Bucknell blows it...

[Pard4Life]

Simply put, Bucknell was giving UNI chances to win the game. Heading into OT, didn't have much of a doubt the Bison would lose since UNI was on a roll at the end. Some observations...

Um, idiot Bucknellian inbounding the ball... you had two timeouts left!!! Why wasn't Flannery screaming for a timeout? He was screaming the rest of the game.

Bucknell made some very poor ball decisions. That layup in 1st OT near the end to put them up two was an extremely lucky bounce off a missed three. That same possesion, a Bison had the key penetrated with 11 on the shot clock, about 35secs. left, tie game, and he dribbles out, passes out, and B chucks up a 3.. leading to the lucky rebound and put back... take that short jumper in the lane!!!

Bucknell did not feed it inside at all. UNI did a good job with the inside coverage, but penetrate, draw a foul. To me, lack of FTs indicates a lack of pounding inside instensity. If your not putting up layups, then dish it right back out for an open three.

Stupid transition ball handling, turnovers, like the one leading to No. Iowa's tying regulation layup.

Oh and the end of OT one, the guy under the basket was not even close to being covered.. that's the first place you want to defend in that situation...

With .8 secs left, Bucknell kinda pulls a Texas St... short inbounds and no real effort for a down-court pass.

Bucknell was just extremely lucky nailing shots, like Bettencourt's shot-clock beating three. If they are off hitting threes, No. Iowa wins by much larger margin. They remind me of #8 Princeton in 1998.. living and dying by three. You have an excellent shooting team, all else seems rosy. Frankly, I was a bit disgusted by their play, and I'll agree with a Pard board poster, Flannery was putting too much of an emotional act.

No. Iowa really hung in there despite some of their own problems. They deserved to win the game since Bucknell did not want to put it away. A good team capitalizes, and No. Iowa clearly is.

[TxSt02]

uni did do a pretty good job on their part to stay in the game...

[ngineer]

Bison certainly had the opportunity to blow game open and didn't. The inbounds screw-up was unbelievable. To me that was the biggest turning point. However, I also think UNI got a couple big breaks. First, the inbounds that ended up tying at the end of first OT--the clock wasn't runnning and didn't start until the UNI player was taking his shot. This was well after he was fumbling the ball around on the floor. There was only 2.8 secs. left! Would have been very questionable had the clock started when it was supposed to. Second was the foul on Bettencourt while shooting a three, that missed. UNI guy clearly hit his leg while on the floor. Should have been three foul shots.
That being said, it was a great, exciting game. Bucknell's lack of bench depth hurt in the OT. Tired players make more mistakes. Hopefully, they'll still be down and tired on Wednesday night!

[crunifan]

It shows a lot about the talent that UNI has if they could play as sloppy as they did and still compete with such a tough, athletic Bucknell squad.

[ngineer]

One thing that had my head shaking at the end was why did the students have to rush the court? Heck, UNI was favored by 6 points. They acted like it was their first win in a month. I always envision someone getting seriously hurt and the players never get to shake hands, which, after a hard fought game like that all good athletes like to do. :nonono2:

[Pard4Life]

It shows a lot about the talent that UNI has if they could play as sloppy as they did and still compete with such a tough, athletic Bucknell squad.

Yes, that, and they were good enough to hang around and wait until Bucknell gave them the game.

[Pard4Life]

One thing that had my head shaking at the end was why did the students have to rush the court? Heck, UNI was favored by 6 points. They acted like it was their first win in a month. I always envision someone getting seriously hurt and the players never get to shake hands, which, after a hard fought game like that all good athletes like to do. :nonono2:

Yeah good point, I was scratching my head at the end too. Only justification perhaps can be is Bucknell is top 25? Eh, yeah so, No. Iowa was last weekend. They are practically even teams. If this was in Lewisburg, Bucknell probably wins, and I'd see their students storming the court too since they haven't seen a big win first hand... (how ironic after all their winning)... that'd just be bad ettiquette.

[nmatsen]

Bison certainly had the opportunity to blow game open and didn't. The inbounds screw-up was unbelievable. To me that was the biggest turning point. However, I also think UNI got a couple big breaks. First, the inbounds that ended up tying at the end of first OT--the clock wasn't runnning and didn't start until the UNI player was taking his shot. This was well after he was fumbling the ball around on the floor. There was only 2.8 secs. left! Would have been very questionable had the clock started when it was supposed to. Second was the foul on Bettencourt while shooting a three, that missed. UNI guy clearly hit his leg while on the floor. Should have been three foul shots.
That being said, it was a great, exciting game. Bucknell's lack of bench depth hurt in the OT. Tired players make more mistakes. Hopefully, they'll still be down and tired on Wednesday night!

For the record, on ESPN last night about 12:30 in the morning they showed the Contriversial clock management at the end of the game and clearly showed a real time clock go when the game clock should have gone and Crawford would have still gotten the shot off clearly.

[nmatsen]

One thing that had my head shaking at the end was why did the students have to rush the court? Heck, UNI was favored by 6 points. They acted like it was their first win in a month. I always envision someone getting seriously hurt and the players never get to shake hands, which, after a hard fought game like that all good athletes like to do. :nonono2:

Sorry our students got so excited to beat a top 25 basketball team at home (in the second to last home game at our dome) in a double overtime game after not winning a game in 13 day! Not to mention that most of them were probably pretty "juiced up" for the 11:00 tip on NATIONAL TELEVISION! Oh well, I wouldn't expect anyone else on this board to know what big time college basketball is like except maybe SIU.

