds apart when the game was tied at 2! The Ducks would manage 1 goal in that period as alluded to, but they would be down 4-2 at the break setting up the 3rd period. 47 SECONDS INTO THE 3RD AND BOBBY RYAN SCORES!! AND THE RED WING LEAD IS DOWN TO 1!! Can the Ducks complete the comeback? YES THEY CAN!! WITH UNDER 11 MINUTES TO GO, CHRIS KUNITZ HAS TIED IT AT 4!! The Red Wings would do some more dominating of the shots, but they could not beat Hiller as we end up settling for OVERTIME! In OT, the Ducks and Red Wings tried to settle down a bit, with neither team getting too many shots or chances. 9:18 to go in the 1st OT and Draper is coming in, takes a SHOT…SAVED BY HILLER!! The Ducks take it the other way. PERRY A SHOT….SAVED BY OSGOOD!!! Whistle blows as the net is off it’s moorings. Faceoff won by the Ducks. Getzlaf wins the draw. Passes it to to Kunitz. Kunitz to Perry. PERRY TAKES THE SHOT AND HE SCORES!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE DUCKS HAVE WON GAME 5 IN OVERTIME AND THEY HAVE TAKEN A 3-2 SERIES LEAD!!!! UNBELIEVEABLE!!!!
Game 6: The Red Wings looked to continue the trend of the road teams winning with an early goal in the 1st 24 seconds by Hossa! Both teams would had a goal to their total in the 2nd period to make it 2-1 Detroit heading into the 3rd period of a key Game 6. Can the Red Wings continue the trend? Can the Ducks break the trend and take the series? Wisneiwski shoots it….SAVE! Another chance for Getzlaf and Osgood stops it again! Can the Ducks break through? Can they tie the series? CHANCE BY RYAN AND HE KNOCKS IT HOME!!! THE DUCKS HAVE TIED THE GAME!!! Back and forth they go afterward….UNDER A MINUTE IN REGULATION! TIED AT 2 IN GAME 6! 27 SECONDS TO GO….HOSSA SNAPS IT…….SAVE BY HILLER!!!! NO REBOUND NO MORE CHANCES!! OVERTIME IN GAME 6!!! In OT, the Red Wings do what they have done best and dominate play but nothing on the scoreboard. PENALTY ON ANAHEIM!! BUT WAIT, SHORTHANDED! DRIVE BY EBBETT….SAVED BY OSGOOD!!! WHAT A CHANCE!! The Red Wings take it the other way on the Power Play. Datsuyk shoots it and it’s saved by Hiller! REBOUND BY RAFALSKI AND HE CAN’T GET IT BY HILLER! Time continues to tick in the 1st OT, approaching the end of it. SHOT BY PARROS AND IT’S SAVED BY OSGOOD! REBOUND BRAD MAY OFF THE BACKHAND……NO!!! SAVED BY OSGOOD!! No other chances in the 1st OT means Double OT in the Honda Duck Pond. Not too many golden opportunities in this OT. You can tell the fatigue is setting in. It’s been a grueling series thus far and it’s been illustrated thus far in this Double OT. Under 5 to go in Double OT……SHOT BY DATSUYK…SAVED BY HILLER!! And now we’re under a minute in double OT! KUNITZ SHOOTS IT……HE SCORES!!!!!!!!!!! KUNITZ SCORES!!!!! KUNITZ SCORES!!!!!! THE DUCKS HAVE WON THE GAME!!!! THE DUCKS WIN GAME 6!!!! THEY’VE WON THE SERIES!!! THE 8-SEEDED ANAHEIM DUCKS ARE GOING TO THE CONFERENCE FINALS!! UNBELIEVEABLE!!! UNBELIEVEABLE!!!!
Game 1: Game 1 had quite the intense start with the Red Wings getting multiple chances on goal! And they would cap off those chances with a PENALTY SHOT! Pronger did not agree with the call and got a 10-minute misconduct! Meanwhile on the penalty shot SAMUELSSON SCORES! 1-0 Detroit! But that would not last for them. Despite being heavily out-shot, the Ducks would score 4 of the games’ next 5 goals to take a 4-2 lead in Detroit! But the Red Wings would battle back, with A GOAL BY DANIEL CLEARY WITH 3:02 TO GO! And the Red Wings have a chance in this one! The Red Wings would continue to pound Jonas Hiller with chances but he came up huge each time! And now Osgood is pulled! 1-MINUTE TO GO! SHOT BY RAFALSKI IS SAVED BY HILLER! STUART….NO!!! ZETTERBERG…STOPPED BY HILLER!! AND THAT’S IT!!! DUCKS TAKE GAME 1 IN AN UPSET!! 4-3 OVER THE RED WINGS! And the Ducks lead the series 1-0!
Game 2: Once again, the Detroit Red Wings outshot the Anaheim Ducks. This time, by a total of 55-37, but this game, unlike the last won was a blow-out win. For the Anaheim Ducks, that is! Jonas Hiller was a flat out beast in net, stopping 53 of 55 shots as the Ducks have apparently discovered Chris Osgood’s weakness. Goals by Ken Klee, 2 for Corey Perry, Scott Niedermeyer and Chris Kunitz made this one a 5-2 laugher win for the #7-seeded Ducks and they lead the series 2 games to none as the series moves to the Honda Center.
Game 3: The Detroit Red Wings were relatively limited on shots on goal this game, only getting 38, by far their lowest shot total of the season. But naturally, this was also the game that Anaheim could not light up Osgood like they did twice in Detroit. The Wings scored with 32 seconds left in the 1st when Brett Lebda knocked it home. The Ducks would retaliate 4 SECONDS LATER WITH A DRIVE BY ROB NIEDERMEYER! Into the 2nd and the Red Wings would take back the led with a Holmstrom goal. Into the 3rd, not much action so we will take you to the exciting finish with the pulling of Jonas Hiller…SUTHERBY A DRIVE…..STOPPED BY OSGOOD! PUCK GOES TO GETZLAF! CHANCE; SAVE OSGOOD!!! GETZLAF AGAIN….DENIED BY OSGOOD!!! AND THE RED WINGS CLEAR THE ZONE!!! UNDER 15 TO GO….DUCKS TRYING TO PENETRATE!! DRIVE BY NIEDERMEYER IS BLOCKED AND THE PUCK IS CLEARED AGAIN AND THAT’LL DO IT!!! RED WINGS TAKE GAME 3, 2-1! But the Ducks still lead the series 2-1 as we head into Game 4.
Game 4: The road team has won every game in this series thus far, and this one from Anaheim would be no different. And this one was rather ugly. The Red Wings notched 2 goals in the 1st period and they never looked back despite a scoreless 2nd period. They would go up 4-1 in the 3rd before settling for a 4-2 victory after a garbage time goal for the Ducks by Travis Moen. But the big news is that heading back to the the Joe, this series is tied at 2.
Game 5: The Detroit Red Wings were back to their old home ways of heavily out-shooting their foe, but this one would not be decided by shots on goal. The Ducks started things off in the 1st with a goal by Corey Perry. But in the 2nd period THE RED WINGS WOULD SCORE 4 GOALS!, including 2 goals at 5 seconds apart when the game was tied at 2! The Ducks would manage 1 goal in that period as alluded to, but they would be down 4-2 at the break setting up the 3rd period. 47 SECONDS INTO THE 3RD AND BOBBY RYAN SCORES!! AND THE RED WING LEAD IS DOWN TO 1!! Can the Ducks complete the comeback? YES THEY CAN!! WITH UNDER 11 MINUTES TO GO, CHRIS KUNITZ HAS TIED IT AT 4!! The Red Wings would do some more dominating of the shots, but they could not beat Hiller as we end up settling for OVERTIME! In OT, the Ducks and Red Wings tried to settle down a bit, with neither team getting too many shots or chances. 9:18 to go in the 1st OT and Draper is coming in, takes a SHOT…SAVED BY HILLER!! The Ducks take it the other way. PERRY A SHOT….SAVED BY OSGOOD!!! Whistle blows as the net is off it’s moorings. Faceoff won by the Ducks. Getzlaf wins the draw. Passes it to to Kunitz. Kunitz to Perry. PERRY TAKES THE SHOT AND HE SCORES!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE DUCKS HAVE WON GAME 5 IN OVERTIME AND THEY HAVE TAKEN A 3-2 SERIES LEAD!!!! UNBELIEVEABLE!!!!
Game 6: The Red Wings looked to continue the trend of the road teams winning with an early goal in the 1st 24 seconds by Hossa! Both teams would had a goal to their total in the 2nd period to make it 2-1 Detroit heading into the 3rd period of a key Game 6. Can the Red Wings continue the trend? Can the Ducks break the trend and take the series? Wisneiwski shoots it….SAVE! Another chance for Getzlaf and Osgood stops it again! Can the Ducks break through? Can they tie the series? CHANCE BY RYAN AND HE KNOCKS IT HOME!!! THE DUCKS HAVE TIED THE GAME!!! Back and forth they go afterward….UNDER A MINUTE IN REGULATION! TIED AT 2 IN GAME 6! 27 SECONDS TO GO….HOSSA SNAPS IT…….SAVE BY HILLER!!!! NO REBOUND NO MORE CHANCES!! OVERTIME IN GAME 6!!! In OT, the Red Wings do what they have done best and dominate play but nothing on the scoreboard. PENALTY ON ANAHEIM!! BUT WAIT, SHORTHANDED! DRIVE BY EBBETT….SAVED BY OSGOOD!!! WHAT A CHANCE!! The Red Wings take it the other way on the Power Play. Datsuyk shoots it and it’s saved by Hiller! REBOUND BY RAFALSKI AND HE CAN’T GET IT BY HILLER! Time continues to tick in the 1st OT, approaching the end of it. SHOT BY PARROS AND IT’S SAVED BY OSGOOD! REBOUND BRAD MAY OFF THE BACKHAND……NO!!! SAVED BY OSGOOD!! No other chances in the 1st OT means Double OT in the Honda Duck Pond. Not too many golden opportunities in this OT. You can tell the fatigue is setting in. It’s been a grueling series thus far and it’s been illustrated thus far in this Double OT. Under 5 to go in Double OT……SHOT BY DATSUYK…SAVED BY HILLER!! And now we’re under a minute in double OT! KUNITZ SHOOTS IT……HE SCORES!!!!!!!!!!! KUNITZ SCORES!!!!! KUNITZ SCORES!!!!!! THE DUCKS HAVE WON THE GAME!!!! THE DUCKS WIN GAME 6!!!! THEY’VE WON THE SERIES!!! THE 8-SEEDED ANAHEIM DUCKS ARE GOING TO THE CONFERENCE FINALS!! UNBELIEVEABLE!!! UNBELIEVEABLE!!!!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
March Madness Simulated: The Final Four and National Championship
The moment you've all been waiting for! The simulated Final Four is here! I did the Duke-Gonzaga game and Mookie from SSR did the Louisville-UConn game.
Here they are! Enjoy!
Semifinal #1
#4 Gonzaga vs. #2 Duke: A crazy up and down first half has led Duke to a 2-point lead over Gonzaga at halftime in the Final Four. But in the second half, it’s Gonzaga who jumps out to an 11-point lead. Duke won’t go down easy, though, and with 4:06 to go they have tied it at 74. They proceed to make a run and go up 83-77. But wait, the Zags won’t go down. After a 2-1 exchange of free throws in favor of the Bulldogs, GRAY HITS A 3 FOR GONZAGA! AND THEY’RE WITHIN 2 WITH 15 SECONDS LEFT! Henderson is fouled. He makes his first! BUT MISSES THE SECOND! REBOUND GONZAGA! 13 SECONDS LEFT! 3-POINT LEAD! Daye gets the ball AND HE BURIES A 3 TO TIE IT WITH 4 SECONDS LEFT!!! ONIONS!!!!! HENDERSON A CHANCE FOR THE WIN…..OFF THE MARK! WE’RE GOING TO OVERTIME!!! 85-85! Gonzaga starts the OT with a 7-0 run! Could it be? Could it be that the Zags are going to a National Championship? Duke is roaring back! Singler hits a 3 and it’s a 4-point game! Gonzaga responds with a basket. It’s Duke’s turn with 1:32 to go trailing by 6 and Williams it’s the perimeter jumper AND-1! The freebie is good. 1:25 to go. Heytvelt misses badly for Gonzaga BUT HE CORRALS HIS OWN REBOUND! The pass is PICKED OFF BY JUKE! CHANCE TO TIE WITH 52 TO GO! NO GOOD! REBOUND GONZAGA! 94-91 THEY LEAD WITH 51 SECONDS LEFT! They let some time run out. Shot clock down to 5 and HEYTVELT HITS A JUMPER!!!! 5-POINT LEAD!! 20 SECONDS LEFT!! IS THAT THE DAGGER?!? DUKE NEEDS A BASKET AND THEY NEED IT IN A HURRY! SINGLER FROM 3……NOOO!!!!! THOMAS THE REBOUND!!! TIME’S TICKING!! THOMAS THE 3…..NOO!!!!! REBOUND GONZAGA AND THERE’S THE BUZZER!!!!! ……………..GONZAGA’S GOING TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!! THEY’VE BEATEN DUKE 96-91 IN OVERTIME!!…UNBELIEVEABLE!! ONIONS!!
Semifinal #2
#1 UConn vs. #1 Louisville: The rematch between two Big East rivals for the right to face Gonzaga in the title game. Last time these two faced UConn dominated Louisville at Freedom Hall. This time around, Hasheem was held to just 12 points, although he shot 5-7 from the floor. It was a tight first half, neither lteam leading by more than 8. A Kemba Walker shot cut the Cardinals lead to 40-36 at the half. There were 3 lead changes in the 2nd half but the game remained tight. However, Hasheem Thabeet was in foul trouble and couldn’t afford to foul out. Louisville’s bench outscored UConn’s bench 32-22, and it was bench player Edgar Sosa who scored on a layup to give Louisville a 77-76 lead with 2:37 to go. With :14 left and the game in favor of the Cardinals 79-77, Samardo Samuels stepped up to the line for two crucial free throws. Samuels hits the first free throw! If he hits the second then he may have won it!! HE HITS BOTH!! IT IS 81-77!!! LAST CHANCE FOR UCONN!! AUSTRIE FOR THREE!! NO!!! THABEET THE REBOUND!!! THEY’RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME!! THABEET FOR THREE!!!!! NO!!! REBOUND BY TERRENCE WILLIAMS AND TIME EXPIRES!!!!!!!! LOUISVILLE GETS REVENGE ON UCONN AND ADVANCE TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME TO FACE GONZAGA!!! A THRILLING 81-77 WIN FOR RICK PITINO’S SQUAD!! THERE WILL BE NO THIRD MIRACLE FOR THE HUSKIES!!!
And now the national championship game, courtesy of Mookie from SSR.
Gonzaga’s road to the national championship game was a shocker. They plowed through Akron but won a nailbiter over Illinois 70-67. North Carolina proved to be no match for the Zags and they lost 83-69 in the Sweet 16. They beat Cinderella team Clemson in the regional final to advance to the Final Four, where they beat Duke in OT 96-91. A lot of close games, but these Bulldogs have been through it all.
Louisville on the other hand breezed to the Final Four. Blowout wins over Morehead State and Siena, followed by a late run to beat Wake Forest, culminating in another blowout over West Virginia in the regional final. Samardo Samuels hit two huge free throws in their national semifinal win over UConn, 81-77.
Many matchups to look forward to. How will the Cardinals stop Jeremy Pargo? Will the Zags have the size to compete for rebounds underneath and be physical? They’ve been called “soft” by most critics, but they’ve gotten this far.
Finally, Rick Pitino and Mark Few, two of the best coaches in the game today, face off for the first time in their illustrious careers.
AND WE ARE UNDERWAY IN DETROIT!!
1st Half
From the opening tip it was a fast paced game with very few stoppages. However, it would be Gonzaga that went ahead by double digits on a Josh Heytfelt bucket with 6:46 left. The deficit for Louisville was 10, their biggest in the entire tournament. The Cardinals would close out the half outscoring the Zags 11-6 to close the gap to 36-31 at halftime. Both teams shooting very well from the field, and they would continue that throughout the game.
2nd Half
A key moment in the 2nd half came at the 11:15 mark. Will Foster tied the game at 47-47 for Gonzaga, but moments later Louisville’s Terrence Jennings was fouled by Austin Daye. That was Daye’s 4th personal foul already and had to be careful. Amazingly, Mark Few took the gamble and kept him on the floor until the 9:22 mark, when Matt Boulding came in. The fouls kept piling up for Gonzaga and Heytfelt picked up his 4th foul with 1:50 to go! Earl Clark hit both free throws and Louisville was up 75-72. With :58 left, the fun began…
DAYE!!! HITS THE SHOT FROM THE PERIMETER!!! GONZAGA LEADS 76-75!!!! AT THE OTHER END!!!!!!! ANDRE MCGEE FOR THREE!!!!!!!!!! OH YES!!! LOUISVILLE LEADS WITH :47 LEFT!!! DAYE FOR GONZAGA!!! NO!!!! STEVEN GRAY THE REBOUND AND THEY HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE!!! AN ILLEGAL SCREEN CALLED ON DAYE!!!!!!! HE HAS FOULED OUT WITH :21 LEFT!!! UNBELIEVABLE!! TIMEOUT CALLED!!!!
JENNINGS IS FOULED BY HEYTFELT!!! HE HAS FOULED OUT!!! GONZAGA LOSING PLAYERS LEFT AND RIGHT!!! Jennings hits both free throws!! It’s 80-76! BOULDIN FOR THREE!! NO GOOD!!! THE TIP BY FOSTER!! 80-78 WITH :13 TO GO!!!! MCGEE IS FOULED!!!
FIRST FREE THROW…..NO GOOD!!! But he HITS THE 2ND! TIME WINDING DOWN!!! IRA BROWN FOR THE TIE!!!!!!!!!!! HE HITS IT!!!! TIED AT 81-81!!!! JUST 2 TICKS ON THE CLOCK!!! THE INBOUNDS PASS IS KNOCKED AWAY!!! OVERTIME!!!!!!!!
Amazginly, with an extra 5 minutes the game was tight enough and free flowing there were no fouls called. Earl Clark tied the game at 90-90 with :37 left. Last chance to win it in the first OT….
HERE IS MICAH DOWNS FOR THE LEAD!!! NO!!!! TERRENCE WILLIAMS THE REBOUND!!! TIMEOUT LOUISVILLE TO SET UP A PLAY!!! HERE IS THE PASS!!! WILLIAMS IS LEFT OPEN FOR THE TITLE!!!!!!!!!!! NO GOOD!!!!!! DOUBLE OVERTIME!!!!!! WHAT A GAME!!! SIMPLY SUBLIME!!!!
With 1:41 left in the 2nd OT, Foster was called for a charge and became the 3rd player to foul out for Gonzaga. Moments later…..
