4 more wins and the Dukes will be dancing.

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At this point - By needs to get the message to the team.

Force the ball inside. Make the refs blow the whistle. Their big's should have been out of this game at the 4 minute mark.

The best match-up for most teams in the SBC against us is a 3pt duel. We played better defense, mostly controlled the boards, we're balanced on turnovers.

11 more FTs and better FT % might account for 6 points. But, from the play - this should have been a 20 point win. We left 14 on the court - I am not sure we can do this against too many SBC teams.

Late in the game, when GAST needed to press or foul, and we are inbounding the ball to Bickerstaff? Seems like an odd strategy. I want my best ball handlers and FT shooters receiving the ball. Edwards was inbounding.

If there is any upside from this game, the tight ending can only help the team prep for late game situations that are sure to come up in highly contested tourney games.

The team doesn’t have to be at its peak right now. It needs to be at its peak 9 days from now to rattle off three wins in three days.

For some weird reason, Byington didn’t do the postgame interview. Coach Joyner filled in for him.

(02-28-2024 09:16 PM)olddawg Wrote:  Glad we eeked it out. Shouldn't have been this close. I just checked the box score to look at what my eyes may have missed- seriously odd game.
* We outshot them 45%-37% on FGs ( and had 5 more attempts too)
* We outshot them from 3 point land 38%-37% ( and had 10 more attempts)
* We outrebounded them 39-29
* We had more assists : 15-8)
* We even shot 81% on 21 FTs

On their side they only had 4 turnovers- we had 8
And most importantly, they shot 91% from the line on 11 more free throws than us. They only committed 4 less fouls than us, but our fouls seemed to ALWAYS result in FTs for them.

Win and advance...

Agee 100% - watching the game there was a 15-20 point difference. I just couldn't find much from the raw stats to suggest why it was closer. Best I can say, is when we tried to roll up the score. We missed makable 3s and they turned them into quick layups or 3s. Also, there were some fouls on 2s and 3s, where their better FT shooting amplified it.

Our strategy (if it was this) to bury them with 3s failed. Once we got to up 10 - we should have forced inside and worked clock. Our differential would have come at the end with FTs.

(02-28-2024 08:47 PM)purplesanman Wrote:  There is a certain point where I stop believing the refs are simply incompetent. There is no way you can make these calls without having a rooting interest.

Yep.

Absolutely the worst officiated game I’ve seen all year. And it was definitely home cookin’

(02-28-2024 09:26 PM)olddawg Wrote:  Late in the game, when GAST needed to press or foul, and we are inbounding the ball to Bickerstaff? Seems like an odd strategy. I want my best ball handlers and FT shooters receiving the ball. Edwards was inbounding.

Sure you want to go to Friedel or Edwards, but they are the most likely to be double teamed and least open. Didn't see any inbounds play that was designed for Bickerstaff to be the first look.

Also, for a big Bickerstaff can handle the ball decent and shoot his FTs decent. Not the best, but reliable enough you can feel safe having him as the third option on an inbounds play.

(02-29-2024 08:10 AM)Dukes_Royals Wrote:  

(02-28-2024 09:26 PM)olddawg Wrote:  Late in the game, when GAST needed to press or foul, and we are inbounding the ball to Bickerstaff? Seems like an odd strategy. I want my best ball handlers and FT shooters receiving the ball. Edwards was inbounding.

Sure you want to go to Friedel or Edwards, but they are the most likely to be double teamed and least open. Didn't see any inbounds play that was designed for Bickerstaff to be the first look.

Also, for a big Bickerstaff can handle the ball decent and shoot his FTs decent. Not the best, but reliable enough you can feel safe having him as the third option on an inbounds play.

Agree that he is a good ball handler for his size and his FT’s have gotten better but he is not the guy you want at line in that situation.

(02-28-2024 09:42 PM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(02-28-2024 08:47 PM)purplesanman Wrote:  There is a certain point where I stop believing the refs are simply incompetent. There is no way you can make these calls without having a rooting interest.

Yep.

Absolutely the worst officiated game I’ve seen all year. And it was definitely home cookin’

I thought the first half we received a lot of beneficial questionable calls.

Shame we did not hold to the 20 point lead. That would of been a beneficial NET result.

(02-29-2024 11:28 AM)Dukester Wrote:  

(02-28-2024 09:42 PM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(02-28-2024 08:47 PM)purplesanman Wrote:  There is a certain point where I stop believing the refs are simply incompetent. There is no way you can make these calls without having a rooting interest.

Yep.

Absolutely the worst officiated game I’ve seen all year. And it was definitely home cookin’

I thought the first half we received a lot of beneficial questionable calls.

Shame we did not hold to the 20 point lead. That would of been a beneficial NET result.

There was a stretch with about 8 minutes to go where the play went:
JMU runs up the court, open 3, miss, GaSt rebound
GaSt runs up the court, drives the lane, layup.

that cycle took about 10 seconds and was repeated what felt like 8 times, and *poof* there goes the lead.

There were a few flat-out terrible calls towards the end, but really, if JMU had just slowed down, set up the offense, and forced GaSt to foul, they'd have been able to orchestrate a nice, boring end to the game.

(02-29-2024 01:46 PM)94computerguy Wrote:  

(02-29-2024 11:28 AM)Dukester Wrote:  

(02-28-2024 09:42 PM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(02-28-2024 08:47 PM)purplesanman Wrote:  There is a certain point where I stop believing the refs are simply incompetent. There is no way you can make these calls without having a rooting interest.

Yep.

Absolutely the worst officiated game I’ve seen all year. And it was definitely home cookin’

I thought the first half we received a lot of beneficial questionable calls.

Shame we did not hold to the 20 point lead. That would of been a beneficial NET result.

There was a stretch with about 8 minutes to go where the play went:
JMU runs up the court, open 3, miss, GaSt rebound
GaSt runs up the court, drives the lane, layup.

that cycle took about 10 seconds and was repeated what felt like 8 times, and *poof* there goes the lead.

There were a few flat-out terrible calls towards the end, but really, if JMU had just slowed down, set up the offense, and forced GaSt to foul, they'd have been able to orchestrate a nice, boring end to the game.

That was a painful stretch of basketball to watch

(02-29-2024 03:04 PM)Bobby Bottleservice Wrote:  

(02-29-2024 01:46 PM)94computerguy Wrote:  

(02-29-2024 11:28 AM)Dukester Wrote:  

(02-28-2024 09:42 PM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(02-28-2024 08:47 PM)purplesanman Wrote:  There is a certain point where I stop believing the refs are simply incompetent. There is no way you can make these calls without having a rooting interest.

Yep.

Absolutely the worst officiated game I’ve seen all year. And it was definitely home cookin’

I thought the first half we received a lot of beneficial questionable calls.

Shame we did not hold to the 20 point lead. That would of been a beneficial NET result.

There was a stretch with about 8 minutes to go where the play went:
JMU runs up the court, open 3, miss, GaSt rebound
GaSt runs up the court, drives the lane, layup.

that cycle took about 10 seconds and was repeated what felt like 8 times, and *poof* there goes the lead.

There were a few flat-out terrible calls towards the end, but really, if JMU had just slowed down, set up the offense, and forced GaSt to foul, they'd have been able to orchestrate a nice, boring end to the game.

That was a painful stretch of basketball to watch

Yes it was. By never let's us get too comfortable.