Blue Devils Take the #1 Seed, US Steals Gold From Canada, Jacob Bridgman Wins for the First Time

Dawgbone Jr's Weekend Observations

Dawgs on a Tear

The Bulldogs basketball team has had an up and down year so far, but they are coming off their best week of the season at the perfect time. First, the Dawgs headed up to Lexington to take on blue blood Kentucky and beat them for the first time in Rupp Arena since 2009. Wilkinson and Cain were lethal in the hostile environment, combining for 39 points and knocking down several huge three pointers. This was by far the best win of the season for the Dawgs, and they made sure it was not a one game statement by backing it up with a revenge win on Saturday against Texas. The Longhorns destroyed Georgia in Austin a few weekends ago, but the Dawgs returned the favor and put them in the mud in Athens, which is the better college town. From the opening tip, Georgia looked like the more aggressive and confident team. Wilkinson shined once again with a team high 19 points and controlled the pace throughout. The Dawgs had lost both games the week before when Wilkinson was out injured, and his impact was obvious. After this week and these wins, it is safe to say this team would be nothing without the Cal transfer. If they continue playing to this level, the Dawgs will only need a couple more wins to secure their spot in the NCAA Tournament for back to back years.

#1 Michigan 63 - #3 Duke 68

Earlier on Saturday, the tournament committee revealed their top 16 seeds, and these two teams were ranked one and two. When the game tipped off, it felt more like a March matchup than a regular season contest. The difference ultimately came down to physicality, as the Blue Devils were simply tougher in the paint. Duke out rebounded Michigan by 13 and scored 10 more points inside, controlling the tone from start to finish. The best player in the country, Cameron Boozer, delivered once again with a double double and nearly a triple double, finishing with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists while impacting every area of the game. Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg did everything he could with 21 points, but he did not get much help around him. Another major factor was Michigan’s poor three point shooting, as they shot just 24 percent from beyond the arc. Duke was not much better from deep, but they made up for it by attacking inside and dominating the glass. With this win, Duke takes control of the one seed and will likely hold onto it heading into the tournament.

US 2 - Canada 1 Gold Medal Game

For the first time since the Miracle on Ice in 1980, America is back on top in men’s hockey. The US knocked off their arch rival Canada in a thrilling gold medal game and reclaimed international bragging rights. With both the women’s and men’s teams defeating Canada in the finals, it has been a dominant stretch for USA Hockey. The memories of 2010 still lingered, when Canada defeated the US on Sidney Crosby’s overtime winner, but this time the Americans had their moment. Matt Boldy put the US on the board first with a goal in the opening period, setting the tone early. Canada responded in the second period with a goal from Cale Makar, and from there the tension only grew. The third period belonged to US goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who turned away chance after chance and delivered one of the greatest performances in a gold medal final. When the game moved to sudden death overtime, the stage was set for a hero, and that hero was Jack Hughes. Hughes buried the golden goal and instantly cemented his name in American hockey history. The image of him with a chipped tooth and the Stars and Stripes around his neck will forever be iconic.

The Genesis Invitational

After two years, Riviera Country Club returned to the PGA Tour schedule and gave us an unexpected wild ending. Jacob Bridgman held a six shot lead over Masters champion Rory McIlroy, and after the front nine on Sunday it looked like he had the tournament locked up. However, the back nine told a different story as Bridgman struggled to keep momentum while McIlroy and Kurt Kitayama steadily climbed closer. By the time Bridgman reached the 18th, he needed a par to secure the win, and he delivered by sticking his approach to 20 feet and two putting for his first PGA Tour victory. Also this week, Scottie Scheffler’s top ten streak came to an end. Scheffler had the longest active streak at 18, but a rough opening round proved too costly to overcome. He battled back and still finished just outside the top ten at T12. This marked McIlroy’s first big finish of the PGA Tour season, and it feels like another year where he snags a major. As for Bridgman, the 26 year old has had a tremendous start to the season, and he will be a problem for the rest of the tour as he continues to improve.

Dawgbone Jr (aka Bennett Wiggins)