JERRY SMITH FOR THREE! SCORES!!!! 104-98 LOUISVILLE WITH 1:27 LEFT!!!! GONZAGA IN NO HURRY!!! BROWN FOR A THREE OF HIS OWN!!!!!!!!!! GOT IT!!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!!
After a Williams shot for Louisville went off the mark, Gonzaga had one last chance….
TIME TICKING DOWN!!! PARGO THE SENIOR FOR THE TIE!!!! NO!!! REBOUND SAMUEL WITH :08 LEFT! THEY GET IT TO CLARK!! HE IS FOULED WITH :04 LEFT!!!! IF HE HITS BOTH FREE THROWS IT IS OVER!!! HITS THE FIRST!!!!! AND THE SECOND!!! LOUISVILLE IS GOING TO WIN IT!!!
BOULDIN FIRES A THREE AND IT IS NO GOOD!!!!!!! BUZZER SOUNDS!!!! AFTER A 23 YEAR WAIT….THE LOUISVILLE CARDINALS ARE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS OF 2009!!! A 106-101 DOUBLE OVERTIME CLASSIC!!! GONZAGA LEAVE STUNNED!!! RICK PITINO HAS DONE IT AGAIN!!!
Earl Clark was named Most Outstanding Player, and he was outstanding in this game, scoring 30 points and grabbing 10 rebounds and 4 assists, and hit the winning free throws for the Cardinals.
In the end, Gonzaga had their key players foul out, Louisville did not have any player hit the 5 foul limit. Gonzaga’s depth was tested and they did well, only to fall short.
Here they are! Enjoy!
Semifinal #1
#4 Gonzaga vs. #2 Duke: A crazy up and down first half has led Duke to a 2-point lead over Gonzaga at halftime in the Final Four. But in the second half, it’s Gonzaga who jumps out to an 11-point lead. Duke won’t go down easy, though, and with 4:06 to go they have tied it at 74. They proceed to make a run and go up 83-77. But wait, the Zags won’t go down. After a 2-1 exchange of free throws in favor of the Bulldogs, GRAY HITS A 3 FOR GONZAGA! AND THEY’RE WITHIN 2 WITH 15 SECONDS LEFT! Henderson is fouled. He makes his first! BUT MISSES THE SECOND! REBOUND GONZAGA! 13 SECONDS LEFT! 3-POINT LEAD! Daye gets the ball AND HE BURIES A 3 TO TIE IT WITH 4 SECONDS LEFT!!! ONIONS!!!!! HENDERSON A CHANCE FOR THE WIN…..OFF THE MARK! WE’RE GOING TO OVERTIME!!! 85-85! Gonzaga starts the OT with a 7-0 run! Could it be? Could it be that the Zags are going to a National Championship? Duke is roaring back! Singler hits a 3 and it’s a 4-point game! Gonzaga responds with a basket. It’s Duke’s turn with 1:32 to go trailing by 6 and Williams it’s the perimeter jumper AND-1! The freebie is good. 1:25 to go. Heytvelt misses badly for Gonzaga BUT HE CORRALS HIS OWN REBOUND! The pass is PICKED OFF BY JUKE! CHANCE TO TIE WITH 52 TO GO! NO GOOD! REBOUND GONZAGA! 94-91 THEY LEAD WITH 51 SECONDS LEFT! They let some time run out. Shot clock down to 5 and HEYTVELT HITS A JUMPER!!!! 5-POINT LEAD!! 20 SECONDS LEFT!! IS THAT THE DAGGER?!? DUKE NEEDS A BASKET AND THEY NEED IT IN A HURRY! SINGLER FROM 3……NOOO!!!!! THOMAS THE REBOUND!!! TIME’S TICKING!! THOMAS THE 3…..NOO!!!!! REBOUND GONZAGA AND THERE’S THE BUZZER!!!!! ……………..GONZAGA’S GOING TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!! THEY’VE BEATEN DUKE 96-91 IN OVERTIME!!…UNBELIEVEABLE!! ONIONS!!
Semifinal #2
#1 UConn vs. #1 Louisville: The rematch between two Big East rivals for the right to face Gonzaga in the title game. Last time these two faced UConn dominated Louisville at Freedom Hall. This time around, Hasheem was held to just 12 points, although he shot 5-7 from the floor. It was a tight first half, neither lteam leading by more than 8. A Kemba Walker shot cut the Cardinals lead to 40-36 at the half. There were 3 lead changes in the 2nd half but the game remained tight. However, Hasheem Thabeet was in foul trouble and couldn’t afford to foul out. Louisville’s bench outscored UConn’s bench 32-22, and it was bench player Edgar Sosa who scored on a layup to give Louisville a 77-76 lead with 2:37 to go. With :14 left and the game in favor of the Cardinals 79-77, Samardo Samuels stepped up to the line for two crucial free throws. Samuels hits the first free throw! If he hits the second then he may have won it!! HE HITS BOTH!! IT IS 81-77!!! LAST CHANCE FOR UCONN!! AUSTRIE FOR THREE!! NO!!! THABEET THE REBOUND!!! THEY’RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME!! THABEET FOR THREE!!!!! NO!!! REBOUND BY TERRENCE WILLIAMS AND TIME EXPIRES!!!!!!!! LOUISVILLE GETS REVENGE ON UCONN AND ADVANCE TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME TO FACE GONZAGA!!! A THRILLING 81-77 WIN FOR RICK PITINO’S SQUAD!! THERE WILL BE NO THIRD MIRACLE FOR THE HUSKIES!!!
And now the national championship game, courtesy of Mookie from SSR.
Gonzaga’s road to the national championship game was a shocker. They plowed through Akron but won a nailbiter over Illinois 70-67. North Carolina proved to be no match for the Zags and they lost 83-69 in the Sweet 16. They beat Cinderella team Clemson in the regional final to advance to the Final Four, where they beat Duke in OT 96-91. A lot of close games, but these Bulldogs have been through it all.
Louisville on the other hand breezed to the Final Four. Blowout wins over Morehead State and Siena, followed by a late run to beat Wake Forest, culminating in another blowout over West Virginia in the regional final. Samardo Samuels hit two huge free throws in their national semifinal win over UConn, 81-77.
Many matchups to look forward to. How will the Cardinals stop Jeremy Pargo? Will the Zags have the size to compete for rebounds underneath and be physical? They’ve been called “soft” by most critics, but they’ve gotten this far.
Finally, Rick Pitino and Mark Few, two of the best coaches in the game today, face off for the first time in their illustrious careers.
AND WE ARE UNDERWAY IN DETROIT!!
1st Half
From the opening tip it was a fast paced game with very few stoppages. However, it would be Gonzaga that went ahead by double digits on a Josh Heytfelt bucket with 6:46 left. The deficit for Louisville was 10, their biggest in the entire tournament. The Cardinals would close out the half outscoring the Zags 11-6 to close the gap to 36-31 at halftime. Both teams shooting very well from the field, and they would continue that throughout the game.
2nd Half
A key moment in the 2nd half came at the 11:15 mark. Will Foster tied the game at 47-47 for Gonzaga, but moments later Louisville’s Terrence Jennings was fouled by Austin Daye. That was Daye’s 4th personal foul already and had to be careful. Amazingly, Mark Few took the gamble and kept him on the floor until the 9:22 mark, when Matt Boulding came in. The fouls kept piling up for Gonzaga and Heytfelt picked up his 4th foul with 1:50 to go! Earl Clark hit both free throws and Louisville was up 75-72. With :58 left, the fun began…
DAYE!!! HITS THE SHOT FROM THE PERIMETER!!! GONZAGA LEADS 76-75!!!! AT THE OTHER END!!!!!!! ANDRE MCGEE FOR THREE!!!!!!!!!! OH YES!!! LOUISVILLE LEADS WITH :47 LEFT!!! DAYE FOR GONZAGA!!! NO!!!! STEVEN GRAY THE REBOUND AND THEY HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE!!! AN ILLEGAL SCREEN CALLED ON DAYE!!!!!!! HE HAS FOULED OUT WITH :21 LEFT!!! UNBELIEVABLE!! TIMEOUT CALLED!!!!
JENNINGS IS FOULED BY HEYTFELT!!! HE HAS FOULED OUT!!! GONZAGA LOSING PLAYERS LEFT AND RIGHT!!! Jennings hits both free throws!! It’s 80-76! BOULDIN FOR THREE!! NO GOOD!!! THE TIP BY FOSTER!! 80-78 WITH :13 TO GO!!!! MCGEE IS FOULED!!!
FIRST FREE THROW…..NO GOOD!!! But he HITS THE 2ND! TIME WINDING DOWN!!! IRA BROWN FOR THE TIE!!!!!!!!!!! HE HITS IT!!!! TIED AT 81-81!!!! JUST 2 TICKS ON THE CLOCK!!! THE INBOUNDS PASS IS KNOCKED AWAY!!! OVERTIME!!!!!!!!
Amazginly, with an extra 5 minutes the game was tight enough and free flowing there were no fouls called. Earl Clark tied the game at 90-90 with :37 left. Last chance to win it in the first OT….
HERE IS MICAH DOWNS FOR THE LEAD!!! NO!!!! TERRENCE WILLIAMS THE REBOUND!!! TIMEOUT LOUISVILLE TO SET UP A PLAY!!! HERE IS THE PASS!!! WILLIAMS IS LEFT OPEN FOR THE TITLE!!!!!!!!!!! NO GOOD!!!!!! DOUBLE OVERTIME!!!!!! WHAT A GAME!!! SIMPLY SUBLIME!!!!
With 1:41 left in the 2nd OT, Foster was called for a charge and became the 3rd player to foul out for Gonzaga. Moments later…..
JERRY SMITH FOR THREE! SCORES!!!! 104-98 LOUISVILLE WITH 1:27 LEFT!!!! GONZAGA IN NO HURRY!!! BROWN FOR A THREE OF HIS OWN!!!!!!!!!! GOT IT!!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!!
After a Williams shot for Louisville went off the mark, Gonzaga had one last chance….
TIME TICKING DOWN!!! PARGO THE SENIOR FOR THE TIE!!!! NO!!! REBOUND SAMUEL WITH :08 LEFT! THEY GET IT TO CLARK!! HE IS FOULED WITH :04 LEFT!!!! IF HE HITS BOTH FREE THROWS IT IS OVER!!! HITS THE FIRST!!!!! AND THE SECOND!!! LOUISVILLE IS GOING TO WIN IT!!!
BOULDIN FIRES A THREE AND IT IS NO GOOD!!!!!!! BUZZER SOUNDS!!!! AFTER A 23 YEAR WAIT….THE LOUISVILLE CARDINALS ARE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS OF 2009!!! A 106-101 DOUBLE OVERTIME CLASSIC!!! GONZAGA LEAVE STUNNED!!! RICK PITINO HAS DONE IT AGAIN!!!
Earl Clark was named Most Outstanding Player, and he was outstanding in this game, scoring 30 points and grabbing 10 rebounds and 4 assists, and hit the winning free throws for the Cardinals.
In the end, Gonzaga had their key players foul out, Louisville did not have any player hit the 5 foul limit. Gonzaga’s depth was tested and they did well, only to fall short.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
March Madness Simulated: The West Region
Here it is, the final region simulated of March Madness. This one was done by Mookie of Stupid Sideline Reporters! Enjoy!
Here it is. The final simulated region post is here! We’ve seen Gonzaga, Louisville, and Duke make their way to Detroit. Who will leave Glendale as West regional champions? Find out after the jump…..
#1 UConn vs. #16 Chattanooga: UConn has had troubles with a #16 seed team before. They were down by double digits to Albany before rallying to win 71-58. Yet again they were in trouble and led only 9-8 in the half and fell behind 44-42 at the end of the first 20 minutes. Chattanooga threw everything at UConn and it worked! They still were up 67-63 with :29 to go, history was in the making and just :07 remained. AJ PRICE HITS THE JUMPER!!! It’s a 2 point game with :07 left!! They foul Khalil Hartwell with :04 left! A one-and-one for Chattanooga! They’re just 10-21 from the free throw line!!! HARTWELL MISSES THE FREE THROW!! JEFF ADRIEN THE REBOUND!!!! LETS IT GO FROM BEYOND HALF COURT FOR THE WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!! HE SCORES ON A PRAYER AND UCONN HAS WON!!!!!!!!! A 68-67 THRILLER FOR THE HUSKIES AND THERE WILL BE NO #16 SEED WINNING THIS YEAR!!!! REMARKABLE!!!
# 8 BYU vs. #9 Texas A&M: The Aggies weren’t bad. Not at all. They lost because BYU shot 54% from the field and couldn’t miss! BYU put up 50 in the first half and never looked back. Something clicked for the Cougars and cruised to victory 83-65 in a game that got boring from the 2nd half onwards.
#5 Purdue vs. #12 Northern Iowa: In one instant, tip-off in Portland between Purdue and Northern Iowa. Moments later, it’s 15-1 Purdue. The Big Ten side hit 8-12 from downtown and the rout was on. Once the Boilermakers started they were never threatened and won in blowout fashion 68-47.
#4 Washington vs. #13 Mississippi State: Jarvis Varnado recorded 3 blocked shots and the Bulldogs beat up on Jon Brockman. The All-Pac-10 first team star was held to 2-9 shooting, but did pick up 10 rebounds. It was a close game throughout, but Washington went on an 8-0 run in the final 2:36 to beat eliminate Mississippi State 77-67. That’s right, MSU went cold when it mattered and are out.
#6 Marquette vs. #11 Utah State: The loss of Dominic James has led to the collapse of the Golden Eagles. They were dominated on the boards and the bench contributed little. Despite all of that, they hung around with the Aggies, who were looking to pull off an upset. A jumper from the perimeter by Lazar Hayward cut Utah State’s lead to 66-64 with 5:36 to go. Wesley Matthews scored the next 2 points for Marquette……with 1:29 left. By then it was too late and Utah State pulled away for the 81-72 upset.
#3 Missouri vs. #14 Cornell: The Ivy League school actually led most of the first half, and by as many as 8 points. Missouri would bounce back from a slow start and take a 37-32 lead into the locker room. In the 2nd half the Tigers blew the doors off of Cornell and won 79-60. Mizzou shot an astounding 55% from the floor and the bench contributed 29 points.
#7 California vs. #10 Maryland: Greivis Vasquez was held to 16 points on 6-17 shooting, a huge factor was taken out of Maryland’s offense. The Terps however would not prove to be a one man show. Landon Milbourne and Eric Hayes helped get their side to within striking distance against the Berkeley school. In the end though, it’s another game that won’t go down to the wire. The huge difference was free throw shooting. Cal shot 19-21 from the stripe, while Maryland was a poor 19-21. The 74-69 scoreline in favor of the Golden Bears is deceiving, as Cal was up by 11 and Maryland hit a three at the end of the game.
#2 Memphis vs. #15 Cal-State Northridge: A dismal first round in the West region was capped off with another blowout win. Like the majority of #15 and #16 seeded teams in the tournament, CS-Northridge hung around in the first half only to get wiped out in the second half. A 75-58 win for the Tigers, whose defense forced 20 turnovers and 7 blocked shots.
2nd Round
#1 UConn vs. #8 BYU: Once again the Huskies got off to a woeful start in the first half. BYU took a surprising 41-31 lead into the break, and looked to do what Chattanooga couldn’t do and finish them off. Unfortunately, they lost their lead late. AJ Price, who led all scorers with 23 points, hit the go-ahead three to make it 62-59 with 2:52. Back and forth they went and UConn held a slim 66-65 lead with :11 left. Price goes to the line. He hits the front end of the one-and-one. Hits the back end. It’s 68-65! BYU WITH ONE LAST CHANCE!!!! JACKSON EMERY FOR THE TIE!!!!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!! IT IS TIED AT 68-68 WITH :06 LEFT!!! UCONN PUSHES AHEAD!!! PRICE AT THE BUZZER!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!! CONNECTICUT WINS AT THE BUZZER AGAIN!!! AJ PRICE HITS A THREE FROM THE LEFT WING AND THE HUSKIES WIN IT 71-68!!! HEARTBREAK CITY FOR BYU!!!
#4 Washington vs. #5 Purdue: Purdue was unable to handle the fast pace of the Washington Huskies for the full 40 minutes. The Boilermakers played their style of basketball and took a 37-32 lead into halftime. However, Washington but up 50 in the 2nd half and Darnell Gant’s jumper with 9:35 left gave the Huskies a 56-55 lead. They never relinquished their advantage and won 82-73.
#3 Missouri vs. #11 Utah State: You aren’t going to win with a -17 rebound differential. Missouri’s lack of a strong rebounder killed them in the 2nd half. A torrid first half saw them lead 42-41, but too many second chances for the Aggies and one-and-dones for the Tigers meant another upset! Utah State beat Missouri 81-71!
#2 Memphis vs. #7 California: Cal never led in this game, had a -16 differential in the boards and the game was over by halftime. A comfortable 82-59 win for Memphis means they advance to the Sweet 16.
Sweet 16
#1 UConn vs. #4 Washington: Well, at least my Washington Huskies went further than JFein’s Villanova Wildcats! The third time in a row these teams face off in the regional semis, and this time there would be no dramatic finish. Five UConn players finished with double-digit point totals and won 87-78 over U-Dub. A 12 point lead for UConn at the break was too much for Washington to overcome.
#2 Memphis vs. #11 Utah State: Unfortunately, the Aggies would not have a third straight upset. As was the theme of the simulated tournament for most of the regionals, a close game broke open when one team forgot to score points in the clutch. A 64-62 lead for the Tigers turned to 73-62 with 2:46 to go and they won the game 79-70. This sets up the highly anticipated matchup between UConn and Memphis.
Elite Eight
#1 UConn vs. #2 Memphis: What? Another blowout? UConn wins 66-52 over Memphis. While the outcome may not be a shocker, the score was surprising. It was a regional final to forget for the crowd in Glendale and the millions watching on TV. It was however an impressive display by the Huskies, who advance to the Final Four.
What will happen in the Final Four when Louisville takes on UConn and Duke takes on Gonzaga? Find out later tonight or tomorrow!
Here it is. The final simulated region post is here! We’ve seen Gonzaga, Louisville, and Duke make their way to Detroit. Who will leave Glendale as West regional champions? Find out after the jump…..
#1 UConn vs. #16 Chattanooga: UConn has had troubles with a #16 seed team before. They were down by double digits to Albany before rallying to win 71-58. Yet again they were in trouble and led only 9-8 in the half and fell behind 44-42 at the end of the first 20 minutes. Chattanooga threw everything at UConn and it worked! They still were up 67-63 with :29 to go, history was in the making and just :07 remained. AJ PRICE HITS THE JUMPER!!! It’s a 2 point game with :07 left!! They foul Khalil Hartwell with :04 left! A one-and-one for Chattanooga! They’re just 10-21 from the free throw line!!! HARTWELL MISSES THE FREE THROW!! JEFF ADRIEN THE REBOUND!!!! LETS IT GO FROM BEYOND HALF COURT FOR THE WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!! HE SCORES ON A PRAYER AND UCONN HAS WON!!!!!!!!! A 68-67 THRILLER FOR THE HUSKIES AND THERE WILL BE NO #16 SEED WINNING THIS YEAR!!!! REMARKABLE!!!
