Marquette 2007

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="002285a1erlcgo.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>www.chapmansfriend.com</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="default.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.chapmansfriend.com"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div>                                                   </div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="001d2c00dkelyh.gif"> <div> <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MinutebyMinute."><U>Minute-by-Minute.</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Marquette 2007</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Alabama vs. Marquette</I></div> <div> <I>NCAA Tournament</I></div> <div> <I>March 16</I></div> <div> ___________________________________________________________________________</div> <div> 4:56: It's over... 90-85, Alabama... So frustrating, after the big comeback (and having the lead). On one hand, it was a competitive final result, but they played so poorly in the first half that it's hard to take any consolation from that. </div> <div> The last game for Novak and Chapman. Congratulations, men...</div> <div> Overall, a surprisingly enjoyable season. If James, McNeal, and Matthews can continue to improve, it could be an enjoyable few years to come...</div> <div> Still, frustrating!!!</div> <bR> <div> 4:54: Doesn't look good... 88-85, Alabama shooting FTs...</div> <div> 4:51: Well, after a 'Bama turnover, we fumbled the possession and ended up fouling... a 3 point game, with 19.3 left...</div> <div> 4:48: Timeout, after James recovers and makes both FTs... 86-85 Alabama. Obviously, need a defensive stop, but I don't think they need to foul...</div> <div> 4:46: James steals and is fouled, but he may be hurt... 86-83, 54.6 secs left.</div> <div> 4:44: A flurry has left us with the ball and a 4-point deficit, 2:20 left...</div> <div> 4:41: James, a nice out-of-bounds play to cut it to 6. Forces Alabama into a timeout, 3:30 to go. Tide, 81-75.</div> <div> 4:36: Losing momentum... Now back to a 10-point defecit.</div> <div> 4:29: Take us off TV again, please! We came back on, and Alabama hits several 3s... At the TV timeout, it's 74-69 Tide, less than 7 left...</div> <div> 4:25: Back to TV, as the Tennessee-Winthrop game is over (and this one is competitive!). Barro just picked up his 4th... It's Bama, 66-65.</div> <div> 4:19: We are ahead? We are ahead! Barro scores... 11 minutes left... TV timeout, MU 60-59.</div> <div> 4:13: Damn... It's a one-point game :) 54-53, an Alabama TO.</div> <div> 4:11: Now a 2 point-game! I just hope this doesn't leave them vulnerable to a counter-attack... </div> <div> 4:06: First TV timeout, and we have cut it to 51-45. From what I can hear (thanks, <I>CBS</I>), they are a lot more aggressive on the boards...</div> <div> 4:05: James hits, makes it 48-40...</div> <div> 4:02: 'Bama timeout... It's 46-38 with 17 minutes left. OK, that's a start...</div> <div> 3:58: Well, they have scored 4 quick points out of the half. After trading baskets, its 46-36 Alabama.</div> <div> 3:40: Halftime, Alabama, 44-30. When I could see the game, it looked bad. When I could listen, it sounded bad. Just make it respectable, OK?</div> <div> 3:38. Still 42-28. They did tell these guys that the game was today, right?</div> <div> 3:34: Now blogging from the radio webcast... Not quite as good :) Tide, 39-28.</div> <div> 3:27. I think we just got bumped from the TV lineup... Wow. Embarrassing...</div> <div> 3:25: Lots of nothing happening now... We still can't get it going. Being out shot in attempts 24-14! Bama, 35-22.</div> <div> 3:17: McNeal, nice move to make it 7 points. James makes a steal, so we have a chance to make it closer. Another 'Bama foul... good. They have a thin bench.</div> <div> But <I>another </I>Felix 3... Tide, 32-22.</div> <div> 3:10. Can't buy a defensive board. Fitzgerald did have a put-back, though. Enberg called him "Alexander". Heh... Tide, 28-17.