The Close Calls
#1 Memphis 79 UAB 78 - Just how exactly did the Tigers pull this one out? They trailed 77-70 with 1:22 left on the road and thanks to Chris Douglas-Roberts suspect three point play, the Tigers escaped Birmingham with their undedeated record still intact. Going into that final minute and a half, Memphis had missed nine consecutive three pointers. They also shot 12-22 from the line for the game. Antonio Anderson saved them, scoring a career-high 27 to go with Douglas-Roberts 30. These two were literall the whole team last night. Combined, they shot 21-35, the rest of the team was 6-31. "We can't complain about calls," UAB coach Mike Davis said. "If we did, I'd be 90 years old. Once it's over it's over and we can't get it back."
#4 Tennessee 74 Georgia 71 - UGA's Sundiata Gaines' three point shot fell short at the buzzer, as did Georgia's upset attempt. Chris Lofton led four Vols in double figues with 22 including 19 in the second half, in a game his team shot just 7-24 from deep and 7-14 from the line. Wayne Chism added 16. Gaines was fabulous for the Bulldogs with 23, nine rebounds, and eight assists. "That's why he's an All-American," Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said. "No question, Chris Lofton willed this win. Chris Lofton put this team on his shoulders in the second half. We were not going to leave this building without a win, and Chris Lofton saw to that."
#7 Stanford 67 Arizona 66 - Brook Lopez gets all the ink, but it was the late game play of Robin Lopez that sealed an impressive road win for the Cardinal. Robin blocked Chase Budinger's game winning shot attempt and knocked the ball forward as the clock expired. With Arizona leading by one a play before, a suspect foul call on Budinger put Brook Lopez at the line, where he knocked down both to give Stanford the lead. "We are on our homecourt, and it seemed like we could not get a call," Arizona PG Jerryd Bayless said. "It seemed like everything was going their way." Bayless was sensational scoring 31, including 16 straight in the second half. It was his third straight 30 point game. Budinger had 23. The rest of the team had 12. Stanford was led by Brook Lopez's 23 and 10 boards.
#11 Texas 82 Baylor 77 - The Longhorns amost choked away a 14 lead with three minutes left, but Baylor's Aaron Bruce called a timeout Baylor didn't have in a one point game with the ball and the Bears comeback fell short. They had a chance to tie, but LaceDarius Dunn's three was off the mark. Texas missed seven free throws during that last three minutes and committed three turnovers to give Baylor a chance. Five Longhorns scored in double figures led by Damion James' 19 and 10. D.J. Augustin struggled again, going 2-12 after his 1-13 game against Kansas. Baylor jacked up 31 threes, making just eight shots and they were 1-16 in the first half. "If we make those free throws, it put more pressure on them," Texas coach Rick Barnes said. "We turned it over some. We knew they were going to be aggressive. But it changes everything if you step up and make free throws."
#17 Connectictut 74 South Florida 73 OT - Give The Bulls credit, though they are just 11-15, they just knocked off Syracuse and had the hottest team in the nation all but beaten, but Craig Austrie's runner with 0.2 seconds left ended their upset dreams. A.J. Price had 23 and Doug Wiggins came off the bench with 20 to pace the Huskies who were killed on the glass by South Florida, something that usually doesn't happen to them. Kentrell Gransberry was dominant for USF with 26 and 15. "They outplayed us probably. I think they gave more effort," UConn coach Jim Calhoun said. "That shows up ... in many, many ways. But we'll go home with a win. We're not turning it back in because, quite frankly, we've outplayed other teams before and got beat."
#10 Butler 51 Cleveland State 46 - As we said earlier in the week, Butler can win in the 40's or in the 80's if they have to. This one was a knockdown, drag out brawl where the Bulldogs defense was the difference. CSU was held to 31% shooting and committed 15 turnovers. Matt Howard's muscle in the post was the difference. He had 17 and eight. The three ball wasn't hitting for Butler, as they went 6-21, but in the end, they came away with the W. "We got stops," Butler guard Mike Green said. "We got stops when we needed them. Cleveland State can score with the best of them."
