Be honest, did you keep the faith down 19???

[Scoe]

I knew we would fight back but just felt like this was the wrong team to be down 19 against. Did I think it would happen no but I continued to watch because we never give up so we owed to them to watch.

I said let's just make a game of it, so many times we had bad sequences. After each bad sequence I had lots of thoughts in my head saying this sucks and it's just not meant to be. When we were 1-18 from 3 while frustrating I said to myself we're just not gonna make a 3 point shot ever again. The Solo steal and basket and 1, I had thoughts of 2004.

As the final play was happening it kind of felt like I was in a trance I can't describe it at all really. I was only nervous in the last .04 seconds still in shock from the Mullins shot.

 

[uconngb]

I watch every UConn game with my younger brother. He stopped watching with me at halftime and went upstairs. I kept the game on but it was painful the way the game was going. I had faith that Hurley would make adjustments to at least get us back within 10 but I wasn’t sure they could overcome Duke’s size and skill especially with us not hitting 3’s.
I’m still in shock that we were able to win with Mullins, Karaban, and Solo, missing most of their shots. Reed and our defense kept us in the game. Duke made costly mistakes and we capitalized but I’m still in shock that we won. It doesn’t even seem real. I’ll go watch those last 10 seconds 100 more times.

Really feel bad for you that Dook couldn't close the deal.....you must STILL be so bummed out. How have you made it through the last 36 hours???? Is there a Dook therapy board set up so you can all share your feelings?? Must be rough.....

 

[Fishy]

I knew there’d be a rally to get it close at some point, but I didn’t think we’d win - win percentage in that scenario is low single digits at best. And Duke did not collapse - those headlines are weird. We just outscored them by 16 needing 19 minutes and 59.7 seconds to do it.

Down three late, I thought we would win. Down two with ten seconds left, I did not - I figured a tie was our best hope. (We foul, they hit one of two, etc.)

Ironically, missing one free throw was likely the best thing that happened. Hit two and go down one point, we absolutely foul immediately.

 

[Senor Blue]

If you judge by my gambling - I kept the faith in that I made a 5 unit play on UConn +16.5 because I knew we weren't going out like bitches.

Did I have the balls to grab the huskies ML at +1400? No.

This was an insane comeback. Against the #1 overall seed. Utterly impossible.

 

[Waquoit]

I had a rush of optimism when they showed that "151-1" graphic. Making history is what UConn BB does.

 

[MexicoHusky]

my "keeping the faith" thoughts don't fit into the boxes/categories provided by the original post. My thoughts can probably be summed up with this statement... I did not send a text that read "warm up the bus". And I very explicitly had the thought not to send the text just before halftime.... right around the point we started to crawl back. I'll explain.

I think one would define me as a casual fan these days. I was as insane as anyone but after championship #4 I changed. I've become more casual. The past 3 years I have scheduled vacations during the NCAA tournament. In 2024 I scheduled a vacation to Mazatlán Mexico to see the 2024 Total Eclipse. I didn't have ability to watch the game in Mazatlán so I watched the replay after the fact. This year I scheduled a trip to visit my sister in London who lives there. From London my sister and I flew to Edinburgh last weekend. I was flying back to London from Edinburgh when the Duke game started. I landed in London with a few minutes to go in the first half. Immediately switched the phone from airplane mode to normal to check on the score. We had just gone down 19. As I re-enabled my phone I also received a text from a friend in Fargo that read "watching the game". My friend is not a UCONN fan, but we've been friends for almost 20 years now and he knows I'm a UCONN fan/grad. I responded.... "just landed in London. Doesn't look good".

This is the point where I contemplated writing "warm up the bus".... but I didn't. I very explicitly thought... I can't send that text. We have more than 20 minutes left and we are not down over 20 points. We are on the edge, but we are not down over 20 points.

I have a rule about the ability to comeback in a NCAA basketball game. It doesn't work for the NBA, but I think it sorta works in NCAA basketball. I suspect many of you have a similar rule. If the amount points you are down is less than the minutes remaining then you have a chance to comeback. So if you are down more than 20 with 20 minutes to go... you likely are all done. If you are down more than 10 with 10 minutes to go.... you are likely all done. It doesn't work 100% of the time. But it's an ok "thumb in the air" measurement. I suspect many of you have some similar thoughts about minutes remaining and point differential.

We basically rode that line the entire second half. Sometimes a bit over the minutes/point-differential line and sometimes a bit under. We did just enough to keep that line close. Then with 10 seconds to go all hell broke loose. Within the chaos we played 10 seconds of divine basketball and the rest is history.