# 8 BYU vs. #9 Texas A&M: The Aggies weren’t bad. Not at all. They lost because BYU shot 54% from the field and couldn’t miss! BYU put up 50 in the first half and never looked back. Something clicked for the Cougars and cruised to victory 83-65 in a game that got boring from the 2nd half onwards.
#5 Purdue vs. #12 Northern Iowa: In one instant, tip-off in Portland between Purdue and Northern Iowa. Moments later, it’s 15-1 Purdue. The Big Ten side hit 8-12 from downtown and the rout was on. Once the Boilermakers started they were never threatened and won in blowout fashion 68-47.
#4 Washington vs. #13 Mississippi State: Jarvis Varnado recorded 3 blocked shots and the Bulldogs beat up on Jon Brockman. The All-Pac-10 first team star was held to 2-9 shooting, but did pick up 10 rebounds. It was a close game throughout, but Washington went on an 8-0 run in the final 2:36 to beat eliminate Mississippi State 77-67. That’s right, MSU went cold when it mattered and are out.
#6 Marquette vs. #11 Utah State: The loss of Dominic James has led to the collapse of the Golden Eagles. They were dominated on the boards and the bench contributed little. Despite all of that, they hung around with the Aggies, who were looking to pull off an upset. A jumper from the perimeter by Lazar Hayward cut Utah State’s lead to 66-64 with 5:36 to go. Wesley Matthews scored the next 2 points for Marquette……with 1:29 left. By then it was too late and Utah State pulled away for the 81-72 upset.
#3 Missouri vs. #14 Cornell: The Ivy League school actually led most of the first half, and by as many as 8 points. Missouri would bounce back from a slow start and take a 37-32 lead into the locker room. In the 2nd half the Tigers blew the doors off of Cornell and won 79-60. Mizzou shot an astounding 55% from the floor and the bench contributed 29 points.
#7 California vs. #10 Maryland: Greivis Vasquez was held to 16 points on 6-17 shooting, a huge factor was taken out of Maryland’s offense. The Terps however would not prove to be a one man show. Landon Milbourne and Eric Hayes helped get their side to within striking distance against the Berkeley school. In the end though, it’s another game that won’t go down to the wire. The huge difference was free throw shooting. Cal shot 19-21 from the stripe, while Maryland was a poor 19-21. The 74-69 scoreline in favor of the Golden Bears is deceiving, as Cal was up by 11 and Maryland hit a three at the end of the game.
#2 Memphis vs. #15 Cal-State Northridge: A dismal first round in the West region was capped off with another blowout win. Like the majority of #15 and #16 seeded teams in the tournament, CS-Northridge hung around in the first half only to get wiped out in the second half. A 75-58 win for the Tigers, whose defense forced 20 turnovers and 7 blocked shots.
2nd Round
#1 UConn vs. #8 BYU: Once again the Huskies got off to a woeful start in the first half. BYU took a surprising 41-31 lead into the break, and looked to do what Chattanooga couldn’t do and finish them off. Unfortunately, they lost their lead late. AJ Price, who led all scorers with 23 points, hit the go-ahead three to make it 62-59 with 2:52. Back and forth they went and UConn held a slim 66-65 lead with :11 left. Price goes to the line. He hits the front end of the one-and-one. Hits the back end. It’s 68-65! BYU WITH ONE LAST CHANCE!!!! JACKSON EMERY FOR THE TIE!!!!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!! IT IS TIED AT 68-68 WITH :06 LEFT!!! UCONN PUSHES AHEAD!!! PRICE AT THE BUZZER!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!! CONNECTICUT WINS AT THE BUZZER AGAIN!!! AJ PRICE HITS A THREE FROM THE LEFT WING AND THE HUSKIES WIN IT 71-68!!! HEARTBREAK CITY FOR BYU!!!
#4 Washington vs. #5 Purdue: Purdue was unable to handle the fast pace of the Washington Huskies for the full 40 minutes. The Boilermakers played their style of basketball and took a 37-32 lead into halftime. However, Washington but up 50 in the 2nd half and Darnell Gant’s jumper with 9:35 left gave the Huskies a 56-55 lead. They never relinquished their advantage and won 82-73.
#3 Missouri vs. #11 Utah State: You aren’t going to win with a -17 rebound differential. Missouri’s lack of a strong rebounder killed them in the 2nd half. A torrid first half saw them lead 42-41, but too many second chances for the Aggies and one-and-dones for the Tigers meant another upset! Utah State beat Missouri 81-71!
#2 Memphis vs. #7 California: Cal never led in this game, had a -16 differential in the boards and the game was over by halftime. A comfortable 82-59 win for Memphis means they advance to the Sweet 16.
Sweet 16
#1 UConn vs. #4 Washington: Well, at least my Washington Huskies went further than JFein’s Villanova Wildcats! The third time in a row these teams face off in the regional semis, and this time there would be no dramatic finish. Five UConn players finished with double-digit point totals and won 87-78 over U-Dub. A 12 point lead for UConn at the break was too much for Washington to overcome.
#2 Memphis vs. #11 Utah State: Unfortunately, the Aggies would not have a third straight upset. As was the theme of the simulated tournament for most of the regionals, a close game broke open when one team forgot to score points in the clutch. A 64-62 lead for the Tigers turned to 73-62 with 2:46 to go and they won the game 79-70. This sets up the highly anticipated matchup between UConn and Memphis.
Elite Eight
#1 UConn vs. #2 Memphis: What? Another blowout? UConn wins 66-52 over Memphis. While the outcome may not be a shocker, the score was surprising. It was a regional final to forget for the crowd in Glendale and the millions watching on TV. It was however an impressive display by the Huskies, who advance to the Final Four.
What will happen in the Final Four when Louisville takes on UConn and Duke takes on Gonzaga? Find out later tonight or tomorrow!
March Madness Simulated: The South Region
This one, like the East Region was done by me. While I am yet to read Mookie's West Region, I must say, this one is my personal favorite. Enjoy some of the craziest finishes in March Madness history!
1st Round
#1 North Carolina vs. #16 Radford
Radford actually took the early 2-0 lead but North Carolina would try to beat them down a bit. But Radford always had a response, down 27-17 they came back to lead 35-34 at one point in the first half! The halftime score would end up being 45-40 UNC on their literal heals against Radford. Fast forward to the second half where once again UNC built up a 10-point lead but once again Radford battled back. THEY WERE WITHIN 2 WITH 1:11 TO GO! But in the end, Thompson hit a dagger floater for the Heels that put them up 4 and Radford was subsequently unable to mount anymore serious threats to the Tar Heels. 89-84 North Carolina survived!
#8 LSU vs. #9 Butler
LSU completely took control of the Butler Bulldogs, leading them 37-26 at halftime. But the tables would be turned in the second half and Butler completely dominated the Tigers. A 22-2 run by the Bulldogs capped off one of the more anti-climatic 11-point comebacks you’ll ever find. Butler 71, LSU 58 the final from Greensboro.
#5 Illinois vs. #12 Western Kentucky
This game does feature a Big 10 team (not to mention a Big 10 team that was on the losing end of a 38-33 game), so naturally, the first half was low scoring and boring. 31-25 Illinois at halftime. The 2nd half starts with Illinois jumping out to a 10-point lead, however, Western Kentucky would battle back and tie the game at 50 with 9:36 to go. Illinois would take the lead back and continue to hang on to a slim margin until TRENT MEACHEM DRILLS A 3 TO PUT THE ILLINI UP BY 6! The Illini are going to finally bury the Hilltoppers. But wait! WKU continues to battle and Steffphon Pettigrew hits a 3 with 8 seconds left! 66-64 Illinois leads! WKU fouls Frazier who makes his first freebie. 3-point lead. THE SECOND ONE IS NO GOOD! Rebound by Sergio Kerusch of WKU and he LAUNCHES A 75-FOOTER AT THE BUZZER………OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!! IT’S GOOD!!!!!!!!!!! WKU’S TIED IT AND WE’RE GOING TO OVERTIME!!!!!!! UNBELIEVEABLE!!!!! Into overtime we go and both teams have trouble scoring early on. The first points come from a Meacham 3 for Illinois! Another minute half goes by without a point and McCamey then knocks down another Illinois 3! 6-point game but WKU would continue to battle! A Pettigrew 3 put the Hilltoppers within 2 with 11 seconds left!!! Ensuing Illinois possession, McCamey is fouled, makes both free throws and that puts away this thriller! 78-72 Illinois in OT! Unbelieveable!
#4 Gonzaga vs. #13 Akron
Gonzaga controlled this game from the opening tip and except for a brief period of time where Akron led 11-10, the Zags led the entire game, thoroughly dominating the Zips, 70-50.
#6 Arizona State vs. #11 Temple
It started out as an exciting back and forth run, but midway through the first half, the Temple Owls decided that that would be a good time to open up a can of whoop ass on the Arizona State Sun Devils. ASU would not get close again and the Temple Owls thoroughly handled them, 77-65, leading by as many as 17 at one point.
#3 Syracuse vs. #14 Stephen F. Austin
Maybe all of those overtimes in the Big East Tourney took something out of the Cuse after all. They were locked in a back and forth battle with the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks, making their first NCAA tournament appearance of all time. The Orange led by just 5 at halftime. They continued to trade blows in the 2nd half and SFA had a 2-point lead with 9:28 to go! But the Cuse would stick with it and despite coming close several times, they would never relinquish their lead, beating SFA 71-67 in a close and entertaining game of basketball.
#7 Clemson vs. #10 Michigan
A lot of the talk surrounding the game was that of welcoming Michigan back into the tournament. Well, Clemson did exactly that. They welcomed Michigan in with open arms and then proceeded to kick them right back out. 77-60 Clemson and I think that final score says more about this game than I ever could in this summary.
#2 Oklahoma vs. #15 Morgan State
As punishment for the Illinois-WKU thriller, all other games must be blowouts. That is the motto that this region goes by. 80-57 OU over Morgan State and to slightly alter a Tim Brando quote, “That’s why you’re Morgan State”.
2nd Round
#1 North Carolina vs. #9 Butler
This game started out back and forth, but 10-minutes in, the Tar Heels just proceeded to take this one over. Butler would make a run in the 2nd half cutting the lead to 8, but that would be all as the Tar Heels kicked some Butler behind in this one, winning 96-74.
#5 Illinois vs. #4 Gonzaga
This one started out as a Gonzaga blowout, up 21-10 early on the Illini but they came roaring back, pulling to within 4 at halftime, 33-29. Zags build their lead back up in the second half, but again Illinois comes back and leads 48-44 midway through the second half. Back and forth they go for the rest of the half. 51 seconds left in the game and McCamey pulls the Illini to within 1! Zaga ball. Up by 1 with 51 seconds left. They left the clock run down. AND PARGO NAILS A 2-POINT JUMPER WITH 19 SECONDS LEFT! IS THAT THE DAGGER? Illinois has one last chance! AND THEY TURN IT OVER! Illinois fouls Josh Heytvelt with 9 seconds left! AND HE MISSES THE FRONT END OF A 1-AND-1! MIKE DAVIS GETS THE REBOUND FOR THE ILLINI! ONE MORE ONE LAST CHANCE FOR ILLINOIS TO TIE THE GAME DOWN BY 3! DAVIS FOR 3 AND THE TIE!.......NO!!! AND THAT’S IT! GONZAGA SURVIVES AND ADVANCES, BEATING ILLINOIS 70-67 IN A THRILLER!
#3 Syracuse vs. #11 Temple
Naturally, if there was a team that would go the entire distance in this game without trailing it would be Syracuse, but that was not the case! Upset City in Miami! The Temple Owls took it to the Orange in a game where Syracuse never threatened to tie or take the lead. 74-62, the Temple Owls upset Syracuse and advance to the Sweet Sixteen! Unbelieveable!
#2 Oklahoma vs. #7 Clemson
The blowout upsets continue in the South Region! This time it is Clemson taking out Oklahoma. They led dominated the game, led 53-38 at halftime, and never looked back en route to a 93-77 triumph over Oklahoma. And this one was ugly. And yes, this does mean that Temple is playing Clemson in the Sweet Sixteen.
Sweet Sixteen
#1 North Carolina vs. #4 Gonzaga
An entertaining start to this one in Memphis! Back and forth and back and forth this one went for the first 20 minutes of play, as Gonzaga and North Carolina played one entertaining half of basketball. Gonzaga led 41-40 at halftime. However, the Gonzaga Bulldogs opened the second half with a 12-1 run and the Tar Heels could never recover from that. And 10 years later, the slipper still fits for Gonzaga! They beat North Carolina 83-69!
#7 Clemson vs. #11 Temple
A very entertaining first half of basketball in Memphis. It started out with some good back and forth action but then Temple got out to a 9-point lead. Clemson would not be fazed, though, they pulled within 4 going into the break, 34-30 Owls. Clemson finishes their comeback but Temple won’t be denied in this one, they jump right out back to an 8-point lead and the Tigers come back from that! Owls now down by 5 with 50 seconds left. INGE HITS A 3 FOR THE OWLS! Clemson has it now. They let some clock run out. 22 seconds. RIVERS MISSES A JUMPER! TEMPLE REBOUND! Time ticking for the Owls! INGE PUTS IT HOME FOR THE OWLS! WE’RE TIED AT 62 WITH 4 SECONDS LEFT! Timeout Clemson. The inbound to Sykes AND HE SCORES A JUMPER! CLEMSON LEADS WITH 1-SECOND LEFT!!!! Temple’s only hope is to inbound it and hope for a Laettner-esque miracle. THE DEEP INBOUND…..CHRISTMAS WITH THE CAAAAAAATCH……FOR THE TIE….YES!!!!!!!!! WE’RE GOING TO OVERTIME! UNBELIEVEABLE!! However, there would be no such drama in the OT period. Temple only scored 2 points in the period and could not make a shot for the life of them and the Clemson Tigers win a thriller by a score of 78-68!
Elite Eight
#4 Gonzaga vs. #7 Clemson
The Big 10 would have greatly enjoyed the start of this game. Very slow start, but it did pick up. They may not have been projected to get this far, but they traded body shots as if it was a heavyweight fight. It just has that big game feel to it. 33-29 Clemson led at halftime. The second half started similarly. This one has classic written all over it. But wait, someone is finally emerging from the fight! It’s Clemson, they lead by 10 with 6:18 to go! Not so fast though, Gonzaga pulls within 1 with 1:31 to go! Clemson responds with a Booker basket AND-1! He converts. 4-point lead, 1:08 to go. Gonzaga has it. Bouldin makes a turnaround 2 from the left corner! 2-point game! 54 seconds left. Clemson is letting sometime run out AND BOOKER MISSES A JUMP HOOK FOR CLEMSON! REBOUND BY PARGO OF GONZAGA! 2 to tie and 3 to win for the Zags! What will they do? Time ticking……Brown has it….passes to Gray……HE SINKS A 3 FROM THE CORNER!!!!!!! GONZAGA LEADS BY 1 WITH 8 SECONDS LEFT! LAST CHANCE TO DANCE FOR CLEMSON! AND THEY TURN IT OVER!!!! THERE’S THE BUZZER! AND GONZAGA!!!!!!! HAS DONE IT!!!!!!! THEY’RE GOING TO THE FINAL FOUR!!!!! WHAT A GAME!!!! WHAT A GAME!!!! WHAT A GAME!!!
Well, that was fun! Hopefully the West Region and the Final Four will be up by the end of the day (because Mookie has the West Region, and part of the Final Four, I won't be able to get them up until he posts them.
1st Round
#1 North Carolina vs. #16 Radford
Radford actually took the early 2-0 lead but North Carolina would try to beat them down a bit. But Radford always had a response, down 27-17 they came back to lead 35-34 at one point in the first half! The halftime score would end up being 45-40 UNC on their literal heals against Radford. Fast forward to the second half where once again UNC built up a 10-point lead but once again Radford battled back. THEY WERE WITHIN 2 WITH 1:11 TO GO! But in the end, Thompson hit a dagger floater for the Heels that put them up 4 and Radford was subsequently unable to mount anymore serious threats to the Tar Heels. 89-84 North Carolina survived!
#8 LSU vs. #9 Butler
LSU completely took control of the Butler Bulldogs, leading them 37-26 at halftime. But the tables would be turned in the second half and Butler completely dominated the Tigers. A 22-2 run by the Bulldogs capped off one of the more anti-climatic 11-point comebacks you’ll ever find. Butler 71, LSU 58 the final from Greensboro.
#5 Illinois vs. #12 Western Kentucky
This game does feature a Big 10 team (not to mention a Big 10 team that was on the losing end of a 38-33 game), so naturally, the first half was low scoring and boring. 31-25 Illinois at halftime. The 2nd half starts with Illinois jumping out to a 10-point lead, however, Western Kentucky would battle back and tie the game at 50 with 9:36 to go. Illinois would take the lead back and continue to hang on to a slim margin until TRENT MEACHEM DRILLS A 3 TO PUT THE ILLINI UP BY 6! The Illini are going to finally bury the Hilltoppers. But wait! WKU continues to battle and Steffphon Pettigrew hits a 3 with 8 seconds left! 66-64 Illinois leads! WKU fouls Frazier who makes his first freebie. 3-point lead. THE SECOND ONE IS NO GOOD! Rebound by Sergio Kerusch of WKU and he LAUNCHES A 75-FOOTER AT THE BUZZER………OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!! IT’S GOOD!!!!!!!!!!! WKU’S TIED IT AND WE’RE GOING TO OVERTIME!!!!!!! UNBELIEVEABLE!!!!! Into overtime we go and both teams have trouble scoring early on. The first points come from a Meacham 3 for Illinois! Another minute half goes by without a point and McCamey then knocks down another Illinois 3! 6-point game but WKU would continue to battle! A Pettigrew 3 put the Hilltoppers within 2 with 11 seconds left!!! Ensuing Illinois possession, McCamey is fouled, makes both free throws and that puts away this thriller! 78-72 Illinois in OT! Unbelieveable!
#4 Gonzaga vs. #13 Akron
Gonzaga controlled this game from the opening tip and except for a brief period of time where Akron led 11-10, the Zags led the entire game, thoroughly dominating the Zips, 70-50.
#6 Arizona State vs. #11 Temple
It started out as an exciting back and forth run, but midway through the first half, the Temple Owls decided that that would be a good time to open up a can of whoop ass on the Arizona State Sun Devils. ASU would not get close again and the Temple Owls thoroughly handled them, 77-65, leading by as many as 17 at one point.
