Co-Conspirators
• Mid Majority• Basketball U
• Blue Ribbon
• Yoco Hoops
• Ken Pomeroy
• College Hoops Net
• Coach Ralph
• Hoops Junkie
• ACC Basketblog
• Hawkeye Hoops
Talk Hoops
• Basketball U. boards• Army board
• Bucknell Board
• Colgate Board
• HC Hoops Board
• Lafayette Board
• Lehigh Board
• PL Hoops Board
Official Sites
• Patriot League men• American
• Army
• Bucknell
• Colgate
• Holy Cross
• Lafayette
• Lehigh
• Navy
Sunday, December 16, 2007
The story of Bucknell's loss at Wake Forest, compiled as it happened, from the airport to the final buzzer.
A little on the saga of the trip to Winston-Salem in a moment.
First let's catch up on the game, where Bucknell leads 11-9 with 14:31 to go on the strength of three three-pointers.
Josh Linthicum and Justin Castleberry back in the starting lineup for Bucknell this afternoon.
Stephen Tyree with two fouls before the first media timeout
Jason Vegotsky checks in for the first time this season shortly before the 14 minute mark.
We could hear the national anthem being played when we walked into the back door media entrance of Joel Coliseum after a trip that was more a combination of frustrating and curious than harrowing.
Here is a little of that saga, written while sitting in BWI waiting for the plane to North Carolina:
9:46 a.m. -- Sitting here at BWI, we are not at all sure if we will make it to this afternoon's Bucknell-Wake Forest game.
When we left Lewisburg Saturday night after taking Team Hoop Time to the Penn State-Bucknell women's game, we wondered if we would make it here as we drove through sleet and freezing rain down a dicey Routes 11&15. Things looked better when we got further south and the wintery stuff turned to just rain.
Back home, a check of the forecast said just rain this morning, and when we awoke to find the weather confirming that prognostication, we figured we'd dodged the storm that threatened to wipe out this trip. Seemed there would be no trouble making from Harrisburg down I-83 to Baltimore, and other than the threat of a bumpy ride due to gusty winds, things looked pretty good.
Even the inability to check the flight's status before leaving this morning (apparently an icy limb fell on the phone lines someplace) didn't seem a concern because the Baltimore weather forecast on Sirius radio said temps there were well above freezing.
What we didn't factor into things was the fact that the plane to Raleigh-Durham was coming from Albany, N.Y. That is why we found the words "weather advisory" and "delayed" posted next to our flight when we arrived at the gate.
The good news, which came around the same time our flight was to leave BWI, was that the plane finally got off the ground in Albany. The not so good news: Our new projected arrival in North Carolina is going to leave about two hours before game time, cutting things mighty close.
A Bucknell alum who coaches high school lacrosse in Durham and was waiting for the same flight said we ought to be able to make it to Winston-Salem in an hour-and-a-half from the airport. Factoring in time getting to the rental car, finding parking at Wake Forest, and getting to my seat. It figures to be mighty close.
Close enough to have us seriously considering bagging the trip and saving the ticket to use towards a postseason getaway with the wife.
10:01 a.m.. -- They just announced our plane should get here around 10:25. They figure 20 minutes or so to get the folks off that one and us on. It's only about an hour flight, but since the biggest part of that is probably the takeoff and the approach, they probably can't make up much time in the air.
10:08 a.m. -- By the way, at last night's womens' game, Daily Item beat writer Tom Housenick confirmed that Bucknell wing Jason vegotsky, who has been out all season with a stress fracture in his foot, is expected to dress this afternoon. No indication how much he might be ready to play, but certainly having him in uniform instead of street clothes has to boost the spirits of Bucknell folks. No word on the return of senior co-captain ROb Thomas, whose return from the torn MCL he suffered in the opener against Albany was projected to take 4 to 6 weeks. Also no update on the status of Darren Mastropaolo's condition as he tries to make it back this season from the torn ACL he suffered in a summer pickup game.
10:14 -- What's up with the chick at the Southwest counter wearing an Eli Manning jersey here in the D.C. suburbs on the day of a Redskins-Giants game. Guarantee you would not want to pull such a stunt in Philly on the day of an Eagles game.
