[dropcap]What[/dropcap] in the heck are we to make of Tuesday’s double-overtime win? In a game against a team picked to finish eighth out of nine teams in the Summit League, the Jays trailed most of the game, then came back to get ahead but blew a nine-point lead in the final three minutes of regulation, a seven-point lead in the first overtime, and ultimately needed two overtimes to win. It was tempting to be discouraged even in victory, because of a minor injury to Devin Brooks, mistakes galore, a crowd that was perhaps 35% of what it was at the tip by the time the second overtime started, and a host of other factors.
If this happened in March, the old adage “Win and Advance” would apply, and it’s very tempting to treat it as such — to take a deep breath, move on, and just be thankful for the win, however it came. Given that other good teams have dropped very similar games (Michigan to NJIT, Nebraska to Incarnate Word, among a dozen other examples), and the Jays figured out a way to win, I think the Win and Advance theory applies here even though it’s December. They played uninspired basketball against a gritty opponent determined to pull the upset, and somehow they won. In a way, it’s encouraging. We know what this team is capable of when they play really well — they can beat NCAA Tournament-caliber teams like Oklahoma or Nebraska home or away — and now we know they can win against a team playing well on a night when they don’t.
The Jays will need to be better on Saturday, however, because the next opponent is quite a bit better — and bigger — than South Dakota. The Saint Mary’s Gaels were picked third in the WCC behind Gonzaga and BYU, and they’re off to a strong start, winning five games on a six-game homestand to begin the year. The schedule has been salty, too, including wins over WAC preseason favorite New Mexico State (83-71), Summit League preseason runner-up Denver (78-62), Big West Conference preseason favorite UC Irvine (72-69) and 2014 NCAA Tournament participant Cal Poly (82-56). Their first road game comes after a 82-71 loss to Boise State on Saturday, snapping SMC’s 33-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents that dated back to the 2011 National Invitation Tournament and included a BracketBuster win over the Jays.
The Gaels lost three starters and seven letterwinners from last year’s team that went 23-12 overall, 11-7 (4th) in the West Coast Conference and advanced to the second round of the NIT where they were eliminated by eventual champion Minnesota. The two starters that return are fantastic players, though.
Senior forward Brad Waldow has led Saint Mary’s in scoring in each of the last four games and is averaging a double-double with 22.8 points and 10.0 rebounds through six games. The 6’10”, 260-pound Waldow can score in a variety of ways, including from the line — he was a perfect 11-11 from the stripe in Saturday’s loss to Boise State, part of a career-high 29 points. Playing in permanent Beast Mode is nothing new for Waldow — you might remember him for losing a tooth in the 2012 WCC Tournament, as the video of the incident, and of coach Randy Bennett’s reaction, was a viral sensation.
Last year he averaged 15.1 points and 7.5 rebounds a game, while shooting 56.5% from the floor. He had eight double-doubles, and was a monster on the glass, grabbing 14 rebounds in a game against Santa Clara and 13 boards in four other games (Drake, Pepperdine, BYU, San Francisco). He’ll present a challenge for the Bluejays’ tandem of big men, and it will be a good test before Big East play starts in two-and-a-half weeks.
Fellow senior Kerry Carter, a 6’2″ guard, has also been strong so far this season, and he ranks second on the team in both scoring (14.3 points per game) and rebounds (7.2 per game). Carter scored a career-high 25 points and hit seven 3-pointers in SMC’s season-opening victory over Cal State L.A., and ranks third in the West Coast Conference in 3-pt field goals with 3.2 per game.
Redshirt freshman guard Emmett Naar has hit the ground running, and just six games into his carer is already one of their most indispensable players. He ranks second in the WCC (tied for 14th nationally) with 6.3 assists per game, and he’s been a workhorse — he’s averaged 37.0 minutes a game so far.
Saint Mary’s is usually a tough, physical team that plays aggressive man-to-man defense, rebounds extraordinarily well, and shares the ball (and the offensive load). This year is no exception. Since coach Randy Bennett got the program rolling nearly a decade ago, their personnel have never been “mid-major”, and neither has their success — the Gaels have participated in the postseason (4 NCAA, 3 NIT) seven straight years. It will be a tremendous test against a team that resembles the Big East foes they’ll see soon enough.
