Pilots @ LMU Saturday @ 7 on WCC Digital

I was sure glad to see those two shots at the rim late by VDM and RN. I think VDM's was right before the shot clock was going to expire, and I wasn't sure they'd get a shot off.

So a question about strategy.

Toward the end of the game, we are up four, they have the ball, and we foul them with 39 seconds remaining. When the foul was called I was initially upset, thinking it was a stupid foul. But then I thought about the situation.

We're up 4, so worst case after the freethrow we are up 2 with 39 seconds.
The shot clock is 35 seconds I believe, so there is still enough time for them to play defense and try for the final shot. If the foul would have come with 33 seconds left, we would have been fouled immediately and the game would have been extended. what I mean is that we probably would have had more possessions than we actually did.

So basically my question is, if you're LMU, do you foul, right away with 39 seconds left down by 2, or do you trust your defense. If you're Portland are you ok with the foul at 40 seconds left, or do you try to not foul at all.

My personal thought is that I was happy the way things turned out. If anybody watched the Colorado/Arizona game, you saw how free throws can lose a game (despite the fact Sabitino Chen's shot was CLEARLY out of his hands before the buzzer). I was really pleased how things transpired. I was pretty confident once LMU decided not to foul. I felt really good at how we closed in the second half. Now if we could play a FULL 40 minutes that would be nice.

Obviously the answer to any hypothetical question depends upon the result. There are too many variables such as the run of play, who’s hot and who’s not, and the various man-to-man matchups to make a specific call on your scenario......

However, without recalling the specifics of the LMU game, IMO:

1. We should NOT have fouled with 39-40 seconds remaining.

2. DON'T let Ireland shoot a three, but DON'T foul him!

2. YES, LMU should have fouled quickly. The Pilots were getting good penetration and were grabbing all the rebounds and would likely have kept the ball away from LMU anyway if the Lions didn’t foul.

up7587 wrote:I was sure glad to see those two shots at the rim late by VDM and RN. I think VDM's was right before the shot clock was going to expire, and I wasn't sure they'd get a shot off.

Another good moment occurred at the final buzzer. It was so obvious the win lifted a huge weight off of Ryan’s shoulders that he wanted to celebrate in some way, probably by jumping for joy from the relief he experienced more than the actual winning, but he settled himself down and gathered the team together as they ran toward their teammates and coaches.

I think many of us watching the game on video would have danced with Ryan if he’d wanted to commence his celebration in that manner…..as it was, I thrust my arms in the air in triumphant relief at the buzzer…..and I’d already known the final score for a couple of hours.

Knowing how to celebrate a win on the road takes practice….I hope the Pilots get a lot more practice.