Just when coronations are being planned and some may want to label a couple of teams as juggernauts and sure things far ahead of the rest of the pack, we’re reminded yet again that the road is a tough, cold place in college basketball.
First it was vaunted Duke earlier this week, fresh off a win at fellow top-five school Virginia, following that up by going down 23 points over three-quarters into the game at Louisville. Only a tremendous comeback/massive meltdown allowed the Blue Devils to rally for the win, but while many were stirred by Duke’s rally, the critical eye also saw that for more than 30 minutes it was a team that was anything but invincible.
Many would’ve thought a similar fate couldn’t happen to Gonzaga the rest of the season, not with the Bulldogs in the heart of their West Coast Conference schedule. This was a team that, after all, had just dominated perennial WCC nemesis Saint Mary’s to the tune of a 94-46 victory last weekend, and has been blowing out conference foes by unprecedented margins, even as the league is deeper and better than it’s been in some time.
Instead, Loyola Marymount gave the Zags all they could handle last night, hanging neck-and-neck for 35 minutes. Some will be deceived by a final score of 73-60 in favor of Gonzaga, but those who watched know this was a battle until the Bulldogs finished the game on a 13-2 run over the final 4 minutes 49 seconds.
Like a number of squads in the WCC, LMU is better than many know. The Lions entered with a 17-8 record that included convincing early-season victories over Georgetown and UNLV, but since entering conference play are among a gaggle of teams hovering around .500 as all struggle to separate themselves from the other.
Loyola Marymount also has the type of size to give Gonzaga problems, including a 7-foot-3 center (Mattias Markusson), and in this one it pounded the Zags on the offensive glass, finishing with an 18-2 advantage in second chance points. And the Lions also seem to have a knack for giving the Bulldogs trouble every so often, and in fact were a pest in their WCC Tournament matchup last year (an eventual 83-69 GU win) and pulled off upsets at home in 2003, 2007 and 2010, even as they have just four winning seasons in the last (gulp) 25 years.
In the end, LMU’s lack of perimeter shooting (1-for-14 from three-point range) was too much to overcome. And, of course, Gonzaga has guys named Rui Hachimura (22 points, seven rebounds) and Brandon Clarke (17 points, 12 boards, three blocks). But once again on Thursday we saw that no one is a sure thing every night, and especially on the road in conference play.
Side Dishes:
- Early this Friday morning, Hoopville czar Phil Kasiecki posted his most recent episode of Talking Hoops With Ted Sarandis, and you can listen to the two right here.
- Before there was Murray State and Belmont in the Ohio Valley Conference, there was Murray State and Austin Peay. The Racers and Governors played plenty of classics in the 1990s and into the 2000s, and were the league’s top rivalry until Peay’s program had some struggles of late while Belmont ascended in the OVC. It’s safe to say the rivalry is back on after Murray State escaped with a 73-71 win on the road at Austin Peay Thursday, only after Steve Harris’s putback of a missed three-pointer-initially ruled good-was found upon review to have come a split second after the buzzer. Ja Morant scored 32 points to lead the Racers, who moved a game ahead of the Governors in the OVC and now are tied with-yes-Belmont for the top spot. (The Bruins won at Tennessee State 77-66 to remain tied for first with Murray) This was excellent, and despite the loss the game showed that Austin Peay looks to be the real deal, and the Govs led by Terry Taylor (25 points here) are going to be a factor the rest of the way.
- Houston took care of business yet again with a 71-63 win at Connecticut. Dajon Jarreau is quickly becoming a major factor for the Cougars, and he scored 18 points off the bench. Houston is not going to be a favorite for those who favor margin of victory, but it led this game by 17 with seven minutes left before UConn made a late run to within six.
- Wofford remained undefeated in the Southern Conference with a 95-84 win over VMI in what was a 25-point game at the half. We said it last week; the Terriers deserve to be a near-lock for the NCAAs. Elsewhere, UNC Greensboro missed on a chance for a quality road win, dropping to 22-4 after falling at Furman 67-57. The Paladins haven’t been heard from much since falling out of the national rankings after their loss at LSU (hardly a bad loss at all, in retrospect) but they are now 21-5 overall, having a terrific year.
