Philly Gym Rat (The Perry “QM” McMullin Story)

[PointGuard]

Game #24: Feb. 11, 2022; Washington State Cougars (13-10, 6-6) at UCLA Bruins (13-10, 7-5)

The Bruins have won their last 3 games including an overtime win over Oregon. SG Joe Rix is averaging 18.5 ppg.

UCLA simply out-played us in the first half even though my guys tried to make a game of it. We ended up on the short-end of a 42-31 half time score. Gareth Lewis’ 10 points led our scoring.

We fought hard throughout the 2nd half, but while UCLA gave, then didn’t fold.

Final Score: UCLA-68, Washington State-62. Washington State season record: 13-11; Pac-12 record: 6-7 (7th place tie).

Scoring leaders: Lewis-19, Jones-13, Robinson-12.

Rebound leaders: Lewis-11, Dix-6, Jones-5.

Assist leaders: Robinson-3.

Player of the Game: UCLA’s SG Joe Rix-21 pts, 3 reb, 3 steals.

Coach’s Pat on the Back Award: C Gareth Lewis-19 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block.

Other notes: We out-shot UCLA 44% to 36%. We controlled the boards 35-27, but made 18 turnovers to their 14. UCLA got to the foul line 8 more times and made 14 more points on free throws, which was the difference in the game. We missed having Darius Bond at SF. We tried 3 players in his place and none delivered. Gareth Lewis got a double-double (19 points and 11 rebounds).

[PointGuard]

Game #25: Feb. 15, 2022; Washington State Cougars (13-11, 6-7) at USC Trojans (13-11, 7-6)

USC has won their last 3 games. We barely beat the Trojans in overtime earlier this year when they came to Pullman.

USC jumped out to a 15-3 lead and held a double digit lead through most of the 1st half. But we closed the score a little in the last few minutes of the half to make it 40-34 at the break. D. J. Asbury sustained an injury midway through the half. Our leading scorer was Scott Robinson with 14 points.

We took our first lead at 53-52 with 11-1/2 minutes to play in the 2nd half. From there the lead went back-and-forth. With 44 seconds remaining, Scott Robinson sunk a 3 to tie the game 75-75. USC missed a 3 and we rebounded and tried to go for the last shot. USC fouled Matt Jones with 11 seconds on the clock. Matt made 1 of 2 and USC rebounded and called a time out with 9 ticks on the clock and us leading 76-75. Our full court press slowed them coming upcourt but they fired up a long 3 as the buzzer sounded but it was short.

Final Score: Washington State-76, USC-75. Washington State season record: 14-11; Pac-12 record: 7-7 (6th place tie).

Scoring leaders: Robinson-34. Jones-18.

Rebound leaders: Thomas-8, Lewis-5.

Assist leaders: Jones-9.

Player of the Game: PG Scott Robinson-34 pts, 2 reb, 2 assists.

Coach’s Pat on the Back Award: PG Matt Jones-18 pts, 3 reb, 9 assists.

Other notes: We won this by hitting 53% of our shots (and 7 of 9 from 3 point distance) as well as getting 12 more free throw attempts and scoring 11 more points from the line than the Trojans. We needed this because we turned the ball over 18 times while USC had just 5 turnovers. Matt Jones nearly got a double-double (18 points and 9 assists).

After the game we got the bad news that D. J. Asbury had broken his foot. We now have 2 starters out with injuries. Losing starters from a team with little depth is devastating.

[PointGuard]

Game #26: Feb. 18, 2022; Utah Utes (12-13, 8-6) at Washington State Cougars (14-11, 7-7)

Troy Thomas is starting at PF in place of injured D. J. Asbury and Dion Lofton is starting at SF in place of injured Darius Bond.

Gareth Lewis scored 4 points but picked up 2 fouls in the first 2 minutes of the game. In the waning moments of the 2nd half we let a 10 point lead nearly evaporate, coming out of the half with just a 32-29 lead. We hit 54% of our shots, but let Utah hit 48% of theirs. Scott Robinson led our scoring with 14 points.

We hit our first 7 shots in the 2nd half to open a 47-34 lead. We torched the net and drew away from the Utes throughout the half.

Final Score: Washington State-77, Utah-56. Washington State season record: 15-11; Pac-12 record: 8-7 (4th place tie).

Scoring leaders: Robinson-28, Jones-11, Lewis-10, Seabrooks, 10, Lofton-8, Smith-8.

Rebound leaders: Smith-6.

Assist leaders: Jones-11, Smith-4.

Player of the Game: PG Scott Robinson-28 pts, 2 reb, 1 assist, 2 steals.

Coach’s Pat on the Back Award: PG Matt Jones-11 pts, 2 reb, 11 assists, 2 steals.

