Elite Eight is done and Final Four is set.
UNC will take on Tennessee
Rutgers will take on LSU
First of all, the moment I decide to cheer for UConn the rest of the way, they lose. Needless to say, I'm losing all faith in my predicting power and I'm gaining more faith in my being a jinx to the teams I root for.
Still though, I thought I'll give the Final Four a chance. Anyway, I dislike both UNC and Tennessee so it doesn't matter if I jinx who I pick. It'll be Tennessee. Candace Parker will play fantastically and Ivory Latta will go around making those bug-eyed faces (When her eyes get really REALLY big) and flexing her muscles while hitting a woeful percentage from the floor. Erlana Larkins will be the one to keep UNC moderately close in this game. In the end, Pat Summitt and her Vols will reach the National Championship game.
On the other side, I think I like LSU better. I'm torn with Rutgers. Do I want them to be beaten really badly after beating my Dukies? Or do I want them to win it all so that I can say that my Dukies lost to the eventual champs? I don't know. Regardless, I think that whoever gets out of this game loses to the winner of the other game. Anyway, I'll go LSU but if they lose I swear I'm not even going to wear Storm gear this WNBA season. I'm too dangerous.
Lindsey Harding won WBCA Defensive Player of the Year honors. :) This is great, great news and well deserved. I still hope Phoenix trades that number 1 draft pick to one of those teams looking for a PG so Harding can get taken number one. Come on, Merc. It's your duty. :) Besides, I don't think they'll take Ali at number 1 so it will probably be Davenport. Meh, I want a Dukie to go number one.
Duke has allowed Texas to contact Coach G. Five minutes after I hear this news (well, read it), people are swearing that she's in Austin already! Waitasec, didn't we just play a game on Saturday? I swear I thought that it would take at least a week for them to attempt to hire her. Howsabout a really really bad week for the Duke players, huh? On ESPN, Kara Lawson and Nancy Lieberman apparently said that it's basically in the bag.
Ok, how's this for how I'm feeling. Yes, I knew that there was always a huge possibility that she'd take the Texas job. I mean, all the signs were pointing to it. Isn't this kind of soon though? One reason is that there are so many coaching vacancies open that everyone is trying to land their right candidate/their right job quickly to avoid getting lost in the shuffle. Still, three days after mourning the Duke loss and already I think I might have something else to mourn about. I've disliked everything Longhorns for awhile (Because of their football mind you, not women's basketball). Does this mean I need to start lookin at those Texas baseball caps that are everywhere? Ugh. Duke fans on message boards I've read are being very classy about this whole thing. It's great to see.
Longhorn fans are so excited on their board. Great, they should be. Still doesn't make me feel any better though.
Fingers crossed still. But really, what the hell else would she be doing in Austin? Checking out the facilities?
Oh yeah, and on an unrelated but sigh-inducing note. Bruce Pearl, Tennessee men's head coach, was offered a job (for the life of me I can't remember the school and it's not really important anyway to my story so I just won't name it) and he turned it down right away saying that he wanted to end speculations and show his commitment or something to the fans, admin, etc.
When the Texas rumors started swirling around first and Coach G gave a very politically correct answer, I told my sister: Well, it's not like she could say anything else at that point, whether it be absolutely no or absolutely yes. From Bruce Pearl: I guess you can. Damnit, damnit, damnit. Fuggedaboutit...I'm going to start hounding the web for Seattle Storm news. (Speaking of, has Birdy signed yet???)
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Heartbreaker: Duke Falls to Rutgers in the Sweet Sixteen
There's only one word that can describe what I've been feeling for the past five or so hours.
Ouch.
In stunning fashion, Duke's "dream" season ended 53-52 to Rutgers. I was worried about this game for a number of reasons (see my post previewing Duke's NCAA Tournament) and I was worried about this match up since it got set. Somewhere in me, however, I always hoped that I was just being pessimistic and we could pull this off. Heck, Duke's been able to pull it off numerous times this season.
As I was watching the livestats on my computer, I started getting a little worried because it seemed to me that our players were not hitting their shots. We were down early but Duke woke up and grabbed the halftime lead. At this point, I started telling myself that we were going to be okay.
Second half I was pacing and pulling my hair, biting my nails, waiting for the frigging game to end with us snatching the victory to move into the Elite Eight.
It was not to be. Late in the game, Rutgers grabbed a one point lead. However, Lindsey Harding was fouled with practically no time left on the clock. She had 2 free throws to steal the game from Rutgers. Heartbreakingly and shockingly, Harding missed both free throws pretty badly. Game over and season over for the Duke Blue Devils.
I was stunned for about half an hour. Kind of stunned now as well but more saddened. I was depressed for a bit about it but then it turned into a lesser version of disappointment. I saw the video of Harding lying on the court after the game. She was just covering her face and not moving. Her teammates were all around her, I guess trying to make her feel better. It honestly broke my heart. Lindsey was the engine of this team this year. Apart from this, she was the heart. I don't think anyone played with as much heart as she did, leading this Duke team to a remarkable season. She must feel like crap but I don't want her to. It could have happened to anyone. Sadly for her, it happened to her. Still, this 30-2 season, so unreal for so many reasons, can be attributed to Lindsey Harding. She's a Duke hero and I doubt anyone, apart from bandwagon fans, will be calling for her head for this. I know that she's still my hero. She's going to go on to the WNBA and the national team and blow up and become a spectacular professional player. She deserves it and she will take it. I know that I'm going to be cheering for whichever team is lucky enough to get her. Sadly it won't be my Storm who pick seventh.
Those freethrows don't tell the whole story. This whole game, the shots weren't falling, Rutgers seemed to be playing better. I honestly don't know what happened. To be honest, this seemed to be the way Duke was playing since the Temple game. I remember that they won over Temple but they didn't play convincingly enough for me.
