In-Game Blog: Butler at Cleveland State
Dec. 4, 2008
-- posted by Josh Rattray, Assistant Director of Communications
8:04 p.m. - Sorry everyone, I'm a little slow getting signed on. It's still 0-0 just 2 minutes in. This is a huge early-season men's basketball game, with Butler and Cleveland State playing on ESPNU. It's a strange game for me. I graduated from Butler and worked at Cleveland State, so I know people on both sides.
8:05 p.m. - Cedric Jackson scored the game's first bucket on a running lay-up.
8:14 p.m. - 12-10 Butler. The Bulldogs are shooting 5-for-8 from the floor and have made a few 3s. CSU seems to have BU on its heels, taking almost twice as many shots (15-8).8:16 p.m. - 12-minute TV timeout. Good news for Butler: BU leads 15-10, shooting 6-for-9 and 3-for-3 from downtown. Bad news for Butler: Matt Howard already has two fouls. Good news for Cleveland State: CSU is outrebounding the Bulldogs by 3. Bad news for Cleveland State: Vikings shooting 33 percent (5-for-15).
8:22 p.m. - Timeout Butler. Cleveland State put a tight trap on BU guard Zach Hahn, and the Bulldogs called a quick TO. Out of the timeout, CSU forces a bad shot and then gets a bucket to pull within 15-14. After another Bulldog miss, CSU gets a fastbreak the other way and Jackson gets two free throws. Tie game at 15.
8:27 p.m. - TV timeout, CSU leads, 19-15. Cleveland State is suffocating Butler with its defense, and its leading to fastbreaks. The pressure defense has also cooled Butler's hot shooting, as the Bulldogs are now at 37.5 percent (6-for-16).
8:35 p.m. - CSU leads, 24-20 at the 4-minute timeout. I think the difference in the game right now is the Vikings' control of the paint. J'Nathan Bullock and George Tandy are playing well, and with Matt Howard on the bench in foul trouble, Cleveland State has a clear size advantage.
8:39 p.m. - You know, this is the first TV game I've been to this season. As a result, the TV timeouts are longer than normal games. It seems like we started this game yesterday!
8:46 p.m. - Halftime, Cleveland State up by 7. Butler has gone ice cold from the field, and much of it has to do with CSU's defense. BU made just two of its last 15 shots during the final 11 minutes of the first half. Tandy leads Cleveland State with seven points, while Jackson has five. Veasley has seven for Butler.
8:53 p.m. - Halftime entertainment: the Cleveland State wrestling team performed a dance routine...interesting. It got more interesting when they took their shirts off and the team's heavyweight star, Rashard Goff, danced in drag. Like I said, interesting. The crowd loved it, though.
9:09 p.m. - Down 28-20, Butler has pulled to within 29-27. CSU head coach Gary Waters just called a TO, upset with his team's defensive execution. Still, shots for Butler are hard to come by, as the Vikings are so tough defensively. All day around CSU's campus, we talked about how the first team to 50 should be declared the winner. I'm not sure we'll get that high.
9:14 p.m. - Action fast, but neither team scoring much. CSU still leads, 29-27. Both teams have missed shots in the lane and committed turnovers. It resembles a little playground ball right now, exactly the opposite of what each team likes to do.
9:22 p.m. - Matt Howard just made two free throws with 12 minutes remaining in the game. The points were his first two of the night. CSU is doubling down on him hard, and it's been a tough night for Howard. Moments later, Tandy gets a steal and it results in CSU free throws. TIMEOUT ON THE FLOOR! (insert Brent Musberger voice here). CSU, 33-29...11:43 remaining.
9:29 p.m. - I almost forgot. I need to give a shout-out to Al Pawlowski, the play-by-play voice of the Vikings. He let me plug in to his outlet. He's the man. (He also does TV pregame and postgame for the Cleveland Indians on STO.)
9:37 p.m. - I'm sure you can all tell by watching on ESPNU, but this is an extremely physical game. Bodies flailing, hitting the deck, lots of contact on the perimeter and under the basket. A good way for everyone to start League play.
9:40 p.m. - Pick and roll to Chris Moore...and-1. He missed the foul shot, though. CSU taking control, 41-33. In a game like this, an eight point lead, could be closer to 14.
9:47 p.m. - Final TV timeout...CSU, 43-36. BU's Gordon Heyward will shoot a 1-and-1 sometime tomorrow when the TV timeout ends. I guess when you go to TV games a lot, you get used to it. Even SIDs need to work their way into "basketball shape."
9:50 p.m. - The drive from Indianapolis to Cleveland was a bit easier than I remember today. About five hours if you stop for Wendy's once. Also, you can catch 1070 The Fan all the way to Columbus, and Cleveland's WKNR (Jim Rome) the rest of the way. 30-second timout...1:50 left. CSU, 44-41. Butler has the ball.
9:58 p.m. - 34.8 seconds left...Tandy splits a pair. 45-44 CSU. On the free throw miss, nobody from Butler gets the rebound and CSU gets it. 30 secconds left, and BU has to foul. Jackson splits a pair at the line. 46-44, CSU with 30.7 seconds remaining. Gary Waters calls timeout to get his defense set. Butler must go the length of the floor. The shot clock is off.
10:01 p.m. - Shawn VanZant just hit the biggest shot of his Butler career, a 3 from the left wing with 15.8 seconds left. Butler has its first lead since early in the first half. CSU ball. This is it.
10:02 p.m. - Cleveland State answers. Bullocks scores to give the Vikings a 48-47 lead with 5.4 seconds remaining. Huge shot.
10:04 p.m. - Wow. Hahn just made a buzzer-beater three. Butler wins, 50-48. The officials look at the replay, the shot is good. What a great game. I'm sure it looked great on TV. The young Bulldogs have already proved themselves as a clutch team, mature beyond their years. CSU played a very strong game. When I worked here two years ago, Butler beat CSU, 92-50. Coach Waters has done a great job. When these two teams meet on Feb. 28, it'll be a great game with perhaps a tournament hosting on the line.
Take care...I'm gonna go to the presser and meet up with a few friends for a late dinner.
JRAT