#3 Syracuse vs. #14 Stephen F. Austin
Maybe all of those overtimes in the Big East Tourney took something out of the Cuse after all. They were locked in a back and forth battle with the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks, making their first NCAA tournament appearance of all time. The Orange led by just 5 at halftime. They continued to trade blows in the 2nd half and SFA had a 2-point lead with 9:28 to go! But the Cuse would stick with it and despite coming close several times, they would never relinquish their lead, beating SFA 71-67 in a close and entertaining game of basketball.
#7 Clemson vs. #10 Michigan
A lot of the talk surrounding the game was that of welcoming Michigan back into the tournament. Well, Clemson did exactly that. They welcomed Michigan in with open arms and then proceeded to kick them right back out. 77-60 Clemson and I think that final score says more about this game than I ever could in this summary.
#2 Oklahoma vs. #15 Morgan State
As punishment for the Illinois-WKU thriller, all other games must be blowouts. That is the motto that this region goes by. 80-57 OU over Morgan State and to slightly alter a Tim Brando quote, “That’s why you’re Morgan State”.
2nd Round
#1 North Carolina vs. #9 Butler
This game started out back and forth, but 10-minutes in, the Tar Heels just proceeded to take this one over. Butler would make a run in the 2nd half cutting the lead to 8, but that would be all as the Tar Heels kicked some Butler behind in this one, winning 96-74.
#5 Illinois vs. #4 Gonzaga
This one started out as a Gonzaga blowout, up 21-10 early on the Illini but they came roaring back, pulling to within 4 at halftime, 33-29. Zags build their lead back up in the second half, but again Illinois comes back and leads 48-44 midway through the second half. Back and forth they go for the rest of the half. 51 seconds left in the game and McCamey pulls the Illini to within 1! Zaga ball. Up by 1 with 51 seconds left. They left the clock run down. AND PARGO NAILS A 2-POINT JUMPER WITH 19 SECONDS LEFT! IS THAT THE DAGGER? Illinois has one last chance! AND THEY TURN IT OVER! Illinois fouls Josh Heytvelt with 9 seconds left! AND HE MISSES THE FRONT END OF A 1-AND-1! MIKE DAVIS GETS THE REBOUND FOR THE ILLINI! ONE MORE ONE LAST CHANCE FOR ILLINOIS TO TIE THE GAME DOWN BY 3! DAVIS FOR 3 AND THE TIE!.......NO!!! AND THAT’S IT! GONZAGA SURVIVES AND ADVANCES, BEATING ILLINOIS 70-67 IN A THRILLER!
#3 Syracuse vs. #11 Temple
Naturally, if there was a team that would go the entire distance in this game without trailing it would be Syracuse, but that was not the case! Upset City in Miami! The Temple Owls took it to the Orange in a game where Syracuse never threatened to tie or take the lead. 74-62, the Temple Owls upset Syracuse and advance to the Sweet Sixteen! Unbelieveable!
#2 Oklahoma vs. #7 Clemson
The blowout upsets continue in the South Region! This time it is Clemson taking out Oklahoma. They led dominated the game, led 53-38 at halftime, and never looked back en route to a 93-77 triumph over Oklahoma. And this one was ugly. And yes, this does mean that Temple is playing Clemson in the Sweet Sixteen.
Sweet Sixteen
#1 North Carolina vs. #4 Gonzaga
An entertaining start to this one in Memphis! Back and forth and back and forth this one went for the first 20 minutes of play, as Gonzaga and North Carolina played one entertaining half of basketball. Gonzaga led 41-40 at halftime. However, the Gonzaga Bulldogs opened the second half with a 12-1 run and the Tar Heels could never recover from that. And 10 years later, the slipper still fits for Gonzaga! They beat North Carolina 83-69!
#7 Clemson vs. #11 Temple
A very entertaining first half of basketball in Memphis. It started out with some good back and forth action but then Temple got out to a 9-point lead. Clemson would not be fazed, though, they pulled within 4 going into the break, 34-30 Owls. Clemson finishes their comeback but Temple won’t be denied in this one, they jump right out back to an 8-point lead and the Tigers come back from that! Owls now down by 5 with 50 seconds left. INGE HITS A 3 FOR THE OWLS! Clemson has it now. They let some clock run out. 22 seconds. RIVERS MISSES A JUMPER! TEMPLE REBOUND! Time ticking for the Owls! INGE PUTS IT HOME FOR THE OWLS! WE’RE TIED AT 62 WITH 4 SECONDS LEFT! Timeout Clemson. The inbound to Sykes AND HE SCORES A JUMPER! CLEMSON LEADS WITH 1-SECOND LEFT!!!! Temple’s only hope is to inbound it and hope for a Laettner-esque miracle. THE DEEP INBOUND…..CHRISTMAS WITH THE CAAAAAAATCH……FOR THE TIE….YES!!!!!!!!! WE’RE GOING TO OVERTIME! UNBELIEVEABLE!! However, there would be no such drama in the OT period. Temple only scored 2 points in the period and could not make a shot for the life of them and the Clemson Tigers win a thriller by a score of 78-68!
Elite Eight
#4 Gonzaga vs. #7 Clemson
The Big 10 would have greatly enjoyed the start of this game. Very slow start, but it did pick up. They may not have been projected to get this far, but they traded body shots as if it was a heavyweight fight. It just has that big game feel to it. 33-29 Clemson led at halftime. The second half started similarly. This one has classic written all over it. But wait, someone is finally emerging from the fight! It’s Clemson, they lead by 10 with 6:18 to go! Not so fast though, Gonzaga pulls within 1 with 1:31 to go! Clemson responds with a Booker basket AND-1! He converts. 4-point lead, 1:08 to go. Gonzaga has it. Bouldin makes a turnaround 2 from the left corner! 2-point game! 54 seconds left. Clemson is letting sometime run out AND BOOKER MISSES A JUMP HOOK FOR CLEMSON! REBOUND BY PARGO OF GONZAGA! 2 to tie and 3 to win for the Zags! What will they do? Time ticking……Brown has it….passes to Gray……HE SINKS A 3 FROM THE CORNER!!!!!!! GONZAGA LEADS BY 1 WITH 8 SECONDS LEFT! LAST CHANCE TO DANCE FOR CLEMSON! AND THEY TURN IT OVER!!!! THERE’S THE BUZZER! AND GONZAGA!!!!!!! HAS DONE IT!!!!!!! THEY’RE GOING TO THE FINAL FOUR!!!!! WHAT A GAME!!!! WHAT A GAME!!!! WHAT A GAME!!!
Well, that was fun! Hopefully the West Region and the Final Four will be up by the end of the day (because Mookie has the West Region, and part of the Final Four, I won't be able to get them up until he posts them.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
March Madness Simulated: The Midwest Region
Once again, if this looks familiar, it's because this is being simulpost over at SSR. Anyway, the Midwest Region was Mookie's and here is his simulation of it! (with accurately play-in game included!)
We have to start off with the play-in game first!
Morehead State vs. Alabama State: Not much to talk about here. Morehead State had a +12 rebound advantage and really were not in much danger of letting Alabama State rally. Once the Eagles got the halftime lead they rarely looked back and put the game away late with a 69-60 win. Phil Simms’ school will play Louisville in Dayton, OH.
#1 Louisville vs. #16 Morehead State: Louisville actually trailed by 1 point in the closing minutes of the first half, but took the lead at intermission 28-26. But too much of the Cardinals eliminated all hopes of a #16 beating a #1 seed. Terrence Williams hit a dagger three to put Louisville up 64-47 and cruised to victory. Some late garbage points from the Eagles made the final score 70-58.
#8 Ohio State vs. #9 Siena: Another close game is eventually salted away. The Saints went on a 9-0 run to make 54-49 lead a 63-49 cushion with 3:05 left. Down goes our first Big Ten team. Siena wins it 67-57.
#5 Utah vs.#12 Arizona: A back and forth first half saw Arizona close out the first 20 minutes with an 11-1 run to rally to take a 34-29 lead. Arizona was looking to show the committee that they didn’t make the wrong decision to inexplicably put them in the tournament again. Neither team led by double digits and a grandstand finish was in store. Shawn Green, FOR TWO!!!! GOOD!!! 65-61 UTAH WITH 18 SECONDS TO GO!! SURELY IT IS ALL OVER NOW! Chase Budinger…..RESPONDS WITH A THREE WITH :12 LEFT!!! They foul Carlon Brown with :08 to go and it’s a one-and-one. He hits both! Utah up 67-64. One last chance for Arizona, BUDINGER FROM THE LEFT WING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!!! HE FORCES OVERTIME AS TIME EXPIRES!!!!!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! Unfortunately, Arizona never took the lead in OT and their rallies were answered by Utah. The Utes advance 85-77 over Arizona in overtime.
#4 Wake Forest vs. #13 Cleveland State: We have not had an upset so far. Is this our time? With Cleveland State up 39-28, Norris Cole hit a buzzer-beating three at halftime to take a shock 42-28 lead over the Demon Deacons! With the help of Jeff Teague, Wake Forest quickly cut the lead to 44-42 and it looked like the the Vikings would get blown out. Instead of folding, Cleveland State held on to their lead and and were up 65-63 with 2:14 to go. James Johnson HITS THE BASKET AND ONE!!!!!! WAKE FOREST CAN TAKE THE LEAD!! JOHNSON HITS THE FREE THROW!!! At the other end, Cedric Jackson is fouled! Cleveland State gets the lead back! Teague FOR THREE!!!!!!!!! IT IS GOOD!!! 69-67 WAKE FOREST! Chris Moore is fouled by LD Williams! He hits both free throws and ties it at 69-69! James Johnson is fouled! More free throws and Wake Forest leads 71-69 with :47 left! Last chance for Cleveland State, D’Aundray Brown has the ball……and it’s TAKEN AWAY BY AL-FAROUQ AMINU!!! They’ll let the clock run down, shot clock at 4 and AMINU HITS THE JUMPSHOT!!! :06 LEFT AND WAKE FOREST SURVIVES!!! 73-69 Wake Forest advances with a dramatic comeback.
#6 West Virginia vs. #11 Dayton: West Virginia took a 27-22 lead and made it 35-22 by halftime and cruised to victory in a relatively boring game. The sexy pick to be the next Cinderella gets wiped out in the 1st round. A 70-54 win for Bob Huggins’ side.
#3 Kansas vs. #14 North Dakota State: The game was over midway through the 2nd half and the defending champs pull off a really easy victory. Kansas 81 North Dakota State 64
#7 Boston College vs. #10 USC: The Eagles held the Pac-10 tournament champions to 32% shooting from the field, including 2-10 from downtown, and won in a blowout. Joe Trapani’s 20 point performance on 7-12 shooting complimented Tyrese Rice’s 23 points (7 rebounds and 5 assists) in their 73-55 win.
#2 Michigan State vs. #15 Robert Morris: It was supposed to be a walkover, but the Spartans found themselves tied 36-36 with lowly Robert Morris at halftime. Jeremy Chappell hit 5 of his 7 three-point shots to keep the Colonials in the game. With the outcome too close to call, it came down to who could shoot better in the clutch. Bateko Francisco, GOES FOR THREE!!! YES!!! THE COLONIALS LEAD 73-66 with 1:32 TO GO!!! After some free throws were made…..Durell Summers hits the three at the buzzer but it’s all over!!!!!!!!!! ROBERT MORRIS HAS PULLED OFF ONE OF THE BIGGEST UPSETS IN THE HISTORY OF MARCH MADNESS!!! THEY KNOCK OFF MICHIGAN STATE 81-75 IN A SHOCKER!!
2nd Round
#1 Louisville vs. #9 Siena: The 2nd round began with another blowout. Siena only had the right to say they led 2-0, because after that they got wiped out. Siena was down by 11 at the half and only got within 8 and that was it. Louisville goes to the sweet 16 with an 82-63 romp. The Cardinals shot 53.3% from the field and had 5 players score in double figures.
#5 Utah vs. #4 Wake Forest: Despite Jeff Teague scoring just 6 points, he dished out 7 assists and helped Wake Forest throttle Utah 64-54. The score is deceiving, as Wake Forest was up 55-38 and went into cruise control from that point. The Utes did cut it to 55-49 but it was too late, they had nothing left, and Wake Forest advances.
#6 West Virginia vs. #3 Kansas: Only one team led in this game. Once up by as many as 20, and hit half of their shots……and WEST VIRGINIA KNOCKED OUT KANSAS! Bob Huggins knocked out Duke last year and now Kansas this year. The Mountaineers led 80-60 before Kansas score 7 meaningless points late. De’Sean Butler scored 25 points, hit 3-3 from downtown, and shot 10-13 overall. His side advanced to the Sweet 16! Final Score: West Virginia 80 Kansas 67
#7 Boston College vs. #15 Robert Morris: The Colonials once again played an even first half of basketball, and actually lead 33-31 at the break. Boston College lost in the rebound department, -7 differential, huge in the outcome of the game. It’s an offensive rebound and a 2nd chance opportunity was converted by Dallas Green. A 63-52 lead for Robert Morris wit just 3:49 to go? Could it be? The score 68-63 after the Colonials had their lead trimmed with :24 gave BC one last chance. Here’s Rice for three!!! OFF THE MARK!! RAKIM SANDERS WITH THE REBOUND!!! THEY HAVE TO GET THE SHOT AWAY!!! RICE!!!!!!!!! YES!! A 68-66 GAME WITH :07 LEFT!! HANG ON! JEREMY CHAPPELL FOULED WITH :03 LEFT! HE MISSES THE FIRST!! MAKES THE SECOND! ONE LAST CHANCE FOR BC!! IT’S RICE FOR THE TIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!! CINDERELLA HAS A NEW NAME!! AND IT’S ROBERT MORRIS!!!! THEY KNOCK OFF BOSTON COLLEGE 69-66!!!!
Sweet 16
#1 Louisville vs. # 4 Wake Forest: A close game throughout between two of the top teams in the nation. When it looked like Louisville had put the Demon Deacons away up 60-51, the ACC side stormed back to cut it to 60-59. In the end however, Louisville knocked down two three-pointers (both from Jerry Smith) and took over down the stretch. The Cardinals staved off Wake Forest’s rally and won 77-71.
#6 West Virginia vs. #15 Robert Morris: Cinderella once again played a superior opponent close, and were up 33-30 at halftime. Unfortunately, there would be no third straight improbable win. The Mountaineers seized a 57-47 advantage over the Colonials and never looked back. When Robert Morris had one last chance to pull off a comeback but failed to score in the final 3:31 and fell 71-63. An all Big East matchup in store for the Midwest Regional Final.
Elite Eight
#1 Louisville vs. #6 West Virginia: Blowout. Louisville comes out of Lucas Oil Stadium champions of the Midwest!!! They advance with a comfortable 82-55 wipeout of their conference rivals. Not exactly the close finish in the East regional, and it was a game to forget for West Virginia. They got killed on the boards, couldn’t shoot to save their lives, but failed to play defense and out the door they go. Louisville will face the winner of the West region.
So in the Final Four we know that it is Duke and Louisville. Will they be joined by conference rivals, UNC and UConn, respectively? Or will there be some sort of shocker in the works. Find out tomorrow when the West and South Brackets are revealed!
We have to start off with the play-in game first!
Morehead State vs. Alabama State: Not much to talk about here. Morehead State had a +12 rebound advantage and really were not in much danger of letting Alabama State rally. Once the Eagles got the halftime lead they rarely looked back and put the game away late with a 69-60 win. Phil Simms’ school will play Louisville in Dayton, OH.
#1 Louisville vs. #16 Morehead State: Louisville actually trailed by 1 point in the closing minutes of the first half, but took the lead at intermission 28-26. But too much of the Cardinals eliminated all hopes of a #16 beating a #1 seed. Terrence Williams hit a dagger three to put Louisville up 64-47 and cruised to victory. Some late garbage points from the Eagles made the final score 70-58.
#8 Ohio State vs. #9 Siena: Another close game is eventually salted away. The Saints went on a 9-0 run to make 54-49 lead a 63-49 cushion with 3:05 left. Down goes our first Big Ten team. Siena wins it 67-57.
#5 Utah vs.#12 Arizona: A back and forth first half saw Arizona close out the first 20 minutes with an 11-1 run to rally to take a 34-29 lead. Arizona was looking to show the committee that they didn’t make the wrong decision to inexplicably put them in the tournament again. Neither team led by double digits and a grandstand finish was in store. Shawn Green, FOR TWO!!!! GOOD!!! 65-61 UTAH WITH 18 SECONDS TO GO!! SURELY IT IS ALL OVER NOW! Chase Budinger…..RESPONDS WITH A THREE WITH :12 LEFT!!! They foul Carlon Brown with :08 to go and it’s a one-and-one. He hits both! Utah up 67-64. One last chance for Arizona, BUDINGER FROM THE LEFT WING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!!! HE FORCES OVERTIME AS TIME EXPIRES!!!!!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! Unfortunately, Arizona never took the lead in OT and their rallies were answered by Utah. The Utes advance 85-77 over Arizona in overtime.
#4 Wake Forest vs. #13 Cleveland State: We have not had an upset so far. Is this our time? With Cleveland State up 39-28, Norris Cole hit a buzzer-beating three at halftime to take a shock 42-28 lead over the Demon Deacons! With the help of Jeff Teague, Wake Forest quickly cut the lead to 44-42 and it looked like the the Vikings would get blown out. Instead of folding, Cleveland State held on to their lead and and were up 65-63 with 2:14 to go. James Johnson HITS THE BASKET AND ONE!!!!!! WAKE FOREST CAN TAKE THE LEAD!! JOHNSON HITS THE FREE THROW!!! At the other end, Cedric Jackson is fouled! Cleveland State gets the lead back! Teague FOR THREE!!!!!!!!! IT IS GOOD!!! 69-67 WAKE FOREST! Chris Moore is fouled by LD Williams! He hits both free throws and ties it at 69-69! James Johnson is fouled! More free throws and Wake Forest leads 71-69 with :47 left! Last chance for Cleveland State, D’Aundray Brown has the ball……and it’s TAKEN AWAY BY AL-FAROUQ AMINU!!! They’ll let the clock run down, shot clock at 4 and AMINU HITS THE JUMPSHOT!!! :06 LEFT AND WAKE FOREST SURVIVES!!! 73-69 Wake Forest advances with a dramatic comeback.
#6 West Virginia vs. #11 Dayton: West Virginia took a 27-22 lead and made it 35-22 by halftime and cruised to victory in a relatively boring game. The sexy pick to be the next Cinderella gets wiped out in the 1st round. A 70-54 win for Bob Huggins’ side.
#3 Kansas vs. #14 North Dakota State: The game was over midway through the 2nd half and the defending champs pull off a really easy victory. Kansas 81 North Dakota State 64
#7 Boston College vs. #10 USC: The Eagles held the Pac-10 tournament champions to 32% shooting from the field, including 2-10 from downtown, and won in a blowout. Joe Trapani’s 20 point performance on 7-12 shooting complimented Tyrese Rice’s 23 points (7 rebounds and 5 assists) in their 73-55 win.