10:17 -- Glancing at the sports page of the Washington Post, we are reminded how slow the part of the season around finals can be. The only D.C. area team to play yesterday was Georgetown, which thumped Radford. Of course that doesn't mean there would be much more coverage of college hoops in the Post if there were more local games. As we have noted at some time or another every season since launching this site, the Post does a horrible job covering Washington-area college basketball.
11:17 a,m. -- We're on the way south, running slightly behind the revised schedule, according to he pilot, after having to slow the plane down while passing through air that pilots call "bumpy" and passengers refer to as "scary as hell." What we will do sometimes to bring you coverage of Patriot League hoops defies both logic and the prefverences of the wife, who by now is used to us heading through all kinds of nasty ass weather to get to games, but still does not approve of it.
We would have started posting this misadventure in the airport, but $9.95 for an hour of wireless hardly fits the Hoop Time budget, which is already stretched by the airfare and rental car costs of the trip. Not that the trip is that expensive. Originally this game was not in our coverage plans. But the combination of a leftover vacation day at the day job, which had to be used by the end of the year, an attractive fare on Southwest, and a flight schedule that at least made it appear possible to fly down in the morn ing and back after the game, made this one a late addition to the slate. That decision, it is worth noting, came shortly after the Villanova game, when this looked a lot more like a potential Patriot League win over an ACC school than it does now.
That is not to discount the possibility of a Bison win. But certainly the way the games since 'Nova have gone does diminish a little of the expectations.
Not sure, will have to double check, but don't think a Patriot League team has ever beaten an ACC team. After Maryland's loss the other day, Holy Cross' visit to Maryland after the holidays is looking like the best possibility of that happening at the moment.
We're about to begin our descent, it's 11:31 and the pilot says we should be on the ground in about 20 minutes. Still looks to be cutting it mighty close to get to Winston-Salem on time.
Had we looked at a map before making these plans, we probably would not have made the trip. Based on road signs seen when we visited Duke a few years ago, we thought Winston-Salem was a lot closer to the airport than it is.
It doesn't help any that we chose Dollar Rent-a-car. Apparently one of the secrets to their low rates is having a single shuttle bus. We stand at the stop outside the airport watching bus after bus for the other companies drive past while we wait.
Thankfully the girl at the counter is quick and efficient. She also gives great directions, more than we can say for the road signs in the Winston-Salem area, which made finding the arena an adventure.
Back to the game: Jeff Teague picks Daryl Shazier's pocket and takes it in for an uncontested layup and a 22-15 Wake lead with 9:23 to go. Wake on a 10-2 run at the moment.
We have no stats monitor here, but Wake is killing the Bison on the boards. One wake bucket came on what had to be its fourth chance of the possession.
Seven-footer Chris McFarland has 6 points already, three of Wake's first four buckets, and the Demon Deacons are getting to the rim on a regular basis.
They just handed out partial box scores that show Wake's edge on the boards at 13-11 with 8:47 left. But Wake has 8 offensive rebounds.
Bucknell at that point -- 5 of 14 from the field, 3 of 8 from the arc. Wake is 10 for 23, 1 for 5 from downtown.
With 7:44 to play in the first half, it is Wake 22, Bucknell 16.
Tyree back on the floor picks up his third personal at the 7:15. Have to wonder why he was even on the floor with two in the first half.
Turnovers hurting the Bison. They have at least 9 with 4:40 to play. Still they are only down 27-23 after a G.W. Boon three and a pull up jumper by Justin Castleberry running the break after a steal.
Another Boon three with 2:52 left caps a 10-0 Bucknell run and puts the Bison up 28-27 with 2:29 to play.
Bison doing a better job on the defensive glass. The latests stats handout, with 3:54 to go in the half, shows the two teams even at 16-16 and Wake still with the 8 offensive boards it had early.
The half ends with a Wake player stealing a pass intended for John Griffin and heaving a three-quarters court shot that turned into a pass to yours truly -- who, truth be told, was wide open on the baseline.
AT THE INTERMISSION: Wake Forest 30, Bucknell 28
some halftime stats: Bucknell shooting 10 for 25 (40 percent), 5-14 from the arc.
Wake is 13-33 (39.4 percent), 2-9 from three-point.
Neither team sharp at the foul line, Bison 3-6, Wake 2-6.
