The Town Crier

[PointGuard]

Game #20: Oregon State Beavers (8-9, 3-5) @ Colorado Buffaloes (13-6, ad 5-3)

We started well, gaining 7-0 and 15-2 leads. Our dominance continued and by the end of the half we were on top 41-19 as we held the Beavers’ shooting to just 23%. SG Camah Griffin led our scoring with 10 points.

While our energy level seemed low, we maintained a healthy lead he entire 2nd half and finished the game with a 79-54 victory for our 4th straight win.

Our top scorers were PG Matt Conley with 13 points, SG Camah Griffin who scored 12, and PF Charles Maors and C Ike Minahan who both hit for 11 points with Minahan also recording 9 rebounds.

What happened to other Pac-12 teams:

Washington State-79, #22 Arizona-60 (The Wildcats hit just 29% of their shots)
#4 UCLA-94, Arizona State-91 (OT) (This game was tight the entire way)
#19 California-70, #21 Oregon-57
Stanford-80, USC-60
#13 Washington-70, Utah-62

The Pac-12 continues to be the “black and blue” conference as all teams get beaten up and bruised week after week. We’re now one of five teams tied for the conference lead with 6-3 records.

[PointGuard]

Game #21: Colorado Buffaloes (14-6, 6-3) @ Stanford Cardinal (11-7, 3-6)

Even though we’re riding a 4-game win streak, we now have back-to-back road games against Stanford and then #13 ranked Washington. We’re going to have to play our best to continue winning. Stanford’s Pac-12 record (3-6) is deceiving since only 3 of their 9 conference games have been home games. Their last home game was a thrilling 69-67 victory over highly ranked UCLA. Their PG Dustin Gervin is a talented court-general and their freshman C Roger Younger is the team’s leading scorer (14.2 ppg) and rebounder (12.4 rpg). For us, reserve C/PF Derricus Ivener has a sore back and will miss the game.

We jumped out to an 8-0 lead after the first 2-1/2 minutes of play. But then C Ike Minahan went up for a rebound and came down with severe back spasms that sent him to the locker room. But we held onto a small lead throughout the half until the final minute when Stanford took a 37-35 lead. We pulled within a point and then Camah Griffin sank a long 3 as the buzzer was about to sound to put us back on top 39-37 at the break. Griffin scored 11 points to lead our scoring.

The two teams traded baskets for the first 3 minutes of the 2nd half, but then our shots wouldn’t fall and Stanford pulled away to take a 53-44 lead with 14-1/2 minutes to go. We began hitting our shots but the Cardinal were hitting theirs as well. But we went on a run that gave us a 71-70 lead with 6-1/2 minutes remaining. Stanford connected on a series of 3’s that gave them a 82-73 lead with 4 minutes left. Stanford got the job done and we didn’t resulting in an 87-80 loss for us. We were outshot 55% to 43% and outrebounded 36-25. Our 19-9 turnover advantage wasn’t able to overcome those differences. The injuries to Ike Minahan and Derricus Ivener left us weak inside.

SG Camah Griffin finished with 17 points, PF/SF Kenton Dunn had 12 points, SG Matt Conley scored 11, and SF Rick Coffey added 10. PG Dustin Gervin dropped in 23 points and dished out 10 assists for Stanford.

Scores in other Pac-12 games:

#4 UCLA-80, #22 Arizona-70
#21 Oregon-63, Arizona State-60
#19 California-93, Oregon State-78
USC-70, #13 Washington-63
Utah-86, Washington State-68

We’re now in a 3-way tie for 3rd place in the conference.

[PointGuard]

The Good News, Bad News Buffaloes:

We got the good news that C Ike Minahan has been named a quarterfinalist for the Norton Award. Unfortunately his back spasms look like they will keep him out of our next game against Washington but he has become the cornerstone of our team, leading it in scoring and rebounding.

Then at the end of the week we received the bad news that recruit PG Devin Whitmore’s SAT score did not meet our minimum acceptable score. Devin is the 25th highest ranked recruit, so losing him hurts. Several other highly rated recruits on our list (including a highly prized international PF) also didn’t get qualifying SAT scores. While this was not unexpected, we had hoped they would do better.

So, we now have 2 scholarships still to fill this season. The 3 recruits we’ve signed thus far who had satisfactory SAT scores include a PG, SG and PF. Therefore I’d like to land one more big man and then the best available recruit for the last of our five available scholarships.

[Wayne23]

The last thing I want is more injuries but it is unrealistic that injuries happen ONLY within games. Maybe you can add to your list for Gary for 2020, again, without increasing total injuries, that injuries happen in practice and away from the basketball scene- dorm pranks, car accidents, maybe even a VERY rare death.

