A day after the Notre Dame women’s basketball season ended with a whimper against football rival Boston College in the NCAA Tournament, the Notre Dame men are taking on another football rival, Michigan, in the NIT — and so far, things are going considerably better for Chris Quinn’s squad than they did for Megan Duffy’s (albeit on a much smaller, less important stage). The Irish lead, 56-48, on Michigan’s home floor with 10:40 to go. The winner gets either Miami or Creighton in the quarterfinals Wednesday. (If Notre Dame wins, it’ll be a road game for the Irish — either in Florida or Nebraska.)
UPDATE: In case anyone doubted that Mike Brey still desperately needs to be fired… with a 4-point lead, about 4:30 to go, and 10 on the shot clock, Brey called timeout to draw up a play. But when play resumed after the timeout, Chris Quinn clearly had no idea that the shot clock was running low. As a result, he ended up dribbling the possession away on the perimeter, then realizing his error at the last moment and putting up a 35-foot heave with 1 second on the shot clock. This is off a timeout. As John L. Smith might say, “That’s a dang coaching mistake!”
UPDATE 2: This is really lame. Neither team deserves to win this game. They’re both playing like crapola. I guess that’s why they’re in the NIT…
UPDATE 3: And then Notre Dame called another timeout, yet still managed to turn the ball over immediately afterward… and then just now, with 2:27 to go in a one-point game on the road, they just called their last timeout… apparently Brey didn’t mention to his players that they might want to save that one. Brilliant!
UPDATE 4: Well, now both teams have magically learned to shoot again, so it’s getting a bit more exciting… Irish by 3 with 55.8 seconds to go. Hmm, what are the Vegas odds on them blowing it and losing on a buzzer-beater?
UPDATE 5: Notre Dame turns it over as Michigan forces a jump ball. Why? Because they were out of timeouts, so Quinn, standing in front of his bench and trapped by two Michigan players, was helpless to save the possession. Way to waste those timeouts, Brey! Now Michigan, down by 1, has the ball, and the opportunity to end Notre Dame’s season in fittingly heartbreaking fashion.
UPDATE 6: Wow! Michigan hits a 3 to take a two-point lead, but then — a change in the script!! — Quinn hits a layup with 5 seconds left to tie it, Michigan misses the buzzer-beater, and we’re going to overtime! A fantastic, NCAA Tournament-like ending to regulation. Now what? Go Irish!
UPDATE 7: Double overtime!
UPDATE 8: Okay, so it was only a slight change in the script. Notre Dame loses on a ridiculous buzzer-beating three-pointer in double-overtime.
All credit to Michigan for winning it in OT. What a shot!! But if our coach wasn’t so freakin’ incompetent, the game would never have been in overtime in the first place, for the reasons discussed above. But then, that’s the story of our season. A highly appropriate ending.
FIRE MIKE BREY.
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Categories: NCAA Basketball & Pools
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March 20th, 2006 at 8:55:21 pm
How HARD is it to inbound the ball!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 20th, 2006 at 9:09:56 pm
“The the the coaches are blowing it. Thats a dang coaching mistake.”
-Brilliant
March 20th, 2006 at 9:38:30 pm
What a shot to win the game…wow.
March 20th, 2006 at 9:40:51 pm
That was ridiculous. Michigan didn’t catch up until what, 30 seconds left in regulation?
On to baseball….come on Japan! Beat the communists!
March 20th, 2006 at 9:46:49 pm
If Creighton and Missouri State can hold on, I should jump in the lead for the NIT.
March 20th, 2006 at 9:52:27 pm
…and Creighton just lost by 1, mathematically eliminating me from winning the NIT Pool.
Waiting on the Missouri State result before posting an update.
March 20th, 2006 at 9:52:32 pm
Damn you Creighton, you can go straight to hell.
March 20th, 2006 at 9:53:11 pm
Missouri Valley sucks. :)
March 20th, 2006 at 9:54:15 pm
No kidding!
March 20th, 2006 at 9:55:42 pm
Houston 59, Missouri State 57, 9.8 seconds left, Missouri State ball.
I didn’t pick them, but… C’MON BEARS!!!
March 20th, 2006 at 9:56:25 pm
Game-tying layup, AND ONE! 2.3 seconds left!
March 20th, 2006 at 9:57:56 pm
Dumb. What’s up with these NIT teams fouling opposing teams to give them a chance to tie/win the game? First Creighton gives Miami a chance to win on free throws (and they do), and now Houston says, “Hey Missouri State, we like you. Here’s a free shot, on me!”
March 20th, 2006 at 9:59:42 pm
Oh well, at least I overtake Josh for sole possession of 2nd place behind the Gary the vacuum cleaner.
March 20th, 2006 at 9:59:53 pm
Missouri State takes the lead on the free throw!!
March 20th, 2006 at 10:00:25 pm
WOOHOO Missouri State wins!
March 21st, 2006 at 1:56:24 am
RE: update 3.
Brey called the timeout, not one of the players. I figured one of the players did in the game based on the reaction of the announcers, but with your handy video, you can clearly see Brey dash down the sideline toward the official - who then whistles the timeout.
So it wasn’t Brey not telling the players not to waste the timeout, it was Brey calling the timeout himself. On the other hand, what’s the other option - turn the ball over because Francis got trapped in the corner without his dribble?
March 21st, 2006 at 11:16:43 am
Good point, squid.
As for “what’s the other option” — honestly, I’d rather lose a possession with 2:30 left than use your final timeout in a game that’s obviously going down to the wire. Maybe I’m in the minority there, but that’s my opinion on it (and I would have said that at the time, too, not only after-the-fact once they’ve lost, as my contemporaneous updates indicate).