March 28, 2015, Queens, This isn’t West Virginia. This is the Dame. As in Notre Dame. Kentucky is down 6-3 with less than 16 minutes left in the first half. They are still down 11-10 with 12:30 left. They go up by one with 12-11 at the 12:11 mark. You can’t make this stuff up. Commercial Break. Spike Lee, Sam Jackson, and Charles Barkley in the same car. Back to the action. Notre Dame goes up 13-12. Kentucky goes up 14-12. Notre Dame goes up 15-14. Lay-up, Notre Dame by three. Bad call (not again!), Town completes 3-point play. Knotted at 17. Turnover, ball to Kentucky. They miss. Kentucky misses. Notre Dame misses. Kentucky’s Karl-Antony Towns makes bucket.. Timeout. Kentucky up 19-17. Commercial Break. Apple watch commercial. April 24, 2015. Nice.
Back to live action. Kentucky misses. Nice dunk by Notre Dame’s Auguste. Score tied 19-19. Towns fouled by Auguste. He has two fouls. Bench time. Commercial Break. Buick. Tight Intertwining. (Sports Marketing term.) Shaq, Doc, Clyde the Glide, and Christian Laetnar in AT&T commercial. Shaq says, “Strong dunk from the big man,” and breaks the coffee table glass. Funny.
Back to live action. Kentucky goes up by two after Towns hits both free throws. One of the twins (Harrison) misses a three. Notre Dame rebounds. Misses shot. Ball back to Kentucky. They miss. Notre Dame with the ball. Grant (Daddy’s name is Harvey, uncle is Horace) lays ball up—and one! Notre Dame up 22-21. Foul on Karl-Anthony Towns. Grant shoots from top of the key. Friendly bounce. Notre Dame up 24-21. Turnover by Kentucky. Miss by Notre Dame. Miss by Kentucky. Grant misses long shot. Aaron Harrison draws foul. Commercial Break. Shaq on couch. Dr. J plays role of psychologist. AT&T. Funny. Fruit of the Loom commercial using Teddy Riley’s “No Diggity.” Hot.
Back to Live action. Harrison makes one, misses one. Under three minutes. Layup by Notre Dame. Up 26-22. Lyles—and one. 26-25. Notre Dame misses. Good defense by Cauley-Stein. Notre Dame fouls. Andrew Harrison at the line. Makes both. Kentucky up by one with under two minutes in the half. Jerian Grant drives and is fouled. Makes both free throws. Notre Dame up by one. Cauley-Stein with the flush dunk. Kentucky up by one. Grant’s shot is blocked. Colson recovers for Notre Dame. Makes basket—and one. Notre Dame up 31-29. Kentucky big forward Lyles on the put back. Tied at 31. First half over. Coach Cal says, “We’ll be fine!”
Professor Clifford Benton can be reached at cliffb@puresportsny.com