Game 34: Syracuse (NIT Quarters)

Post by **MikeUMA** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 11:32 am

Gazette
Recap: http://www.dailyhampshiregazette.com/um ... d_no=86235
Notebook: http://www.dailyhampshiregazette.com/um ... d_no=86210

Republican
http://www.masslive.com/umassbasketball ... xml&coll=1

Collegian
http://www.dailycollegian.com/news/2008 ... 3452.shtml
http://www.dailycollegian.com/news/2008 ... 3456.shtml

Lots of stuff on Syracuse.com
http://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/

Daily Orange
http://www.dailyorange.com/news/2008/03 ... 3770.shtml

shovelhd · Post by **shovelhd** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 11:33 am

Good post on the Cuse board:

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=185#s=18 ... &t=2261736

xlgman · Post by **xlgman** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 11:56 am

Simply Awesome comeback. RELENTLESS once again. I love it. The game tape will be placed on a shelf right next to the W. Va game of January 27, 1995. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, check the history scoreboards.

I am floating.

Amazing Comeback vs. West Virgina - January 1995

"UMass Basketball = RELENTLESS"

UMass87 · Post by **UMass87** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:04 pm

The WVU game was great but I don't think it was as good as last night. The '95 team was an indisputably great team and what they did was prevent an unfortunate loss. This UMass team is NOT an indisputably great team and last night's game was NOT a game they SHOULD have won. Beating any decent team twice in a season is difficult. Doing it both times on the opponent's court is rare indeed. Doing it both times from double digit deficits in the second half is unheard of. The experience for Lowe, Harris, Bonner, Gaffney and the freshmen is irreplaceable. UMass is rebuilding the culture of winning.

umass21 · Post by **umass21** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:49 pm

UMass87 wrote:
umass21 wrote:...
And how many times was ...Bonner kicked off the team...in the chat in the first half? I have to imagine it got pretty ugly in there.
I wasn't in the chat but I doubt anyone was ripping Bonner. Luke's play in the first half was the only bright spot. It could be argued that without Bonner's first half play the hole would have been too big to climb out of in the second half.

I was just generalizing for effect. He's certainly whipping Boy #1 around here, and it's not close.

UMass87 · Post by **UMass87** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:54 pm

umass21 wrote:...I was just generalizing for effect. He's certainly whipping Boy #1 around here, and it's not close.

Yes, he is.

dallasminuteman · Post by **dallasminuteman** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 2:23 pm

nale wrote:
UMASSalum wrote: What's up with Forbes not showing up for the last 3 games?
Forbes has been showing up. His shooting has been way off but he is contributing to the wins.

Forbes scored 19 against Steven Austin, He had 11 points, nine rebounds against Akron and had 9 points 6 rebounds 4 assists 3 steals and a block against Cuse.

He has played hard on defense and shot a great 14-17 from the line.

Certainly he has not been the major scorer we are used to but I'm impressed that the frustration of his bad shooting has not effected he effort in the other parts of the game.

UMASS does not win those games without Forbes contributions. I feel he has 'shown up' for his team.

He was 3-13 from the field last night, and 0-3 from behind the arc. Worse, he had six turnovers, which is almost unbelievable. Most of them were just thrown right to a defender. That followed a 3-11, 1-5, 2 TO performance against Akron. He may have hustled, but you gotta admit he's sucked. I'm pretty sure no one is happier than he is that he isn't ending his career on those performances. That may the biggest thing about that comeback--it really was done without him playing any significant role.

umass21 · Post by **umass21** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 2:53 pm

We're this far along and still having these types of comments about Forbes. He might not be perfect, but he's the A-10 POY and the leader of the team going to the Garden. He may have had a few off shooting nights, but to say he's sucked is ridiculous.

UMass87 · Post by **UMass87** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 2:54 pm

dallasminuteman wrote:...
He was 3-13 from the field last night, and 0-3 from behind the arc. Worse, he had six turnovers, which is almost unbelievable. Most of them were just thrown right to a defender. That followed a 3-11, 1-5, 2 TO performance against Akron. He may have hustled, but you gotta admit he's sucked. I'm pretty sure no one is happier than he is that he isn't ending his career on those performances. That may the biggest thing about that comeback--it really was done without him playing any significant role.

When I made my post in frustration at half time about drive and dish against the Cuse zone that's what I was referring to (Harris and Lowe had a couple as well). It really was partly due to the fact that Syracuse was playing a pretty disciplined what looked like a 3-2 zone to me. When Forbes (and Harris and Lowe) would drive the three up top guys held their ground and didn't collapse which meant there was always a defender between the ball and an outside UMass player. In the second half Syracuse was both too tired to set up the zone in time and less disciplined and the top guys tended to collapse on the penetration freeing up the outside shooter for both the pass and the shot.

Old Prospector · Post by **Old Prospector** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 3:30 pm

UMass87 wrote:The WVU game was great but I don't think it was as good as last night. The '95 team was an indisputably great team and what they did was prevent an unfortunate loss. This UMass team is NOT an indisputably great team and last night's game was NOT a game they SHOULD have won. Beating any decent team twice in a season is difficult. Doing it both times on the opponent's court is rare indeed. Doing it both times from double digit deficits in the second half is unheard of. The experience for Lowe, Harris, Bonner, Gaffney and the freshmen is irreplaceable. UMass is rebuilding the culture of winning.

Well said. To me, this game is most important for what it suggests--a return to big time college basketball at Umass. We've seen great flashes during the past two years, but the magic of this game just feels different.

MC85 · Post by **MC85** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 4:04 pm

A couple of my favorite posts by Mike Waters from the Syracuse Post-Standard over at http://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/

With UMass behind 70-59 and coming back:
"The pace of this game is ridiculous. Syracuse makes a shot and UMass is taking a 3-pointer at the other end in less than three seconds."

With UMass now only behind 74-69 and no quitting in sight:
"Whether Syracuse is making shots or missing them, UMass just continues to push the ball upcourt. UMass' relentless transition game is taking its toll and bringing UMass back into this game."

sleepy sheep · Post by **sleepy sheep** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 4:11 pm

Those quotes sound like Coach Ford's recipe for success!

xlgman · Post by **xlgman** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 4:37 pm

I agree this was far better than that W Va game but they are both great examples of why you should give 100 percent all the time, I keep games like that to show my kids some day. it's inspirational.

there's a threas on the masslive blog about greatest comebacks with links to youtube videos

i'm still grinning and chuckling under my breath 21 hours later.

un real

Old Cage · Post by **Old Cage** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 4:46 pm

I love that we score a ton now and run and run, especially after the Lappas year when reaching 40 or 50 was a challenge. HOWEVER, don't be thinking that that is anything new. Here are the top ten scoring efforts, mostly by the REDMEN:

1. 120 - 2/15/64
2. 120 - 1/8/65
3. 115 - 12/27/63
4. 114 - 2/27/88 (3OT)
5. 112 - 12/4/71
6. 112 - 2/15/72
7. 110 - 1/6/77
8. 109 - 3/3/62
9. 109 - 2/19/72
10. 108 - 2/23/74

I am particularly partial to #8, as that win was part of a season ending streak that resulted in my year's team being named the first UMass team to go to The Dance.

107 this year against Cuse? Yawn.

throwdown · Post by **throwdown** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 5:23 pm

umassfan0299 wrote:We will come out and play great basketball in the second half. Will it be enough? I don't know but we are not going down without a fight.

FAN OF THE YEAR <<<< umassfan0299