College Basketball Road Trip: Sights and sounds from the MVC tourney
The FOX Sports College Basketball Road Trip is in beautiful St. Louis, Mo., home of Nelly, Anheuser-Busch and the 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament! We originally were scheduled to be in Connecticut for Harvard vs. Yale, but we detoured west for some MVC quarterfinal action. (That was going to be a long haul to New Haven.)
With a lot of basketball ahead on our Friday schedule, I think I will do a running diary of the afternoon for you folks at home. Yeah, that sounds fun. Let's do that.
******
12 p.m.
After a scenic morning drive from Cincinnati and a delicious breakfast in the media room, we are in our seats -- well, someone's seats -- just in time for tip-off in the first of two afternoon games at the MVC Tournament. The opening act features the conference's headliner in undefeated Wichita State, and the Evansville Purple Aces, the ninth-seeded team that defeated Drake on Thursday in the opening round.
It's a pretty good crowd here at the Scottrade Center with about 90 percent of fans wearing Wichita State yellow. The Shockers fans made the six-hour drive from Wichita to watch their team chase a 32-0 record and the first conference tournament championship since 1987.
Evansville's crowd arrived here together in a Volkswagen.
12:17 p.m.
The game is relatively close, but it's clear Wichita State will be too much for the Aces to handle. Evansville is hanging around but it's no match for the nation's second-ranked team and it's only a matter of time until this one turns into a blowout.
Evansville guard D.J. Balentine, left, and Wichita State guard Tekele Cotton battle for a loose ball in the first half.
12:35 p.m.
It would be impossible for us to sit any farther away from the action. We're so high up in the Scottrade Center, if they need a lightbulb changed, I'm their guy.
12:55 p.m.
Wichita State leads Evansville, 41-31, at the break. Halftime entertainment includes two kids racing from end to end in oversized uniforms for a layup, followed by performances from the Wichita State and Evansville dance teams.
For those of you keeping score at home, we've now heard "Timber" by Pitbull and Ke$ha 489 times on this trip.
1:18 p.m.
The three students in the Evansville student section are doing all they can to fire up their Aces. With his team down 13 at the 15:53 mark, the Evansville mascot dances around the foul line like no one is watching. Because no one is watching.
Wichita State converts an and-one right out of the timeout to extend the lead to 16.
1:27 p.m.
Did you know the Aces nickname came from a former University of Louisville head coach? After losing to Evansville by 20 during the 1924-25 season, Louisville's coach told Evansville coach John Harmon, "You didn't have four aces up your sleeve, you had five!"
Evansville's team was known as the Pioneers at the time, but Harmon and a local sportswriter decided Aces sounded better.
That's one of the things you research during a rout at the Missouri Valley Conference.
1:33 p.m.
A three-pointer from Wichita State's Ron Baker stretches the lead to 21. Baker leads the Shockers with 14.
Evansville calls a timeout as the crowd sings "You Don't Want To Go To War With The Shockers" with the Wichita pep band. The song took off last March when head coach Gregg Marshall danced to the beat after his team's win over one-seeded Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament. It is played during the second half of Wichita games to fire up the team for the final stretch.
And now it's stuck in my head.
1:45 p.m.
TRIVIA TIME!
A random Wichita State fan was selected to answer six trivia questions during a timeout. He did not do well.
1. If it's 1:45 Central Standard time, what time is it in Los Angeles?
His answer: "Pass."
Come on, man.
2. What is the name of Wichita State's mascot?
His answer: "Ummmmm..."
It's WuShock.
The Wichita State Shockers mascot performs before a game against the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers on Jan. 28 at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas.
3. How many Gs are in head coach Gregg Marshall's first name?
His answer: "Two."
Wrong.
4. What movie did Matthew McConaughey recently win an Oscar for?
His answer: (Silence.)
"Dallas Buyers Club".
5. Who defeated Wichita State in the 2013 Final Four?
His answer: "Louisville."
Correct.
6.) How many tablespoons are in a cup?
His answer: "Eight."
Wrong. Sixteen.
