Game #5- SIU-Edwardsville 7pm- no TV

M · November 21, 2018, 01:10:29 PM

Expecting a pretty sparse crowd. Both Chesterton and Valpo High schools have their first games of the year, both at home.

tiny707 · November 21, 2018, 03:04:14 PM

May be sparse crowd tonight but I think Marcus Liberty may be there.

crusadermoe · November 21, 2018, 05:51:52 PM

We will have low crowd energy. Not blaming anyone. It's just the timing.

So maybe that means less of a home court advantage. I will take the points, but not by much. Valpo by 18.

oklahomamick · November 21, 2018, 07:18:09 PM

It's early but it looks like i donated my money by taking Valpo -15

VUGrad1314 · November 21, 2018, 07:38:14 PM

We are being outrebounded... Again...

And outscored... This is unacceptable.

oklahomamick · November 21, 2018, 07:42:48 PM

Williford killing us. Would like to see speed on speed with Sackey.

SIUE's zone is stumping us.

oklahomamick · November 21, 2018, 07:52:01 PM

I'm envious of the SIUE's ball movement that lead to some open shots. At one point one of the announcers said we must move the ball to create more open looks.

Is it fair to say we have more talent than SIUE? I think we do, but we are losing....that falls on the staff.

VUGrad1314 · November 21, 2018, 07:52:47 PM

SIUE 14-27 FG 1-9 3PT May I suggest playing some zone to force them to shoot from the outside?

govalpogo · November 21, 2018, 07:54:15 PM

Waiting for someone to show up to play in a Valpo uniform tonight. Edwardsville came to play...where's their opponent?!

Seriously, though, just some lazy and boneheaded play in the first half. Wake up and take care of business.

VU2014 · November 21, 2018, 07:55:17 PM

How are we getting outrebounded???

Down by 2 at halftime. This is concerning to say the least. Any bigs we bring in as freshman next season have a legit shot to beat these guys out for minutes. We need a defensive minded big.

wh · November 21, 2018, 08:05:56 PM

Quote from: VU2014 on November 21, 2018, 07:55:17 PM
How are we getting outrebounded???

Down by 2 at halftime. This is concerning to say the least. Any bigs we bring in as freshman next season have a legit shot to beat these guys out for minutes. We need a defensive minded big.

IMO we need a defensive-minded transfer or JC big that can walk in and tell these guys to get out of my way, I've got this. Tiny SIUE is 1-9 from 3, but 13-19 from 2. They have 22 points in the paint. This is a team that's picked last in the OVC, no less.

JD24 · November 21, 2018, 08:09:49 PM

tuned in at Halftime and you've got to be kidding me.

VUGrad1314 · November 21, 2018, 08:23:09 PM

Somebody in a Crusader uniform step up and take this game over... Please...

VUGrad1314 · November 21, 2018, 08:52:32 PM

Now they catch fire from 3... This is not good.

oklahomamick · November 21, 2018, 08:59:17 PM

need a rim protector to keep the little wiliford from driving into the lane

VUGrad1314 · November 21, 2018, 09:04:17 PM

We better not launch a terrible look from 3. Need discipline and get a good shot.

VUGrad1314 · November 21, 2018, 09:08:44 PM

Overtime... Wow... We better win this game that's all I can say... Or I will be in a very grumpy mood this Thanksgiving...

nkvu · November 21, 2018, 09:20:38 PM

Well.......we didn't lose.

bigmosmithfan1 · November 21, 2018, 09:22:55 PM

Well, here's the positive: you can always recover from a bad win. Also, there are no bad wins.

Get it together, eat some turkey, and go beat WVU. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

VUGrad1314 · November 21, 2018, 09:26:20 PM

One word to describe that game: maddening. We weren't ready and it almost bit us. I don't care if SIUE is vastly improved. This game shouldn't have been that close. I don't know if we were looking back at Wake Forest or ahead to West Virginia but we have a lot to fix before Saturday's game if we don't want to get run off the floor. Same issues as always and the free throw shooting was atrocious. I just hope we can keep the next game respectable.

VUGrad1314 · November 21, 2018, 09:34:54 PM

I will say positively that I liked the scoring balance shown in this game. All starters in double figures and a total of 7 Crusaders scored at least 6 points. Evelyn finally woke up Fazekas shot well. Lavender and Freeman weren't fantastic but they weren't horrible either and they were there down the stretch when we needed them. Hoping for better overall play ahead and that this is the last time a game is this frustrating. Now let's go surprise some people and get ourselves a marquee P5 win. Go Valpo!

govalpogo · November 21, 2018, 09:39:08 PM

Take the names off of the Jerseys and I'd say the old Homer Drew saying, "We were treated to a great, exciting game of college basketball tonight." Unfortunately, we know the names on the Jerseys and the expectations that go along with them so the result is far FAR from satisfying (though worlds better than taking an L).

Perhaps without the UIndy game, Valpo doesn't dig deep to find the grit to fend off an upset minded opponent. Much credit to SIUe, particularly Williford and Williams who were playing with confidence and hitting clutch shots down the stretch, even a couple that were well defended! Fortunately for us, the magic ran out on their last possession and didn't carry through in OT.

At halftime, I was really down on Evelyn...I have since changed my tune and give him props for making the shots he needed to and for getting to the line.

The real question for me as a fan: "Is this kind of performance really indicative of the actual skill level of our team or is it the result of this team's maddening tendency to play to the level of their competition?" And as we all have seen, the basement is much deeper than the ceiling is tall when we do that.

Take the W and don't look back!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

NativeCheesehead · November 21, 2018, 09:49:46 PM

I'm beginning to think there's a chemistry issue here. I'm not sure who projected less energy: the team, the fans, or the announcer. Very rarely have I seen the ARC so dead.

And spare me the VHS was playing talk. That's a reason, not an excuse. Can't believe many other quality mid majors get their attendance cut in half because the local high school is playing, no matter how good they are.

VUGrad1314 · November 21, 2018, 10:00:30 PM

Quote from: NativeCheesehead on November 21, 2018, 09:49:46 PMI'm beginning to think there's a chemistry issue here. I'm not sure who projected less energy: the team, the fans, or the announcer. Very rarely have I seen the ARC so dead. And spare me the VHS was playing talk. That's a reason, not an excuse. Can't believe many other quality mid majors get their attendance cut in half because the local high school is playing, no matter how good they are.

What sticks out to you chemistry wise that may be an issue?

M · November 21, 2018, 10:02:49 PM

Team had zero energy to start the game. Thankfully Freeman changed his shoes at halftime and put in a decent 2nd half. Bakari made his first appearance of the year in the 2nd half too.

Mileek didn't pick up his first foul until midway through the 2nd half. Luckily Fazekas picked up the slack in the silly fouls department.

Gameday experience stinks and I'm getting tired of having to move the damn ticket tables at the end of the game so people can leave because the staff is too lazy to do it.