Key Play of the Game

[CTWarrior]

After Nardi's three cut the lead to 7 with 3 1/2 to go, we went into our usual prevent offense with DJ standing around near midcourt for 28 seconds.  But this time, Jerel McNeal took the ball from the wing and made a brilliant drive for a score with about 2 seconds left on the shot clock.  Game over.  After that the lead was too big for them to let us run clock and they fouled immediately and we made them.

Our end of game strategy was no different than usual and I hate it, but it worked last night.  The other team missed the open threes for a change (I had forgotten that our opponents were allowed to miss open 3s late)and we made our foul shots. 

Tremendous win.

[TVDirector]

I might vote for Fitz's 3 ft's after being fouled on a perhaps out of his range 3pt attempt.

he coolly hit all three, something he has not done very well nor consistently this season.

kept the ft streak going... eliminated my cringing when he (and others) go to the line.

great game.

nice boutonniere on Novak!

[Harrison]

I agree with both....Fitz stepping up and drilling all 3 is a pure confidence boost to the entire team wholly reagrdless of the score.  My fear at that moment was missing 2 or 3 of them as he and we have done in the past and it becomes a huge deflater.  The team and crowd were visibly pumped when he pured all 3. 

Same for the play you describe.  The issue with MU taking the air out of the ball has always been not the fact that they do it, most teams will, but that we initiate the offense too late.  Starting an offense with 6-7 seconds left is too late.  That particular play was the result of a couple passes and a screen or two all intiated with 11 seconds on the clock, and as you said he laid it in with 2 left.  It took 9 seconds, when we start with 6-7 it typically results in a bailout jumper...which also often results in a long rebound and a break the other way.  Jerel is our most effective wepon in those situations, his dribble drive, his passing, his mid range game make him deadly in that spot.  About the only thing that can stop him is the TO which he did in that situation once last night.  But I will still take that over the 20 footer.

[Mayor McCheese]

I might go with McNeal's wild pass that somehow Hayward corralled with his hands and scored 2 to go up 9, forcing a Timeout by Nova, when that happened, I had a feeling we were going to win.  Actually I knew so much so I wrote to my friend(BADger fan) that "this is the Marquette team I know"

Personally I think this was one of our best wins.  Ball was spread around, points were spread around, everyone got involved, and(especially in the 2nd half), our D looked fresh.