Kinsella goes out with a bang
Mike Kinsella's Senior Night was like something out of a Hollywood script.
Seldom-used big man given a shot for one final time in front of the home crowd responds with not 1 but 2 three-pointers - the first he'd ever attempted in his three seasons with the Golden Eagles - in the first half of an eventual 75-71 Marquette victory over Pittsburgh.
Kinsella was first off the bench on Saturday night in part because of the thumb injury that sidelined Jerel McNeal.
With Wesley Matthews sliding over to the two-guard spot in McNeal's place and Dan Fitzgerald taking Matthews' spot at the three, the 7-foot Kinsella got the nod early after Fitzgerald got off to a rough start.
He knocked down his first three from the top of the key to get MU out to a 9-7 lead, then his his second from the left wing as part of a 13-2 run that put the Golden Eagles out front to stay.
Kinsella, feeling it, even jacked up a third attempt about a minute later but wasn't able to knock it down. Had he done so, the record crowd of 19,021 - already in full throat - would have come completely unglued.
As it was the two threes gave him six points, which doubled his season output coming into the game.
"I would have liked to have hit the open one I had the third one," said Kinsella afterward. "But that was great. The feeling I had after I hit the second three was unbelievable. I worked so hard to get to this point and now, to have it end on the floor like it did, it was just unbelievable."
Neither shot was drawn up for Kinsella, who came to MU billed as a big man able to stretch defenses with his jump shot.
"They were just within the offense," he said. "Coach (Tom Crean) told me to shoot the ball with confidence and I did. I just shot them. I've done it in practice a lot before, but it just carried over to the game finally."
Kinsella, who also grabbed two rebounds in nine minutes of action, essentially opened the court up for his teammates after knocking down that first three. Despite hitting 8 threes altogether, the Golden Eagles still did plenty of damage in the paint, where they wound up scoring 32 of their 75.
"He's really been shooting the ball. He's an excellent shooter," said coach Tom Crean of Kinsella. "He has trouble guarding big, strong, physical guys sometimes but we felt like there were some matchups for him today at the three and there were. He did a good job in the zone."
MU's other scholarship senior, Jamil Lott, had two points and a block in seven minutes of action in his final home game as well.
The Facilitator: Sophomore point guard Dominic James had another off-night shooting the basketball, going 3 for 10 overall and 0 for 2 from three-point range.
He was nevertheless a factor throughout the game with his driving and dishing. He had seven assists in the first half in helping MU out to a 43-30 halftime lead and finished with a collegiate-high 10, a total that could have been higher had he not missed a significant portion of the home stretch because of cramping.
"A lot of defenses are going to try to key on me," he said. "When I was driving to the rack I felt like all eyes were on me, so I was just making them respect my teammates and they stepped up and made plays for us, and that's why we won."
The victory was notable for the Golden Eagles from the standpoint that they proved they can hold leads and win without two of their best players - James and Jerel McNeal - available.
McNeal, of course, sat out the game with a right thumb injury suffered in practice on Friday and James missed roughly six minutes of action before returning with 45 seconds remaining in the game.
"That says a lot," said James of MU's performance without he and McNeal. "They just stayed within their character, they all played their roles, and they can handle it. With me and Jerel out, a lot of people doubted us, or didn't feel confident.
"But when I was out of the game I just told them I'd be back as soon as possible, and none of them had any fear in their eyes or anything like that. They were ready to win the game and they went out there and handled themselves very well."
Big East Tournament: MU is now locked into the sixth seeding in New York, meaning it'll play at 8 p.m. Central time on Wednesday.
The game to watch on Sunday is Providence at St. John's. If St. John's wins, MU will face the Red Storm on their home court at Madison Square Garden.
If St. John's loses, MU will face Connecticut.
Upon further review: The Bradley Center, in my opinion, was as loud as I'd ever heard it from start to finish on Saturday night.
I'd say the only moment that might give me pause to state that unequivocably would be when Steve Novak hit the game-winning jumper against Notre Dame last season in the closing seconds...
It was great to see that student win the semester of free tuition with that three-pointer in the second half. It's about time somebody won something in that shootout...
