Thank you… Basketball Gods.
This has taken me 24 hours to come down from one of my highest moments ever as a fan of basketball at any level. I will admit as a Stage 4 cancer survivor who was told last March he wouldn’t make it to the 2023 NBA Finals… this was special. These young women have been special to me for what they just accomplished.
This was the perfect game for me to be a part of in person at courtside at this juncture in my life. I will admit I have fallen in love with this OU team as each week has passed, and what they stand for in regards to how they play the game and compete to the very end.
I’m almost speechless, as if that were possible.
The love and respect I have for this team is immense. They don’t need to do anything else for me.
On December 22nd… this team lost at home to Southern 79-70 to fall to 6-5 heading into the Christmas break before the start of the Big 12 season. The thought of ‘that’ team becoming ‘this’ team which since ‘that’ game is 15-2 and repeat Big 12 champions is the thing sports dream seasons are all about.
This team had no business winning this Big 12 Championship, and yet here I sit blogging with an incredible feeling of warmth in my heart for what I had the privilege to witness this Big 12 basketball season.
This absurd 71-70 win over No. 3 Texas was a micro of what this season has been about for these Sooners. They trailed basically the entire game and repeatedly fought back from several double digit deficits. They played uphill for forty minutes.
If one looked at the stat sheet or watched the first 39:30 of this game they’d say no way.
But with these young women, they basically said as a team, “Way.”
With 4.5 seconds left and after a wild scramble… my favorite female basketball player in the world, Lexy Keys, splashed a left corner three pointer to catapault the Sooners from 70-68 down to an improbable 71-70 stunner.
OU’s best player, Skylar Vann had a tough night. But here’s the thing about this team, sophmore Payton Verhulst, the player with Jennie and Lexy at the presser, just basically stepped up and carried the team up until midway third period to keep OU somewhat in this game.
It was that type of game. This type of season.
I may or may not go to Kansas City and watch the Sooners. I’m not sure yet.
We’ll see.
Either way, thank you for the beautiful basketball season.
MJ