Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and rock'd by Gunrock the Mustang

Happy Wednesday!  NOT!  First I am branding this blog to the left picture in many ways.  Seattle U 78 UC Davis (last place in the Big West) 88.  There are many great things about being Division I basketball and playing in KeyArena as your home court and seeing the building of a program from the ground up and participating in a sense of community amongst students and alumni and eating a pregame dinner with a "very attractive friend and her daughter" and also having said "very attractive friend and her daughter" sitting next to you courtside and sitting in seats with others that you enjoy in community. Drinking Irish whiskey with fellow alumnus after the game in laughing, with intellectual conversation that are all great experiences - they add value to life and living.  Those events keep you going and keep you coming back for more.  Much like getting a birdie on the 18th hole, but shooting a 98 for the round.

What is not great is losing!  I know, I know, high basketball IQ people, losing builds on the block of teaching lessons on how to win. Now there are games one gets beat, there are games that one wins, and there are the worst games - the ones you lose that you should win - the ones that totally deflate you - the ones that resonate for days.  We had one of those last night.

First Half - the Good Half  Dr. Jekyll- woot woot!

Totally in control SU shot 50% from the field, 33% from downtown and a commendable 86% from the free throw line and had a lead by 12 - before said "Attractive friend and daughter" are having fun eating red ropes and watching SU play really smart skilled ball and be right where the trends pointed them to be.  OK, I love Sports Center and those crazy shots at the buzzer - but I really did not want to be witnessing "live" a three pointer by UC Davis hitting a 45 footer to end the first half to cut the lead to eight.  Okay, no problem SU is 7-1 leading at the half - its all good.  That is me convincing myself nervously.

Second Half  - the bad half shows with Mr. Hyde and I think it was the Red Ropes

"Attractive friend and daughter," go get popcorn and more red ropes (which I think where manufactured in 1956) and skittles and other treats.  I remain in my seat pondering the first half stats and feel pretty good until Mr, Hyde puts a lid on the SU basket and all hell breaks loose! - A goat rodeo as I like to say.  SU shoots 27% from the field, 21% from behind the arc and a horrible 45% from the free ( I mean its free for crying out loud) throw line!  Up by eight at half and down by 10 - err!  "Attractive friend and daughter," who both have pretty high basketball IQ's comfort me in not worrying - yes actually nine year old Alex did proclaim we will win - plenty of time in the game.  Meanwhile I now watch SU implode, explode, deteriorate and I again watch the guys in Zebra uniforms act like monkey's. I eat more popcorn and really bad red ropes, Now I lean over with 1:56 to play and ask "Attractive friend," can I worry now? Attractive friend says, "Yep."  That's not the answer I was wanting to hear, but was feeling.

I witness errant passes, missed layups, lack of the entry pass to the post, clanging off the rim free throws and really bad red vine ropes all to the end of a game that should of been won by the Redhawks

Adding insult to injury I am reminded at the post game get together in Buckley's that I should not be drinking Bushmills for it is the Protestant Irish Whiskey - I should be drinking Jameson's.  Yes, I know the Catholic version - duh, we are a Jesuit school. How about I have a Jameson when we win?

Well, it was the Bushmills and the company of said "Attractive friend and her daughter" and the company of the Grimm brothers and sons after the game that made the evening enjoyable even though we lost a game we should of won - but hell, we play in KeyArena, the kids played their hearts out, we love the coach, the program is on the rise. On to the next one - SU vs. Northern Illinois in the ESPN bracket buster Saturday - I really hope their Red Ropes are better than at the Key and can only hope only Mr. Hyde stays home.

Listen to the game on KIRO 710 ESPN and get ready for next the match up versus University of Washington next Tuesday February 22nd at Key Arena 7:10 pm- Yep I'll be there


Also thanks to all of you Seattle U Hoops readers - we have passed 1,000 viewers!! and Thanks Attractive friend and her daughter for the company - Go Seattle U!  And thanks KeyArena for really bad Red Ropes!