Rebounds: BU 21 (5 offensive), Wake 20 (8 off).
Leading scorers: Bucknell Linthicum and Castleberry with 5 each. Wake: Teague with 9, McFarland 6
Turnovers: Bucknell 11, Wake 5.
Tyree with three is the only guy in any foul trouble.
Just now getting back to action for the second half after a delay of about 20 minutes due to a failure of the lights here.
That also knocked out our Internet connection
Starting the second half, Linthicum's put back ties it. At the other end, James Johnson hits one of two at the line. Wake got the offensive rebound but Griffin stole the ball back. Griffin hit in the face on the play, stopping action, but he appears to be OK.
Tyree starts the second half on the bench, then checks in for Boon with 16:35 to go.
Behan well defended on the sideline, close to a five second call, bringing Pat Flannery to call a timeout with 15:49 to go and Wake up 37-35.
Todd O'Brien block watch: The BU freshman's streak of at least one block in every game continues with a first half rejection. His streak of every game with multiple blocks still on hold at the moment.
15:34: Bison apparently unaware of the shot clock, let it expire, bringing the first media timeout of the half. It seemed as though they might have not remembered they had already used up some of the clock before Flannery's timeout.
Stats note -- Wake 18 points in the paint in the first half. Continuing to look inside in the second. Seeing Darren Mastropaol on the Bison bench in street clothes makes you wonder about what might be if he had not blown out his knee.
14:42 Wake is on a 9-3 run and the crowd is into it for the first time since the Demon Deacon rode into the arena on his motorcycle in the pregame. A Bison turnover further fuels their enthusiasm, though truth be told, it is still rather limited. This place holds 14,000+, but is probably a little over half full.
12:28: McFarland to the line for two after a horrible call when Griffin stripped the ball. he makes one of two, and Wake gets the offensive board, but the Bison steal it and grffin hits a three at the other end to make ita 1-point game. After a Wake bucket, Boon's three ties it at 45-45 with under 11 minutes to play.
A few questionable calls -- or non-calls -- at the Bison offensive end. Around the 13:20 mark, Daryl Shazier was hammered going to the rack and the refs swallowed the whistles (Griffin got the O rebound, followed, but failed to convert an and-one on the play.)
At the 10:20 mark, Linthicm hammered on his first shot, no call. He did manage to get the rebound and was fouled on his putback attempt. But it was wasted when he missed both shots. Linthicum now 1-4 at the line.
With 8:28 to go, O'Brien's second foul is Bucknell's 7th. Johnson misses the front end, but again Wake gets the rebound of a missed free throw and it results in a Teague three-pointer. Wake now on a 10-0 run.
at the 7:46 mark, it's Wake Forest 55, Bucknell 45
6:39: Griffin fouled going baseline, both teams now in the bonus. He hits both to make it a 57-49 game.
Stats note: as of the 7:45 mark, Bucknell 7 for 20 in the second half.
Tyree's fourth personal is Bucknell's 9th with 5:54 to play.
Behan's third 52 seconds later has Wake in the double bonus.
Johnson's putback slam with 4:00 to go keeps the Wake lead at 10, 64-54 and brings a Bucknell timeout.
They pull out Zombie Nation, quickly replacing Rock and Roll Part II as the most overplayed song in sports, to try to get the crowd going. It doesn't work near as well as Johnson's second stright slam, a tomahawk job after a Bison turnover that makes it 66-54 Wake.
Another turnover and a Bison foul will have Wake shooting two after the media timeout with 3:29 to go.
A missed free throw with 3:06 to go is O'Brien's first shot of the game. Linthicum, by the way, is in double figures with 11. Matter of fact, he has a double-double with 11 boards.
Behan putback with 1:48 to go makes it 70-56 with 1:48 as the crowd heads for the doors. He was hammered, but there will be no and one.
By the way, don't for a second think twe're making it sound like the refs are why BU is losing this one. They have given up 19 offensive rebounds and 21 second chance points, and Wake has a 38-14 edge in points in the paint.
Bucknell, as has been the case much of this season, is living and dying by the outside jumper. When you are shooting under 40 percent, even 9 treys are not enough to make up for that.
45.2 seconds to go: not many folks still here to see Grorge Medrano check in.
