March 22, 2019: Drake’s Becca Hittner (arms up) turns after being whistled for a foul in the closing second of overtime against Missouri in Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.
Yes, I watched basketball in person Friday. No, Iowa State wasn’t involved. Yes, I saw one conference player of the year carry the team on her back against a feisty 15-seed — and another conference player of the year give it all she had against a 7-seed. No, I did not hear the end of the Iowa men’s game much past when Gary Dolphin’s substitute said “the good guys” had the lead. Yes, Drake’s Becca Hittner needs a hug after the end of that game. No, I will not be rooting for anything in black and gold on Sunday. Yes, I consider this another “loss” for me against Carver-Hawkeye Arena. No, I am not telling the side story that makes me look like more of an idiot than usual.
Yes, I very much feared that this season’s ISU men’s team was too much like the 2014-15 team, capable of both going deep and falling flat. No, flaming out in the second-to-last tipoff of the first round feels just as bad as flaming out in the second-to-first tipoff of the first round, except this time I watched Thursday’s games.
Yes, the ISU women play today (with a conference player of the year BTW). No, I can’t go.