Alison Bales, our other great senior, was a force today. And I mean a "damn she's not going to be in Dukie blue next year" kinda force. 21 pts, 4 blocks, 3 assists and 4 rebounds. I feel bad for her too because I think she left it all out there today. She did everything in her power to get this victory for her team and she just fell short. The good news is that she was probably the only Dukie to really play at championship caliber level today and, considering that the Phoenix Mercury are looking for a post player, she could just have played herself into a No. 1 Draft Pick. Again, like Lindsey, I'll instantly become a fan of whatever team Ali gets to play for. She's been a great Duke player, that's for sure.
As for the rest of the players, I think Carrem Gay had the best overall night (based on stats) among the rest. She looked pretty solid. Sadly, for me and obviously for her, Abby Waner did not play well today. She just wasn't shooting the ball very well. Was it a product of good defense? I know one thing. Abby's had some incredibly awesome shooting nights and some really oddly absent shooting nights. If this is a product of superb defense, I think she needs to work a little harder on trying to get open because we're going to need her to be hot every game next year to contend. I love Abby Waner and she's still my fave Devil but I'd love for her to be a little bit more consistent. I feel bad for Abby now as well because she always seems to take everything basketball-related very hard. I read somewhere that she couldn't really speak so much during the press conference because she was holding back tears or something. I know last year, after the loss to Maryland, she was inconsolable. I hope she wins one while at Duke. Two more years, girl. Hold your head up.
Now for the other variable: Gail Goestenkors and Duke. Now let the posturing begin. Which school will offer the highest prize? Is it going to be Texas, Florida, LSU? There are a lot of coaching vacancies this year, making this even more exciting. Okay, I'm hiding my anguish at the thought of her leaving Duke. I'd be one happy Devil fan if I find out that she's staying. I just don't see it happening. I kept asking myself and my sister before this loss whether Coach G would be more likely to leave if they won the national championship or not. Now I believe that she'll leave because of all the disappointment she's experienced at Duke. Maybe she feels like she can't win one while at Duke and she'd like to try something fresh and new. This would suck for Duke. Some people question her coaching style and her effectiveness during the big games. While these are meritous arguments, I'm going to make an emotion-driven statement. I'd like her to stay just because I respect her and I like her. Period. Well, okay, there's the fact that she's winning a whole lot of games every year, making it an awesome college basketball season for me. But there's the bigger picture here. I respect her and thus I respect her product, regardless of what it is. Still though, I believe she'll leave. The funny thing? I want her to be successful at her new school. I think she deserves the success and a national championship eventually. I just hope Duke finds a respectable, likable and effective coach to replace her.
Anyway, the stats don't really seem to matter to me too much right now. I'm not going to put them up.
UConn-NC State game going on right now. UConn is my second favorite team but I'd also like Kay Yow's great run to continue. Whoever gets out of this game will get my support.
Thank you to all the Blue Devils players and coaching staff. This was an amazing, amazing year. It was something that I'll always remember for the excitement and emotion. I'm proud to be a Blue Devil fan.
Ouch.
In stunning fashion, Duke's "dream" season ended 53-52 to Rutgers. I was worried about this game for a number of reasons (see my post previewing Duke's NCAA Tournament) and I was worried about this match up since it got set. Somewhere in me, however, I always hoped that I was just being pessimistic and we could pull this off. Heck, Duke's been able to pull it off numerous times this season.
As I was watching the livestats on my computer, I started getting a little worried because it seemed to me that our players were not hitting their shots. We were down early but Duke woke up and grabbed the halftime lead. At this point, I started telling myself that we were going to be okay.
Second half I was pacing and pulling my hair, biting my nails, waiting for the frigging game to end with us snatching the victory to move into the Elite Eight.
It was not to be. Late in the game, Rutgers grabbed a one point lead. However, Lindsey Harding was fouled with practically no time left on the clock. She had 2 free throws to steal the game from Rutgers. Heartbreakingly and shockingly, Harding missed both free throws pretty badly. Game over and season over for the Duke Blue Devils.
I was stunned for about half an hour. Kind of stunned now as well but more saddened. I was depressed for a bit about it but then it turned into a lesser version of disappointment. I saw the video of Harding lying on the court after the game. She was just covering her face and not moving. Her teammates were all around her, I guess trying to make her feel better. It honestly broke my heart. Lindsey was the engine of this team this year. Apart from this, she was the heart. I don't think anyone played with as much heart as she did, leading this Duke team to a remarkable season. She must feel like crap but I don't want her to. It could have happened to anyone. Sadly for her, it happened to her. Still, this 30-2 season, so unreal for so many reasons, can be attributed to Lindsey Harding. She's a Duke hero and I doubt anyone, apart from bandwagon fans, will be calling for her head for this. I know that she's still my hero. She's going to go on to the WNBA and the national team and blow up and become a spectacular professional player. She deserves it and she will take it. I know that I'm going to be cheering for whichever team is lucky enough to get her. Sadly it won't be my Storm who pick seventh.
Those freethrows don't tell the whole story. This whole game, the shots weren't falling, Rutgers seemed to be playing better. I honestly don't know what happened. To be honest, this seemed to be the way Duke was playing since the Temple game. I remember that they won over Temple but they didn't play convincingly enough for me.
Alison Bales, our other great senior, was a force today. And I mean a "damn she's not going to be in Dukie blue next year" kinda force. 21 pts, 4 blocks, 3 assists and 4 rebounds. I feel bad for her too because I think she left it all out there today. She did everything in her power to get this victory for her team and she just fell short. The good news is that she was probably the only Dukie to really play at championship caliber level today and, considering that the Phoenix Mercury are looking for a post player, she could just have played herself into a No. 1 Draft Pick. Again, like Lindsey, I'll instantly become a fan of whatever team Ali gets to play for. She's been a great Duke player, that's for sure.
