MAC Tournament 2009 - Ball State vs Central Michigan
Tipoff before the Ball State/Central Michigan game
Final - Ball State wins 64-61. Of course Jones misses the front end after going 8-8 from the line today. Bitzer takes 2 dribbles to get to halfcourt and launches a pretty shot, but only draws glass. We’ll be back in 30 for Kent vs Buffalo.
0:02.0 - CMU misses a 3, hits a put back and Jones gets fouled on the inbound. It’ll be a one and one when we come back from timeout. He hits the front end and it’s academic.
0:11 - Frazier hits them both. 5 point game.
0:11 - Harmon throws it away. Ball State picks off the pass and Frazier gets fouled.
0:17 - BSU burns clock, waits until there are about 8 seconds on the shot. Lampley clears everyone out, crosses over, pulls up from about 15 feet and nails a jumper. BSU by 3 and CMU takes a time out. not good for them as they need a 3 here and are 2-11 from beyond the line on the day.
0:48 - Beautiful inbounds play to Jones 5 feet from the hop who should have shot it before he came down. Instead he loses it trying to go back up and CMU is in a runout to the other end. They miss it and there’s a scrum for the loose ball and Marcus Van comes up hobbled for CMU. There’s now a TO with BSU still up 1… Van’s still out there, that’s good for CMU.
1:04 - Jones about 18 feet out on the wing picks up his dribble and gets trapped. He’s in trouble and BSU burns a time out with only 7 seconds to shoot. This possession is important enough to do that. BSU is up 1 and could really put the pressure on CMU here.
1:47 - Frazier loses it, gets it back, and hits a tough turnaround. CMU touches it in the cylinder and BSU is now up 1 with the ball.
2:05 - Bitzer misses a tough leaner, BSU runs it back down court, doesn’t see anything obvious and the bench calls a TO with 25 left to shoot and CMU still up 1.
2:44 - Bitzer hits 2 FTs, Jarrod Jones to the line, his first shot uses every portion of the rim. His second swishes. CMU by 1.
3:19 - BSU hits a pair of FTs after a ref completely misses an out of bounds call right in front of us. CMU up 1.
3:47 - Bitzer gets fouled and hits the shot CMU is up 57-54. That thud you’re hearing is my prediction of this game hitting the under of 114 1/2.
Before OT - All the OU people on press row are talking about how those two final possessions reminded them of Tim O’Shea execution. It’s funny if you’re familiar with O’Shea’s plays when his team would need a final shot at the end of the game.
End of 2nd Half - 52 all we’re going to overtime after Ball State gets it in, but airballs a 3.
0:04.7 - Ball State ball, I don’t understand how the refs missed that call in realtime while everyone in the stands and on press row pretty much waved it off.
0:00 - CMU waits too long. The shot clock goes off, but none of the officials notice, CMU grabs the rebound and lays it in. They celebrate, Ball State screams, and the refs are reviewing it. This one’s going to get overturned and BSU should have the ball with about 3 seconds and the game tied.
0:39 - CMU looks awfully disjointed on offense, Harmon eventually airballs a 3 and Hardiman grabs the board, lays it in and gets fouled. He misses the shot, but Bitzer grabs the board. We’re tied and CMU is holding for the final shot.
1:10 - Jarrod Jones get the ball with his back to the hoop about 7 feet away, gets bumped as he turns (no call) and hits the shot anyways. BSU up 2.
1:36 - Bitzer steals a pass. They set up the offense and Bitzer laces a wide open jumper. We’re tied!
2:12 - Crazy sequence with Ball State running the clock down, missing a prayer of a shot as the clock ran down, Jarrod Jones getting the rebound, looking like a freshman and not kicking it back out to run clock. Jones lost it as he tried, the ball ended up on the court before CMU controlled it, and it got knocked out of bounds on transition. Finally Harmon made a jumper and CMU is only down 2.
3:46 - BSU tacks on way too easy of a layup right after CMU’s timeout and go up 50-44. We’re inside the official 4 minute timeout and I think Bitzer is going to need to knock down some jumpers if CMU has a chance here.
4:47 - Ball State up 48-44 as Van sink two at the line for CMU. It looks like Ball State is trying to pull away and CMU takes a 30 second timeout to talk things over.
7:33 - Ball State back up by 2. CMU has taken over in rebounding going up 25-18. And CMU fouls Giles while he’s shooting a 3, not good.
10:10 - CMU finally takes the lead 40-38, but misses the and 1, BSU going to the line.
