Empire 8

[Bombers798891]

The Bombers lose by 23 last night. Ugly season for Ithaca

[AUPepBand]

Saxons drop a barnburner at Hartwick, 131-124 in OT. Credit the Hawks with hot shooting...and to the Saxons for never giving up!
Hoping AU can bounce back at Stevens today.

On Saxon Warriors!

[sjfcards]

It looks like Fisher will beat Utica today for a 2 win weekend, and their 7th win out of the last 8 games (lost to Hartwick). As on this team as I was earlier in the year, they seem to be rounding into form.  Still not sure if they are good or consistent enough to win the league, but they playing much better.

P.S. Nothing to do with basketball, but I was reading a boom by Malcolm Gladwell the other day and he had a chapter that featured Hartwick. Just thought that was cool.

[NYHOOPS8]

We will know for sure after this weekend if Alfred is for real with road games against Hartwick and Stevens.

I think we found out that Alfred can put a scare into anyone but may not be ready to take that next step to get into the conference tournament. Taking Hartwick into OT on the road is a building block for this Alfred team.

.....With that said, home court is going to be a major factor going into the E8 playoffs. The top 4 teams seem to be all on par with each other. The conference championship may come down to whoever hosts the tourney.

[dcahill44]

With the Regional Rankingscoming out here soon. Here's how i think they will look like!
1. Brockport State 11-1 Overall 5-0 Conference SOS 60
2. Plattsburgh State 10-3 Overall 4-2 Conference SOS 40
3. Geneseo State 10-2 Overall 4-1 Conference SOS 173
4. New York University 11-3 Overall 1-2 Conference SOS 195
5. Hobart 10-4 Overall 4-1 Conference SOS 179
6. St John Fisher 10-5 Overall 4-1 Conference SOS 189

In contention, Nazareth, Stevens, Oneonta, Hartwick, Oswego State, Skidmore.

[AUPepBand]

Saxons get a big road win at Fisher, 97-95 with a buzzer-beater by Tim Pacheco. Saxons led most of the way but Fisher rallied to tie the game at 95-95 on Adam Ambielli's three-pointer and subsequent free throw as he was fouled on the shot, with just 6 seconds remaining. Then Pacheco hit the game-winner at the buzzer for AU.

Pep wished he could have watched the game but was in attendance at the AU Football Banquet. Nevertheless, Saxons come through in a must-win situation to keep afloat in the E8 standings.

On Saxon Warriors!

[magicman]

Not sure what may have taken place in the Alfred-Fisher game, but noticed in the box score and play by play that Keegan Ryan only played 15 minutes in that game. He had 12 minutes in the 1st half but in the 2nd half with 17:22 on the clock he was involved in a series underneath that basket where he missed a layup, got the rebound, missed again, got the rebound and finally scored the basket. That occurred at 17:08. A foul was called at the same time on an Alfred player, but Ryan wasn't the Fisher player shooting the free throw. Keegan went to the bench at the same time and never returned to the game. He may have been injured on the play and may be the player that was fouled but was unable to shoot the free throw. According to the play by play Stefan Bock missed a free throw at the same time Keegan made his basket and went to the bench, never to return. I can't imagine any other reason why Fisher would play, basically the entire 2nd half without their big man and it may have been a big factor in the outcome of the game.

Certainly hope if it was an injury, it's nothing serious or will result in a prolonged absence from the lineup. In checking the write up about the game and on Fisher's website there is no mention of an injury to Keegan, so this may be idle speculation on my part. It just seems like that would be the only reason he came out of a close game and never returned. Hope I'm wrong. 

[AUPepBand]

Not sure what may have taken place in the Alfred-Fisher game, but noticed in the box score and play by play that Keegan Ryan only played 15 minutes in that game. He had 12 minutes in the 1st half but in the 2nd half with 17:22 on the clock he was involved in a series underneath that basket where he missed a layup, got the rebound, missed again, got the rebound and finally scored the basket. That occurred at 17:08. A foul was called at the same time on an Alfred player, but Ryan wasn't the Fisher player shooting the free throw. Keegan went to the bench at the same time and never returned to the game. He may have been injured on the play and may be the player that was fouled but was unable to shoot the free throw. According to the play by play Stefan Bock missed a free throw at the same time Keegan made his basket and went to the bench, never to return. I can't imagine any other reason why Fisher would play, basically the entire 2nd half without their big man and it may have been a big factor in the outcome of the game.

