Well, that one is going to leave a mark.
Facing a 2-9 EMU team playing without starters Julius Ellerbe and Orlando Lovejoy, BG lost by 9. It was a little closer at the end, but the score probably does tell the story. EMU led for 36:38 of the game, BG for less than 2 minutes. In reality, it was pretty one sided, even if BG did make a run to steal the game late.
It is close whether the 18 point home loss to #312 Bellarmine or this loss is worse....but it's pretty bad either way. EMU came in ranked #332 and, as mentioned 2-9 in MAC play. True, BG is without Towns, Smith and Felt....but this was one you needed when you see the next two opponents.
It was pretty bad right from the drop. Acuff was unconscious...with 11 minutes left in the half, EMU was up 20-9 and Acuff had 15 points. The lead stayed over 10 most of the way until halftime. BG had it to 6 with 5:23 left when Acuff answered with a 2FG. BG had it to 7 inside the last minute and with a stop might have done something, but they did not get the stop and went to halftime down 9.
It was a dreadful half for BG, who shot 26% overall and 14% from 3FG against a 2-3 zone that had me thinking Rob Murphy was still in the building. BG was also 6-10 at the line.
The second half started even worse. Three minutes in, the lead was 15. BG rallied a little, went on a 12-2 run to get the lead to 5. A stop would have played well at this point, but Acuff hit a 3FG instead and a couple minutes later the lead was 10. With 9:17 left BG had it down to 3, but EMU split a pair of FTs, got a stop and Acuff hit a 3 to make it 7.
BG was down 8 with 3 minutes left. BG went to full court pressure and was actually effective at it. With 1:53 Philip knocked the lead to 6 and then hit a transition layup off a turnover to make it 4 with 1:41 left. Unfortunately, those were the last points BG would score. There's a blocked shot, missing the front end of a 1-1, a highly questionable charge on Agee off a backcourt turnover, etc. EMU won 69-60.
The lead was never one possession with BG having the ball in the second half.
BG shot 42% overall and 33% from 3FG in the second half, which was better but still really poor. The difference was that EMU shot similar numbers for the second half, which ended up tied.
BG ended up with .88 points per possession, which is just terrible. It's WORSE than the Louisiana game. EMU finished at 1.01, which is not great but approaching average at least.
Shooting decided the game. BG had the edge on turnovers, rebounding was pretty close as were FT attempts until the end. BG made only 10 of 19 FTs.
The thing is, EMU was the easiest team to shoot against in the MAC coming in...and BG made nothing.
Acuff ended up with 35 of 7 of 10 2FG shooting and 5 of 11 from 3FG, 5 of 11 at the line and 10 rebounds.
Marcus Hill had his streak of 20 points games broken. He had 19, but it was rough. He was 5 of 15 from 2FG and 1-5 from 3FG. That's a victory for the EMU defense. Also 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 turnover.
Thomas had 13, but similar to Hill, had 1 of 4 from 2FG and 3 of 8 from 3FG.
Tough night for Agee (13 rebounds though), Spurgin and Greer.
So, BG is now 7-5 in MAC play, with their next games @CMU and hosting UT. As I watch this, CMU is up 25 on WMU at McGuirk.
Staring down the barrel at 7-7. They hold a 3 game lead over the last team out, BSU, with 6 to play. You'd like to get yourself to #5 so you can have a better shot at making the semis, but that's looking tough.
BG's lost 4 of the last 6 in MAC play. Their kenpom is 247. BG finished last year at 286.
BG is short-handed and I think might be having some fatigue catch up to them. In addition, they might have been a little ahead of schedule early, and those chickens are coming home to roost. I still like our direction, but I think we are seeing it is going to be a little more of a process than we hoped after those first MAC games.
But today's loss is an absolute disaster. EMU was down 2 starters...just a season-wrecker.
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