Mini Basketball Recap (Oklahoma State 97 - Purdue 87) and Preview (Washington State - Friday, 11:00 AM - ESPNU)

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!  Today's game deserves an epic recap, but with family commitments and a game tomorrow morning, here's a really quick recap of the game...

• A horrible start made me absolutely sick by halftime.  It was embarrassing and I was really glad most people were watching football or the dog show.  Jay Simpson got ejected for a stupid shove to the face (although I think Flagrant 2 might have been a bit excessive), the refs were making the game unwatchable, and Marcus Smart was showing how he should have been the #1 pick last year - he's pretty amazing.
• Then something happened.  Matt Painter must have had one heck of a halftime speech, as the Boilers cut a 23 point halftime lead to 4 with 3 minutes to go (on a 28-foot bomb by Kendall Stephens).  Unfortunately, Markel Brown stepped up and showed how good this Cowboy team is and gave Oklahoma State the win.  Sure, it helped that Smart got into foul trouble due to a questionable foul call followed by an unquestionable technical (immediately going from 2 to 4 fouls early in the second half), but the fight the Boilers showed against the #5 team in the nation - a team that played VERY well - can give us hope that this season can definitely be something special.
• I mentioned the refs, but my gosh was the first half brutal to watch.  The game lasted over 2 1/2 hours as the refs just took over. You've already heard my rants on the refs - I'm worried they're ruining the game.  Luckily, the Boilers' run in the second half reminded me how fun this game can really be.

The next game is against Washington State (11:00 AM, Friday, ESPNU) who lost to Butler 76-69.  The Cougars have wins over Cal Bakersfield and Lamar, but have losses to Gonzaga and TCU.  Purdue should be favored to take care of business in this one, and while a win wouldn't be a huge help, it would be a win over a power conference team and set up a game most likely against a decent St. Joes team which would help the RPI.  A loss not only hurts, but probably sets up a rematch against a bad Siena team.  If the Boilers can win out, they can build on some major momentum and potentially start looking ahead to sweeping the rest of the nonconference schedule.

Boiler Up!

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