Posts Tagged ‘Jeremy Nash’
Halftime: Carmody gets his wish, Cats trail at half for 1st time
Coach Bill Carmody was curious how his team would perform in a tight game at the half. He is going to find out tonight.
Florida State has dominated the game in almost every facet, shooting 56 percent, blocking six shots and holding Northwestern to 10-of-30 shooting. But the Seminoles have been unable to pull away because of their poor ball handling.
Something NU is doing is giving Florida State problems. The Seminoles have committed 11 turnovers and seem to be giving the ball away on every other possession. It has given the Wildcats plenty of opportunities to stay competitive.
Florida State opened a 27-19 lead with about five minutes left. But the Cats battle back thanks to some nice drives by Coble and a strong offensive rebounding performance — you read right, they have 10 offensive rebounds in this game.
There is a lot of fire in this game. Carmody has picked up a techinical foul — that contributed to a five-point play by Uche Echefu — and he is not holding anything back. This is clearly a must-win game for the Cats.
The freshmen have struggled a lot in this one. John Shurna has struggled getting to the inside and has settled for some rushed 3-point shots. Kyle Rowley has had difficulties on the inside and has bobbled a few passes. Luka Mirkovic got some minutes early but has not seen a lot of action.
Instead, NU has used some of its veterans to establish a defensive tone. Junior guard Jeremy Nash provided his usual defensive spark off the bench and even hit a 3-pointer with one minute left to make it a four-point game.
This is certrainly a game that is still in reach, but the Cats have to continue their aggression on offense and work inside-out for their 3-point shots. Mor importantly, they have to make free throws. NU was only 7 of 14 in the half.
Don’t expect Florida State to commit another 11 turnovers in the second half. When the Seminoles have taken shots, they have made them. That might continue. NU will need another strong defensive effort to keep this one close until the end.