As for the rest of the players, I think Carrem Gay had the best overall night (based on stats) among the rest. She looked pretty solid. Sadly, for me and obviously for her, Abby Waner did not play well today. She just wasn't shooting the ball very well. Was it a product of good defense? I know one thing. Abby's had some incredibly awesome shooting nights and some really oddly absent shooting nights. If this is a product of superb defense, I think she needs to work a little harder on trying to get open because we're going to need her to be hot every game next year to contend. I love Abby Waner and she's still my fave Devil but I'd love for her to be a little bit more consistent. I feel bad for Abby now as well because she always seems to take everything basketball-related very hard. I read somewhere that she couldn't really speak so much during the press conference because she was holding back tears or something. I know last year, after the loss to Maryland, she was inconsolable. I hope she wins one while at Duke. Two more years, girl. Hold your head up.
Now for the other variable: Gail Goestenkors and Duke. Now let the posturing begin. Which school will offer the highest prize? Is it going to be Texas, Florida, LSU? There are a lot of coaching vacancies this year, making this even more exciting. Okay, I'm hiding my anguish at the thought of her leaving Duke. I'd be one happy Devil fan if I find out that she's staying. I just don't see it happening. I kept asking myself and my sister before this loss whether Coach G would be more likely to leave if they won the national championship or not. Now I believe that she'll leave because of all the disappointment she's experienced at Duke. Maybe she feels like she can't win one while at Duke and she'd like to try something fresh and new. This would suck for Duke. Some people question her coaching style and her effectiveness during the big games. While these are meritous arguments, I'm going to make an emotion-driven statement. I'd like her to stay just because I respect her and I like her. Period. Well, okay, there's the fact that she's winning a whole lot of games every year, making it an awesome college basketball season for me. But there's the bigger picture here. I respect her and thus I respect her product, regardless of what it is. Still though, I believe she'll leave. The funny thing? I want her to be successful at her new school. I think she deserves the success and a national championship eventually. I just hope Duke finds a respectable, likable and effective coach to replace her.
Anyway, the stats don't really seem to matter to me too much right now. I'm not going to put them up.
UConn-NC State game going on right now. UConn is my second favorite team but I'd also like Kay Yow's great run to continue. Whoever gets out of this game will get my support.
Thank you to all the Blue Devils players and coaching staff. This was an amazing, amazing year. It was something that I'll always remember for the excitement and emotion. I'm proud to be a Blue Devil fan.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Coach Goestenkors Rumors
Apart from watching the NCAA Women's Tournament closely and devotedly, I've been following this piece of news with horror and dread.
Yes, there has been much more shocking news in women's basketball in the past few weeks. One of them being the Pokey Chatman scandal. She resigned as LSU's head coach right before the tournament. While no evidence has come out yet, the rumblings are that she was found to have exhibited inappropriate conduct with a former player. Yes, this is definitely bigger and more damaging than the rumor that is now playing tricks on my mind.
As a Duke fan though, that takes second seat to much scarier rumblings.
Coach G leaving Duke after this season.
Rumors started after Jody Conradt resigned as Texas HC on Selection Monday. At this point, I was just sad that she had resigned. Then the articles started coming out and forums have been buzzing. Coach G heads their list of potential successors. People on the Texas board were thrilled to hear this. As they should be.
The way Coach G handles herself and conducts her program, her class and integrity, have made it easy for me to be a Duke fan, to root for them. I started out as a die-hard UConn fan. When I realized I wanted to cheer for a program for it being what it is instead of being Sue Bird's alma mater, I searched for a team that I could follow and latch on to. Duke had signed a fantastic shooter in Abby Waner. So check that off my list. I love pure and damn good shooters. I also found out that they had a superb point guard in Lindsey Harding. Okay, I need a team with a great point guard to kinda be Birdy-like. Check that one off. Other teams had one or even both of these. What pushed it over the edge for me was the entire quality of the program. I read press conference quotes, read about their history. I loved Coach G and the job she had done in building that program and assembling a classy group of players. She also seemed like someone I'd like to play for (with another foot in height of course).
I know I'm a noob in terms of being a Duke fan but I am one and I have been for the past two years. Losing Coach G, maybe because some stupid, idiotic, *%&($ Athletic Director decides not to match the money some other big program offers her, would hurt a lot. Alleva makes some dumbass comments about how coaches like Auriemma and Summit bring money to their programs while the Duke program does not. But then he goes and says that he hopes Coach G would stay. Umm....after saying that? Basically trashing the program saying, you know, we don't need to match because she's not really an elite coach? That's bull.
Should we review the past fifteen years Coach G has dedicated to Duke? Should we review wins, losses, recruiting, NCAA appearances? How about something that may not translate into numbers? Respectability, class, integrity? How about putting the Duke women on the map, garnering attention as one of the top...TOP programs in the country?
Duke's athletic department would be insane to let Coach G walk. Insane. Okay, tell me. Who the hell are you going to get to replace her that can be as successful or more successful than she has been? DON'T. DO. IT.
On a more pragmatic note, my problem with this is how this will affect future recruiting and even the competitiveness of this program. My problem with this, on a personal note, is if they get some annoying personality on the Duke sideline. It would be very hard for me to cheer for them.
If Coach G chooses to leave, then that's another story. I can't really blame her for it. But it would sadden me greatly.
Anyway, I'll just keep my fingers crossed for now.
There's still this NCAA Tournament to follow. :) GO BLUE DEVILS!!!!
Yes, there has been much more shocking news in women's basketball in the past few weeks. One of them being the Pokey Chatman scandal. She resigned as LSU's head coach right before the tournament. While no evidence has come out yet, the rumblings are that she was found to have exhibited inappropriate conduct with a former player. Yes, this is definitely bigger and more damaging than the rumor that is now playing tricks on my mind.
As a Duke fan though, that takes second seat to much scarier rumblings.
