TCU beats NT

CMJ · December 5, 2004

We played really well in the first half. The Frogs stepped up in the second. Free Throw shooting absolutely killed us. You can't win if you don't even make 50% from the line.

KingDL1 · December 5, 2004

We played really well in the first half. The Frogs stepped up in the second. Free Throw shooting absolutely killed us. You can't win if you don't even make 50% from the line.

Yup.

I, I should say everyone really wanted a win in this one.

December 5, 2004

Free throws lost the game. It is as simple as that.

eeally · December 5, 2004

Great effort by the guys! First 5 minutes of 2nd half and free throws killed us.

OldTimer · December 5, 2004

Free throws lost the game. It is as simple as that.

There were 67 fouls called in this game. Free throws did not lose the game for us. When Issac Hines was injured and left the game late in the 1st half to go to the training room we fell behind 10 pts which was about the final game difference...the free throws kept us from recovering.

Four TCU players fouled out and another had 4 fouls. One NT player fouled out and two others had 4 fouls.

Hines was hit in the eye in a scramble under the basket...and went down......it was several minutes before he could get up. NO FOUL WAS CALLED.

There were some mean fouls.....TCU pushed a Nt player into the chairs and so many it looked like hard glance was called a foul. Another time a NT player was running down the sideline, a TCU player had his arm around our players waist as he went by and our player hit the floor....no foul was called.

It certaintly wasn't a full house, put a good energetic, loud crowd.

I don't believe my wife and I have every seen such a game with such fouls and we graduated way back in 1957.

Zeke · December 5, 2004

Just listening to the game, I never got the feeling a basketball game started because of the foul calls. My only point is that it didn't make for as enjoyable of a game.

eaglehoney · December 5, 2004

It is my opinion that this game was lost due to Hines injury and Jones early fouls. Hines is one of the best point guards I've seen on the mean green floor in a long time. He directs the team and without his direction the team started playing VERY sloppy. I agree with OldTimer that the free throws kept us from recovering. Jones has been one of the most solid players since the start of this season. He hypes up the crowd and his teammates. I don't think one man makes a team, but I think things would have looked a lot different with more Hines and more Jones.

December 5, 2004

We missed so many free throws in the last 12 minutes of the second half when we were in double bonus, and that is what lost the game. Hines getting hurt was the turning point in the game, but we kept it close enough so that if we had made free throws we should have won.

This team lost who knows how many games last year due to poor free throw shooting, and we started the season great FT shooting wise. I don't understand why they returned to last year's abysmal free throw shooting tonight.

I agree that the refs called WAY too many fouls. There were tons of ticky tack fouls called on both sides that should not have been called. But the crazy part is how they called all those ticky tack fouls, but then missed Hines getting hit in the face and then the next play when they shoved our guy on the fast break lay up and didn't get a flagrant called. Hopefully those refs will not be back at the SuperPit this season.

GMoney · December 5, 2004

There were 67 fouls called in this game. Free throws did not lose the game for us. When Issac Hines was injured and left the game late in the 1st half to go to the training room we fell behind 10 pts which was about the final game difference...the free throws kept us from recovering.

That was the key. Heard Georgie-O say it was a 22 point turnaround. He left with us up ten and came back with us down 12. That was the key because they (TCU) got some turnovers and then the momentum. After Hines' return the teams played an even game. You're not going to beat TCU without great guard play and we went from having great guard play to average at best after the injury.

GrandGreen · December 5, 2004

You never really know, but in my opinion if Hines does not go out ; NT wins easy. Heck of a play by TCU put out your point guard, do not get called for a foul, and get 2 points on turnover. Sturns is going to be a great player but he is not currently the point guard you want out there for a lot of minutes against a good team.

UNT_playmaker · December 5, 2004

too bad we lost...thought we played real good in the begining and made some chances to come back in the game but we really sucked towards the end and didnt make a single basket towards the few remaining minutes, i always kept this to myself since last years team, but i am going to blurt it out since im so frustrated...

NORTH TEXAS BB TEAM MAKE YOUR FREAKIN FREE THROWS, MY GOD, THEY KILLED US ALL LAST YEAR AND THERES NO EXCUSE FOR IT THIS YEAR......

UNTSportsGuy · December 5, 2004

We did lose this game because of the injury to Hines. The officials where doing a fine job, letting them play until Hines got hit in the face and JJ went nuts. After that there was a few hards fouls in a row, and the officials had to start calling EVERYTHING to attempt to get control of the game back. However, they went too far, thus preventing the game from ever happening.

Not only can Hines run the team on offense, but is one of the better defensive players on this team. TCU point gaurd, made plenty of plays that he would not have made had Hines been gaurding him. Sturns may soon become a solid contributor to this team, but right now he is a between a role player and a contributor.

Having Mike Jones with two fouls and sitting nearly the whole first half hurt real bad. They needed someone like Thomas, or Harris too step up tonight and they didn't. However Williams step up big, grabbing like 13 rebounds and contributing some points.

Overall, despite the L, and the injury it was nice to see people in the seats tonight. With a crowd of 3663, and a few instances it actually got loud, which hasn't happened in a long time. Hopefully people will spread the word that NT basketball games are fun and exciting and keep this crowd steadily growing every night out.

Now it's time to take down the Horns.

SouthBendGreen · December 5, 2004

I didn't attend the game or even listen to it. So I have no real credible opinion. However, you can make all the comments about a player going down, but 18 - 37 from the free throw line isn't going to cut it regardless of who is on the floor. That is the bottom line. Shooting under 50% from the line is UNACCEPTABLE. I hope JJ stesses that big time. Nothing is worse than poor fundamentals in basketball and you don't have to be a great athlete to be a good free throw shooter!!!! Hell you don't even have to be talented. Free throw shooting is a repetitive skill that anyone can master with practice. 19 missed FT's! There is more than enough difference to overcome Hines going down.

Coach · December 5, 2004

SouthBend, Hines going down was the main reason for the loss. Yes, free throw shooting was a big part of that, and that isn't good because it took us back to last year where we lost winnable games at the line. They had shown signs of moving past that this year, but this was a setback.

Back to Hines. Michael Sturns is going to be a good if not great player. However, last night he was still a freshman playing a tough position to transition to. When Hines got hurt, Sturns stepped in at the point and did just fine on defense, but on offense, Santee had his number. He was putting the pressure on tight and Sturns was clearly flustered. The reason this was the main reason we lost the game? Because when Hines was out we did not run our offense. I noticed tonyhuntoon said in another thread that our offense has too much standing around. No, our offense doesn't, but we struggled to even get into sets for most of the game when Hines was out. When Hines came back in, we ran much more efficiently and probably could have made a comeback with a few free throws. This is nothing at all against Sturns. He is very good and will get better, and he is already one of mine (and everyone else's) favorite players, but he is on a new level, playing a position he did not play a lot of in high school against a solid veteran counterpart.

I could see the searchlight from when I got on 35 just north of Fort Worth, awesome job Pit Crew.