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SEASON 7

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Grizzlies Overwhelmed by Orangemen

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Challenge 11: Final Four Memories

By George, UConn is Dead

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Donning the Black and Gold

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The Madness of the Horizon League

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Anything Can Happen in the MAAC

Challenge 9: Shock The Neighborhood

A Youthful Surprise

From Worst to First

Peers and Seers

Game 7-027: Jacksonville at Saint Louis
December 16, 2010 5:28 pm ET by Kyle Whelliston

Jacksonville Dolphins at Saint Louis Billikens

December 15, 2010 8:00 pm
Chaifetz Arena
BBState Stats/Recap
Saint Louis University and Jacksonville University are two institutions of higher learning that aren't hiding from anybody. Their names betray their exact GPS locations, no state-location haystacks or State title misdirection here. Both play in very nice five-digit capacity arenas within the city limits of their respective municipalities. Chaifetz Arena, Saint Louis' place, just happens to be nicer, since it was built only a few years ago.


SLU, which is never spelled out and is pronounced like the past tense of "slay," has a lot of weird history. The Billikens were part of the fascinating early 1990s experiment that was the Great Midwest Conference, the six-team league that never sent an autobid winner to the NCAA Tournament but which was stacked with incredible teams the Selection Committee just couldn't keep out. In 1994 and 1995, the Charlie Spoonhour-led Bills won 23 and 22 games (respectively) and dropped Minnesota in overtime in the latter year.

Things have been dicey ever since. The GMC was swallowed by the new Conference USA collective, and after a decade and two more NCAA appearances there, the school made the OMGWTF decision to help make the Atlantic 10 an Atlantic 14, despite being 1,000 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. That hasn't worked out so well. In five full seasons, SLU hasn't received better than a four-seed and turned the program over to Rick Majerus, a man who may/may not want to actually be there.

Rick Majerus is not pictured below.


When Jacksonville plays, you can count on former TMM interview subject Artis Gilmore being there. He's the commentator on their radio broadcasts. Back in the day, he played more than a few ABA games in Saint Louis against the Spirits as a Kentucky Colonel. As we said three years ago in this space, "The Basketball Hall of Fame stands as an illegitimate institution until such time as he is properly enshrined there."


As for the game, it was a weird one. Few people made it out to watch it, due to a combination of finals ending that day and a giant ice-slash-shitstorm brewing outside. The visiting Dolphins, pressing on nearly every first-half Billiken possession, jumped out to a lead as big as 18 early in the second before they ran out of energy and squandered every single inch and lost. After the game, most observers tried to figure out exactly what it was that they just saw. And they weren't talking about the kids' halftime dunk contest. (Gus Johnson-style commentary provided by yours truly.)


Also, the dance team is called the Saintsations. They are quite pretty.


And after the game, a giant digital man yelled at a basketball. The end.


