UCLA Steals Another One, Beats Cal 81-80
This is almost laughable it’s so bad. UCLA once again had victory snatched from the jaws of defeat, with another bad officiating call at the end of the UCLA/Cal game, giving the Bruins another win in a game that they deserved to lose.
While Kevin Love made a sick three to bring the Bruins to within one; the controversy occurred on the following inbounds play. With seconds left in the game, the officials ignored a clear UCLA hack on a deflection, and instead ruled a turnover, giving the Bruins the ball back. From there, Josh Shipp was able to make a circus shot with 1.5 seconds left to give the Bruins the win.
The Pac-10 apologized for the foul call the UCLA received at the end of the Stanford game; are they going to apologize for the foul that Cal didn’t get at the end of this one? Everyone not in L.A. knows that UCLA gets whatever calls they need on their home floor; and everyone also knows that there is no way that a Pac-10 refereeing squad is going to let UCLA and the Pac-10’s number one seed in the west go down if they can help it.
Don’t ever tell me that the name on the front of the jersey doesn’t matter. This game is the second game in a row that’s proven that little maxim wrong. I feel for Cal fans on this one, their season has been atrocious, and it would have been big for them to knock of the Bruins. But the game was stolen from them, just like the previous game was stolen from Stanford. Mistakes happen, that’s for sure, but two games in a row?
Me no think so.
Get ticked all you want to Bruins fan. You’re mad at what I’m saying because I’m right. Your team is good enough to earn a number one seed without help, but that is not what they’ve done. They have been bailed out twice in the past week, and the other 49 states and 2/3 of your own state will agree with that assessment. That number one seed that you’re going to get is tainted. Period.
And could the announcing crew have gone more than five minutes without mentioning that John Wooden was not in attendance? He’s hurt, it’s sad, we get the picture. But that being said, get well soon Mr. Wooden.
See, I can be nice when I want.
Update: As much as I hate how this game ended, both Love’s three-pointer. and Shipp’s winning shot are worth seeing. Unfortunately, the highlights skip over the uncalled foul and ensuing turnover:
Better video that shows the hack now available inside: