Pilots @ San Diego 2/8

The Pilots lost to USD, but the players gave a valiant effort throughout the game before finally succumbing in 2-OTs, 88-80.  

They were actually on the brink of winning toward the end of regulation and again toward the end of the first OT, but then Diabate fouled-out after being in foul trouble early, and USD simply took over in the second OT.

It's hard to say what happened to the team that at the beginning of the season was converting a high percentage of 3-pointers, but tonight they were only 4-19.

The Pilots scored 46 points in the second half, and watching the game online, I thought UP would win...but instead the Pilots are now all alone in last place.  

I was proud of the effort they gave, and the guys have no reason to hang their heads, but I'm sure they're simply gutted.

It's tough to win when you can't remember how...

Have the Pilots ever intentionally fouled when up three and under 10 seconds to go?

This reminded me of a game against USF a few years back where the same thing happened. Dons hit a three at the buzzer then won in OT. Don't recall if it was Reveno era or Porter era.

Dean Murdoch wrote:Have the Pilots ever intentionally fouled when up three and under 10 seconds to go?

I was once told that among the reasons Rev’s contract was not renewed in 2016 was because the Pilots did NOT intentionally foul a Weber State shooter before he made a 25-footer with 0.8 seconds left to tie the game in the Moda Center earlier that season, a game the Pilots eventually lost in OT.

Rev later said he would, in the future, in the same circumstances, foul with under 5 seconds to go.  

I was watching the USD game with others last Saturday when everyone was yelling, “foul him, foul him,” before the USD shooter hit the three-pointer to tie the game and ultimately snatch double-OT victory from the Pilots...with 3.8 seconds left in regulation.

I don’t know what TP’s orders were, but it’s assumed he did not order the defender to foul the shooter before he sank the shot, and the Pilots…

With Reveno, I always worried that after the intentional foul, the Pilots would not be able to successfully execute the inbounds play.

Immediately after the made free throw, I was also hoping for the foul.

But in fairness to the UP coaching staff, how many times does Calcaterra hit that shot? Akwuba gave him too much room after the switch given the situation, but it's still a tough shot with Calcaterra's momentum going towards the sideline away from the benches. If you had stopped the video at the point of release and had me pick between a foul or conceding that shot, I'd have picked the shot.

Interesting read here by Kenpom from a few years back - https://kenpom.com/blog/yet-another-study-about-fouling-when-up-3/ - "To me, the only conclusion one can make is that the criticism of coaches that choose to defend appears to be misplaced. A small percentage of the time you’ll get burned no matter what you choose to do."

I'm not convinced it's the right strategy 100% of the time, but I wouldn't mind seeing the Pilots try it once.

For me, this specific situation is a tough one to foul in because Calcaterra is almost immeadiatley coming off the screen. As we have seen Dame Lillard do so many times, there is a good chance that if we foul we are risking 3 free throws for Calcaterra and at that point I would much rather have him shoot and off balance three. That being said, bad luck seems to have a way of finding the Pilots and he made a heck of a shot.
For me its a different story if Calcaterra is bringing the ball up the floor instead