Final: Wke 72, Bucknell 56
A little on the saga of the trip to Winston-Salem in a moment.
First let's catch up on the game, where Bucknell leads 11-9 with 14:31 to go on the strength of three three-pointers.
We could hear the national anthem being played when we walked into the back door media entrance of Joel Coliseum after a trip that was more a combination of frustrating and curious than harrowing.
Here is a little of that saga, written while sitting in BWI waiting for the plane to North Carolina:
9:46 a.m. -- Sitting here at BWI, we are not at all sure if we will make it to this afternoon's Bucknell-Wake Forest game.
When we left Lewisburg Saturday night after taking Team Hoop Time to the Penn State-Bucknell women's game, we wondered if we would make it here as we drove through sleet and freezing rain down a dicey Routes 11&15. Things looked better when we got further south and the wintery stuff turned to just rain.
Back home, a check of the forecast said just rain this morning, and when we awoke to find the weather confirming that prognostication, we figured we'd dodged the storm that threatened to wipe out this trip. Seemed there would be no trouble making from Harrisburg down I-83 to Baltimore, and other than the threat of a bumpy ride due to gusty winds, things looked pretty good.
Even the inability to check the flight's status before leaving this morning (apparently an icy limb fell on the phone lines someplace) didn't seem a concern because the Baltimore weather forecast on Sirius radio said temps there were well above freezing.
What we didn't factor into things was the fact that the plane to Raleigh-Durham was coming from Albany, N.Y. That is why we found the words "weather advisory" and "delayed" posted next to our flight when we arrived at the gate.
The good news, which came around the same time our flight was to leave BWI, was that the plane finally got off the ground in Albany. The not so good news: Our new projected arrival in North Carolina is going to leave about two hours before game time, cutting things mighty close.
A Bucknell alum who coaches high school lacrosse in Durham and was waiting for the same flight said we ought to be able to make it to Winston-Salem in an hour-and-a-half from the airport. Factoring in time getting to the rental car, finding parking at Wake Forest, and getting to my seat. It figures to be mighty close.
Close enough to have us seriously considering bagging the trip and saving the ticket to use towards a postseason getaway with the wife.
10:01 a.m.. -- They just announced our plane should get here around 10:25. They figure 20 minutes or so to get the folks off that one and us on. It's only about an hour flight, but since the biggest part of that is probably the takeoff and the approach, they probably can't make up much time in the air.
10:08 a.m. -- By the way, at last night's womens' game, Daily Item beat writer Tom Housenick confirmed that Bucknell wing Jason vegotsky, who has been out all season with a stress fracture in his foot, is expected to dress this afternoon. No indication how much he might be ready to play, but certainly having him in uniform instead of street clothes has to boost the spirits of Bucknell folks. No word on the return of senior co-captain ROb Thomas, whose return from the torn MCL he suffered in the opener against Albany was projected to take 4 to 6 weeks. Also no update on the status of Darren Mastropaolo's condition as he tries to make it back this season from the torn ACL he suffered in a summer pickup game.
10:14 -- What's up with the chick at the Southwest counter wearing an Eli Manning jersey here in the D.C. suburbs on the day of a Redskins-Giants game. Guarantee you would not want to pull such a stunt in Philly on the day of an Eagles game.
10:17 -- Glancing at the sports page of the Washington Post, we are reminded how slow the part of the season around finals can be. The only D.C. area team to play yesterday was Georgetown, which thumped Radford. Of course that doesn't mean there would be much more coverage of college hoops in the Post if there were more local games. As we have noted at some time or another every season since launching this site, the Post does a horrible job covering Washington-area college basketball.
11:17 a,m. -- We're on the way south, running slightly behind the revised schedule, according to he pilot, after having to slow the plane down while passing through air that pilots call "bumpy" and passengers refer to as "scary as hell." What we will do sometimes to bring you coverage of Patriot League hoops defies both logic and the prefverences of the wife, who by now is used to us heading through all kinds of nasty ass weather to get to games, but still does not approve of it.
