Home Basketball SLU gets another self-inflicted gut punch in loss at Houston

SLU gets another self-inflicted gut punch in loss at Houston

by W.E. Sauls

If you want to be on the national NCAA map, this is the game you need to win. If you want that national recognition, your vaunted defense has to show up and tame the Houston Cougars. It’s what you hang your hat on.The head coach says his star player deserves national recognition for his all-around play. So what was Sunday? It was put up or shut up day for the St. Louis University Billikens.

And, well, there wasn’t nothin’ to it, but do it.

SLU 7-2. Two losses that were self-inflicted.

Houston 9-0, 24th ranked squad in the nation.

The Jump

Sloppy, slow, turnovers, and fouls. This is the identity ofthis team. Despite all of their offensive woes, their defense will keep them inevery single game they play. If they play C+ offense they can will 22-25 games, if they play D+, hello NIT.

After six minutes, SLU had seven points. It’s a familiar song, but not one you like hearing over, and over, and over again.

And again to the rescue, was Javon Bess. Defensive relentlessness, a timely dunk, and all around leadership kept the Bills in the game the first half. A first half that saw SLU score 27 points. 27.

The Break

The game was grinding and it was ugly…but that’s just the Billiken’s style. They headed to the half down 29-27, with as many personal fouls as field goals. How do they keep staying in games with such poor offensive play? It’s an easy answer. They make every single possession for their opponents a living hell. If a SLU opponent gets an easy look, they should check themselves out of the game and go buy a Powerball ticket… and check their pockets for hen’s teeth.

The Final Frame

St. Louis came out firing in the 2nd half. 8 points in under 2 minutes felt like a deluge from this team.  And it was needed, because the reminder of the contest was back and forth and back again.

Cart’Are Gordon had flashes of Kevin McHale with some old man up and under’s. Hasahn French threw his body around for tip in put backs on the break. Tramaine Isabelle hit some timely hoops, and Jordan Goodwin kept pushing and pushing the ball till the game was all knotted up at 60 with 3:44 to go.

Then, it got weird. Brand new arena, and shot clocks that don’t work with under 2 minutes to go. More and more fouls called on loose balls that would cost the Billikens the services of Hasahn French for the final 1:09.

63-63 with 42 seconds left. That’s what you’re here for. Clutch hoops on a Sunday afternoon.

And then it happened. Terrible, no good, offensive basketball. An early ill-advised three, followed by a blocked point blank layup, and another ill-advised early three…and an air ball with .3 left. And so it goes…a 68-64 loss on the road and a record that falls to 7-3.

The cause of the loss, the same cause of every loss these past two seasons. Poor shooting, too much fouling, and nine missed free throws. Where do the Billikens go from here? Most likely nowhere new. There is a certain point when you are who you are. And this is who SLU is. A defense first and defense last squad that cannot win from behind. If they get you down by more than 6 or 7 late in the game, you’re most likely done. But, if they fall behind late they cannot get a bucket when things break down.

This is the season that has been…and the season that will be.

Until next time…long live defense that makes your life a living hell.

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