Will the Bears face Michael Olowokandi's alma mater in the CIT Championship? That's Pacific, by the way.
8:56: Stat geekage: MSU (67), Ricks 15, Leonard 15, Creekmore 13, Mallett 11, Fuehrmeyer 9, Jones 2, Rhine 2; Creighton (61), Lawson 21, Young 17, Wragge 12, Carter 7, Witter 2, Runnels 2.
8:49: Don’t forget about the Tourney Throwdown at Boomers. The TAGsgf.com staff will be there and handing out prizes during every NCAA Tournament game. Don’t miss it!! Bears win 67-61 and will host the CIT Championship on Tuesday evening.
8:47: Have the Bears learned how to finish? That’s what I’m going to ask the players and Cuonzo after the game. A meaningless Creighton 3PP and a last-second 3 makes gamblers mad, cutting the lead to 67-61 with 2.4 seconds left. I’ll be back with stat geekage and look for a column tomorrow.
8:46: Ricks walks, err, gets two steps for an attempted dunk and gets a layup. He has 15 and the Bears are on a 15-5 run to end this game. Impressive stuff from a team that struggled to finish games all season.
8:45: Creekmore blocks a shot and keeps it in bounds. A nice play, young man. Bears putting this one on ice.
8:43: Ricks gets out in transition and gets fouled hard. He comes up holding his right wrist. It might have adjusted his shot, though, since he makes both FTs. Bears back up 10, 65-55, 1:58 left. Four Bears in double figures as Leonard has 15, Creek and Ricks have 13 and Mallett with 11. Weems’ defense keeping him out there despite the offensive doughnut.
8:42: FT time for the Bears and that’s when you wish Ricks was a better FT shooter. He makes one of two. 63-55, 2:12 left.
8:41: A Ricks FT pushes the lead to 62-52, but a deep Wragge 3 cuts it to 62-55 with 2:17 left. A loss here would be colossal.
8:38: Granted, Weems is having an uninspired offensive game, but he’s been rebounding and playing D. He forces a turnover from the Bears’ 2-3 zone and Leonard bangs a 3 on the other end. It’s a 9-0 run from MSU over the last three minutes. MSU leads 61-52. Can you smell a championship?
8:37: In case you were wondering about the other CIT semifinal, a metric ton of snow in Denver delayed Pacific’s travel to wherever the heck Appalachian State is. The game has been delayed until tomorrow. Can you wait that long to know who MSU will play?
8:34: The MSU crowd suckers Young into slopping a 3-pointer off the side of the backboard. With 7 seconds on the shot clock, the Bears band starts the countdown early and Young fell for it. Awesome. Bears still lead 58-52, 3:59 at the final media timeout.
8:33: MSU responds to the adversity nicely. Ricks finds Creekmore on a perfectly executed screen and roll and Jordan Creek lays it in. He leads all MSU scorers with 13. Leonard has 12 and Mallett has 11. Weems is yet to score. Bears up 58-52, 4:44 left. Timeout Fighting Altmans.
8:31: Ricks responds with a jumper and after a rebound and nice outlet by Weems, Mallett is fouled. He sinks both FTs and MSU suddenly is back up 56-52, 5:38 left.
8:30: Carter sinks both and we’re tied at 52. Creighton has come to play in the second half and is in the midst of a 19-9 run.
8:29: Excuse me, it was Carter who finishes the 3PP. After an empty Bears possession, Carter scores way too easily to cut the lead to 52-50, 6:18 left. Carter is at the line with a chance to tie the game.
8:24: The crowd is on its feet after a Mallett fallaway jumper and it totally jinxes the team. Young drives to the bucket, scores and draws a foul. It’s 52-47 with 7:47 left, media timeout. FT to follow.
8:22: Multiple choice. Creighton drives to the basket and ______ blocks the shot.
A. Will Creekmore
B. Isaiah Rhine
C. Nafis Ricks.
The answer is ….. C. Nafis Ricks! He throws Carter’s attempt, but Young saves it out of bounds, throwing it off Mallett’s face.
8:21: Lawson picks up his third foul and takes a seat. It’s the best thing that’s happened to the Bears all game. Immediately, Creighton fouls Reggie Leonard, coming off a screen. I’m pretty sure Leonard initiated the contact, which makes his two FTs even sweeter. MSU leads 50-45, 9:22 left.