Coach G leaving Duke after this season.
Rumors started after Jody Conradt resigned as Texas HC on Selection Monday. At this point, I was just sad that she had resigned. Then the articles started coming out and forums have been buzzing. Coach G heads their list of potential successors. People on the Texas board were thrilled to hear this. As they should be.
The way Coach G handles herself and conducts her program, her class and integrity, have made it easy for me to be a Duke fan, to root for them. I started out as a die-hard UConn fan. When I realized I wanted to cheer for a program for it being what it is instead of being Sue Bird's alma mater, I searched for a team that I could follow and latch on to. Duke had signed a fantastic shooter in Abby Waner. So check that off my list. I love pure and damn good shooters. I also found out that they had a superb point guard in Lindsey Harding. Okay, I need a team with a great point guard to kinda be Birdy-like. Check that one off. Other teams had one or even both of these. What pushed it over the edge for me was the entire quality of the program. I read press conference quotes, read about their history. I loved Coach G and the job she had done in building that program and assembling a classy group of players. She also seemed like someone I'd like to play for (with another foot in height of course).
I know I'm a noob in terms of being a Duke fan but I am one and I have been for the past two years. Losing Coach G, maybe because some stupid, idiotic, *%&($ Athletic Director decides not to match the money some other big program offers her, would hurt a lot. Alleva makes some dumbass comments about how coaches like Auriemma and Summit bring money to their programs while the Duke program does not. But then he goes and says that he hopes Coach G would stay. Umm....after saying that? Basically trashing the program saying, you know, we don't need to match because she's not really an elite coach? That's bull.
Should we review the past fifteen years Coach G has dedicated to Duke? Should we review wins, losses, recruiting, NCAA appearances? How about something that may not translate into numbers? Respectability, class, integrity? How about putting the Duke women on the map, garnering attention as one of the top...TOP programs in the country?
Duke's athletic department would be insane to let Coach G walk. Insane. Okay, tell me. Who the hell are you going to get to replace her that can be as successful or more successful than she has been? DON'T. DO. IT.
On a more pragmatic note, my problem with this is how this will affect future recruiting and even the competitiveness of this program. My problem with this, on a personal note, is if they get some annoying personality on the Duke sideline. It would be very hard for me to cheer for them.
If Coach G chooses to leave, then that's another story. I can't really blame her for it. But it would sadden me greatly.
Anyway, I'll just keep my fingers crossed for now.
There's still this NCAA Tournament to follow. :) GO BLUE DEVILS!!!!
2nd Round NCAA Duke Escapes Temple 62-52
I was a little worried about the game and apparently, according to the message board I read, Duke wasn't very sharp in this game. On one hand, it's good to win when you aren't playing your best. It gives you more confidence going ahead. On the other hand, at this point of the season, after losing only once before the tourney, they really shouldn't be having bad nights at this point. Six games of absolute full throttle control. It's a little crazy because they won by 10 points, by no means a narrow escape. It's a double digit win against a Temple team that, in my opinion, has a lot of talent (while others may not hold this same opinion). But Duke has set the bar high this season with their racking up win after win after win. A performance like this seems subpar from them. Hopefully they can use this as motivation to play freakingly well for four more games. Starting to worry a little bit. Still though, I'm very proud of them for getting to the Sweet Sixteen. Good going. :)
Top 5 Scorers:
Lindsey Harding--18
Wanisha Smith--15
Carrem Gay--13
Abby Waner--8
Bales, Cheek--4
(and actually, that's it. Those are the only people who scored....)
Top 5 Rebounds:
Carrem Gay--10
Wanisha Smith--7
Alison Bales--6
Lindsey Harding--3
Joy Cheek--3
Top 2 Assists:
Lindsey Harding--4
Wanisha Smith--3
Top 2 Steals:
Wanisha Smith--4
A. Waner, Harding--2
Top Blocks:
Alison Bales--2
Okay, some things I'd like to see in the next round (and I'm praying I'll see)
1. Alison Bales with more blocks and a higher shooting percentage
2. Better shooting from Wanisha Smith
3. More steals! We used to have tons of steals...
4. Can someone please get over there and tell them to practice free throws? I'll cry if they end up losing a game because of missed free throws.
Anyway, go Blue Devils! I can't believe I missed the live stats thing for this game because of frigging economics class...how dumb is that. Then again, I would have been tearing my hair out...
Top 5 Scorers:
Lindsey Harding--18
Wanisha Smith--15
Carrem Gay--13
Abby Waner--8
Bales, Cheek--4
(and actually, that's it. Those are the only people who scored....)
Top 5 Rebounds:
Carrem Gay--10
Wanisha Smith--7
Alison Bales--6
Lindsey Harding--3
Joy Cheek--3
Top 2 Assists:
Lindsey Harding--4
Wanisha Smith--3
Top 2 Steals:
Wanisha Smith--4
A. Waner, Harding--2
Top Blocks:
Alison Bales--2
Okay, some things I'd like to see in the next round (and I'm praying I'll see)
1. Alison Bales with more blocks and a higher shooting percentage
2. Better shooting from Wanisha Smith
3. More steals! We used to have tons of steals...
4. Can someone please get over there and tell them to practice free throws? I'll cry if they end up losing a game because of missed free throws.
Anyway, go Blue Devils! I can't believe I missed the live stats thing for this game because of frigging economics class...how dumb is that. Then again, I would have been tearing my hair out...