We would have started posting this misadventure in the airport, but $9.95 for an hour of wireless hardly fits the Hoop Time budget, which is already stretched by the airfare and rental car costs of the trip. Not that the trip is that expensive. Originally this game was not in our coverage plans. But the combination of a leftover vacation day at the day job, which had to be used by the end of the year, an attractive fare on Southwest, and a flight schedule that at least made it appear possible to fly down in the morn ing and back after the game, made this one a late addition to the slate. That decision, it is worth noting, came shortly after the Villanova game, when this looked a lot more like a potential Patriot League win over an ACC school than it does now.
That is not to discount the possibility of a Bison win. But certainly the way the games since 'Nova have gone does diminish a little of the expectations.
Not sure, will have to double check, but don't think a Patriot League team has ever beaten an ACC team. After Maryland's loss the other day, Holy Cross' visit to Maryland after the holidays is looking like the best possibility of that happening at the moment.
We're about to begin our descent, it's 11:31 and the pilot says we should be on the ground in about 20 minutes. Still looks to be cutting it mighty close to get to Winston-Salem on time.
Had we looked at a map before making these plans, we probably would not have made the trip. Based on road signs seen when we visited Duke a few years ago, we thought Winston-Salem was a lot closer to the airport than it is.
It doesn't help any that we chose Dollar Rent-a-car. Apparently one of the secrets to their low rates is having a single shuttle bus. We stand at the stop outside the airport watching bus after bus for the other companies drive past while we wait.
Thankfully the girl at the counter is quick and efficient. She also gives great directions, more than we can say for the road signs in the Winston-Salem area, which made finding the arena an adventure.
Back to the game: Jeff Teague picks Daryl Shazier's pocket and takes it in for an uncontested layup and a 22-15 Wake lead with 9:23 to go. Wake on a 10-2 run at the moment.
We have no stats monitor here, but Wake is killing the Bison on the boards. One wake bucket came on what had to be its fourth chance of the possession.
Seven-footer Chris McFarland has 6 points already, three of Wake's first four buckets, and the Demon Deacons are getting to the rim on a regular basis.
They just handed out partial box scores that show Wake's edge on the boards at 13-11 with 8:47 left. But Wake has 8 offensive rebounds.
Bucknell at that point -- 5 of 14 from the field, 3 of 8 from the arc. Wake is 10 for 23, 1 for 5 from downtown.
With 7:44 to play in the first half, it is Wake 22, Bucknell 16.
Tyree back on the floor picks up his third personal at the 7:15. Have to wonder why he was even on the floor with two in the first half.
Turnovers hurting the Bison. They have at least 9 with 4:40 to play. Still they are only down 27-23 after a G.W. Boon three and a pull up jumper by Justin Castleberry running the break after a steal.
Another Boon three with 2:52 left caps a 10-0 Bucknell run and puts the Bison up 28-27 with 2:29 to play.
Bison doing a better job on the defensive glass. The latests stats handout, with 3:54 to go in the half, shows the two teams even at 16-16 and Wake still with the 8 offensive boards it had early.
The half ends with a Wake player stealing a pass intended for John Griffin and heaving a three-quarters court shot that turned into a pass to yours truly -- who, truth be told, was wide open on the baseline.
AT THE INTERMISSION: Wake Forest 30, Bucknell 28
some halftime stats: Bucknell shooting 10 for 25 (40 percent), 5-14 from the arc.
Wake is 13-33 (39.4 percent), 2-9 from three-point.
Neither team sharp at the foul line, Bison 3-6, Wake 2-6.
Rebounds: BU 21 (5 offensive), Wake 20 (8 off).
Leading scorers: Bucknell Linthicum and Castleberry with 5 each. Wake: Teague with 9, McFarland 6
Turnovers: Bucknell 11, Wake 5.
Tyree with three is the only guy in any foul trouble.
Just now getting back to action for the second half after a delay of about 20 minutes due to a failure of the lights here.
That also knocked out our Internet connection
Starting the second half, Linthicum's put back ties it. At the other end, James Johnson hits one of two at the line. Wake got the offensive rebound but Griffin stole the ball back. Griffin hit in the face on the play, stopping action, but he appears to be OK.
Tyree starts the second half on the bench, then checks in for Boon with 16:35 to go.
Behan well defended on the sideline, close to a five second call, bringing Pat Flannery to call a timeout with 15:49 to go and Wake up 37-35.
