MBB: NESCAC

[magicman]

Crunch time at Middlebury as the Panthers lead 64-63 with 24 seconds to go. James Jensen is fouled by Bowdoin and makes 1 of 2 to make it a 65-63 score. Bowdoin comes down and misses a foul line jumper by Matt Mathias and Midd's Jack Roberts gets the rebound and is fouled with 8 seconds left. He makes 1 of 2 to make it a 3 point margin and Bowdoin gets the rebound and calls a time out with 5 seconds to go. Bowdoin's Grant White hits a 3 pointer with 2.2 seconds to go to tie the score and Bowdoin calls a time out. A time out they don't have. A technical foul is called and Middlebury's Joey Kizell will shoot the technical foul.

Kizell makes 1 of 2 technical free throws and Midd will have the ball out of bounds. Kizell is fouled by Bowdoin on the inbounds pass with 1.3 seconds to go. He makes them both to make it 69-66 and that's the final score. Strange way to win a game but I know the Panthers will take it and be quite happy about it. Bottom line... you need to know how many time outs you have left before you make a fatal mistake and this loss is on the Bowdoin coaching staff.

[lefrakenstein]

Wow, what a crazy ending to a game. Have to feel bad for Grant White and Bowdoin to lose that way after an incredible three to tie the game.

[7express]

What happened at the end there??

[magicman]

What happened at the end there??

Read my post just above yours.

[jayhawk]

Amh63

I did not say that Jaymie Spears is definitely gong to play basketball at Amherst next year  only that it would be interesting if he considered coming out.
If he did come out that would be great because he is a very dynamic player and would offer a change of pace between himself and Redi Berman

[Mr. Ypsi]

Holy Chris Webber - what a way to lose a game!

Please tell me it was a player calling the TO (forgetting coach's instructions in the heat of the moment).  If a coach called the TO, shame, shame!

[P'bearfan]

An absolutely heartbreaking loss for Bowdon at Middlebury today.  Give all the credit in the world to the Panthers who played very well and overall looked much sharper than Bowdoin on both ends of the floor. Bowdoin just seemed unable to put together a sustained run.

Still Bowdoin found a way to come back and tie the game with 2.2 seconds left on a 3 pointer from the left corner by Grant White.  It looked like a fitting way for the P'bears to come back with their Senior from VT making the huge play at the end.  At this point I'm certain we're headed to OT and perhaps with a chance to win.  Then Bowdoin is assessed a technical foul for calling a time out they didn't have. 

All I can say is that I hope this was the correct call because it would be terrible to lose the game on a mistaken call.  From the webcast it didn't look like anyone on Bowdoin called from a timeout but I really couldn't see all that well.  Can anyone who was actually there confirm that Bowdoin tried to call a time out?  I know that Middlebury had several time outs left at this point so I hope the refs didn't mix up the players.

One of Bowdoin's big problems today was the missed 5 or 6 tip ins.  Really frustrating to watch the ball just bounce out on what should have been gimmies.

[AmherstStudent05]

That was a real heartbreaking loss for Bowdoin.  Grant White drains a clutch three to tie the game with 2 seconds left only to have his coach call for a timeout when Bowdoin had none remaining.  Technical foul.  Joey Kizel to the line.  Game over.

I feel terribly for the Bowdoin players.  They absolutely earned the right to battle on for 5 more minutes.  But, rules are rules. (As, the excellent Bruce Bosley -- great Ray Voelkel reference by the way -- mentioned, the only question was whether Jeff Brown, who was also trying to call a timeout, called his before Coach Gilbride.  Bucket would have the best vantage point on that one; no way to tell from a webcast.)

I have no idea what Gilbride was thinking anyway.  There were only 2 seconds left.  Why even let the Panthers get organized?

But, congrats to Midd for a very impressive (and very much needed) win.  Kizel and Sinnickson played another outstanding game for Midd, who, as very much expected, are showing that they should not be left for dead yet.

For Bowdoin, prior to the last 2 seconds, the story of the night was horrendous free throw shooting.  They went 13-25 on the afternoon.

