62 BU @ 68 siu...post game

[Da Coach]

Official stats and play by play-

http://siusalukis.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2008-2009/siu18.html

[dogsrus]

OK...you guys are all being cool...I'm going to be the whiner.

Can the refs be any worse. I know it didn't cost us the game but they got EVERY call down low..we get hammered and get nothing. OK let me have it because we didn't earn the win and I'm basically just mad but it was a home court advantage for sure.

I'm done now. I don't feel any better.

[BUBraves2006]

Here's the real facts.

This was a bad game. We played poorly and got the result we deserved - a loss.

That being said, we're still 5-2 in conference and few realistically would have predicted us to win this one.

And more importantly, if we can win in Cedar Falls ... this will be forgotten very quickly.

Just one game!

[Guinness]

Since my post was deleted due to language, I'll repost it without the bad word.

Dear team,

You.
Really.
Played.
Poorly.

17-32......

[braves12]

SIU could have been beaten tonight. I think Coach Les would disagree with the effort being good. He said on the post game show that the team played tough for the last 12 minutes only. This is not a good shooting team so they must do the basics (fundamentals) very well and out tough the other teams. Tonight they didn't. The 5 spot was not very good tonight, the free throw shooting is a problem, and the turnovers were awful. DD had a good game and TW did except for forcing some drives early.

[BradleyBrave]

The effort was very good tonight. The shots just weren't falling and too many missed free throws. It's very tough to play there, and the comeback had the SIU fans really fretting. The game was very physical, and that appeared to be SIU's game plan, and BU did not back down.
I think Bradley fans should be proud of this team, even though the results weren't what we wanted.

I partially disagree. The 1st half effort was not good at all. It was arguably the worst 1st half effort of the season, and there have been some bad ones. Part of effort is concentration, and BU had nothing remotely close to concentration in the 1st half. They played dumb, I don't think they're a dumb team. However, the 2nd half effort was much better. They definitely never quit, even though the ball just wasn't going in the hole. If Sam or Eddren's 3's go down, maybe we get a little more momentum. Nonetheless, I can't say the effort was great with all of the dumb turnovers and missed FT's. Yeah, they didn't quit, but they probably shouldn't have been down 20 to begin with.

Anyone think a message was being sent to Roberts, Maniscalco, and Brown in the 2nd half? All 3 spent a noticeable amount of time on the bench while we tried to claw back into the game. I can somewhat understand inconsistency with Roberts and Brown, but we need more out of our co-captain.

Anyways, now that I have that out of my system, it's a road game. Roadies are tough to win. We've done well on the road so far this year, and we have an even bigger road game coming up on Wednesday. If we can steal one in Frostbite Falls, this loss will be the furthest thing from our minds. Learn from tonight, onward to Wednesday and the 1st place team in the league.

[braves12]

dogs,

Have a cold one. The refs didn't miss any free throws, and they didn't have 20 turnovers, and they didn't wait until the game was virtually out of reach to show up.

[Future Walk-On]

its just sickening to see 9-19 and lose by 6. A team that shot 28-32 back in peoria.

i feel like we can afford to lose these kind of road games.

[Braves4Life]

I thought the refs "let 'em play". There were missed calls on both sides.... and SIU was the one who had players being injured. I would say this was not a particularly well called game by the refs -- both ways.

[dogsrus]

We are who they think we are....we are not a team that will out score you. We have a VERY small margin for error. We MUST hit free throws...take care of the ball and rebound. Tonite we did only ONE of those things...rebound.

[dogsrus]

dogs,

Have a cold one. The refs didn't miss any free throws, and they didn't have 20 turnovers, and they didn't wait until the game was virtually out of reach to show up.

Like you had to tell me to have a cold one...I had TOO may. I just needed to vent.

[Bravesfan]

Anyways, now that I have that out of my system, it's a road game. Roadies are tough to win. We've done well on the road so far this year, and we have an even bigger road game coming up on Wednesday. If we can steal one in Frostbite Falls, this loss will be the furthest thing from our minds. Learn from tonight, onward to Wednesday and the 1st place team in the league.

Oh absolutely! Bradley usually upsets a top team from the Valley on the road at least once a season. In 2006 we won the regular season finale at UNI. In 2007, while we had no wins against postseason Valley teams on the road, we did win the Bracketbuster game at VCU, a team that went on to upset Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. And last year we won at Drake. So if we can steal one from either Creighton, illinois st or UNI, we should still be in the running for the Valley as I think it is still up for grabs.

[Out of Bounce]

Are we talking about the game to night That first 30 Min's. of this game was, well I'll be nice here. DC you better watch the game again and I will give you the benefit of the drought, that you have not seen the stats yet. And as for the game being very physical, did we think it would be anything else playing SIU and on their home court to boot
How proud I am of this team is not the How disappointed I am with their play tonight is

OOB, you can look at the game in your negative way, but I saw very good effort.
And I saw the stats. In fact I posted them.
Bradley's shooting percentage was .439, and SIU's was .447- basically equal.
Rebounds- Bradley 44, SIU 30- a huge advantage for Bradley.

And here are the ones you and others may want to focus on- turnovers- 20 to 13, and FTs- 9-19. We already know this isn't a good three point shooting team.

Bradley lost- I can assure you the players don't feel good about it. there was no lack of effort that I saw.

DC, in my negative way, OK How about in your disappointed way show me in my post where I said lack of effort. How about with their play I think think there is a difference Maybe you better ask JL

[Braves4Life]

I thought the effort was good. The execution and 3-point shooting was substandard and not good enough to win on the road. Also, our defense was OK but not great. It needs to be great to win on the road.

[Da Coach]

A lot of very good Bradley teams have lost there, including some a lot worse than tonight's loss. This current BU team is not as good as the BU team that was picked to finish 5th in the MVC (that pick came before Bradley lost AW and WE). Our weaknesses now- outside shooting and offense from the post position looked like areas that Bradley looked to be solid if those 2 key guys were still in the picture. Now we have little margin for error, we have to play a superb game to have a chance against the better MVC teams.