I never do this, but for some reason I can't resist. I blame it on Bud Light.
"Do you guys really not understand how good the Aces are this year?
I mean, Merfeld would be an idiot to not copy ISU's strategy. AT will get in foul trouble vs Webster/Strickland.
We actually can hit 3's. We have arguably the second or third most talented starting 5 other than SIU and maybe WSU.
It's unfortunate but you guys are head cases on the road right now. Funk admits it. The only team that would be the perfect tonic for you would be a game AT Illy State. Not a game against a hungry Aces team that believes they can win every home AND away game this year.
That ISU game was a cupcake compared to this one. How you lost that game is incredible. They have TWO freshmen they depend on. They were in LETDOWN mode and still won. Just ridiculous.
Alot has to do with the injuries. This feels like Creighton at Bradley last year.
EU 65
CU 56
Outcome never in doubt"
That's an exact post, grammar and punctuation (or lack thereof) unedited, from a confident Evansville fan on the Bluejay Cafe. This gent bet $1000 on the Purple Aces, or should I say, LOST $1000. I know their mascot is a turn-of-the-20th-century Riverboat Gambler, but that's absurd.
You bet.
But that was a cheap shot, and I apologize.
Sorry, I couldn't help myself again. I'm terrible tonight!
--
Saturday night, the Jays played the second half of their Indiana road trip, after having dropped a disappointing yet promising game to Indiana State. And much to my chagrin, the horrible perimeter defense reared its ugly head again. This time, however, the Jays were shooting lights-out, particularly from behind the arc, and Evansville wasn't knocking down the open looks, so it was disguised with a 13-point lead. I commented to a buddy of mine at the bar that the percentage they were shooting was likely unsustainable, but when its hot, you ride that snake, baby and shut your damn piehole about the defensive deficiencies.
Sure enough, it was, and before you knew it the defensive lapses hurt us as Evansville started hitting a lot of those looks. A painful 18-2 to close the half turned a 13-point lead into a 3-point deficit heading into the locker room. Ouch.
I thought about calling my scientist friend to find out who cloned SIU's annoying Matt Shaw and sent a clone to every team on our road schedule, but luckily, halftime only lasts 15 minutes which is barely enough time for a bathroom break and a beer run, much less making phone calls to a friend to find out an answer to a facetious inquiry.
But a new concern was developing: the trend of getting big leads, only to surrender them. Or worse, dominating huge chunks of games only to lose and in some cases, get blown out. I wasn't sure what to be more concerned about, but for whatever reason, I felt like they'd taken Evansville's best shot on this night and only trailed by 3, so they'd be alright.
They were more than alright. The defense allowed Evansville just 3 buckets in the first 17 minutes, including a six-minute stretch between their first make and their next. The 3rd came -- no kidding -- after the under-four timeout. Meanwhile, the shots continued falling. A four-possession stretch where the Jays buried 4 consecutive threes effectively buried the Purple Aces. 18-4 runs when you're already behind will do that to you.
Two extraordinarily impressive things in this game, in my mind. One, Isacc Miles hitting two consecutive threes to start the 4-straight streak during that 18-4 run. The Freshman hitting the shots on the road would be impressive enough, but this quote from the OWH might have been more impressive:
"I had missed my first two but Coach told me to keep shooting it because he had confidence in me. I hit that first one and got a little more confidence after the second one. I could have taken that third one but my job, as a freshman, is to make plays. So I got one for Nick Porter, and he made me feel good when he knocked it down."
That's a kid that gets it, folks. You bet.
Second, Nick Bahe. What can you say? He sprains his ankle late in the first half of the Indiana State game, doesn't play in the second half, and leaves Terre Haute on crutches. Doesn't practice Friday, barely participates in shootaround Saturday, and is supposedly doubtful to play. Not only did he play, he hit 3 huge three-pointers in the first half to fuel the early run and perhaps make the entire team feel more comfortable, leading to other players shooting better than they have on the road all year.
After all the media buildup about the lack of backcourt depth with Bahe's injury -- Miles, Funk, and then pray for a miracle -- seeing him enter the game just 4 minutes in was stunning. Not Willis Reed in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals stunning, but still.
There's still some things to be concerned with, such as the long scoreless stretch and first half defense, but that's OK. They could have been down after the Indiana State game, but instead, they built on what they did well in that game and got their first road win. That second half was Jays Basketball. Great shooting, solid defense, creating turnovers by jumping into passing lanes, and playing up-tempo, exciting hoops.
If they can build further on it at home against Drake on Tuesday, and more importantly, at Northern Iowa and Wichita State after that, we'll really have something. If they can knock off the Bulldogs, I'd like to see a split on that road swing and be 5-2 with Bradley coming in on the 18th, but that's getting far ahead of things. Lets take care of the Woofies on Tuesday.
***
For Saturday's first road win, I am going to give the Heee-Haw Soft Drink Player of the Game award to Nick Bahe. I really think his 3 three pointers in the first half established a tone for the game and allowed everyone else to play looser. The man was playing with a bum wheel, remember.
And then he took a wicked elbow from Matt Webster that sliced his lip open, requiring stitches before he could re-enter. Bum wheel, stitched lip, but his heart was unharmed and he set the attitude for the rest of the guys. His stats weren't the gaudiest, by far, but who else could you logically pick?
You bet.
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