Last night was a game for the ages. As I watched the games, the usual USF gameplan played out. The Bulls came out hot in the first half. Noriega looked possessed, making all the 3-pointers he fired up and the Bulls got out to an early lead. But late in the first half, the Bulls offense decided to take a nap and Villanova began to launch an offensive attack and took a huge 16-point lead.
By now, you have seen this before. The Bulls play tough early, but fade in the second half. The team that came out of the locker room didn't seem to remember this gameplan at all. The Bulls came out and played tough defense and made key shots when they needed while Villanova lost big men to injury and foul trouble and went cold from the field. Poland began attacking the hoop like he should always do and make huge plays. Gilchrist battled in the paint and came up big from the free throw line. Crater, yes, Anthony Crater, Mr. Won't Shoot, made some costly turnovers in the game, but in the final seconds, he was able to make two huge layups, one off of an inbound steal and the other when he drove to the hoop and probably surprised Villanova (they weren't expecting him to actually shoot then).
The Bulls got the biggest win of the season and kept their trip to New York going. I honestly did not think the Bulls had a chance in this game, but they were able to pull it out and win the game in the final seconds, something that has haunted the team all season. The Bulls take on Cincinnati tonight in the second round on ESPN. Make sure to watch the game and maybe the magic will carry over to this game and somehow the Bulls will make it a contest.
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