Chicago 85 IWU 70

After playing Chicago to a 1-point game (35-34) in the 1st half Saturday, I'm still not exactly sure what happened to the Titans in the first 4:39 of the 2nd. The Maroons's 18-0 run from the start of the half to the 15:21 mark was obviously the difference in the game. 4 minutes and 39 seconds -- it sure doesn't take a very long lapse to totally lose control of a game, does it?

During that 18-0 barage, Chicago made 4 3-pointers (Nate Hainje 2, Adam Machones 1, Jake Pancratz 1) and 3 layups (2 by Hainje, 1 by Matt Corning). Obviously the Titans struggled to defend the perimeter - a problem all season long - and when they tried to get out there, they gave up easy baskets inside.

On the offensive end, I thought the Titans played without composure. Obviously, the way to stop a run is to score, and the Titans just could not put the ball in the basket. There were a couple key turnovers and then a bunch of shots that didn't fall. The more they got down, the more things seemed to unravel on the offensive side of the floor. As young and inexperienced as this team is, I guess that shouldn't be a huge surprise. Again, this year is all about keeping perspective.

On Saturday, Chicago really exposed IWU's defensive struggles. As I see it, the Titans' fate the remainder of 2007-08 hinges on their ability to improve defensively. I'm very confident that this team will be fine - maybe even very good - on offense, but the Titans are going to need to make some defensive adjustments based on what teams are doing against them.

The great thing is that they don't have to think about the Chicago game for very long - Hanover, a team probably better than Chicago, comes to town tomorrow. The roller coaster ride continues!