Core Memory Unlocked
I didn’t know if I would even see the end of the game, because with one minute left I was hauling ass from the BART station to my house. Luckily, many timeouts were called, allowing me to get home just in time to watch the end of SDSU and FAU’s classic Final Four game.
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As it came down to the wire, the Owls had a 1 point lead, and possession of the ball with 36 seconds left in the game. The Aztecs decided not to foul, and opted to rely on their defense, a decision that was very much in character. After all, defense first is the identity that this program has built over the years. And after a FAU timeout, standout Johnell Davis missed a contested shot near the hoop, after being tightly contested by Aguek Arop. Nathan Mensah then grabbed the rebound with around nine seconds to go, and passed the ball to Lamont Butler.
Butler raced up the court, and was cut off to the basket. On the call, Jim Nantz questioned if the Aztecs would take a timeout, since they didn’t have their scorers in the game, one of which was Matt Bradley, the leading scorer for the team. I too wondered if Butler would try to take a timeout after it seemed that he did not have a lane. Panic began to set in, but in only a matter of seconds, that panic turned into excitement, as Butler changed directions to his left, took a dribble and pulled up for a smooth midrange shot that swished as the buzzer sounded. Overcome with joy and excitement, I yelled and hugged my mom who was doing the same thing.
I never thought that this team would be playing in the National Championship Game, but yet here they are. This extremely successful season can be attributed to the team’s depth, experience, new contributions, and defensive first mindset. Again, I cannot believe that I am attending this school on this type of historic run, and since spring break is over, there will be a heavily populated watch party in the Viejas Arena on campus for the championship game against UConn. Regardless of that outcome, I am so happy for these memories that this team has given me, and Butler’s shot is a core memory that I will never forget.