#2 Michigan State vs. #15 Robert Morris: It was supposed to be a walkover, but the Spartans found themselves tied 36-36 with lowly Robert Morris at halftime. Jeremy Chappell hit 5 of his 7 three-point shots to keep the Colonials in the game. With the outcome too close to call, it came down to who could shoot better in the clutch. Bateko Francisco, GOES FOR THREE!!! YES!!! THE COLONIALS LEAD 73-66 with 1:32 TO GO!!! After some free throws were made…..Durell Summers hits the three at the buzzer but it’s all over!!!!!!!!!! ROBERT MORRIS HAS PULLED OFF ONE OF THE BIGGEST UPSETS IN THE HISTORY OF MARCH MADNESS!!! THEY KNOCK OFF MICHIGAN STATE 81-75 IN A SHOCKER!!
2nd Round
#1 Louisville vs. #9 Siena: The 2nd round began with another blowout. Siena only had the right to say they led 2-0, because after that they got wiped out. Siena was down by 11 at the half and only got within 8 and that was it. Louisville goes to the sweet 16 with an 82-63 romp. The Cardinals shot 53.3% from the field and had 5 players score in double figures.
#5 Utah vs. #4 Wake Forest: Despite Jeff Teague scoring just 6 points, he dished out 7 assists and helped Wake Forest throttle Utah 64-54. The score is deceiving, as Wake Forest was up 55-38 and went into cruise control from that point. The Utes did cut it to 55-49 but it was too late, they had nothing left, and Wake Forest advances.
#6 West Virginia vs. #3 Kansas: Only one team led in this game. Once up by as many as 20, and hit half of their shots……and WEST VIRGINIA KNOCKED OUT KANSAS! Bob Huggins knocked out Duke last year and now Kansas this year. The Mountaineers led 80-60 before Kansas score 7 meaningless points late. De’Sean Butler scored 25 points, hit 3-3 from downtown, and shot 10-13 overall. His side advanced to the Sweet 16! Final Score: West Virginia 80 Kansas 67
#7 Boston College vs. #15 Robert Morris: The Colonials once again played an even first half of basketball, and actually lead 33-31 at the break. Boston College lost in the rebound department, -7 differential, huge in the outcome of the game. It’s an offensive rebound and a 2nd chance opportunity was converted by Dallas Green. A 63-52 lead for Robert Morris wit just 3:49 to go? Could it be? The score 68-63 after the Colonials had their lead trimmed with :24 gave BC one last chance. Here’s Rice for three!!! OFF THE MARK!! RAKIM SANDERS WITH THE REBOUND!!! THEY HAVE TO GET THE SHOT AWAY!!! RICE!!!!!!!!! YES!! A 68-66 GAME WITH :07 LEFT!! HANG ON! JEREMY CHAPPELL FOULED WITH :03 LEFT! HE MISSES THE FIRST!! MAKES THE SECOND! ONE LAST CHANCE FOR BC!! IT’S RICE FOR THE TIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!! CINDERELLA HAS A NEW NAME!! AND IT’S ROBERT MORRIS!!!! THEY KNOCK OFF BOSTON COLLEGE 69-66!!!!
Sweet 16
#1 Louisville vs. # 4 Wake Forest: A close game throughout between two of the top teams in the nation. When it looked like Louisville had put the Demon Deacons away up 60-51, the ACC side stormed back to cut it to 60-59. In the end however, Louisville knocked down two three-pointers (both from Jerry Smith) and took over down the stretch. The Cardinals staved off Wake Forest’s rally and won 77-71.
#6 West Virginia vs. #15 Robert Morris: Cinderella once again played a superior opponent close, and were up 33-30 at halftime. Unfortunately, there would be no third straight improbable win. The Mountaineers seized a 57-47 advantage over the Colonials and never looked back. When Robert Morris had one last chance to pull off a comeback but failed to score in the final 3:31 and fell 71-63. An all Big East matchup in store for the Midwest Regional Final.
Elite Eight
#1 Louisville vs. #6 West Virginia: Blowout. Louisville comes out of Lucas Oil Stadium champions of the Midwest!!! They advance with a comfortable 82-55 wipeout of their conference rivals. Not exactly the close finish in the East regional, and it was a game to forget for West Virginia. They got killed on the boards, couldn’t shoot to save their lives, but failed to play defense and out the door they go. Louisville will face the winner of the West region.
So in the Final Four we know that it is Duke and Louisville. Will they be joined by conference rivals, UNC and UConn, respectively? Or will there be some sort of shocker in the works. Find out tomorrow when the West and South Brackets are revealed!
March Madness Simulated: The East Region
With the help of Mookie from Stupid Sideline Reporters, we have simulated the entire NCAA Simulation using WhatIfSports. These will be simulpost on both of our sites with the East and Midwest Regions being reavled tomorrow and the South and West Regions being revealed tomorrow with the Final Four and National Championship being posted before the real fun begins. We've written recaps so you can read a short summary of what happened and in case of dramatic endings, it will be just like having Gus Johnson call the games! (Hey, we try!) So now, without further ado, the East Region of the NCAA Tournament!
1st Round
#1 Pitt vs. #16 ETSU
From Dayton, Ohio, it’s #1 Pitt against #16 East Tennessee State. The first half was actually fairly close. Everything that Pitt dished out, ETSU had an answer for and at halftime it’s a 5-point game, 34-29 Pitt. However, the 2nd half is a different story. Smith hits a 3 and ETSU has a lead 4-minutes into the 2nd half! ETSU continues to hang tough, surviving a run from Pitt that gave them back the lead. Will this be the biggest upset in tourney history? No. ETSU continued to hang tough, and were even with in 4 with 4:18 to go, but in the end, Pitt was just too much and they pulled away for a 77-64 final score.
#8 Oklahoma State vs. #9 Tennessee
From Dayton, a typical 8-9 back and forth battle in the first half, with Oklahoma State taking a 37-32 lead into halftime. The second half would be just as exciting. Okie State would extend the lead to 8 early on in the second half and survive numerous runs from the Vols to keep the lead up until 2:16 to go when buried a driving attempt from the paint to give the Vols the 71-70 lead! The Cowboys would take the lead back with a freebies! Back and forth. Smith a jumper for Tennessee with 48 seconds left! Eaton a jumper for the Cowboys with 27 seconds left for the Cowboys! Last chance for Tennessee…..3 SECONDS LEFT!....SMITH FOR THE WIN!......NOOO!!!!!! COWBOYS WIN!
#5 Florida State vs. #12 Wisconsin
From Boise. Another close game. However, it was very Big 10ish. The only drama in the first half came as the Noles hit a buzzer beater to tie the game at 28 at halftime (don’t be deceived by the score, I’m pretty sure more points were scored in the last 2 mintues of that half than the rest of the half. Yawn). FSU would take a 9-point lead midway through the half and would survive a late Wisconsin run to win 62-58. Don’t be deceived by the score, though, there was little drama in this game and the majority of it was played at a snail’s pace.
#4 Xavier vs. #13 Portland State
A tale of two halves in Boise. Portland State jumped out to a 13-3 lead and had a 10-point lead even at 25-15, however, Xavier roared back. They pulled within 5 before halftime and in the second half, they blew Portland State out of the water who could not keep it up for 40 minutes of hoops. 70-60 the final in this one.
#6 UCLA vs. #11 VCU
Philadelphia. And we have our first upset of the tournament! Virginia Commonwealth beat UCLA. Actually, scratch that, they did not beat them, they mopped the floor with them. UCLA had the lead for the first half of the first half, but after that, VCU took the lead and they never looked back, beating the Bruins 73-59.
#3 Villanova vs. #14 American
American University was close to a big upset last year, and they showed that it was no fluke! They jumped out to a 10-6 lead and were either ahead or tied for most of the half. 24-24 at halftime and my Wildcats are in trouble! The second half does not fare much better for the Wildcats, even though they led for most of the 2nd half. It was not by much and American tied it at 51 with 1:14 to go! My Wildcats…..THIS IS NOT GOOD! Anderson gives them the lead by connecting 2 freebies. A 3-second violation on Simon of American and FISHER MAKES THE JUMPER WITH 32 SECONDS LEFT TO PUT THE WILDCATS UP BY 4! American would not come closer for the rest of the game and the Wildcats, somehow survived, beating American 57-51. Phew!
#7 Texas vs. #10 Minnesota
HISTORY IN GREENSBORO!! FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, A BIG 10 ACTUALLY BLEW SOMEBODY OUT!!!!!!!!!!!! Minnesota absolutely killed Texas, 74-56. It was ugly.
#2 Duke vs. #15 Binghamton
Greensboro, NC was the site of yet another blow out in the East Region. As expected (although not by me) the Dukies thoroughly routed Binghamton, never trailing, as they beat up on them by a final score of 78-61.
2nd Round
#1 Pittsburgh vs. #8 Oklahoma State
A good one in Dayton. Back and forth battle in the first half that consisted of the largest lead being 6 for Okie St., however by halftime it was only a one point game. And the 2nd half is just as exciting! This time however the Cowboys would find themselves with a 8-point lead with 2:15 to go. However the Pitt Panthers would battle back. What a finish this one was. Having pulled to within 4 with jumpers and free throws, DIXON MADE A 3-POINT SHOT TO PULL PITT WITHIN 1 WITH 42 SECONDS LEFT! And here we go from Dayton! 15 seconds left, Eaton misses a step back jumper for the Cowboys! BLAIR GETS THE REBOUND! 14 SECONDS LEFT! COWBOYS LEAD BY 1! PITT WITH THE BALL! They let some clock run….5 SECONDS LEFT….FIELDS THE DRIVE…..NO GOOD!!!! REBOUND OKLAHOMA STATE! THERE’S THE BUZZER! COWBOYS UPSET #1! 73-72! UNBELIEVEABLE!
#5 Florida State vs. #4 Xavier
Somebody apparently forgot to tell Xavier that they were on the decline and that they were supposed to suck this tournament. Xavier had the lead for most of the game and while Florida State often battled back and was close for parts in the 2nd half they were never able to catch them and the game never felt like that they would. What was a 33-29 halftime lead for the Musketeers exploded into a 72-59 game by the end of it all, sending Xavier into the Sweet Sixteen to play Oklahoma State.
#3 Villanova vs. #11 VCU
A back and forth first half from the Wachovia Center saw VCU leading by 3 right before the half ended. That is when MAYNOR SUNK A 3 AT THE BUZZER! VCU 36-31 at halftime. That was not the end of the game though, Reynolds gave Villanova the lead with 6:22 to go! 58-57 Villanova led then. However on the ensuing possession a 3 by Rodriguez gave VCU the lead right back and that drained all of the air right out of Villanova! VCU went on to dominate the 3 seeded Wildcats from that point on and it was indeed upset city in Philadelphia! 75-66 VCU advances to the Sweet Sixteen over the heavily favored Wildcats!
#2 Duke vs. #10 Minnesota
There is a reason why the Big 10 has a bad reputation and this game is it. Duke took control of the game early and often, building up an 8-point lead at the half. And while the scoring was fairly even in the second half, Minnesota never came close to challenging Duke’s lead, losing 73-64 to the Blue Devils in a game that was a seemingly bigger blowout than the score indicated.
Sweet Sixteen
#4 Xavier vs. #8 Oklahoma State
The first half featured some exciting action between the Cowboys and the Musketeers. Back and forth and a fair amount of points in this one. 38-36 Okie State led Xavier at halftime. However, in the second half, THE COWBOYS ABSOULUTELY TOOK OVER! How sweet it was for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, who in the 2nd half developed a lead as big as 15 en route to a 82-69 win and a trip to the elite eight.
#2 Duke vs. #11 VCU
Duke is seemingly unstoppable. While there was a little back and forth in the first few minutes, Duke seized control from there. They led the VCU Rams 40-30 at halftime and they never let up in the 2nd half. VCU would never get within 6 of Duke and they basically blew them out. 76-58 Duke wins and that one capped off a rather uneventful Sweet Sixteen in the East Region.
Elite Eight
#2 Duke vs. #8 Oklahoma State
The first half of this game was rather interested. It started out with the Cowboys chasing the Blue Devils in points but they never really had a big lead until they got on a 9-0 run, putting their lead up to 12. But the cowboys immediately answered that with a 7-0 run themselves and they pulled and a Brown jumper at the buzzer brought Okie. St. to within 3 of the Blue Devils at halftime in the TD Banknorth Garden, 39-36 The Cowboys start the half with a 5-0 run and they lead the Devils! Can the 8-seed make the Final Four? Duke quickly responds with a 5-0 run themselves and are back up by 3 with over 15 to go. The Cowboys tied it at 44 and we go a few minutes without any points. Duke then goes on a run and develops a 58-47 lead with 6:57 to go! But wait!! The Cowboys won’t go away! They battle back and a Muonelo tip in makes it a 4-point game with 1:59 to go!! Can they pull off the comeback? It’s difficult. Duke keeps responding, now it’s a 6-point game with 18 seconds left. But wait again! MUONELO FROM 3! THE COWBOYS ARE WITHIN 3! Zoubek is fouled with 16 seconds left and he makes a free throw. 4-point lead….ANDERSON HURLS UP A 3!.... NO GOOD! REBOUND BY ZOUBEK OF DUKE AND HE IS FOULED! He’ll make his freebies and that’ll do it! The Duke Blue Devils advance to the Final Four but what a gutsy effort by the Cowboys!
1st Round
#1 Pitt vs. #16 ETSU
From Dayton, Ohio, it’s #1 Pitt against #16 East Tennessee State. The first half was actually fairly close. Everything that Pitt dished out, ETSU had an answer for and at halftime it’s a 5-point game, 34-29 Pitt. However, the 2nd half is a different story. Smith hits a 3 and ETSU has a lead 4-minutes into the 2nd half! ETSU continues to hang tough, surviving a run from Pitt that gave them back the lead. Will this be the biggest upset in tourney history? No. ETSU continued to hang tough, and were even with in 4 with 4:18 to go, but in the end, Pitt was just too much and they pulled away for a 77-64 final score.
#8 Oklahoma State vs. #9 Tennessee
From Dayton, a typical 8-9 back and forth battle in the first half, with Oklahoma State taking a 37-32 lead into halftime. The second half would be just as exciting. Okie State would extend the lead to 8 early on in the second half and survive numerous runs from the Vols to keep the lead up until 2:16 to go when buried a driving attempt from the paint to give the Vols the 71-70 lead! The Cowboys would take the lead back with a freebies! Back and forth. Smith a jumper for Tennessee with 48 seconds left! Eaton a jumper for the Cowboys with 27 seconds left for the Cowboys! Last chance for Tennessee…..3 SECONDS LEFT!....SMITH FOR THE WIN!......NOOO!!!!!! COWBOYS WIN!
#5 Florida State vs. #12 Wisconsin
From Boise. Another close game. However, it was very Big 10ish. The only drama in the first half came as the Noles hit a buzzer beater to tie the game at 28 at halftime (don’t be deceived by the score, I’m pretty sure more points were scored in the last 2 mintues of that half than the rest of the half. Yawn). FSU would take a 9-point lead midway through the half and would survive a late Wisconsin run to win 62-58. Don’t be deceived by the score, though, there was little drama in this game and the majority of it was played at a snail’s pace.
#4 Xavier vs. #13 Portland State
A tale of two halves in Boise. Portland State jumped out to a 13-3 lead and had a 10-point lead even at 25-15, however, Xavier roared back. They pulled within 5 before halftime and in the second half, they blew Portland State out of the water who could not keep it up for 40 minutes of hoops. 70-60 the final in this one.
#6 UCLA vs. #11 VCU
Philadelphia. And we have our first upset of the tournament! Virginia Commonwealth beat UCLA. Actually, scratch that, they did not beat them, they mopped the floor with them. UCLA had the lead for the first half of the first half, but after that, VCU took the lead and they never looked back, beating the Bruins 73-59.
#3 Villanova vs. #14 American
American University was close to a big upset last year, and they showed that it was no fluke! They jumped out to a 10-6 lead and were either ahead or tied for most of the half. 24-24 at halftime and my Wildcats are in trouble! The second half does not fare much better for the Wildcats, even though they led for most of the 2nd half. It was not by much and American tied it at 51 with 1:14 to go! My Wildcats…..THIS IS NOT GOOD! Anderson gives them the lead by connecting 2 freebies. A 3-second violation on Simon of American and FISHER MAKES THE JUMPER WITH 32 SECONDS LEFT TO PUT THE WILDCATS UP BY 4! American would not come closer for the rest of the game and the Wildcats, somehow survived, beating American 57-51. Phew!
#7 Texas vs. #10 Minnesota
HISTORY IN GREENSBORO!! FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, A BIG 10 ACTUALLY BLEW SOMEBODY OUT!!!!!!!!!!!! Minnesota absolutely killed Texas, 74-56. It was ugly.
#2 Duke vs. #15 Binghamton
Greensboro, NC was the site of yet another blow out in the East Region. As expected (although not by me) the Dukies thoroughly routed Binghamton, never trailing, as they beat up on them by a final score of 78-61.
2nd Round
#1 Pittsburgh vs. #8 Oklahoma State
A good one in Dayton. Back and forth battle in the first half that consisted of the largest lead being 6 for Okie St., however by halftime it was only a one point game. And the 2nd half is just as exciting! This time however the Cowboys would find themselves with a 8-point lead with 2:15 to go. However the Pitt Panthers would battle back. What a finish this one was. Having pulled to within 4 with jumpers and free throws, DIXON MADE A 3-POINT SHOT TO PULL PITT WITHIN 1 WITH 42 SECONDS LEFT! And here we go from Dayton! 15 seconds left, Eaton misses a step back jumper for the Cowboys! BLAIR GETS THE REBOUND! 14 SECONDS LEFT! COWBOYS LEAD BY 1! PITT WITH THE BALL! They let some clock run….5 SECONDS LEFT….FIELDS THE DRIVE…..NO GOOD!!!! REBOUND OKLAHOMA STATE! THERE’S THE BUZZER! COWBOYS UPSET #1! 73-72! UNBELIEVEABLE!
#5 Florida State vs. #4 Xavier
Somebody apparently forgot to tell Xavier that they were on the decline and that they were supposed to suck this tournament. Xavier had the lead for most of the game and while Florida State often battled back and was close for parts in the 2nd half they were never able to catch them and the game never felt like that they would. What was a 33-29 halftime lead for the Musketeers exploded into a 72-59 game by the end of it all, sending Xavier into the Sweet Sixteen to play Oklahoma State.
