YSU Oakland MBB Horizon Tourney

[mudclods]

7:30 PM tip on ESPN +.  Line opened as Oakland a 4 point favorite, dropped to 3.5 yesterday and is now at 3.  Oakland swept YSU winning 82-65 and 81-74 in Oakland without DQ.  That was during YSU's worst stretch of the season when they lost 6 of 7 before getting DQ back. 

The YSU-Oakland games are typically entertaining and come down to the end & I expect this one will be like that unlike the first two games.  In Oakland's 10 wins, their lowest total was 77.  They are averaging 78.5 in Horizon League games.  YSU has to keep it from getting into a shootout and keep them in the mid 70s or less unlike the first 2 games.  A shootout doesn't bode well for YSU.  If it gets into that, DQ is going to have to knock down shots from outside, and the rest of the team for that matter.

[guinpen]

Wow that is one ugly gym.

[mudclods]

7 turnovers in the first 8.5 mins.  Lucky to be only down 6 

[mudclods]

YSU trails 37-36 at the half.  Was hoping earlier YSU could keep it within 7 or so at the half as it looked like it could have gotten away from them, but YSU knocking down 4 3's and ending the half with 7 pulled them right back into.  YSU is very lucky turning the ball over 11 times to be down just 1.

[mudclods]

Great comeback to force it to OT but I'm lost what in the world DQ was doing on the last possession

[ucfpengbuck]

1.That last play in regulation might have been as bad as i've seen.  Dribble the ball 35 ft from the hoop and shoot from there.

2.Why was Akuchie guarding Moore the last 4 possessions and getting drove by. Come on coaches!!!

3.Bad time to have the most turn overs during the season.

4. Refs love calling offensive charges on YSU.

5.  Is Calhoun ever going to have a elite to decent pivot player ?

[mudclods]

What a heartbreaker...typical YSU - Oakland gave going down to the buzzer.  Still just in shock on that last possession of regulation.  18 seconds and not even give yourself a chance.  Shot better & out-rebounded Oakland, but the turnovers were just the difference in this one; 20 of them- just brutal.  I didn't understand Akuchie on Moore either at the end as he kept getting beat.  YSU didn't get any breaks on the offensive charge calls.

[ucfpengbuck]

Covington was outstanding.  I'm thinking that his 30 points might be a career high.
Naz had a triple double 14 points,13 rebounds,and 11 assists.  It must have been his first in his 4 seasons.  Can't remember who the last penguin was that had one.

[mudclods]

Covington was outstanding.  I'm thinking that his 30 points might be a career high.
Naz had a triple double 14 points,13 rebounds,and 11 a$$ists.  It must have been his first in his 4 seasons.  Can't remember who the last penguin was that had one.

Career high for Covington...I agree he was outstanding and nearly willed YSU to victory. 

The triple double was supposedly the first ever in YSU history.  That's hard to believe. 

[Double ET]

The turnovers really killed us especially those few {unforced / careless passes) committed by DQ. He is too good a player to make those mistakes. I think the long lay-off really hurt his feel for the flow of the game.

I have no idea what play was drawn up for the last possession. Everyone was just standing around waiting for something to happen. Of course, it never came. This reminds me of the same stupid play (under Slocum) at the end of the game with Oakland when Larson was inserted into the game (1st time in the game) with about a second left in regulation with YSU up two.
Larson ran the defender over on the inbound. Oakland made the FT and won the game in OT.

History just repeated itself.......with Oakland again.

The team played well together after DQ returned. Unfortunately, we picked the wrong game to have 20 turnovers.
Kudo to Covington..... he has played well in the last few game (in additional to his defensive efforts).

Now we have to wait and see if any of the seniors & DQ choose to return for next year. With limited scholarships and incoming Freshmen, I wonder how many of the current reserved players would be able to stay with the team.

[ytownchief22]

Just not good enough in the end. Calhoun talks a big game but it is now time for results. The pressure is on for next year, especially if any of the seniors come back.

[mudclods]

I agree with Double ET on DQ.  Besides seeming like he's lost a step and his outside game hasn't been the same, you just haven't had that confidence when the ball is in his hand like last year. 

That whole last possession sequence was just odd with DQ.  Even when YSU got the rebound, DQ looked confused with the ball in the backcourt and took nearly 8 seconds to get it across the timeline when they called timeout with 18 seconds. 

Coach mentioned in the post game press conference that they drew up the "horn" play.  There were supposed to be screens set and DQ was to drive to the hoop and shoot with 2 seconds and if he missed was hoping for the put back.  When I went back and rewatched it, even worse was the fact DQ launched that shot with about 6 seconds on the clock.  Also, Naz was open at the 3-point line, and as time expired he looked over to the bench in confusement/disgust.   If DQ could have gotten him the ball, he probably would have had 3 or 4 seconds to get into the lane.   

[YSU1]

the last possession of regulation was disturbing.  I would rather have them shoot too soon than jack one up from half court.  drive to the basket for the possibility of a foul and a follow up tip in.  after that possession you knew they were not going to win.
Oakland has a losing record but they played Xavier,Toledo,Bradley,Michigan,Purdue, Oklahoma State, Michigan State. Who did YSU play.  no one.  They have to improve recruiting and play better competition.

[Penguin Nick]

I'm just so disappointed with this team.  All the major players except Q really upped their game this year.  Q was not the same.  Perhaps we were missing some of last year's leadership but on paper this team was supposed to be special.  I hope Q rehabs and comes back strong and hopefully some of the other seniors will use that extra year of eligibility.  I'm just so tired of waiting for YSU to reach the Big Dance.     

[mudclods]

the last possession of regulation was disturbing.  I would rather have them shoot too soon than jack one up from half court.  drive to the basket for the possibility of a foul and a follow up tip in.  after that possession you knew they were not going to win.
Oakland has a losing record but they played Xavier,Toledo,Bradley,Michigan,Purdue, Oklahoma State, Michigan State. Who did YSU play.  no one.  They have to improve recruiting and play better competition.

I agree with your first paragraph.  You just felt like YSU had to win it there, and not even giving yourself a chance was brutal.  That's going to sting for awhile. 

In YSU's defense this year on scheduling, they really didn't have any choice.  The quarantine timing killed their non-conference schedule.  They were lucky to even get the D1 game against Binghamton and even have the ability to play the NAIA schools.  Oakland had the ability to play earlier and a lot of those schools were in search of someone to play.  Coach Calhoun had been doing well at improving their non-conference schedule, but had it played out this year along with DQ's injury really seemed to set YSU back.