 

[TogaDog]

My text to my brother.....

 

[TogaDog]

Here's the halftime text I sent to my family and friends.

19 texts...28 total recipients...

View attachment 119068

I sent the same text.

 

[WeAreUCONN]

Really feel bad for you that Dook couldn't close the deal.....you must STILL be so bummed out. How have you made it through the last 36 hours???? Is there a Dook therapy board set up so you can all share your feelings?? Must be rough.....

Im
UConn blue thru n thru. Don’t get it twisted.

 

[WeAreUCONN]

Really feel bad for you that Dook couldn't close the deal.....you must STILL be so bummed out. How have you made it through the last 36 hours???? Is there a Dook therapy board set up so you can all share your feelings?? Must be rough.....

Also. I believe before the sweet 16 even started. I posted on here that I had a dream. UConn beats Duke. Illinois. Arizona. It’s time stamped. Go Huskies!!!

 

[Ctedgeman]

I missed the poll. I suppose I fall into the bit my tongue and kept watching category. But it was more like I was completely despondent. I didn't curse the team. I just said nothing. And I think my gf knew not to talk to me. I closed the game chat and never returned. I could accept a loss, but didn't want us to go out in a blowout especially to the likes of Duke. Slowly, as the second half went on, the Huskies pulled me out of my malaise and gave me a historic win that I will never forget. I don't think I've ever been as loud watching a game as when that shot went in.

 

[WeAreUCONN]

I missed the poll. I suppose I fall into the bit my tongue and kept watching category. But it was more like I was completely despondent. I didn't curse the team. I just said nothing. And I think my gf knew not to talk to me. I closed the game chat and never returned. I could accept a loss, but didn't want us to go out in a blowout especially to the likes of Duke. Slowly, as the second half went on, the Huskies pulled me out of my malaise and gave me a historic win that I will never forget. I don't think I've ever been as loud watching a game as when that shot went in.

I had the same mindset. It was painful to watch until the very end. Then it was complete and utter disbelief and joy. I think I was in shock. It still seems unreal.

 

[XLCenterFan]

At this point, I have fully bought into this concept that the staff has built a system that's less aligned with BE refereeing and better suited for the NCAA tourney.

Refs let ‘em play more in the tourney too.

 

[RioDog]

Why was the poll closed yesterday?☹️

 

[RioDog]

Cursed, but kept watching; admitted to my wife that I had little hope. Woke her up yelling "holy s-h-i-t we won!". After seeing the video of Mom and Pop Hurley I feel a special affinity for them.

Wonder how many, on both sides of the issue, yelled that at the same time?

 

[Rodinodeez]

I was working on emotionally disconnecting and justifying the loss to myself at halftime. I moved from standing in front of the TV for the first half, to sitting on the couch for the start of the second half. I justified the loss as a bad shooting night, 1/18... sometimes that just happens. I love this team and I love Hurley, anger wasn't what I was feeling. Mostly just sadness. The comeback was one of the greatest adrenaline rushes of my life. I will never forget it.

 

[FriarJ]

I’m being dead serious here, and some of this is certainly because I don’t have the emotional attachment you have but I have a good buddy here in Seattle that went to UConn but is not a big sports fan and I kept texting him saying that they would come back, and that I had seen this exact team overcome more (which is true). I knew Duke had young players. Finally when Demery finally canned a couple 3’s I just knew in my heart they were going to win.

When that shot was hit I screamed, everybody came in the room to check on me. It was awesome, I loved every second of it. My jealously has long been replaced by admiration. I still hope we beat you every time we play and would pay big money to make it happen but for now it’s just pure admiration. Congrats to you and your team. If you checked out our board you would see the majority feel as I do. Good luck this weekend.

 

[Horatio]

I watched the game with my stepmom, a Duke fan. Before the game started, I told her that the weak link is the PG Boozer and at half time we’d chip away at that lead.

 

[navery12]

At halftime I switched from my blue Kemba jersey I've worn for every NCAA tournament game this year to a white Sanogo jersey. What do I do now for Saturday? Go back to the reliable Kemba or stick with what worked for the 2nd half?

 

[Icehawk]

I drank the Kool-Aid the day the season started, I literally can show a receipt for it. Down 19 was I thinking we were in a deep trouble? Hell yes - but did I think it was over? HELL NO. This team has shown over and over again that it can grind out a W.

Get onboard, drink the damn Kool-Aid, GO HUSKIES!