Sadness Accrues, Basketball Edition

 At halftime of yesterday's game, BG looked pretty good.  They were handling a poor team with little trouble on the road, making it three games and a half of playing normal, competitive basketball.

Then the second half started, and BG put forth a disgraceful effort to lose to the WMU Broncos 108-92.  Coach summed it up, showing his frustration in the post-game show...we have up 108 to a team averaging 69 points a game, he said.

Game?  We gave up 69 to them in the SECOND HALF.

BG allowed WMU 1.5 point per possession for the game.  For context, it is the worse defensive game BG has played since at least 2002, when the kenpom records start.  That's bad enough....and the opponent wasn't OSU or Xavier or LSU...it was WMU, ranked among the 50th lowest team in the country with an average offensive attack at best.

It was also WMU's best offensive game over that period.  WMU played Concordia this year....a DII team...in the NAIA.  They only had 1.4 points per possession.

Here is what Coach said:

"We got happy in the second half. We thought the game was over. It was only one half. No matter how much you preach to them and tell them the game is two halves, you have to play both halves. On the defensive end, we didn't defend at all. We gave up 108 points to a team that averages 69. 108 points to a team that averages 69. That tells you all you need to know."

I don't have any data, but it seems like he has said that plenty of times before.  I could get it if we were really good...but I can't imagine how this team gets cocky.  Also, you can start a half like that...you need someone to turn things around, check the run and turn it back and that's the opposite of what we showed.

I make it a 39 possession half....so WMU scored 1.8 points for every possession in the second half.

It was really ugly.  Lamar Norman just abused the BG defense.  They'd go to a flat 1-4 like BG used to with Juice, and Norman abused whoever was guarding him.  He made his share of tough floaters....and his share of layups at the rim.  BG seemed to be late to double him up high--which is what teams did to Juice--but when we did he either beat the double team and all the "help" defenders to the rim or else make a pass which led to a layup at the rim.

To be sure, BG was not at full strength.  Sam Towns is injured, Lightfoot is injured.   Metheny was gutting it out while sick.  Regardless of all that, this team can't hang 108 on us....or 98 or 88.

Here's the chart.  The sad thing is that WMU is a dreadful defensive team and BG exposed that.  Even a terrible defensive effort would have gotten a win with a shorthanded team.

Next up is Buffalo, on the road.  The Bulls are facing similar questions after a loss @CMU.

As Coach Orr said, the good thing about basketball is you get a chance to get back on the horse right away.

One last note.  It used to be a canonical truth that it was hard to play on the road in the MAC. It was mostly true...in 2008 it was the hardest conference of all to win on the road in...and the MAC is often in the top 10 our of 33.

This year, the MAC is #1, to date.  It's still early.  (Last year, home teams were barely .500 in the MAC).  Just yesterday, we've seen CMU and WMU win games at home they should have lost....so we will see how that plays out.

In the meantime, let me say this.  I really like the way our team was playing.  They have really seemed to be cohesive and stick together.  Tuesday that will be put to the test.  OK...you had a terrible half...a TERRIBLE half...how do you respond in a tough road game?