The Big Wins and Upsets
#12 Indiana 80 #9 Michigan State 61 - Most people, Dick Vitale included, have no sympathy for Kelvin Sampson, but it was a great win for him and for his team. Star PF D.J. White left the game in the first half with a knee injury and never returned, but Eric Gordon and his teammates dominated the rest of the way. Gordon had 28 and was unstoppable. Jordan Crawford and Deandre Thomas were big off the bench with 12 and 10 respectively and the Hoosiers dominated this game from about the 12:00 mark in the first half on. The Spartans led by 11 early but then got their doors blown off. "Yes, I think so," Sampson said when asked if this win meant more to him than others. "But you know, these games are about these kids. Basketball is so much bigger than any one person, and the game is always about the players."
Syracuse 77 #8 Georgetown 70 - We called this one. After losing to South Florida, the Orange came out inspired and led the Hoyas by as many as 21. Boeheim's club twice tried to give the game back to the Hoyas, who got as close as five, but it was too much Paul Harris, Jonny Flynn, and Donte Greene. They combined for 53 points. The fans stormed the floor and it was bedlam at the dome as more than 31,000 saw this big W. The overrated Hoyas are now tied for first in the Big East with Louisville. Jonathan Wallace led Georgetown with 26 on 9-10 shooting.
Oklahoma State 59 #16 Texas A&M 54 - Here's a strange one. Oklahoma State had lost 19 straight road games and the Aggies were playing their best basketball of the year. Byron Eaton led the Cowboys with 17. "We just didn't come out ready to play in the second half," Aggies PF Joseph Jones said. "We weren't aggressive and we paid for it. They got every loose ball and we didn't rebound well."
The Blowouts and the Borefests
#3 Kansas 69 Colorado 54 - KU ran away with this one in the 20 year reunion for the 1988 National Championship team. KU didn't play particularily well, but they did lead by as many as 33. Mario Chalmers led the Jayhawks with 13. "It meant a lot for our players to have not only him, but everybody else back. We talked a lot about what was going on and how cool this is."
#5 North Carolina 92 Virginia Tech 53 - The Tar Heels playing their best game by a mile without PG Ty Lawson. Five players were in double figures, including Tyler Hansbrough's 23. Nothing like winning by 39 and committing 18 turnovers.
#14 Wisconsin 65 Minnesota 56 - A Big Ten snoozer, but a much needed on by the Badgers to keep pace with Purdue and Indiana. Five Badgers scored 12 or 11.
#15 Drake 65 Northern Iowa 55 - Nice bounce back by the Bulldogs on the road after the loss at Southern Illinois.
#20 Washington State 62 Oregon 53 - Taylor Rochestie had 21 to go with Derrick Low's 16 as the Cougars won in Mac Court. At 15-10, Oregona has to be considered one of te biggest disappointments in the country.
#22 Kansas State 100 Missouri 63 - Michael Beasley for Player of the Year anyone? The Freshman was a beast Saturday, going off for 40 and grabbing 17 boards. Fellow stud Frosh Bill Walker had 18 as the Cats got their revenge for losing to Mizzou two weeks ago.
#23 Purdue 71 Northwestern 56 - While Robbie Hummel unable to get off, fellow Frosh E'Twaun Moore stepped up his game with a career-high 28. Who else cannot wait for Tuesday night's showdown in Bloomington with IU. That could be Kelvin Sampson's last game as Indiana coach.
Other Scores of Note:
Dayton 77 Temple 66 - Brian Roberts 23 paced the Flyers who needed this one badly.
Maryland 82 Florida State 72 - The Terps continue their push towards an NCAA bid.
Clemson 71 NC State 64 - Nice road win for Oliver Purnell's club.
#1 Memphis 79 UAB 78 - Just how exactly did the Tigers pull this one out? They trailed 77-70 with 1:22 left on the road and thanks to Chris Douglas-Roberts suspect three point play, the Tigers escaped Birmingham with their undedeated record still intact. Going into that final minute and a half, Memphis had missed nine consecutive three pointers. They also shot 12-22 from the line for the game. Antonio Anderson saved them, scoring a career-high 27 to go with Douglas-Roberts 30. These two were literall the whole team last night. Combined, they shot 21-35, the rest of the team was 6-31. "We can't complain about calls," UAB coach Mike Davis said. "If we did, I'd be 90 years old. Once it's over it's over and we can't get it back."
