BEARS’ BULL-EXCHANGES FUND BRUINS, WHO MERRILY LYNCH CAL, 88-66

Bruins Crash Cal’s NCAA hopes, as all the Insider Info about Payback fail to yield a Return On Investment for Bears

If you ignored Tim Floyd’s Stock answer and speculated on the Bears, you’re now a little “broker.”

For once, Floyd was right.  Before the UCLA-Cal rematch, when told that the Bears WANTED the Bruins again, Floyd said:  “Be careful what you ask for.”  Well, Cal got their chance to show how much they “deserved” the lost Pauley game, and even with a full roster and much more motivation than the Bruins should have been expected to have, they couldn’t come close.

This stat really sets the tone:  Cal didn’t hit a shot until SEVEN AND A HALF MINUTES into the game.  The Bruins’ D came out with more intensity than in previous games, and Cal was too tight to hit the few open looks that they got.  UCLA took a 16-4 lead, but Cal battled back.  They came within 2, as Kevin Love sat with 2 fouls and the Bruins cooled off.

But then something beautiful happened:  Lorenzo Mata-Real took over the game.  He filled in for Love and scored 8 Points and Blocked 4 Shots (including 1 awesome one from behind) while the Bruins re-grabbed a double-digit lead.  Thanks to “Lolo’s” effort, and the Defensive energy of the really fired-up Alfred Aboya, the Bruins were able to force THIRTEEN Cal Turnovers, and go to the Locker Room up by 14.  And let’s not take for granted the performances of Darren Collison, Russell Westbrook, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, who all made the Offense look like it didn’t MISS Love.  Luc was even effective ON THE DRIVE, despite the fans who groan every time he goes to the dribble.

So the Second Half started with Love having only 2 Points, in jeopardy of blowing his Streak of Double-Digit Scoring Games.  So what does he do?  He comes out and immediately sinks THREE CONSECUTIVE THREES, to make Love STILL the only Freshman in the Country who has never scored less than 10 Points in a Game, and to completely blow Cal out of the game.  The third Three made the score 48-29, and the rout was on.    But when FSN grabbed Love after the Game, he asked why would they pick him for the Interview — Didn’t they see the Game?  The humble Love was implying that several other Players were more crucial to the win.  The answer was that his great Passing also led to the easy win.  Even though it was Collison’s 19 Points and 5 Assists that paced the Bruins,  Josh Shipp’s 18 Points were more important in the big picture — If Josh is “back,” the Bruins might even be able to Beat SC.

The trojans were the better team in their close shave with ASU, but they needed a horrible call by the Refs to get the win.  A Sun Devil’s Game-Tying putback dunk with 16 seconds left was disallowed on a PHANTOM over-the-back call.  After the game, O.J. Mayo all but admitted the call was blown, with his sly smile, as he said that you just have to roll with the call.

One of the trojan players said that he wanted UCLA to beat Cal, so that they could play the Bruins again.  You would think that they would want a more sure path to the Tourney’s Final Game, but maybe they don’t think UCLA can beat them.  On the other hand, Tim Floyd might want to warn his OWN players about being careful what they wish for.

HOWEVER, this game is meaningless for UCLA – again, thinking in the terms of the “big picture,” as they are, according to the FSN Announcers, pretty much assured of the #1 Seed in the West regardless.  Therefore, sc, who would gain huge brownie points with an upset, will be much more fired-up than UCLA.  Now you’re thinking:  “That’s what you said about Cal.”  Fine.  But let’s just hope that those thugs don’t intentionally injure Kevin Love — Mata-Real might be able to fill in to beat Cal, and maybe even sc, but North Carolina might be another story. 

Below are three more BASKETBALL photos from the previous Cal game.  [No cheer shots today, while we wait on a response to a private Cheer matter]