8:19: There is no energy in this building, especially during a time when the Bears could use it. As I type that, MSU goes to a 2-3 zone. And Lawson hits another 3. He has 21 points at the 10:15 mark. Creekmore answers, but it’s 48-45.
8:16: Weems is fouled by Lawson on a rebound and it reminded everyone he is playing in this game. Weems is 0-for-3 in the game, 0-for-2 from 3. He hasn’t attempted a shot in the second half. His season-low is four, accomplished twice. 46-42 Bears, 11:15 left, media timeout (do we really need one?)
8:15: Leonard must have been listening. The Bears all-time leader in 3-pointers hits one from the left wing. Bears lead 46-42, 11:36 left.
8:14: Lawson hits another 3. The Bears have no answer for the triple-shooting big man. The one-time 10 point lead is cut to 43-42 after a 9-0 Creighton run. Will the Bears respond?
8:14: If you would have guessed 19 points for Fuehrmeyer’s career high, you would have been right. He scored 19 against SIU in 2007.
8:11: Momentum, schmomentum. Creighton converts a 3PP, then gets a triple from Lawson. It cuts the Bears lead to 43-39 with 13:00. Timeout Altman. Lawson’s game right now reminds me of Anthony Tolliver’s. We all know how that is working out for the former Kickapoo player.
8:07: Bears lead 43-33 after a Fuehrmeyer 3, his third of the game. What is his career high? I’ll give a prize to the person with the right answer. 15:06 left.
8:04: Just as it was getting tense after a Lawson bucket, Mallett converts a 4-point play from the right wing. You can’t lose a game where you get a 4-point play, can you? (Ask the NY Knicks and Larry Johnson. Grrrr)
8:00: Apparently, Altman noticed the one turnover stat and has put on a full-court press that is speeding the Bears up. After a 7-0 Creighton run, Creekmore scores to stop the bleeding. Bears lead 36-31, 16:15 left.
7:57: Stat that means this is a CIT game — The Bears had just one first-half turnover. Then, they had one on their first possession.
7:50: Let me set the scene for a potential fantastic CIT moment, if the Bears make it to the championship game.
Bears trail Pacific by two after the first half. As the second half begins and the thousand(s) in attendance are exasporated by the Tiger defense. Wait, what’s that emerging from the locker room? He hasn’t played in two games. What? It’s Caleb Patterson. (Or something like that.)
7:48: Come to Boomers this weekend for the Tourney Throwdown and you can see me do this to our mini-hoop.
This was taken 10 minutes before tipoff. This is not a joke.
7:45: Stat geekage: MSU (34), Creekmore 7, Ricks 7, Leonard 7, Fuehrmeyer 6, Mallett 3, Jones 2, Rhine 2; Creighton (26), Lawson 10, Young 6, Wragge 6, Runnels 2, Carter 2.
7:41: A Fuehrmeyer 3 from the corner with 20 seconds brings the, um, crowd to its feet. An empty Creighton possession makes it 34-26 at halftime. Back with stat geekage before long.
7:39: After a lot of action and no results, Leonard responds to getting held — twice – on the offensive end, by drawing a charge. Bears lead 31-26, 1:30 left.
7:35: Still no Patterson. He has as many minutes as Michael Porter, who hasn’t played since early in the season.
7:34: Wragge shows up and hits back-to-back 3s that sandwich a Leonard mid-ranger. Jays wake up a big, cut lead to 31-26 with 3:02 left. Somewhere the News-Leader’s Michael Stacy is smiling.
7:31: Looks like one of two things has happened. 1) Lawson has realized MSU has average bigs, or 2) He’s good inside the paint. Either way, it doesn’t help when you leave Mallett open for two 3s. He misses the first, but after an offensive rebound, he bangs the second one. Bears have their largest lead at 29-20, 4:29 left. Altman calls timeout.
7:30: Isaiah “Not in mine” Rhine swats a Lawson attempt, but the Creighton junior gets the rebound and scores. While I typed that, both Jones and Lawson score. 24-18 Bears, 5:54 left.
