MBB: University Athletic Association

[Pat Coleman]

Glad to have a Ripon poster and welcome to the NCAA Tournament. Whole different ballgame up here!

[WUPHF]

I prefer these "buzzer beaters"  ;-)

Indeed!

Good luck this afternoon--may the best team win.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

I prefer these "buzzer beaters"  ;-)

Indeed!

Good luck this afternoon--may the best team win.

Looking forward to seeing both teams at the De Vos today.  Should be a great couple of games - at least I Hope so

[WUPHF]

Ripon leads Washington University at the half, 42-27.

Ty Sabin leads all scorers with 25 on 9-13 shooting.  I had been bragging all year about the defensive prowess of Clinton Hooks and Jake Knupp, but what do you do against a guy who can knock it down from 25-27 feet out and then take it inside and just...

The Bears looked uncharacteristically nervous in the first 10 minutes even after leading by 7 after the first five minutes.  Then, they looked a bit stunned as Sabin took over.

[Gregory Sager]

There was a 14-2 run by Ripon, or something like that, in the second ten minutes in which Sabin looked like a human highlight reel.

[WUPHF]

There was a 14-2 run by Ripon, or something like that, in the second ten minutes in which Sabin looked like a human highlight reel.

I would normally be a bit more calm at this point with the team down 15, but the fact that Sabin is on pace to match his 50 point performance from last week and Washington University does not seem to have an answers...

[WUPHF]

Clinton Hooks had been doing an incredible job guarding Ty Sabin, but seems to be tiring a bit.  Washington University has found a way to battle back to within two, 65-63.

[WUPHF]

I remember following the 2008-2009 game against Lawrence on live stats.  I am not sure if that was better or worse.  Not that we are even close to that.  67-67 with 4:15.

[Gregory Sager]

The Bears are just wearing Ripon down with their size. Every Red Hawks miss is ending up in a Wash U rebounder's hands.

[WUPHF]

The Bears are just wearing Ripon down with their size. Every Red Hawks miss is ending up in a Wash U rebounder's hands.

The single biggest factor...

[WUPHF]

The Magnificent 7 ride again as Washington University defeats Ripon, 87-72.

Ty Sabin is an absolute superstar, finishing with 43 points, but he slows significantly in the second half.  Ripon is too one-dimensional to stave off the comeback.

Washington University has three guys with 20 or more as Clinton Hooks (25), Andrew Sanders (23) and Matt Highsmith (20) go big in the second half.  Kevin Kucera with the double-double scores 10 and dishes 11 assists.

Hooks goes 7-11 from three point range in what is easily the best game of his career (and no other game is close).  He made Ty Sabin work for mostly everything.

[Gregory Sager]

Hooks goes 7-11 from three point range in what is easily the best game of his career (and no other game is close).  He made Ty Sabin work for mostly everything.

I wouldn't go that far, although Hooks was, indeed, tremendous at the offensive end. Sabin did whatever he wanted in the first half. In the second half, I think that he just started forcing his shots, because his teammates went cold from the corners whenever he kicked out. I don't really think that the defense Hooks played on him was that much of a factor. The best thing that Wash U did defensively was to take the ball out of Sabin's hands up top in the second half when he brought the ball up the floor by running a second man at him, forcing the Red Hawks to swing the ball around for a bit in order to get him re-set.

[WUPHF]

I don't really think that the defense Hooks played on him was that much of a factor. The best thing that Wash U did defensively was to take the ball out of Sabin's hands up top in the second half when he brought the ball up the floor by running a second man at him, forcing the Red Hawks to swing the ball around for a bit in order to get him re-set.

Ripon needed to watch the Rochester tape from the first game...

As for Clinton Hooks though, I thought saying that he made Ty Sabin work for everything was fair.  I am not saying he shut Sabin down.  Sabin had 34 field goal attempts after all.  But, Hooks was on Sabin tight for 36 minutes for the most part, though Hooks slowed a bit down the stretch.  Sabin made a lot of tough shots look easy.

[Gregory Sager]

Sorry, WUH, I just don't agree. Sabin made a lot of tough shots look easy because he's that good. But he was forcing shots down the stretch because his teammates started to falter, not because Hooks was playing good defense on him. Sabin spent a lot of time darting and dancing around Hooks to get to the rim or manufacture open midrange looks.

[WUPHF]

Sabin made a lot of tough shots look easy because he's that good. But he was forcing shots down the stretch because his teammates started to falter, not because Hooks was playing good defense on him. Sabin spent a lot of time darting and dancing around Hooks to get to the rim or manufacture open midrange looks.

His teammates only missed on six shots in the second half scoring five less points overall.  They missed more in the first than they did the second.  The rebounding dropped for Ripon in the second.

In my opinion, a guy is forcing a shot when he shoots from 25 feet out.  He was taking those in the first half.  He had this incredible fadeaway jumper from 12 feet out.  First half.  He shot the vast majority of those midrange jumpers over Hooks.  Darting and dancing around him...we will have to agree to disagree on that one.