MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Kilroy]

Beyond happy about the SMU playoff berth. There have been some really, really bad years where you had to wonder if this could ever happen. What a historic moment for the program. https://twitter.com/NorthstarAlex/status/1230326763705765888

[WUPHF]

How many steps did the Tommies player take on that final, game winning drive to the basket?

[sjujohnnie]

Very disappointing that St Mary's allowed St Thomas to come back from a sizeable lead & ultimately lose! If St Mary's could've gotten the ball inbounds they likely would've went on to win. Instead St Thomas steals the ball & a player for St Mary's gets called for a flagrant foul giving St Thomas two free throws, which they make to tie the game, & the ball. A go-ahead layup with nine-tenths of a second remaining seals the victory. SMH!

[Drake Palmer]

How many steps did the Tommies player take on that final, game winning drive to the basket?

How about how many things had to break right for the Tommies to pull out the win in the last seconds of the game? Down 19 points???  That steal by Cunningham without fouling was grand larceny at its best.  Zach Thiesen with the clutch FTs...


Raheem Anthony with the accidental flagrant foul, who otherwise had an outstanding game. SMU has to be tremendously disappointed in the outcome of this game, but those kids have got something to hang their hats on as they go into the playoffs next week.  They've served notice and they should be very tough for anyone to handle.  Again, great job by Coach Fano in what has been a basketball purgatory for a number of years.  Go get 'em Redbirds!

   

[WUPHF]

Lots of thing broke right including getting away with an obvious travel and drawing a charging foul in the restricted zone...

Certainly big free throws and three pointers too...

[Drake Palmer]

On another note, man, the Dawgs crush Gustavus 97-77.  Gusties lost their last 8 games.  Wow.

But the northern Lutes, Cobbers, break their 0-19 conference skid as they slip by Hamline 67-62.

Oles beat Mac to clinch the 6th spot.

SJU get out of Arden Hills with a 73-66 win over Bethel.

And the first place tiebreaker goes to...?

[Drake Palmer]

Lots of thing broke right including getting away with an obvious travel and drawing a charging foul in the restricted zone...

Certainly big free throws and three pointers too...

I'm not so sure about the travel call on Miller, but I thought 2-3 Tommies should have been called for a blocking foul on that charging call on Eli Cave.

[jamtod]

How many steps did the Tommies player take on that final, game winning drive to the basket?

You can decide for yourself:
https://twitter.com/TommieAthletics/status/1231325763321946114?s=19
I thought the same in the moment but the replay looks pretty clean.
Certainly had a few calls break our way in the big comeback, but also had a few bad ones go against us as well. I'll take it. Never doubted for a second.

[WUPHF]

I still see a travel, but yeah, I would take it too.

I might complain about it, but that is basketball.

[WUPHF]

By the way, I am not sure what I have said that is so controversial that I deserved three hits to my karma (until this post), but dang, St. Thomas fans don't play...

[Drake Palmer]

By the way, I am not sure what I have said that is so controversial that I deserved three hits to my karma (until this post), but dang, St. Thomas fans don't play...

It wasn't me. +k.

UST had a ton of breaks & good bounces in this game... but they played on when other teams might have quit.  They won't get very far if they continue to shoot like they did today. 35% FGA, 10-40 3FGA, 25%??

[Cav-J]

Madison held Cave. Miller took 3 steps.

How many steps did the Tommies player take on that final, game winning drive to the basket?

You can decide for yourself:
https://twitter.com/TommieAthletics/status/1231325763321946114?s=19
I thought the same in the moment but the replay looks pretty clean.
Certainly had a few calls break our way in the big comeback, but also had a few bad ones go against us as well. I'll take it. Never doubted for a second.

[Retired Old Rat]

Johnnies win the coin toss and are the number one seed for the tournament.

https://twitter.com/MIACathletics/status/1231322686271475718

I was kind of hoping St Thomas would be number one.  They're only 15 minutes away versus 90 to Collegeville.  Plus they played better in St Paul versus at home versus the Tommies.

[txg]

I have no dog in the fight, but that really, really looks like a travel to me.  Really really.

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

How many steps did the Tommies player take on that final, game winning drive to the basket?

You can decide for yourself:
https://twitter.com/TommieAthletics/status/1231325763321946114?s=19
I thought the same in the moment but the replay looks pretty clean.
Certainly had a few calls break our way in the big comeback, but also had a few bad ones go against us as well. I'll take it. Never doubted for a second.

It's certainly not a Michael Jordan-inspired layup (you know, 4-6 steps) but by today's interpretation of the "traveling" rule I'd say it was officiated correctly as a non-call. The flagrant was correctly assessed even though there clearly was no intent-- just hard aggressive defensive play that got a little too hard.   

A major tip of the cap to SMU's coaches and players on one hell of a battle. They had a good game plan an stuck with it throughout. Their pesky defense kept the Toms on edge and resulted in the worst shooting performance of the season for UST. But their decision to pay it cautious over the final 9-10 minutes and try to run out as much clock as possible opened the door a crack for UST and the Tommies took full advantage of that crack. Gritty determination  carried the day for the Toms down the stretch--- including some heads-up defense by Hedstrom and Lindberg in the final minutes kept the Toms hopes alive. In the final 20 seconds, some names usually found in supporting roles shined--totally clutch play by Cunningham (steal), Madison (foul-drawing layup), Theisen (all net free throws to tie) and Miller (the game winner). That keeps the Tommies' streak over SMU alive at 67 & counting.

And so UST gets its 34th MIAC regular season title, 13th in the past 14 years and 16th in the past 19 years. Losing the coin toss sucks  but considering that SJU & UST both won on the other's court, maybe it's "road court advantage"? 

The quarters Tuesday should be interesting. Olaf at Auggie in  a rematch from last year's quarters and SMU at Bethel in what should be a very entertaining game. Im going on a limb and picking Auggie and Mary to win.

Way too early prediction for 2020-21-- 1. UST  2. SJU  3. SMU 4. Car 5. Olaf 6. Augs 7. BU