Fouls on Ohio: 31
Fouls on Central Michigan: 29

Central Michigan FG %: 51
Central Michigan 3 Pt %: 69

Refs have been bad in the MAC and probably will continue to be for a while. Maybe if Ohio had played better defense then I'd be more inclined to believe the refs had a huge outcome on the game but I don't think they can correlate to that awful 3 point % CMU shot last night.

I have to vent...so bear with me.

I'm really not all that mad at the Bobcats after last night.  I'm not mad at Groce or any of the players (well DJ just a little tiny bit because his shot selection for the first 30 mins wasn't good and I expect more from him).

I'm furious at the officiating...both ways.  And I mean that with all sincerity.  I don't feel that the Bobcats were hosed or screwed because there are WAY TOO MANY FOULS CALLED IN EVERY GAME...for both teams.  I've come to believe that this is not due to lack of talent in the league but lack of knowledgable officials.

Jerry Sauder (or as I call him, Baldy) is absolutely that worst official in any sport, at any level, I have ever seen in my 27+ years of watching sports.  He should never, ever, ever be allowed near a MAC game ever again.  When I see him walk out on the floor for a game, I feel terrible for both teams and the fans.  Most of the MAC bball games, both OU games and non-OU games are painful and embarassing to watch because of the ungodly amount of fouls called in every single game.

I really think that this is why the MAC has lost (is losing) respect nationally because the play is so choppy and interrupted.  Basketball is somewhat a contact sport and the quality of product is deteriorating because of the whistles.  I recall a game between BG and Miami a few years ago in Cleveland where I nearly walked out because of the fouls that were called (there had to be 60-70 in that game) and last night was really close to that level.

The MAC needs to take a good, hard look at this because when I watch the Big 10, Big 12, ACC, Big East, etc. I do not notice the multitude of fouls being called.  It's pathetic for the MAC, it really is.

When parents are inconsistent . . . . . the children don't know what is allowed of them from one day to the next.

When refs are inconsistent  . . . . . the players don't know what's allowed from one end of the court to the other.

           

Agreed.  Heck, you could easily see this just turning the channel over to the games on ESPN during timeouts of our game.  Its bizarre.

Even for MAC standards, the refs were exceptionally poor last night.    How about the blocking call on Freeman, then the alley-oop to Zeigler.  Counted the basket, foul on Freeman, ball back to CMU.

STEAL by JACKSON, Derek                         15:24              TURNOVR by Cooper, D.J.
GOOD! DUNK by ZEIGLER, Trey [FB/PNT]            15:18  52-38  H 14
ASSIST by JACKSON, Derek                        15:18
                                                15:17              FOUL by Freeman, Tommy (P3T6)
TIMEOUT media                                   15:16
MISSED 3 PTR by THOMAS, Jalin                   15:13              REBOUND (DEF) by Freeman, Tommy
FOUL by ZEIGLER, Trey (P1T2)                    14:59

They really made the game unwatchable.  Between that and the lack of quality lighting at CMU made for a dark night of TV watching.

I'm really glad we turned around he FT shooting in the 2nd half...with CMU shooting < 50% in MAC games this year, I was starting to think maybe their rims weren't regulation size up there.

Dark night at CMU field house?  I thought the lighting in terms of watching it on TV was exceptionally good.  I even remarked to my wife that I thought the quality of video (not the choice of shots or angles) was the best I'd every seen for a MAC basketball game.  Very sharp HD picture with great illumnation.  Perhaps some feeds were better than others for some strange reason.  I was watching via TWC in Athens. 

I was irate at that particuar call, first, because it looked like a clear charge. Second, even if it was called a block, how in the world can the basket count AND they get the ball? If there was either a block or a charge (which clearly there was one or the other), how could it not happen before the basket? And if it was something else like a loose-ball foul (it wasn't), then why wouldn't the basket count and we get the ball? In what world do you get benefit of both the basket and possession of the ball?

There were a couple other really bad calls. There was the spin move they called a foul on DeVaughn on that Mix was even commenting on how it sure looked clear to him that it was a charge.

Cleary, MAC officiating is poor on a whole and this was a worst-case scenario. That being said, officiating is not why we lost, and aside from that, we do foul a lot. I'm not sure I agree with those who say MAC officials call too many fouls. In fact, I did a quick calculation. A MAC team averages shooting 20.24 FTs in a MAC game. In non-MAC games, it's 20.49. Some of those may have had MAC officials, but it seems that the number of FTs attempted in MAC play is pretty on par with out-of-conference.

MAC officlas are just inconsistent, like someone else mentioned.

Yes, that was VERY strange.  The only think I could figure out was that while the shot was being made some unknown Ohio player committed a foul against another CMU dude (not the guy shooting).  The announcers never said that that I heard, but that's the only semi-logical explanation I could come up with. 

Better than 50% chance Groce wanted Tommy to get the next shot coming out of the TO.  Whether that far out (and I didn't see how far it was because of the crappy camera angle selected by the director) I don't know. 

Same.  Unfortunately, I don't think so, because ESPN3.com didn't have the game.  It was a shot that Tommy makes at a pretty high percentage, I don't recall thinking it was a bad shot.

            Spoken like the true arm chair coach your NOT.  Ohio down 5, Groce calls timeout with 8:19 left and calls the play. It was a dribble drive play by DJ and kick out to Tommy for an open 3, If you watched the game you would see Tommy's feet are set on the line and not out in Grand Rapids,  Tommy had a great wide open look from the top of the key and just plain missed the shot. One he normally makes,  but it wasn't meant to be.



   After Tommy's miss at the 8:14 mark, Weary of CMU scores a 2 point bucket, Ohio down by 7,  60 to 53 with 7:58 left, DJ THEN misses a 2 point basket NOT A 3 with 7:49 to play, CMU rebounds then Thomas of CMU burys a 3 to put CMU up by 10, 63 to 53 with 7:33 left,  Down 10 DJ then misses a 3 point shot. DJ only took 3  3 point shots the whole game, so it wasn't like he was jackin up 3's from everywhere.  

    The fouls was 31 to 29 that doesn't mean squat,  Its the crucial times of the game when Ohio would get a ticky tack foul on them, Baltic played 10 minutes for the whole game and Nick had to sit out the final 6:39 of the 1st half due to foul trouble, All 5 starters had 4 fouls and Rico fouled out late in the game. The Refs dictated the game and we lost.  

    The 2 most questionable calls, the ally oop dunk play, basket and the ball back and yes CMU player was out of bounds and the refs missed the call.

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Dennis "Gman"   "DAGGER TIME" 

          

We can always blame the refs. BUT
Until we learn to play defense we will find it difficult to win on a regular basis.
We can always point to the box score as why we lost, rebounds, 3pt shooting, etc BUT
Until we learn to play defense we will find it difficult to win on a regular basis.
We are not a talented offensive team, we must relay on D to win games.



GO BOBCATS