#3 Villanova vs. #11 VCU
A back and forth first half from the Wachovia Center saw VCU leading by 3 right before the half ended. That is when MAYNOR SUNK A 3 AT THE BUZZER! VCU 36-31 at halftime. That was not the end of the game though, Reynolds gave Villanova the lead with 6:22 to go! 58-57 Villanova led then. However on the ensuing possession a 3 by Rodriguez gave VCU the lead right back and that drained all of the air right out of Villanova! VCU went on to dominate the 3 seeded Wildcats from that point on and it was indeed upset city in Philadelphia! 75-66 VCU advances to the Sweet Sixteen over the heavily favored Wildcats!
#2 Duke vs. #10 Minnesota
There is a reason why the Big 10 has a bad reputation and this game is it. Duke took control of the game early and often, building up an 8-point lead at the half. And while the scoring was fairly even in the second half, Minnesota never came close to challenging Duke’s lead, losing 73-64 to the Blue Devils in a game that was a seemingly bigger blowout than the score indicated.
Sweet Sixteen
#4 Xavier vs. #8 Oklahoma State
The first half featured some exciting action between the Cowboys and the Musketeers. Back and forth and a fair amount of points in this one. 38-36 Okie State led Xavier at halftime. However, in the second half, THE COWBOYS ABSOULUTELY TOOK OVER! How sweet it was for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, who in the 2nd half developed a lead as big as 15 en route to a 82-69 win and a trip to the elite eight.
#2 Duke vs. #11 VCU
Duke is seemingly unstoppable. While there was a little back and forth in the first few minutes, Duke seized control from there. They led the VCU Rams 40-30 at halftime and they never let up in the 2nd half. VCU would never get within 6 of Duke and they basically blew them out. 76-58 Duke wins and that one capped off a rather uneventful Sweet Sixteen in the East Region.
Elite Eight
#2 Duke vs. #8 Oklahoma State
The first half of this game was rather interested. It started out with the Cowboys chasing the Blue Devils in points but they never really had a big lead until they got on a 9-0 run, putting their lead up to 12. But the cowboys immediately answered that with a 7-0 run themselves and they pulled and a Brown jumper at the buzzer brought Okie. St. to within 3 of the Blue Devils at halftime in the TD Banknorth Garden, 39-36 The Cowboys start the half with a 5-0 run and they lead the Devils! Can the 8-seed make the Final Four? Duke quickly responds with a 5-0 run themselves and are back up by 3 with over 15 to go. The Cowboys tied it at 44 and we go a few minutes without any points. Duke then goes on a run and develops a 58-47 lead with 6:57 to go! But wait!! The Cowboys won’t go away! They battle back and a Muonelo tip in makes it a 4-point game with 1:59 to go!! Can they pull off the comeback? It’s difficult. Duke keeps responding, now it’s a 6-point game with 18 seconds left. But wait again! MUONELO FROM 3! THE COWBOYS ARE WITHIN 3! Zoubek is fouled with 16 seconds left and he makes a free throw. 4-point lead….ANDERSON HURLS UP A 3!.... NO GOOD! REBOUND BY ZOUBEK OF DUKE AND HE IS FOULED! He’ll make his freebies and that’ll do it! The Duke Blue Devils advance to the Final Four but what a gutsy effort by the Cowboys!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Fantasy World Series Game 3: 1980 Phillies vs. 2008 Phillies
Well, let's hope this game actually has a little bit of drama in it. Drama makes everything funner. Once again, credit to WhatIfSports. The winner of this game will cement their role as the best Phillies team ever. The 1980 Phillies won Game 1, 4-1. The 2008 Phillies won Game 2, 5-2. Let's get into Game 3.
From Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pitching Match-up: Bob Walk (ERA 4.57) vs. Jamie Moyer (ERA 3.71)
Top of the First Inning
Garry Maddox starts the game out by grounding to short. Up next is Pete Rose and he will send one a mile high into left center that is easily handled. Mike Schmidt is up next. SCHMIDT SMOKES IT! DEEP TO CENTER.....IS IT ENOUGH?......IT'S GONE! Mike Schmidt hits one that barely clears the wall at center and it's 1-0 1980 Phillies. Ryan Howard catches Bake McBride's liner to end the inning. 1-0 '80 Phils thanks to Mike Schmidt's solo shot.
Bottom of the First Inning
Jimmy Rollins starts things out for the '08 Phillies by grounding out to first. Jayson Werth is up next and he hits a single to left center! Utley and Howard both draw walks and it's bases loaded for Pat Burrell who also walks! That bases-loaded walk ties it at 1! Victorino is up next and he hits one that bounces off the mound into center field! Utley and Howard both score and the '08 Phils lead 3-1 on Victorino's single! Pedro Feliz is up next and he pops out to short. Ruiz hits a fly ball to right center and that will end the inning. 3-1 '08 Phillies.
Top of the Second Inning
Luzinski pops out to Feliz. Manny Trillo gets out on a grounder to short. Boone is up next and he pops one up that lands in the hole! Single for Boone. Bowa does not do him any favors by lining out to J-Roll and ending the inning. 3-1 '08 Philllies.
Bottom of the Second Inning
On comes Jamie Moyer and he hits a line drive!....that's caught easily by Manny Trillo. J-Roll draws a walk. On comes Jayson Werth but look out! Rollins steals 2nd! WERTH!...DEEP!.....GONE! That 2-run shot puts the 2008 Phillies up 5-1! Utley is up next and he LAUNCHES ONE DEEP! AT THE WALL THE CATCH IS MADE BY McBRIDE! Howard steps up to the plate and he singles to center. Burrell lines out to McBride. Victorino is up next and he ends the inning by striking out. 5-1 '08 Phillies.
Top of the Third Inning
Walk is first up and he flies out to deep left. Garry Maddox and he too lets one soar that is caught by Burrell. On comes Pete Rose and he pops one up but it falls through for the single. Schmidt lines out to J-Roll to end the inning.
Bottom of the Third Inning
Pedro Feliz starts the inning by uncorking a popper to McBride. Ruiz comes in and he draws a walk. Moyer again makes contact but he hits into a 5-4 fielder's choice. J-Roll is next and he takes a walk. Up next is Jayson Werth who last time at the plate hit a homerun. This time he waves at a ball outside of the zone. 5-1 '08 Phillies
Top of the Fourth Inning
Bake McBride starts the inning with a walk. Luzinski comes up to bat and meanwhile McBride is trying to steal second! OUT! Luzinski waves at strike 3 out of the strike zone. Trillo ends the inning by grounding out to Howard. Still 5-1.
Bottom of the Fourth
Utley starts the inning by sending a flyball into the hole! Ryan Howard pops one up to McBride. Pat Burrell comes up and he sends one deep to right that's caught by Maddox. Victorino flies out to Luzinski and that'll end the inning. 5-1 '08 Phillies.
Top of the Fifth Inning
Boone starts the inning off with a line drive to center! And the '80 Phillies start with a double. Bowa comes up next and he singles to center! 1st and 3rd with nobody out as Lonnie Smith will pinch-hit for the pitcher, Walk. Smith hits into a 6-4 fielder's choice, which allows Boone to score! 5-2. On comes Garry Maddox. Smith is running! He's got second! Here comes the next pitch, and Smith is going again! He's got third! Maddox flies one down the left-field line! Smith scores easily on Maddox's double and it's 5-3! Rose hits an infield single to short which leaves runners on 1st and 3rd for Schmidt. Schmidt hits into a 3-6 fielder's choice! Maddox SCORES FROM 3RD! And it's 5-4! And it's pitching change time. Durbin is replacing Moyer. McBride with a line drive single! 1st and 2nd for Luzinski who strikes out to end the inning. And this one is interesting, 5-4 '08 Phillies
Bottom of the Fifth Inning
On will come Dickie Noles to pitch for the '80 Phillies. Feliz will lead off the inning by grounding out to short. Ruiz grounds out to Trillol Durbin with a swing and a miss ends the inning. 5-4 '08 Phillies.
Top of the Sixth Inning
Trillo leads off by grounding out to Howard. Boone pops out to Werth. Larry Bowa grounds out to Howard and it's an easy 1-2-3 inning for Durbin. 5-4 '08 Phillies.
Bottom of the Sixth Inning
Jimmy Rollins leads off the inning by popping out to first base man, Pete Rose. Werth comes up next and he connects with a line drive single to left! Utley strikes out. On comes Ryan Howard and he walks. Men on 1st and 2nd for Burrell. Burrell bloops one to left-center! The outfield is late getting to the ball! Werth scores from second easily! AND HOWARD'S TRYING FOR HOME AS WELL! THE THROW TO THE PLATE IS NOT IN TIME! Howard scores and it's 7-4 '08 Phillies on the bloop double by Burrell. Ron Reed is coming on to pitch to Victorino. Flyball to center falls in the hole! Burrell will round 3rd and score! 8-4 '08 Phillies, and it's once again a 4-run game! 2-0ut with Victorino on 2nd and a wild pitch to Feliz sends Victorino to 3rd! Feliz, however strikes out and that'll end the inning. 8-4 '08 Phillies and this one is getting ugly again.
Top of the Seventh Inning
Ron Reed leads off the inning by grounding to short. Maddox is up next and he uncorks one to left for a single. Rose flies out to left cinter. Schmidt bloops one to right-center that sends Maddox all the way to 3rd! 1st and 3rd with 2 out for McBride. McBride lines one to left! Maddox scores and it's 8-5! J.C. Romero comes in to pitch to Greg Luzinski. Luzinski bloops one to left-center! Schmidt scores easily from 2nd! McBride is going to try to score from 1st! THE THROW TO THE PLATE IS NOT IN TIME! '80 PHILLIES ARE WITHIN 1 RUN AGAIN! Trillo flies out to left-center to end the inning. A 2-out rally from the 1980 Philles have them once again within 1. 8-7 in favor of the 2008 Phillies but the old-timers are not going easily into the Philly night.
Bottom of the Seventh Inning
Ruiz starts things off by fling out to left-center. Up next is J.C. Romero. ROMERO LAUNCHES ONE OFF THE WALL! MADDOX OVERPLAYED IT! ROMERO HAS A TRIPLE! INCREDIBLE! J-Roll draws the walk. Jayson Werth is next to bat and Werth flies one deep down the left field line. It's caught by McBride but Romero scores easily and it's 9-7 for the 2008 Phillies! Oh my, here we go again. Here comes Chase Utley. And here we go again, indeed! J-Roll steals second! Okay, maybe not again as Utley grounds out. The 2008 Phillies have tacked on another, leading 9-7.
Top of the Eighth Inning
Bob Boone leads off the top of the eighth inning with a flyout to Pat Burrell. Bowa grounds out to first. George Vukovich comes into pinch hit for the pitcher, Reed and he flies out to right center field. 9-7 2008 Phillies.
Bottom of the Eighth Inning
Kevin Saucier comes into pitch for the 1980 Phillies. Howard grounds out to first. Pat Burrell takes ball 4 and walks. Up next is the Flyin' Hawaiian. OUCH! Victorino is hit by a pitch and it's 1st and 2nd with two out for Pedro Feliz. Feliz grounds it to 2nd.....DOUBLE PLAY! 4-6-3 and that ends the inning. Heading into the ninth inning, the 2008 Phillies have a 2-run lead and are 3-outs away from being considered the best team in Phillies history.
Top of the Ninth Inning
Here we go. Can the 1980 Phillies come back, or will the 2008 Phillies win the series? You can cut the tension with a knife, folks. The 1980 Phillies have the top of their line-up at the plate and here is Garry Maddox with Brad Lidge now on the mound for the '08 Phillies. Maddox is hit in the leg! The tying run is now at the plate with nobody out! Pete Rose takes the plate and he gets hit by a pitch! 1st and 2nd with nobody out for the 1980 Phillies! Mike Schmidt comes up and he strikes out! Here comes Bake McBride to the plate! GROUNDBALL TO 3RD! McBride is out but the runners advance to 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Two out. On comes Luzinski. GROUNDBALL DOWN THE LEFT FIELD LINE! MADDOX SCORES! The 1980 Phillies are now within 1! 9-8. Runners at 1st and 3rd. 2 0ut. Tying run 90 feet way. Trillo at the plate. TRILLO SMOKES A LINER TO RIGHT! MADDOX SCORES FROM 3RD AND THIS GAME IS TIED! UNBELIEVEABLE! 9-9 in the top of the ninth! After not blowing a save all year, Lidge has blown one here. On will come Clay Condrey to pitch with Bob Boone at the plate. Boone walks! Bases loaded, top of the ninth, 2 out, 9-9 game, and on comes Larry Bowa. LARRY BOWA SINGLES TO RIGHT! LUZINSKI SCORES! TRILLO SCORES! THE 1980 PHILLIES HAVE TAKEN THE LEAD! Absolutely incredible. 1st and 2nd with 2 out for Keith Moreland pinch hitting for Kevin Saucier. Moreland sends to through the hole at left-center! BOONE IS GOING TO TRY TO SCORE FROM 2ND! HE'S SAFE! 3-RUN LEAD FOR THE 1980 PHILLIES! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! What a turnaround! From trailing by 2 to now leading by 3, the 1980 Phillies have completely taken control here in the 9th, 12-9. Tom Gordon now comes on to pitch for the 2008 Phillies. Maddox is back up to the plate, he got things started by taking a pitch in the leg. This time he grounds out to first and that finally ends the inning. Another remarkable 2-out rally have put the 1980 Phillies ahead, 12-9. Unbelieveable.
Bottom of the Ninth Inning
Who says we can't have another rally? The 2008 Phillies look as dejected as they have ever looked, but you never know. Tug McGraw comes into pitch. Ruiz is first to bat. Ruiz grounds one to left and reaches on the single! Greg Dobbs is coming into the game to pinch-hit for Tom Gordon. The Phillies need something from Dobbs. And Dobbs delivers! THAT ONE IS HIT TO LEFT CENTER FIELD AND THAT BALL IS OUTTA HERE! A 2-RUN HOMER AND THE 2008 PHILLIES ARE SUDDENLY WITHIN 1! And on top of all that, there's no one out with the top of the line up at the plate. Jimmy Rollins comes in and he grounds out to first. 1 away. Werth is up and he sends one through the hole to left field for the single! The trying run is at first. The winning run is at the plate. Chase Utley walks! Howard gets intentionally walked and the bases are loaded in the bottom of the ninth! On comes Pat Burrell. High popper to right-center! Maddox catches the popper! WERTH TAKES OFF! MADDOX HAS A CHANCE WITH THE THROW! THE THROW TO BOONE IS TOO HIGH! WERTH SCORES! WE'RE TIED! AGAIN! 12-12! How's this for an exciting finish? Good lord. Anyway, here comes Victorino to the plate. A chance to win the game for the Phillies with runners at 2nd and 3rd 2-out. Lerrin Lagrow comes into pitch, replacing Tug McGraw. And here's the Flyin' Hawaiian. VICTORINO SINGLES TO RIGHT CENTER! NO CHANCE AT THE PLATE! UTLEY SCORES! 2008 PHILLIES WIN! 13-12! WHAT A COMEBACK! WHAT A GAME!
Final line
1980 Philadelphia Phillies: 12 runs, 16 hits, 0 errors
2008 Philadelphia Phillies: 13 runs, 14 hits, 0 errors
Well then, can you imagine if that were a real game? It'd be the game of the year in baseball. And I swear that's how WhatIfSports simulated it. Yeah, that was incredible.
That was fun. I hope you were entertained by reading my narrations of the play-by-play of these simulated games. I'll probably have some more simulations in the football offseason, when things are kind of slow.
From Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pitching Match-up: Bob Walk (ERA 4.57) vs. Jamie Moyer (ERA 3.71)
Top of the First Inning
Garry Maddox starts the game out by grounding to short. Up next is Pete Rose and he will send one a mile high into left center that is easily handled. Mike Schmidt is up next. SCHMIDT SMOKES IT! DEEP TO CENTER.....IS IT ENOUGH?......IT'S GONE! Mike Schmidt hits one that barely clears the wall at center and it's 1-0 1980 Phillies. Ryan Howard catches Bake McBride's liner to end the inning. 1-0 '80 Phils thanks to Mike Schmidt's solo shot.
Bottom of the First Inning
Jimmy Rollins starts things out for the '08 Phillies by grounding out to first. Jayson Werth is up next and he hits a single to left center! Utley and Howard both draw walks and it's bases loaded for Pat Burrell who also walks! That bases-loaded walk ties it at 1! Victorino is up next and he hits one that bounces off the mound into center field! Utley and Howard both score and the '08 Phils lead 3-1 on Victorino's single! Pedro Feliz is up next and he pops out to short. Ruiz hits a fly ball to right center and that will end the inning. 3-1 '08 Phillies.
Top of the Second Inning
Luzinski pops out to Feliz. Manny Trillo gets out on a grounder to short. Boone is up next and he pops one up that lands in the hole! Single for Boone. Bowa does not do him any favors by lining out to J-Roll and ending the inning. 3-1 '08 Philllies.
Bottom of the Second Inning
On comes Jamie Moyer and he hits a line drive!....that's caught easily by Manny Trillo. J-Roll draws a walk. On comes Jayson Werth but look out! Rollins steals 2nd! WERTH!...DEEP!.....GONE! That 2-run shot puts the 2008 Phillies up 5-1! Utley is up next and he LAUNCHES ONE DEEP! AT THE WALL THE CATCH IS MADE BY McBRIDE! Howard steps up to the plate and he singles to center. Burrell lines out to McBride. Victorino is up next and he ends the inning by striking out. 5-1 '08 Phillies.
Top of the Third Inning
Walk is first up and he flies out to deep left. Garry Maddox and he too lets one soar that is caught by Burrell. On comes Pete Rose and he pops one up but it falls through for the single. Schmidt lines out to J-Roll to end the inning.
Bottom of the Third Inning
Pedro Feliz starts the inning by uncorking a popper to McBride. Ruiz comes in and he draws a walk. Moyer again makes contact but he hits into a 5-4 fielder's choice. J-Roll is next and he takes a walk. Up next is Jayson Werth who last time at the plate hit a homerun. This time he waves at a ball outside of the zone. 5-1 '08 Phillies
Top of the Fourth Inning
Bake McBride starts the inning with a walk. Luzinski comes up to bat and meanwhile McBride is trying to steal second! OUT! Luzinski waves at strike 3 out of the strike zone. Trillo ends the inning by grounding out to Howard. Still 5-1.
Bottom of the Fourth
Utley starts the inning by sending a flyball into the hole! Ryan Howard pops one up to McBride. Pat Burrell comes up and he sends one deep to right that's caught by Maddox. Victorino flies out to Luzinski and that'll end the inning. 5-1 '08 Phillies.
