Roundup: OT thrillers in Stanford and Boulder
What a Thursday night for Pac-12 men’s basketball. Let’s start on The Farm, where Stanford edged UCLA in double overtime thanks to Dorian Pickens’ 27 points and a monster 3-pointer that sent the game into a first OT (tough, tough shot). The Cardinal trailed by 13 points more than midway through the second half before roaring back. Makes up for that head-scratching loss to Cal.
Next, we turn our attention to the Coors Events Center, as Colorado overcame a slow start to defeat No. 4 Arizona State in overtime (BuffZone). Namon Wright scored 19 points to go along with a season-high seven boards for the Buffs.
Bruce Pascoe gives us some postgame tidbits from Arizona’s 94-82 win at Utah. The Wildcats are still undefeated in America. The game was closer than the final score indicates.
Gordon Monson is of the opinion that Utah needs “more muscle” to defeat Arizona. The Wildcats dominated the Utes on the glass to the tune of a 46-23 advantage.
He missed the first half, but Chimezie Metu threw down a monster slam against Cal in the second half of the Trojans’ 80-62 win over the Golden Bears in Berkeley. He put Marcus Lee on a poster there.
Pac-12 women’s basketball action resumes Friday, and our very own Michelle Smith catches up with Arizona State coach Charli Turner Thorne and Utah head honcho Lynne Roberts to talk about the start of the conference season. The Sun Devils and Utes played a thriller in Salt Lake City on Sunday, with ASU escaping with an 83-81 win.
Rusty Simmons writes that Cal women’s basketball forward Kristine Anigwe is becoming a better all-around player. Big game for the Golden Bears at Arizona State Friday night in an Anigwe homecoming game (she’s from Phoenix).
It’s the Civil War in men’s hoops Friday night in Corvallis, and Tyson Alger notes that Oregon wants what Oregon State has, and that’s cohesiveness.
To get the Oregon State perspective on the issue, Danny Moran tells us that Oregon State has the edge in “roster continuity” heading into this game against Oregon.
The Seattle Times columnist Matt Calkins dives in on Washington men’s basketball guard David Crisp’s move to point guard this season.
Ben Bolch reports that UCLA safety Adarius Pickett will return for his senior season. Pickett was second on the team with 85 tackles this year.
John Blanchette of The Spokesman-Review lets us know, in case we forgot, that Washington State head coach Mike Leach is the last coach standing from his Pac-12 hiring class, with Todd Graham, Jim Mora and Rich Rodriguez all being shown the door this year.