When Juan Fernandez’ last-second jumper hit nothing but net, no one likely was more relieved than his coach, Fran Dunphy.
The NCAA Tourney has not been kind to the Temple boss. Dating back to his days at Penn, Dunphy’s teams had developed a nasty habit of being “one and done.”
Or, as some critics sneered, “one and Dunphy.”
Not yesterday.
They had to go all the way to Tucson to do it, buy Dunphy and the Owls got a win in a riveting back-and-forth contest against state rival Penn State.
The game appeared headed for overtime when Fernandez appeared to be bottled up as the clocked ticked off the final few seconds. But Fernandez squirmed free, leaned in and tossed up an off-balance jumper.
Nothing but net.
The final minute of the Temple-Penn State game is the essence of what makes the NCAA men’s basketball tournament a very special event.
It seemed like that very same scenario was played out again and again on Day One, as it almost always does.
Madness. And nobody enjoyed it quite as much as Fran Dunphy.
The NCAA Tourney has not been kind to the Temple boss. Dating back to his days at Penn, Dunphy’s teams had developed a nasty habit of being “one and done.”
Or, as some critics sneered, “one and Dunphy.”
Not yesterday.
They had to go all the way to Tucson to do it, buy Dunphy and the Owls got a win in a riveting back-and-forth contest against state rival Penn State.
The game appeared headed for overtime when Fernandez appeared to be bottled up as the clocked ticked off the final few seconds. But Fernandez squirmed free, leaned in and tossed up an off-balance jumper.
Nothing but net.
The final minute of the Temple-Penn State game is the essence of what makes the NCAA men’s basketball tournament a very special event.
It seemed like that very same scenario was played out again and again on Day One, as it almost always does.
Madness. And nobody enjoyed it quite as much as Fran Dunphy.
Comments