Game 3: March 25, 1995
NCAA Tournament Elite EIght
UCLA 102 UConn 96
OK, so this wasn’t a UConn win, but if you think about it, it kind of was. UCLA went on to win the National Championship and UConn has won four since then. UCLA has not won any. You tell me who comes out on top.
Ray Allen’s career night is why I chose this one. Allen scored 36 points, 21 in the first half. But my favorite Allen moment came in the second, when he converted a jaw-dropping three from the corner while being fouled and knocked to the ground. This game set the stage for his remarkable 1995-96 season.
UConn Starting Lineup
G. Kevin Ollie
G. Ray Allen
G. Doron Sheffer
F. Donny Marshall
C. Travis Knight
Three game observations:
- I’m not sure how the pace of the game finished, but at one point in the first half, there was a shot every 16 seconds. Oof.
- Doron Sheffer had 24 points but was remarkably cold in the second half. One of his many misses from deep came in the midst of an 11-3 run for UCLA that gave them a 14-point lead and really put UConn on the ropes.
- I’ve loved watching Donny Marshall play over these last two games. He’s the kind of guy I’d hate if he played anywhere else. Tough. Physical. A bit of an edge. Perfect.
Three other observations:
- Long live the era of weird NCAA Tournament courts. The way they do it now sucks.
- Jack Nicholson was at the game, wearing a Boston Red Sox hat. What the hell, Jack?
- At halftime, they threw it to Sean McDonough and Bill Raftery, who had the call for that day’s other Elite Eight game. Raftery was wearing a tux, apparently because it was Kentucky vs. North Carolina, a game featuring college hoops royalty.
Russ’s descent to insanity status:
So far, so good. I swiffered my room during this game.
Random artifact from my room:
My ticket from the 2014 National Championship game, hanging on my door.
Gratuitous old UConn thing:
“Fellas! Set a screen!”
From “Basketball Jim Calhoun’s Way”
Time of Marathon (so far): 4:30:05
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