BU 89@ DU 86 for a road win in the Valley!

[ser_solace]

Great win for Bradley! Oh, man. I was on the edge of my seat that entire game. The Braves fought through some tough calls by the refs and pulled this one out. Should help our confidence as we play SIU home next week and future road games.

Everyone on the team contributed for tonight's win. Zach turned it on to get those rebounds. Salley was great for us. I'm liking the Zach Salley combo, and it's much needed to help us inside.

Andrew Warren's two huge 3pters were the difference maker I think to help us over the hump at the end. Way to go for a freshman to make those tough shots in critical situations for us.

[bravesmanager11]

looks like we have zack back, he looked like he was just having fun out there and thats whats needed, this is a huge win for boosting our confidence heading into the southern game, be nice to string some W's together now.

[Big Mike]

Tonight was a prime example of what the Braves can do when they play....TEAM BALL.......it is very satisfying to get this Roadie.......and stop the bleeding from the 2 game losing streak!

[Big Mike]

WOW......Dave Snell said the score was tied 12 times! What a tight game!

[real fan]

This win was a real team effort; big shots made at crucial times; good rebounding, a a great defensive play by Zack; thought the refs tried to keep Drake in the game late with some questionable calls but we were able to overcome them, A. Warren played great , very impressive for a freshman to play on the road like he did.

[Big Mike]

Yahoo box score:http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/boxscore?gid=200701060170

[tornado]

836-78 with a lay-up by DU! 28.3 left!

Mike -- at this point when a team is ahead by over 700 points, you'd have thought it was in the bag!!!


But--- I loved watching BU score and shoot so well.
But I really do have worries about the defense giving up 86, a lot of which were given up way too easily.

I understand we are not deep and the guys don't like to play too aggressive on the road, especially Zach, for worries about picking up lousy foul calls.
But there were way too many times that Drake passed to the wing or the corner then fed it right into the basket to a guy coming off a screen from the other side, especially way down at the baseline, then the guy turned around and made easy baskets.

Really, Drake seemed to score way too easily and we needed one of our best offensive games, shooting over 60% in the 2nd half and still the tying shot was in the air at the end and just missed.
We have got to do a little work on defense. We just don't have POB to help with mistakes inside.
I am not worried if a kid drains a 28 footer, it's the multitude of little shots in the lane and layups.

One of the things I noticed is how seemingly ineffective Klayton Korver is.
He can't shoot a lick and he's a step slow.
He was a few seconds late everywhere he went and just didn't seem to help them one bit.
Wonder why they play the guy so much when they have such great shooters like Josh Young?
Last night Korver was 1-6 from 3-pt, had NO rebounds and picked up 4 fouls.
All of his season shooting pcts. are well below his career numbers, and he is even shooting in the 60's on FTs, (36% on 3-pt) and yet he starts every game.

[Big Mike]

http://www.pjstar.com/stories/010707/BRA_BC1AJ030.077.shtml

http://www.bubraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=3400&ATCLID=742897

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070107/SPORTS020401/701070355/1003/SPORTS

photo gallery:

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=D2&Date=20070107&Category=SPORTS02040101&ArtNo=701070801&Ref=PH&Profile=1003&Params=Itemnr=1

[tornado]

8 of those 15 picture, Mike are of the kids in the crowd, but I do have to admit that the one with the kids
trying to shoot in the contest like what we have at BU, after they put on the uniforms, and their big baggy pants are falling down are pretty funny.

http://cmsimg.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Avis=D2&Dato=20070107&Kategori=SPORTS02040101&Lopenr=701070801&Ref=PH&Item=4&Maxw=450&maxH=450&border=0

[Da Coach]

In case anyone was wondering why the kids in the first few pictures are holding stuffed bulldogs, they were given away at the game free as a promotion. That and a discount ticket promotion (I think kids could get in for $1) game them a huge crowd last night.

[DUBulldog]

836-78 with a lay-up by DU! 28.3 left!

Really, Drake seemed to score way too easily and we needed one of our best offensive games, shooting over 60% in the 2nd half and still the tying shot was in the air at the end and just missed.

T---the Drake player didn't even get off the shot until well after the buzzer.....no clue what he was thinking.

Korver has been just brutally bad most of the season. (5 points and 1 rebound in 2 close losses on this homestand....not per game...total). At this point, I have no idea why either he or Chris Bryant ever see the floor. I know I'm not alone in those sentiments.....most Drake fans don't want to ever see Chris Bryant on the floor.

I've never seen so many Drake fans so angry after a game....mostly at the coaching staff for some inexplicable subsitutions at a time in the game when Drake seemingly had Bradley on the ropes.

Congrats to Bradley on a hard fought win. Sorry for ranting....just need to vent a little!

[tornado]

DUB, sorry if I sounded negative about KK, but what I really meant was that, like you, I'd have actually thought Drake would have won if they kept the right mix on the floor.
Only one of your players netted 30 minutes oin the floor, while 3 Braves were well over that.

[BUBraves06]

DUB, sorry if I sounded negative about KK, but what I really meant was that, like you, I'd have actually thought Drake would have won if they kept the right mix on the floor.
Only one of your players netted 30 minutes oin the floor, while 3 Braves were well over that.

I agree re: Korver. Going into the game last night I was worried about him, but he was all but non-exsistant. After watching the Drake-Evansville game I thought it was going to be tough to guard him from outside, which wasn't the case at all.

[Da Coach]

Korver has started every game, and started both halves last night. But Coach Tom Davis seems to have little patience with him. In both halves, he pulled him out barely a minute into the half.

He looks slower, and doesn;'t jump, defend or shoot as well as he did as a soph. Though he has been pronounced recovered from his knee injury, I wonder if that's still part of his problem
The article in the Des Moines paper this morning quoted Davis as saying he will shake up the lineup (he has started the same 5 players in every game so far). Smart money would be on Josh Young starting and Korver coming off the bench.

Young was the most impressive player to me on Drake last night.

And I have to say again, as I say every year after visiting Drake- win or lose, the Drake fans are easily the nicest, most friendly, and polite fans anywhere I have ever been. I do believe Bradley fans are pretty good, but Drake fans (and UNI fans are close behind) are the most classy there is! Must be something about Iowa!
I really am pulling for them to return to the elite of the MVC soon. Those fans deserve it.

[MacabreMob]

And I have to say again, as I say every year after visiting Drake- win or lose, the Drake fans are easily the nicest, most friendly, and polite fans anywhere I have ever been. I do believe Bradley fans are pretty good, but Drake fans (and UNI fans are close behind) are the most classy there is! Must be something about Iowa!

WOW!

I doubt Illini fans think the same of Hawkeye fans.