Tuesday's NCAA Women's Tourney Results
(1) Duke defeats (8) Temple 62-52
Duke PoG--L. Harding 18 pts, 4 assists, 3 rebounds
Temple PoG--K. Hairston 16 pts, 2 assists, 10 rebounds
(1) Tennessee defeats (8) Pittsburgh 68-54
Tennessee PoG--C. Parker 30 pts, 4 assists, 12 rebounds
Pittsburgh PoG--M. Walker 19 pts, 2 assists, 9 rebounds
(7) Mississippi defeats (2) Maryland 89-78
Mississippi PoG--A. Price 29 pts, 5 assists, 7 rebounds
Maryland PoG--M. Coleman 20 pts, 12 rebounds
(4) NC State defeats (5) Baylor 78-72
NC State PoG--K. Whittington 23 pts, 11 rebounds
Baylor PoG--B. Mosby 26 pts, 6 rebounds
(4) Rutgers defeats (5) Michigan State 70-57
Rutgers PoG--K. Vaughn 16 pts, 7 rebounds
Michigan State PoG--V. Lucas-Perry 17 pts, 3 assists, 10 rebounds
(1) Connecticut defeats (9) Wisconsin Green Bay 94-70
Connecticut PoG--T. Charles 22 pts, 7 rebounds
Wisconsin Green Bay PoG--N. Berglin 28 pts, 3 assists, 6 rebounds
(7) Bowling Green defeats (2) Vanderbilt 59-56
Bowling Green PoG--A. Flynn 19 pts, 3 rebounds
Vanderbilt PoG--L. Sherwood 18 pts, 5 rebounds
(1) North Carolina defeats (9) Notre Dame 60-51
North Carolina PoG--I. Latta 17 pts, 2 assists, 4 rebounds
Notre Dame PoG--C. Allen 21 pts, 4 rebounds
Duke PoG--L. Harding 18 pts, 4 assists, 3 rebounds
Temple PoG--K. Hairston 16 pts, 2 assists, 10 rebounds
(1) Tennessee defeats (8) Pittsburgh 68-54
Tennessee PoG--C. Parker 30 pts, 4 assists, 12 rebounds
Pittsburgh PoG--M. Walker 19 pts, 2 assists, 9 rebounds
(7) Mississippi defeats (2) Maryland 89-78
Mississippi PoG--A. Price 29 pts, 5 assists, 7 rebounds
Maryland PoG--M. Coleman 20 pts, 12 rebounds
(4) NC State defeats (5) Baylor 78-72
NC State PoG--K. Whittington 23 pts, 11 rebounds
Baylor PoG--B. Mosby 26 pts, 6 rebounds
(4) Rutgers defeats (5) Michigan State 70-57
Rutgers PoG--K. Vaughn 16 pts, 7 rebounds
Michigan State PoG--V. Lucas-Perry 17 pts, 3 assists, 10 rebounds
(1) Connecticut defeats (9) Wisconsin Green Bay 94-70
Connecticut PoG--T. Charles 22 pts, 7 rebounds
Wisconsin Green Bay PoG--N. Berglin 28 pts, 3 assists, 6 rebounds
(7) Bowling Green defeats (2) Vanderbilt 59-56
Bowling Green PoG--A. Flynn 19 pts, 3 rebounds
Vanderbilt PoG--L. Sherwood 18 pts, 5 rebounds
(1) North Carolina defeats (9) Notre Dame 60-51
North Carolina PoG--I. Latta 17 pts, 2 assists, 4 rebounds
Notre Dame PoG--C. Allen 21 pts, 4 rebounds
Monday, March 19, 2007
Tuesday Games: NCAA Women's Tourney
5:00 PM
(1) Duke versus (8) Temple
7:00 PM
(1) Tennessee versus (8) Pittsburgh
(2) Maryland versus (7) Mississippi
(5) Baylor versus (4) NC State
(5) Michigan State versus (4) Rutgers
9:00 PM
(9) Notre Dame versus (1) North Carolina
(9) Wisconsin Green Bay versus (1) Connecticut
(7) Bowling Green versus (2) Vanderbilt
(1) Duke versus (8) Temple
7:00 PM
(1) Tennessee versus (8) Pittsburgh
(2) Maryland versus (7) Mississippi
(5) Baylor versus (4) NC State
(5) Michigan State versus (4) Rutgers
9:00 PM
(9) Notre Dame versus (1) North Carolina
(9) Wisconsin Green Bay versus (1) Connecticut
(7) Bowling Green versus (2) Vanderbilt
Monday's NCAA Women's Tourney Results
(3) Oklahoma defeats (6) Marquette 78-47
Oklahoma PoG--C. Paris 24 pts, 10 rebounds
Marquette PoG--E. Osagie-Landry 10 pts, 8 rebounds
(3) Georgia defeats (6) Iowa State 76-56
Georgia PoG--T. Humphrey 21 pts, 7 rebounds
Iowa State PoG--T. Ross 11 pts, 9 rebounds
(13) Marist defeats (5) Middle Tennessee State 73-59
Marist PoG--N. Flores 21 pts, 3 rebounds
MTSU PoG--C. Givens 16 pts, 6 rebounds
(5) George Washington defeats (4) Texas A&M 59-47
George Washington PoG--K. Beck 18 pts, 4 assists, 5 rebounds
Texas A&M PoG--T. Starks 16 pts, 3 rebounds
(3) LSU defeats (11) West Virginia 49-43
LSU PoG--S. Fowles 21 pts, 13 rebounds
West Virginia PoG--A. Powell 13 pts, 3 rebounds
(2) Purdue defeats (7) Georgia Tech 76-63
Purdue PoG--K. Gearlds 26 pts, 4 rebounds
Georgia Tech PoG--S. Higgs 25 pts, 8 rebounds
(10) Florida State defeats (2) Stanford 68-61
Florida State PoG--M. Freshour 15 pts, 3 assists, 5 rebounds
Stanford PoG--C. Wiggins 19 pts, 5 assists, 5 rebounds
(3) Arizona State defeats (6) Louisville 67-58
Arizona State PoG--B. January 22 pts, 4 assists, 2 rebounds
Louisville PoG--J. Covington 11 pts, 12 rebounds
Oh my God...what a horrible day for my picks. I don't even want to talk about it. Good thing I don't put money on these things....I'm almost afraid to make picks for tomorrow...
