The last Sun Belt team dancing gets their shot at Ohio State here in just a little bit.

Ohio State is a 3 seed ranking #16 in NET, #19 in RPI, and #30 in SOS. 6-4 in their last ten games and 11-4 at home. They lost their last game of the regular season, then won two in the Big Ten tournament before falling 105-72 to Iowa in the championship game so no win streak to speak of here. Top scorer is senior guard Taylor Mikesell at 17.3 PPG, but they have six players averaging double figures. Taylor Mikesell was first team all-conference in the B1G while Cotie McMahon and Taylor Thierry made second team. Thierry also made the all-defensive team while Cotie McMahon won freshman of the year and of course made the all-freshman team.

The greatest ever, AKA the JMU Dukes come in as a 14 seed ranking #101 in NET, #67 in RPI, and #152 in SOS. 8-2 in our last ten games while going 11-3 on the road for the year. Currently riding a three game win streak after losing the last game of the regular season. Also winning eight of the last nine, capped off with an 81-51 championship game win over TXST where Peyton McDaniel and Kiki Jefferson combined for 52 points. Kiki is the leading scorer at 18.3 PPG with McDaniel also averaging double figures at 11.6 and Ksyusha Kozlova averaging 10.7. Kiki is the Sun Belt player of the year while McDaniel is the sixth woman of the year.

The Dukes look to make history as the first 14 seed to ever pull off the upset over a 3 seed. Go DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUKES!!!!!!!!!!!!

Off to a strong start. [/align]

Better get a TO, Buckeyes! 20-11 Dukes late in the first quarter!!!

A 14 seed has never won a game?

There is so little parity in the women’s game.

26-14 Dukes after the first quarter.

34-19 Dukes late in the second. Refs calling it very tight but consistent and the Buckeyes are crying and crying lol

(03-18-2023 12:57 PM)Saint3333 Wrote:  A 14 seed has never won a game?

There is so little parity in the women’s game.

In the Women's game a 9 over an 8 is considered an upset. 12/5 is a major upset. Since the top 4 seeds host the first 2 rounds, any situation that involves a top 4 seed losing early is nearly unheard of.

As soon as I turned it on JMU stopped scoring lol

Big second quarter for the Buckeyes. Dukes had a 16 point lead, but it's 37-34 JMU at the half. We really need Kozlova back in there, has been sitting with two fouls for a long time.

Ohio State's run continues. 52-44 Buckeyes now. Kozlova up to four fouls, that's a huge blow. We've had a lot more trouble with their pressure than we did early on.

2 totally different definitions of fouls in this one

54-50 Buckeyes heading to the 4th quarter.

Final score Ohio State 80, JMU 66. Dominant first 15 minutes before going cold and starting to struggle with their press.

(03-18-2023 02:14 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  2 totally different definitions of fouls in this one

Will always wonder what would have happened had we been allowed to actually play. Not saying we were the better team, just saying that the refs decided not to allow us to compete.

Congrats to OSU. Lady Dukes got flustered and wilted under ODU’s press. Of course, if pushing and hacking at the ball are allowed a player is going to turn it over.

An entertaining game, but marred by the physicality and number of fouls.

(03-18-2023 03:02 PM)purplesanman Wrote:  

(03-18-2023 02:14 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  2 totally different definitions of fouls in this one

Will always wonder what would have happened had we been allowed to actually play. Not saying we were the better team, just saying that the refs decided not to allow us to compete.

Saw Mettlen pointed out that during the big Ohio State comeback 10 of the 13 fouls called were on JMU. Lots of other factors that could've made the difference of course, but that's just a little tough to swallow when OSU was the team playing really high pressure and initiating a lot of contact.

That's one thing about a game that's called really tight(52 fouls called I believe) though, both teams will end up frustrated with which way a lot of them go. The Buckeyes were definitely unhappy with a lot of calls as well. Also not uncommon to see stretches where they loosen up in the games that are mostly tight and that inconsistency is really frustrating.

