Hereafter

[Wayne23]

12/17: We take an early lead then stretch it out. Up 28-13 after 10. Up by 13 at halftime; Betz, Shay and Ston are the scorers. Up 20 with 10 to go. Looks like another walkover.

83-62. Betz led us again with 26, 11, 4. 18, 4, 6 for Shay, 14, 4, 7 for Ston, 10, 9 for Alan, 8, 7 for Udel.

Great D again. +10 RBs, 10 TOs.

The Winter Jam final pits us against the #2 seed, #13 ranked 9-0 Miami (FLL). They play solid D and take care of the ball, but they haven't played anybody.

We're back at #1 in the latest polls. Still 4 undefeated teams in Div I, us, Miami, Syracuse, who we play in 10 days, and Cal, who we don't play this year.

The oxygen producing equipment went off line again. We immediately started printing the new equipment when the first backup failed. The 2nd back up is in place. The Captain made an “All call” announcement for everyone to stay near their hazmat suit, and to put young children in their suits without the helmet.

Something is going on here. There's no reason for this to be happening. The maintenance crew and oxygen workers are inspecting every part of the system and the electrical connections leading to the system. The geeks are inspecting the computer programs.

[Wayne23]

12/18: They're hard to defend because everyone can score and they don't have a go to guy.

Early lead. Big lead. 26-9 after 10. 45-25 at the half; stifling D! Up 25 with 10 to play.

82-60. We waltzed through this tournament.

Tourney MOP Del Betz had 23, 13, 3 steals, 4 blocks; amazing! 13, 2, 9 for Shay, 15, 3 for Alan. +14 RBs. +24 in the paint, +13 on 2nd chances. Betz is now averaging a double double.

#22 Brigham Young, 8-4, is here. They have trouble scoring, but they play D, rebound, and take care of the ball. #2 Syracuse beat them by only 10 at Syracuse, so they can play.

Nothing new on the oxygen situation but no new equipment failures. Figuring this out is a top priority but we don't have a clue.

[Wayne23]

12/21: Early lead but they're staying close. And now they're not. Up 14 after 10. Up 15 at the break. Up 15 with 10 left; BY is fighting hard but every time they make a little run we match it. And we go on a BIG run late.

91-64. Shay had 20, 7, 7, 3 steals. 17, 9, 3, 6 blocks for Betz, 16, 8 for Alan, 15, 5 for Udel. Ston continues to be a steady hand at the helm; he's doing everything I need him to do.

+16 RBs, 6 TOs. +19 on 2nd chances.

Finally a week off; we're tired and banged up and this will help.

#2 Syracuse, 12-0, is here. The media has been hyping this one for weeks. They're all here and the game is being nationally televised on the biggest sports channel. We're the last 2 undefeated teams.

They can play! They score most of their points outside but if you overplay the outside they get it in the paint and score there. They dish very, very well. They don't rebound all that well and that's our edge. They're #1 in PPG Allowed. They've beaten 4 ranked teams.

[Wayne23]

12/28: The place is sold out and it is LOUD! There's nothing like #1 vs. #2!

Back and forth. We go on a 10-0 run. Up 9 after 10. Up 14 at the break; solid D! Up 8 with 10 left; Shay has been in foul trouble all night and he's not a factor.

73-52. The D was incredible! 17, 8, 3, 3 steals for Ted Alan, 14, 5 for Betz, 11, 8, 3 for Savo, 11, 8 for Fox, 11, 6 for Udel. They shut down our guards completely, Ston had
2, and for the first time in his college career, Shay was shutout. We shut their guards down too, though, a total of 9 for their starting guards.

We won it with our bench and inside. +15 RBs, +16 in the paint.

Post Game Press Conference (Excerpts):

Q: Coach, you just hammered the #2 team in the country. Can anyone beat you?

Coach: Well, we won big, yes, but it was at home. The road can bite you in the butt. And, of course, a key injury or two can change everything.

Q: You held them to under 35% shooting.

Coach: I was very happy with our D. We've given up more than 67 only three times so far. Good D wins games.

Q: You won easily with your two time All American not getting a point. That says a lot about your depth.

Coach: It does. It says even more about our terrific and under rated Point Guard, Joel Ston. He finds the open man and has done that all season. Scot Shay had a tough night. He tweaked a calf muscle and was a little bit hobbled, and it meant I had to mostly sit him. It happened at about the 10 minute mark and I don't think he played 5 minutes after that. But the rest of the guys stepped up.

Q: Great win, Coach. Good luck on the rest of the season.

6 days off then we start PAC 12 play at 10-3 Arizona ST. They are stronger inside, but they shoot the three very well, and they have a good bench. But they haven't played anyone.

1/2/2036: The oxygen equipment failed. We connected the back up and it failed. We connected the 2nd back up and IT failed. Everyone was in hazmat suits for a very long time. The new oxygen equipment was finished and installed with less than five minutes before the air started to expire in the suits.

This is now a Gold Class emergency. As we print the back up equipment there are guards around the oxygen equipment and the 3D printer 24/7, and the entire Geek Squad is looking for malware on all of the computers, public and private, on the ship. Our lives are in danger.

[Wayne23]

1/4: Early lead. Up 5 after 10. Up Up 8 at the half. Up 21 with 10 left.

