Ay-Ziggy-Zoomba.com

You can't all have made the trip to Muncie. At least, I certainly hope you didn't, for your sakes. What a sloppy and embarassing game. 86-62? We certainly aren't that bad. Maybe it was playing on a Tuesday? I'm grasping at straws, here...

Pathetic performance... I don't like the looks of things right now for the game on Saturday, UT has won their last 2 games and we have lost 2 games in a row badly.

they lost "badly" to WMU? I've blocked that one out of my head, but I don't remember it being "badly". Outmuscled and missed a few shots we've been making all year, maybe, but I don't know about "badly".

tonight, though... that was "badly". definitely "badly"

Sounds like we got outhustled, and a little homer job in there too. Is it me or is it everytime we go over there they almost double the amount of free throws they shoot compared to the amount we shoot?

It wasn't as bad as the final score, but we definitely got it handed to us tonight. We were only down 10 at the under 8 TO and Reimold missed a 3 (BSU announcers said it was 3/4 down and then out) that would have cut it to 7. From then until I turned it off, I don't think BSU even attempted a FG because we just fouled them every time they touched the ball. We aren't good enough to "give" teams points by constantly fouling their guards. We need a win on Saturday night for some confidence. Not a must win, but it's pretty big.

Can we try a zone D??? Just try it? I think we were at an all time low tonight on D, changing to a zone D couldn't be as bad as tonight was.

Both games we shoot about 40% in each. That is bad in my book, especially compared to the teams average of 53% before Saturday. We could not hit the side of a barn Saturday against western, tons of open looks.

bacn3 wrote:Can we try a zone D??? Just try it? I think we were at an all time low tonight on D, changing to a zone D couldn't be as bad as tonight was.

I wouldn't count on it.

If we shot 40% this game, it must have been offset by good shooting in the first half and part of the third because toward the end of the game we couldn't throw it into the ocean from the beach. Then we started fouling them at the end. I don't think for one second that an 8-5 (3-2 MAC) Ball State team is 24 points better than we are. We definitely went into a shooting slump at the wrong time. It was, like 60-50 or 60-52 at one point, then we end up losing 86-62. You hate to call a game a must-win this early in the MAC season, but we really need to take care of the Rockets at home this Saturday. Tonight was a tough in-between game on the road. We had a tough loss against Western Michigan Saturday and we play Toledo this Saturday. Maybe the guys were still stinging over the WMU loss. Who knows. We need to get a 'W' this Saturday. Let's get there early and be loud, cheer on the Falcon women's hoops team, then see if we can help the guys get a victory.

BGSU99 wrote: Maybe the guys were still stinging over the WMU loss. Who knows.

Not that conditioning should be a factor in mid-January, but being a bit drained after a physical WMU game might have played a part, especially going on the road three days later. Meanwhile, BSU is playing at home and had been off since last Wednesday.

I didn't mention it in my last post but I also wondered if we were tired. When you start missing shots toward the end of a game that you've been making all season, it usually means the tank is empty.

TG1996 wrote:

BGSU99 wrote: Maybe the guys were still stinging over the WMU loss. Who knows.

Not that conditioning should be a factor in mid-January, but being a bit drained after a physical WMU game might have played a part, especially going on the road three days later. Meanwhile, BSU is playing at home and had been off since last Wednesday.

Heard Todd Walker on his morning radio gig mention this. I just checked and from Jan 6 until last night, Ball State had played ONE game while we had FOUR over the same stretch. And to add to the scheduling issue, Toledo does not play tonight, so they will have had a week off to prepare for our game. Seems like every season this stuff comes up where other teams have a scheduling advantage against us. Maybe it is just me. :shrug:

The scheduling isn't just a problem for BG. While it is true Ball State had played just once since Jan. 6 before last night, we now get four games in nine days. How much sense does that make?

Warthog wrote:

TG1996 wrote:

BGSU99 wrote: Maybe the guys were still stinging over the WMU loss. Who knows.

Not that conditioning should be a factor in mid-January, but being a bit drained after a physical WMU game might have played a part, especially going on the road three days later. Meanwhile, BSU is playing at home and had been off since last Wednesday.

Heard Todd Walker on his morning radio gig mention this. I just checked and from Jan 6 until last night, Ball State had played ONE game while we had FOUR over the same stretch. And to add to the scheduling issue, Toledo does not play tonight, so they will have had a week off to prepare for our game. Seems like every season this stuff comes up where other teams have a scheduling advantage against us. Maybe it is just me. :shrug:

The BSU announcers were talking about this last evening too. But along the line of it biting them in the butt later in the season. BSU consequently has a full schedule toward the end of the season compared to BG's "lighter load". They were worried that BSU would be tired come tourney time, whereas BG who has a lighter schedule may be better rested. So BG may pay the price now, but in the end maybe better off. These things tend to even out over the course of the entire season. Either way, you play the hand your dealt. We got beat, move on and win the next game Falcons.

Don't see where BG ever has a "lighter load". The week of Jan 30, we only play on Thursday. But following that up with a Monday, Wednesday, Saturday week. With Wed and Sat both being road games, Wed at UT. So UT gets a week off to prepare to come to our place. We get a day off to prepare to go to their place. :shrug: