[ToTheLeft]

We lost a tight game to Winthrop in Rock Hill. I'm not happy about it, but should we be shocked? Does anyone remember the last time we swept WU?

We outshot them from the floor and outrebounded them. Hard to win when you shoot 10-23 from the line. Not one of Jesse's better games despite scoring 19. 1 assist and 6 turnovers.

Excuse mode, activate!

No reason to lose this game. We showed we were the better team with the way we were able to score and get to the basket and earn foul shots.

We proved we've lost our winning mentality with the turnovers and horrid free throw shooting.

We turned it over just about 1 out of every 5 times we had it, doing a rough calculation. That's absolutely, completely, utterly unacceptable. I don't care if we're in Cameron Indoor, Vines, Rucker Park, Madison Square Garden, or that big Arena in North Korea. You take care of the basketball. Free throws, sure, that can be a bit worse on the road due to different shooting backdrops (but 40-something percent is unacceptable), but turnovers, especially the amount of turnovers we had, is simply ridiculous and unacceptable. Jesse, Evan, John and co. caused those turnovers, not a nearly empty gym in Rock Hill.

[jbock13]

Hold on TTL, let's wait for LUphanatik's stats before we judge!

[olldflame]

Not sure what "excuse mode" is supposed to mean lefty. I pretty much said the same thing you did without the ranting and raving about how pitiful and inexcusible it is.

[BJWilliams]

@TTL (aka anberlinrawk):

I was going to save this little stat for tomorrow but I thought Id bring it out now instead:

There is one thing about our two championship winning teams...they both lost once on the last weekend of conference play or split their final two conference games:

1993-1994

Feb 21, 1994 NA Coastal Carolina*
Lynchburg L (81-84)
Feb 26, 1994 NA Radford*
Lynchburg W (75-73)

2003-2004

Feb 20, 2004 NA vs. VMI*
Lexington, Va. L (52-61)
Feb 25, 2004 NA vs. UNC Greensboro
Greensboro, N.C. L (63-74)
Feb 28, 2004 NA Radfor*
Lynchburg W (50-49)

Here are teh tournament results for both instances:

1993-1994

Apr 4, 1994 NA vs. Charleston So. (Big South Conference Tournament)
Charleston, S.C. W (82-71)
Apr 5, 1994 NA vs. Towson State (Big South Conference Tournament)
Neutral W (63-58)
Apr 7, 1994 NA vs. Campbell (Big South Conference Tournament)
Neutral W (76-62)

2003-2004

Mar 2, 2004 NA Charleston So. (Big South Conference Tournament)
Lynchburg W (60-54)
Mar 4, 2004 NA Coastal Carolina (Big South Conference Tournament)
Lynchburg W (88-73)
Mar 6, 2004 NA High Point (Big South Conference Tournament)
Lynchburg W (89-44)

In short, as unhappy as I was with the free throw shooting (or the shooting in general...good gravy), and the result tonight, Im not waving TTL's big white flag of surrender on the season

[ToTheLeft]

Not sure what "excuse mode" is supposed to mean lefty. I pretty much said the same thing you did without the ranting and raving about how pitiful and inexcusible it is.

Seemed to me like you were blaming the loss on not being able to sweep Winthrop/win in Rock Hill. That's what I find to be an excuse, rather than a legitimate reason for what happened on the court.

If I misunderstood, I apologize.

[ToTheLeft]

@TTL (aka anberlinrawk):

I was going to save this little stat for tomorrow but I thought Id bring it out now instead:

There is one thing about our two championship winning teams...they both lost once on the last weekend of conference play or split their final two conference games:

1993-1994

Feb 21, 1994 NA Coastal Carolina*
Lynchburg L (81-84)
Feb 26, 1994 NA Radford*
Lynchburg W (75-73)

2003-2004

Feb 20, 2004 NA vs. VMI*
Lexington, Va. L (52-61)
Feb 25, 2004 NA vs. UNC Greensboro
Greensboro, N.C. L (63-74)
Feb 28, 2004 NA Radfor*
Lynchburg W (50-49)

Here are teh tournament results for both instances:

1993-1994

Apr 4, 1994 NA vs. Charleston So. (Big South Conference Tournament)
Charleston, S.C. W (82-71)
Apr 5, 1994 NA vs. Towson State (Big South Conference Tournament)
Neutral W (63-58)
Apr 7, 1994 NA vs. Campbell (Big South Conference Tournament)
Neutral W (76-62)

2003-2004

Mar 2, 2004 NA Charleston So. (Big South Conference Tournament)
Lynchburg W (60-54)
Mar 4, 2004 NA Coastal Carolina (Big South Conference Tournament)
Lynchburg W (88-73)
Mar 6, 2004 NA High Point (Big South Conference Tournament)
Lynchburg W (89-44)

In short, as unhappy as I was with the free throw shooting (or the shooting in general...good gravy), and the result tonight, Im not waving TTL's big white flag of surrender on the season

Read, and acknowledged.

Thanks for that. It's completely irrelevant, but thanks anyways.

[SuperJon]

This team is not our team of years past and Winthrop is not the Winthrop team of years past. To say that it's okay we lost because we haven't swept Winthrop in forever is completely irrelevant.

I'm afraid we peaked too soon. That doesn't mean that we can't get it back, but that's what it appears like right now. Granted, I didn't see the game and only know what I've read here, on Twitter, and in the game story, but we're not executing the little things that made us the 2nd best team in the league right now. If we do those things we can win.

