1/16 - Green Bay @ the ARC

[HailVU2014]

Before the Oakland game, I had made a comment to a fellow recent alum about this stretch of four games (OU, UDM, UWM, and UWGB). Given how the team has performed over the past season and a half, I felt that 3-1 over this stretch would be acceptable and still would give us prime positioning for the HL season moving forward, but it would show that it is all about the HL tourney at the Joe. Then, I said that a 4-0 start would just be awesome. It would put us ahead of the rest of the HL, give us momentum going forward, and validate many special feelings that I have for this season.

But, holy cow. Not only did they exceed my expectations in this stretch, but they went 4-0 with all four games being won by double digits. Just impressive to watch this team and how well they do, even when a player or two has an "off" night.

Going forward, I still think that we need to take the one game at a time approach, especially these upcoming road games against Youngstown State and Wright State... and in doing so good things will come our way! But in the back of my head, I will wonder what this four game stretch will look like again when the Michigan schools come to the ARC in late February... GO VALPO! 

[a3uge]

With Valpo winning and the Packers losing, this die hard Crusader/Bears fan will sleep very comfortably tonight. 

Yeah, the Bears played great.

[frontrowfan]

Skara fell a couple of times and after the last fall changed his shoes

[talksalot]

From the Game Notes for the GB game...

- Last season saw Valpo win six consecutive games by double figures in the non-league portion of the season.

91    55    IU South Bend – H
59    46    Arkansas – Pine Bluff @ Central Michigan – N
93    70    Maine @Central Michigan – N
66    46    Drake @ Nashville – N
93    58    Murray State @ Nashville – N
70    55    Portland @ Nashville – N


- It's been over a decade since the Crusaders won four straight conference contests by double figures, as you have to go back to wins over Centenary, Oakland, Oral Roberts and Western Illinois Dec. 2005-Jan. 2006.

Thanks Chef... I missed the "Gents" game when I copied it ...

89    74    Centenary - T
95    64    Oakland - H  - Non Conf
105    73    Longwood - H - Non Conf
80    60    Oral Roberts - H
88    72    IPFW - H - Non Conf
82    68    Western Illinois - T
76    90    Chicago State - T    LOSS

[SanityLost17]

I am very impressed with Green Bay's new coach.  This should have been a complete rebuilding year for them.  If this guy can prove to be a good recruiter, GB will be a force in 2-3 years. 

[valpolaw]

I'm looking forward to a tight first half and then Valpo pulling away in the second half for a win in the fifteen point range. 

Basically a perfect prediction by humbleopinion! 

[wh]

With Valpo winning and the Packers losing, this die hard Crusader/Bears fan will sleep very comfortably tonight. 

Yeah, the Bears played great.

Touché! lol

[bbtds]

Actually Darien was one RB away from a double double too (10 pts, 9 RBs).

That would have been a triple double double!

It wouldn't have happened if Carrington Love hadn't fouled Darien with less than 10 seconds left and GB down by 13 which seemed like a rather silly play on the Phoenix part.

[bbtds]

I am very impressed with Green Bay's new coach.  This should have been a complete rebuilding year for them.  If this guy can prove to be a good recruiter, GB will be a force in 2-3 years. 

Darner's last team won the Div.II national championship for 2014-15, Florida Southern over Indiana (Pennsylvania). Darner was a Purdue point guard for Gene Keady from 1990 to 1994.

http://www.hammerandrails.com/2015/3/28/8306677/linc-darner-wins-division-ii-national-championship-with-florida

[a3uge]

Actually Darien was one RB away from a double double too (10 pts, 9 RBs).

That would have been a triple double double!

It wouldn't have happened if Carrington Love hadn't fouled Darien with less than 10 seconds left and GB down by 13 which seemed like a rather silly play on the Phoenix part.

The spread was 14. Maybe one of the players had money on the game.

[bbtds]

We were never in the same league as IPFW, only IUPUI.

Consecutive double-digit wins...

2005-06

89    74    Centenary - T      6-4
95    64    Oakland - H      7-4 - Non Conference
105    73    Longwood - H      8-4 - Non Conference
80    60    Oral Roberts - H      9-4
88    72    IPFW - H     10-4
82    68    Western Illinois - T     11-4

so we did have 4 consecutive conference wins by more than 10....

