Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down in the Georgia State Loss

The Dukes came up short against Georgia State tonight, falling 67-64 in the Convo. Yet again, JMU hung in there against a team from the top half of the league, but couldn’t get over the hump. It’s just the same old story with this team. They seem to consistently play to the level of the competition. On nights like tonight you can try to console yourself by playing the moral victory card. Yet other times, like Saturday when they struggled to beat a 1-25 Towson team (and got outrebounded by 30 boards in the process), you could just as easily beat yourself up by playing the moral loss card. Tonight’s contest was tight for most of the first half until the Dukes let Georgia State go on a bit of run to go up 35-27 at the break. The Dukes came out of the locker room like a team possessed and made it a neck and neck contest. Unfortunately, Devon Moore had a costly turnover in the closing minutes and Georgia State closed the game out from the line.

Thumbs Up

Andrey Semenov – The Russian has been red hot from 3 point range since the ODU game. He hit a career high 6 treys tonight and led the team with 22 points. For a guy who most of us assumed would never be more than a super sub because of his back issues, he’s certainly elevated his game.

A.J. Davis – He dropped 20 points to go along with 5 boards and 5 assists. He had a rough night from long range, going 2 for 8 from behind the arc, but on a team with few offensive options he got the job done.

The Rally – I’m absolutely sick of forcing myself to drink the kool aid and writing about how impressed I am with the Dukes’ effort. However, this team has nothing to play for and appeared ready to let the game get out of hand before half-time, so I was at least encouraged by the furious second half rally.

Thumbs Down

Humpty’s Injury – Oh, I didn’t mention this yet. Maybe I’m trying to pretend it didn’t happen, but Humpty Hitchens hurt his shoulder and was forced to sit out for most of the second half. Brady said they think it’s a sprain and Humpty might miss a game or two. Let’s hope that’s all it is. After the effort Humpty has given all season, it would be a shame to see his senior season end prematurely.

Devon’s Turnover – These things happen. I don’t want to crush a guy for making a mistake,  but it was a costly mistake. The guy is playing with a busted hand though and iced the win over Towson from the line Saturday, so he’s still breaking even.

The Panthers Free Throw Shooting – Georgia State went 21 for 24 from the line. That’s a tremendous shooting effort by them. It also points out one of the Dukes critical weaknesses this year, they foul way too much. JMU puts guys on the line all too often, which has been the difference in close games. And if you want to say that lazy defense is a primary cause of fouls, well I won’t argue with you.