MBB: Liberty League

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Does anyone know why Skidmore and Union didn't play last night? If I remember correctly, something similar happened last year with Skidmore and RPI

In our system, the date was changed to 1/27 back in July, so it wasn't a surprise.

[stlawus]

I checked the Union Ithaca score during halftime of the SLU game and paid no attention after. wtf happened??     Talk about a tale of two halves.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I checked the Union Ithaca score during halftime of the SLU game and paid no attention after. wtf happened??     Talk about a tale of two halves.

Same thing as the Vassar game, although with a slightly different outcome.

[UfanBill]

Things looked bleak for Union trailing 51-29 at halftime but the Garnet Chargers would have none of it roaring back with a 57 point second half to dump shell shocked Ithaca 86-79. This Union team is so fun to watch when they get rolling. Jack Plesser had 26, Tanner Tedesco 19 and Mathew Garside 17 for Union. For  the Bombers Evan Cabral had a game high 27. Mathew Zenker and David Luberoff had 14 and Thomas Mckiernan 10 for the hard working Ithaca squad.

[stlawus]

Downs with his best coaching job of the year so far to get the win against Vassar. Shea Fitzgerald hit 2 threes to start the game and Downs made the adjustment during the first media timeout to swarm him the rest of the game and trade 2's for 3's. Fitzgerald had 1 field goal the rest of the game. Really big win for the Saints who are dialing in on defense finally with such a young team.

[Bartman]

Some crazy games last night. How does SLU beat Vassar being outrebounded 44-24....disciplin and defense...only 5 turnovers and 11 steals while Vassar goes cold affected by the SLU defense. Skidmore beating RPI was unexpected and Union gets its ass kicked by Ithaca and then kicks their ass even harder in second half where they couldn't miss a shot. Hobart shows you can't sleep on RIT losing 81-80 as they are sliding backwards in January . A must win tonight against Skidmore just to stay in the tournament mix before a tough Union/RPI roadtrip next weekend. I'm not giving up on the Statesmen yet, they have talent but they gotta wake up before the season slips away.

[stlawus]

RPI takes over the lead in the standings by virtue of a tie breaker result against Vassar.  Looks like RPI got Union to play into their hands by winning in a very typical RPI scoreline. 
 
Skidmore getting some home results to sneak back into the playoff picture. 

Ithaca almost tripped by RIT who keep getting close to knocking everyone off but falling short.

SLU put down probably the biggest beat down I have ever seen by a SLU team. All available players got onto the score sheet. Racking my brain but I can't think of a margin of victory like that at Burkman before, let alone ever.  There was a potential recruit attending this game so that's not the worst way to showcase your program.

[UfanBill]

RPI 56 - Union 50...After scoring 57 points in the second half against Ithaca Friday the Garnet Chargers managed only 50 points total a day later, never "getting it rolling'.. Why?...It was a combination of all things bad basketball, especially after halftime.  Tied at 28 the Engineers got out to a 39-34 lead at the 15:14 mark and then nobody could score. For Union 6 turnovers over the next 6:18, a couple of missed layups and 2 open missed 3 attempts were pure frustration. RPI wasn't much better with their own futility missing 3 layups and having 3 turnovers of their own but a steal and layup gave RPI a 41-34 lead. Their only points during that same span. Union fought back and retook the lead with 4:17 left at 44-43 but RPI closed the deal with 7/7 from the free throw line...Altogether Union had 17 turnovers, 10 in the second half, and shot only 28.57% after the break. An issue for the Garnet was their bench. Normal starter Nate Detarao and big man Scott Schmitt were not dressed and Union got only 2 points from the subs despite 46 minutes of playing time.  RPI gave the LL's leading scorer Jack Plesser fits holding him to only 11 total points.     

