MAC In The CIT: Oakland Bear Hugs Bowling Green

Well, I went through 90 minutes of metro Detroit traffic for this. I can't say it was something I regret, especially given the score but ... man, Reggie Hamilton really ruined my night, if possible. 39 points was announced as a single-game CIT scoring record, a prestigious mark that probably dates back a few years. But when a cat scores 39 points in a single game, your team better have someone that scores 40. Bowling Green didn't have that.

They had ... well they had a chance to keep it close, but that second half really smashed 'em good. I don't think I've ever seen a player like Hamilton have the half he did. I could tell the points were piling up, but once he made the most acrobatic of and-one layups I've seen in a while, I couldn't help but tip my cap and clap. This is something I actually did, while wearing orange and brown.

And I think I gathered this heading to the fabled "O'rena." The joke I kept to myself was I just wanted to see one more Jordon Crawford to Torian Oglesby alleyoop ... and I saw that rather quickly early on. That cranelike Scott Thomas runner was also present, as was him running the point on the full-court press. The neat little Dee Brown mid-range jumper. A`uston Calhoun posting up and posting up and posting up. So many cool things.

And Oglesby's just overall presence. I can't say enough about his two years. He really added the dash of excitement to the BGSU team I was longing to see. He's not Keith McLeod by ANY means but he had that level of excitement. He's Otis Polk with flair. He began organized basketball late in his career, so if he can polish some of his games, I could possibly see him cracking an NBDL roster but I'm pretty sure I saw the last of him in the states.

And that's why I went. Another CIT game would've been sweet — and Oakland plays Toledo next so it seems likely that BGSU and Toledo may have rematched — but after the CMU game I thought the team was doneski. This CIT bid, meaningless as it was in the scope of the sport, gave this team a reprisal.

Thanks, Falcons. 16-16 isn't much to hang your hat on, but the way you won the 16 was dazzling, and most of the other 16 losses had at least fruitful moments. But it's the CIT — maybe they'll somehow get back into the bracket.

Sidenote: I hugged Clawzz, one of the OU mascots. It was a very "all of us each of us" moment.