Winter Classic

On Friday night we cruised to a 93-41 victory over Marian University, but on Saturday night we faced off against a tough and tall Coe College team that had us down by nearly a dozen in the first half. As expected, we fought back and actually led briefly in the second half before eventually succumbing to poor shooting. We had our shots, but we just couldn't find the bottom of the net. We're a young team. These games will happen. And when they do, you'll find me hiding under the scoring table. Actually, I'm usually there all the time. Talulah was there too. She got to entertain a bit during half time. Meghan was named to the All-Tournament Team. Congrats. See everyone New Years Day versus the Banana Slugs.

Women's Basketball vs. La Sierra

Now that finals are over and winter break is upon us, I can get back out to catch a few ball games. That was the case tonight as the Golden Eagles of La Sierra swooped into Currier Gym to play our young team of Lady Bulldogs. I don't know if our team was looking to vent of some steam from their recent tests or if they were there to celebrate the conclusion of a long semester. Whatever the reason, it wasn't working in La Sierra's favor. We never once trailed in the game. Our half time lead of 13 points was extended to 30 by the final buzzer. The most telling stat of the 80-50 victory was the fact that our bench outscored theirs 53-2.

For all those students who went home for the break and can't make it to the upcoming games and any alumni who live away from Redlands, log onto the live stats web page linked from the UR Athletics web site and follow our games. It's pretty amazing what our athletic department has put together.

Paws Re-opens

My favorite store is open again! PAWS relocated to New York Street over by the bowling alley and Toyota. They opened yesterday for all those people looking for last minute Christmas presents for their pets. On a personal note, Talulah had her eyes on a few chew toys. I'll be back.

Study Day

Today is dead day. Tomorrow is d day finals begin. In a show of support, I lent my integrated calculus skills to a review session at Appleton Hall. Talulah came along but she has yet to pass Math 100. So she just provided some comic relief (and snoring). That reminds me. Don't forget to get plenty of sleep before finals this week!

Thursday Basketball vs. UC Santa Cruz

Tonight was the opening game of the Lee Fulmer Memorial Tournament for our Men's Bulldog Basketball team. We started out sluggish (pun intended) but crawled back into the game to basically even the score at half time. While we kept the game close through most of the second half, we couldn't stop the lights out shooting of Santa Cruz. They hit nearly two thirds of every shot attempted and toward the end of the game they pulled away for a 77-68 win. I'm going to sleep now after a very busy day and the prospect of another two days of tournament action ahead. We play Chapman at 4 pm tomorrow.

Annual Christmas Tree Trimming

This morning we arrived at the second floor of the Admin Building to participate in the annual Christmas tree trimming party. Don't worry, I kept my distance from the 15 foot noble fir even though I was tempted to climb the ladder and check out the star. And yes, I wore my Santa hat. What mascots won't do for a little exposure...but Talulah kept trying to bite the tassel. It wasn't until they reminded her of the naughty or nice list that she decided to become best friends with everyone in the room. Funny how that works.

Back on Campus

This is the time of year why we live in Redlands. I can still hold office hours at my kennel or out on the Quad. On days like this it's difficult to keep from drooling...

Sunday morning workout

Women's Basketball vs Puget Sound

Timber! That was the sound heard at Currier Gym after the Puget Sound Loggers felled the Lady Bulldogs 62-58. We had our chances at the end of the game, but we came up just short. Well fought ladies. It was definitely an exciting game to hear from under the scoring table. I can tell this is going to be a great season.

Bulldog Dive Invite

Talulah went down to Thompson Aquatic Center to watch Tim and Chelsea at the Bulldog Dive Invite. The morning session had the men on the 3 m and the women on the 1 m boards. T thought our divers were looking very impressive. Of course, she spent the better part of the morning working the deck for attention. SCIAC conference for swim and dive starts in two weeks, December 5 vs. Whittier and then December 6 vs. Cal Lu. Check the UR athletics web page for times. And then show up and cheer on our Bulldogs!

Women's Basketball vs Trinity

Our Lady Bulldogs played Trinity in the Redlands Tip-Off Classic Friday night. Apparently to get into the tournament this year you had to have maroon in your uniform. Fortunately for me, I'm color blind so that didn't matter. I know what team to root for by reading the name on the jersey. Well, as usual, Talulah warmed up with the team during the pre-game drills, but the fast paced above the dog collar game our ladies play meant she had to sit on the bench for the duration. If only she could learn how to shoot a few treys like Ali... The gym was full of supportive fans even though a long Holiday week is coming up. We saw soccer players, coaches, softball team members, graduates of previous years, university staff, and many more. T and I greeted many of them at halftime. Trinity played us tight for most of the game until near the end when we pulled away for a 84-75 victory. This is going to be an exciting season. I may just have to poke my head out from under the scoring table to catch a few plays. Next game is tonight against the Puget Sound Loggers.

Sunday Soccer vs. Augsburg

Seventeen games in a row without a loss, but number eighteen was not to be. Our guys played well. We outshot the Auggies 21-8, but they wouldn't surrender the equalizer and won 1-0. All in all, it was a heartbreaking weekend. I admit my spirits were down and my temperature up for a while after the game. I so wanted our guys to play another match. They gave us one of the best seasons in recent memory. Well, it's time to regroup and look ahead to some well deserved time off. The soccer, football, and volleyball seasons are over. We still have ongoing X Country, Swimming and Diving, and Water Polo and both Basketball seasons are just getting underway. All our teams need campus community support. I'll see you at the games.

Women's Soccer NCAA First Round

After football, T and I sauntered home for a some grub and much needed down time. Then it was back to the University for the Lady Bulldogs evening soccer match vs. UC Santa Cruz. This was the first round of the NCAA Championships! Just getting into the Championships, much less hosting games, is indicative of how well our season has gone. The winner was to take on a familiar team this Sunday, Claremont Mudd Scripps, as they beat Hardin-Simmons on penalty kicks after 110 minutes of scoreless action. Well, so much for getting to bed early. Let our game begin.

The crowd was typically boisterous and a tad larger than usual. We donned our Redlands capes for team spirit and a bit of extra warmth. The first half we worked through some rough spots and let one goal slip through on a penalty kick. The banana slugs are a good team. In the second half we notched up the tenacity and evened the score at 1-1 on a beautiful goal by Erica. But less than seven minutes later they scored what turned out to be the eventual winning goal. We must have shot a dozen more times after that, but nothing went in. It was a well fought game. Great season ladies.

Football vs. Cal Lu

It was another warm and beautiful Saturday afternoon in Redlands for our sixth home game of the season. Coach Maynard, the rest of the staff, and all the fans honored our seniors as this was their last home game. I only wish it ended differently as the Kingsmen came out on top 24-17. We watched from the stands. We paced the sidelines. We were feeling pretty good when we tied it up at 17 all. Some days, some games, don't go our way. We won't let it get us down. This was a great season. Good job Dogs!