Top of the Fifth Inning
Boone starts the inning off with a line drive to center! And the '80 Phillies start with a double. Bowa comes up next and he singles to center! 1st and 3rd with nobody out as Lonnie Smith will pinch-hit for the pitcher, Walk. Smith hits into a 6-4 fielder's choice, which allows Boone to score! 5-2. On comes Garry Maddox. Smith is running! He's got second! Here comes the next pitch, and Smith is going again! He's got third! Maddox flies one down the left-field line! Smith scores easily on Maddox's double and it's 5-3! Rose hits an infield single to short which leaves runners on 1st and 3rd for Schmidt. Schmidt hits into a 3-6 fielder's choice! Maddox SCORES FROM 3RD! And it's 5-4! And it's pitching change time. Durbin is replacing Moyer. McBride with a line drive single! 1st and 2nd for Luzinski who strikes out to end the inning. And this one is interesting, 5-4 '08 Phillies
Bottom of the Fifth Inning
On will come Dickie Noles to pitch for the '80 Phillies. Feliz will lead off the inning by grounding out to short. Ruiz grounds out to Trillol Durbin with a swing and a miss ends the inning. 5-4 '08 Phillies.
Top of the Sixth Inning
Trillo leads off by grounding out to Howard. Boone pops out to Werth. Larry Bowa grounds out to Howard and it's an easy 1-2-3 inning for Durbin. 5-4 '08 Phillies.
Bottom of the Sixth Inning
Jimmy Rollins leads off the inning by popping out to first base man, Pete Rose. Werth comes up next and he connects with a line drive single to left! Utley strikes out. On comes Ryan Howard and he walks. Men on 1st and 2nd for Burrell. Burrell bloops one to left-center! The outfield is late getting to the ball! Werth scores from second easily! AND HOWARD'S TRYING FOR HOME AS WELL! THE THROW TO THE PLATE IS NOT IN TIME! Howard scores and it's 7-4 '08 Phillies on the bloop double by Burrell. Ron Reed is coming on to pitch to Victorino. Flyball to center falls in the hole! Burrell will round 3rd and score! 8-4 '08 Phillies, and it's once again a 4-run game! 2-0ut with Victorino on 2nd and a wild pitch to Feliz sends Victorino to 3rd! Feliz, however strikes out and that'll end the inning. 8-4 '08 Phillies and this one is getting ugly again.
Top of the Seventh Inning
Ron Reed leads off the inning by grounding to short. Maddox is up next and he uncorks one to left for a single. Rose flies out to left cinter. Schmidt bloops one to right-center that sends Maddox all the way to 3rd! 1st and 3rd with 2 out for McBride. McBride lines one to left! Maddox scores and it's 8-5! J.C. Romero comes in to pitch to Greg Luzinski. Luzinski bloops one to left-center! Schmidt scores easily from 2nd! McBride is going to try to score from 1st! THE THROW TO THE PLATE IS NOT IN TIME! '80 PHILLIES ARE WITHIN 1 RUN AGAIN! Trillo flies out to left-center to end the inning. A 2-out rally from the 1980 Philles have them once again within 1. 8-7 in favor of the 2008 Phillies but the old-timers are not going easily into the Philly night.
Bottom of the Seventh Inning
Ruiz starts things off by fling out to left-center. Up next is J.C. Romero. ROMERO LAUNCHES ONE OFF THE WALL! MADDOX OVERPLAYED IT! ROMERO HAS A TRIPLE! INCREDIBLE! J-Roll draws the walk. Jayson Werth is next to bat and Werth flies one deep down the left field line. It's caught by McBride but Romero scores easily and it's 9-7 for the 2008 Phillies! Oh my, here we go again. Here comes Chase Utley. And here we go again, indeed! J-Roll steals second! Okay, maybe not again as Utley grounds out. The 2008 Phillies have tacked on another, leading 9-7.
Top of the Eighth Inning
Bob Boone leads off the top of the eighth inning with a flyout to Pat Burrell. Bowa grounds out to first. George Vukovich comes into pinch hit for the pitcher, Reed and he flies out to right center field. 9-7 2008 Phillies.
Bottom of the Eighth Inning
Kevin Saucier comes into pitch for the 1980 Phillies. Howard grounds out to first. Pat Burrell takes ball 4 and walks. Up next is the Flyin' Hawaiian. OUCH! Victorino is hit by a pitch and it's 1st and 2nd with two out for Pedro Feliz. Feliz grounds it to 2nd.....DOUBLE PLAY! 4-6-3 and that ends the inning. Heading into the ninth inning, the 2008 Phillies have a 2-run lead and are 3-outs away from being considered the best team in Phillies history.
Top of the Ninth Inning
Here we go. Can the 1980 Phillies come back, or will the 2008 Phillies win the series? You can cut the tension with a knife, folks. The 1980 Phillies have the top of their line-up at the plate and here is Garry Maddox with Brad Lidge now on the mound for the '08 Phillies. Maddox is hit in the leg! The tying run is now at the plate with nobody out! Pete Rose takes the plate and he gets hit by a pitch! 1st and 2nd with nobody out for the 1980 Phillies! Mike Schmidt comes up and he strikes out! Here comes Bake McBride to the plate! GROUNDBALL TO 3RD! McBride is out but the runners advance to 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Two out. On comes Luzinski. GROUNDBALL DOWN THE LEFT FIELD LINE! MADDOX SCORES! The 1980 Phillies are now within 1! 9-8. Runners at 1st and 3rd. 2 0ut. Tying run 90 feet way. Trillo at the plate. TRILLO SMOKES A LINER TO RIGHT! MADDOX SCORES FROM 3RD AND THIS GAME IS TIED! UNBELIEVEABLE! 9-9 in the top of the ninth! After not blowing a save all year, Lidge has blown one here. On will come Clay Condrey to pitch with Bob Boone at the plate. Boone walks! Bases loaded, top of the ninth, 2 out, 9-9 game, and on comes Larry Bowa. LARRY BOWA SINGLES TO RIGHT! LUZINSKI SCORES! TRILLO SCORES! THE 1980 PHILLIES HAVE TAKEN THE LEAD! Absolutely incredible. 1st and 2nd with 2 out for Keith Moreland pinch hitting for Kevin Saucier. Moreland sends to through the hole at left-center! BOONE IS GOING TO TRY TO SCORE FROM 2ND! HE'S SAFE! 3-RUN LEAD FOR THE 1980 PHILLIES! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! What a turnaround! From trailing by 2 to now leading by 3, the 1980 Phillies have completely taken control here in the 9th, 12-9. Tom Gordon now comes on to pitch for the 2008 Phillies. Maddox is back up to the plate, he got things started by taking a pitch in the leg. This time he grounds out to first and that finally ends the inning. Another remarkable 2-out rally have put the 1980 Phillies ahead, 12-9. Unbelieveable.
Bottom of the Ninth Inning
Who says we can't have another rally? The 2008 Phillies look as dejected as they have ever looked, but you never know. Tug McGraw comes into pitch. Ruiz is first to bat. Ruiz grounds one to left and reaches on the single! Greg Dobbs is coming into the game to pinch-hit for Tom Gordon. The Phillies need something from Dobbs. And Dobbs delivers! THAT ONE IS HIT TO LEFT CENTER FIELD AND THAT BALL IS OUTTA HERE! A 2-RUN HOMER AND THE 2008 PHILLIES ARE SUDDENLY WITHIN 1! And on top of all that, there's no one out with the top of the line up at the plate. Jimmy Rollins comes in and he grounds out to first. 1 away. Werth is up and he sends one through the hole to left field for the single! The trying run is at first. The winning run is at the plate. Chase Utley walks! Howard gets intentionally walked and the bases are loaded in the bottom of the ninth! On comes Pat Burrell. High popper to right-center! Maddox catches the popper! WERTH TAKES OFF! MADDOX HAS A CHANCE WITH THE THROW! THE THROW TO BOONE IS TOO HIGH! WERTH SCORES! WE'RE TIED! AGAIN! 12-12! How's this for an exciting finish? Good lord. Anyway, here comes Victorino to the plate. A chance to win the game for the Phillies with runners at 2nd and 3rd 2-out. Lerrin Lagrow comes into pitch, replacing Tug McGraw. And here's the Flyin' Hawaiian. VICTORINO SINGLES TO RIGHT CENTER! NO CHANCE AT THE PLATE! UTLEY SCORES! 2008 PHILLIES WIN! 13-12! WHAT A COMEBACK! WHAT A GAME!
Final line
1980 Philadelphia Phillies: 12 runs, 16 hits, 0 errors
2008 Philadelphia Phillies: 13 runs, 14 hits, 0 errors
Well then, can you imagine if that were a real game? It'd be the game of the year in baseball. And I swear that's how WhatIfSports simulated it. Yeah, that was incredible.
That was fun. I hope you were entertained by reading my narrations of the play-by-play of these simulated games. I'll probably have some more simulations in the football offseason, when things are kind of slow.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Fantasy World Series Game 2: 1980 Phillies vs. 2008 Phillies
Let's get right into it! Again, this is being done through What If Sports, and if you have not checked it out yet, be sure to head over there as soon as possible. It's a much better addiction than alcohol and drugs, that's for sure! If the '80 Phillies win, they will be crowned the best team in Phillies history, if the '08 Phillies win, we'll have a deciding game 3.
From Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pitching matchup: Dick Ruthven (ERA 3.55) vs. Brett Myers (ERA 4.55)
Top of the First Inning
Garry Maddox leads off the game by lining out to Myers. Pete Rose enters the game and he pops. Mike Schmidt stares at strike 3 and Brett Myers is off to an unusually good start. 0-0.
Bottom of the First Inning
Rollins starts the game for the '08 Phils by popping out to 3rd base man, Mike Schmidt. On comes Jayson Werth and Werth grounds out. Chase Utley sends one sky high to right that's caught by right-fielder Garry Maddox. No score after 1.
Top of the Second Inning
Bake McBride pops one up that lands in the hole! A bloop double gives us our first hit of the game. Up next is Greg Luzinski who lines out to 3rd base. Manny Trillo is up next and, wait a minute, McBride is running! The throw from Myers to Feliz is in time and McBride is out! Trillo grounds to short and that ends the inning. Still no score.
Bottom of the Second Inning
Howard starts the inning by popping out to Trillo. Burrell grounds out. Up next is Victorino and he pops it up to Pete Rose. The '08 Phillies just can't get any offense going whatsoever against this '80 Phils' pitching staff. 0-0 after 2.
Top of the Third Inning
Boone leads off the inning and grounds out. Bowa hits a liner that is grabbed by Chase Utley who makes a diving catch! Up next is pitcher Dick Ruthven who waves at strike 3. Myers is looking solid out there thus, far. Still scoreless.
Bottom of the Third Inning
Pedro Feliz leads off the inning for the Phils and he strikes out. Ruiz is up next and he takes ball 4. On comes Brett Myers and he strikes out. Rollins closes out the inning by launching a popper that is caught by Greg Luzinski out at center field. 0-0 after 3.
Top of the Fourth Inning
Garry Maddox leads off the inning and strikes out. On comes Pete Rose who has a base hit to left-center! Mike Schmidt follows that up by popping one to Feliz. Bake McBride ends the inning by grounding out to short. Still no score.
Bottom of the Fourth Inning
Jayson Werth leads the inning off and he'll rocket one to left-center for a double! On comes Chase Utley and Utley kills one down the right field line! Werth scores easily and it's 1-0 '08 Phillies after Utley's double! The always dangerous Ryan Howard is up next. Howard walks and the Philles have men on 1st and 2nd with nobody out. Pat Burrell is up next and he strikes out. 2 on and 1 out for Victorino who draws a walk! Bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the 4th! Pedro Feliz is up next and that one is SMOKED! IT BOUNCES OFF THE WARNING TRACK AND INTO THE STANDS! GROUND RULE DOUBLE! Utley and Howard cross home and it's 3-0 '08 Fightin Phils! That is the end of Dick Ruthven's day and taking his place is Dickie Noles. Ruiz is up now with runners on 2nd and 3rd. Ruiz hits a ground ball single to right! Victorino scores and it's now 4-0. Now it's Brett Myers' turn to bat. And Noles uncorks a wild one! Feliz advances and scores! 5-0 '08 Phillies! Where was this offense in game 1? Man on 3rd with 1 out and Myers grounds out. Rollins is up next and he waves at strike 3 and finally the inning is over. 5-0 '08 Phillies.
Top of the Fifth Inning
Grez Luzinski leads off the inning with a base hit to center! Manny Trillo is up next and he draws the walk. Bob Boone walks as well and it's already bases loaded in the top of the 5th with nobody out! Larry Bowa hits into a 3-2 fielder's choice. 1 down. Dickie Noles strikes out and Garry Maddox waves at strike 3 and Myers gets out of his jam! 5-0 '08 Philadelphia Phillies
Bottom of the Fifth Inning
Werth once again leads off the inning but this time he strikes out. Utley grounds out. Howard is up next and he LAUNCHES ONE OFF THE WALL! It bounces away from McBride and it's a triple for Ryan Howard! Pat Burrell draws the walk and it's 1st and 3rd with two out for the Flyin' Hawaiian Shane Victorino. Victorino grounds out Noles gets out of the jam. Still 5-0 '08 Phillies.
Top of the Sixth Inning
Rose pops out to short. Mike Schmidt flies out to Victorino. McBride hits a slow roller to 3rd and he'll beat the throw for an infield single! Here comes Greg Luzinski. LOOK OUT! McBride steals second! But Luzkinski grounds out and now it's the '80 Phils that are struggling offensively. They still trail 5-0.
Bottom of the Sixth Inning
Marty Bystrom comes in for the '80 Phillies to pitch. Feliz leads off by grounding out. Ruiz is up next and he pops out. Myers pops one up to right that is handled by Garry Maddox.
Top of the Seventh Inning
Trillo starts the inning by grounding one that is fielded by Ruiz who MAKES A BAD THROW! Trillo reaches on Ruiz's error! Boone it's a ground ball and it's a DOUBLE PLAY! Bowa grounds out to end the inning. Still 5-0 '08 Fightin Phils.
Bottom of the Seventh Inning
Ron Reed comes in to pitch. Rollins leads off the inning by grounding out. Werth grounds out. Utley singles to right! Ryan Howard is up and Ron Reed let's a wild one loose and Utley advances to 2nd! Howard eventually strikes out by waving at one outside of the zone. Two innings to play and it's 5-0 '08 Phillies.
Top of the Eighth Inning
Lonnie Smith comes in as a pinch hitter for Reed. Smith starts off the inning by grounding out. Maddox comes in and has a basehit to right center! Rose is up and he grounds to short, the '08 Phils get the force play at second but the throw to first is not in time! On comes Mike Schmidt and he ABSOLUTELY CRUSHES IT!.....DEEP!.....GONE! HOMERUN! It's a 2-run shot and the '80 Phillies are within 3, 5-2 in the top of the eighth! That will end Myers' day. On will come J.C. Romero. McBride grounds out to first and that'll end the inning. But not before Schmidt's 2-run homer made it a 5-2 game with the '08 Phillies leading.
Bottom of the Eighth Inning
Kevin Saucier is in to pitch for the '80 Phillies. Pat Burrell leads off the inning with a pop up to right. Victorino sees 4-balls (no, not like that, you pervs) and takes 1st base. Feliz grouns it AND IT'S A DOUBLE PLAY! One inning to go and the '08 Phillies lead it 5-2.
Top of the Ninth Inning
This is it. If the '80 Phillies can't score at least 3 runs in this inning, then we will go to a deciding Game 3. Brad Lidge comes on to pitch. Luzinski starts out with a walk! And here we go, perhaps. Manny Trillo is up and he strikes out. One down. Up next is Bob Boone and HE GROUNDS INTO A DOUBLE PLAY! AND THAT'S IT! WE HAVE A GAME 3! The 2008 Philadelphia Phillies have forced a Game 3 by beating the 1980 Phillies 5-2!
Final line
1980 Philadelphia Phillies: 2 runs, 6 hits, 0 errors
2008 Philadelphia Phillies: 5 runs, 6 hits, 1 error
I'll have Game 3 up by the end of the week.
From Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pitching matchup: Dick Ruthven (ERA 3.55) vs. Brett Myers (ERA 4.55)
Top of the First Inning
Garry Maddox leads off the game by lining out to Myers. Pete Rose enters the game and he pops. Mike Schmidt stares at strike 3 and Brett Myers is off to an unusually good start. 0-0.
Bottom of the First Inning
Rollins starts the game for the '08 Phils by popping out to 3rd base man, Mike Schmidt. On comes Jayson Werth and Werth grounds out. Chase Utley sends one sky high to right that's caught by right-fielder Garry Maddox. No score after 1.
Top of the Second Inning
Bake McBride pops one up that lands in the hole! A bloop double gives us our first hit of the game. Up next is Greg Luzinski who lines out to 3rd base. Manny Trillo is up next and, wait a minute, McBride is running! The throw from Myers to Feliz is in time and McBride is out! Trillo grounds to short and that ends the inning. Still no score.
Bottom of the Second Inning
Howard starts the inning by popping out to Trillo. Burrell grounds out. Up next is Victorino and he pops it up to Pete Rose. The '08 Phillies just can't get any offense going whatsoever against this '80 Phils' pitching staff. 0-0 after 2.
Top of the Third Inning
Boone leads off the inning and grounds out. Bowa hits a liner that is grabbed by Chase Utley who makes a diving catch! Up next is pitcher Dick Ruthven who waves at strike 3. Myers is looking solid out there thus, far. Still scoreless.
Bottom of the Third Inning
Pedro Feliz leads off the inning for the Phils and he strikes out. Ruiz is up next and he takes ball 4. On comes Brett Myers and he strikes out. Rollins closes out the inning by launching a popper that is caught by Greg Luzinski out at center field. 0-0 after 3.
Top of the Fourth Inning
Garry Maddox leads off the inning and strikes out. On comes Pete Rose who has a base hit to left-center! Mike Schmidt follows that up by popping one to Feliz. Bake McBride ends the inning by grounding out to short. Still no score.
Bottom of the Fourth Inning
Jayson Werth leads the inning off and he'll rocket one to left-center for a double! On comes Chase Utley and Utley kills one down the right field line! Werth scores easily and it's 1-0 '08 Phillies after Utley's double! The always dangerous Ryan Howard is up next. Howard walks and the Philles have men on 1st and 2nd with nobody out. Pat Burrell is up next and he strikes out. 2 on and 1 out for Victorino who draws a walk! Bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the 4th! Pedro Feliz is up next and that one is SMOKED! IT BOUNCES OFF THE WARNING TRACK AND INTO THE STANDS! GROUND RULE DOUBLE! Utley and Howard cross home and it's 3-0 '08 Fightin Phils! That is the end of Dick Ruthven's day and taking his place is Dickie Noles. Ruiz is up now with runners on 2nd and 3rd. Ruiz hits a ground ball single to right! Victorino scores and it's now 4-0. Now it's Brett Myers' turn to bat. And Noles uncorks a wild one! Feliz advances and scores! 5-0 '08 Phillies! Where was this offense in game 1? Man on 3rd with 1 out and Myers grounds out. Rollins is up next and he waves at strike 3 and finally the inning is over. 5-0 '08 Phillies.