11:40 - Tied at 38 thanks to a timely jumper by Jordan Bitzer… and it’s time for name that tune being played by the CMU band. (Are we sure that we can’t have the Ball State band play it?)… It’s YMCA, unless the contestant is the deaf guy from the Amazing Race he knows this, though it doesn’t really matter since in the 1st half they proved that they hand out the prize whether you get the answer right or not… Yep, YMCA. Good job random contestant guy.
12:32 - 38-36 Ball State, CMU still hasn’t lead in this one. Time for the First Merit T-Shirt Cannon… “If you want a t-shirt, let them hear you!!!” Fans stay seated, yell “Ahhhhhhhh” and wave there arms. Note to readers who’ll be here later, jump around a little, you’ll stand out like a sore thumb and will be a shoe in to get a free shirt… And in times of economic crisis, you can’t really sneeze at a free shirt. It’s all about resale value.
15:11 - Ball State’s Pep Band has to be the early favorite for Best Band at the MAC Tournament… with OU’s band not coming to Cleveland this week someone new has to take that crown.
15:51 Second Half - 36-32 still Ball State leading. If CMU keeps sending the Cardinals to the line without getting there themselves they’ll be in trouble. Couple that with the fact that Ball State has a 7-0 lead off turnovers and that’s why they’re leading.
Halftime - 29 -28 Ball State leads. My prediction of this game hitting the under… not looking so good.
0:39 - Both teams are starting to wake up after the noon start time Ball State still leads 29-26 but we’re starting to see CMU hit some jumpers.
3:58 - 23-17 Ball State and we’re up to 4 assists. Ball State is 8-11 at the line, CMU hasn’t attempted a FT. That’s the difference.
4:25 - This just in, they’re doing trivia during game timeouts again this year. 1 down and nobody’s answered, “What is Buffalo sucks?” yet.
6:53 - 17-11, still Ball State lead. Obviously not a whole lot of scoring. Little ball movement, backing up what I said earlier there have been 2 assists in this game so far… that’s not a lot.
11:27 - 15-9, this game has had a strange flow really with a lot of quick shots on both ends. Laron Frazier on BSU has 8 points already and Ball State is winning based on the fact that they’ve gotten to the line 6 times already vs 0 for CMU and they hold an 8-4 rebounding edge.
14:20 - 11-6 Ball State leads early. Spread scoring on both ends. CMU sloppy with the ball has turned it over 4 times already. I promise these will be more interesting as we really get going.
16:13 - My note to bettors, always bet the under on the noon MAC Tournament games. It seems like the teams come out really cold from the field every year. No difference this year as it’s a 6-2 Ball State lead. The O/U is 114 1/2 for this game. We’ll be checking on that later.
20:00 First Half - Getting started here in the Q. Even though Ball State is the 2 seed they’re 2 point underdogs against the Chips today. One thing I’m immediately noticing about this game, 2 pep bands are here. More on this later.
Tags: 2009 MAC Basketball Tournament, 2009 MAC Basketball Tournament updates, 2009 mac basketball tourney, 2009 MAC Tournament, MAC Basketball Tournament, MAC Basketball Tournament updates, mac tournament, mac tournament ball state vs cmu
March 12th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Poor shooting so far by both squads. CMU a 2-point favorite in Vegas - surprising.
March 12th, 2009 at 11:46 am
Free Throws and poor shooting are the keys. Sauder is one of the refs and, knock on wood, is not blowing the game. Yet.
March 12th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Good game so far; hopefully we will see the players decide this game and not Jerry Sauder.
March 12th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
11-5 fouls and 17-2 in free throws in favor of Ball State…
March 12th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Wow, i didn’t know the OU Varsity Band wasn’t coming up to Cleveland this year. what a bummer! i guess it’s probably having to do with money - as most things usually do.
March 12th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Yeah, from what I hear there was a budget cut halfway through the year and when they went to President McDavis and asked for the money to go he said no. I’m not really happy with the amount of support that the 110 has been getting from him over the past couple of years. I realize the economy is bad, but come on… I’ll be writing more about this later.
March 12th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
how can he say no to having the band go to the tournament?!!! that’s insane! the band makes that atmosphere up there for the players and the fans - he should know that. GRRRRR!
March 12th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Totally agree. This is another mark against McDavis who in this alum’s opinion has performed below expectations in his 5 or so years as the President there.
March 12th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
yeah i’m inclined to agree with you about his performance. i kept giving him the benefit of the doubt because i didn’t want to see him mess up my school (proud OU alum here too). but i’m starting to see the light now. i knew something was amiss with him when he turned over the day-to-day operations of the university to his provost so he could concentrate on fundraising. quite the odd move!
oh well, hopefully the guys will be able to get pumped up without the 110 there. GO CATS!