We've reached the top five of the twenty-six greatest games I have been on hand to either call or cover, and before we unveil the final handful, here are the most recent seven from the third in our five-part series:
12) St. John's vs. Rutgers - March 9, 2012, Madison Square Garden (Big East Tournament second round)
11) Fordham vs. St. John's - December 11, 2010, Rose Hill Gym
10) St. John's vs. Connecticut - February 10, 2011, Madison Square Garden
9) St. John's vs. Villanova - February 26, 2011, Wells Fargo Center
8) St. Francis (NY) vs. LIU Brooklyn - February 8, 2012, Madison Square Garden
7) St. John's vs. Seton Hall - March 1, 2008, Carnesecca Arena
6) St. John's vs. Notre Dame - January 3, 2009, Madison Square Garden
5) St. Francis (NY) vs. Sacred Heart - February 18, 2012, Pope Physical Education Center
The second of two doubleheaders I have called. After leaving Madison Square Garden at halftime of St. John's and UCLA and running into former colleague Mariel Brady on my way out of the Garden, I headed to Brooklyn to call two games that now rank as the two greatest calls I have had aside from the game that is number one on this list. Following a women's game in which the Lady Terriers played eventual NEC champion Sacred Heart to a four-point loss, the men's sides came out for the second half of the twin bill. A 14-0 St. Francis run sparked by eight points from Stefan Perunicic in the opening minutes gave Glenn Braica's Terriers the early momentum, but the Pioneers ended the first stanza on a 23-6 run despite two fouls from starting center Justin Swidowski. At halftime, I conducted my first live interview in three years when Ryan Peters of Pioneer Pride joined me at the intermission to talk about Sacred Heart and the NEC in general, and our chat made a great broadcast all the better. In retrospect, I feel bad for mentioning bitter Sacred Heart losses shortly after introducing Ryan, because that was exactly what happened on this night. With the game tied at 56 on the final possession, St. Francis point guard Brent Jones drove in for a layup, but missed it. However, Travis Nichols bailed him out, getting a putback with just a second and a half remaining in regulation. Sacred Heart could not get a shot off to respond, and the Terriers locked up a home game in the upcoming Northeast Conference Tournament for the first time since 2001.
4) St. John's vs. Duke - January 30, 2011, Madison Square Garden
As a North Carolina fan, it goes without saying that I hate Duke. With that said, this game had added meaning given that I am a St. John's alum who had waited a long time for a game like this. The Red Storm simply came out firing and Mike Krzyzewski's Blue Devils could not make a three-point shot to save their lives until late in the second half. St. John's was in control throughout, sparked by a yeoman's effort from forward Sean Evans, who scored ten points on a perfect 5-for-5 day from the field. With the game having already been decided well before the final buzzer, Red Storm fans lined up to rush the Garden court, but were unfairly confronted by Garden security in the first seconds following the consummation of St. John's resounding 93-78 victory.
3) Manhattan vs. Iona - January 12, 2012, Hynes Athletics Center
What many predicted would be the beginning of the end for the Gaels after they blew an 18-point lead in the final eight minutes became a turning point for Tim Cluess' bunch. However, it was Manhattan's rally that defined what could arguably be the best game of 2012. After Rhamel Brown's three-point play gave the Jaspers a 72-70 lead with eight seconds left, Iona answered back on a miraculous desperation heave by Momo Jones to tie the game before Manhattan's final possession. With 1.3 seconds remaining in regulation, rookie Manhattan coach Steve Masiello wisely called a timeout before Emmy Andujar banked in a three at the buzzer. While the play was being reviewed, Masiello's team ran into the locker room thinking they had it won while the Gaels remained on the court to await the verdict from the officials. After the shot was declared good, Manhattan returned to the court to shake hands with Iona, while Masiello received his own congratulatory embrace from former Manhattan coach Bobby Gonzalez, who attended the game.
2) St. John's vs. Pittsburgh - February 19, 2011, Madison Square Garden
I have never seen the Garden this loud and this intense. After catching up with my friend Brandon Tierney in the media room, (this would end up being the last time I saw BT, as he now hosts a successful afternoon drive show on 95.7 FM The Game in San Francisco) the Red Storm and Panthers put on a show that started out slow, picked up, slowed down, and intensified after Travon Woodall's three put Pitt ahead 59-58. With no timeouts, Dwight Hardy ran the length of the court; and on a reverse layup in which he appeared to step over the baseline, channeled what St. John's coach Steve Lavin dubbed his "inner Baryshnikov" to give the Red Storm the game-winning basket with less than a second left. In an uncharacteristic (from a media perspective) show of emotion, my inner fan made an appearance with a leap in the Garden press box that was captured on ESPN's replay of the Hardy heroics. Brad Wanamaker's last-second heave fell short on the ensuing possession, and St. John's had their biggest win of the season against the fourth-ranked Panthers, not to mention a huge part of their captivating run to the NCAA Tournament.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.