When your a little kid shooting hoops on the driveway, you dream that one day you will have a chance to hit a shot to win a basketball game when your older. For Isaiah Thomas, he was given that chance to knock down the game winning shot.
The game was tied at 75 with 20 seconds to go in the first overtime. Arizona had just hit a three to tie the game and Coach Lorenzo Romar was not going to call timeout. He needed a leader to step up. That leader was Isaiah Thomas. Before the shot, Isaiah Thomas was easily the best Husky in the game. He had 26 points, seven assists and five rebounds. He was exactly the right guy to take the shot.
Thomas had the ball and the Huskies were holding for the last shot. Isaiah Thomas made some moves pulled up and shot the ball. When Thomas took the shot I thought it was the right shot. You didn't want to run a play and risk a turnover like what happened in the previous meeting in the final seconds. When the shot went in I jumped really high. It was a great shot at a great time. I couldn't believe that the Huskies had repeated as the Pac 10 tournament Champions for the first time in school history.
The win should be a great confidence boost for this team. Before the nail biting win over Washington State, Washington was 0-6 in games decided by five points or less. Now the Huskies have won two massive games in a span of 48 hours. In fact, Washington won today's game without the presence of Senior Matthew Bryan Amaning for the final three minutes of overtime.
More Importantly, the Huskies had to dig deep to get the win. The Huskies trailed 36-33 at halftime. The lead continued to switch hands multiple times before Arizona took a 66-62 lead with under 30 seconds to go. After Terence Ross hit a three to cut it to 66-65, Washington fouled Lamont Jones to put him on the foul line. Jones made both free throws to extend the lead to 68-65. Arizona coach Sean Miller decided not to foul and C.J. Wilcox made him pay by hitting a three and sent the game into overtime.
This win was also huge for the Huskies. The Huskies were desperate to revenge their 87-86 loss last month. The Huskies are now playing some of their best basketball of the year at the right time. Furthermore, the huskies the last two weeks are finding different ways to win games. The win over Arizona was no different. The Huskies got the win today without great play from Justin Holiday or Matthew Bryan Amaning.
Honestly, I think that this team is hitting their stride at the right time. The only thing that will hold this team back is a tough draw or fatigue. However, the Huskies will get Vernoy Overton back for the NCAA tournament for some much needed depth. My gut feeling is that Terence Ross will continue to start and Overton will be the first or second guy off the bench.
The Selection Show tomorrow starts at 3pm and can be seen on CBS.
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