Thank God (for my picks) LSU was able to pull it off. YES. Pull it off. They were down for awhile against the Mountaineers? What the hell???
My record today: 4-4 and it could have been a lot worse. LSU almost got beaten by WVU and Arizona State barely beat Louisville....
Anyway, GO BLUE DEVILS!!!!
I'm so nervous about tomorrow I won't be able to sit through my 5-8 class thinking about this game...
Oklahoma PoG--C. Paris 24 pts, 10 rebounds
Marquette PoG--E. Osagie-Landry 10 pts, 8 rebounds
(3) Georgia defeats (6) Iowa State 76-56
Georgia PoG--T. Humphrey 21 pts, 7 rebounds
Iowa State PoG--T. Ross 11 pts, 9 rebounds
(13) Marist defeats (5) Middle Tennessee State 73-59
Marist PoG--N. Flores 21 pts, 3 rebounds
MTSU PoG--C. Givens 16 pts, 6 rebounds
(5) George Washington defeats (4) Texas A&M 59-47
George Washington PoG--K. Beck 18 pts, 4 assists, 5 rebounds
Texas A&M PoG--T. Starks 16 pts, 3 rebounds
(3) LSU defeats (11) West Virginia 49-43
LSU PoG--S. Fowles 21 pts, 13 rebounds
West Virginia PoG--A. Powell 13 pts, 3 rebounds
(2) Purdue defeats (7) Georgia Tech 76-63
Purdue PoG--K. Gearlds 26 pts, 4 rebounds
Georgia Tech PoG--S. Higgs 25 pts, 8 rebounds
(10) Florida State defeats (2) Stanford 68-61
Florida State PoG--M. Freshour 15 pts, 3 assists, 5 rebounds
Stanford PoG--C. Wiggins 19 pts, 5 assists, 5 rebounds
(3) Arizona State defeats (6) Louisville 67-58
Arizona State PoG--B. January 22 pts, 4 assists, 2 rebounds
Louisville PoG--J. Covington 11 pts, 12 rebounds
Oh my God...what a horrible day for my picks. I don't even want to talk about it. Good thing I don't put money on these things....I'm almost afraid to make picks for tomorrow...
Thank God (for my picks) LSU was able to pull it off. YES. Pull it off. They were down for awhile against the Mountaineers? What the hell???
My record today: 4-4 and it could have been a lot worse. LSU almost got beaten by WVU and Arizona State barely beat Louisville....
Anyway, GO BLUE DEVILS!!!!
I'm so nervous about tomorrow I won't be able to sit through my 5-8 class thinking about this game...
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Monday Games: NCAA Women's Tourney
7:00 PM
(6) Marquette vs. (3) Oklahoma
(6) Iowa State vs. (3) Georgia
8:00 PM
(13) Marist vs. (5) Middle Tennessee State
(5) George Washington vs. (4) Texas A&M
9:00 PM
(11) West Virginia vs. (3) LSU
(7) Georgia Tech vs. (2) Purdue
10:00 PM
(10) Florida State vs. (2) Stanford
(6) Louisville vs. (3) Arizona State
For the record, when I first did this, I had all the higher seeds winning. I decided my choices needed a little excitement so I picked Iowa State. :) Hope they pull the upset then.
(6) Marquette vs. (3) Oklahoma
(6) Iowa State vs. (3) Georgia
8:00 PM
(13) Marist vs. (5) Middle Tennessee State
(5) George Washington vs. (4) Texas A&M
9:00 PM
(11) West Virginia vs. (3) LSU
(7) Georgia Tech vs. (2) Purdue
10:00 PM
(10) Florida State vs. (2) Stanford
(6) Louisville vs. (3) Arizona State
For the record, when I first did this, I had all the higher seeds winning. I decided my choices needed a little excitement so I picked Iowa State. :) Hope they pull the upset then.
1st Round NCAA: Duke Beats Down Holy Cross 81-44
YES!
Duke gets through their first round game fairly easily. Abby Waner shot the lights out. The team shot a very good 54.2% from the field and had 12 offensive rebounds. The only downside for me for this game was that the free throw shooting was atrocious (56.3%). I remember that game against North Carolina where we kept missing free throw after free throw. At that time, it didn't hurt us because the lead was pretty comfortable at that point. Today, obviously, we were blowing them out so it didn't really hurt. Down the road, however, against a team like Tennessee or UConn, and we're up by only five or less, those misses are going to kill the game for Duke. They need to bring that percentage up. Really.
Top 5 Scorers:
Abby Waner--26 (and 6-8 from the 3 pt line)
Alison Bales--13
Carrem Gay--10
Joy Cheek--10
Lindsey Harding--7
Top 5 Rebounders:
Alison Bales--8
Wanisha Smith--6
Bridgette Mitchell--5
Gay, Waner, Jackson, Cheek--3
Top 2 Assists:
Wanisha Smith--9
Alison Bales--3
Top 2 Steals:
Abby Waner--4
Harding, Gay--3
Top Blocks:
Alison Bales--5
Duke will play the winner of the Temple-Nebraska game going on right now on Tuesday. Come on Duke!! :)
Duke gets through their first round game fairly easily. Abby Waner shot the lights out. The team shot a very good 54.2% from the field and had 12 offensive rebounds. The only downside for me for this game was that the free throw shooting was atrocious (56.3%). I remember that game against North Carolina where we kept missing free throw after free throw. At that time, it didn't hurt us because the lead was pretty comfortable at that point. Today, obviously, we were blowing them out so it didn't really hurt. Down the road, however, against a team like Tennessee or UConn, and we're up by only five or less, those misses are going to kill the game for Duke. They need to bring that percentage up. Really.
