Down 16 in 2nd and we win; lets focus on that for once

[Niv Berkowitz]

Seriously, as painful as that was let's not lose sight of the face they came back from 16 down in the second half to win this one. They don't get up 4, and the free throws cost them the game. As it was, their effort to get up got them the win.

I'm never one to be polyanna, but let's all focus on that for just once. We weren't on the losing end of a blown second half lead. We got one. We didn't lose to an inferior team like Syracuse did to Providence. We won. On the road. Down double digits. Take the W. Move on.

[tower912]

AMEN.    Found a way to win ugly on the road when they easily could have given up and whined.    Like so many on this board.    Winning ugly is better than losing pretty. 

[DiaperDandy]

Syracuse lost to Seton Hall but I get what your saying.  Great team effort, and even better, it came on the road.  Have to say Joe Fulce was the Stud IMHO.  We dont win that game without his help off the bench.

[Mr. Nielsen]

Let's face it, USF lost the game. Other than MU pressing and causing turnovers.

This makes up for the loss at L'ville, (kind of) a game MU had won. Tonight, a game USF had won up by 16, with MU only having 26 points with 14 minutes left to play. USF was turning the ball over like a 3rd grade team.

[79Warrior]

Seriously, as painful as that was let's not lose sight of the face they came back from 16 down in the second half to win this one. They don't get up 4, and the free throws cost them the game. As it was, their effort to get up got them the win.

I'm never one to be polyanna, but let's all focus on that for just once. We weren't on the losing end of a blown second half lead. We got one. We didn't lose to an inferior team like Syracuse did to Providence. We won. On the road. Down double digits. Take the W. Move on.

Agreed. The less said about this game the better.

[Silkk the Shaka]

Everyone was all over Buzz and the team for the Louisville game, and when we do the same thing to a team on the road, all anyone talks about is the missed FT's that could have made the victory margin wider.  We couldn't hit the broad side of the barn all game, but we didn't fold on the road down 16 and found a way to gut it out.  Also, the coach recognized a mismatch and exploited it to the tune of +17 points in about 16 minutes to play.  And our best player is coming off a concussion.  That's impressive.

I would have loved at blowout win, but I was at the USF game two years ago, and trust me, I'll take a 1 point win and get the F out of Tampa.

[Jacks DC]

Louisville and Villanova lost to Providence, but whatever.  I'll take the win despite another choke job.

The announcers made a comment about USF being a tough place to play because of the warm weather and vacation atmosphere.  I think there is something to that.

I'm having a drink and watch Modern Family on DVR.  Looking at Sophia Vergara's basketballs makes me feels better.

[Mr. Nielsen]

Buzz said, "favor from god and energy from the team"

[Pakuni]

Louisville and Villanova lost to Providence, but whatever.  I'll take the win despite another choke job.

Perhaps the first time in recorded history that a team comes back from 16 points down in the second half, on the road, and it's labeled a "choke job."

Get a grip.

[Blackhat]

You can tell Buzz and his staff pour their heart and soul (and sweat) into this team and I really do appreciate that about Buzz.   


I think he would be wise to hire an experienced defensive assistant on staff but regardless I admire his passion and work ethic for the team.

[Jacks DC]

Perhaps the first time in recorded history that a team comes back from 16 points down in the second half, on the road, and it's labeled a "choke job."

Get a grip.

Was it 8 missed FTs to end the game?  And weren't they all from our starters?  Okay, we won and we came from way back and that is good, but we very nearly gave that one away.

[Pakuni]

Was it 8 missed FTs to end the game?  And weren't they all from our starters?  Okay, we won and we came from way back and that is good, but we very nearly gave that one away.

Where in the standings is the column for games "very nearly given away?"

I mean, I get your point ... MU brought far from their 'A' game tonight. And they still won. A conference game. On the road.

[PaintTouches]

Nova loses at Rutgers. Just goes to show that a W is the only thing that matters come selection sunday.

Edit: Nova blew a 12 point lead with 3 minutes left. Just wow.

[Jacks DC]

Better than Nova, losing by 1 to Rutgers on a 4 point play in the last second.  Wow.

[PGsHeroes32]

Kinda glad i missed this one. When I saw we were down 16 I still thought we would win. All I watched was when we were up 54-53 and onward. The missed free throws were brutal and literally a 1 in a decade thing to miss that many in such a short span but for whatever reason I always felt we would close it out.