</div> <div> 3:06: TV timeout, 11:59 left. MU seems to have the <I>jitterz</I>... turnovers, missed FTs, giving up offensive rebounds for 2nd chance points. Get it together, guys... Tide, 24-15.</div> <div> 3:05: 3-point play by Matthews, but Alabama gets an offensive board for a dunk. 22-15.</div> <div> 3:03: After the TV timeout, Barro hits a FT, but 'Bama answers. Matthews misses 2 FTs. Alabama, 18-12</div> <div> 2:56: Novak hits a 3, but the Tide can't stop answering. Now 16-9 Tide.</div> <div> 2:54: Good start on defense... but Tide just knocked down a 3. MU, 6-3 after a Barro layup.</div> <div> 2:52: First blood for McNeal. MU 2-0.</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Courier New" >Now that </FONT><A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Metesky" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Mete"><U>George Metesky</U></A> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Courier New" >has been taken care of out there in San Diego...</FONT></div> <div> Another week, another first-round game. Hopefully a better outcome...</div> <div> 2:50: Just before tipoff, it's Dick Enberg saying "Warriors". Hee! And... Tipoff...</div> <div> _______________________________________________________________________________</div> <div> <I>Georgetown vs. Marquette</I></div> <div> <I>Big East Tournament</I></div> <div> <I>March 9</I></div> <div> I'm going to try a "live" approach to these commentaries, at least when I can. Today, I am able to see the Big East Tournament game, so it will be updated fairly often... Just waiting for the game to start now. UConn and Syracuse went long. Good news? If we win today, we play Syracuse instead of UConn. Bad news? Syracuse appears to be <I>en fuego </I>right now.</div> <bR> <div> Well, overall, other than the offensive drought in the middle of the game, they didn't play badly. It just would have been nice to get a win on the record before the selection Sunday. If James had only played his normal game... But I still love the way the kid plays. Anyway, now on to the NCAAs, where I would guess a 6 or 7 seed.</div> <div> 4:00: 2 made FTs, and Matthews gets a 3 pointer... to go off the rim :( Final score, 62-59 Georgetown.</div> <div> 3:59: They put time back on the clock, 5.1 seconds... </div> <div> 3:57: Novak hits the quick 3, makes it 60-59... But Novak fouls out stopping the clock. 4 seconds left...</div> <div> 3:56: Bowman is fouled with 11.5 left... Makes the first... and the 2nd...</div> <div> 3:55: James gets a quick layup and makes it 58-56. Do they have a chance? We need some missed FTs by GTown, after the timeout is over... Only 12.9 seconds left...</div> <div> 3:54: We get the ball back on a held ball... 28 seconds left.</div> <div> 3:53: Matthews will shoot FTs... Makes it 58-54, 24 seconds left.</div> <div> 3:51: McNeal lays it up, then a TO. Only 28 seconds left, though...</div> <div> 3:50: 56-50, and we lose another offensive rebound... FTs are padding the lead now. 58-50...</div> <div> 3:47: Threw the ball away again... Leads to a GTown dunk. 55-48.</div> <div> 3:46: Less than 2 minutes left. Running out of chances.</div> <div> 3:45: After 2 FTs, it's 53-48 game... Need to get off this treadmill.</div> <div> 3:44: Nice block by James out of the TO, but we give the ball back. Novak is now in foul trouble...</div> <div> 3:41: Timeout. GTown is in the midst of a long possession, kept going by an offensive rebound. They have only a few seconds on the shot clock when they come back. Less than 4 minutes left, GTown 51-48...</div> <div> 3:38: Can't stop 'em all of a sudden, and Crean is calling TO. GTown, 51-48.</div> <div> 3:37: Finally! Novak hits another 3. 47-45. But the defense seems to be breaking down. Novak answers with a 3! 49-48 game.</div> <div> 3:36: Matthews is really keeping MU in the game, but it's still 47-42.</div> <div> 3:33: Matthews makes another 2 FTs... 42-40 game.</div> <div> 3:32. Ouch. Bad turnover by James... 42-38, GTown.</div> <div> 3:27. TV TO. Managed to hold defensively, though giving up several offensive rebounds... Still GTown, 40-36.</div> <div> 3:26: After a short TO, a GTown basket and a 3-point play. 40-36.