From Deseret News archives:
SLCC basketball: Bruins sad, but season was a success
That was an excruciating almost for the Bruins.
What they hoped would be an NJCAA coronation celebration Saturday night instead felt more like a trip to the coroner's office after SLCC lost the junior college championship game 67-56 to South Plains College.
SLCC's players might have shed more tears than sweat on the Sports Arena court and locker room floor. That is saying a lot, considering the way the energetic and intense Bruins hustled and worked their way to a best-ever 32-4 record, a Scenic West Athletic Conference tournament championship and a second-place national finish.
The sadness was expected with the result. The Bruins, after all, seemed poised to win their school's first national title in any sport. They rallied from 11 down in the final minutes of their first-round win, cruised through the quarterfinals and semifinals, and then held a 13-point lead in the championship.
Coach Norm Parrish, who often said this squad wasn't his most talented but definitely his toughest, will remember how his players always gutted out their best effort.
"In our 36 games, I can only think of four halves where we didn't bring it, and there aren't a lot of teams in the country that can say that," said Parrish, whose 1994 team finished fifth in the school's only other NJCAA trip. "And I couldn't be prouder."
Green and point guard DaVell Jackson made the NJCAA All-Tournament team, and Green was named Outstanding Small Player. Though his team didn't get the ultimate prize, Green said he'll always carry fond memories of this squad that didn't have any highly recruited players but that played as a team.
"We didn't need any stars. I know me and DaVell got awards, but it's our team that helped us out. It's our coach that helped us out," Green said. "I'll remember this team forever."
One Division I college coach who watched most of SLCC's games said it had been many years since he'd seen a junior college program play defense like the Bruins. Before giving up 63 points to South Plains in the final 28 minutes of the finals, they made their tournament opponents look like confused Junior Jazz kids.
Recent comments
Great job Yahosh, you sacrificed your own personal stats for the...
niel | March 25, 2008 at 1:25 p.m.
It has been a great fun to watch the road SLCC has taken since the...
Dave Osborn | March 24, 2008 at 11:11 p.m.
I had the opportunity to watch these guys play several times this...
Well Done Bruins | March 24, 2008 at 5:53 p.m.
- 20 killed in Indonesian fire 11:33 a.m.
- Va. Tech report details fumbles 11:32 a.m.
- N. Koreans burn bills in anger 11:28 a.m.
- $600M to go to energy plants 11:25 a.m.
- Big food drive coming Saturday 11:24 a.m.
- Expert paid $500K for Mitchell report 11:18 a.m.
- U.S. draws England for World Cup 11:16 a.m.
- Delta says traffic fell 7.1% 11:15 a.m.
- Death penalty possible in slayings 11:00 a.m.
- Embargo as genocide? 10:56 a.m.
- Mr. Football 2009: Tuni Kanuch
- Harpring's NBA career is over
- Miller predicted Tiger's rough road
- Hate not limited to 1 in-state rivalry
- Phoenix signs off on LDS temple
- MVPs wrap up stellar prep careers
- 5A high school football All-State
- Utah Jazz going green with unis
- Jazz: Miles, Kirilenko to play Friday
- 4A high school football: All-State
- Hall reprimanded by MWC
407 - Max Hall issues apology
393 - Hall's pain reflects self-betrayal
362 - Why is Y. ignoring spew of hatred?
287 - Utes won't respond to Hall
278 - BYU says Hall incident resolved
247 - Letters: Liberal because LDS
227 - 2 citations issued at Y.-U. game
188 - Aggies shoot past Cougars
175 - Hate not limited to 1 in-state rivalry
170
Harvey Unga's future seems to be a hot talking point among fans so let's...
The publicity over Max Hall's "hate" rant against Utah, last weekend,...
Some Ute fans might be wringing their hands over still another loss,...
I'm sorry, I have to chuckle at all you folks that talk about bikes using the...
It isn't private land - yet. The land is controlled by SITLA. But, the land...
Imagine if BYU fans threw beer and other degrading substances onto visiting...
To John Pack Lambert | 8:12 p.m. "Diaz knows his district. Those who...
... The gospel of Jesus Christ is too broad and too deep to be confined to...
Oh, you all want a fiscal c-o-n-s-e-r-v-a-t-i-v-e for president. You mean...
We were born into this world with a National Debt, we'll all die with one, no...
Good luck!!!! OUR ONLY DEFENSE GUY!!!!
Don't worry too much about the Utah fans. They don't read too much as it is...
Whether or not it's right, Tiger's actions off the course, effect Tiger's...



