Very, very tough loss!

[Billikan]

Timing is everything in life and tonight's loss came at a very bad time and it seemed like in the game every time we did something good then something bad happened.

I will say that I was extremely proud of the heart and toughness of our team. Even when we went down by 9 and they hit shot after shot our team played really hard and with intensity. But the timing of some of our mistakes and misses -- and some brutally bad calls by the refs-- were really killers. That turnover by MM when we had cut the lead to one possession and the crowd was going insane was the biggest killer of all and I could see the whole play. He was fouled to get the ball loose and then as he was going to pick it up the guy grabbed him and held him--yet no call on either foul and they get a layup and we have to fight our way out of a hole again.

They hit some amazing shots--over and over--that looked like they would be from a big guard in the NBA. Many of the shots were defended and they just shot over the defender. We really hustled on the boards yet we missed a number of layups and wide open putbacks--probably because we were rushing. I thought JJ played tough and hard as did KM.

Charlotte is no pushover at all and we are playing at their place. I hate to say it but this next game may make or break our season. Go Bills!

[JettFlight5]

Good reflection of a very difficult night. The Owls are a very good team.

[slufan13]

There's still no reason why we can't go 12-1 the rest of the way in A10 play. KM looks like he might finally be back. Now we just have to get everyone else back to how they played the first 10 games.

I hate to complain about refs but why can we not even get the calls when we're at home???? KM cuts it to 1 with a huge 3 and Cody is waiting for a full 3 seconds to take that charge and they ref calls a block. If that's not a charge, it's a no call. I feel like Dwayne and Conklin got fouled every time they went up.

[RUBillsFan]

There's still no reason why we can't go 12-1 the rest of the way in A10 play. KM looks like he might finally be back. Now we just have to get everyone else back to how they played the first 10 games.

I hate to complain about refs but why can we not even get the calls when we're at home???? KM cuts it to 1 with a huge 3 and Cody is waiting for a full 3 seconds to take that charge and they ref calls a block. If that's not a charge, it's a no call. I feel like Dwayne and Conklin got fouled every time they went up.

Refs did not do the Bills any favors, but I can't blame them for the loss. Temple (esp Wyatt) made some incredible shots and SLU missed some easy ones.

I will add though that after Conklin went into beast mode in the 2nd half and scored on a few possessions during our run, Temple basically just man handled him (and Evans) under the basket. No calls from the refs for holding or pushing Conklin or Evans despite it happening on almost every SLU possession.

[kshoe]

The refs did not cost us the game tonight, Temple's shooting cost us the game.

That being said, was a single charge, on either team, called all night? I can't remember a single one.

And we are a team that bases our defense on taking charges, not blocking shots. Makes it nearly impossible to play defense if you aren't a good shot blocker and every time there is contact it's going to be defensive blocking.

Again, the refs didn't cost us the game but it's just amazing to me how few, if any, charges were called tonight.

[JettFlight5]

The refs did not cost us the game tonight, Temple's shooting cost us the game.

That being said, was a single charge, on either team, called all night? I can't remember a single one.

And we are a team that bases our defense on taking charges, not blocking shots. Makes it nearly impossible to play defense if you aren't a good shot blocker and every time there is contact it's going to be defensive blocking.

Again, the refs didn't cost us the game but it's just amazing to me how few, if any, charges were called tonight.

I think maybe 1. Couple block/charges went against us late.

[billslasttermdropout]

I only saw the 2nd half, but no charges there.

You are entirely correct.

[RiseAndGrind]

Rough loss for the Bills.

SLU has played like a different team since winning the 76 classic.

Unfortunately, don't see the Big Dance in this teams future. Hopefully I'm proven wrong.

[RUBillsFan]

I think maybe 1. Couple block/charges went against us late.

I don't remember any. The only offensive foul I can recall was the illegal screen against Remekun in the 1st half. There were a few times that Fernandez just dropped his shoulder into McCall or Kwamain and the refs called fouls on them. Can't blame the loss on the refs, but they didn't help.

Apparently, refs must think SLU loves take out because we can't get any home cooking to save our lives.

[slufan13]

I agree that you can't blame the refs, we just got straight up beat by a very good team, but 2 plays/calls that I look back on....

We cut it to one, DE gets a block, MM cant handle the ball but Fernandez holds his arm and Temple picks the ball up and lays it in.

We cut it to one, Cody takes the most definite charge I saw all night, and the ref calls an and 1.

They both came at just huge times, but Temple hit everything and our defense just isn't as good as it used to be. Also we have to hit our free throws.

KM looked good again tonight, so I think there is still some optimism there.

[BBall Fan]

There's still no reason why we can't go 12-1 the rest of the way in A10 play. KM looks like he might finally be back. Now we just have to get everyone else back to how they played the first 10 games.

I hate to complain about refs but why can we not even get the calls when we're at home???? KM cuts it to 1 with a huge 3 and Cody is waiting for a full 3 seconds to take that charge and they ref calls a block. If that's not a charge, it's a no call. I feel like Dwayne and Conklin got fouled every time they went up.

Cody was inside the semicircle on the floor and the new rule this year is automatic block. It does not matter how long he is set.

[slufan13]

I was in the student section and he was not in the semicircle

[billikenfan05]

I was in the student section and he was not in the semicircle

Agreed no chance he was in

[BBall Fan]

I was in the student section and he was not in the semicircle

I sit just below the freethrow line across from the visiting bench and his left foot was completely inside the semicircle and his right foot was on the line. I immediately said block.

[slufan13]

I sit just below the freethrow line across from the visiting bench and his left foot was completely inside the semicircle and his right foot was on the line. I immediately said block.

i'm telling you, i was 10 feet away and he was not in the line. also nothing says it has to be a block either. it can still be a no call. not all contact within the circle is a foul.