Idk what it is about us but if we are down by alot against a shitty team, I know we will comeback and let it get interesting but always close it out. On the flip side we will either blow that same lead or comeback big time against good teams and find ways to lose right at the end.

No such thing as a bad win though.

[Pakuni]

Nova loses at Rutgers. Just goes to show that a W is the only thing that matters come selection sunday.

Edit: Nova blew a 12 point lead with 3 minutes left. Just wow.

Up 13 with 4:28 to play.
Positively MU-Louisville-esque. Well, except for the fact it's Rutgers.

Maybe Jay Wright needs an experienced bench coach.

[Niv Berkowitz]

That result (Rutgers/'nova) actually makes me feel a little better.

What is it called? Scheudenfreude?

[Silkk the Shaka]

Up 13 with 4:28 to play.
Positively MU-Louisville-esque. Well, except for the fact it's Rutgers.

Maybe Jay Wright needs an experienced bench coach.

And a free throw coach!  Because those exist!

In Jay Wright We Trust: Rutgers Meltdown



Sh*t happens to other teams too.  Where's willie warrior to call out Jay Wright and Bo Ryan for needing OT to win @Iowa?  Terrible coaches!

[VegasWarrior77]

Up 13 with 4:28 to play.
Positively MU-Louisville-esque. Well, except for the fact it's Rutgers.

Maybe Jay Wright needs an experienced bench coach.

Jay Wright can't coach and should be fired!

[jesmu84]

Everyone was all over Buzz and the team for the Louisville game, and when we do the same thing to a team on the road, all anyone talks about is the missed FT's that could have made the victory margin wider.  

i really don't understand this line of thinking. at all. can anyone explain it to me? i understand everyone on the board isn't quite so negative. but for those that are, do you expect perfection EVERY SINGLE GAME?

[Markusquette]

I missed the game live, but I'm watching a replay of the second half and so far I'm really impressed with the way we chipped at their lead and got back in.  Vander's 1-9 is deceiving since he was making a difference on the court.  A few mental lapses like the turnovers and some ill-advised shots down low, but he will learn more and improve on the offensive side (obviously).

Were people chanting "a$$hole" when Jimmy got the ball?  Wasn't totally sure there, or what he did.  Anyway, going to finish watching but honestly down 16 away game and coming back is impressive regardless of poor free throw shooting down the stretch.  It's nice to not be on the receiving end of blowing a lead and losing for once.  Good comeback... a win is a win.  Let's beat GTOWN.

[mileskishnish72]

Let's see - we need the game assistant coach, the defensive assistant coach, the free throw assistant coach, the rebounding coach (could be two - offensive and defensive), - damn, I'd want to be selling suits in MKE.

[brewcity77]

Anyone complaining about our performance tonight needs to step back and get some perspective. Every year we suffer a bad loss. DePaul last year. South Florida two years ago. Northwestern State, going back, the list goes on. But what if tonight was our bad loss?

We escaped a bad loss with a clutch victory. We came back from a 16-point deficit on the road against a team that had bullied us throughout the first half. We beat a team that was shooting lights out and out-rebounding the crap out of us.

At the end of the game, we shot horribly from the free throw line, poorly from the field, were outrebounded badly, and still managed to win. Who cares what the margin was? Plenty of people were short-sighted and saw this as a gimme game, which it was never going to be with bruisers like Gilchrist, Anderson, and Fitzpatrick. Well, it wasn't a gimme, it was damn tough, and despite not showing up in the first half, we still managed to win. There are absolutely nothing but positives about this game in my mind.

[Markusquette]

crowder's threes were crazy too

[Danny Noonan]

Just finished watching the game via the DVR-Woooh!

I am ecstatic that MU won and I don't care if it was by one point as I thought the fat lady had started singing for USF early in the 2nd half.

I can't believe the luck we got with Heath's TO but as other posters noted, maybe this makes up for the Louisville game.

Crowder's threes were clutch but I have a hard time calling the the victory "clutch" when you miss your last 7 attempts from the charity line in the closing minutes but I don't care as I'll take the W.

I don't think our guys could get out of that building and onto their plane fast enough but they have to feel good as that was a tremendous comeback.