You win nothing, sir. Thanks for playing.
1:56 p.m.
We have another timeout with 3:46 remaining and Wichita State barely clinging to a 25-point lead. The three Evansville students appear to be arguing over whose idea it was to drive to St. Louis this morning. I'll keep an eye on this one and report back with any developments. I'm predicting a long walk home for someone.
2 p.m.
Evansville's D.J. Balentine now has more than half his team's points with 28.
D.J. Balentine of the Evansville Aces looks to get past Tekele Cotton of the Wichita State Shockers on his way to the basket.
2:01 p.m.
Make that 31.
2:05 p.m.
Final score: 80-58, Wichita State. The Shockers move to 32-0 and will play the winner of Missouri State and Illinois State, the second game of the Friday afternoon session.
2:19 p.m.
In the postgame press conference, Wichita forward Ron Baker told reporters the 31-0 regular-season record is an afterthought and he and his teammates are now 1-0. Baker said the goal is to win three games in St. Louis and they are taking it one game at a time.
Also in the postgame press conference: NBA sideline reporter Craig Sager wearing the ugliest sweater known to man.
2:38 p.m.
Missouri State and Illinois State just tipped off with less than half of the audience from the first game. Wichita State was the big draw, obviously, and most of those fans left Scottrade Center to take in the sights, sounds and Budweiser of downtown St. Louis.
2:54 p.m.
Missouri State leads 10-2 six minutes into the game. The Bears have three students in their student section, sitting in the same exact seats as the three Evansville fans from the game before. I'm convinced it is the same three people in new T-shirts. I smell foul play here and I don't like it.
3:09 p.m.
The game is off to a slow start as Missouri State leads 15-10 with a little more than seven minutes to go in the first half. Zach Lofton has seven of Illinois State's 10 points off the bench to lead all scorers. The Redbirds are 2-for-14 from the field.
Missouri State's Ron Mvouika saves a ball from going out of bounds, next to Illinois State's Paris Lee.
Zzzzzzzzzzz...
3:30 p.m.
Illinois State trails 22-17 at halftime. Missouri State is shooting 27 percent from the field, only to be outdone by the Redbirds' 20 percent -- and 10 percent from outside the three-point line. It gets worse: The teams are a combined 11-for-23 from the free throw line.
Halftime entertainment, once again, is two kids racing from end to end in oversized uniforms for a layup, followed by the dance teams.
And if you're still keeping score at home, we just heard "Timber" for the one-billionth time this week, a new world record. A special thank you to Kentucky, Manhattan, Virginia, Villanova, Pittsburgh, Illinois, Indiana, Cincinnati and everyone else who made it possible.
4:06 p.m.
Three consecutive Zach Lofton three-pointers cut Missouri State's lead to one after the Redbirds trailed by 10 moments ago. What little following Illinois State has behind its goal is now up and doing its best to create some noise.
Lofton has 18 of his team's 33 points with 12 minutes to go in the game. If Illinois State is going to win this one, he'll have to keep that hot hand going because no one else in red is showing us anything. This has the potential to be a career day for the sophomore guard.
4:21 p.m.
Time to play "Name That Song"!!!!!
One lucky fan was pulled out of the crowd to guess the song playing over the system as quickly as possible.
Annndddd of course the song is "Timber". Why wouldn't it be?
4:29 p.m.
Another three-pointer from Lofton (his fifth in the game) followed by an and-one play from Paris Lee and Illinois State has its first lead at 43-41. Lofton now has 23 points, one off his career high, with four minutes remaining.
This one is going down to the wire.
4:39 p.m.
A Keith Prickett bucket with 38.5 seconds to go gives Missouri State a 50-46 lead. Timeout on the floor.
Give the rock to Lofton, Illinois State. Let him eat!
4:41 p.m.
Lofton got a look from deep but he did not "eat." He didn't even draw iron.
This one appears to be over.
4:46 p.m.
Final score: 53-48, Missouri State
Have fun with Wichita State on Saturday. Good luck with that, Bears.
We'll be back with more from the night session after dinner. More MVC!!!!!
