Epic Cougar Comeback Falls Just Short

As much as I would've liked to see the Cougars play in Madison Square Garden, last night was the type of performance that all the CofC faithful can be proud of. Down 23 points in a hostile environment, the Cougars showed a lot of heart by clawing back into the game late in the 2nd half before losing by 7. Andrew Goudelock put on an absolutely dazzling performance that overshadowed the Shocker victory in the eyes of SportsCenter. Even during the game, announcers discussed the merits of Drew's NBA-caliber talent and how he was one of the best sharp shooters they had ever witnessed. 

Willis Hall, Trent Wiedeman and Donovan Monroe also wowed viewers and WSU fans alike with their determination. Nineteen year old Wiedeman refused to quit bodying up on a 23 year old grown-ass man in JT Durley. Hall provided one of the Cougars only highlight plays inside the arc with his first half put back dunk. Monroe fought tooth-and-nail to make sure this wasn't his last game in a Cougar uniform. 

Wichita State was just too much bulk for the Cougars to handle. Their front line absolutely dwarfed ours and prevented Willis and Trent from providing balance offensively. Turnovers also cost us big. As awesome as Goudelock's shooting was, his 8 turnovers (many in the last few minutes of the first half) really dug us into a hole. 

Let's look at some more positives from last night:

• Can't be upset when Andrew Goudelock's highlights accounted for 100% of ESPN's postgame coverage. Link is here (thank cofcfan's CofCcougars1 for the vid)
• Goudelock also got a lot of attention on Twitter and the blogosphere for his performance. Here is former Clemson star and current Wizards starter Trevor Booker commenting
• Trent Wiedeman is going to be such a stud for the next 3 years
• Because of the ref's slow response to a clock error, the Cougars had 22 more seconds to shoot lights out
• Going against one of the best rebounding teams in the entire country, the Cougs cleaned up on the glass in the first half

No more Cougar basketball this season, which means no more game coverage, but that doesn't put an end to my blogging career. Look for some wrap-up pieces and some fun articles up til next season starts.