Top 5 Scorers:
Abby Waner--26 (and 6-8 from the 3 pt line)
Alison Bales--13
Carrem Gay--10
Joy Cheek--10
Lindsey Harding--7
Top 5 Rebounders:
Alison Bales--8
Wanisha Smith--6
Bridgette Mitchell--5
Gay, Waner, Jackson, Cheek--3
Top 2 Assists:
Wanisha Smith--9
Alison Bales--3
Top 2 Steals:
Abby Waner--4
Harding, Gay--3
Top Blocks:
Alison Bales--5
Duke will play the winner of the Temple-Nebraska game going on right now on Tuesday. Come on Duke!! :)
Sunday's NCAA Women's Tourney Results
(7) Mississippi defeats (10) TCU 88-74
Mississippi PoG--A. Price 21 pts, 6 assists, 7 rebounds
TCU PoG--A. Davis 24 pts, 12 rebounds
(4) NC State defeats (13) Robert Morris 84-52
NC State PoG--M. Dickens 25 pts, 4 assists, 3 rebounds
Robert Morris PoG--S. Monsac 20 pts, 4 assists, 18 rebounds
(2) Vanderbilt defeats (15) Delaware State 62-47
Vanderbilt PoG--C. Wirth 17 pts, 6 assists, 6 rebounds
Delaware State PoG--R. Collier 22 pts
(9) Notre Dame defeats (8) California
Notre Dame PoG--C. Allen 13 pts, 2 assists
California PoG--A. Walker 20 pts, 13 rebounds
(2) Maryland defeats (15) Harvard 89-65
Maryland PoG--S. Doron 21 pts, 7 rebounds
Harvard PoG--E. Tay 16 pts, 3 rebounds
(5) Baylor defeats (12) UT-Chattanooga 68-55
Baylor PoG--B. Mosby 12 pts, 3 assists, 7 rebounds
UT-Chattanooga PoG--A. Anderson 16 pts, 2 assists, 10 rebounds
(7) Bowling Green defeats (10) Oklahoma State 70-66
Bowling Green PoG--A. Mann 16 pts, 4 assists, 13 rebounds
Oklahoma State PoG--A. Riley 20 pts, 5 assists, 3 rebounds
(1) North Carolina defeats (16) Prairie View 95-38
North Carolina PoG--J. Breland 14 pts, 10 rebounds
Prairie View PoG--G. Werema 8 pts, 5 rebounds
(1) Tennessee defeats (16) Drake 76-37
Tennessee PoG--C. Parker 13 pts, 6 rebounds
Drake PoG--L. Whorton 9 pts, 4 rebounds
(9) Wisconsin-Green Bay defeats (8) New Mexico 59-52
Wisconsin-Green Bay PoG--N. Soulis 15 pts, 5 rebounds
New Mexico PoG--J. Briody 11 pts, 5 rebounds
(1) Duke defeats (16) Holy Cross 81-44
Duke PoG--A. Waner 26 pts, 3 rebounds
Holy Cross PoG--B. O'Dell 3 assists, 2 rebounds
(5) Michigan State defeats (12) Delaware 69-58
Michigan State PoG--V. Lucas Perry 14 pts, 8 rebounds
Delaware PoG--T. Smith 19 pts, 4 rebounds
(8) Pittsburgh defeats (9) James Madison 71-61
Pittsburgh PoG--M. Walker 20 pts, 15 rebounds
James Madison PoG--T. Young 16 pts, 6 rebounds
(1) Connecticut defeats (16) UMBC 82-33
Connecticut PoG--C. Houston 15 pts, 3 assists, 6 rebounds
UMBC PoG--B. Hughes 9 pts, 2 assists, 3 rebounds
(8) Temple defeats (9) Nebraska 64-61
Temple PoG--F. Maddox 18 pts, 5 assists, 6 rebounds
Nebraska PoG--K. Hardy 23 pts, 2 rebounds
(4) Rutgers defeats (13) East Carolina 77-34
Rutgers PoG--M. Ajavon 20 pts, 3 rebounds
East Carolina PoG--C. Mills 13 pts, 8 rebounds
My haul today:
14-2
Hmm....I'm sensing a pattern here...
