MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Freebird]

I will be there hoping to have an outcome similar to our football regular season play in game

VOJ, will you be there?

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

Im planning to take in the game in Arden Hills and then fight the mammouth crowd at the Sexton Echo Center.

It is possible for SJU to get the 3 seed but more likely they will be the 5 or even 6 seed. A loss tonight puts them in a tie with the winner of Aug/BU and apparently one or the other has the tiebreaker over SJU, not sure which one, and too lazy to research it this A/M.

That said, I expect a good game tonight. UST's depth should be the deciding factor, unless SJU has suddently found faith in their bench

I am sure VOJ & LBow remember the last time UST & SJU met after the Tommies played the worst game of that season

[Drake Palmer]

Sniff, sniff, ooh what's that's smell? 

It's the smell & sound of confidence, nervousness, fear, excitement, balls bouncing off the floor, shoes squeaking, grunts, yelps, whistles, sweat, coaches yelling, fans cheering & clapping (everywhere but at SJU)   

Playoffs start today, go getem baby!

[VOJ]

I will be there hoping to have an outcome similar to our football regular season play in game

VOJ, will you be there?

No...I will not...have duties with family and the Js vs Tommies tonight

[PTPer35]

BET 74 AUG 72

CAR 73  GAC 66

CON 84 SMU 77

[miacwatchmen]

Bethel still sucks ..............

[Drake Palmer]

Dawgs get jobbed! 
Leading 72 -71 with approximately 38 seconds left in the game, Augsburg tries to run clock & look for a good shot going to the basket or get fouled.  I can't remember who put the shot up, but with 23 seconds left the ball is tipped around, Femi Solaja comes up with an offensive rebound & got called for basket interference.  The only thing that I can think of that he could have possibly done was brush/touch the net as he was trying to gather the ball. Janky, skanky, rank,  questionable, highly dubious call. 

Bethel gets the ball with 22 seconds, runs the clock down to 4.9 seconds, missed a shot & Carlius Hodges isn't able to hold on the slippery rebound, the ball goes out of bounds - possession Bethel.  Augsburg calls TO.  Then Bethel inbounds the ball, Augsburg player kicks the ball, ball goes back to Bethel, no time off clock.

Dawgs call TO again, Bethel inbounds the ball - Madson slips free, turns & fires off that disgustingly effective fadeway jumper for a clean trey.  Game over Bethel wins 74-72.  Clutch, clutch shot by a player who struggled all day.

Pandemonium breaks out as Bethel fans storm the court in jubilation. 

After the post game team hand shake, in a classy move, Augsburg Coach Griess crosses the court to shake the hands of the leaders of the Auggie student section who made the crosstown trek to cheer on the Dawgs.

Tough loss for the Dawgs & credit to Bethel for hanging in & making two big runs in the first half, & one big run in the 2nd half to get back in the game.

Without benefit of a boxscore, Jon Cassens was huge for the Dawgs & had at least 24 -26+ points, & Solaja was strong as well.

Role players played a huge part in the Bethel win with Rob Lang getting a big 1st half dunk, & an important 2nd half 3 that kick started the Bethel comeback.  Mike Much was strong down the stretch.  And Mike Moberg was as effective on the defensive end as I've seen from him all year.

[miacwatchmen]

Thanks for the recap Drake......Bethel still sucks.....

[PTPer35]

Wow...talk about a barn burner. Plenty of playoff drama leading up to the UST-SJU game. I'd listen to the broadcast but I'll probably be watching the Memphis-Tennessee game instead.

Cassens had 29 and Madsen had 21.

The goose was loose as ZJ dropped 32 for the Knights.

fightingscots - Do you still think Johnson is nowhere near MVP? He did this on the 2nd place team this time around...not a team thats tallest player is 6'2. I realize GAC has the two seed locked up but it was senior night and GAC still had motivation. I'm just saying...give respect where its due. 