[billikenfan05]

I sit just below the freethrow line across from the visiting bench and his left foot was completely inside the semicircle and his right foot was on the line. I immediately said block.

You were immediately wrong

Like we have been saying we were 5 feet at most from the play. We saw what this picture confirms.

[billiken_roy]

while there were a few calls that p!ssed me off, all in all the fouls were even in the second half when temple pulled away.

imo, no one is to blame as the billikens indeed played hard, did things right for the most part but just didnt have the players to play with temple last night. imo temple is just a better team. the four guards for temple were very very good. no one stopped wyatt. all four of the billiken guards took a turn and he beat them. really only evans seemed to slow him down at the end. the stringbean center was marvelous in the lane. blocking or alternating shots and working conklin hard. last, when the billikens were driving and beating the denial man to man, dunphy went to multiple defenses including what looked like a matchup zone that totally befuddled the billikens. how many times did the shot clock get to the last few seconds and jett had the ball? give temple credit. very good team and we are lucky we are done with them.

[cheeseman]

If we do not play better defense we are not going to beat anybody worth a damn the rest of the year. You can not allow a team to shoot 56% from the floor and 71% from the 3 and expect to win. Their guards had their way with us and drove without anybody stopping them in the middle for easy baskets - we saw this against Dayton and honestly against Springfield. RM has better figure out a way to stop this because everybody has seen the tapes and will play us this way. The refs allowed the Temple guards to push off all night but that being said they called it the same way all game. Our guards are just to small to stand up to taller guards. We did miss a few easy shots but at some point we stopped shooting from the perimeter and we were trading 3s for 2s - not a good formula for a win. KC - what can I say - he won't shoot and everybody in America knows it. When we were playing well early in the season he was hitting 2-3 3s every game and that helped to keep the defense honest but now he has lapsed into his annual afraid to shoot period and it is like playing offense with 4 guys. Evans is going to get hacked until we start hitting from the outside and opening things up for him and BC. Did not see RL take an perimeter shot all night either - if he does that it helps open things up inside. Great picture of the CE play posted - it was clearly a charge and if one call could ever change the outcome of a game that was it - we were down by 1 and on a roll offensively and defensively - we get that call and who knows how the game ends. All that being said, our defense for most of the game simply was not very good.

[BBall Fan]

You were immediately wrong

Like we have been saying we were 5 feet at most from the play. We saw what this picture confirms.

I stand corrected. Cody has quicker feet than I thought because when the kid started to the basket, he had his left foot inside and his right foot on the line a little more toward the center of the lane. This shows that cody slid over and clearly out of the circle prior to contact. Thanks cause I am a little pissed now because I thought cody was in good position but was just a little too deep. Not the case. Should have been a charge

[mccarthyirish7]

I stand corrected. Cody has quicker feet than I thought because when the kid started to the basket, he had his left foot inside and his right foot on the line a little more toward the center of the lane. This shows that cody slid over and clearly out of the circle prior to contact. Thanks cause I am a little pissed now because I thought cody was in good position but was just a little too deep. Not the case. Should have been a charge

What stings even more is that we were down 1 point when this happened. Instead of the charge call, this was a basket +1 for Temple and a 4 point lead. Completely different game if we get the ball back down 1 with a few minutes left. Ughhh!

[David King]

KC - what can I say - he won't shoot and everybody in America knows it. When we were playing well early in the season he was hitting 2-3 3s every game and that helped to keep the defense honest but now he has lapsed into his annual afraid to shoot period and it is like playing offense with 4 guys.

It appeared to me that KC was looking to shoot more tonight than in recent games. He did take 5 shots, while his season average is 4/game; although he hit just one. But he did other things well: 5 boards, 3 assists, 3 steals, and only 1 turnover. and who is the alternative? Mike McCall Jr.- he only took 1 shot in 11 minutes, and had some costly turnovers. Overall, the Bills took 63 shots vs. 52 for the Owls, so, I don't think KC's lack of shooting is huge problem in comparison to other team short comings.

I'm more concerened about KC's poor defensive showing. he was called out by the announcers a couple times for failing to rotate.

[slu72]

Poor FT shooting and some amazing 3s made by Temple did us in. Another factor was the one Temple big was making life hell for DE and BC in the first half. If I'm right we missed a couple of first FT's on 1-1s 's that killed us. Big guards are going to a problem for us.

[billiken_roy]

it was neat getting an opportunity to meet the board legend, slu72 last night. great going back to the earlier days of billiken basketball and replaying highlights.

[Box and Won]

it was neat getting an opportunity to meet the board legend, slu72 last night.

Highlight of the evening.

[billiken_roy]

since i typically dont get a chance to go out before the game with 7 pm starts, a question, does humphreys always pack them in before the game like they did last night? i was impressed with the turnout.

of course it might have been that the word had leaked out that slu72 was going to make an appearance.

i will say that when i walked in and jan was insisting on knowing how many to put us at a table and i said i was meeting slu72 from south carolina, she immediately took me to him. she had him roped off from the crowd like the beatles coming to nyc.

rumors of bonwich showing as well had jan terrified. wait staff obviously on their toes in case the esteemed bonwich showed. sadly for the many fans there to get a glimpse, bonwich did not show. but in hindsight, my gosh, bonwich and slu72 in the same room at the same time would be like elvis and paul mccartney showing up at the same time.

i did notice the waitress seemed to be distracted by the rican's boys appearance. all that working out must really pay off for them. let's put it this way, whenever she came over to see if myself, slu72, westpine jim and willie needed anything, i felt she was looking right by us old guys.