The Big Tip-Off

Tonight was the Big Tip-Off between Cal and Stanford (or should I say, Stanfurd). Bill Walton was there for ESPN! They had food trucks outside! It seemed like it was going to be a great game (especially with our boys’ team on a winning streak — they hadn’t lost since Feb. 10).

Div and I got to the gym at around 6:45 for the 8:00pm game, and the heckling had already begun. What I learned about the Stanford team before the game even started: #33 on Stanford looks like a giraffe and is really annoying (he also screwed up in their game against Colorado and was the reason they lost), and that we do not like both him and the really short guy on their team.
Also, random sidenote, there was some Asian girl who was rebounding for our Cal Basketball team during pre-game warmups — I WANT HER JOB.

1st Half:
Pretty solid half for the Golden Bears, especially since the referees seemed to have already decided to hand the game to Stanford. Also, Stanford was hitting every single freaking shot they took.

2nd Half:
This is when shit just hit the fan. Right off the bat, Cal had already somehow accumulated 6 team fouls, while Stanford only had 1. Interesting. The refereeing was absolutely atrocious, and tempers began flaring both on the sidelines and on the court. Nachos were thrown because seats were being stolen, and the crowds were getting more and more rowdy as the game progressed. They even had to bring out extra security guards to try and control the student section. LOL. The fight that occurred between players that resulted in six, I repeat SIX, technical fouls, added even more drama to the game. Our team tried to make a run in the end, but time ran out, and the ‘furd won by 13 points… sad day.

Other notes:

• Tonight was Senior Night, and I have to say, it was really emotional for me to see “my guy,” Brandon Smith (#12) playing in his last home game ever. He’s my favorite because I can identify with the type of role he plays on the team — never the flashy scorer or attention getter, but the player who is always solid and reliable when put in. And then they gave him a technical foul — WTF — that was completely unwarranted. He did score 4 points and play some good defense, but it pained me to see how upset he and the seniors were after the loss.
• Haas Pavilion seemed practically sold out — the crowd was very loud, and really great for most of the game, participating in cheers and jeers.