</div> <div> 3:22: James is fouled, will shoot FTs. A mixed blessing... But he makes the first... and the 2nd. 37-36 game.</div> <div> 3:20: Bah. Offensive rebound off the missed FT makes it 37-33. Matthews makes it a 3 point game. Need to get a stop on the other end... and they force a turnover. </div> <div> 3:17: TV timeout... GTown basket, and a 3-point play attempt after the TO. GTown, 35-32.</div> <div> 3:16: Trading 3's... Fitzgerald for MU. 33-32.</div> <div> 3:12: GTown timeout. Novak just missed a good look at a 3... He was hot earlier, but now, not so much. Still 30-29.</div> <div> 3:11: James is brutal from the floor today... 1-12 I think. GTown, 30-29.</div> <div> 3:08: Trading baskets... 29-28.</div> <div> 3:04. Nice steal on the other end... our ball, after the timeout. Still MU, 27-26.</div> <div> 3:03: Turnover, but a stop on the other end, and a fastbreak 2 by Chapman. We take the lead 27-26.</div> <div> 3:01: James has a chance to put up a few FTs... Ouch. Missed the first... made the 2nd. GTown, 26-25.</div> <div> 2:59: Nice McNeal basket... he's been quiet today. Behind, 26-24.</div> <div> 2:58: 2nd half starts, GTown ball</div> <div> 2:43: A mishandled last possession takes us to halftime. MU did not look good AT ALL the last few minutes. Still, the defense seems to have largely held up. Hope we can get our scoring mojo back... James in particular is having a hard time.</div> <div> 2:39: Some ineffective possessions by MU... GTown is shooting FTs to try to take the lead... Missed the first... Made the 2nd. Tied, 22-22.</div> <div> 2:38. Airball for James. What's wrong with him? Only 1 basket today...</div> <div> 2:37: A flurry of GTown fouls might get us shooting 1 and 1s soon...</div> <div> 2:36: Bowman misses the dunk for GTown. Hee! </div> <div> 2:35: Some ineffective possessions on both sides... MU, 22-19.</div> <div> 2:30: Seem to have some probs with updating... will check later... TV TO, it's 22-17. Hopefully we have weathered the GTown run...</div> <div> 2:26: A few GTown possessions have made it a 20-17 game... Have to settle down.</div> <div> 2:21. MU foul, just before the TV TO. I mention it only because I think it's our first. Not many Georgetown fouls either... 20-11 MU, I think...</div> <div> 2:19: Another Novak 3... Still a 9 point lead...</div> <div> 2:16: <I>Another </I>defensive stop. Is the defense this good, or is Georgetown this bad offensively? They are shooting 3 of 14 so far...</div> <div> 2:15. Matthews for a 2... 17-7 MU</div> <div> 2:12: James misses a jumper. He appears to be cold from the field as well. But at the TV TO, it's still 15-7. Defense is very good so far in forcing turnovers...</div> <div> 2:11: Nice defense to force a bad shot, and Novak comes back with a 3! 15-7 MU</div> <div> 2:10: Nice move by Bowman to make it a 12-7 score.</div> <div> 2:09. Ouch. James is brutal at the line... only made 1 of 3</div> <div> 2:05: Georgetown laying bricks... James will shoot 3 FTs after the timeout. MU 11-5... good start.</div> <div> 2:04: A Georgetown 3 and a poor possession... But we get a stop and Novak lays it up...</div> <div> 2:03: Still 6-0. Nice defense so far... Now Hibbard gets an offensive rebound to go... But Novak for a 3... Money! 9-2 MU</div> <div> 2:02: Barro makes a nice dunk... and we have the ball back again after a turnover...</div> <div> 2:01: James gets a nice runner to go, and gets fouled. But he misses the FT... Still, makes it 4-0</div> <div> 1:59: Barro makes a nice move, makes it 2-0</div> <div> 1:58: Tipoff...</div> <bR> <bR> <div> So, it's the Big East Tournament, at Madison Square Garden. In previous years: "Damn overrated Big East! Overshadowing other perfectly good conference tournaments! Phooey!"</div> <div> This year: "The Big East Tournament is truly the center of the basketball universe. All other conferences bow down before it." Hee :)</div> <div> First comment that has raised my hackles... Teasing the upcoming game, an ESPN studio announcer said that Georgetown should be aware of upsets after the Syracuse win. Hey, buddy, WE are the higher seed here!</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>