MAC Basketball Tournament - #8 UT vs #9 BGSU
VanDelay Sports is sitting on press row for the next four days, so since it’s Wednesday and most people are stuck in work we’ll be running live diaries during the games. We’ll be updating this at most of the media time outs. Hopefully this will be somewhat entertaining and informative for those who care.
Pregame - This game should come down to BG’s size (rebounds and second chance points) versus Toledo’s speed (steals, fast break points, and points of turnovers). If Toledo can shoot 45% they’ve probably got a pretty good chance in this game, should be interesting to see what wins out.
14:14 - Toledo out to an early 10-3 lead.
10:58 - 14-9 Toledo leading. BG keeping it close early despite shooting only 4-17 from the floor.
7:48 - 16-9 Toledo. BG only shooting 20%, but you’ve gotta figure sooner or later they’re going to get some shots to start falling. This game has just looked a lot better than the last contest. A lot more movement on offense, better looks at the basket, less dumb turnovers. Also, attendance has picked up quite a bit in the night session. When everything’s said and done we’ll probably be at 7,000+ for the day.
3:08 - 18-15 Toledo leads. If I’m Louis Orr, I’m telling my team to dial it down a notch. Twice in a row they had a fast break opportunity, but made an awful pass giving it back to Toledo. If BG slows it down and keeps working it inside they’ve got a chance in this one, as Toledo looks happy to camp out around the 3-pt line and fire away, going 1-11 from 3-pt range so far. The shooting percentages are evening out a little bit at 29% and 28% respectively for BG and UT.
Halftime - Toledo’s up 23-21 at the half, but if they keep firing away from 3 (1-11) I’m not sure that they’ll hold off the Falcons. The Rockets don’t have a lot of size, but Stan Joplin has to be imploring his guys to work it inside more where they’ve come close to matching BG so far (points in the paint 10 to 14 respectively). Both teams have been a little sloppy with the ball, BG with 7 turnovers, UT with 8, and neither team has taken advantage on fast break or 2nd chance points.
14:46 - 31-28 Toledo with BG going to the line after this timeout on the floor. Jonathan Amos is really carrying UT in this game, scoring 8 points so far this half, bringing his total to 11 so far.
11:52 - BG takes their first lead of the game going up 33-31 and Stan Joplin calls a quick 30. Toledo is a mess on offense right now.
11:08 - Toledo with a nice alley-oop play (though there was a moving pick to open up Kent for his run to the hoop on the play) to tie it back up at 33. The last 11 minutes of this one are going to be interesting. Toledo only shooting 32% compared to BG’s 39.5%. Toledo also still cold from 3, shooting 1-14.
7:39 - Still a close one with UT up 40-37. Toledo still clanking away from 3, now shooting 1-16 from beyond the arc.
2:27 - We’ve gone a long time with little scoring and UT’s still up 43-39 with Amos heading to the line when we get back from the timeout on the floor. BG’s going to need to make a run pronto if they have any hopes in this one. Neither team can hit a shot from 3, combined they’re 1-23.
1:34 - Amos misses the first of a one in bonus, Polk knocks down two FTs and Young answers with a pretty reverse that a BG player even got a piece of. It’s still a 4-pt game, but BG’s not going away.
0:31 - Jakubowski hits 2 quick layups as BG trades points with Toledo. Tyrone Kent only hits 1-2 at the line, but BG misses a 3 and can’t hit a stickback before sending Byrd to the line for Toledo up 5.
Final - 52-48 Toledo holds off BG. The shooting in this game was atrocious as both teams combined to shoot 2-25 for 3, and neither team cracked the 40% shooting mark from the field. Toledo’s defense really kept them in this one with 11 steals, forcing 17 turnovers. This is another match-up (Toledo vs Kent State) that I’m really not expecting to be incredibly close tomorrow.
Dan Whitmyer is the head basketball writer at VanDelay Sports. He can be reached at dwhit@vandelay-sports.com
Tags: BG, BGSU, Bowling Green, mac, MAC Basketball, MAC Basketball Tournament, Toledo, Toledo Rockets, UT
March 12th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Looking forward to this one. Hoping Toledo can make a run here. If we win this one, we have beat Kent earlier in the year on a last second shot. Go Rockets!
March 12th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
man 1-11 beyond the arc. painful.
March 12th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
As I expected, this is a very evenly-matched game thus far. Toledo leads 23-21 at the half.
March 12th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Small lead but we’ll take it. Mac- What do you think the odds of Toledo making the Mac championship game are?
March 12th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
You thought the #8 vs #9 game would be evenly matched? Climb on in from that limb you’re out on!
March 12th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Basing this on not only the fact that it is a 8/9 match-up but also the fact that it’s a rivalry game between the #189 and #197 RPI teams in the nation.
March 12th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Tied game, 33-33 with 11:08 remaining.
March 12th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Toledo looks a step quicker on defense, but both teams are struggling from the field. UT 40 - BG 37 w/7:39 left.
March 12th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
this actually sounds exciting…i was having trouble getting excited about the first couple games of the day. We’re trying to figure out where to go tomorrow night - we decided we can’t miss it.
March 12th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Same score, 5:35 to go. UGLY game.
March 12th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
1-17 and 0-6 shooting the 3-ball. Whitmyer, I think YOU could top that. Maybe.
March 12th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
I could. I play with dudes at work and I usually shoot like 2-10 from 3… until they stop passing to me.
March 12th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
BG fans want an intention foul as James K. Polk heads to the line.
March 12th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
2-point game, 2 min. to play. I told you this would be a close one…
March 12th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Touch foul on BG…interesting. UT ball, up 4, 1:10 left.
March 12th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Toledo gets the o-rebound on a miss, now at the line.
March 12th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
4-point UT lead, heading to the line w/36.2 sec. left.
March 12th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Tyrone Kent coming up big at the line for UT.
March 12th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Alright, Miller misses an open 3-point shot for BG w/UT up 5, UT no at the line, 15.9 to go.
March 12th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
ESPN has been annoyingly behind all day.
March 12th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
51-48 with 3.0 seconds left. Anthony Byrd ices the game hitting the first FT as Toledo will move on.