The last seven minutes. Before the last seven minutes of the Temple game, the kids on the court with UConn uniforms played in a manner that wasn't recognizable as a UConn team. Even when the team was scoring in the first quarter, Temple was virtually scoring at will. For most of the game, it was Temple that got back on defense, Temple that hustled on the fast break, Temple that was boxing out and fighting for rebounds.
But then...
During the last seven minutes, something changed. I suspect it was the freshman Aubrey Griffin showing everyone else on the team how to fight and scrap and hustle. For some reason, the team ignited. The team on the court looked, for the first time this season, like a Geno Auriemma-coached UConn team. They played like a team with both talent and desire and fight. It was Chrysten's beating the entire Temple team to the basket for a layup. It was Dangerfield stealing the pass. For some reason, that team played like the UConn team we've all watched for so many years, and the team we expected to see this year.
Let's hope that the UConn team we saw for the last seven minutes of the fourth quarter today will be the team that shows up for the remainder of the season.