MBB Opens With Thud

 Well, the opener turned out to be a tough start for BG's MBB team.  A lot of new faces, looking to March, etc....but Western Carolina had a lot of new faces, too.  This is one where we got a look at where we are right now and the distance to where we need to be.  That doesn't mean we can't get there.

But it was a rough performance.  BG went the first 6 minutes of the game without a FG, and trailed 14-3.  Over the next 8 minutes, they got it back to 1, but the Catamounts took the game back over, stretching the lead back to 10 and leading by 8 at the half.

BG played better in the second half.  They took the lead for the first time about 7 minutes in.  BG took the lead with 7 minutes left and did not relinquish it in the regulation.  They didn't really stretch it either.

BG got a 2FG from Joe Reece to take a 2-point lead with 1:02 left.  Then, WCU took some time to shoot and BG got a stop as Diggs cleared the board.  BG was up 2 with :39 left and the ball.  There's a 90% chance that BG wins the game.  They decide to run clock, which makes total sense, but when the time comes they execute nothing and Gordon misses a jacked-up 3FG.  A basket late in the shot clock there and the game is over.

WCU has a shot...and it worked, because when they came down to try and tie the game BG's defense parted the way for them and the Catamounts ended up with an uncontested layup, right out of a pre-game drill.  

Having lost that opportunity to win, BG found the rest to be an ugly experience, with WCU winning the OT 11-3. 

It was a pretty ugly game.  Nobody shot well, there were 34 turnovers and 41 fouls.  It looked like a season-opener.  For all that, it was there to be won and it was not.

BG was OK from 2FG, with 50%, which is about the national average.  Problem was that 34 of BG's 74 FG attempts came from 3FG (46%) and BG made only 5 of those 34 shots.  Add in a not-great turnover rate, average offensive rebounding and average FTs and you have nothing to pull those numbers up and you end up with .83 points per possession.

The last time BG shot worse from 3 than that was...their last MAC game against Akron in Cleveland.  The last time BG won a game with this kind of offensive output was the 2013 EMU game (46-44) which was forgettable yet unforgettable.

WCU had .93 points per possession, which also isn't great.  They had a very similar mix of 2FGs and 3FGs...and made only 38% of their 2FGs but 35% of their 3FGs went in. They had a strong game on the offensive boards and got to the line more.  Had they made better than 55% at the line, the game would not have been close.

The other interesting thing is the rotation.  BG had 11 guys play 10 minutes or more.  And that's with Fields and Matiss not in action.

We will accordingly have to watch individual stats, because no one is going to put up big numbers under this scenario.

BG had 2 double-doubles...Plowden at 18/13 and Reece at 10/12.  Plowden was 5-16 shooting, missing 8 3FGs, so the scoring was inefficient.  Reece was 5 of 6 shooting and double-doubled in 25 minutes.

Diggs and Matheny had rough nights, combining for 2-14 from the field and 7 turnovers.  That's OK, we know those guys can play.  I saw moments out of everyone I liked.  Samari Curtis showed the ability to create opportunities and pass the ball.  Gabe O'Neal had some good minutes.  He finished effectively at the rim.  I thought Fulcher made some plays.  Obviously, no one made enough shots, but there were some moments where our guys stood out.

Is this rotation going to work?  Will players ever get into enough rhythm to be able to score?  Will everyone stay happy?  Time will tell.

One thing is that BG has been under .85 points per possession in their last 3 games...those games being notable for being without Justin Turner.  If you recall the Stetson game in the tournament last year, it was ugly.  Good players looked like they had landed on an unfamiliar planet.  Justin was a great player and he had a role on the team.  I think it is possible the Falcons are just struggling to see how it all fits together.  Turner made everyone else better and took the effort on his shoulders.  It should be interesting to watch this unfold.