MBB: American Southwest Conference

[knightmoves]

Millie,

Note my earlier score prediction: 75-60; Just a little off; it's what happens when you play against a good defensive team that knows how to slow down the tempo. 18 points below MC's season average. Not a good way to convince the committee you should get to host.

[NCChoctaw]

Seems like a moot point for hosting.  From all indications, convincing the committee to fly three teams instead of one is the key...

[NCChoctaw]

On a related note, congratulations to Transy.  Play well tomorrow, make the loss a bit more bearable.

[hoopstar]

Sorry ASC, Chocs couldnt get it done. MC's speed and quickness has been a key all year long, but tonight the Chocs seemed a step slow at everything they did. Transy    hit  4 banked 3's with the shot clock running down. It was obviously their  night. Not making excuses or taking away from the game played by Transy but MC's Orlando Lewis played with the Flu and the bug apparently affected others. Chocs finish a great year 29-2 and return 6 solid starters with Collins, Eugene, Jones, Winford, Broomfield, and Hudson.

[dsc]

Still proud of you Choctaws!!!

You carried the MC/ASC banner well!

Thanks for a great year!

[Ralph Turner]

Thanks to Wittenberg for the video streaming that allowed us to see the game. 

I just caught Transy's buzzer beater in the first half to give them a 35-30 lead.

By the second half, I was able to see what MC was doing.  I missed whatever had happened in the first half that had been  demonstrated not to work against Transy, but Transy clearly dominated the Choctaws and took away any advanatges of athleticism and quickness.

By the time I started watching the second half, Mississippi College was very rarely pressing, but was allowing Transy to walk the ball up the court and execute with surgical precision their half court offense.  The pace of play did not take the physical toll on the Transy Players in this game,  because 4 players had more than 33 minutes.

The stats show that Transy was 26-51 on FG's for 51%.  On 3FG's, they were an incredible 11-26 or 42%.  They scored 63 points on 51 FG attempts.  They hit 13-19 FT's.  Transy was outrebounded 33 to 35 by the Chocs, but the difference in that number was offensive boards.  Transy had 7 offensive boards to 13 for the Chocs, but Transy made the same number of FG's on 10 fewer attempts.  On the defensive side, Transy had 26 defensive rebounds to 22 for Mississippi College.  They seem to have done a better job of sealing out MC.

The MC defense did not seem to impact the game. They caused only 6 turnovers, only 3 steals and no blocked shots!

On the offensive side for the Choctaws, they were cold from beyond the arc.  Twelve players got 8 minutes are more, so that 4 for 19 on 3FG's is really ugly.  No one was hitting.  The Chocs were 26-61 on FG's for 42.6%, 4-19 on 3FG's for only 21% and 8 for 15 on FT's, 53.3%.  Those FG stats mean that MC was 22-42 on 2 point FG's, but either that shot was not available on that shot clock, or Transy had prevented the players who were on that wave of players from penetrating insde and were left with a 3FG that they seldom hit.  With so few points from the transition game, we could not compensate or overcome the standard half court set defense.  On the boards, the Chocs had 13 offensive rebounds and 22 defensive for a total of 35.  The key stat that I wanted to see for a Choctaw victory was 28 minutes by the Chocs best "half court" offensive player, IMHO, Tyler Winford.  He only played 21 minutes.

The ASC is not going to defeat a midwestern/Great Lakes Region/Midwest Region team on the halfcourt game.  Those midwesterners are too fundamentally sound and are much better shooters in a half court game.  We have never beaten them in the playoffs!

I get to boast this in bold maroon fonts...

McMurry is the only ASC team to make the Elite 8!

Arguably, the closest that the ASC has come to breaking thru that glass ceiling was the 2004 Sweet 16 OT loss by SRSU to Lawrence, which lost to National Champion UW-SP the next night in OT  The 2004 Lobos style of play was the exact opposite of MC.

Travel safely, Choctaws!  Congratulations on the season.

[FISHTANKFAN]

Good Luck tonight Marlins!

[kid nice]

we CHOKED CHOKED CHOKED CHOKED CHOKECHCHOKED OKED D CHOKED CHOKED CHOKED CHOKEDCHOCHOKED KED  CHOKED CHOKED CHOKCHOCHOKED KED ED


Overall a great year though, congrats

[mcmfan]

Thanks, Ralph, for the detailed analysis.  When you see a team as good as the Chocs looked, and look at their season record, and then suddenly read that they have lost, it's always a bit perplexing.  Your comments help fill in the holes.

[mcm_indians]

any predictions for next year.  Mississippi looks like they will repeat and host next year with their returners.  Thw west looks wide open again.  Wheeler and Johnson return for HPU, HSU returns al five starters,UMHB's hailed recruiting class of last year will get to see substantial minutes, and MCM will recruit well as always.  I like the experience HSU has coming back, they beat six out of the eight teams that went to the tournament this year.

[jmnaseum]

Don't forget about Concordia, ended up strong and most everyone is back.

[millie]

knight...i have not been in hiding since MC loss...had a very busy weekend...youngest daughter announced that she is getting married...had to put bball on hold...there are other things more important than basketball if you can believe that.

as for the committee...knight you do not get to "try to convience" the after the game is played...that is dumb...just have to wonder is the out come would have been the same if the top team got to host...IMHO i don't think so...

NCCHOCTAW put it best......oh well...

we are still proud of our boys....may be next year

[mcm_indians]

your right jmnaseum, concordia will be a sleeper team.  they played well at times, just don't know if that system can take them to the conf. tournament.  At least until they get the athletes needed to do so.

[NCChoctaw]

I think kidnice makes a good point....choked, choked, choked.  It is disappointing to see another opportunity wasted. (to steal a line from Mr. Turner.)

[Ralph Turner]

Congratulatons to Sidney Hooper, SRSU, on being named South Region POTY!