Empire 8

[magicman]

Utica-Stevens tied at 61 with 4:03 left.

[Bombers798891]

80-72 Wick stuns RIT...

RIT allows 55 second half points

Maybe the Tigers got caught sleeping? They've now got to worry about making that IC showdown matter. RIT now has to contend with a Nazareth team they've already been beaten by once that IC stomped by 32. If RIT drops another, the IC game may be for semantics.

Tigers still a dangerous team, but they need to get it together. Naz is still in the running for the conference tourney, so you know they'll come to play. RIT is still the clear favorite in that game, simply because of Naz's defensive lapses, but it's a little more interesting now.

[magicman]

Utica down 64-63 with 36 seconds left hits 6 straight free throws to win it 69-64 and pretty much eliminate Stevens from conference tourney. Doug Herring with 25 and Patrick Goodman with 14 lead Utica. Simon Smith tops Stevens with 18 and Passalacqua adds 12.

[gobombers15]

80-72 Wick stuns RIT...

RIT allows 55 second half points

Maybe the Tigers got caught sleeping? They've now got to worry about making that IC showdown matter. RIT now has to contend with a Nazareth team they've already been beaten by once that IC stomped by 32. If RIT drops another, the IC game may be for semantics.

Tigers still a dangerous team, but they need to get it together. Naz is still in the running for the conference tourney, so you know they'll come to play. RIT is still the clear favorite in that game, simply because of Naz's defensive lapses, but it's a little more interesting now.

No, sleeping has nothing to do with it. Simply put, Hartwick has owned RIT the last three years, winning of 5 of the 6 matchups between the two teams. RIT's one win during that span was a 59-58 nailbiter earlier this season in Oneonta. I don't know what it is about Hartwick, but they have RIT's number.

Utica puts the final nail in the Stevens coffin. The Pioneers look to be in pretty good shape to make the E8 Tourney, holding the equivalent of a 2-game lead over Naz. More importantly, the Pios currently hold the #3 seed, thus avoiding Ithaca in the Semis.

[e8bballfan]

So RIT & Ithaca have conference tourney spots for sure now, correct? ...And Utica pretty much has the 3 seed locked...

So now we have Fisher & Naz fighting for the 4th spot? Naz plays @ RIT (tuesday) then finish with IThaca (friday) and Elmira (tuesday, 2/24). Meanwhile, Fisher has Alfred (tuesday), Utica (friday) and Elmira (saturday) to close out the season..

Both teams are tied for the 4th spot at 7-6 records. If both tie at the end of the season then Fisher wins the tie-breaker because of their split vs Utica correct?? Since they split their head-to-head conference match-ups...

thanks for the clarifications..

Meanwhile, big loss for RIT. RITathletics.com isn't updated but I'm looking forward to checking out the box score on that game.

[Bombers798891]

So RIT & Ithaca have conference tourney spots for sure now, correct? ...And Utica pretty much has the 3 seed locked...

So now we have Fisher & Naz fighting for the 4th spot? Naz plays @ RIT (tuesday) then finish with IThaca (friday) and Elmira (tuesday, 2/24). Meanwhile, Fisher has Alfred (tuesday), Utica (friday) and Elmira (saturday) to close out the season..

Both teams are tied for the 4th spot at 7-6 records. If both tie at the end of the season then Fisher wins the tie-breaker because of their split vs Utica correct?? Since they split their head-to-head conference match-ups...

thanks for the clarifications..

Meanwhile, big loss for RIT. RITathletics.com isn't updated but I'm looking forward to checking out the box score on that game.

Here's what's stunning to me

Rebounds:

RIT: 35
Hartwick: 39

Points in the paint

RIT: 24
Hartwick: 28

RIT is the best rebounding team in the conference and for them to be outdone by Hartwick inside stands out. Also, the Tigers shoot an appalling 11-22 from the line. Carson's improved himself greatly from the line, shooting a solid 63%, but he was terrible today, going 3-10 and 2-8 in the second half. Those points really hurt.

Also, Korinchak was only able to play 15 minutes due to foul trouble. He picked up two in the opening 3:30 and sat the rest of the half. He picks his third up only 2:30 into the second half and had to sit for another five minutes. He was very effective, with 8 points, 5 assists and 3 steals in that time, but the fouls hurt him.

[magicman]

So RIT & Ithaca have conference tourney spots for sure now, correct? ...And Utica pretty much has the 3 seed locked...

So now we have Fisher & Naz fighting for the 4th spot? Naz plays @ RIT (tuesday) then finish with IThaca (friday) and Elmira (tuesday, 2/24). Meanwhile, Fisher has Alfred (tuesday), Utica (friday) and Elmira (saturday) to close out the season..

Both teams are tied for the 4th spot at 7-6 records. If both tie at the end of the season then Fisher wins the tie-breaker because of their split vs Utica correct?? Since they split their head-to-head conference match-ups...

thanks for the clarifications..

Meanwhile, big loss for RIT. RITathletics.com isn't updated but I'm looking forward to checking out the box score on that game.

I wouldn't give that 3 seed to Utica just yet. Fisher plays all 3 of their remaining games at home and can finish 10-6. That would give them the 3rd seed by virtue of their 2 wins over Utica. Friday matchup will, in all likelihood, determine the 3 spot.