#4 Tennessee 74 Georgia 71 - UGA's Sundiata Gaines' three point shot fell short at the buzzer, as did Georgia's upset attempt. Chris Lofton led four Vols in double figues with 22 including 19 in the second half, in a game his team shot just 7-24 from deep and 7-14 from the line. Wayne Chism added 16. Gaines was fabulous for the Bulldogs with 23, nine rebounds, and eight assists. "That's why he's an All-American," Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said. "No question, Chris Lofton willed this win. Chris Lofton put this team on his shoulders in the second half. We were not going to leave this building without a win, and Chris Lofton saw to that."
#7 Stanford 67 Arizona 66 - Brook Lopez gets all the ink, but it was the late game play of Robin Lopez that sealed an impressive road win for the Cardinal. Robin blocked Chase Budinger's game winning shot attempt and knocked the ball forward as the clock expired. With Arizona leading by one a play before, a suspect foul call on Budinger put Brook Lopez at the line, where he knocked down both to give Stanford the lead. "We are on our homecourt, and it seemed like we could not get a call," Arizona PG Jerryd Bayless said. "It seemed like everything was going their way." Bayless was sensational scoring 31, including 16 straight in the second half. It was his third straight 30 point game. Budinger had 23. The rest of the team had 12. Stanford was led by Brook Lopez's 23 and 10 boards.
#11 Texas 82 Baylor 77 - The Longhorns amost choked away a 14 lead with three minutes left, but Baylor's Aaron Bruce called a timeout Baylor didn't have in a one point game with the ball and the Bears comeback fell short. They had a chance to tie, but LaceDarius Dunn's three was off the mark. Texas missed seven free throws during that last three minutes and committed three turnovers to give Baylor a chance. Five Longhorns scored in double figures led by Damion James' 19 and 10. D.J. Augustin struggled again, going 2-12 after his 1-13 game against Kansas. Baylor jacked up 31 threes, making just eight shots and they were 1-16 in the first half. "If we make those free throws, it put more pressure on them," Texas coach Rick Barnes said. "We turned it over some. We knew they were going to be aggressive. But it changes everything if you step up and make free throws."
#17 Connectictut 74 South Florida 73 OT - Give The Bulls credit, though they are just 11-15, they just knocked off Syracuse and had the hottest team in the nation all but beaten, but Craig Austrie's runner with 0.2 seconds left ended their upset dreams. A.J. Price had 23 and Doug Wiggins came off the bench with 20 to pace the Huskies who were killed on the glass by South Florida, something that usually doesn't happen to them. Kentrell Gransberry was dominant for USF with 26 and 15. "They outplayed us probably. I think they gave more effort," UConn coach Jim Calhoun said. "That shows up ... in many, many ways. But we'll go home with a win. We're not turning it back in because, quite frankly, we've outplayed other teams before and got beat."
#10 Butler 51 Cleveland State 46 - As we said earlier in the week, Butler can win in the 40's or in the 80's if they have to. This one was a knockdown, drag out brawl where the Bulldogs defense was the difference. CSU was held to 31% shooting and committed 15 turnovers. Matt Howard's muscle in the post was the difference. He had 17 and eight. The three ball wasn't hitting for Butler, as they went 6-21, but in the end, they came away with the W. "We got stops," Butler guard Mike Green said. "We got stops when we needed them. Cleveland State can score with the best of them."
The Big Wins and Upsets
#12 Indiana 80 #9 Michigan State 61 - Most people, Dick Vitale included, have no sympathy for Kelvin Sampson, but it was a great win for him and for his team. Star PF D.J. White left the game in the first half with a knee injury and never returned, but Eric Gordon and his teammates dominated the rest of the way. Gordon had 28 and was unstoppable. Jordan Crawford and Deandre Thomas were big off the bench with 12 and 10 respectively and the Hoosiers dominated this game from about the 12:00 mark in the first half on. The Spartans led by 11 early but then got their doors blown off. "Yes, I think so," Sampson said when asked if this win meant more to him than others. "But you know, these games are about these kids. Basketball is so much bigger than any one person, and the game is always about the players."
