SCU is an awful free throw team, and UNM is playing appropriately physical defense. They have the depth to pick up fouls, and SCU doesn’t have the free throw accuracy to make them pay. UNM can give SCU a point each possession from the line, and it pretty much won’t matter.
REALLY PRAYING to mix up combos even more. There is enough talent on this team. But you have to USE ALL OF IT.
EDIT: Shocked and pleasantly surprised we tried different combos and we actually beat NM in second half. Encouraging. I said at beginning of the season, this is a DEEP team. Use it’s depths sooner than later.
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This is exposure. The talent is there, the height is there, but this just isn’t a team with identity or flow.
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OK! I do not need to carve out time in the afternoons to watch this team.
25 years and counting… 
(I still will… damnit)
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sooooo…one not so fun stat among the bludgeoning here
New Mexico: 18/35 FG’s
Santa Clara: 19 FG’s attempted total, no FG’s in the final 9:15
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14 turnovers, only 3 assists, and just 5 three point attempts. Yep…getting absolutely dominated. On offense, we don’t have a lead guard who can deal with any sort of physicality. And on defense we play like it is an open scrimmage at your local rec center.
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Ugly on so many levels.
Only reason the margin isn’t even greater is all of the Lobos fouls and we’re actually making our FT’s which we haven’t done all year.
13 turnovers in the 1st half…terrible.
And getting killed on the boards: 22 - 13. What’s the point of playing a big lineup if you don’t dominate the glass??? And rebounding %'s are even worse:
- Broncos: Def rebs: 55%: off rebs: 13%
- Lobos: Def rebs: 87%; Off Rebs: 45%
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Patty,
Thanks for saving me $19.99…I see that Benjamin came off the bench today.
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this team has a concerning tendency to let go of the rope…Ohio State, Cal, and New Mexico now. Only Stanford really illustrated mental toughness when backs were against the wall
I posted about the free throws after Cam missed both. They then looked like a wholly different team from the stripe. But I was right about the outcome: all the free throws in the world wouldn’t get SCU back in it.
UNM has most of their starters teetering on foul trouble. In a 5 point game, I’d consider that significant. In a 20 point game, it’s barely even notable.
EDIT: Cam went 1/2. Was it Bryan who missed both?
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Cam missed one. He went one for two. Like the whole team.
Notice in just two mins he GETS to the FT line.
lol. Just saw your edit.
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Another 4 or 5 TO’s in the 1st few mins of the 2nd half…sigh.
Sendek clears the bench and pulls all the starters…we’ll see if it makes any difference.
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Gonna admit, it was nice hearing the commentators calling Cam New Mexico’s Kryptonite. lol. I’ll take it.
The story is getting clearer:
UNM is shooting terribly from three and not that much better for the game now but dominates because of TOs and rebounding. 17 steals for UNM!!!
Tongue playing his heart out and should stay in as long as he can stay upright. Hell, I’d start him next game just to prove a point.
EDIT: Start this whole lineup. Knapper, Tongue, Akametu, Hammond, and Bal. They’re bringing energy.
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Agree Patty. Happy for Cam, hopefully this results in some changes to rotation and PT distribution going forward. Some solid minutes from Knapper as well.
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Cam playing great. Knapper hit a couple 3’s (best way to soften them up).
Aside from that… woof!
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I should probably slow down before i say something that gets me in trouble with athletics but this team is sorely in need of Knapper and Tongue (I’ve been on record with this elsewhere with my friends). Santa Clara has no floor general right now and BK has the stabilizing presence while Tongue has the energizer bunny role and its just unfathomable how they don’t see the floor in a regular capacity (and even 5 MPG will do)
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Tongue with 14 points and we haven’t ran a single designed action for him. So valuable.
…Femme was right 
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So far…
Starters combined for: 23 points and 18 TOs
Bench combined for: 47 points and 7 TOs
I’m not an NBA guy really, but this seems pretty 2023 Warriors-like.
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Patty… I thought the exact same thing. Thinking “Why are my teams identical?”
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