Re: This day in Big East History
Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2022 11:46 amWow, thanks for posting... no problem for me re-living 1987.
This home win vs SJU really legitimized PC 87, a solid win over a great team (Mark Jackson, Willie Glass, wow... Brust and Bross were just wide body bruisers though... the great Walter Berry had just graduated). Here's an obscure reference-- it had the same effect as say the 76 Patriots beating Pittsburgh and Oakland in consecutive weekends. One is a fluke, two is a pattern (or something like that).
Soon after this SJU win, and being ranked, PC lost at Boston College, with the game played at the Boston Garden, complete with old parquet floor and giant Celtic logo at mid-court... Conte Forum probably wasn't built yet, and BC's homecourt was a tiny fieldhouse (like Walsh Gym or McDonough... top of my head i can't remember its name... an Irish name), so BC would often play at The Garden... so with the game-- a controversial last-second putback by BC got them a 1-point win. Looked like our center Conlon had gotten shoved after a missed 15-footer, a la Drew Pearson against Nate Wright (another obscure reference).
Shortly after that Garden loss, we won our rematch vs the Johnnies at Carnesecca. Similar vibes to the BC game... Johnnies down 1 but held for the last shot... shot was either missed or ball was batted away... anyway a scramble for the ball occurred as it bounced out of bounds off a Friar... the Johnnies' hometown clock guy fell asleep or something and let a couple of seconds tick off to zero... Pitino screamed and hurried the Friars off the court and bench and they all sprinted into the locker room, practically tripping over chairs and also each other.
Back then, replay of course wasn't used, and the clock didn't use tenths of seconds... i think the refs kind of huddled briefly and just said f-ck it and ended the game... i mean, one team was already in the showers, right? Looking back, SJU got kinda screwed, but we justified it because of the ending to the BC game, haha.
P.S. This is all from memory so minor details might be hosed up. If anyone is still following, feel free to make corrections. Old skool Johnnies fans in particular.
This home win vs SJU really legitimized PC 87, a solid win over a great team (Mark Jackson, Willie Glass, wow... Brust and Bross were just wide body bruisers though... the great Walter Berry had just graduated). Here's an obscure reference-- it had the same effect as say the 76 Patriots beating Pittsburgh and Oakland in consecutive weekends. One is a fluke, two is a pattern (or something like that).
Soon after this SJU win, and being ranked, PC lost at Boston College, with the game played at the Boston Garden, complete with old parquet floor and giant Celtic logo at mid-court... Conte Forum probably wasn't built yet, and BC's homecourt was a tiny fieldhouse (like Walsh Gym or McDonough... top of my head i can't remember its name... an Irish name), so BC would often play at The Garden... so with the game-- a controversial last-second putback by BC got them a 1-point win. Looked like our center Conlon had gotten shoved after a missed 15-footer, a la Drew Pearson against Nate Wright (another obscure reference).
Shortly after that Garden loss, we won our rematch vs the Johnnies at Carnesecca. Similar vibes to the BC game... Johnnies down 1 but held for the last shot... shot was either missed or ball was batted away... anyway a scramble for the ball occurred as it bounced out of bounds off a Friar... the Johnnies' hometown clock guy fell asleep or something and let a couple of seconds tick off to zero... Pitino screamed and hurried the Friars off the court and bench and they all sprinted into the locker room, practically tripping over chairs and also each other.
Back then, replay of course wasn't used, and the clock didn't use tenths of seconds... i think the refs kind of huddled briefly and just said f-ck it and ended the game... i mean, one team was already in the showers, right? Looking back, SJU got kinda screwed, but we justified it because of the ending to the BC game, haha.
P.S. This is all from memory so minor details might be hosed up. If anyone is still following, feel free to make corrections. Old skool Johnnies fans in particular.