- A clutch road win in the Colonial for Hofstra, which went to College of Charleston and came out with a wild 99-95 win. Justin Wright-Foreman (30) and Eli Pemberton (25) combined for 55 points, while the Cougars’ Grant Riller scored 43 in the loss. Northeastern now is alone and solidly in second behind Hofstra in the CAA after an 81-77 win at UNC Wilmington despite missing star guard Vasa Pusica, who was out due to illness.
- Big Ten teams are starting to eat each other alive. Illinois dealt Ohio State a blow with a 63-56 win in Columbus, and the Fighting Illini have now won four in a row after at one point being 6-15 overall. The Buckeyes are now just 6-7 in conference and seem to be hanging on. Some seasons, OSU would be very much on the bubble; this year, it’s going to take a whole lot for Ohio State to miss the tournament.
- Texas State has had a heck of a season and now has sole possession of first in the Sun Belt after an 84-74 win at Arkansas State despite Ty Cockfield scoring 39 for the Red Wolves. The Bobcats grabbed 18 offensive rebounds and improved to 20-5 overall.
- The Summit League isn’t South Dakota State’s for the taking just yet, not after Nebraska-Omaha roared back from 16 down in the second half for an 85-84 win at home over the Jackrabbits. Mitchell Hahn hit the game-winner at the buzzer and posted a near triple-double (22 points, eight rebounds, seven assists), besting SDSU getting a huge game from David Jenkins (34 points including 10 three-pointers) and the usual brilliance from Mike Daum (29 points, 12 boards).
- Montana stays atop the Big Sky after an 83-80 win at Weber State in a battle between the league’s two perennial powers. Sayeed Pritchett had a monster game with 29 points and 16 rebounds-what a rebounding effort by the 6-foot-5 guard.
- Kent State is now 18-6 after an 82-63 win at Western Michigan. If you’re looking for a darkhorse, the team to stop Buffalo in the MAC Tournament, the Golden Flashes are a terrific candidate with Jaylin Walker, who filled it up again for 25 in this one.
- Finally, the Battle of Brooklyn went to St. Francis (N.Y.), which got by LIU 83-76. Glenn Sanabria has had a really solid career for the Terriers, and the 5-11 guard scored 17 points and drilled five three-pointers.
- The Atlantic Coast Conference announced on Thursday future matchups for the league’s 20-game conference schedules for the next three years. Among the many storylines are questions about the league not having Duke, North Carolina and North Carolina State playing home-and-home every year. Of course they should play each other every year; it’s ridiculous that they don’t. Such is life in way-too-big conferences like the ACC, though, where one North Carolina/Boston College game is more important than two Duke/N.C. State matchups.
Tonight’s Menu:
- A 14-game schedule features a pair of delicious options early in the night. Nationally ranked Buffalo is on the road yet again (it feels like the Bulls have played 15 road games in the MAC) and this time faces West Division frontrunner Toledo (7 p.m. Eastern, CBSSN). Buffalo dominated the first matchup; the Rockets are 20-4, and this would be a signature-type win if they can get it. This would seem to be the time for MAC teams to put a final chink in the Bulls, who finish with four of their final six at home.
- At the same time, there’s a big one in the Ivy League, where Harvard is at Princeton in a battle for second place (7 p.m., ESPNews). The loser will drop to 4-3 already in the league.
- Also in the Ivy League, leader Yale is at Columbia, Brown takes on surprising Cornell, and Dartmouth is at Pennsylvania with both trying to avoid falling to 2-5.
- Another TV offering is in the Atlantic 10, where Saint Josephs’s is at Davidson (7 p.m., ESPN2). The Hawks have had a very disappointing season, while the steady Wildcats enter sharing first with VCU.
- A busy MAAC Friday is led by Monmouth at Rider in an all-New Jersey battle. The Hawks have gone from 0-12 to the top of the league, incredible, while the Broncs are another team that has been a considerable disappointment.
- First place is on the line in the Horizon League, where Wright State has quietly won seven of eight and now hosts Northern Kentucky, which leads the Raiders by a game coming in. (9 p.m., ESPNU)
- The Sun Belt also gets a showcase with Troy at Georgia Southern (9 p.m., ESPN2) with a pair of superb seniors in Troy’s Jordon Varnado and GSU’s Tookie Brown. (Late note, and thank you to an astute reader: Varnado has missed the Trojans’ last three games and is questionable for tonight’s game. Here’s hoping he gets back on the court soon.)
Have a great Friday.
Twitter: @HoopvilleAdam