Certainly hope if it was an injury, it's nothing serious or will result in a prolonged absence from the lineup. In checking the write up about the game and on Fisher's website there is no mention of an injury to Keegan, so this may be idle speculation on my part. It just seems like that would be the only reason he came out of a close game and never returned. Hope I'm wrong.

Good observation, magic. Pep hadn't noticed that. At that particular point in the game, the Saxons were up, 59-50. Sans Ryan, the Cardinals closed the gap the rest of the way and, in what must have been a nail-biter, tied it up at 95-95 with 6 seconds remaining.

Pep wonders whether the Saxons' up tempo play had anything to do with Ryan's not returning to the floor, with (AU grad) Coach Kornaker opting to go with a quicker leaner lineup. Mere speculation. But that's a lot of running up and down the floor for a big guy...and the pace tends to neutralize, in Pep's humble opinion, a big man's impact on the game. Just a thought. Wasn't there. Pep wishes he could have seen it. Had to have been a thriller.

On Saxon Warriors!

[AUPepBand]

Magicman: You were correct. Pep has it from a reliable source at the game that it appeared he may have rolled his ankle. Hoping for a quick recovery.

[magicman]

Thanks Pep,

I thought about what you said earlier about the up and down fast paced play leading Coach Kornaker to go with a different lineup but thought it might have led to reduced minutes for Ryan but not a complete shutdown of the big guy. He can get up and down the court fairly well.

You were right though, the Cardinals did manage to overcome that 9 point deficit without Ryan on the floor. He may not have made any difference in the outcome.

The rolled ankle certainly explains things. Hope he is ready by Tuesday when they travel to Nazareth. Plus K

[AUPepBand]

A magicman was driving down the road ... then he turned into a drive way.

#badjokemonday

[NYHOOPS8]

A multiple game injury to Keegan Ryan may put St John Fisher on the outside looking in for the playoff race after next weekend. Looking at their schedule, they play at Nazareth on Tuesday and then go on the road to play Stevens and Hartwick. That's a tough stretch to play without your best big man.

[AUPepBand]

Saxons capture the mythical Allegany County Championship with a 103-73 win over Houghton College in a game played at McLane Center earlier tonight. The Saxons do NOT play cross-street D3 upstart Alfred State, which lost to Houghton earlier in the season, 80-58; however, the Saxons are 2-0 in Allegany County play, having defeated Houghton 106-91 Friday night on the Highlanders' court. Houghton is 1-2 in county play, while Alfred State is 0-1.

Elsewhere in the E8 tonight, home standing Nazareth gets an 87-84 win over cross-street rival St. John Fisher. The Golden Flyers move to 5-2 in E8 play while Fisher falls to 5-3. Fisher's big frosh Keegan Ryan did not play.

In Elmira, the Ithaca Bombers eke out a 69-68 win over the Soaring Eagles. It was the Bombers' first conference win. Ithaca (5-14) is now 1-8 in E8 play, while Elmira (5-11) is 1-5 in the E8.

On Saxon Warriors!

[7express]

Why has Ithaca played so many more E8 games than Elmira??  I know they all end up with the same number at the end of the season, but weird to see that big of a disparity.

[AUPepBand]

Why has Ithaca played so many more E8 games than Elmira??  I know they all end up with the same number at the end of the season, but weird to see that big of a disparity.

Pep still hasn't figured out the Empire 8 scheduling but certainly a ninth team in the mix (Houghton, although their games don't count in the standings), throws a wrench into scheduling. One team always gets a bye during a day of conference games.

Pep had a similar experience in a nine-team YMCA Biddy League, where he was a stellar (didn't you mean 'cellar'?) coach. 

On Saxon Warriors!