Tough to know what to make of the Polar Bears.  They still have a gaudy record, and they absolutely went toe-to-toe with Amherst, Williams, and Midd (with two of those games on the road), but they seem to be lacking in the quality wins department.  They do have a very nice win over Babson earlier in the year, but that seems to be it.  Fortunately for them, they will have another crack at securing another quality win in the NESCAC Tournament, but if they are bounced out early there, I would not love their chances of being an NCAA Tourney team.

I assume the Amherst cornerback everyone is talking about is Jaymie Spears, correct?  He is a great corner indeed.  Not sure how much Coach Hixon can rely on him though if he has gone more than two years without playing competitive basketball.  However, I am rooting him on.  Maybe he can be the next Brian Daoust.

[amh63]

Magicman...nice call out of the indeed strange ending to the game.  Good win for the Panthers.....important win.
The announcer was questioning the number of time outs about the middle of the 2nd half for Bowdoin.  An offiical goes over to confer with the desk to make sure the board had it correct.  Coaching staff of Bowdoin should have been alerted then.  When there were 2.2 seconds ago, I thought it was going to be a replay of the Amherst vs. Bowdoin game in Maine.  Question of whether to  foul a Bowdoin player or play tough defense....with a 3 point lead.  The Panthers follow the Amherst script....the problem was that Bowdoin was allowed a 3-point shot...and made it. 
In my post of that game, it was pointed out that the Bowdoin HBC was shouting for a time out...and was not heard by the official.  This time, it is ironic that he gets his time out and gets a Technical in the process.  Yes it can be an exciting unexpected ending to a well played game...few turnovers by both teams...a hard fought game.  Both teams will be dangerous in the tournament.   Important where your position is, imo.

[P'bearfan]

For Bowdoin, prior to the last 2 seconds, the story of the night was horrendous free throw shooting.  They went 13-25 on the afternoon.

Very true and uncharacteristic. Bowdoin has shot well from the charity stripe all season long.

[P'bearfan]

Ugghhh....someone at the game confirmed that HBC Gilbride called the time out.  He must feel terrible....and to put it in context he's done a fabulous job all season long.   Honestly this is hardly the sole reason Bowdoin lost the game (see comments above about missed foul shots and put back attempts).

Hope the P'bears can shake this off and regroup.  They still have 2 more tough road games.  I don't care what Bates' conference record is, they will be pumped to play Bowdoin at home.  And Tufts has more than enough players to be dangerous.

[7express]

If it was Gilbride who called the timeout when he had none left that's inexcusable.  I can lay off the players, Bowdoin had been trailing most of the game, hit a 3 with 2.2 seconds left, get caught in the heat of the moment, but inexcusable for the coach to call for it.  Time and situation, Bob Walsh at RIC hammers that into his players.

[quicksilver]

That was a heart-breaking loss for the p-bears. Hard to comprehend how Coach Gilbride could have screwed up so badly since even we webcast viewers knew there were no more Bowdoin TOs available..

[pick and roll]

Why on earth would Bowdoin want a time out at that point anyway?   This win is huge - big swing in the standings - difference between home and away in first round.

[Bucket]

All I can say is that I hope this was the correct call because it would be terrible to lose the game on a mistaken call.  From the webcast it didn't look like anyone on Bowdoin called from a timeout but I really couldn't see all that well.  Can anyone who was actually there confirm that Bowdoin tried to call a time out?  I know that Middlebury had several time outs left at this point so I hope the refs didn't mix up the players.

Yes, I was sitting at the scorer's table, and it was the correct call. The Bowdoin coaching staff jumped off the bench on the made three, screaming for a timeout. The official was right in front of them, the coach was right there yelling for a timeout and making the T signal with his hands. Whistle blows. Almost immediately, based on the reaction in the gym I suppose, the coach realized his mistake. Head in hands. The official comes over to the table, the table informs him that Bowdoin was out of timeouts, which he had realized by that point, too, and he had no choice by to call the technical.

It appeared to me that it was the older assistant who was yelling for the timeout but the head coach was right there, too. After the game, Coach Gilbride took responsibility, saying that he called it, and he didn't realize that they didn't have any left. I think he was taking the fall for his assistant, but I could be wrong. Whoever it was, a Bowdoin coach leaped off the bench, stepped onto the court, and yelled for a time out on the made three.

I'll have more to say on this game later, though I wanted to offer my first-hand experience to the ending in response to P'bearfan's question.