Bad beats: Water boy costs USC backers
Out of all the trends, statistical analysis and injury reports, handicapping a team’s water boy is not normally a priority.
Anyone who had USC Saturday might be rethinking that.
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The Trojans were small favorites on the road at Oregon. USC trailed for the majority of the game, but never by much and was certainly never out of range of covering.
In fact, the Trojans, who scored seven straight points to tie the score 47-47 with five minutes to play, had the momentum.
Then, it happened.
Trojan graduate manager Stan Holt was whistled for a technical foul.
“The referee told me he was screaming obscenities at him,” USC coach Kevin O’Neill told reporters. “That’s incomprehensible to me, in a two-point game, that our manager would get a technical foul. It’s unforgivable, it’s unprofessional. I apologized to our team for it, also.’’
The Ducks’ Tajuan Porter made both technical free throws, igniting a 13-3 Oregon run.
“I feel like it did change momentum of the game,” USC guard Dwight Lewis told reporters “After that, the momentum was all theirs.”
The Trojans would never recover and ended up losing 67-57.
The Oregon crowd chanted “You’re fired” at Holt, and O’Neill initially said the third-year manager would be relieved of his duties. O’Neill later softened his stance, telling the newspaper that Holt’s punishment is still to be determined.
Wonder what punishment USC backers would give him.
Bad beat condolences to …
Loyola-Chicago backers: When you’re getting 16.5 and your team cuts the lead to one with six minutes to play, you’re feeling good. Barring a 17-0 run to end the game you’re in good shape.
Wright State scored the game’s last 17 points to knock off Loyola-Chicago 66-48 Saturday afternoon.
Loyola-Chicago missed their final 10 shots and turned the ball over three times in the game’s final six minutes.
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David Payne wrote this on behalf of Ben Burns