Other notes: We hit 57% of our FG attempts (including 56% of our 3’s). Utah hit 46% of their shots. We were out-rebounded 29-21 but had a huge turnover advantage (26-11). Matt Jones had a 2nd great game and got a double-double this times (11 points and 11 assists).
I was informed that Torrey Fleming and Scott Robinson got into a loud argument. I decided to let it ride.

Scott Robinson was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week. I’ve been starting him at SG and Matt Jones at PG, but Scott then switches back and forth between SG and PG during the game. He’s provided the production at the 2 that we’ve typically not gotten from anyone else this year.

[PointGuard]

We picked up our 3rd player.

PG Chris Durham, 6-1 Sr., South Hill, WA. 11.6 ppg, 5.2 apg, 5.6 rpg, 3.5 spg, 1.9 bpg. An excellent passer and ball handler, good outside shooter but not a high scorer, excellent athleticism. Ranked 1176th in the nation. Overall rating: C.

[PointGuard]

Game #27: Feb. 22, 2022; Washington State Cougars (15-11, 8-7) at Washington Huskies (6-21, 4-11)

Washington has a 6-game losing streak, but can be tough at home, beating 1st place Oregon earlier this season. Their top scorer is SF Josh Jackson, 14.5 ppg.

While not fully recovered from his abdominal strain, Darius Bond can play and will be back in our starting lineup tonight.

Washington took a 17-5 lead in the first 7 minutes. We made a run but then let the Huskies pull away again to take a 35-26 lead at the half. We turned the ball over 13 times while Washington had just 6 turnovers. Our top scorer was Scott Robinson with 9 points.

We made a couple runs but never could overtake the Huskies in the 2nd half.

Final Score: Washington-66, Washington State-58. Washington State season record: 15-12; Pac-12 record: 8-8 (6th place tie).

Scoring leaders: Robinson-24, Lewis-12,

Rebound leaders: Lewis-6, Smith-6, Lofton-6, Robinson-5.

Assist leaders: Jones-3.

Player of the Game: Washington’s PG Beau Lockhart-13 pts, 4 reb, 6 assists, 3 steals.

Coach’s Pat on the Back Award: PG Scott Robinson-24 pts, 5 reb, 1 steal.

Other notes: We outshot Washington 45% to 43% and out-rebounded them 35-28, but turnovers were out downfall…we turned the ball over 20 times to the Huskies’ 12.

[PointGuard]

The conference season is complete. Here's the final standings for the Pac-12.



The Pac-12 was the wild, wild west this season. Early in conference play, Oregon looked to have things in control with all the other teams shooting each other down, but then Oregon stumbled several times. But the rest of the conference continued to play inconsistently, so no one was able to overtake Oregon.

Although Oregon has to be the favorite to win the conference tournament, the parity of the conference is such that there are likely to be a number of “upsets”. California, UCLA, and Stanford obviously are the most likely teams (other than Oregon) to win it all due to both their conference records and season records and all having a bye in Round 1 of the tournament. It would seem that this year’s conference bottom-dwellers (Arizona State, Colorado, Oregon State, and Washington) have little chance, but if they get hot and they get some breaks, who knows!

Our fortunes were dealt a severe blow when D.J. Asbury broke his foot, thus severely weakening our inside capabilities.

[PointGuard]

Washington Huskies (7-21, 5-11) vs Utah Utes (13-14, 9-7)—[Washington out-worked Utah in the first half, building small edges in rebounding, turnovers, and shooting percentage. That allowed them to build a lead after the midpoint of the half and go to the locker room with a 42-33 lead. Washington continued to connect on their shots, hitting 48% from the field (and 48% from 3 point distance). The Huskies also dominated the boards 37-27, while Utah held a 23-20 turnover advantage and got to the line 3 times as often as the Huskies. Washington maintained a double digit lead throughout the 2nd half and scored a big upset. Will Stukes scored 20 points to lead Washington. Jamar Everhart scored 16 points and pulled down 8 boards for Utah. Final Score: Washington-71, Utah-56.]

Colorado Buffaloes (10-17, 6-10) vs USC Trojans (14-13, 8-8)—[There were 7 lead changes and 4 ties in the first half, but USC gained control late and took a 40-34 lead off the floor. Colorado challenged early in the 2nd half, but USC again finished strong. Even though Colorado dominated the boards 32-18, USC forced Colorado to turn the ball over 28 times to the Trojans’ 17 turnovers. Ian Jackson scored 21 points to lead USC offensively. Aaron Martin was Colorado’s top scorer with 14 points. Final Score: USC-67, Colorado-57.]

