UW Wins Despite Defeat

A lot of coaches strenuously reject the concept of a “good” loss.

Some can afford that cavalier attitude, having stacked up hundreds of wins and many NCAA Tournament appearances.

The University of Washington, however, has not reached the point where amazing performances such as Thursday’s in the NCAA East Regional - even in defeat - can be dismissed.

No matter what anybody tries to tell you about UW’s compellingly dramatic 75-74 loss to Connecticut on Thursday - which was determined in the final frantic heartbeat by a clutch UConn buzzer-beater - this was about as good as a loss can get.

By coming within a second of earning a trip to meet North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament’s Elite 8, Washington gained more national cachet and legitimacy with this slim loss than the Huskies have earned with any of their high-profile regular-season wins (Arizona, UCLA, etc.) over the past several seasons.

This, in fact, was a loss to build on.

Most of the Huskies agreed.

“This team has proved a lot over the year,” UW coach Bob Bender said. “But maybe proved more with this game, through 40 minutes, put on a big stage, in the round of 16, that we could come and play basketball with a tremendous amount of pride.”

He doubted, in fact, that followers of Husky basketball would remember the regular season at all.

“What they’ll remember, I hope, will be capsulized by the way we performed in this loss.”

Yes, that’s a coach conceding the positive effects of a valiant defeat.

And well he should.

“We grew as a basketball team every game out,” guard Donald Watts said. “We got better and we accomplished great things - things nobody but us would believe possible.”

They proved that they could play the No. 6 team in the nation, the champions of the highly esteemed Big East Conference, evenly for 39 minutes and 59 seconds.

They made it up and down the floor - in lock step - with one of the nation’s best up-tempo attacks.

And they never grew timid or hesitant or intimidated.

“We just couldn’t shake ‘em,” UConn coach Jim Calhoun said. “Because they didn’t want to lose and they hustled after loose balls. They played a terrific game.”

In his pre-assessment of the Huskies on Wednesday, Calhoun warned that his team could easily be threatened.

And he was remarkably prescient.

He talked about the size and abilities of center Todd MacCulloch, who finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Calhoun worried about the scoring ability of Husky wing Deon Luton. Luton had only six points at half, but finished with 17 and netted a couple crucial hoops to keep UW within upset distance in the second half.

And when Calhoun got to UW guard Donald Watts, he had difficulty pinpointing the exact problems he presented for opponents.

“I’ve just got to use a phrase my players use sometimes, (Watts) has got game,” Calhoun said in what may be the highest compliment in the current hoop lexicon.

It’s shorthand for “complete” game: talents brought to the court every day.

Watts reaffirmed that assessment Thursday night, scoring 22 points, pulling down seven rebounds and harassing UConn star Richard Hamilton for 40 difficult defensive minutes.

All 10 players attacked the UConn backboard in the final few seconds, and most of them seemed to touch it as they volleyballed it with the entire game in the balance.

It was great drama. Even for a team that lost.

“I feel fortunate to have had a chance just to witness this game,” Bender said. “I feel it was a classic game with an underdog and a great team fighting down to the last basket.”

So, by definition, it was a loss.

“I play to win,” guard Jan Wooten said. “If we get some recognition out of this, then I’m very proud of that. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the win. But I guess it was a good loss. If there is such a thing.”

Yes, Jan, there is. This was it.