Speaking of respect, props to Coach Griess for the class and respect for the Auggie students. Tough loss for AUG after a roller coaster season.

[MiacLostProphet]

Just a thought.  Doesn't every coach appreciate when fans come on the road to watch them in a win and in game?  I understand he walked over and shook their hands and that was very cool.  He is starting to build a basketball team and i think he understands how important fans are to a growing team.  I like what he has done at Auggie Tech but i guess if i had a vote for COY i would give it to Fritz.  But as Shocker said it depends on what you base it on.  Great ending to the Bethel/Aug game.  Tough loss, Great win. 

GO MEMPHIS

Who would look better in a T-Wolves jersey, Micheal BEASTley or D. Rose??

[Drake Palmer]

Just a thought.  Doesn't every coach appreciate when fans come on the road to watch them in a win and in game?  I understand he walked over and shook their hands and that was very cool.   He is starting to build a basketball team and i think he understands how important fans are to a growing team.  I like what he has done at Auggie Tech but i guess if i had a vote for COY i would give it to Fritz.  But as Shocker said it depends on what you base it on.  Great ending to the Bethel/Aug game.  Tough loss, Great win. 

GO MEMPHIS

Who would look better in a T-Wolves jersey, Micheal BEASTley or D. Rose??

Prophet - I'm not quite sure where you're coming from with your statement. 

Just to be clear, my comment about Coach Griess shaking the hands of the Augie fans was not an attempt on my part to lobby for Griess as COY.  In a tough heart-breaking last second loss like that, I thought his move was a spontaneous, heartwarming, sincere gesture of appreciation.  A move that I'm not quite so sure the Admiral of Snelling & Hewitt avenue would be willing to make or demonstrate - yet.  True appreciation can go a long way in building bridges of loyalty with players & fans.

Personally, I think Fritz of UST, or the "ride off in the sunset" story of Coach Siverson at Concordia should earn the COY honors.
*********
PTP - I'm with you.  the Goose has been playing tough & deserves POY consideration.  Hes' had a couple of monster games in a row.  However, I'm thinking Linz's performance is moving him closer to the award unless Brink goes nuts tonight.
*********
And now I hope, Memphis-Tennessee lives up to the hype!

[VOJ]

Tough loss for the Auggies...too bad they could not continue their hot streak...they are headed in the right direction provided they find an inside presence to replace Solaja...

I don't know where to start on the Toms and J's tonight other than to say the Toms played well defensively and the J's ran out of gas at the end...trailing by 15 at the half SJU got it to 5 three different times, the last at 6:55 but could get no closer...

Try to get positive momentum back by re-creating 2002-2003...check the playoff history fellas...but the 6th seed beat the 3 seed...like Yogi says, deja vu all over again...

[Willy Wonka]

Well, can we all agree that the MIAC is not a 3-tourney league yet?

Is UST happy to see the Royals or would it have rather have played the Auggies?

[big_shocker]

Arghhhhhh, it doesn't get much closer than that. BU comes back for another round of the playoffs. Seems to me like no one is safe this year.

TENN/MEM was okay- it looked like both teams were jittery and taking way too many shots. Maybe I'm just too used to the MIAC game, but no one can pass at the big schools. I just makes me sick. There were way too many times either team just took the ball and ran. I know that this was their style, but I just can't see that being the winning strategy. Pretty exciting ball game, but it left much to the imagination as to whether or not either of these two teams are "great teams."

Then again, I watched the game in a sports bar. Sound wasn't on, but I think I got the gist of it...

[nkwest]

Is UST happy to see the Royals or would it have rather have played the Auggies?

I'm not convinced that UST will actually see the Royals.  Bethel first needs to get by a Cobber team that split the season series with them.  Even then an SJU win over Carleton, two teams whose 1-1 records against each other this season are separated by 3 points and an OT session, would send BU to Gus Young Court (a veritable roach motel for GAC opponents in the playoffs) in the semifinals instead of The Shoe.