Detroit beats Loyola on last second play

[bbtds]

http://www.detroittitans.com/news/2013/2/26/GEN_0226134604.aspx

DETROIT (2/26/13) -- Junior guard Jason Calliste's layup in the closing seconds gave Detroit a 76-75 victory over Loyola Tuesday on Senior Night at Calihan Hall. The win clinched the No. 2 seed for the Titans in the upcoming Horizon League championship and a double-bye into the semifinals.

Detroit (19-10, 11-4 Horizon) can still win a share of the HL regular season with a win in its final conference game at UIC and a Valparaiso loss at Green Bay on Saturday.

Detroit was down by one, 75-74, with only nine ticks left when head coach Ray McCallum called a timeout. UDM inbounded the ball to Calliste and the junior was primed to take the game-winning shot, getting down the court and in the paint, where he made a layup with less than one second to go.

Loyola.........fought back and had a four-point lead, 69-65, with 4:14 left. A jumper by Minnerath and two free throws from Calliste tied it, but the Ramblers jumped ahead again by three, 72-69, with 2:18 remaining.

The two seniors Anderson and Minnerath led the charge back as Minnerath found Anderson streaking to the basket for a layup to cut the deficit to one and then after a Loyola miss, Calliste found Minnerath wide open for a triple, igniting the Calihan Hall crowd and giving Detroit a 74-73 lead with 1:18 left.

The game was back and forth early on, but the visiting Ramblers opened a three-point lead, 28-25, at the 7:32 mark in the first half. That is when the Titans came together with a 14-0 run over the next three minutes to take an 11-point advantage, 39-28, eventually taking a 42-33 lead at the break.

UDM......was ahead by nine, 56-47, with 12:22 remaining when the Ramblers went on a 12-2 spurt to take a 59-58 lead. Detroit would take a three-point lead on two occasions in the next two minutes before Loyola reclaimed the lead and pushed it to four, 69-65.

[VULB#62]

When I got up this AM and checked the DUMLUC score, all I could think was "damn! so close!"  Have to thank the Ramblers for pushing the Titians hard.  Temple will push them hard again and they have UIC on Saturday in Chicago with a lot of travel.  But it sure would have been nice for Detroit to have had an extra game in the HL Tournament.

[vuweathernerd]

this doesn't honestly bode well for our chances at going dancing - detroit seems to thrive when they play us at our place. yeah, it's nice to be able to say we're the two-time defending conference regular season champs, but perhaps we'd have been better off with the tourney at calihan, where they won't have as much of a crowd to feed off of. (and yes, i'm fully aware that there's still almost 2 weeks and several games between now and that possibly happening - but let's face it, the odds are exactly that.)

[valpotx]

I'm not worried about our chances against Detroit at home.  We had a terrible stretch of shooting and dumb turnovers to lose that game.  Yes, some of it was due to pressure during that stretch, but we just missed everything too.  That won't happen again, and I would much rather have a crowd FOR us, than against us

[oklahomamick]

this doesn't honestly bode well for our chances at going dancing - detroit seems to thrive when they play us at our place. yeah, it's nice to be able to say we're the two-time defending conference regular season champs, but perhaps we'd have been better off with the tourney at calihan, where they won't have as much of a crowd to feed off of. (and yes, i'm fully aware that there's still almost 2 weeks and several games between now and that possibly happening - but let's face it, the odds are exactly that.)

Yes I would rather play them in Detroit in front of 500 as opposed to a full crowd at the ARC.  Detroit fans will admit that the Titans react like the Fab 5 and feed off the crowd.  Kind of like an "And 1" team. 

I would like Detroit to play Green Bay in the semi. 

[vuweathernerd]

I'm not worried about our chances against Detroit at home.  We had a terrible stretch of shooting and dumb turnovers to lose that game.  Yes, some of it was due to pressure during that stretch, but we just missed everything too.  That won't happen again, and I would much rather have a crowd FOR us, than against us

they played very good defense against us in the second half to come back in that game, and i'd be lying if i said i wasn't concerned that they might actually use it for the whole game this time. i know we give sr a lot of crap on this board for his ineptitude, but if he doesn't follow that same strategy again, then he shouldn't even be coaching.

[talksalot]

er uh... can we get by someone else first?  HATE to be looking past the Saturday night game.