Top of the Fifth Inning
Grez Luzinski leads off the inning with a base hit to center! Manny Trillo is up next and he draws the walk. Bob Boone walks as well and it's already bases loaded in the top of the 5th with nobody out! Larry Bowa hits into a 3-2 fielder's choice. 1 down. Dickie Noles strikes out and Garry Maddox waves at strike 3 and Myers gets out of his jam! 5-0 '08 Philadelphia Phillies
Bottom of the Fifth Inning
Werth once again leads off the inning but this time he strikes out. Utley grounds out. Howard is up next and he LAUNCHES ONE OFF THE WALL! It bounces away from McBride and it's a triple for Ryan Howard! Pat Burrell draws the walk and it's 1st and 3rd with two out for the Flyin' Hawaiian Shane Victorino. Victorino grounds out Noles gets out of the jam. Still 5-0 '08 Phillies.
Top of the Sixth Inning
Rose pops out to short. Mike Schmidt flies out to Victorino. McBride hits a slow roller to 3rd and he'll beat the throw for an infield single! Here comes Greg Luzinski. LOOK OUT! McBride steals second! But Luzkinski grounds out and now it's the '80 Phils that are struggling offensively. They still trail 5-0.
Bottom of the Sixth Inning
Marty Bystrom comes in for the '80 Phillies to pitch. Feliz leads off by grounding out. Ruiz is up next and he pops out. Myers pops one up to right that is handled by Garry Maddox.
Top of the Seventh Inning
Trillo starts the inning by grounding one that is fielded by Ruiz who MAKES A BAD THROW! Trillo reaches on Ruiz's error! Boone it's a ground ball and it's a DOUBLE PLAY! Bowa grounds out to end the inning. Still 5-0 '08 Fightin Phils.
Bottom of the Seventh Inning
Ron Reed comes in to pitch. Rollins leads off the inning by grounding out. Werth grounds out. Utley singles to right! Ryan Howard is up and Ron Reed let's a wild one loose and Utley advances to 2nd! Howard eventually strikes out by waving at one outside of the zone. Two innings to play and it's 5-0 '08 Phillies.
Top of the Eighth Inning
Lonnie Smith comes in as a pinch hitter for Reed. Smith starts off the inning by grounding out. Maddox comes in and has a basehit to right center! Rose is up and he grounds to short, the '08 Phils get the force play at second but the throw to first is not in time! On comes Mike Schmidt and he ABSOLUTELY CRUSHES IT!.....DEEP!.....GONE! HOMERUN! It's a 2-run shot and the '80 Phillies are within 3, 5-2 in the top of the eighth! That will end Myers' day. On will come J.C. Romero. McBride grounds out to first and that'll end the inning. But not before Schmidt's 2-run homer made it a 5-2 game with the '08 Phillies leading.
Bottom of the Eighth Inning
Kevin Saucier is in to pitch for the '80 Phillies. Pat Burrell leads off the inning with a pop up to right. Victorino sees 4-balls (no, not like that, you pervs) and takes 1st base. Feliz grouns it AND IT'S A DOUBLE PLAY! One inning to go and the '08 Phillies lead it 5-2.
Top of the Ninth Inning
This is it. If the '80 Phillies can't score at least 3 runs in this inning, then we will go to a deciding Game 3. Brad Lidge comes on to pitch. Luzinski starts out with a walk! And here we go, perhaps. Manny Trillo is up and he strikes out. One down. Up next is Bob Boone and HE GROUNDS INTO A DOUBLE PLAY! AND THAT'S IT! WE HAVE A GAME 3! The 2008 Philadelphia Phillies have forced a Game 3 by beating the 1980 Phillies 5-2!
Final line
1980 Philadelphia Phillies: 2 runs, 6 hits, 0 errors
2008 Philadelphia Phillies: 5 runs, 6 hits, 1 error
I'll have Game 3 up by the end of the week.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Fantasy World Series Game 1: 1980 Phillies vs. 2008 Phillies
You can thank SSR for this! The moment I clicked on the site on his blog, I was hooked. But anyway, it got me thinking "What Philadelphia Phillies World Series championship team is truly the best Phillies team ever?" That's where What If Sports comes into play. Starting today, I will be conducting a 3-game series between the two teams with the 2008 Phillies being the home team. I'll have Game 2 later in the week and if a Game 3 is necessary, then I'll have that by the end of the weekend. And if the Eagles make it to the Super Bowl, then next week I'll have a 4-team playoff of the last 4 Eagle teams to win an NFC championship. (I count the '60 Eagles NFL championship as an NFC championship). Anyway, let's play ball! (Note: Some details have been fabricated for dramatic purposes, none of which effect the results of the game, each play, or the score, just I want to make so-and-so pops deep to center a little more dramatic and that kind of stuff.)
From Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pitching matchup: Steve Carlton (ERA 2.34) vs. Cole Hamels (ERA 3.09)
Top of the first inning
Up first for the 1980, Phillies is Garry Maddox. Maddox grounds out to 3rd base. Up next is left-fielder Pete Rose. Rose pops one out to left and Burrell comes down with if it. Schmidt is up next for the '80 Phils and he waves at strike 3. Scoreless after the top of the first.
Bottom of the first inning
On comes leadoff man, Jimmy Rollins. He starts out by lining out to 2nd baseman Manny Trillo. Up next is Jayson Werth. Werth also lines out to Trillo. Trillo's beasting it up out there. Up next is the 08 Phils second baseman, Chase Utley. Utley launches one deep.....but not deep enough! Caught by Left fielder Bake McBride at the warning track to end the inning. No score after 1.
Top of the second inning
Bake McBride comes in to lead things off and he blasts one to right for a leadoff double! Up next is Greg Luzinski. Luzinksi launches one.....DEEP TO CENTER FIELD.....IT'S OUTTA HERE! A 2-run shot by Greg Luzinski and the 1980 Phillies strike first! Manny Trillo is up next and he takes a 4-ball walk. Catcher Bob Boone comes in next and he will launch one sky high that is handled with ease by Utley. Larry Bowa is up next and he will hit to left field and pick up a single that advances Trillo to 3rd. 2 on and 1 out for picther Steve Carlton. Carlton pops it up, Victorino makes the catch, Trillo runs and Victorino's throw along the 3rd base line is not in time! Manny Trillo is safe and it's 3-0 for the '80 Phils! Maddox is back up for the 80 Phils and he pops one sky high that is caught by Cole Hamels. The 80 Phils exploded in that inning and they lead the 08 Fightins 3-0.
Bottom of the Second Inning
Howard is first up for the 08 Phils and he grounds out to 2nd base. Pat Burrell is up next and he waves at strike 3 outside of the strike zone. Victorino is up next and he takes it through the hole to left-center field for a single. Up next is 3rd base man Pedro Feliz who hits a groundball, 4-6 fielders choice. The 08 Phils can't produce and trail 3-0.
Top of the Third Inning
Pete Rose starts out the inning by grounding to third. Schmidt is up next and he draws a walk. On comes Greg Luzinski who hits into a fielder's choice. Luzinski, the man who went deep last inning, lines a single out to left and it's 2 on and 2 out for Manny Trillo who walked last time. This time he hits into a 6-4 fielder's choice to end the inning. 3-0 '80 Phils
Bottom of the Third Inning
Ruiz starts the inning by lining out to thrid. Cole Hamels gets his first at bat and waves at a strike 3 that he should have held up on. Rollins sends it DEEP.....Caught at the wall by McBride! The '08 Phils still can't produce anything on offense. 3-0 '80 Phils.
Top of the Fourth Inning
Bob Boone is the first one up and he lines out to Pedro Feliz. Up next is Larry Bowa and Bowa absolutely smacks a line drive to right and picks up a single! Pitcher Steve Carlton lays down the sacrifice bunt which allows Bowa to advance to second. Up next is Greg Maddox who flies out to Burrell to end the inning. '80 Phils still lead 3-0.
Bottom of the Fourth Inning
Jayson Werth leads off the inning by striking out looking. Utley is up next and he sends a grounder to first that is easily taken care of by Pete Rose. Ryan Howard is up next and he manages a groundball single to center! Burrell follows that up by popping out to center and ending the inning. 3-0 '80 Phils.
Top of the Fifth Inning
Pete Rose leads off the inning by popping out to Howard. Mike Schmidt is up next and he singles to center! McBride pops it out to Werth. Here comes the man who hit the 2-run shot in the 2nd, Greg Luzinski. Luzinski grounds out to second and that ends the inning. Still 3-0.
Bottom of the Fifth Inning
Victorino leads off and he strikes out. Up next is Feliz who singles to left. Can the '08 Phils manage to score here? Carlos Ruiz is up and he grounds into a DOUBLE PLAY! 6-4-3 and the '08 Phils are looking pretty futile right now. 3-0 '80 Phils.
Top of the Sixth Inning
Manny Trillo leads off by lining out to J-Roll. Boone waves at strike 3. Larry Bowa walks and that will birng on the pitcher Steve Carlton. Carlton grounds out. The Pitchers Duel Continues, 3-0 '80 Phils.
Bottom of the Sixth Inning
The pithcer, Cole Hamels is up for just his second at bat. He grounds out to Manny Trillo. Rollins is up next and he grounds out to Mike Schmidt. Jayson Werth stars at strike and 3 and it's another 1-2-3 inning. '80 Phils lead 3-0.
Top of the Seventh Inning
Garry Maddox leads off by hitting a shallow flyout. Rose is up next and he LAUNCHES ONE OFF THE WALL! A double for the 80 Phils 1st base man! Schmidt lines one to left and Rose will round 3rd and score without a problem! 4-0 '80 Phils. Bake McBride flies out to right-center. Luzinski grounds one to Howard who makes the easy play. The '80 Phils tacked on one more and they lead 4-0.
Bottom of the Seventh Inning
Steve Carlton has pitched 6 innings of shut out baseball. Can it continue? Utley strikes out on a ball he should not have swun at. Ryan Howard hits a ground ball to left-center that produces a single! Burrell strikes out. Victorino grounds to the 3rd base man, Mike Schmidt. Howard made it on but the '08 Phils still could not score. 4-0 '80 Phils.
Top of the Eighth Inning
Manny Trillo leads off and grounds out to second. Bob Boone is next and he sends one deep only to have it caught by Victorino. Bowa pops one up but no one is there and it falls in the hole! Bowa gets a double. Carlton is up next but he can't advance Bowa as he grounds to Feliz who throws it to Howard and the throw barely beats the runner. Still 4-0.
Bottom of the Eighth Inning
Feliz launches one sky high that is caught by Trillo. Ruiz is up and he HITS A LASER THAT'S CAUGHT BY MIKE SCHMIDT! WHAT A CATCH! Hamels waves at strike 3 and heading into the ninth, the '80 Phils still lead 4-0.
Top of the Ninth Inning
Garry Maddox grounds out to J-Roll. Pete Rose follows that up by also grounding to short. Mike Schmidt also grounds out, this one right to first base man, Ryan Howard. 4-0 '80 Phils.
Bottom of the Ninth Inning
One last chance for the '08 Phillies to come back in this game. Jimmy Rollins is up and he starts the inning with a single to left-center. Jayson Werth takes ball four, and hold on a minute! Utley pops one to center, Rollins runs and is safe at third! Werth holds. Here's Howard. Ryan Howard LAUNCHES ONE DEEP TO THE WALL! CAUGHT BY LUZINSKI! Rollins takes off and scores! The '08 World Series champs are finally on the board! And after 8.2 innings, Steve Carlton will leave the game for the 80 Phillies closer, Tug McGraw. His first batter is Pat Burrell who pops out to third and that's it! The '80 Phillies win a pitching battle against the '08 Phillies and take a 1-0 series lead.
1980 Philadelphia Phillies: 4 runs, 9 hits, 0 errors.
2008 Philadelphia Phillies: 1 run, 5 hits, 0 errors.
Game 2 will be later this week.
From Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pitching matchup: Steve Carlton (ERA 2.34) vs. Cole Hamels (ERA 3.09)
Top of the first inning
Up first for the 1980, Phillies is Garry Maddox. Maddox grounds out to 3rd base. Up next is left-fielder Pete Rose. Rose pops one out to left and Burrell comes down with if it. Schmidt is up next for the '80 Phils and he waves at strike 3. Scoreless after the top of the first.
Bottom of the first inning
On comes leadoff man, Jimmy Rollins. He starts out by lining out to 2nd baseman Manny Trillo. Up next is Jayson Werth. Werth also lines out to Trillo. Trillo's beasting it up out there. Up next is the 08 Phils second baseman, Chase Utley. Utley launches one deep.....but not deep enough! Caught by Left fielder Bake McBride at the warning track to end the inning. No score after 1.
Top of the second inning
Bake McBride comes in to lead things off and he blasts one to right for a leadoff double! Up next is Greg Luzinski. Luzinksi launches one.....DEEP TO CENTER FIELD.....IT'S OUTTA HERE! A 2-run shot by Greg Luzinski and the 1980 Phillies strike first! Manny Trillo is up next and he takes a 4-ball walk. Catcher Bob Boone comes in next and he will launch one sky high that is handled with ease by Utley. Larry Bowa is up next and he will hit to left field and pick up a single that advances Trillo to 3rd. 2 on and 1 out for picther Steve Carlton. Carlton pops it up, Victorino makes the catch, Trillo runs and Victorino's throw along the 3rd base line is not in time! Manny Trillo is safe and it's 3-0 for the '80 Phils! Maddox is back up for the 80 Phils and he pops one sky high that is caught by Cole Hamels. The 80 Phils exploded in that inning and they lead the 08 Fightins 3-0.
Bottom of the Second Inning
Howard is first up for the 08 Phils and he grounds out to 2nd base. Pat Burrell is up next and he waves at strike 3 outside of the strike zone. Victorino is up next and he takes it through the hole to left-center field for a single. Up next is 3rd base man Pedro Feliz who hits a groundball, 4-6 fielders choice. The 08 Phils can't produce and trail 3-0.
Top of the Third Inning
Pete Rose starts out the inning by grounding to third. Schmidt is up next and he draws a walk. On comes Greg Luzinski who hits into a fielder's choice. Luzinski, the man who went deep last inning, lines a single out to left and it's 2 on and 2 out for Manny Trillo who walked last time. This time he hits into a 6-4 fielder's choice to end the inning. 3-0 '80 Phils
Bottom of the Third Inning
Ruiz starts the inning by lining out to thrid. Cole Hamels gets his first at bat and waves at a strike 3 that he should have held up on. Rollins sends it DEEP.....Caught at the wall by McBride! The '08 Phils still can't produce anything on offense. 3-0 '80 Phils.
Top of the Fourth Inning
Bob Boone is the first one up and he lines out to Pedro Feliz. Up next is Larry Bowa and Bowa absolutely smacks a line drive to right and picks up a single! Pitcher Steve Carlton lays down the sacrifice bunt which allows Bowa to advance to second. Up next is Greg Maddox who flies out to Burrell to end the inning. '80 Phils still lead 3-0.
Bottom of the Fourth Inning
Jayson Werth leads off the inning by striking out looking. Utley is up next and he sends a grounder to first that is easily taken care of by Pete Rose. Ryan Howard is up next and he manages a groundball single to center! Burrell follows that up by popping out to center and ending the inning. 3-0 '80 Phils.
Top of the Fifth Inning
Pete Rose leads off the inning by popping out to Howard. Mike Schmidt is up next and he singles to center! McBride pops it out to Werth. Here comes the man who hit the 2-run shot in the 2nd, Greg Luzinski. Luzinski grounds out to second and that ends the inning. Still 3-0.
Bottom of the Fifth Inning
Victorino leads off and he strikes out. Up next is Feliz who singles to left. Can the '08 Phils manage to score here? Carlos Ruiz is up and he grounds into a DOUBLE PLAY! 6-4-3 and the '08 Phils are looking pretty futile right now. 3-0 '80 Phils.
Top of the Sixth Inning
Manny Trillo leads off by lining out to J-Roll. Boone waves at strike 3. Larry Bowa walks and that will birng on the pitcher Steve Carlton. Carlton grounds out. The Pitchers Duel Continues, 3-0 '80 Phils.
Bottom of the Sixth Inning
The pithcer, Cole Hamels is up for just his second at bat. He grounds out to Manny Trillo. Rollins is up next and he grounds out to Mike Schmidt. Jayson Werth stars at strike and 3 and it's another 1-2-3 inning. '80 Phils lead 3-0.
Top of the Seventh Inning
Garry Maddox leads off by hitting a shallow flyout. Rose is up next and he LAUNCHES ONE OFF THE WALL! A double for the 80 Phils 1st base man! Schmidt lines one to left and Rose will round 3rd and score without a problem! 4-0 '80 Phils. Bake McBride flies out to right-center. Luzinski grounds one to Howard who makes the easy play. The '80 Phils tacked on one more and they lead 4-0.
Bottom of the Seventh Inning
Steve Carlton has pitched 6 innings of shut out baseball. Can it continue? Utley strikes out on a ball he should not have swun at. Ryan Howard hits a ground ball to left-center that produces a single! Burrell strikes out. Victorino grounds to the 3rd base man, Mike Schmidt. Howard made it on but the '08 Phils still could not score. 4-0 '80 Phils.
Top of the Eighth Inning
Manny Trillo leads off and grounds out to second. Bob Boone is next and he sends one deep only to have it caught by Victorino. Bowa pops one up but no one is there and it falls in the hole! Bowa gets a double. Carlton is up next but he can't advance Bowa as he grounds to Feliz who throws it to Howard and the throw barely beats the runner. Still 4-0.
Bottom of the Eighth Inning
Feliz launches one sky high that is caught by Trillo. Ruiz is up and he HITS A LASER THAT'S CAUGHT BY MIKE SCHMIDT! WHAT A CATCH! Hamels waves at strike 3 and heading into the ninth, the '80 Phils still lead 4-0.
Top of the Ninth Inning
Garry Maddox grounds out to J-Roll. Pete Rose follows that up by also grounding to short. Mike Schmidt also grounds out, this one right to first base man, Ryan Howard. 4-0 '80 Phils.
Bottom of the Ninth Inning
One last chance for the '08 Phillies to come back in this game. Jimmy Rollins is up and he starts the inning with a single to left-center. Jayson Werth takes ball four, and hold on a minute! Utley pops one to center, Rollins runs and is safe at third! Werth holds. Here's Howard. Ryan Howard LAUNCHES ONE DEEP TO THE WALL! CAUGHT BY LUZINSKI! Rollins takes off and scores! The '08 World Series champs are finally on the board! And after 8.2 innings, Steve Carlton will leave the game for the 80 Phillies closer, Tug McGraw. His first batter is Pat Burrell who pops out to third and that's it! The '80 Phillies win a pitching battle against the '08 Phillies and take a 1-0 series lead.
1980 Philadelphia Phillies: 4 runs, 9 hits, 0 errors.
2008 Philadelphia Phillies: 1 run, 5 hits, 0 errors.
Game 2 will be later this week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)