7:27: After a timeout, the teams trade baskets, but the more I watch Leonard, the more I think he – like I – grew up watching Reggie Miller. He moves well without the ball and then slithers to the bucket rather well. He scores on a runner off the glass that Mr. Miller would have been proud of. Bears lead 22-14, 6:53 media timeout.
7:23: A classic CBI moment — Leonard misses a 3. Jerome Jones blatantly goes over a Creighton back for a rebound (no call). Jones goes with some pretty boy reverse layup that hangs on the rim, but doesn’t fall. Creek tips it out to Fuehrmeyer, who gets knocked down, but hangs on to the ball. He calls timeout. The CIT!!!!!!!! (Bears still lead 20-12, 8:39 left)
7:22: Creekmore gets great position on a post bucket. After a defensive stop, Weems airballs a 3. He’s still scoreless as the Bears lead
7:20: Two free throws for Creighton set up a halfcourt trap. It works as Jehle turns it over. Leonard checks back in.
7:18: Just more than eight minutes gone by and still no Patterson. Jehle is in, but no Rhines or Patterson. Patterson hasn’t even taken his warmup top off. Body language, anyone?
7:16: Buying into Cuonzo Martin’s playing for next year philosophy, Ricks is taking charge. He hits two free throws and hits a mid-range J. Young tries to answer for Creighton, but this has the makings of another blowout. Bears lead 16-10, 11:44 left.
7:13: Creighton gets a two buckets, but Leonard and Fuehrmeyer bang 3s to give MSU a 13-8 lead. Creighton looks like they could care less about this game, especially on defense. And, young just put one off the side of the backboard. Yikes. 13:02 left.
7:10: Lawson delivers in the game and apparently he is the only player who will shoot for Creighton. He has all 4 Creighton points at the first media timeout. Bears lead 7-4 with 15:15 left.
7:08: Don’t tell Ricks this game is meaningless. After Creekmore scores and a defensive stop, he dives after a ball and gets a floor burn that sounds like it was in Dolby 5.1 Surroundsound because of the scarce crowd. Loud and, owwwwwy.
7:06: Only in the CIT can Jermaine Mallett pick up two fouls in the first minute and JEROME JONES checks in. Wow. Is this 2012? Lawsone scores and it’s followed up by a Ricks jumper. 5-2 Bears, 18:07 left.
7:05: Blue Jay nation must be happy. Two missed free throws, an offensive rebound and a turnover. (In my best Bill Simmons typography) Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2010 CIT!!!!
7:03: As usual, Creekmore starts the game with a shot and … It goes in! Creekmore gets a 3-point play to start the game. Bears up 3-0, 19:47 left. Call this one over.
6:59: Tonight’s starters: Creighton, Ethan Wragge (6-7,), Justin Carter (6-4, sr.), Kenny Lawson, Jr. (6-9, jr.), Josh Jones (6-2, fr.), Antoine Young (6-0, so.); MSU, Jermaine Mallett (6-3, jr.), Kyle Weems (6-6, so.), Will Creekmore (6-9, jr.), Nafis Ricks (6-1, jr.), Adam Leonard (6-1, jr.).
Looks like the Isaiah Rhine experiment is over.
6:50: I’m live from JQH Arena where there might be enough pizza in the media room to feed all of tonight’s fans. Am I joking? Look at the picture to the right. This is not a joke.
Anyway, we’ve laid out what this game means and why it actually has importance. I’m guessing everyone else has mentally flipped the switch to baseball season. Or, they simply don’t care. Or, they’re following along on the live blog! (One can hope, right?)
If you are following along, feel free to leave comments and I’ll answer them. And keep them lively.
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OK, yesterday I made the case that tonight’s Collegeinsider.com Tournament semifinal pitting Missouri State against Creighton has added importance because of Northern Iowa’s recently-raised national profile. Now, the question is, will it get more fans at JQH Arena for tonight’s game?
In case you can’t be, Allen Vaughan will be at JQH Arena for the 7 p.m. semifinal for a Live Blog, adding in all of the commentary, analysis and hi jinks that come along with it.
And if you do attend the game, don’t forget you can access the Live Blog from our mobile site. Just visit TAGsgf.com and it should fit to your mobile browser.
