Genuinely one of the worst charge calls I've ever seen right there. I guess good job by Sheffield for baiting the ref into the call. But Sheffield was nowhere even close to set. Should never reward a defender for falling down in transition.

Anyway, signs of life. 50-39 Tech.

If we’re combining threads again tonight… 4-0 start for our ladies after 4:00 also projects to 40s for Rice … but in this case a 40-0 win!!

Couple possessions later and Tech women get their first lead 5-4 at the media timeout

This is how you respond to criticism. Fiedler heard us calling him soft in the first half and now has 21 and 8. Tech lead down to 6.

And an Akuchie putback slam forces a Tech timeout. Seems like we decided to lull Tech into a false sense of security by staking them to a 20+ point first half lead. Age old strategy.

(02-02-2023 08:14 PM)elw4796 Wrote:  Age old strategy.

It's a bold strategy ...

Rice...leads...

Rice...no longer leads (and is now down by 5 again)...

(02-02-2023 08:18 PM)elw4796 Wrote:  Rice...leads...

35-16 Rice Run spanning end of 1H and start of 2H though!

That's a pretty darn good response by Tech to losing the lead, by the way. Blow a massive lead and then immediately respond by going on a run.

Rice has cut it back down to a 1-point deficit. 64-63 Tech with 6:50 left. Things look much cleaner on the offensive end.

That's the good stuff from the refs. They make up for that atrocious charge drawn by Sheffield a few minutes ago with a block call on Sheffield that's probably a charge 90% of the time and was so much more of a charge than the actual charge.

66-64 Rice with 5:30 left.

That's a gorgeous BLOB play that Evee needs to pay off. Rhoades was elite drawing up SLOBs and BLOBs. Pera isn't too shabby either.

68-68 at the U4.

Back even at 68-68, but do the Owls have enough left in the tank to close this one out on the road. Digging out of that humongous hole consumed a lot of physical and mental effort. RFND!

I love Sheffield. Truly he's been awesome this year. That was one of the funniest/worst offensive possessions from a single player I've seen this year. Passed up a wide open layup. Okay. Got another look after a couple of pump fakes. Then blows the actual layup. But we get the rebound. Then makes a good cut, is found by Fiedler, and fumbles the ball away. We still somehow have the ball, though. He and Fiedler play hot potato in the paint. Sheffield has an open look under the basket! He turns it down and pump fakes, gets clobbered, and makes two FTs.

Great hustle by Fiedler and then Evee to buy Rice another possession. 72-70 Tech with 1:17 left.

Mason makes two FTs and we're tied again.

72-74 @ 0:37 Rice ball after TO.

Way too easy a basket under a minute. Fiedler caught in no man's land. Wanted to help on Sheffield's guy, but was slow. Pass was made right when he made the decision. 74-72 Tech with 37 seconds left. Rice ball.

Mason with the turnover and Evee fouls.

And after a missed FT, another Mason turnover. That's the ball game. What a way to lose.

That's about as brutal a possession as you can have given the time and score. Not only do we not get a 2-for-1 opportunity, we don't even get up a shot.

Then Mason called for a charge with 10 seconds left. It's a terrible call. The Tech defender was clearly still moving and it was a pretty blatant flop. But I'd bet 50+% of refs make that same call. Gives them a chance to be center of attention and there's enough contact from Mason's arm that it looks legitimate.

Tech ball up 2 with 10 seconds left.