MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[columbianmaffia]

ps...gophers break my heart

[Nites]

Yesssssssss.  Tommies over Point 53-50.

[gacbacker]

Tommies win 53-50. A pretty lousy game if you ask me. But the close game should help St. Thomas down the road. Since they haven't played in many close games, they needed to win one like this if they were going to make a deep run.

[Nites]

Tommies win 53-50. A pretty lousy game if you ask me. But the close game should help St. Thomas down the road. Since they haven't played in many close games, they needed to win one like this if they were going to make a deep run.

Lousy game?     More like epic battle!   What great defense and heart shown by the Tommies.  Granted they blew innumerable chippies and bricked a few free throws, but their team defense was simply outstanding.  The turning point of the game was when one of the Point players drove down into the lane on Lonnie.  He stopped, put up a fake left, then right, then went up.  Lonnie never left his feet until the shot went up and he swatted it away, filled the lane on the right, got the ball back and hit the fast break layup.  That put Tommies up by 5 and Point could never seem to overcome that.

UST proved they can play with the big boys.  Congrats to Point on a great fight and a great season.

[columbianmaffia]

YAY!!! UST!!!

WHEN IS THE NEXT GAME?

and where?

[TommieFan2012]

I think that we can all agree that UST is no longer untested.  Words can't describe my emotions after Joe Scott threw down that INSANE backwards dunk!

[carletonsid]

I think that we can all agree that UST is no longer untested.  Words can't describe my emotions after Joe Scott threw down that INSANE backwards dunk!

Umm, we call those 'reverse dunks.'

Both teams really D up tonight and I thought the ability of both to shut off dribble penetration and limit post touches/looks made this a battle. I hope UST gets to host again, although someone needs to let the UST fans know if you're ranked #1, you shouldn't storm the floor. And if you do, don't have 10 percent of the fans do it.

[larry_u]

YAY!!! UST!!!

WHEN IS THE NEXT GAME?

and where?

Friday night...will be announced tomorrow.

I'll be willing to bet almost anything it will be at Wheaton.

St. Thomas may deserve it, but the NCAA is all about the $$$$

If St. Thomas was to host, WW/UPS winner would fly, Wheaton would bus, and because WASH U is over 500 miles, like 533 if I read right, they would have to fly too. 

If Wheaton hosts, all but WW/UPS busses. 

NCAA saves $$$  Thus UST is going on the road. It may not be right, but it it the way the NCAA rolls....

[Willy Wonka]

UST earned a gutsy victory, but it was a VERY ugly game. Both teams looked like they were shooting with women's basketballs.

The two teams combined to shoot 37/106 overall and 7/31 from deep. The Tommie starters played much more than usual. I thought some looked tired in the second half, especially Viau.

But they survived their first real test and that's all that matters in March.

[Drake Palmer]

Tommies win 53-50. A pretty lousy game if you ask me. But the close game should help St. Thomas down the road. Since they haven't played in many close games, they needed to win one like this if they were going to make a deep run.

GB- I've seen a number of those so-called "lousy games & wins" by Gustavus, & now this playoff win by St. Thomas.  Personally, I'd place this win by UST in the same category that I've placed some of the vintage Gustavus grind-em out type of wins – "Artistic Ugliness."   To an uninterested or neutral bystander - an ugly ball game.  To someone who cared about either team, or likes a tough, physical defensive ball game - the game was a gutwrenching, agonizing game of beauty.

I saw DeLaSalle HS coach Dave Thorson in the stands watching his former players Joe Scott & Teddy Archer & I'm guessing he was in a state of euphoria.  For the defensively inclined, or people who had a vested interest in the outcome, the game was a monster!

Big props to the baby faced killers.  They proved they could play a physical, deliberate, grinding half-court defense, rather than just relying on their press to generate TOs & transition baskets.

...I hope UST gets to host again, although someone needs to let the UST fans know if you're ranked #1, you shouldn't storm the floor. And if you do, don't have 10 percent of the fans do it.

