Time to make Frank Haith more dazed and confused than usual! The LiveBlog returns, to cure your post-Christmas depression. Or to give you a safe venue to wallow in it. Your mileage may vary.
7:54 – It sure will be nice when our game starts, and we can all turn away from this dishwasher-dull Louisville/Da U bowl game. I’ve rarely been this bored by a game that has included a safety. That may be all that the Canes get, BTW.
7:59 – Tipoff awaits. 16-2 L’ville.
8:01 – Jeebus, if this interview is live, ain’t nobody there…
8:02 – OK, think it was pre-recorded. Pretty nice crowd for a late tip during the most seppuku-friendly time of year.
8:04 – HWSNBN would love Mizzou’s shot selection. Yeesh.
8:06 – Des may have the beginnings…of the hallowed Talibeard.
8:10 – Announcing crew does nice job summarizing how the mojo of this team has changed from last season.
8:12 – Buckets with some badass D!
8:14 – Two fouls on Cat, and this team presents HUGE matchup problems for WBS.
8:20 – Love the Buckets lovefest. Dude is awesome.
8:23 – Good loose ball hustle by Turner saves the possession.
8:24 – Buckets again. Unstoppable from anywhere on the floor.
8:25 – VandenSLAM!
8:26 – All hail the King! Hippo!!
8:27 – The King swats it away, Des calls for the adulation of the crowd. And gets it.
8:29 – Rick has it right in the comments – best defense NC State has played all season. A joy to behold.
8:30 – If Des starts nailing threes, he’ll be a deadly weapon.
8:33 – That looked like another clean KH swat to me.
8:34 – Anytime Buckets misses in transition…I am shocked.
8:38 – WBS leaves his feet a passer. There’s a saying ’bout that.
8:39 – MG is angry. We are already cramping his style on a Saturday night.
8:42 – Jimmy Dykes must be medicated this year. He’s sane and measured in his commentary.
8:44 – Best compliment I can give Buckets – you could drop him into the 1974 State/MD ACCT final…and he would fit right in.
8:46 – WBS with a nice drive to the hole, draws a foul. More of that, please.
8:48 – Our shitty foul shooting has re-emerged at the worst possible time.
Your Halftime Score – NC State 32, Mizzou 30. Sluggish finish.
9:11 – Need to change the mojo? Bring on KH!
9:13 – Don’t need Des falling in love with that shot.
9:14 – Cat to Buckets. Silky smooth goodness.
9:15 – On the football front? Go home, Miami. You’re drunk.
9:19 – Washington extends the lead to seven.
9:23 – Not liking the change in flow here. At each end of the court.
9:26 – Buckets turns the tide on offense with a 3, then Cat creates a turnover. Pack up 5 with the ball, flurry survived.
9:28 – One should expect at least one or two more flurries to come.
9:32 – Washington is another throwback player.
9:33 – Right now he’s throwing Mizzou back. Pack by ten. Confidence can be a very useful thing.
9:37 – Washington with a posterizing swat, too. His night.
9:40 – Blatant travel, not whistled.
9:43 – Entire lead has evaporated. Not feeling too good right now.
9:45 – Vandy might wanna think about shaving those pits a bit.
9:46 – VERY good timeout by MG.
9:47 – Still not sure what the ACTUAL call was there. Scoreboard never changed.
9:48 – One could argue that Mizzou threw an elbow and it’s a flagrant 1.
9:50 – Nope. We got screwed, and hard.
9:51 – Karma made that Turner 3 go in.
9:52 – WBS draws a HUGE charge to keep us in the game.
9:53 – Two of three have gone in, but not real comfortable with “Turner jacks up wild three” as the go-to play down the stretch.
9:55 – SHIT. Have to get that rebound.
9:56 – I’m thankful that Frank Haith overthinks late-game situations more than we underthink ’em.
9:57 – We force Mizzou into a terrible shot…and they hit it. Fuck me.
9:59 – Cat’s gotta make these.
10:00 – Damn it all to shit.
10:01 – I’m afraid we gonna lose. Not a just outcome, but it is what it is.
10:05 – Fran, we don’t have to have an INTENTIONAL missed FT play…
Your Final Score – Mizzou 68, NC State 64. This one smarts.