[PointGuard]

The last thing I want is more injuries but it is unrealistic that injuries happen ONLY within games. Maybe you can add to your list for Gary for 2020, again, without increasing total injuries, that injuries happen in practice and away from the basketball scene- dorm pranks, car accidents, maybe even a VERY rare death.

I agree COMPLETELY and will add it to the list.

[PointGuard]

Game #22: Colorado Buffaloes (14-7, 6-4) @ #17 Washington Huskies (15-6, 6-4)

Washington doesn’t have one player who stands out, but does have a bunch of very good players who work together well and play strong defensively. Playing them in Edmundson Pavilion will be a big challenge for our team.

C Ike Minahan is still experiencing back pain and while he could play, I’m resigned to keeping him on the bench. We’ll also be without the services of C/PF Derricus Ivener again. So we need some of our other interior players to step up to fill in for us.

The Huskies scored the first 10 points of the game and we didn’t get on the board until sinking a foul shot with 16:47 remaining in the first half. It took us 6-1/2 minutes before we sank a field goal. We finally began to score, but our defense was porous so that at the end of the half we were still far behind, 40-31. SF Rick Coffey’s 16 points accounted for over half of our scoring. All 11 players that the Huskies suited up scored.

In the 2nd half each time we cut into the Huskies’ lead, we let them re-establish their double-digit lead. Then in the final 5 minutes of the game, we failed to stop their scoring and ended up losing by a lop-sided 80-63 score. We let Washington hit 48% of their shots while we could only manage 40% and grab 39 rebounds compared to our 32.

Our only offensive threats were SF Rick Coffey with 21 points and PF/SF Kenton Dunn with 19. Washington’s C Shamel Pringle had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Other Pac-12 scores:

#24 Oregon-77, #22 Arizona-67
Arizona State-89, Oregon State-63
#19 California-84, Stanford-80
USC-76, Washington State-67
#4 UCLA-83, Utah-76

Our back-to-back road losses have dropped us into a 4-way tie for 4th place in the Pac-12 race.

[PointGuard]

Game #23: Washington State Cougars (10-11, 4-7) @ Colorado Buffaloes (14-8, 6-5)

Fortunately C Ike Minahan is healthy again. Only Derricus Ivener remains on the injured list.

SF Rick Coffey and PF Kenton Dunn scored our first 14 points. Washington State never had a lead and we steadily expanded our advantage, finishing the half onto to by a 45-26 score. We only allowed the Cougars to hit 32% of their shots and forced them to turn the ball over 14 times. SF Rick Coffey dropped in 13 points for us. C Ike Minahan took a hard fall late in the half and injured his elbow.

We never let the Cougars threaten in the 2nd half and went on to win easily 74-57. The biggest difference in the game was our 22-7 turnover advantage.
SF Rick Coffey and PF/SF Kenton Dunn again led our scoring with 15 points apiece.

Following the game, xrays showed that C Ike Minahan has a broken elbow and will miss the remainder of the season. The loss of our leading scorer and rebounder and a Norton Award quarterfinalist is a big blow to us.

Results of other games in our conference:

#22 Arizona-70, Oregon State-60
Stanford-91, Arizona State-70
#19 California-57, #17 Washington-55
#4 UCLA-75, USC-53
Utah-97, #24 Oregon-81

We moved up into a 3-way tie for 3rd in the Pac-12 and are 2 games behind league leaders UCLA and California.

[PointGuard]

Game #24: #17 California Golden Bears (18-5, 9-3) @ Colorado Buffaloes (15-8, 7-5)

A little over a month ago we edged the Golden Bears 71-70 in Berkeley. They’re going to be trying to get some payback so we need to be at the top of our game to go against one of the co-leaders in the Pac-12. They won their last 5 games including victories over ranked UCLA, Oregon and Washington…the latter 2 being road games for the Bears. SG Derek Jackson, who has a league-leading 24.2 ppg scoring average broke his leg, but California has won all 4 games he has missed thus far.

Primoz Pohek will start at C to replace our injured star, Ike Minahan.

3 quick turnovers by California led to our scoring the first 7 points in less that 2 minutes of play. The Golden Bears then scored the next 10 points and the game was on! The lead shifted back and forth until SG Steve Jackson came into the game and hit three long range 3’s that, along with us finally being able to defend well, helped us to move ahead 34-25 with 4 minutes left in the half. When the half ended we were ahead 43-32. We hit 57% of our FG attempts including 64% of our 3’s. Steve Jackson hit 4 of 5 from beyond the arc to lead our scoring with 12 points.