Todd O'Brien block watch: The BU freshman's streak of at least one block in every game continues with a first half rejection. His streak of every game with multiple blocks still on hold at the moment.
15:34: Bison apparently unaware of the shot clock, let it expire, bringing the first media timeout of the half. It seemed as though they might have not remembered they had already used up some of the clock before Flannery's timeout.
Stats note -- Wake 18 points in the paint in the first half. Continuing to look inside in the second. Seeing Darren Mastropaol on the Bison bench in street clothes makes you wonder about what might be if he had not blown out his knee.
14:42 Wake is on a 9-3 run and the crowd is into it for the first time since the Demon Deacon rode into the arena on his motorcycle in the pregame. A Bison turnover further fuels their enthusiasm, though truth be told, it is still rather limited. This place holds 14,000+, but is probably a little over half full.
12:28: McFarland to the line for two after a horrible call when Griffin stripped the ball. he makes one of two, and Wake gets the offensive board, but the Bison steal it and grffin hits a three at the other end to make ita 1-point game. After a Wake bucket, Boon's three ties it at 45-45 with under 11 minutes to play.
A few questionable calls -- or non-calls -- at the Bison offensive end. Around the 13:20 mark, Daryl Shazier was hammered going to the rack and the refs swallowed the whistles (Griffin got the O rebound, followed, but failed to convert an and-one on the play.)
At the 10:20 mark, Linthicm hammered on his first shot, no call. He did manage to get the rebound and was fouled on his putback attempt. But it was wasted when he missed both shots. Linthicum now 1-4 at the line.
With 8:28 to go, O'Brien's second foul is Bucknell's 7th. Johnson misses the front end, but again Wake gets the rebound of a missed free throw and it results in a Teague three-pointer. Wake now on a 10-0 run.
at the 7:46 mark, it's Wake Forest 55, Bucknell 45
6:39: Griffin fouled going baseline, both teams now in the bonus. He hits both to make it a 57-49 game.
Stats note: as of the 7:45 mark, Bucknell 7 for 20 in the second half.
Tyree's fourth personal is Bucknell's 9th with 5:54 to play.
Behan's third 52 seconds later has Wake in the double bonus.
Johnson's putback slam with 4:00 to go keeps the Wake lead at 10, 64-54 and brings a Bucknell timeout.
They pull out Zombie Nation, quickly replacing Rock and Roll Part II as the most overplayed song in sports, to try to get the crowd going. It doesn't work near as well as Johnson's second stright slam, a tomahawk job after a Bison turnover that makes it 66-54 Wake.
Another turnover and a Bison foul will have Wake shooting two after the media timeout with 3:29 to go.
A missed free throw with 3:06 to go is O'Brien's first shot of the game. Linthicum, by the way, is in double figures with 11. Matter of fact, he has a double-double with 11 boards.
Behan putback with 1:48 to go makes it 70-56 with 1:48 as the crowd heads for the doors. He was hammered, but there will be no and one.
By the way, don't for a second think twe're making it sound like the refs are why BU is losing this one. They have given up 19 offensive rebounds and 21 second chance points, and Wake has a 38-14 edge in points in the paint.
Bucknell, as has been the case much of this season, is living and dying by the outside jumper. When you are shooting under 40 percent, even 9 treys are not enough to make up for that.
45.2 seconds to go: not many folks still here to see Grorge Medrano check in.
Final: Wke 72, Bucknell 56
Help Hoop Time
Recent Items
• Bison head to Tobacco Road• Army avoids embarrassment
• Army hosts D-I newcomers
• Injury update (and other news)
• Tuesday morning readaround
• The usual Monday evening routine
• Army rally falls short
• Big little brother?
• Black Knights in the spotlight
• Lehigh rallies past Harvard
Archive
• Nov. 2004-Oct. 2005• November 2005
• December 2005
• January 2006
• February 2006
• March 2006
• April 2006
• May 2006
• June 2006
• July 2006
• August 2006
• September 2006
• October 2006
• November 2006
• December 2006
• January 2007
• February 2007
• March 2007
• April 2007
• May 2007
• June 2007
• July 2007
• August 2007
• September 2007
• October 2007
• November 2007
• December 2007
Feeds
©2006 Hoop Time. All rights reserved.