@midmajority Game Tweets


19:38 Game 7-027: Jacksonville at Saint Louis. Ain't no party like a Billiken party, 'cause a Billiken party don't stop. http://img.ly/2D7s
19:51 Full and complete total win. #SLU http://img.ly/2D7H
19:56 Sat next to Bob Beamon last night, A-Train tonight. I think I must have traded my life with someone awesome. http://img.ly/2D7K
19:59 RT @JoelLamp: @midmajority FYI - a "Billiken is a good-luck figure who represents "things as they ought to be." From the SLU website
20:03 We just stood for the national anthem and I felt very very very tiny. I'm 6-2. RT @jtanHC: @midmajority How many Ballys tall is the A-Train?
20:06 We are ready to tip. SLU is 3-4, representing the A-14; Jacksonville is 6-2 out of the Atlantic Sun. #youareinformed
20:07 Tip. http://img.ly/2D7U
20:10 We do an Epilogue montage; there's a song. RT @habes123: @midmajority tip-off photo montage in place of "One Shining Moment" when S7 ends?
20:11 SLU's lineup has been ripped up pretty good; Majerus starting four freshmen tonight. Three minutes in, Billikens up 2-0 (6-5 fr. Evans: 2).
20:12 Jacksonville's starting lineup, OTOH, tops out at 6-5. Cliff Warren's first class is through and gone, here comes the second.
20:13 Artis Gilmore is, as usual, doing commentary for JAX's radio broadcast. There's a great interview we did with him back in Season 4 archives.
20:16 This is the time of year when cheerleaders wear Santa hats. A SLU rep *claims* the Bills are Title R compliant. Hmmmm.
20:19 Out on the floor, SLU is up 7-4 six minutes in. Billikens NCAA years: 52, 57, 94, 95, 98, 00. 1948 NIT champs, NIT F4 in 61, 89, 90.
20:21 It's super-cold out tonight, and finals ended today, so the blue-bleeding SLUnatics are few in number. They are extremely excitable though.
20:22 RT @donpot: Could be watching SLU hoops with @midmajority but now watching cars on Hwy 40 as Ice-ageddon '10 hits. #luvmyjob
20:25 BTW, we are indeed on #pixelvision tonight. So are Monmouth-Rider, UNCG-Wake, and a late show: NC A&T-Stanford.
20:28 Jacksonville leads 14-9 at the end of the first quarter. Undersized, but hustling. "Klein aber ho-ho," as my old German prof used to say.
20:31 Bally has an obstructed view seat tonight, thanks to JAX head coach Cliff Warren. http://img.ly/2D8r
20:33 In related news, Chaifetz Arena serves beer. RT @juliaflyer: @midmajority to me 'extremely excitable' means 'wasted.' I miss college.
20:33 RT @jtanHC: @midmajority Someone gave Bally a microphone? Bally getting ready to lay some #smac at Footbally?
20:33 RT @ECRNews: @midmajority So does his pal "Mikey"
20:33 RT @NovaYankee: @midmajority 10 bucks if you grab that mic and start free-styling.
20:35 Bally will be getting on the mic at halftime and performing his heatseeking urban chart single, "B.O.I.N.G. (Bally's Ownin' It Now, G)".
20:38 RT @NovaYankee: @midmajority That's a hot track. I heard it on a mixed tape I picked up in Philly this weekend.
20:39 Here on the adult contemporary chart, JAX has opened up a big 23-13 lead at the 6:22 1H mark. Technically, a 12-4 run over five minutes.
20:40 RT @jtm62: @midmajority 59-57 wake 5:57 left
20:40 RT @rolub: @midmajority UNCG up 1, 5:21 left
20:42 Jacksonville penetrating at will against the young, soft underbelly of the Billiken D. 25-13 now, 5:28 1H. Dolphin bench charged up!
20:43 27-13 JAX. Saint Louis shooting 26% and has eight turnovers, including a carry on the last possession. Majerus: world-weary.
20:46 Should be noted that SLU's Cory Remekun (#32) has a Kid N Play haircut. But this has been no House Party for the Billikens. #sportswriting
20:50 JAX lead is 29-16 now, two to go in 1H. SLU shooting nearly at the Mendoza Line (4/18, 22.2%).
20:52 Paul Eckerle with a #superhoop for the Billikens (first in 6 tries for SLU tonight), but Jacksonville keeps answering. 31-21 at the half.
20:57 For your halftime entertainment, the Saintsations. http://img.ly/2D8S
20:59 Kids dunk contest coming up. Might need some video of that.
21:08 When the SLU Billiken Band plays "Seven Nation Army," they have to play it twice to cover the entire A-14.
21:11 RT @midmajority360: North Carolina-Greensboro 67 Wake Forest 69 | UNCG: K. Randall 15 - WAKE: T. McKie 16 | http://tmm7.me/6l5
21:15 G!O!T!N! RT @midmajority360: Charleston 77 Charleston Southern 69 | http://tmm7.me/6l6
21:15 You have never seen kids blow dunks like this, sports fans. http://twitvid.com/EH0YD
21:19 Billiken down (Kyle Cassity). We're back for the second half, and JAX is on a 10-4 run. 41-25 Dolphins at 17:01. http://img.ly/2D9h
21:21 Jacksonville applying full-court pressure on every possession, really trying to snap necks tonight. 43-25 roadstanding Dolphins at 15:58.
21:21 RT @tstandsalone: @midmajority Those kids had no imagination. The guys from TNT would still give them 9s and 10s, though.
21:23 The arrangements of "Poker Face" that let the middle brass carry the bassline are actually pretty good. I can't believe I just typed that.
21:26 Dwayne Evans throws down an #omgdunx for SLU. Crowd goes wyld! SLU still down 13, but nothing neutralizes a 15-point lead like a #omgdunx.
21:27 LOL/ROFL RT @jtanHC: Someone who is skilled at computerz: a #omgdunx soundboard from the video @midmajority posted. It'd be like the Gus one
21:28 We also prefer Celsius to Fahrenheit. RT @BigSkyConf: FfcccC
21:28 RT @BigSkyConf: Don't let your 10 month daughter try to tweet. Sorry bout that
21:31 46-35 JAX at 11:55 2H. The SLUnatics-only long distance shot ($200 prize) ended in embarrassment: three airballs.
21:35 The #superhoop is keeping SLU in this game; 46-41 now with the Billikens on an 11-3 run. Can JAX hold on and bring the A-Sun a big road win?
21:38 Big comeback in progress: Cory Remekun, the guy with the eraser 'do, layups to pull SLU within 46-44 at 8:30 2H. #2hype #brothermangethip
21:39 And now it's tied up at 48! Jordair Jett with a big layup. SLU has erased a 16-point lead in 10 minutes.
21:41 Hot and heavy white imp action here in the Gateway City, sports fanatics! Six minutes to go in regulation, SLU up 52-50 on JAX.
21:43 RT @youngpbp: It's all about the Fresh and Soph's at the 'Fetz! RT: @midmajority And now it's tied up at 48! SLU has erased a 16-point lead in 10 minutes
21:44 RT @ConferenceUSA1: UCF remains undefeated at 9-0 with 79-58 win over La-Lafayette; Keith Clanton leads Knights with 28 points & eight rebounds!
21:45 When Dolphins and Billikens COLLIDE: trading hoops down stretch. Kyle Cassity gives SLU its biggest lead (3) since 15 1H with a #superhoop.
21:49 Billikens up by five (61-56) with three to go, and the Chaifetz Center gives the team a standing O. Jacksonville discombobulated/flustered.
21:51 Now it's a seven point lead: 63-56 at 2:29 2H. SLU first half shooting: 27%, second half: 58%.
21:55 Sitting so near the JAX bench, neat to see the pressure cooker. Players yelling, freaking out, telling each other to calm the F down, etc.
21:56 RT @tahobgood: @midmajority This might be what the JAX team will be haunted with if they lose tonight: http://www.midmajority.com/img/pictures/umpfn1b.jpg
22:00 A minute to go, and SLU is up by five. The Billiken just did a celebratory two-fisted air-hump. They don't make mind soap in that strength.
22:02 :22.7 2H, SLU up 67-61. We're going to chalk up this comeback (from 18 down at 16:23 2H) to the sparkle magic of the Billiken.
22:04 Programming notes: we are at Belmont tomorrow for Game #28, at Murray State Saturday for #29. Then back to Foxbase Alpha for the holidays.
22:06 Jacksonville, down 67-64 at :06.7, still trying to win this game. But fouls to send Mike McCall to line, 2/2, icy ice.
22:08 That's a final tonight from Saint Louis. Bills win 69-64! Biggest comeback in this building (18 pts) since vs. NC A&T 1/2/09. Yes, NC A&T.
22:09 Billikens win. http://img.ly/2D9V
22:11 This man is yelling at a basketball. http://img.ly/2D9Y
22:12 Artis Gilmore mobbed with little kids after the buzzer. "Are you a superhero?" asks one. #yes
22:26 Fastest Majerus presser ever. A man of few or many words. Well, we have a drive to BNA via HQ near the old IND, so we're on our way.
22:27 So be well, eat to win, taste the magic, and see you tomorrow from Belmont. Good Night Hoops Nation.