[Bartman]

It's Oh Sh*t time for the Statesmen after losing to a surging Skidmore team. The Statesmen are looking on the outside of the LL tournament with last nights loss and are traveling to Union and RPI next weekend. They need to at least split the weekend as the rest of the league schedule for Ithaca and Skidmore looks favorable for those two teams sewing up slots #5,6 . The Statesmen do not have consistent play out of the PG position and they go cold at the worst times. I wish Coach Stefan Thompson '13 could suit up and give the team the PG skills, leadership and fire they seem to be lacking this season that he provided over a decade ago..

[stlawus]

SLU is an atrocious team on offense when playing on the road. Also every game on the road so far the opponent has gotten free points for a SLU player being injured on the other end.  I've never seen a season like this.

[stlawus]

Add yet ANOTHER game to the heap of games SLU blows at the end after overcoming a 15 point+ deficit.  Just a baffling coaching decision to not call a timeout or call off the press after getting it within 2 with 1:48 left.  As soon as they did that Ithaca got 2 layups in a row to seal the game. Another winnable game lost in the last minute in this dynamic. I just do not understand not playing the last 1:48 out normally.

By my count SLU has now lost games in the final minute after erasing 15+ point deficits to get it within 1 possession against: Oswego, Naz, Union, RPI, WPI, Ithaca x2.  I have never seen a season like this, ever. Borderline insane.

[UfanBill]

Union 80- Skidmore 62... No offensive lulls tonight for the Garnet Chargers. After a couple of subpar performances in the last 2 weeks Jack Plesser had all his game rolling tonight scoring a career high 37 points including 3/4 from beyond the arc. Tanner Tedesco added 15 and Christian Dufort 12...Roy had 14, Padilla 12 and LaGarde 12 for balanced Skidmore as the Garnet held serve in the tight LL standings.

[Bartman]

Congrats to the top three, Union,Vassar and RPI. It looked like Hobart was going to break their 5 game losing streak with some healthy leads, good shooting , defense and rebounding, but after 30 minutes they let it slip away again, this time against RPI making it 6 consecutive losses. I hope the team shrink can talk to them before the Union game and they can play a full game. They are tied for the last spot for the tournament and have no chance for a home tournament game now. Hopefully they can pull off an upset tonight against a great Union team. If not, they'll likely need to win out, but at least they are finishing the season at home. Not giving up, but "it is what it is".

[stlawus]

Great weekend of basketball.  RPI takes over first place by virtue of a tie breaking result against Vassar (RPI swept Vassar, Union has a loss).  Going to be an exciting finish, there's a ton at stake.

Out of nowhere Clarkson has vaulted up into the final playoff spot after completing the season sweep against Ithaca. They've always had the coaching and ability, it's always been a matter of executing.  Next weekend will be critical for Clarkson and Hobart in that head to head matchup.  Statesmen are going to be out for blood to end the losing skid.

There's theoretically a chance for SLU to get up into 3rd when it's all said and done, but I think the top 3 are finalized, it's only a matter of seeding at this point. SLU shoots 50% from 3 today against RIT, and going back to last year's game in Rochester the Saints have made a combined 31 threes in those 2 games against the Tigers.  They seem to love playing in that gym, and it was only a matter of time when they would get some positive mean regression in the shooting department.

[UfanBill]

Union 75 - Hobart 68 ... Union coach Chris Murphy, seemingly concerned about getting little offense from his bench, found a way to get the subs involved early. He started them, leaving his three best players Jack Plesser, Tanner Tedesco and Matthew Garside sitting for the first 3 minutes. Did it work? No...Hobart took advantage and went out to an early 10 point lead...In reality it was senior night and Murph started his four seniors. The Garnet scrambled back, took a lead but trailed the Statesmen 34-31 at the break. In the second half Hobart grudgingly allowed the Garnet Chargers to take control and put it away late...A day after scoring his career high 37 points Plesser had only 6. Foul plagued and frustrated he played only 17 total minutes before fouling out. Hobart seems to have the answer for Plesser, holding him to only 12 and 6 points in the two league meetings, both won by Union none the less. Tedesco 21, Dufort 19 and Garside's 11 got it done. For Hobart Monty Nedd had an impressive 26.