It is what it is. We started making mistakes against the press too, and Peyton wasn't on today. We had a stretch with way too much standing around on offense while one player drives, and I especially hated the lack of urgency as time wound down in the fourth quarter. Once we cranked up the pressure and urgency it went pretty well, but we didn't do it until like a minute left. Should have come three or four minutes earlier.

(03-18-2023 03:41 PM)KickItToScotty Wrote:  

(03-18-2023 03:02 PM)purplesanman Wrote:  

(03-18-2023 02:14 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  2 totally different definitions of fouls in this one

Will always wonder what would have happened had we been allowed to actually play. Not saying we were the better team, just saying that the refs decided not to allow us to compete.

Saw Mettlen pointed out that during the big Ohio State comeback 10 of the 13 fouls called were on JMU. Lots of other factors that could've made the difference of course, but that's just a little tough to swallow when OSU was the team playing really high pressure and initiating a lot of contact.

That's one thing about a game that's called really tight(52 fouls called I believe) though, both teams will end up frustrated with which way a lot of them go. The Buckeyes were definitely unhappy with a lot of calls as well. Also not uncommon to see stretches where they loosen up in the games that are mostly tight and that inconsistency is really frustrating.

It is what it is. We started making mistakes against the press too, and Peyton wasn't on today. We had a stretch with way too much standing around on offense while one player drives, and I especially hated the lack of urgency as time wound down in the fourth quarter. Once we cranked up the pressure and urgency it went pretty well, but we didn't do it until like a minute left. Should have come three or four minutes earlier.

Glad to see Mettlin confirmed it. I made a similar comment on our board, though i wasn't sure of the exact number.

You are right we didn't handle adversity as well as we should have, but i do think the refs took us out of the game in the second quarter,

(03-18-2023 04:26 PM)purplesanman Wrote:  

(03-18-2023 03:41 PM)KickItToScotty Wrote:  

(03-18-2023 03:02 PM)purplesanman Wrote:  

(03-18-2023 02:14 PM)Thegoldstandard Wrote:  2 totally different definitions of fouls in this one

Will always wonder what would have happened had we been allowed to actually play. Not saying we were the better team, just saying that the refs decided not to allow us to compete.

Saw Mettlen pointed out that during the big Ohio State comeback 10 of the 13 fouls called were on JMU. Lots of other factors that could've made the difference of course, but that's just a little tough to swallow when OSU was the team playing really high pressure and initiating a lot of contact.

That's one thing about a game that's called really tight(52 fouls called I believe) though, both teams will end up frustrated with which way a lot of them go. The Buckeyes were definitely unhappy with a lot of calls as well. Also not uncommon to see stretches where they loosen up in the games that are mostly tight and that inconsistency is really frustrating.

It is what it is. We started making mistakes against the press too, and Peyton wasn't on today. We had a stretch with way too much standing around on offense while one player drives, and I especially hated the lack of urgency as time wound down in the fourth quarter. Once we cranked up the pressure and urgency it went pretty well, but we didn't do it until like a minute left. Should have come three or four minutes earlier.

Glad to see Mettlin confirmed it. I made a similar comment on our board, though i wasn't sure of the exact number.

You are right we didn't handle adversity as well as we should have, but i do think the refs took us out of the game in the second quarter,

two times when it was evident. When ostate started the run before half, they got away with a mugging on a trap at midcourt.
Second was on the double foul call. No way that should have been called. It should have been on the osu player at worst a intentional . You were coming back and she was plain holding your player

It was great to rep the SBC. We gave you one quarter! Until next year. I hope the Robert Cats reload and we can run it back.

Something that really stood out to me looking back at the stats: We were 3-16 on threes today. Two of those three were our first two three point shots of the game, the third came from Peyton McDaniel to make it 18-11 in the first quarter. Pretty crazy and super unfortunate to go that cold from outside from that point on, started out 3-4 and then went 0-12 including Kiki 0-3 and McDaniel 0-4.