Boxscore


at SAINT LOUIS 69, JACKSONVILLE 64
12/15/2010

JACKSONVILLE 6-3 (2-0) -- A. Hardy 4-8 2-2 11; G. Powell 3-7 0-0 6; T. Cohn 5-6 0-0 10; K. McDougle 4-6 2-3 12; R. Powell 1-6 0-0 2; T. Galvin 3-8 0-0 7; D. Graham 2-6 2-2 6; A. Cabell 2-6 4-5 8; C. Rozier 1-2 0-0 2; S. Jeffers 0-1 0-0 0; C. Davis 0-1 0-0 0; K. Palmer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-57 10-12 64.
SAINT LOUIS 4-4 (0-0) -- J. Jett 7-10 1-1 16; M. McCall 1-4 7-8 9; K. Cassity 3-6 6-6 14; D. Evans 5-10 1-3 12; R. Loe 2-7 0-1 5; C. Ellis 1-6 3-4 6; P. Eckerle 1-3 0-0 3; B. Conklin 0-1 0-0 0; C. Salecich 0-0 0-0 0; C. Remekun 2-2 0-0 4. Totals 22-49 18-23 69.

Three-point goals: JAX 4-13 (T. Cohn 0-1; A. Hardy 1-2; D. Graham 0-1; T. Galvin 1-3; A. Cabell 0-2; K. McDougle 2-4), SLU 7-16 (P. Eckerle 1-2; K. Cassity 2-4; C. Ellis 1-6; D. Evans 1-1; J. Jett 1-1; R. Loe 1-1; M. McCall 0-1); Rebounds: JAX 30 (G. Powell 5), SLU 28 (D. Evans 11); Assists: JAX 13 (R. Powell 3), SLU 14 (M. McCall 8); Total Fouls -- JAX 21, SLU 14; Fouled Out: JAX-None; SLU-None.