Shots weren't falling and the refs weren't helping.  Really disappointing end to OHIO's win streak, I guess at least we didn't lay an egg like Akron did against us.

I have to say this doesn't bother me at all for some reason. Losing to Miami always sucks but I am not a fan of a team not playing for almost a week at this time of year. We were out of sync tonight and that happens. Bring on Toledo.

I agree.  So does Groce.  Let's gear up for another title run!

this game sounded like a stinker from beginning to end so I was surpised to see how close it looked in the box score.

Rebounds- 34/35
Turnovers- 10/9
pts of turnovers- 9/10
pts in paint- 28/26

both teams made 20 field goals, Ohio had two more 2s and Miami had two more 3s. Ohio took 3 more shots, all 3s.

8 of the 10 point difference came from free throws- Ohio was 22/29, Miami 30/33.


In the first game both teams made the same number of 2s and same number of 3s but Miami won at the line 25/33 to Ohio's 21/26.

They beat us at the foul line, twice.


not worried about it though, the Cats like to play with a chip on their shoulder and now they got that back.

Have to agree with the posters here so far.  This was not one of the bobcats better nights.  I'm most disappointed in that it seemed we had no intensity to play our rivals from the start.  And, a 10 point loss is not indicative of how much we were out of it.  We just never got into a rhythm.

I do have one coaching point to bring out.  We went to the 1-2-1-1 trapping defense mid way thru the second half (maybe a bit later).  I hope the coaching staff, after seeing 6 of the next 8 possessions end in lay ups for Miami realizes a better way to get back in games nowadays is to just play good old hard nosed half court defense.  Most good teams (us included) can break presses with little effort and Miami did just that.  Teams are just too well prepared for that kind of stuff this time of year.

On the other hand, Miami did throw the ball away twice, i think, and we were only 8 down at one time late in the game.  All and all, I agree...the score was not indicative of how out of it we were.  I just never felt we had a chance.

     Was in Oxford last night for the game and I knew it from the get go, we didn't have any legs, missin wide open chippy shots from underneath the basket, from the start of the game til the end,  even tho we got behind, the team never gave up,  they kept fighting and that was good to see,  they could of rolled over when they got down 19,  but they fought back and got it to single digits. Team got the day off today for a MUCH needed rest. Last nite was just a small bump in the road, Groce will have this team ready for another Tournament run, after all we are the Defending MAC Tournament Champions until someone says other wise.  I'm not a bit concerned with the game last nite.

----------------------------------------------------

Dennis "Gman"   "DON'T FLINCH or YOU MIGHT MISS IT" 

If we didn't have legs as you say that is worrisome.  We played Tuesday -- Miami had to play Wednesday so they had one less day.  And next week 4 games possibly in 5 days? We better have the legs and conditioning after 30 games.

I think Charlie is one of the best coaches out there. He knows how to neutralize his opponents oftentimes. If we'd had Tommy, Nick & Coop hitting 3's it would have made a world of difference.  But he got his D to shut down our 3 point game.   We need both our inside game and 3 point action to get control of games.  But if one of the two is shut down we struggle.

the refs had very little to do with it last night. i'd say the foreskins got the worst of a typical bad MAC-job. the cats worked hard in the first half and fiami would throw up silly shots that went in. i'm a big tommy fan, but he was awful last night. slow on D and making some bad decisions.

the national anthem was horrific. i'm pretty sure the lady really didn't know the tune and just did whatever she wanted.

how about the fiami cheerleaders imitating helicopters on the guys' backs - silly.

Yes, and the statistics were accurate.  There is no question the Bobcats were on a roll heading into this game after losing a number of close games earlier in the season.  We just flat out lost last night - it wasn't the first time.  What's your point? You're certainly a master of vague conversation so your bases are covered - mildly optimistic, without great hope, but wouldn't be surprised if we won the tournament? That's your intuition that's so much more valuable than statistics?

sounded like she was trying to turn the national anthem into the blues. It worked for jose feliciano, it didn't for her.

Exactly, you haven't seen them, so you shouldn't talk about what you don't know.  By your own admission, you watched them once this year.  I've watched or listened to the majority of their games.

I hope I'm totally wrong about this, but listening to last night's game sort of reminded me of teams in the latter part of the Larry Hunter era when we'd get bounced out of the MAC tourney in the first round.  That is, a team with a lot of promise lays an egg in the tourney.  Now, granted, this was not a tournament game.  But, somehow, as the last regular season game against our hated rival -- with a chance for a first-round bye -- we come out unexpectedly very flat.  Some of this had to be the result of mental preparedness, which is at least partly a coaching issue.   Now, maybe, we'll go on a tear in the tourney like we did last year.  I hope so!  However, last night has me downgrading my expectations for the MAC tourney.  Now, "Cats, please go out and prove me wrong.  Win the MAC tourney title and go to the Big Dance.  I wan't to see March Magic once again! 

I guess kudos to Miami are in order. No, not for beating us last night, but for their program in general.
It astounds me they can get recruits to play in that God-awful excuse of a basketball arena that:
- Is cavernous and barn like
- Has ZERO atmosphere
- The seating is far removed from the floor and is off-center and mis-aligned with the court
- Has a vast majority of it's seating covered in black tarps, which I guess may be by design in keeping with the cavern feel to the arena in general.
- The students (what few appear to attend) are relegated to the West End Zone
- The Not So Pep Band is stationed in the East End Zone and is TOTALLY dis-engaged from the proceedings
Now I know that other MAC venues like the MAC(Kent) and JAR(Akron) are dumps but at least they are basketball suitable. Millett would make a good warehouse. Scratch that, a poor warehouse.
Some other thoughts: Miami can't do music, period. As some have already commented the National Anthem was, while I'm not really sure what it was. I agree RS, she hit at least 6 keys and was OFF-key in all of them.
It seems to fit Music in Miami though. For anyone who attended the "Homecoming" performance of the Miami Marching Band at this past years football game, well words cannot adequately describe it, but it would rival last nights  Anthem. I'm assuming that the Miami Basketball Pep Band is made up of some of those marching magnificent also. The signature song of the Not So Pep Band, which really does not play much during the contest(thankfully), is the William Tell Overture. With sheet music in hand. You would think by this point in the season they would have it memorized. Enough said.
As for the game itself, we simply struggled all night. Both Ivo and Devo had nice moves around the basket early and shots just would not drop. DJ, Tommy and Nick struggled with the 3 ball, see cavern effect above, and it came down to too little, too late before they adjusted.
Thought Groce made a tactical mistake in not going some extended zone on Miami. I watched the entire Buffalo/Miami game on Weds. nite and the Bulls were having inside trouble with stopping Miami and had fallen behind by double-digits mid-way thru the first period. Reggie went zone on them and stayed zone on them for the rest of the game. Miami, forced to get outside scoring from their guards, couldn't and ending up losing Big.
I really thought when Ivo and Devo picked up 2 fouls each in the first half and Mavunga was bulling his way underneath, Groce might go zone. He did briefly, but really never gave it a chance.
In the big scheme of things, I'm not obsessing over last nights loss. The exhibition games are over.
THE SEASON start this Tuesday night in Athens.