Blind passion on display after win
Nevada’s Deonte Burton scored a career-high 31 points vs. Washington. Garrett Valenzuela/Nevada Sagebrush
After the Wolf Pack defeated University of Washington 76-73 on Friday — a team that was ranked No. 26 in the nation by Sports Illustrated in its season preview — sophomore Nevada point guard Deonte Burton jumped on top of the media table and fist-pumped to the crowd in celebration of the signature victory.
Though the win was touted as arguably the best this group has seen, Burton and junior Nevada shooting guard Malik Story downplayed the significance of the contest in a media conference before the game.
But Wolf Pack players were singing a different tune when the final overtime buzzer sounded Friday night in Lawlor Events Center.
Burton was so caught up with the win, which earned him his second-career Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week award, he didn’t even notice he was stepping on a media member’s laptop during his post-game celebration.
“After dominating the game, Nevada guard Deonte Burton dominated my laptop,” Reno Gazette-Journal reporter Scott Oxarart posted on his Facebook page after the historic win. “He jumped on the press table to celebrate and Ndamukong Suh’d my Mac. It’s a tough machine. She’s fine, don’t worry.”
The feeling of disregard for everything besides the win was a feeling every member of the Wolf Pack shared.
Senior Wolf Pack forward Olek Czyz rushed onto the court as soon as possible and jumped in jubilation after sophomore guard Jerry Evans blocked a final three-point attempt by the Huskies.
Nevada fans with silver and blue face paint joined the players in celebration of the season-defining victory, and bombarded the court to praise the Wolf Pack basketball team. However, not all fans were in favor of mobbing the court.
“I really humongously disliked the fans rushing the court,” Senior business economics major Cavin Erdmannhill said after the game. “If we were playing the No. 10 team in the nation and we rushed the court, it would be chill, but Washington is not that big of a deal.
“It was a good game, but I don’t think it was worth rushing the court.”
Despite the critical analysis from some fans, sophomore Nevada guard Jordan Burris and junior guard Patrick Nyeko smiled from ear to ear as they frolicked in the center of the court with Wolf Pack fans.
“Any time you defeat a Pac-12 team that you’re not supposed to beat — it’s just fun, and the students love it,” Nevada alumni and graduate student Russell Louie said. “They’re in a better conference than us and they traditionally get better talent than we do so it’s a great win, and rushing the court was warranted I would say.”
Jordan Burris (center) sits anxiously watching the overtime action Friday against Washington. Nevada tied the game at the end of regulation and captured the 76-73 overtime win in dramatic fashion. Garrett Valenzuela/Nevada Sagebrush
One thing that many fans would agree on was the fact that this victory came as a surprise.
“I had very little faith going into this game, but it seemed like they were a little more energized for this game just because they’re a Pac-12 team,” Erdmannhill said. “You kept thinking, ‘There is no way they’re going to do it,’ but they did, and Deonte Burton was just outstanding.”
Though the Huskies were only favored by two points at casinos in Reno, the Wolf Pack was inferior in nearly every statistical category including the most important of all — the win column.
Nevada entered the game 4-3 while Washington had a 4-1 record.
“I expected Washington to win,” Huskies’ fan Olivia Uhart said. “The Pac-12 conference just has so much more competition.”
Nevada will have another shot at a Pac-12 school Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. when it travels to face the Sun Devils at Arizona State.
Though the game won’t have as much hype since Arizona State has a 3-4 record and the game won’t be on ESPN, the Wolf Pack will look to keep its momentum going with another win over a Pac-12 school.
“We have to watch tape and learn from (the win over Washington) to continue to make winning plays, and when you try and make the next step to win, I don’t think the guys want to go backwards because they have a great feeling right now,” Carter said. “When you have a confidence level, you’re going to try and stay at that level.
“But every team poses a different challenge for us and Arizona State is obviously different than Washington so we have to stay focused and concentrate on one game at a time.”
Eric Lee Castillo can be reached at ecastillo@nevadasagebrush.com
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One Response to “Blind passion on display after win”
I have to say, rushing the field or court is losing its novelty. I rushed the field twice in my life: 1. Victory over Cal, 2. Victory over Boise State. Outside of that, I saw no purpose.
Who is telling people it’s okay to rush after every win?
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