Arizona State Sun Devils (10-17, 6-10) vs Arizona Wildcats (14-13, 7-9)—[The referees took over the game in the first half, calling a total of 33 fouls and awarding 51 free throw attempts. That completely obstructed the flow of the game. Arizona State led 40-34 at the half with 53% of the points being scored from the foul line. The refs called another 23 fouls in the 2nd half. Arizona caught up with 7-1/2 minutes to go. Arizona State took a small lead again, but in the last 3 minutes the lead shifted back and forth. Arizona edged the Sun Devils as they paraded to the foul line. Arizona got 52 free throw attempts in this game. The Wildcats top scorer was Reggie Wade with 16 points. Steve Joseph scored 18 points and Tyran Raines pulled down 10 rebounds for Arizona State. Final Score: Arizona-71, Arizona State-70.]


Game #28: Mar. 9, 2022; Oregon State Beavers (8-19, 6-10) vs Washington State Cougars (15-12, 8-8)

We beat the Beavers 82-75 earlier this season. Oregon State’s SG Clinton Curley is scoring 15.6 ppg but because of his low shooting percentage, he’s had to shoot a lot to achieve that.

We led most of the 1st half and finished with a 37-30 advantage. We were out-rebounded by the Beavers 15-12, but we held an 11-6 turnover advantage and hit 50% of our shots compared to Oregon State’s 40%. Our starting guards scored well with Scott Robinson dropping in 15 points and Matt Jones adding 8, but the rest of the team seemed flat.

We scored the first 6 points of the 2nd half to give us a 13 point advantage. But we couldn’t hit any shots midway through the half and Oregon State took a 50-49 lead at the 7:50 mark. The refs began calling fouls on us on every Oregon State possession. We just fell apart in the last 10 minutes of the half, being unable to hit shots, and playing extremely poor defense. The Beavers accelerated past us and left us in the dust.

Final Score: Oregon State-71, Washington State-57. Washington State season record: 15-13.

Scoring leaders: Robinson-21, Lewis-8, Jones-8.

Rebound leaders: Thomas-6, Smith-5, Lofton-5.

Assist leaders: Jones-5.

Player of the Game: Oregon State’s C Kyle Brinson-7 pts, 9 reb, 4 assists, 2 steals.

Coach’s Pat on the Back Award: PG Scott Robinson-21 pts, 3 reb, 1 assist.

Other notes: We played as badly as a team can play in the last 10 minutes of this game. We gave up a 10 point lead and lost by 14, so a 24 point deficit in 10 minutes of play. Missing nearly every shot, our shooting plummeted to 39% for the game. Oregon State out-rebounded us 33-31. We held a slim 16-15 turnover advantage. The Beavers got to the free throw line 18 more times and scored 9 more points there than did we.

[CoachC]

tuff loss. hope you get in a tournament somewhere.

[PointGuard]

Arizona (15-13, 7-9) vs #9 Oregon (21-6, 12-4)—[Oregon applied a withering defense to take a 34-19 halftime lead. The Ducks continued to force Arizona turnovers and hold their shooting percentage down to pull away for an easy win. Kedric Willis scored 19 points to lead Oregon offensively. Roby Hardy was Arizona’s leading scorer with 10 points. Final Score: Oregon-74, Arizona-47.]

USC (15-13, 8-8) vs California (18-11, 10-6)—[California built a 15 point lead in the first half, but let USC back in and led by just a 40-36 score at the half. USC overtook the Golden Bears and pulled away late in the 2nd half for an upset win. Ronald Booker scored 16 points for USC. Brent Phillips was California’s leading scorer with 18 points. Final Score: USC-82, California-69.]

Oregon State (9-19, 6-10) vs UCLA (16-11, 10-6)—[UCLA shot well (53%) and played good defense (holding Oregon State’s shooting to 40% and recording a 19-9 turnover advantage to take a 37-35 lead at the end of the first half and then rapidly expand their lead in the 2nd half. Joe Rix dropped in 23 points for UCLA. Clinton Curley scored 17 points for Oregon State. Final Score: UCLA-87, Oregon State-62.]

Washington (8-21, 5-11) vs Stanford (22-6, 12-4)—[Washington held Stanford’s shooting to 26%, allowing the Huskies to take a 33-23 halftime lead and draw further away in the 2nd half to record a big upset. Washington’s leading scorer was Josh Jackson with 19 points and Brandon Murray added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Huskies. Mike Whitehead scored 22 for Stanford. Final Score: Washington-69, Stanford-48.]

[PointGuard]

Washington (9-21, 5-11) vs #9 Oregon (22-6, 12-4)—[Oregon’s team speed led to a 45-33 halftime lead. The Ducks then held off the Huskies in the 2nd half. Aaron Swan was Arizona’s leading scorer with 18 points. Washington was led by Will Stukes’ 25 points. Final Score: Oregon-72, Washington-57.]

UCLA (17-11, 10-6) vs USC (16-13, 8-8)—[UCLA opened a 17 point lead midway through the 1st half and led 41-33 at the end of the 1st half. The Bruins maintained their lead in the 2nd half. Joe Rix tossed in 33 points for UCLA. Ian Jackson scored 28 points for USC. Final Score: UCLA-79, USC-69.]