[valpotx]

You would think that we would adjust to expect the pressure this time.  We have handled the press much better this year, other than that one game really. 

[Pathfinder]

Quote from: vuweathernerd on Today at 09:04:29 AM this doesn't honestly bode well for our chances at going dancing - detroit seems to thrive when they play us at our place. yeah, it's nice to be able to say we're the two-time defending conference regular season champs, but perhaps we'd have been better off with the tourney at calihan, where they won't have as much of a crowd to feed off of. (and yes, i'm fully aware that there's still almost 2 weeks and several games between now and that possibly happening - but let's face it, the odds are exactly that.)   Yes I would rather play them in Detroit in front of 500 as opposed to a full crowd at the ARC.  Detroit fans will admit that the Titans react like the Fab 5 and feed off the crowd.  Kind of like an "And 1" team.    I would like Detroit to play Green Bay in the semi. 

You are kidding, right? First, a conference tournament final in Detroit would draw minimum 4000 fans (they drew over 4800 for UIC - UIC -  this year; over 5600 for St. John's last year, routinely over 4000 when Butler was in the league. They can draw a crowd for a big game.); second, you're just friggin kidding, right? You'd rather play at Detroit than in the ARC? You like the idea of a road trip to Detroit? You've seen the numbers on home/road winning percentages in NCAA ball? You like Valpo 9-5 on the road vs. Detroit 13-2 at home over Detroit 6-8 on the road vs. Valpo 14-2 at the ARC?

[LaPorteAveApostle]

You'd rather play at Detroit than in the ARC? You like the idea of a road trip to Detroit?

Um... you're just kidding, right?  Did you perchance happen to see any of the last three VU games @UDM?

Although all you needed to see was the last 20 minutes of the last one to understand this sentiment.

[wh]

Come on, guys.  In your heart of hearts you have to know Pathfinder is right on this one.

[bbtds]

Come on, guys.  In your heart of hearts you have to know Pathfinder is right on this one.

It's ridiculous that anyone would think that they would rather play a game on the road then on their home court in front of their home fans just because an anomaly of 4 games, 2 at Detroit and 2 at Valpo have gone to the visiting team. It does show that the momentum can swing in either direction easily. All the games were close and could have gone either way.

In the 15 games Valpo has played Detroit since Valpo joined the Horizon League (including 3 HL tourney games all played at Valpo) here are the results:

At Calihan Hall.........Valpo 4 wins, Detroit 2 wins
At the ARC..........Valpo 6 wins, Detroit 3 wins   

Yes, Valpo has lost some important games to Detroit at the ARC but they have had twice as many wins as losses to Detroit at both the ARC and Calihan Hall.

Where do you really want to play this game? In my view either venue is better for Valpo and for selfish reasons I want the chance to see Valpo play at the ARC because I don't want to drive to Detroit where I don't have a friend or relative to stay with. 

[historyman]

er uh... can we get by someone else first?  HATE to be looking past the Saturday night game.

Now you want to stop looking ahead at games that might be?

Almost everybody on this board, before the Detroit game, was counting that game as a win. Nobody was talking about what would happen if Valpo lost that Detroit game. Yet here we are with a fair possibility that Valpo might tie Detroit for first with a Valpo loss to GB and a Detroit win over UIC. I know the #1 seed is the most important thing but who wants to talk about being HL co-champs with Detroit?

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Look, no one is saying they would rather not host the tournament, as though that were even possible.

What some people pointed out, and I agree with, is the simple fact that Detroit plays very well at the ARC, and we play well at Callihan.

Detroit is such an (over-)emotional team that they binge (1st half of @UDM, 2nd half of @ARC) and purge (2nd half of @UDM, 1st half of @ARC).  True, they're going to be that way wherever they play.

It just seems they are able to channel that "us-against-the-world" in a hostile environment in the way the great Pistons teams of the mid-aughts used to, and why they have thrived (thriven?) at the ©ThriventFinancial HomerDome.

That's all.

[bbtds]

What some people pointed out, and I agree with, is the simple fact that Detroit plays very well at the ARC, and we play well at Callihan.

