BU 75, WSU 73 – Final. Difficult way to lose. The Shockers will look back at the first 10 minutes of the game. That’s when they lost it.
BU 75, WSU 73 (11.7) - There’s the danger in calling timeout. Great hustle by Maniscalco.
Bradley gave WSU a lot of time with that shot. Stutz checking in. I like Durley, if you can get him the ball. Need to get a shot or try to draw a foul.
BU 73, WSU 73 (44.1) – Checking if it’s a three. Clearly a three.
WSU 70, BU 70 (2:15) - Huge shot for a freshman on BU’s end. Simms-Edwards is 10 of 30 on the season from three and 5 of 18 in MVC games. Don’t think J.T. needed to dribble. He had Singh beat.
WSU 68, BU 67 (3:26) - I bet Gregg Marshall has one of his super-duper plays ready. He’s good in these situations.
65, WSU 63 (6:17) - The Shockers exerted a lot of energy to get it close, and they’re without Kyles and Blair. Four straight misses by Bradley. WSU is 11 of 19 this half. BU is 10 of 20. WSU is getting to the line – 8 free throws this half to BU’s 3.
BU 57, WSU 53 (11:38) - Nice work getting it to four points. The WSU zone is working. The Shockers are getting good shots. Now it’s a game. WSU is 7 of 11 this half, largely because it got some inside baskets. BU is 8 of 14, so the Shockers have work to do on defense.
BU 50, WSU 41 (15:35) - The second-half Durley seems consistently better than the first-half Durley. Why? These are the mysteries that boggle coaches. Maniscalco is confirming his place on my All-MVC ballot. He is having a very nice season. Shockers can’t let the Braves run out again. They’re in decent shape.
BU 39, WSU 27 – Halftime. That went halfway like WSU wanted. After a rotten 11 minutes or so, WSU is only down 12. That’s something. WSU is 10 of 26 from the field, 3 of 12 from three. BU is 11 of 19, 6 of 10. Sometimes that “first few minutes of the half is crucial” stuff is nonsense. Tonight, I think it’s important. If the Shockers can cut it to six or eight with 15 minutes to play, it’s a game. If it’s 16 or 18, it’s a different story. Stutz leads WSU with 10 points. He is playing well enough to start. I don’t know if the roster, without Blair, allows him to start.
BU 39, WSU 27 (43.9) - The Shockers would love to get a stop and go in down nine or 10. They’re back in striking range.
BU 36, WSU 21 (3:16) - WSU is finding things that work, especially for Stutz. Defensively, not so much. WSU had it within eight points at 27-19. Hannah is back in.
BU 25, WSU 12 (7:43) - Bradley is in the one-and-one. Hannah has two fouls, both of them committed while Maniscalco was taking a jumper. No need for either. Taylor Brown has two fouls for Bradley, which is helpful for the Shockers.
BU 25, WSU 6 (9:49) - Shockers are playing with no confidence, no fire. It’s not so much a lack of effort. It’s a lack of knowing where to direct the effort. They’re a step behind because they’re tentative.
After a game at Utah State, this seems like playing in an empty gym.
BU 17, WSU 6 (11:46) - WSU is 3 of 10 from the field. Bradley is 5 of 8. The Braves have scored eight points off three WSU turnovers.
BU 12, WSU 2 (15:45) - Shockers can’t or won’t get the ball inside. Too many jumpers. A team that couldn’t afford a bad start is off to a rotten one.
Wichita State’s Gabe Blair didn’t go through shoot-around. I don’t expect him to play tonight. He and David Kyles are in sweat clothes as the other Shockers in uniform filter out to start warmups.
Bradley’s Taylor Brown, suspended last game for inappropriate Twittering, is warming up. Expect him to play.
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