BG down 19-4 to start the game vs CMU!

[BGorDeath]

While I thouroughly enjoy watching this team play, I am kind of tired of the "Nate Miller Dribbles The Ball For 30 Seconds, Then Forces A Shot" offense. Love watching Jakubowski play. Had some nice no look passes tonight.

[hammb]

While I thouroughly enjoy watching this team play, I am kind of tired of the "Nate Miller Dribbles The Ball For 30 Seconds, Then Forces A Shot" offense. Love watching Jakubowski play. Had some nice no look passes tonight.

They are forcing Miller into the role that our PG should be playing. He doesn't have the court vision to consistently find people when the defense rolls his way, and he cannot make free throws either. Yes, he finishes a lot of those layins, but he's a liability down the stretch when controlling the ball.

I really wish we would've given Polk the ball down low tonight. He got it early on and just backed his man all the way down and finished easily. I would've liked to find out if that was going to be there more consistently.

Really though, I think you have to find a way to get more shots for Brian Moten. He's by far & away our best pure scorer. I'd like to see Jakubowski controlling the ball in the 1-4 a little more often as well...

[The Niz]

Otis was dying to dunk the ball tonight. Every time he was in the game he was floating around the rim. When he drew the foul he almost took the defend right up to the basket with him.

[TG1996]

2. We had Marc Larson on the floor.

Somewhat sadly, this is the first thing I looked at in the play-by-play on Gametracker when I saw they scored on a putback.

[BleedOrange]

Didn't make the game. Busy as all get out.

CMU is considered a mediocre team in the weak MAC West. However, they just beat us at AA and beat Akron on their home court.

For those of you that could make it, how did Central Look tonight? Did we play badly against a bad team, or did we get beat by a team better than its reputation?

I'm wondering if CMU might be a MAC darkhorse.

[JimmyZ11381]

I wouldn't classify CMU as a BAD team. But, we are better than them, just not last night

[hammb]

I wouldn't classify CMU as a BAD team. But, we are better than them, just not last night

Pretty much agree. CMU looked a lot better than I expected going into the game. They played real tight aggressive man to man defense most of the night. Their guards were way too quick for Clements, that was noticeable.

I think we shot ourselves in the foot by falling down by 15 quickly. We beat them by 15 in the final 33:00 of regulation, but that wasn't enough. It was definitely a game that we could have (and should have) won, but I do think CMU was a better team than advertised. We actually did a pretty good job on their best player, but he did what he needed to put his team on his shoulders late 2nd half & OT.

[bgsufalcon24]

CMU isn't that bad, but honestly, we should have beaten them. I think judging by how much we were down by early, our guys were looking past CMU to Toledo. Whenever you do that, you're bound to get bit in the ass.

[Falconfreak90]

While I thouroughly enjoy watching this team play, I am kind of tired of the "Nate Miller Dribbles The Ball For 30 Seconds, Then Forces A Shot" offense. Love watching Jakubowski play. Had some nice no look passes tonight.

+1. And hammb, I agree about the FT shooting. It was driving me crazy listening to the game and we can't make those damn FT'S!!!! This has happened too many times this season.

Again, I'd make every guy on this team shoot 100 FT's after every practice. It isn't that difficult....get in a routine and you can make 7 of 10 most of the time.

[hammb]

While I thouroughly enjoy watching this team play, I am kind of tired of the "Nate Miller Dribbles The Ball For 30 Seconds, Then Forces A Shot" offense. Love watching Jakubowski play. Had some nice no look passes tonight.

+1. And hammb, I agree about the FT shooting. It was driving me crazy listening to the game and we can't make those damn FT'S!!!! This has happened too many times this season.

Again, I'd make every guy on this team shoot 100 FT's after every practice. It isn't that difficult....get in a routine and you can make 7 of 10 most of the time.

The thing that really scares me is that our best players (and the ones who shoot the most) are our worst free throw shooters.

If we want to have our best 5 players out there at the end of the game we've got Knight, Miller, Jakubowski, Polk, and Moten. Not a bad 5 man lineup, but they shoot from the line:

60.3%
57.7%
61.5%
56.7%
75.8%

That's downright scary when games can come down to free throws at the end.

[BleedOrange]

A few years ago, we went 18-11 with the likes of Floyd, Wright, Eyink, Almanson, and Reimold. Many our wins were by close margins. What distinguished that team was that just about everybody shot 75% or better from the line.

Shooting higher FT%s obviously results in a few more points per game, and thus a few more Ws to our record. However, good free throw shooting changes the dynamics of close, late game situations in your favor. With our guys, the opposition can intentially foul us early in our posessions before we set up our half court and and know that we'll make 1 of 2. The clock stops quickly and they get the ball back. With our 18-11 team, other teams needed to be much more selective about who and when they foul. All the while, we could run our offense, consume ticks, and potentially get a basket.

[hammb]

A few years ago, we went 18-11 with the likes of Floyd, Wright, Eyink, Almanson, and Reimold. Many our wins were by close margins. What distinguished that team was that just about everybody shot 75% or better from the line.

Shooting higher FT%s obviously results in a few more points per game, and thus a few more Ws to our record. However, good free throw shooting changes the dynamics of close, late game situations in your favor. With our guys, the opposition can intentially foul us early in our posessions before we set up our half court and and know that we'll make 1 of 2. The clock stops quickly and they get the ball back. With our 18-11 team, other teams needed to be much more selective about who and when they foul. All the while, we could run our offense, consume ticks, and potentially get a basket.

There is definitely some merit to this idea. Last night, for instance, we ran the same 1-4 set with Miller handling the ball at the top of the arc pretty much the last 7-10 minutes of the game. It worked quite well at first, but by the time we got into overtime CMU was just rolling defenders to Miller and fouling him HARD. It was obvious that they were quite willing to just send him to the free throw line throughout OT. The result was a few possessions that we traded 2 for 1s because he's not consistent enough on the line.

If we had a guy who could penetrate and shoot 80% from the line I think you'd see a different defensive strategy.

[svillefalcon]

Until Miller learns how to make free throws, i dont see why we are letting him go 1 on 5 to end games. It doesnt work when we are losing for him to go to the line and miss ATLEAST one of 2. terrible. I would much rather have the ball in Moten or JJ's hands at the end of the game. I really hope that B-Mo gets more touches on the offensive end. The guy can score. Knight needs to get way more aggressive. He didnt even look interested last night. Overall, i think we got solid performances out of JJ and B-Mo, decent outings out of Knight because hes the only persong on our team that can rebound, and Miller had some flashes but fizzled at the end from the line as i expected. Polk and Larson are pathetic. Im sorry, they give us nothing. Last night, they provided no interior defense whatsoever. I don't remember who was out there on the last play of regulation, but how in heavens name do you give up an uncontested put back to tie it going to overtime. Atleast wrap him up and make him earn the tie at the line. Very bad set back last night, hopefully the team can come out Sunday and smack Turdledo.

[Falconboy]

Obviously the slow start didn't help, but the fact is we had that whittled down to 1 point by halftime. The second half was back and forth the entire way. Unfortunately our final defensive possession made no sense whatsoever for 2 reasons:

1. We had 2 fouls to give and only used one of them? We had every opportunity to foul again and force them to set everything up with about 6-7 seconds left, instead we let them stay in their set.

2. We had Marc Larson on the floor. I have no clue why he has a D1 scholarship, why he gets on the floor, and I sure as hell don't know why you have him in defensively for the final possession of a 2 point game.

Well lo & behold they get a contested shot, and Larson is nowhere to be found as they get an easy putback layin to tie it up and force overtime. I have no clue why you don't have Polk in at that point.

In overtime our offense went straight to hell. Towards the end of the 2nd half we were having success playing a lot of 1-4 and Nate was getting to the rack and finishing. Then in OT he wasn't finishing. Here's the problem with that set: HE CANNOT MAKE A FREE THROW. Once into OT they just started fouling him every time and he cannot make the shots. I'm baffled how Moten didn't get a single look in the last 10:00 (at least) of this game. He had an outstanding night, he's our best shooter, and he's the one guy on the team I expect to make his 2 FTs when given the opportunity.

Yes, it was a hardfought game. yes our record is better than expected. Yes, we fought back after a big deficit. Still, we threw this game away with some questionable decisions down the stretch. We had this thing won guys.

All in all good games from Jakubowski and Moten. Polk & Knight were solid contributors. Miller put up a lot of points, but if he's going to be given the ball at the end of games he needs to find teammates; lots of turnovers and pathetic foul shooting down the stretch. Darryl was on another planet...have you ever seen a guy get 2 five second violations in one game!? Larson was his usual self. Sims & Madlock played very little.

It was a great game, back & forth the entire 2nd half. Still, we should've won, and didn't.

Couldn't agree more especially about having Larson of all people on the floor late in the game when we needed a stop AND a REBOUND. Larson is our worst rebounding post player and he's in at the end of the game when a stop and rebound to secure victory is needed????:? That truly baffled me. Probably one of the extremely few times if ever I've questioned a move Orr has made. Unless OP is fouled out , theres is absolutely no reason to have Larson out on the floor at the end of a game in crunch time when superior post defense/rebounding is needed.