At Calihan Hall.........Valpo 4 wins, Detroit 2 wins
At the ARC..........Valpo 6 wins, Detroit 3 wins   

I don't believe that statement is true. Overall Valpo is better at both venues. Over those same 15 games Detroit has had a better Horizon League record than Valpo yet Valpo has won 10 games to Detroit's 5 games. The only thing any one is remembering is those 3 important games out of 15 that Detroit won at the ARC. Valpo has won 6 of 9 at the ARC. I don't understand how that equates to your statement "Detroit plays well at the ARC." The true statement is that lately Detroit has pulled some upsets at the ARC when Valpo has had stretches of the game where they didn't play well.

[oklahomamick]

I bet if there were only 500 fans at the ARC, Valpo would destroy Detroit.  Detroit is an emotional team and plays off our fans hatred towards them. 

[talksalot]

You can count on the PA Guy not being overly supportive of either team... or for that matter, ANY team coming to the ARC next week... except the VU Women against Detroit at 1:35pm in the ARC on 3/9... how's THAT for scheduling?

[LaPorteAveApostle]

I don't believe that statement is true.

Well, I don't believe your statement is a very good argument:  I don't see how records compiled with people like Xavier Keeling and Cory Johnson have ANYTHING to do with the teams at hand.  Anything from further back than over a year ago isn't a good comparison, and you could argue that even last year is not the same either.  Even so:

--In the last 13 months, Detroit has played at the ARC thrice.  They have won two of three (although given the stakes of the one game in particular, feels more like nine out of ten).

--In the last 13 months, we have played at Calihan twice.  We won both times.

Period.

[StlVUFan]

I'm afraid I have to award points to apostle on that one.  If I was going to wish we could be playing Detroit at Calihan instead of at the ARC, that's precisely the reason I would cite.

I would, however, prefer to see them play at the ARC because I want to see Valpo beat Detroit at the ARC, not at Calihan.  Better to subdue the mental challenge and move on than run away from it.

[bbtds]

I don't believe that statement is true.

Well, I don't believe your statement is a very good argument:  I don't see how records compiled with people like Xavier Keeling and Cory Johnson have ANYTHING to do with the teams at hand.  Anything from further back than over a year ago isn't a good comparison, and you could argue that even last year is not the same either.  Even so:

--In the last 13 months, Detroit has played at the ARC thrice.  They have won two of three (although given the stakes of the one game in particular, feels more like nine out of ten).

--In the last 13 months, we have played at Calihan twice.  We won both times.

Period.

And those are anomalies and too small a sample size.

[bbtds]

I'm afraid I have to award points to apostle on that one. If I was going to wish we could be playing Detroit at Calihan instead of at the ARC, that's precisely the reason I would cite.

But you don't want Valpo to play the next game at Calihan because you know better in your heart like WH said. This is ridiculous! Those last few games were anomalies.  You also want Valpo to win it in front of their own fans AND you have a free place to stay in Valpo.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

And those are anomalies and too small a sample size.

If those are anomalies and too small a sample size, then maybe try pro baseball, where teams play each other enough for a suitable sample size.  Because it's not going to happen in college basketball if it can't happen with two teams that have already played each other five times in 13 months.  If you can find any D1 teams that have played each other more often than that, I'll send you a poster of Bryce Drew from high school.

In fact, we've lost two in a row to Detroit at home.  In that sense, beating them at home would will be the anomaly.

[bbtds]

And those are anomalies and too small a sample size.

If those are anomalies and too small a sample size, then maybe try pro baseball, where teams play each other enough for a suitable sample size.  Because it's not going to happen in college basketball if it can't happen with two teams that have already played each other five times in 13 months.  If you can find any D1 teams that have played each other more often than that, I'll send you a poster of Bryce Drew from high school.

In fact, we've lost two in a row to Detroit at home.  In that sense, beating them at home would will be the anomaly.

Well, we are all hoping that anomaly happens and I will predict now that it will happen.  CHEER FOR THE ANOMALY!!!!
Maybe that will get the students to the games if they know an anomaly will happen! 

[StlVUFan]

I'm afraid I have to award points to apostle on that one. If I was going to wish we could be playing Detroit at Calihan instead of at the ARC, that's precisely the reason I would cite.

But you don't want to play the next game at Calihan because you know better in your heart like WH said.

I'm not playing the game.

I want them to play the next game at the ARC because I want Valpo to break that streak.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

in honor of my friend and fellow comedian bbtds, I put together this plot to attract some of the engineers and Urschel Hall-types to the ARC: