Riaan Umhlane wakhe wawusabuhlungu, ukuqina kwakhe ngemuva kwesigamu sesizini ende, ngaphansi kwesizinda somsebenzi omude wasekolishi.
Drew Peterson wayengeyena umuntu ovamile. Lokho kwakuqinisekile ngoMgqibelo ebusuku. Ukuqina komhlane kumenze wanensa ngoLwesine futhi wacishe wambeka eceleni USCisiphetho sesizini evamile. Umbiko wasekuqaleni kosuku usuze waphumela obala ngokuthi uphumile ngenxa yokulimala. Kodwa ngesikhathi kucisha izibani zasenkundleni futhi kumenyezelwa abadlali, lo mdlali oneminyaka yesihlanu ubudala wagijima esuka endaweni yakhe ebhentshini, kwangathi ubukhona bakhe abuzange bungabaze.
Lona bekungaba umdlalo wokugcina kaPeterson e-Galen Center, phela – inkundla, izikhathi ezingaphezu kwezimbalwa, eyenze intando yakhe.
UMgqibelo ubungeke, nokho, ube ngobunye balobo busuku, njengoba i-USC ikwazile ukudlula Arizona State 68-65.
U-Peterson wayesazokukhipha, noma kunjalo – isiphetho esifanelekile somsebenzi we-USC awuchithe ulingana nanoma yikuphi lapho edingeka khona, ngaphandle kwesikhalazo. Uzame yonke into ngoMgqibelo ekuseni ukulwa nobuhlungu, kusukela ekubhucungeni i-chiropractic kuya e-IV drip. Kepha kuze kube ngaphambi kokuthi anikwe indlebe, wonke umuntu e-USC ubelindele ukuthi azohlala.
“Ukuze abhekane nobuhlungu futhi aphumele lapho, adlale imizuzu engama-31 futhi aphumele lapho futhi asisize sinqobe,” kusho umqeqeshi we-USC u-Andy Enfield, “ubonise inhliziyo nokuqina okukhulu.”
“Uyiqhawe,” kwengeza uzakwethu u-Boogie Ellis.
Ngasekupheleni koMgqibelo ebusuku, uPeterson wayesebuhlungu kakhulu. Wayesalwe ngama-rebounds, washayela waya ku-hoop, esashaye amagoli ephiko, izimpawu zokuthengisa ezivamile zesitayela sakhe sokudlala esishintshashintshayo. Kodwa ukuqina kwabo kwakuntshontshe inhlansi eqhumayo eyayibahlanganisa, kwashiya uPeterson elwa nakho konke.
Unogada wase-USC u-Boogie Ellis ubeke inhlamvu phakathi kukanogada wase-Arizona State u-Desmond Cambridge Jr. (4) nonogada u-Frankie Collins (10) ngesiwombe sokuqala. U-Ellis uqede enamaphuzu angama-28.
(UMarcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)
“Bengingacabangi ukuthi ngizodlala ngesikhathi ngivuka ekuseni,” kuvuma uPeterson. “Kodwa ngenxa yobunzima bomdlalo, kuwumdlalo wokugcina wabakhaya, ngizamile ukwenza konke ukuze ngihlale phansi.”
Wayezoqeda enamaphuzu ayisishiyagalolunye, ama-rebounds amahlanu kanye nabasizi abathathu kowamanqamu, umugqa ogcwele, nokho onesizotha ongeke wayisho indaba yengoma yakhe yedada e-USC.
Umngane wakhe omkhulu wayezothatha ukudelela, njengoba evame ukwenza. Kungenzeka ukuthi u-Ellis uchithe unyaka owodwa lapha kunoPeterson, kodwa kumasizini akhe amabili njengeTrojan, uphume njengenye ingxenye engangabazeki yokushaya kwenhliziyo kweqembu.
Kwakungakaze kube yiqiniso lokho kunale nyanga edlule, u-Ellis ephakathi nesikhathi esihle kakhulu somsebenzi wakhe wasekolishi kanye ne-USC edinga kakhulu umenzi womehluko. Unogada wamaphuzu uqhubekile nokudonsa kanzima ngoMgqibelo, wathola amaphuzu angama-28 ukuze aphinde ahole i-USC.
Bobabili abadala bazoshiya ifa e-USC okufanele idlale iminyaka ku-loop engapheli kumareli avelele esikole. Ndawonye, babezoshaya amashothi amakhulu kakhulu ezikhathini ezinkulu. Kodwa ithonya labo lingadlulela ngalé kwalezo ziphazamiso ezimfushane, zombili zishiye amamaki angenakucimeka ohlelweni lwe-basketball olukhula.
“Sihlale siholwa nguBoogie noDrew,” kusho u-Enfield.
Ngesikhathi i-Arizona State iphakamisa isibhamu sesibili sokugcina ngoMgqibelo, nguPeterson isandla sakhe esasizongena ebusweni bomdubuli.
Lokho kuqeda bekungaba kusondele kakhulu ukunethezeka, kufana nenothi eliwubudlabha umdlalo oqale ngalo we-USC. I-Trojans ihambe imizuzu emihlanu ngaphandle kokushaya igoli, lapho iphendule ibhola izikhathi ezinhlanu. Bengeze abanye abathathu emizuzwini engu-13 elandelayo, bejikijela amaphasi amaphutha, behamba ngezinyawo, bethatha izinqumo ezimbi.
Kodwa njengoba babenzile izikhathi eziningi ngaphambi kwale sizini, i-USC yazinza. Yazivikela, yaphoqa i-Arizona State ukuthi igeje amashothi ayo okugcina ngaphambi kwesigamu. Njengoba i-Sun Devils idonsa kanzima, amaTrojans adlulele ekhefini egijima ngo-15-2.
Kuzodingeka bajuluke besuka lapho, njengoba i-Arizona State idubule nje u-29% womdlalo. Emdlalweni wokugebenga osuka ku-USC, iSun Devils ivale igebe ngephuzu elilodwa ngomzuzu wokugcina. I-Arizona State yehlulekile ukuphoqa isikhathi esengeziwe ngesikhathi u-DJ Horne egeja amaphuzu amathathu ngesikhathi kuzwakala umsindo.
Ukuwina okuwumngcingo kufanele kuvikele amaTrojan indawo ohlangothini oluphephile lwebhamuza lomqhudelwano we-NCAA, kususe ingcindezi ohambweni lwangesonto elizayo oluya e-Las Vegas. I-USC yayisivele ivalelwe kunombolo 3 emqhudelwaneni wengqungquthela. Izobhekana nowinile we-Arizona State enembewu yesithupha vs. Oregon State enembewu engu-11 ngoLwesine ngo-8:30 pm PST.
Ukuthi ikude kangakanani ukusuka lapho kungase kuncike ekutheni abadala bayo bangathwala kude kangakanani. Ukugula emuva nakho konke.