Syracuse 77 #8 Georgetown 70 - We called this one. After losing to South Florida, the Orange came out inspired and led the Hoyas by as many as 21. Boeheim's club twice tried to give the game back to the Hoyas, who got as close as five, but it was too much Paul Harris, Jonny Flynn, and Donte Greene. They combined for 53 points. The fans stormed the floor and it was bedlam at the dome as more than 31,000 saw this big W. The overrated Hoyas are now tied for first in the Big East with Louisville. Jonathan Wallace led Georgetown with 26 on 9-10 shooting.
Oklahoma State 59 #16 Texas A&M 54 - Here's a strange one. Oklahoma State had lost 19 straight road games and the Aggies were playing their best basketball of the year. Byron Eaton led the Cowboys with 17. "We just didn't come out ready to play in the second half," Aggies PF Joseph Jones said. "We weren't aggressive and we paid for it. They got every loose ball and we didn't rebound well."
The Blowouts and the Borefests
#3 Kansas 69 Colorado 54 - KU ran away with this one in the 20 year reunion for the 1988 National Championship team. KU didn't play particularily well, but they did lead by as many as 33. Mario Chalmers led the Jayhawks with 13. "It meant a lot for our players to have not only him, but everybody else back. We talked a lot about what was going on and how cool this is."
#5 North Carolina 92 Virginia Tech 53 - The Tar Heels playing their best game by a mile without PG Ty Lawson. Five players were in double figures, including Tyler Hansbrough's 23. Nothing like winning by 39 and committing 18 turnovers.
#14 Wisconsin 65 Minnesota 56 - A Big Ten snoozer, but a much needed on by the Badgers to keep pace with Purdue and Indiana. Five Badgers scored 12 or 11.
#15 Drake 65 Northern Iowa 55 - Nice bounce back by the Bulldogs on the road after the loss at Southern Illinois.
#20 Washington State 62 Oregon 53 - Taylor Rochestie had 21 to go with Derrick Low's 16 as the Cougars won in Mac Court. At 15-10, Oregona has to be considered one of te biggest disappointments in the country.
#22 Kansas State 100 Missouri 63 - Michael Beasley for Player of the Year anyone? The Freshman was a beast Saturday, going off for 40 and grabbing 17 boards. Fellow stud Frosh Bill Walker had 18 as the Cats got their revenge for losing to Mizzou two weeks ago.
#23 Purdue 71 Northwestern 56 - While Robbie Hummel unable to get off, fellow Frosh E'Twaun Moore stepped up his game with a career-high 28. Who else cannot wait for Tuesday night's showdown in Bloomington with IU. That could be Kelvin Sampson's last game as Indiana coach.
Other Scores of Note:
Dayton 77 Temple 66 - Brian Roberts 23 paced the Flyers who needed this one badly.
Maryland 82 Florida State 72 - The Terps continue their push towards an NCAA bid.
Clemson 71 NC State 64 - Nice road win for Oliver Purnell's club.
Oklahoma 66 Texas Tech 64 - David Godbold's three with 1.4 seconds left stunned the Red Raiders in Lubbock. The Sooners will look back on this one when they just slide in to the NCAA Tournament. More good news, Longar Longar is back from his leg injury.
Louisville 80 Providence 72 - The Cardinals will be ranked come Monday, even though we have them already in our Power 16.
Mississippi State 80 Arkansas 74 - Charles Rhodes had 24 and Barry Stewart scored 19 to step up as star Jamont Gordon had an off night going 1-9. Both teams are now 17-7 and should be dancing in March.
BYU 74 UNLV 49 - The battle for the top of the Mountain West conference ended in a blowout. What's crazy is the last time these two met, UNLV won at home by 29.
No comments:
Post a Comment