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Followed by a celebratory shower.

What stood out last night was the number of times including as the clock wound down late in the game where we had some momentum, a chance to take the lead and maintain that momentum Jayvon tried to take charge and missed shots some of which I thought were ill advised like a quick 3 from the top of the key.

League games are tough battles. Especially against Kent, who usually has a physical team. The Bulls were awfully sloppy in the first half, but cleaned things up and stepped back into the game in the second half. A nice little run with 5 and a half to go gave them a chance, but just like in the game here vs Northern, the last shot was rushed and didn't drop. The work rate was there tonight, but Kent was a team that was able to score a lot of points in the paint. And it seemed like they shot well from outside - including those two annoying three's down the stretch that they banked in. Ugh. I think Whitesell just rolled with the guys at the end who make that little run to get them back into it, I thought the same thing - when do they put Williams, Johnson, and Mballa back in. Sometimes I guess it's rolling and you don't mess with it. While the Bulls didn't have many free throw attempts, poor shooting came back to bite them tonight (as it inevitably would at some point). Jordan - a couple turnovers first half, but he had some great drives to the hoop down the stretch, and oh that tying three at the end. Segu - he competes well at both ends, and doesn't go overboard with the razzle-dazzle, just enough to beat his man and make something happen. He has that fadeaway jumper down right now, it feels automatic when he releases it. Mballa - he had some good competition in those Kent guys underneath tonight. He had a bit of a sloppy night for him, a couple rushed turnovers in transition, and he's got a lot to sharpen up on defensively. Wily veteran inside players aren't afraid to post up and drive around him, but I think he'll improve as he gains experience. Hardnett - as others have said, another solid game at both ends. He's playing tougher, he's getting a better touch around the net, and like Johnson, picking his shots better Grant - you go, Gabe Grant, picked up a charge and hit his one three of the day, and gave us some good minutes down the stretch Williams - one of the guys in our group said that he's kind of a second half player, he gets better as the games go on. Getting so much smoother and more confident going to the net. Brock - yoinked an inbound pass out of the air in the first half. I wish he could give us some more tough minutes in a game like this. Kent - well, Senderoff is still there. Pippen doesn't miss his free throws. They slowed down too early with an 8 point lead and 5:30 to go, UB defense forced 2 shot clock violations and changed the momentum. Those two banked three's saved them there. They're a tough team and were desperate after 3 straight losses. They looked prepared for what UB would do, they were in the right spots to pick off passes several times. Crowd - there is life! People found their voices, thanks to some students showing up in the end zone, and the place came alive down the stretch to really help the team. More of that please. And the band should be back next Friday, can't wait. Glass half empty - they're just not quite sharp enough every time to beat some tough, good teams Glass half full - they have a lot of potential going forward, they work hard, and a lot of what they're doing wrong can be improved. Overall - man, when the run gets going and the team gets back into it, and the crowd is cheering, and it's Friday night, even with a loss, it's fun, I'm buzzing, can't wait for the next game.

I rushed home after the game to watch the replay of the foul with 23 seconds left in a tie game. It looked weak live and couldn't really see anything on the tv. I love that one of the biggest moments of the game, they tv network fails to show a single replay of the call. The refs stayed out of the game the entire game, then with 23 seconds left, they decide to make a crucial call that was unneeded. Regardless, UB needs to make free throws to win games like these. Kent games are always a knock down, drag out fight and tonight's game was no different. 8-8 for Kent vs 4-9 for UB just isn't going to cut it. Segu with a lane violation was not a bright spot in the game. Interesting lineups played tonight, some with success while others were quite ugly. UB had it's shot, just couldn't get over the hump. 26 points in the first half, 4-9 FTs and 18 turnovers overall isn't a recipe for wins in MAC play. Pretty solid crowd tonight. I was pleasantly surprised. They brought some good energy in the 2nd half as well. Next Friday should be full or else it's a real shame (although I'd wager that Tuesday's result might play into the number of attendees). Tuesday's game is big. Going 0-2 vs. Kent and Akron wouldn't bode well heading into the BG game next Friday at home. One game at a time, fingers crossed for a road win at Akron.

I agree with this specifically re: today's game. Too many times this year we've seen lapses early in the game or in the last 4-5 minutes of the first half. I'll admit that some of my post is wishful thinking on my end as I ready myself for what may end up an 8-10 win MAC season. It's a far cry from where this team has been, especially in what most would consider a down year for the MAC compared to the last few, save for Akron. But I would be much more worried if I didn't see Williams/Segu/Mballa/Hardnett clearly showing growth, which they all are.

I don't think either of these teams will be pleased with their performances today. Neither shot the ball well and both turned it over 18 times. Hate to say it, but UB is probably gonna get murdered by Akron next week, and after having watched Akron a little bit, I don't see any way this team can get past them this season. Tonight, the Bulls looked squarely like a middle-of-the-road MAC team. That's not the end of the world, considering the youth, but it's a realistic outlook. Before the year, my opinion is that a top-4 seed and a bye to Cleveland would be a successful season; at this point, my expectations are a home first-round tournament game. In terms of bright spots tonight, I thought Hardnett looked fantastic, Segu had a quality performance, and Jordan played his ass off. Hardnett has had back-to-back strong performances and deserved all of his minutes tonight and perhaps more. This is a "growing pains" year. I like that I continue to see the 3 sophomores and Hardnett making strides. These losses will pay off in the next year or two, I think.

Crazy how in a game with so few free throws, it still managed to cost us. Couldn't finish a 3 point play to save our lives tonight. And you can even add an extra "miss" in there for the lane violation on Segu's at the end of the 1st half.

Free throws are going to lose us the game.