Confirmed.  OXY cannot win in our house.  It did not help that Connor Whitman came into Ducey running his mouth. 

So Oxy defeated CMS tonight 48-41 and although Oxy has defeated CMS twice now of three matchups, I think most honest and knowledgeable fans would agree that CMS was actually the better team.  I think tonight that Oxy got a lot of breaks down the stretch that enabled them to get the win.  The things that come to mind are the mysterious offensive foul called on Taylor while driving past Zebb, the two offensive rebounds that tipped around players' hands before landing in an Oxy players hand under the basket for a layup, the two in and out threes in the last minute, and the no call when Taylor got clearlyshoved in the back trying to grab a rebound of one of those threes.  CMS played a horrible first half offensively, missing many layups.  They picked it up in the second half and Miles Taylor began dominating as he has all year.  Mani Maceira missed a few midrange jumpers that he usually sinks with ease and John Parsons and Dan Winterbottom were a combined 1 for 11 from 3pt.  From Oxy's standpoint, they did not do that much better offensively but it was enough to win.  Defensively, CMS limited Oxy's big guns as they had in the previous two meetings.  The difference might have been Oxy's defense if not CMS' missed layups.  Oxy's D pressured well and the Stags were not able to handle the physical play in the first half.  In the second half, the true CMS squad showed up and they pretty much dominated most of the second half.  The first half lapse was too much to overcome and it did not help playing in the Oxy gym which was a clear, and probably one of the bigger "breaks" that Oxy got.  I do not think Oxy would have had a chance at Ducey where the Stags finished undefeated this year.

Anyways, it was a great season for the Stags and they deserve to be called the 2006 SCIAC Champions, finishing with a record of 13-1, a mark only reached twice before in SCIAC history.  I will be gone from the board for a while now and I may or may not be back for next year.  It has been great chatting with the board even though it's mostly Oxy fans.  And one more thing, have any of you Oxy fans noticed how much of a jacka$$ and disespectful Connor Whitman is, or is it just me?

Have a good year and Go Stags!

--Stags4Life

Quote from: Sagecat32 on March 01, 2006, 04:09:48 PM
For the record:

Cal Tech lost in overtime to Whittier.
Whittier beat Pomona-Pitzer.
Pomona-Pitzer beat Whitworth.
Whitworth beat UPS.
UPS beat UC Riverside.
UC Riverside beat Univeristy of Pacific.
UOP beat Texas A&M.
Texas A&M beat Nebraska.
Nebraska beat Marquette.
Marquette beat Georgetown.
Georgetown beat #1 Duke.

And thats why they play the games...

Great Stuff Sagecat32!  That is actually the point I tried to get across with my explanation, but those results smash the point across. Thanks.

--Stags4Life

Enough of this "they" beat "them" and they beat them.  Those debates have been  going on for years and they never predict that much.  Team playing style, health, home court, momentum, and team play mean alot more than "we" beat "them" and "they" lost to "them." So lets just wait till Saturday and then you can make your argument that UPS is dominant over the SCIAC or that the SCIAC is alot better than everyone thinks.

Answering someone's question, CMS is a very different team from last year's Willamette loss squad, returning 2 starters from that team and also their rotation and bench is completely different than it was during the Pacific and George Fox losses.  Also, those losses occurred very earlier in the season before this CMS team had found its offensive identity and its defensive cohesiveness and intensity.  They are a far better team than they were then, which is probably the case for most teams, but most especially for CMS if you loook at their early season performance and then their wins over two top NAIA teams and then into SCIAC play. 

Let's hope for a great game on Saturday.

--Stags4Life

Why does everyone seem to think neither of the SCIAC teams have a chance against UPS.  Forget the history for one sec, I know it is hard to, but I think the winner of the CMS-Oxy game will give UPS a fight and I do think UPS will lose.  Oxy has shown the capability to defeat a top 5 team in the nation and CMS, with the SCIAC's top defense, can play with anyone in Division 3 and beat them.

I do think CMS will defeat Oxy so I will speak as though CMS will play UPS.  CMS has been constantly improving all season.  I do not think you can look at that loss at Pacific and say they will lose.  CMS did not know its identity back then.  They know now.  They have the SCIAC MVP and 2 more first teamers and it will be tought for a team to shut all three of them down at once.  And with the Stag Defense, every game will come down to the wire and in my opinion, the Stag Defense will pull it out for CMS in the end against UPS just as it has for CMS all year long. 

Someone please provide some confidence in the SCIAC and do not admit defeat to the "graet" Loggers so soon, because you will be mad you didn't support your SCIAC come Saturday night.

--Stags4Life

Quote from: Liger Hoops on February 27, 2006, 06:39:03 PM
When is conference MVP announced?  As the season ended, it looked like Taylor had it locked up but if the Tigers can pull out a win at home this week, would Betty be the pick?

Haha, nice try.  No, I believe Miles Taylor is the SCIAC MVP and nothing that happens in the playoffs will change that.  Miles Taylor will prove why he is the SCIAC MVP this Thursday at Oxy as he has all year long.  I am looking forward to the huge game, see all you Oxy fans out there.

--Stags4Life

What is the capacity of Oxy's gym?

--Stags4Life

Quote from: David Collinge on February 26, 2006, 01:20:32 AM
No, that's not correct.  At least, if you mean that they clinched some sort of automatic bid by winning that tournament of independent teams, that's not correct.  Chapman is a Pool B team; there are no automatic bids in Pool B.  (Pool B is the independents, and members of conferences that don't have automatic bids, such as the GSAC and President's AC.)  There are 4 bids available to those eligible for Pool B consideration, and those bids will be the first 4 extended on the selection conference call (after the Pool A automatic bids, of course.)