About the Gaels:
Saint Mary’s has the highest winning percentage of any D1 program in the state of California over the past decade, and have averaged 26 wins over the last six years … Saint Mary’s has suffered consecutive non-conference losses only twice over the last eight seasons, something they’ll try to avoid on Saturday after losing to Boise State last weekend … SMC averages 77.2 points per game on 48.0% shooting, including 39.5% from three-point land and 72.5% at the line, and they’ve outrebounded teams by 10.3 rebounds per contest.
One Big Paragraph with Lots O’Dots™:
Creighton still has one more BracketBusters game to go — they still owe Loyola-Chicago a game in return for their 2010 matchup, and will play it next year, officially ending the BracketBusters series for them … Saint Mary’s (5-1), will be the 44th non-conference team in the 12 years of CenturyLink Center to enter their meeting with either 0 or 1 losses. In the first 43 such games, Creighton is 39-4, with an average margin of +15.19 per game … After outscoring the Nebraska bench 30-8 on Sunday, the Bluejay reserves outscored South Dakota’s bench by a 54-7 margin on Tuesday. For the season, CU’s bench has outscored the opposition 315-173.
The Last Time They Played:
On February 23, 2013, Creighton played Saint Mary’s in their final BracketBusters game, and were thoroughly manhandled in a 74-66 loss. The Bluejays were outrebounded 39-27 for the game, including an embarrassing 26-13 in the first half, and trailed wire-to-wire for first time in the Greg McDermott Era. Matthew Dellavedova led SMC with 19 points, while Brad Waldow scored 12 points to go with 12 rebounds. It was a disappointing loss that left them perilously close to the wrong side of the bubble; they’d use it as motivation, righted the ship, and beat Bradley and Wichita State to close out the season by winning the MVC Regular Season title and a week later, the MVC Tournament title.
The Series:
The game marks the 6th all-time meeting between the two schools. SMC owns a 3-2 all-time lead in the series since the first meeting in 1962. Creighton owns a 2-1 series lead in Omaha, including two straight — they lost to the Gaels 94-71 in December of 1962, but beat them in both 1975 and 1979.
Greg McDermott is 0-1 against Randy Bennett and Saint Mary’s.
Gratuitous Linkage:
It’s so badass, and illustrates so perfectly the toughness the Jays are up against today, that I have to point this out even though it’s two years old — the Waldow incident where he lost a tooth. From Yahoo Sports:
An elbow from San Diego big man Jito Kok knocked one of Waldow’s front teeth out as the two were vying for a rebound with five minutes left in the Gaels’ 69-66 overtime win in Saturday night’s second WCC semifinal. Unfazed, Waldow jogged over to the bench and tried to hand his tooth to coach Randy Bennett, who hilariously recoiled in disgust and pointed to an athletic trainer a few seats away …
Though Waldow’s injury was severe enough to require postgame surgery to repair, the sophomore still returned to the game as soon as his mouth stopped bleeding. He finished with a career high 23 points to go with 16 rebounds and blocked four shots, helping Saint Mary’s stave off the upset bid from San Diego.
Hope you’re ready to rumble, Will, Zach, and Geoff.
This Date in Creighton Hoops History:
On December 13, 2003, Creighton played another BracketBusters return game, this time on the road at Fresno State. Down 52-44 with five minutes to play, the Jays held the Bulldogs scoreless for over four minutes while they cut into the lead, and trailed 54-51 after two free throws by Fresno’s Mustafa Al-Sayyad. Dana Altman subbed in four guards for the final possession, and drew up a play to get Nate Funk a shot. He used a screen from Kellen Miliner to get open, took a pass from Tyler McKinney near the right corner, and drilled a 21-footer to tie the game at the buzzer.
In overtime, CU outscored the hosts 16-8 and won 70-62. “We played the overtime like I hoped we’d play the entire game,” Altman told the media after the game. “But, oh my gosh, we were a different team. Nate’s shot started a fire. After we hit that first shot in overtime, you could just see the fight and bounce our guys had. The defensive intensity picked up. We were very fortunate to win this one. Hopefully this one shows us you can never give up.”
Completely Random, Totally Rad Music Video of the Day:
Elton John originally recorded it, but this version by The Who rocks a lot harder, and I like it.
The Bottom Line:
This one’s going to be a fight, but Saturday (Afternoon) is alright for fighting. Especially when the Jays come out of it victorious.
Creighton 72, Saint Mary’s 67