Monday, February 22, 2010

Let's Get Technical

John Cahill is one of tonight's referee, but it wasn't he who whistled Jim Calhoun for a technical 47 seconds into the action.

After Wellington Smith grabbed an offensive rebound – on which Calhoun apparently felt Smith pushed off – and kicked it out to Darryl "Truck" Bryant for a 3-pointer, Calhoun called a timeout and erupted at referee Michael Stephens. Stephens T'd Calhoun up, setting him off even more – and the coach couldn't resist yelling across the court at Cahill, too.

Cahill, of course, has been involved in two controversial calls that have gone against UConn this season and potentially cost them two wins: the Lance Stephenson foul with 0.7 seconds left at Cincy, and the Jim Boeheim timeout at Syracuse.

Anyway, as Johnny Most would have said, "justice was served" as Da'Sean Butler missed both technical free throws and UConn responded with a 14-1 run.

***Didn't realize the Mountaineers were so reliant on jump shots. They've hoisted up 11 3-pointers so far, hitting just three. Most of the rest of their shot attempts have been jumpers.

***Did realize WVU could be susceptible to the press, and while UConn's fullcourt press hasn't led to a bunch of turnovers, it's been pretty effective.

***Who says covering college basketball isn't hazardous work? With 12:17 left in the half, WVU's Joe Mazzulla dove into press row for a loose ball, straight into the Republican-American's Ed Daigneault. Daigneault's soda spilled in his lap, but otherwise he was no worse for the wear. Those Rhode Islanders (Mazzulla is a Johnston, R.I. native) will get ya every time.

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