Ok, thanks.

--Stags4Life

Chapman defeated Nebraska-Wesleyan tonight 76-67 which, if I am not mistaken, means they make the tourney as a Pool B bid.  Any ideas on how Chapman will fare in the tournament if they have indeed made it.  Chapman has defeated CMS twice already this season.  They also defeated Redlands, Cal Lu, Caltech, lost to Whittier by 3, and lost to Oxy by 5, all early in the season

I am looking forward to tommorow night, although I do not think any other SCIAC teams will make it, and Monday morning to see who the Stags matchup against.

--Stags4Life

Quote from: OxyBob on February 24, 2006, 10:45:40 PM
Interesting perspective, but I am going to disagree with you about the CMS offense. The Stags do run a lot of time off the clock, but it's by design as they are constantly looking for a pick or a cutter. I watched CMS play several times this season and what impressed me about them is how they are in no hurry to shoot and will wait and wait until they can post up Taylor or spring Winterbottom and Parsons off screens.

Claremont's offensive style ensures they are in every game. I would not be surprised if CMS caused grief in the playoffs for an unsuspecting foe.

OxyBob

I also agree with you that it is by design to run the offense looking for an easy shot, but it is also true as tigersports said that if the shot clock gets down to 10-12, the offense breaks down and Parsons backs up and tries to create off a ball screeen.  I do not see any problem in this style because Parsons is probably the best playmaker in the conference and it has been successful for the Stags all season.

--Stags4Life

Some great shots from the Oxy-CMS game:

Parsons dunks in traffic on Oxy D: http://i.pbase.com/o4/39/17539/1/56261349.IMG_7454.jpg

Parsons second dunk to wrap up the win: http://misheli.image.pbase.com/o4/39/17539/1/56261333.IMG_0281.jpg
http://mishami.image.pbase.com/o4/39/17539/1/56261334.IMG_0282.jpg

The rest of the album includes photos from CMS-Pomona 2, CMS-Oxy 2, and CMS-La Verne 2: http://www.pbase.com/gary/cmsbasketball&page=all

All photos taken by Gary Stephenson.

--Stags4Life

Quote from: tigersports on February 24, 2006, 02:09:59 PM
CMS showed to me that though maybe not head and shoulders, they were the best team in the league this year.   That said, I would hope that they change their tactics a bit as they enter the tourney and get the SCIAC a couple of wins.  Specifically, about half the time (or so it seems) their offense reverts to an NBA style in which Parsons holds the ball until single digits remain on the shot clock and then they hope for Parsons to create.   I love Scali and he and Henry (an NBA guy) have forgotten more than I'll ever know, but I would like to see them a bit more fluid and using the skills that Taylor/Mani/Parsons bring to the table more to the fullest.

Well said...I agree.

--Stags4Life

Quote

For a Stags fan, you sure don't do much for the reputation...If Oxy is so bad, how did CMS lose to them once and have such a narrow victory on their own home floor

Quote

Well, if Oxy's is so good then, how did they lose to Redlands and La Verne on their home court.  The fact isn't that Oxy is bad, it is that Oxy is inconsistent, especially defensively.  And, I was only offering my opinion that Oxy fans need to stop blaming the "any given night" scenario and realize that their team is inconsistent and might have been a bit overrated.  No one said Oxy is so bad, so before you question my reputation, figure out what I am trying to say.

--Stags4Life

Quote from: OxyBob on February 23, 2006, 02:16:27 PM

I didn't go to Caltech, but I know a little about statistics, including logistic regression and cluster analysis of multivariate data. Based on my analysis, Caltech has exactly three chances of beating Oxy -- slim, none and fat.

OxyBob

I am sorry OxyBob, but you're wrong.  Tonight is Carlson and Ivy's final chance to get a win.  They will be bringing everything they have.  Oxy, on the other hand, will be playing "Caltech" which means the motivated Oxy team that lost to CMS and Pomona will not be playing tonight.  This game is a lose-lose game for Oxy in the regional rankings so really what motivation does Oxy have besides winning and hoping for the best on Sunday Night.  Oxy has already lost two games at home due to poor defense and I would not be surprised if that poor defense showed up tonight.  Caltech definitely has a chance to beat Oxy tonight and if Oxy believes otherwise, then they might be in store for a miracle which would wrap up one of the greatest late season collapses in recent history. 

Quote from: Jordis Rocks on February 23, 2006, 12:55:24 PM
Come on, do we really think Caltech is going to give Oxy a game?...Oxy, despite the losses, isn't playing that poorly.  An overtime loss on the road to  Pomona-Pitzer (traditionally, the class of the league), a close loss on the road to CMS, the best team in the conference, and a close loss to Redlands on a night when they are hitting their shots and Mazarei goes off the chart (the ol' any given night scenario)...to me this doesn't represent Oxy as a poor team...so I just don't see them even letting Caltech be in the game at all...especially with hopes of a post season still looming.

I do not believe that any given night situation as much as you think it applies to the Redlands game.  Mazarei should not have scored 57 points on a good defensive team.  CMS defeated Redlands 128-70 and I do not believe this is a result of poor shooting by Redlands.  CMS has the best defense in the SCIAC and they shut down Redlands' offense and executed perfectly on their offense to blowout Redlands.  There is no way Mazarei would have scored 57 on CMS and the fact that some Oxy fans blame that loss on "any given night" is ridiculous.

--Stags4Life