Archive for the ‘First Round’ tag
OUSTED IN OKLAHOMA: Tulsa 68, NU 59
Northwestern’s run at a record-setting season has come to an end. The No. 5 Wildcats fell to the No. 4 Golden Hurricane, 68-59, in first round NIT action Wednesday.
A year after finishing in the cellar of the Big Ten at 8-22 (1-17), NU finishes 2008-09 at 17-14 — one win shy of the school record of 18 wins set during the 1982-83 run to the NIT.
Trailing by 11 points with 7:27 remaining in the game, NU staged a frantic 10-2 run to cut the Tulsa lead to three points with under a minute remaining. But Tulsa nailed its final six free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.
Keep it here on Cats Corner for post-game observations and coverage of NU’s season finale. We will have reaction from coach Carmody and his players on the team’s first postseason game since 1999 as soon as it becomes available.
- Chris Gentilviso
Cats’ run comes at the right time: Tulsa 60, NU 55
Observations from 8:00 to 4:00, second half…
- Bill Carmody’s solution to Michael Thompson’s four fouls? Put Thompson back on the floor. Curious to see how the floor general will handle the pressure of playing six-plus minutes of foul-free basketball.
- Thompson’s presence makes a huge difference for the offense, as Craig Moore isn’t forced to handle the basketball.
- When Moore hits 49 percent of his threes, NU wins. Moore is 5 for 9 tonight, and nails a crucial one at the five-minute mark, out of a wise timeout by Carmody.
- Moore wants one more game, and has stepped up his play in the second half. Why not put NU’s fate in his three-point happy hands? The senior learned Wednesday that he will participate in the NCAA Final Four weekend three-point competition, stamping his place as one of the best shooters in the country.
- Infomercial update: from the tomato slicer, to the Big City Slider Station. Guess we’ve upgraded to a meat and potatoes audience for crunch time.
-Chris Gentilviso
Trading treys, punches: Tulsa 50, NU 40
Observations from 16:00 to 12:00, second half…
- Michael Thompson gives Tulsa’s Ray Reese a three-point gift, fouling him behind the arc. Thompson, Rowley and Moore all have three fouls with over 15 minutes left to play.
- NU’s solution to the ten-point deficit? Play their pace. The Princeton offense gets rolling, and Jeremy Nash and Kevin Coble nail two threes to slice the advantage to four.
- Known for his timeout planning prowess, Bill Carmody is being matched by Tulsa coach Doug Wojick. Out of the 30-second timeout, his team executed a pristine curl, and Glenn Andrews nailed a wide-open three. Ben Uzoh tacked on another on the ensuing possession, wiping out NU’s 6-0 run.
- Eight minutes into the second half, Tulsa is on a 22-10 run, thanks to 6 of 7 shooting from the field and 6 of 6 shooting from the line.
- Where’s the defensive magician with the clipboard? Carmody must get his team to respond.
- Chris Gentilviso
Storming out of the locker room: Tulsa 41, NU 34
Observations from the first four minutes of the second half:
- Jerome Jordan continues to get to the free throw line with ease. John Shurna becomes the latest to join the two-plus foul club. Craig Moore picked up his third, and Carmody has to be getting nervous about his rotation.
- Tulsa has regained its shooting touch, hitting its first three field goals of the second half. The Golden Hurricane started the game 0 for 9 from three-point range, but have hit four of their last six.
- Welcome to the NCAA, Luka Mirkovic, as Jerome Jordan’s emphatic block ignites the home crowd. If it weren’t for a Jeremy Nash steal on the ensuing possession, Tulsa could have opened up a ten-point advantage.
- The winner of this game will play No. 1 Auburn. The Tigers staged off a furious second-half run from the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks, picking up an 87-82 win at home.
- Chris Gentilviso
Halftime Highlights: NU 30, Tulsa 28
Observations from the four minutes televised by ESPNU…
- Tulsa’s defense may not be 1-3-1 sound, but it is equally feisty. NU was forced into a rare shot-clock violation by the Golden Hurricane’s man-to-man attack, with Jeremy Nash hoisting up a futile three.
- The half ended with a vacillating pace that favors the Golden Hurricane. The Cats have been given little chance to drain their trademark 25 to 30 seconds off the shot clock.
- But that pace serves to do no good for the Golden Hurricane if they can’t hit shots. After starting 4 of 6 from the field, Tulsa finished the half 4 of 18 to close at 33 percent shooting.
- Jerome Jordan’s impact in the paint has been in both areas where Tulsa wants it: free throws and rebounds. The Golden Hurricane shot 10 of 12 from the charity stripe in the first half.
- But NU held its own thanks to a concerted effort on the offensive glass. The Cats closed out the half on a 6-0 rebounding run, closing the gap on the boards to 14-13. NU ranked 308th in the nation this season with a rebounding margin of -4.9 per game.
- NU enters the locker room with significant foul concerns. Kyle Rowley has three, while Craig Moore and Michael Thompson each have two. Will we see a Marlon Day or Pat Houlihan sighting in the second half?
- Chris Gentilviso
Hot shooting start for Cats and Golden Hurricane
Yes, you’ve been waiting ten years for this moment — the opportunity to watch a double overtime game between Duquesne and Virginia Tech drain coverage of an NU postseason basketball game.
As ESPNU exhausts its coverage of the overtime battle between Dukes and Hokies, the Wildcats have a 14-10 lead over the Golden Hurricane. NU has been paced by a hot shooting start, hitting six of its first eight shots. Senior Craig Moore connected on a pair of threes, while junior Kevin Coble added a pair of layups and jumper for the Cats.
The Golden Hurricane have hit four of their first six from the field. Center Jerome Jordan leads all Tulsa scorers with four points. Six minutes in, both teams are rolling on the offensive side, and that’s not how Bill Carmody scripts his defense against a Tulsa team that averages 67.1 points per contest.
Halftime update: Auburn handling Tennessee-Martin with ease
As Duquesne and Virginia Tech head into overtime, let’s take a quick look at the other game in the NU-Tulsa bracket. At halftime, No. 1 Auburn holds a commanding 46-35 lead over No. 8 Tennessee-Martin.
The Tigers built that lead off of 48.5 percent shooting in the first half, and a surprise 13 first-half points from guard Quantez Robertson. Robertson’s season high entering the first round NIT contest was 12 points. Skyhawks star Lester Hudson, who entered play averaging 27.3 points per game, finished with 14 points at the break.
-Chris Gentilviso