[gobombers15]

So RIT & Ithaca have conference tourney spots for sure now, correct? ...And Utica pretty much has the 3 seed locked...

So now we have Fisher & Naz fighting for the 4th spot? Naz plays @ RIT (tuesday) then finish with IThaca (friday) and Elmira (tuesday, 2/24). Meanwhile, Fisher has Alfred (tuesday), Utica (friday) and Elmira (saturday) to close out the season..

Both teams are tied for the 4th spot at 7-6 records. If both tie at the end of the season then Fisher wins the tie-breaker because of their split vs Utica correct?? Since they split their head-to-head conference match-ups...

thanks for the clarifications..

Meanwhile, big loss for RIT. RITathletics.com isn't updated but I'm looking forward to checking out the box score on that game.

I wouldn't give that 3 seed to Utica just yet. Fisher plays all 3 of their remaining games at home and can finish 10-6. That would give them the 3rd seed by virtue of their 2 wins over Utica. Friday matchup will, in all likelihood, determine the 3 spot.

Magic, agreed. Fisher is definitely in the driver's seat when it comes to the #3 seed. I say that because they have Alfred and Elmira at home (easy wins), and they've historically had Utica's number in Pittsford, as well.

[magicman]

So RIT & Ithaca have conference tourney spots for sure now, correct? ...And Utica pretty much has the 3 seed locked...

So now we have Fisher & Naz fighting for the 4th spot? Naz plays @ RIT (tuesday) then finish with IThaca (friday) and Elmira (tuesday, 2/24). Meanwhile, Fisher has Alfred (tuesday), Utica (friday) and Elmira (saturday) to close out the season..

Both teams are tied for the 4th spot at 7-6 records. If both tie at the end of the season then Fisher wins the tie-breaker because of their split vs Utica correct?? Since they split their head-to-head conference match-ups...

thanks for the clarifications..

Meanwhile, big loss for RIT. RITathletics.com isn't updated but I'm looking forward to checking out the box score on that game.

I wouldn't give that 3 seed to Utica just yet. Fisher plays all 3 of their remaining games at home and can finish 10-6. That would give them the 3rd seed by virtue of their 2 wins over Utica. Friday matchup will, in all likelihood, determine the 3 spot.

Magic, agreed. Fisher is definitely in the driver's seat when it comes to the #3 seed. I say that because they have Alfred and Elmira at home (easy wins), and they've historically had Utica's number in Pittsford, as well.

gobombers,

I think you said easy wins on purpose in hopes of jinxing the Cardinals. After all the Saxons played your Bombers pretty tough the 1st time they met(75-64) and that 73-71 Ithaca win over Alfred on Feb. 8th at Ithaca was anything but easy. But I do agree that Fisher should win those 2 games.

[magicman]

New D3Hoops Top 25 Poll just out and Ithaca despite winning 2 games last week drops a spot to #9. St. Lawrence moves from #34 to #28 and RIT drops from #32 to #38. Former #1 Wheaton jumped ahead of Buena Vista and the Bombers moving from #10 to #7.

[Bombers798891]

New D3Hoops Top 25 Poll just out and Ithaca despite winning 2 games last week drops a spot to #9. St. Lawrence moves from #34 to #28 and RIT drops from #32 to #38. Former #1 Wheaton jumped ahead of Buena Vista and the Bombers moving from #10 to #7.

Ithaca's got the same number of points this week as last week

[Caz Bombers]

Brian Delaney reports in the Ithaca Journal this morning that Mullins is shutting down Bostic until the NCAA Tournament begins.

http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20090217/SPORTS/902170305

[AUPepBand]

Final from Fisher.....AU 71, Fisher 63

[gobombers15]

Final from Fisher.....AU 71, Fisher 63

Reverse Psychology: Successful

And Naz upsets RIT, 86-84. Ithaca's magic number is "1" to win the regular season title.

[Bombers798891]

RIT learns it's not so fun when it happens to you...

Corey McAdam drains a three with two seconds to go. Naz tops the Tigers 86-84...

Carson has the game of his life...31 points, 20 rebounds, 8 blocks...that's such a staggeringly dominant performance that I can't even do it justice. 13-14 from the line, 9-19 from the floor. Standing ovation there for the big guy.

Unfortunately, it may not matter. An IC victory over Naz friday wraps up the #1 seed in the conference tourney, and with the Bombers announcing that they'll shut down Jeff Bostic for the remainder of the regular season, Ithaca might be looking to ride a great regular season to an overall #1. Certainly, if they were 24-3 or 23-4 they would get a top seed in the East? The 2nd seed, St. Lawrence, already has four losses and the Bombers beat them on their home floor. They also beat the number 4 team in the rankings on the road.

RIT may be skating dangerously close to needing to win the conference tourney to get it. The East is down, but they were only fifth at 16-4...if they wind up 19-8, would two wins over IC get them in as an at-large?

SJF falls to Alfred. Man, that's too bad. They were looking so great for a seed in the tourney, and they played so loose and dangerous, I'd think of them as a sleeper team. Now they need to become IC fans. Both they and Naz play Elmira, and SJF has Utica to beat while hoping for another Naz loss to the Bombers. Does the Chase count in H2H matchups?