Chapter 114 League Finals
As expected!
As expected of the Los Angeles derby, there will never be a lack of drama. Never underestimate your opponent. Even in the low period, there are still constant dramas. What's more, now that both men's tennis teams are at their peak, the blood and drama will be even more confusing.
When will the cycle of revenge end?
Judging from the current situation, it should be a dead end, and there is no possibility of reconciliation in the short term.
The point is, the two universities have no intention of reconciling.
As for the spectators, there are good shows every day, adding some sparks to competitive sports, why not? They can't wait to add fuel to the fire.
Losing to the Trojans, apart from the grudges of the city derby, is actually a normal result.
This was the case in the game where the Bruins defeated the Trojans at home. Every victory was decided by a hair's breadth. The on-the-spot performance determined the outcome, and the huge momentum of the home crowd also really helped a lot.
Now, the same is true for the Bruins' away loss to the Trojans.
Whether it is the total score or the small score of each game, it can be seen that every match between the two sides is extremely tense and very close. The probability of winning or losing should be fifty-fifty. The state of the day and the on-the-spot performance are crucial. Perhaps the direction of one or two games can determine the outcome of a set.
As the season is coming to an end, such a loss is actually a wake-up call, reminding the Bruins players:
We are not invincible, and a perfect record does not mean we are invincible. There are many teams besides us that have the ability to reach the top and win the championship. There is no benefit in being complacent and arrogant. It will only make the team miss the championship again, which is something no one wants to see.
The first defeat of the season had a strong impact on the Bruins. They really thought they could complete the feat of an undefeated season, but the city derby once again extinguished their beautiful dream. The mentality and state of the young players fluctuated to varying degrees.
Fortunately, the opponents in the last two games of the season were of mediocre strength and it was difficult for them to launch a substantial challenge to the Bruins.
Although there were some twists and turns in the process, the deviation caused by the fluctuation of mentality was beyond imagination. First, they lost points unexpectedly; second, in those games where they won points, the ups and downs of the scores also showed the difficulty of the game process. Even when facing weak opponents, the ups and downs of the state also created unexpected difficulties.
Fortunately, the final result was gratifying. With hard power as the biggest backing, the Brown Bears managed to win two games without any trouble, bringing a perfect end to the regular schedule of the spring season.
In the end, the season ended with 23 wins and 1 loss, which was the best record in the Bruins' history and a nearly perfect season.
Of course, the flaws in perfection further highlight the regret of losing to the Trojans.
But looking back at that one loss from the perspective of the season, Martin thinks it was a good loss and a timely one.
Before the playoff championship game arrives, the Bruins must wake up in time and tighten up in time. Don't let your guard down because of those easy victories, because every opponent you need to face next is at the Trojan level, and any negligence may lead to missing the championship.
The Bruins should not be frustrated by a loss, but instead should be thankful that this loss happened "early" instead of in the championship game.
It doesn’t matter if we lose a game in the regular season. We just need to cheer up and regain victory in the playoffs.
Especially after losing to the Trojans, after two games of turmoil and chaos, the Bruins finally regained their footing and found their best form.
Without a doubt, the Bruins finished as the No. 1 seed in the United States. Since defeating the University of Virginia, they have never given up the top seed throne and marched into the US championship game with their heads held high.
However, before the May Madness of the National Championship Game kicks off, each league still has its own championship trophy to compete for, and the Pacific 12 Conference is no exception.
This year, the Pac-12's playoff final four is UCLA, USC, Oregon and California.
The strength gap between the four teams is quite obvious, and they are ranked first, second, 47th, and 19th in the United States. Basically, they are at two different levels.
There is not much suspense about the outcome.
In the first round of the semi-finals, UCLA met the University of Oregon. The huge gap in strength made it difficult to form an effective confrontation. The Bruins won every match between the two sides with an absolute advantage, with a total score of "4:0", easily defeating their opponents and advancing to the finals first, waiting for their old rivals.
On the other side, as the favorite to win the national championship, the University of Southern California also had the upper hand in strength. Even though the University of California tried to fight back, the ceiling of their strength still limited their ability to fight back. There were not many waves, and it was also a "4:0" sweep to meet their old rival.
As expected, last year's Pac-12 Conference championship game was repeated, and the third Los Angeles derby of the season was staged!
To be precise, there is not much suspense about such a result. In the past five years, both teams have been at their peak. The competition between them has been entangled from within the league to the stage of the National Championship. Even in the crazy May, every encounter between them is like a collision between Mars and the Earth.
The year before last, the Trojans won the conference championship and, along the way, the national championship.
Last year, the Bruins came back to win the league championship and advance to the national championship game.
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This year, the two rivals met in the league finals as expected.
Although the value of a conference championship is limited, after all, the NCAA has too many leagues with varying strengths, the truly valuable one is the national championship; but the Pac-12 championship is particularly special.
Putting aside the fact that both sides need to warm up for the U.S. Championship Game, the strong confrontation in the Los Angeles derby will also mean that the two rivals will not deal with it perfunctorily.
Besides, who doesn’t like championships? Even if it’s just a limited league championship, it can still make people excited; plus the opponent in the final is a direct competitor for the national championship, there is no need for media hype, the tension of the final is already in the air.
The game hasn't even started yet, but the war of words has already begun.
"The victory belongs to us, have you forgotten? We just defeated them." Hanfman said confidently when interviewed by the media.
Thompson hit back without showing any weakness. "Haha, I don't know who is crying after losing at the Los Angeles Tennis Center. It's like Little Red Riding Hood who got lost. I hope I don't lose money in Ojai this time."
Straight punches versus uppercuts, the smell of gunpowder back and forth is enough to make people feel the difference of the playoffs.
Fourteenth update.
(End of this chapter)