First of all, congrats to Binghamton.....this was their NCAA Championship game. After a dismal season, they came to our house, crushed us for 34+ minutes, and then hung on for this win. The Triple S's (Sessoms, Stewart, and Show) were magnificent, and they deserved the win, based on how well they played for most of the game.
That said, pretty devastating loss tonight, that's for sure. To have 9 wins all season, come into our house with a good crowd, and beat us, is quite remarkable to say the least. We just didn't play with any sense of urgency in the first half, as their zone totally stifled us. Sessoms seemed to carve us up like paper mache the whole night. Our leader, Akwasi, didn't have it tonight, and if he decides not to return for next season, certainly it ended on a poor note for him.
I really felt we lost the game by halftime; just felt it was too much to overcome. I also thought the refs were pathetic tonight - ticky tack fouls, indecisive calls all night, and I was particularly upset that they reviewed the Cornish foul at the end of the game. I've never seen a foul call reviewed, unless reviewing whether the defender was in the circle under the basket is considered a reviewable play. I totally lost my voice for yelling at the refs the entire night. That said, the calls/no calls were not what lost the game for us.
Under normal circumstances I'd say that 24-8, which some big OOC wins this year coupled with a #2 seed would be an extremely successful and unexpected season, but losing in the quarterfinals at home, really puts a damper on things. Coach Boals had a great year overall, but he and the guys just didn't rise to the occasion in game that has to be considered must-win.
On to baseball and the Yankees for me. Thanks to Checkmate for all his valuable write-ups and insight throughout the year - I really enjoy being part of this board, and conversing with you fellow ballers.