79-51. I fear that except for the two with Oregon and the one with Cal every game will be a blowout.

21, 8, 3, 5 steals for Betz. 13, 7 for Alan, 13, 7 for Savo, +6 RBs, 11 TOs. 13, 4 for Shay.

We held them to 30.4%. +12 on 2nd chances.

3-9, 0-1 Washington ST, here. This has blow out written all over it.

Eliana Ramos... Eliana Ramos, a member of the Geek squad, had a program buried incredibly deeply on her work computer. It was designed to cause the oxygen equipment to fail at random intervals. Fellow Geek Ramona Vargas discovered the program after spending three days with the computer.

“I just sensed that there was something buried, so I kept digging. It was brilliantly concealed in a frighteningly complex network of folders and files,” said Vargas.

Ramos is refusing to say anything and we have her incarcerated. The Geeks are checking her personal computer.

[Wayne23]

1/7: Their best scorer averages 9.9. (sigh)

Up 9 after 10. Up 21 at halftime. Shay and Udel are doing the damage. Up 31 with 10 left. Time to clear the bench.

96-50. We learn nothing from a game like this.

28, 3, 4 for Shay, 21, 14 for Udel, 11, 6 for Betz. They shot 31%.

+24 RBs (WOW!), 6 TOs. +14 in the paint, +14 on 2nd chances.

We're #1, #1 NET, 15-0, 2-0.

At 5-8, 1-1 Oregon ST next. Shouldn't be much of a game but it IS on the road...

Eliana Ramos still isn't talking. Her home computer is still being checked. She is seeing a psychiatrist every day but if that has led to anything I'm not aware of it.

The probe ahead of us is getting its first sighting of the solar system we're headed to.

[Wayne23]

1/11: We take an immediate lead and get it to double digits in no time. Up 13 after 10. Up only 9 at the half. Up 13 with 10 left. We're kind of going through the motions; not seeing much intensity.

81-61. A real yawner. 15, 13, for Alan, 15, 8 for Udel, 22 for Shay. 12 points but only 3 RBs for Betz; his toe got stepped on hard and he kind of favored it, couldn't really jump well. He'll be fine for our next game, though.

+12 RBs, 13 TOs but they had 22. +22 in the paint, +12 on 2nd chances. We do a lot of damage inside, almost every night.

8-6, 1-2 Washington is here. Same old same old...

Still nothing from Eliana or her computer.

[Wayne23]

1/14: Neither team is hitting shots early. Up 8 after 10, shooting .215. We still can't hit shots, .143. Up 7 at the half. This game is awful. Glad I didn't pay to see it. We heat up a little; up 24 with 10 remaining.

70-52. Not as big a blowout as I expected but we shot 32.8%; lowest point total of the season. But the D came through.

16, 16 for Betz, 18, 9 for Alan, 18 for Shay.

+8 RBs, 9 TOs.

A possible challenge next at 11-6, 2-2 Oregon, but the 2-2 tells me maybe not. They're a good team but only 3-2 vs. ranked teams. They don't hit the boards that well although they score a lot inside. Their D isn't that great.

The solar system seems to have an amazing three planets in the Goldilocks zone. We're too far away to know much else, except, equally amazingly, all three are of a size that would make life possible- no ice giants, no dwarfs. And there are a few moons that offer possibilities as well.

The Geeks have finished going through Eliana's personal computer and they say it's clean.

[Wayne23]

1/18: We've focused on containing their PF, who can light it up.

Back and forth. Tied after 10; their PF has 10. They take a lead and I max the D and go to a man. Tied at the half. A run! Up 13 with 10 left but they aren't quitting.

97-85. Our D wasn't there tonight but they couldn't stop us. Their PF got 22 and 8 and their SF had 13.

25, 5, 7 for Shay, 19, 6, 3 for Betz, 11, 4, 3 for #3 guard Ty Hart.

+7 RBs, 11 TOs. We shot 50% but they shot 47.4%, almost as good.

Sadly, we've suffered a major injury. Starting SF Ted Alan is out, maybe for the season, with a severe back injury; he got hurt in the first minute of the game and was carried out on a stretcher. He's in traction right now.

Al Savo will start for Alan.

9-8, 3-2 Stanford is here. This is a game that we should win easily.

After 5 games we're already alone in first with only Utah one game back. As I keep saying, this conference is too weak.

[Wayne23]

1/21: Early lead. Up 11 after 10. Up Up 16 going to the locker room. Up 34 with 10 to play. All 5 starters in doubles already.

97-51. Ugly. New 6th man Ivan Fox led us with 17, 5, 4 in 23 minutes. 12 and 10 for Savo in his first start of the season. 17, 1, 4 for Shay, 16, 6 for Betz, 13, 1, 5 for the quiet man, PG Joel Ston.

+8 RBs, 7 TOs to 23. We shot 54.3% to 39.6%. +22 in the paint.

At 7-10, 0-6 USC. I just hope no one gets hurt.

The probe sees some things that don't seem entirely caused by nature on all 3 planets and on 4 moons. That's a hint that this may be a highly evolved solar system. We'll have the probe make contact later today and see what happens.

Eliana Ramos attempted suicide. She slit her wrists. Her cell is monitored and it was picked up quickly. She got medical attention and the wounds were patched up quickly.