We continued to hold a double-digit lead throughout the 2nd half and came away with a commanding 74-59 victory. We outshot the Golden Bears 47% to 38% and held an 18-9 turnover advantage.

SG Steve Jackson chipped in 21 points while SF/PF Kenton Dunn scored 12 and hauled down 9 boards.

In other Pac-12 games:

Arizona-92, Utah-75
Arizona State-57, USC-45
#4 UCLA-89, Washington State-71
Oregon-90, #20 Washington-78
Stanford-69, Oregon State -54

We now are in a 2-way tie with Arizona for 3rd place, a game behind California and 2 games behind league-leading UCLA.

[PointGuard]

Game #25: Colorado Buffaloes (16-8, 8-5) @ USC Trojans (12-11, 6-7)

We topped USC 76-59 when we played them in Boulder, but we had Ike Minahan starting at C then.

PF Charles Maors back pain returned a few days ago, but he thought he could play so we started him. He lasted less than 3 minutes, further aggravating our interior depth. The game was close until late in the half when we pulled away to finish with a 41-32 halftime advantage. The primary difference in the first half was that we forced the Trojans to make 12 turnovers while making just 4 ourselves. C Primoz Pohek scored 8 points to top our scoring.

USC fought hard to narrow the gap in the 2nd half and with 7-1/2 minutes remaining in the game they were within 5 points. We quickly regained a 10 point lead and then pulled away to score a 76-61 win. Turnovers were the difference in this game with USC making 26 while we had just 9.

PG Matt Conley scored 13, SF Rick Coffey and SG Steve Jackson both tossed in 11 points, and C Primoz Pohek hit for 10. Coffey also had 5 steals.

Scores from other Pac-12 games:

Arizona-61, #17 California-56
Utah-77, Arizona State-65
Stanford-69, #20 Washington-59
#4 UCLA-84, Oregon State-75
Washington State-89, Oregon-76

California’s loss put us in a 3-way tie with them and Arizona for 2nd place in the Pac-12 with UCLA on top and 2 games ahead. While we are not ranked in the top 25 in the polls, our RPI is now 19th best in the nation.

[PointGuard]

Game #26: Arizona State Sun Devils (11-12, 4-10) @ Colorado Buffaloes (17-8, 9-5)

When playing at Arizona State earlier this season, we lost in overtime 84-77. C Jeremy Totten is averaging 15.9 ppg and SG Travis Hawkins has scored 14.2 ppg.

[font=][/font]I’m confused when Corey Carter, Arizona State’s head coach, starts who I’d consider their 3rd string center, Brandon Polite (2.8 ppg), rather than two big men who have been averaging in double figures, Jeremy Totten (15.9 ppg) and Marquise Jones (11.4 ppg).

Well, his decision seems to pay off when the Sun Devils take 6-0, 11-5, and 16-10 leads…and Polite scores 7 points and pulls down 4 rebounds in the first 9 minutes of the game. With 6:50 left in the first half we finally wrest our first lead of the game at 22-21 when SG Steve Jackson drilled home a 3 pointer. We then went on to open a 7 point lead, but let Arizona State cut out halftime lead to 32-29. Both teams hit just 32% of their shots. PF Charles Maors scored 8 and grabbed 7 boards. Arizona State’s C Brandon Polite hit for 9 points plus had 5 rebounds. So much for my confusion.

We played horribly the first 7 minutes of the 2nd half allowing Arizona State to take a 37-36 lead. We then scored the next 7 points. Even though the refs were calling all the fouls against us, our defense throttled the Sun Devils so that with 5-1/2 minutes to play we had moved out to a comfortable 58-41 advantage. As we kept Arizona State off-balance, we expanded out lead to 64-42 with 3 minutes left. We then cruised to a 70-54 win that extended our win streak to 4 games. We hit just 38% of our shots but held the Sun Devils’ shooting to 30%. Again we held a dramatic turnover advantage…this time 18-7.

SF Rick Coffey had a big 2nd half and tallied 19 points. SF/PF Kenton Dunn dropped in 11 points plus grabbed 8 rebounds. PF Charles Maors had 8 points, 10 rebounds, a steal and 3 blocks.

Other Pac-12 scores:

#19 California-62, Utah-58
#24 Arizona-77, USC-60
Stanford-74, Oregon-67
Oregon State-93, Washington State-81
#2 UCLA-72, #22 Washington-47

With the top 5 teams winning, there was no change atop the Pac-12 standings.