I believe talksalot was counting Centenary, Oakland, Oral Roberts and Western Illinois as the four conference opponents. Not IPFW or Longwood. He labeled Oakland incorrectly and should have put IPFW as non-conference.

[hailcrusaders]

Actually Darien was one RB away from a double double too (10 pts, 9 RBs). That would have been a triple double double!

It wouldn't have happened if Carrington Love hadn't fouled Darien with less than 10 seconds left and GB down by 13 which seemed like a rather silly play on the Phoenix part.

The spread was 14. Maybe one of the players had money on the game.

Either ESPN or SI did a study on point shaving a few years ago and found that it's not uncommon in games like this, when the point spread is not particularly close but not a complete blowout either (8-15 points). I'm not making any claims, but I wonder if it's happened in the Horizon.

[bbtds]

Actually Darien was one RB away from a double double too (10 pts, 9 RBs). That would have been a triple double double!

It wouldn't have happened if Carrington Love hadn't fouled Darien with less than 10 seconds left and GB down by 13 which seemed like a rather silly play on the Phoenix part.

The spread was 14. Maybe one of the players had money on the game.

Either ESPN or SI did a study on point shaving a few years ago and found that it's not uncommon in games like this, when the point spread is not particularly close but not a complete blowout either (8-15 points). I'm not making any claims, but I wonder if it's happened in the Horizon.

So one of the Phoenix players bet against his own team and Valpo to win by more than 14. In the last seconds he reminded Love that if they were going to lose to lose by more than 14. Then when it was 13 points Love realized Valpo needed to score 2 more points and decided to foul Darien. Well, that seems a bit of a stretch but if there is a lot of money to be made you never know. Maybe Love would get some of the money if he made sure GB lost by more than 14. 

[HC]

I figured he just wanted to jack up another shot before time expired.

[StlVUFan]

There's a much simpler and much more likely explanation: he, like a whole lot of players, was simply playing the full 40 minutes and wasn't deciding on his own to throw in the towel.  Maybe his coach didn't call off the dogs because he wanted them to keep that mindset going forward.

Occam's Razor, etc.

[a3uge]

There's a much simpler and much more likely explanation: he, like a whole lot of players, was simply playing the full 40 minutes and wasn't deciding on his own to throw in the towel.  Maybe his coach didn't call off the dogs because he wanted them to keep that mindset going forward.

Occam's Razor, etc.

Good point, the coach must have been in on it.

[Valpower]

There's a much simpler and much more likely explanation: he, like a whole lot of players, was simply playing the full 40 minutes and wasn't deciding on his own to throw in the towel.  Maybe his coach didn't call off the dogs because he wanted them to keep that mindset going forward.

Occam's Razor, etc.

Plus, their system is not called RP39:50.

[talksalot]

I believe talksalot was counting Centenary, Oakland, Oral Roberts and Western Illinois as the four conference opponents. Not IPFW or Longwood. He labeled Oakland incorrectly and should have put IPFW as non-conference.

uh, nope.   I screwed up....I missed the Centenary game completely... would not have even found that without Aaron Leavitt's game notes...

[valpo64]

Green Bay wasn't a complete re-building program.  While they lost super star Sykes, Love. Lowe and Fouse were veteran players.

[hailcrusaders]

Actually Darien was one RB away from a double double too (10 pts, 9 RBs). That would have been a triple double double!

It wouldn't have happened if Carrington Love hadn't fouled Darien with less than 10 seconds left and GB down by 13 which seemed like a rather silly play on the Phoenix part.

The spread was 14. Maybe one of the players had money on the game.

Either ESPN or SI did a study on point shaving a few years ago and found that it's not uncommon in games like this, when the point spread is not particularly close but not a complete blowout either (8-15 points). I'm not making any claims, but I wonder if it's happened in the Horizon.

So one of the Phoenix players bet against his own team and Valpo to win by more than 14. In the last seconds he reminded Love that if they were going to lose to lose by more than 14. Then when it was 13 points Love realized Valpo needed to score 2 more points and decided to foul Darien. Well, that seems a bit of a stretch but if there is a lot of money to be made you never know. Maybe Love would get some of the money if he made sure GB lost by more than 14.

[historyman]

I'll predict that a team with Green Bay in it's name will lose tonight.

Hopefully just one [emoji16]

Unfortunately it was a double whammy for Green Bay area fans............I was so sad...........NOT!