And it's over

Well, in another thrilling rivalry game, BG had a clear shot from the paint to win the game, and it didn't fall, and UT advances, and BG's season ends hard.  Tough loss, and to that team.

Campbell got two fouls early in the first half.  I didn't think BG would make it to halftime without getting Campbell back in.  UT was looking to salt it away, taking a 12-point lead with 8 to play.

BG showed some real resilience, cutting the lead back to 2 with 10 minutes left to play on baskets by Glover, Thomas, Ruffin, and Shackleford, and BG went on to lead by 1 heading into the locker room.

At this point, you have to feel pretty good.  You're up, and your best player hardly played at all.  And, to open the second half, Campbell scored three times in the first three minutes.  And then he got his third foul.

He stayed in for another possession, but then came out with 16:22 play and back in after the media timeout.  He hadn't scored again before he got his 4th foul with 9 minutes left.  He left, BG down 5 at this point.

He came back with 7 minutes left. He had only one more point, and with 4:29 left, BG was down 11, and it was looking bleak. 

BG showed themselves to be resilient again, rallying on a 7-0 run (with 2 Campbell assists) to get the lead down to 4 with 2:29 left.

Blyden scored to make the lead 4 with 1:51 left.  Campbell got to the rim and scored to make the lead 2, and then BG got a stop, Ruffin hit a 3 (BG down 1), Towns got a steal off foul-court pressure and a wild sideline meleee and Campbell converted at the rim and BG led by 1 with :44 left.

BG led by 1 with :44.  I repeat it to emphasize the heartbreak about to follow.

Blyden was fouled and converted 2 in the 1-1, and UT led by one. With :12 left, BG got Campbell in the paint, which is what they wanted, but there was a wall of arms between him and the rim, and he missed.  BG fouled and Wilson made 2 with :10 left to go up 3.

Campbell raced down the court and was fouled with :07 left.  He made them both, and it was a 1-point game again.

Blyden took the inbound and was fouled.  He had a 1-1.  It's looking bad.  He's 85% at the line.  And he missed with :04 left.

Justin Thomas took the ball, raced into the paint, had a good look, and just missed, and UT had survived BG's furious comeback.

I don't mention the fouls to blame Campbell.  Just to show how the team adapted, fought back from 2 double digit deficits, one with 4 to play, and was just an inch from advancing.

And with that?  It's over.  I mean, I said that once, and we went into the CITBI tournament.  In the post-game, Coach said Campbell had played his last game for us, so I assume we've decided to opt out, which I am 100% in favor of.

Just a painful way to go.  I sat staring at the Akron-Buffalo game blankly.  So imagine how the team feels.

It wasn't a bad season.  We finished 5th in the MAC.  We had a P5 win.  We beat Toledo.  Once.  We had some awful nights, too.  Both UT losses, Arkansas State, Buffalo.  The team was certainly inconsistent.

We got to see one of the better players we have had--Javonte Campbell.  A Falcon forever.

I'm always sad when it's over.

People are frustrated.  Me too.  I still think we have a Coach who is a fit here and can win here.  He's not going anywhere from our hands. He might get another job--he tried for Utah State 2 years ago and that's going to be open again. I hope he's back.

Something is going to have to change, though.  In football, as Miami ramps up its spending, you start to see haves and havenots emerging in the MAC.  Same as basketball--this year more than ever. We have punched above our weight for a few years now.  I'm not sure what the future holds.  But I do love my team and my school.