Sid – lighten up.  The collective psyche of the MIAC was sitting on top of the Tommies' shoulders like a 400lb gorilla.  Practically everyone on this board or in private has questioned St. Thomas's ability to win in the post season.   In some circles it almost seemed like a sport to point out the Tommies less than stellar record the past 3-4 years.  So if the students want to rush the floor – cool.  The Tommies proved to their doubters & more importantly to themselves, they can win the big one.

Nites - you pointed out that one play by Robinson which was a very nice play, but the play that stood out for me happened just a little bit later.  With the score 51-47 & 18 seconds left, El-Amin tried a jumper that Nicolai blocked.  McCoy grabbed the rebound, threw an outlet pass to a streaking Joe Scott who put down a sweet "reverse" 2-handed jam!  For me that play was the exclamation point on how this team has won all year – great defense generating their offense.  That's good stuff.

Nice win by UST, tough loss for UWSP.  It's a shame these two teams had to meet in the 2nd round.  UWSP was a very formidable opponent.  Props to the Tommie & Pointer fans I was sitting with who added good spirited bantering about the game.
****************
Semi-off color props to the shirtless UST student with the Will Ferrell type 70's gym shorts & tube socks.  Some Tommie students were at the end bleachers behind the Pointer basket in the 2nd half.  Whenever a Pointer went to the line to shoot a FT, "Will Jr." would have his buddies hoist him up on their shoulders while he spread his legs & flashed the underside of his shorts & butt to the player shooting the FT.  Some of us middle-aged males were getting plenty of guffaws & snickers over this juvenile humor. 

Edit: It will be UST & UPS in the next round as UPS beats Whitworth 84-72.

[Willy Wonka]

What did people think of the crowd? The guys at the end of the gym were into it throughout...but the student side sat on their hands until the mascot/male cheerleader danceoff before the game. They never really got loud again until the dunk in the final minute, right? Most of the people sitting in front of me were standing but not even paying attention most of the game.

Personally, I liked the storming the court. This was a monster win against a tournament-tested opponent.

[Drake Palmer]

Willy – I'm with you on storming the court. Nice touch. Overall though the general student body sitting in the main bleacher section across from the team benches were fairly tame.

The Tommie boys of summer on the end of the court were awesome!  Last night I overheard one of them proudly talking about having to shave his chest so he could paint the "M" on it.   

I also found out that there are several students who split duties being the Tommie mascot because the costume is so hot.  "Tommie 1" was the mascot breaking out all the sweet moves against the Pointer cheerleader in the pregame!    Nice breakdance move by the Pointer dude.

[Drake Palmer]

Willy - you're gonna have to pick up your blogging efforts. My guy Nick Lauer from UST has got it going on!    Check out this excerpt from his UST- UWSP blog:

Lonnie Robinson gets things started for Tommies in the second half scoring an old fashioned three point play. The guy who fouled him, Louis Hurd. That's his third of the game. Robinson changed his hairstyle again and is sporting a Mohawk tonight. You could make a great coffee table book showing pictures of the different hairstyles he's worn throughout his St. Thomas career.  UST-UWSP Game Blog

[VOJ]

Congrats to the Tommies good luck in the next round...Mose I would never want you to meet your maker...that would deny student athletes in the MIAC the pub they deserve...

Sweet 16 nice achievement for both men's and women's MIAC champs...

Tough night for the WIAC...

Too bad it looks like the Toms will be on the road in the next round(s), but I know they will be prepared, play hard and do well, no matter the outcome...

[Drake Palmer]

Looks like Larry_Lu might be right about the possible regional finals locations for next week.  TitanQ, another poster who has been around the national scene for awhile posted the following earlier tonight:

It depends who the four teams are.  If St. Thomas is in that group, I think they will host as their undefeated record would likely trump anyone.

Not necessarily.  Seeding is very important, but so is travel/location.  Let's say the 4 teams are:

St. Thomas
Wheaton
Wash U
Puget Sound

It would take 2 flights to get that grouping to St. Thomas (Wash U, Puget Sound), but just one to get them to Wheaton.

(If 500 miles or less, you bus...more than 500 miles, fly.)

Money is the reason the Bracket of Death exists, and money will impact the Sectional decisions.