My biggest concern is our turnover differential between home games and away games. I understand shooting worse on the road, but I don't understand not being able to complete a pass or traveling more on the road. That doesn't make sense. Luckily we're at home against HPU. If we can win that game we play UNCA on a neutral court. If we win that, we've got a very good shot at playing at home for the NCAA tournament. UNCA scares the crap out of me though.

[From the class of 09]

15 turnovers to 48 FG attempts, and less than 50% from the line.

Is this middle school girls basketball?

Easy now my little sister plays middle school basketball and she shoots better than 50% from the line

[olldflame]

I have never bought into the concept of "peaking too soon". I thought the idea was to put forth maximum effort in every game and practice and do everything possible to improve. That has been the trademark of this team all year. This isn't the Lakers. We were not and are not in a position to hold anything back for any reason, and I don't believe we have.

The turnovers are troubling, especially coming from Jesse. The missed free throws in the last 2 games are more just puzzling to me, as that is an area we have done fairly well in all year, and a lot of the misses came from Chene, who has been our best FT shooter all year, and JC, who actually has done poorly at the line in limited chances all year, even though he is clearly a shooter. We've come a long way in the last couple of years, but we just aren't good enough to win if we don't execute something basic like making free throws.

I think suggesting that Layer has "lost control of the ship" is premature to say the least.

[jcmanson]

I’m not really worried, yet. These last 3 games didn’t really matter. Yes I know that’s an excuse, but it’s still a fact. If we lose to PC Saturday, then I will be worried.

Hopefully we will beat PC Saturday and get things moving in a positive direction again. If we do, then I like our chances against HPU at home. Then we likely play UNCA @CCU. That’s a tough game, but at this point in the season you expect to have tough games.

[ALAFlamesFan]

Turnovers have been a problem all season and I think when our season ends we will be saying we lost because of turnovers. It is a problem we know well and the guys have refused to address it. Turnovers and Free Throws are more mental than anything else. We are young. We will figure it out. It might not be this year though.

[Chippy]

WU played mostly man to man. Our guards were mostly standing around and not rubbing off screens to get open so Jesse had to create 1 : 1 situations which didn't always turn out so well. Minaya and Gordon need to be more active in getting themselves free for some shots (rather than watcing Jesse dribble all over God's creation) and/or getting them the ball and clearing a lane to the bucket. We tend to clog up the middle on offense and have no passing or penetration lanes. Would like to see JVP more at the top of the key setting screens and working pick and roll plays. Watch VMI. That's how they attack man to man. It just seemed our offense was especially stagnant yesterday and in the IONA game. Just some musings from a devoted fan.

[olldflame]

I’m not really worried, yet. These last 3 games didn’t really matter. Yes I know that’s an excuse, but it’s still a fact. If we lose to PC Saturday, then I will be worried.

Hopefully we will beat PC Saturday and get things moving in a positive direction again. If we do, then I like our chances against HPU at home. Then we likely play UNCA @CCU. That’s a tough game, but at this point in the season you expect to have tough games.

I concur. I believe a win over PC will get us back in a positive frame of mind. Lose that one, and I start to worry about losing confidence.

[Purple Haize]

15 turnovers to 48 FG attempts, and less than 50% from the line.

Is this middle school girls basketball?

.

Shows how much you know about basketball. ANY middle school coach boys OR girls would LOVE to have a game where their team only committed 15 turnovers!!
They are already used to <50% from the FT line!

[bigsmooth]

im worried. in my mind i thought we would lose both games on this trip, and the fact that we now have to play high point really scares me. they are playing well and we were fortunate to win the last game against them. the free throw shooting last night...WOW.... and the turnovers though only at 15 were at inopportune times.someone needs to step up tommorrow against presby and lead this team so they can feel better about themselves before the tournament game. and please, please, please students pay the money and come to the game!!!!!!

[Chris Lang]

High Point is incapable of winning on the road. They compete, but they falter down the stretch. One league win away from home this year, and it came in overtime at PC. With no Corey Law, they're relying on Earnest Bridges as an inside presence, as Du'Vaughn Maxwell doesn't seem to like to get in the dirty areas to rebound. Honestly, there are no easy matchups in the tournament. Even Gardner-Webb is getting better because Moore is starting to find his stroke and Buggs has really improved defensively. I think any of the top six teams have a legitimate shot of winning the tournament.

[Cider Jim]

Would like to see JVP more at the top of the key setting screens and working pick and roll plays.

Didn't one of our assistant coaches say on the Coach's Radio Show a few weeks ago that Carter McMasters was our best center for setting high screens?

[g-webb1994]

High Point is incapable of winning on the road. They compete, but they falter down the stretch. One league win away from home this year, and it came in overtime at PC. With no Corey Law, they're relying on Earnest Bridges as an inside presence, as Du'Vaughn Maxwell doesn't seem to like to get in the dirty areas to rebound. Honestly, there are no easy matchups in the tournament. Even Gardner-Webb is getting better because Moore is starting to find his stroke and Buggs has really improved defensively. I think any of the top six teams have a legitimate shot of winning the tournament.

I concur 100%. Also, Stef Johnson has really stepped up his game in the past couple of weeks, even with the rough outing at CSU..that bodes well for next year when we lose Moore's scoring.

Winthrop/VMI at UNCA in the first round will be a great matchup, both VMI and Winthrop both won in Asheville earlier in the year.

[grm]

And I agee as well. I say that one's a lock. And regardless of anything else at this point,
the season has been successful, & Layer has done a great job.

Still more to do, but look at the record & the standings.