[crunifan]

Sorry our students got so excited to beat a top 25 basketball team at home (in the second to last home game at our dome) in a double overtime game after not winning a game in 13 day! Not to mention that most of them were probably pretty "juiced up" for the 11:00 tip on NATIONAL TELEVISION! Oh well, I wouldn't expect anyone else on this board to know what big time college basketball is like except maybe SIU.

Exactly. If anything Bucknell should feel special that they are a team worthy of rushing the court. As long as no one is hurt it is fine! Witha game as close and exciting as that, the students had every right to go celebrate with the team (who loves it when they do that).

[ngineer]

Exactly. If anything Bucknell should feel special that they are a team worthy of rushing the court. As long as no one is hurt it is fine! Witha game as close and exciting as that, the students had every right to go celebrate with the team (who loves it when they do that).

Yeah, but your qualifier says a lot. How does one know ahead of time what some 'juiced' or front-running drunken idiot might do? As a former player, I'd rather have the fans stay in the stands and applaud. Too many of these 'court rushers' act as if they had something to do with the win and want to share the spotllight. Many are the same yahoos who boo or stay at home when the team isn't doing well...

[nmatsen]

You are obviously a former player who has never done anything worth having the court or field rushed for then because I can tell you as someone who has stood in the middle of a field that has been bumb rushed that it is the most exciting feeling in the world.

[Pards Rule]

I watched the Lafayette-Bucknell game last Wed. and I noticed too the lack of penetration going inside. Too many times they manuevered in & kicked it out. Also, a lot of fumbles and turnovers for a top 25 team. They won by 20, as expected, but at the time I chalked it up to mediocre competition and the Bison looking ahead to Saturday. I didn't get to see the Sat. game because of last minute work trip to Dover, DE but it seems like the comments are what I witnessed in Easton, PA.

[D1B]

You are obviously a former player who has never done anything worth having the court or field rushed for then because I can tell you as someone who has stood in the middle of a field that has been bumb rushed that it is the most exciting feeling in the world.

I've never ever heard of an athlete getting hurt when that has happened. I'm sure some wuss did at one time, but jeez were talking about well-conditioned athletes here. I'd be worried about the fans getting hurt, which they often do.

[ngineer]

You are obviously a former player who has never done anything worth having the court or field rushed for then because I can tell you as someone who has stood in the middle of a field that has been bumb rushed that it is the most exciting feeling in the world.

Wrong.

[kardplayer]

Not to disagree with you too harshly ngineer, but I think we both remember a time when students stormed the field and tore down the goalposts after the Lehigh/Lafayette game even when their team lost. Now THAT was bad etiquette. I was at Lehigh when they stopped the "tradition" and now I think stopping it was a good idea. In that case though, it was really drunken idiots who had no other reason to be at the game except to "go for post"...

In this case though, I think we have to give the kids (kids is the keyword here remember) the benefit of the doubt. Its not often that UNI gets to host a nationally televised game and I think the students were just excited.

Here's a question - in all the years of fans rushing the floor in this kind of environment (basketball, spontaneous after a win) can anyone remember any player EVER getting hurt? Ever?

FANS get hurt when the goalposts come down - but that's because huge pieces of steel are snapping and then crashing.

I wouldn't be surprised if PLAYERS had gotten hurt after Lehigh/Lafayette, but then again one of the "trophies" idiots would go after were helmets and other pieces of uniforms, and that pretty much ensured there would be conflicts.

I think this is all just good clean fun - isn't that what college sports is SUPPOSED to be about?

[crunifan]

Not to disagree with you too harshly ngineer, but I think we both remember a time when students stormed the field and tore down the goalposts after the Lehigh/Lafayette game even when their team lost. Now THAT was bad etiquette. I was at Lehigh when they stopped the "tradition" and now I think stopping it was a good idea. In that case though, it was really drunken idiots who had no other reason to be at the game except to "go for post"...

In this case though, I think we have to give the kids (kids is the keyword here remember) the benefit of the doubt. Its not often that UNI gets to host a nationally televised game and I think the students were just excited.

Here's a question - in all the years of fans rushing the floor in this kind of environment (basketball, spontaneous after a win) can anyone remember any player EVER getting hurt? Ever?

FANS get hurt when the goalposts come down - but that's because huge pieces of steel are snapping and then crashing.

I wouldn't be surprised if PLAYERS had gotten hurt after Lehigh/Lafayette, but then again one of the "trophies" idiots would go after were helmets and other pieces of uniforms, and that pretty much ensured there would be conflicts.

I think this is all just good clean fun - isn't that what college sports is SUPPOSED to be about?

Excellent post. I agree 100%!

[ngineer]

Excellent post. I agree 100%!

Philosophically, I don't really disagree; but my concern is that I've seen a number of 'freak' incidents over the years where players get injured while 'celebrating' and then can't play in meaningful games that follow. It doesn't take much to twist a knee or get knocked down if you get even accidentally blind-sided and I think it would be a damn shame for a player from any team to suffer that, even if unintended.