Mississippi PoG--A. Price 21 pts, 6 assists, 7 rebounds
TCU PoG--A. Davis 24 pts, 12 rebounds
(4) NC State defeats (13) Robert Morris 84-52
NC State PoG--M. Dickens 25 pts, 4 assists, 3 rebounds
Robert Morris PoG--S. Monsac 20 pts, 4 assists, 18 rebounds
(2) Vanderbilt defeats (15) Delaware State 62-47
Vanderbilt PoG--C. Wirth 17 pts, 6 assists, 6 rebounds
Delaware State PoG--R. Collier 22 pts
(9) Notre Dame defeats (8) California
Notre Dame PoG--C. Allen 13 pts, 2 assists
California PoG--A. Walker 20 pts, 13 rebounds
(2) Maryland defeats (15) Harvard 89-65
Maryland PoG--S. Doron 21 pts, 7 rebounds
Harvard PoG--E. Tay 16 pts, 3 rebounds
(5) Baylor defeats (12) UT-Chattanooga 68-55
Baylor PoG--B. Mosby 12 pts, 3 assists, 7 rebounds
UT-Chattanooga PoG--A. Anderson 16 pts, 2 assists, 10 rebounds
(7) Bowling Green defeats (10) Oklahoma State 70-66
Bowling Green PoG--A. Mann 16 pts, 4 assists, 13 rebounds
Oklahoma State PoG--A. Riley 20 pts, 5 assists, 3 rebounds
(1) North Carolina defeats (16) Prairie View 95-38
North Carolina PoG--J. Breland 14 pts, 10 rebounds
Prairie View PoG--G. Werema 8 pts, 5 rebounds
(1) Tennessee defeats (16) Drake 76-37
Tennessee PoG--C. Parker 13 pts, 6 rebounds
Drake PoG--L. Whorton 9 pts, 4 rebounds
(9) Wisconsin-Green Bay defeats (8) New Mexico 59-52
Wisconsin-Green Bay PoG--N. Soulis 15 pts, 5 rebounds
New Mexico PoG--J. Briody 11 pts, 5 rebounds
(1) Duke defeats (16) Holy Cross 81-44
Duke PoG--A. Waner 26 pts, 3 rebounds
Holy Cross PoG--B. O'Dell 3 assists, 2 rebounds
(5) Michigan State defeats (12) Delaware 69-58
Michigan State PoG--V. Lucas Perry 14 pts, 8 rebounds
Delaware PoG--T. Smith 19 pts, 4 rebounds
(8) Pittsburgh defeats (9) James Madison 71-61
Pittsburgh PoG--M. Walker 20 pts, 15 rebounds
James Madison PoG--T. Young 16 pts, 6 rebounds
(1) Connecticut defeats (16) UMBC 82-33
Connecticut PoG--C. Houston 15 pts, 3 assists, 6 rebounds
UMBC PoG--B. Hughes 9 pts, 2 assists, 3 rebounds
(8) Temple defeats (9) Nebraska 64-61
Temple PoG--F. Maddox 18 pts, 5 assists, 6 rebounds
Nebraska PoG--K. Hardy 23 pts, 2 rebounds
(4) Rutgers defeats (13) East Carolina 77-34
Rutgers PoG--M. Ajavon 20 pts, 3 rebounds
East Carolina PoG--C. Mills 13 pts, 8 rebounds
My haul today:
14-2
Hmm....I'm sensing a pattern here...
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Sunday Games: NCAA Women's Tourney
12:00 NN
(10) TCU versus (7) Mississippi
(13) Robert Morris versus (4) NC State
(15) Delaware State versus (2) Vanderbilt
(9) Notre Dame versus (8) California
2:00 PM
(15) Harvard versus (2) Maryland
(12) UT-Chattanooga versus (5) Baylor
(10) Oklahoma State versus (7) Bowling Green
(16) Prairie View versus (1) North Carolina
7:00 PM
(16) Drake versus (1) Tennessee
(9) Wisconsin Green Bay versus (8) New Mexico
(16) Holy Cross versus (1) Duke
(12) Delaware State versus (5) Michigan State
9:00 PM
(9) James Madison versus (8) Pittsburgh
(16) MD Baltimore versus (1) Connecticut
(9) Nebraska versus (8) Temple
(13) East Carolina versus (4) Rutgers
I think I did pretty well on my first day of picks but I swear I can make the wrong pick for each one of these games except for that Duke game. I'm getting really really nervous and excited. :)
LET'S GO BLUE DEVILS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(10) TCU versus (7) Mississippi
(13) Robert Morris versus (4) NC State
(15) Delaware State versus (2) Vanderbilt
(9) Notre Dame versus (8) California
2:00 PM
(15) Harvard versus (2) Maryland
(12) UT-Chattanooga versus (5) Baylor
(10) Oklahoma State versus (7) Bowling Green
(16) Prairie View versus (1) North Carolina
7:00 PM
(16) Drake versus (1) Tennessee
(9) Wisconsin Green Bay versus (8) New Mexico
(16) Holy Cross versus (1) Duke
(12) Delaware State versus (5) Michigan State
9:00 PM
(9) James Madison versus (8) Pittsburgh
(16) MD Baltimore versus (1) Connecticut
(9) Nebraska versus (8) Temple
(13) East Carolina versus (4) Rutgers
I think I did pretty well on my first day of picks but I swear I can make the wrong pick for each one of these games except for that Duke game. I'm getting really really nervous and excited. :)
LET'S GO BLUE DEVILS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Saturday NCAA Women's Tourney Results
(3) Oklahoma defeats (14) SE Missouri State 74-60
Oklahoma PoG--J. Plumley 20 pts, 7 assists, 4 rebounds
SE Missouri State PoG--S. Daugherty 25 pts, 10 rebounds (4 offensive)
(6) Iowa State defeats (11) Washington 79-60
Iowa State PoG--L. Medders 12 pts, 10 assists, 5 rebounds
Washington PoG--C. Hicks 19 pts, 3 assists, 3 rebounds
(10) Florida State defeats (7) Old Dominion 85-75
Florida State PoG--A. Gladden 18 pts, 6 assists, 4 rebounds
Old Dominion PoG--T. Green 17 pts, 7 rebounds (5 offensive)
(4) Texas A&M defeats (13) Texas Arlington 58-50
(6) Marquette defeats (11) La LaFayette 87-58
Marquette PoG--C. Quaye 17 pts, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
La LaFayette PoG--J. Colbert 17 pts, 5 assists, 2 rebounds
(3) Georgia defeats (14) Belmont 53-36
Georgia PoG--A. Houts 10 pts, 6 assists, 4 rebounds
Belmont PoG--A. Clark 12 pts, 13 rebounds (7 offensive)
(2) Stanford defeats (15) Idaho State 96-58
Stanford PoG--B. Smith 29 pts, 3 assists, 9 rebounds (5 offensive)
Idaho State PoG--N. Doma 32 pts, 7 rebounds (4 offensive)
(5) George Washington defeats (12) Boise State 76-67
George Washington PoG--J. Adair 15 pts, 21 rebounds (11 offensive), 2 assists
Boise State PoG--N. Begay 26 pts, 2 assists, 4 rebounds
(5) Middle Tennessee State defeats (12) Gonzaga 85-46
Middle Tennessee State PoG--C. Givens 24 pts, 4 assists, 5 rebounds
Gonzaga PoG--M. Elliott 17 pts, 4 rebounds
(11) West Virginia defeats (6) Xavier 65-52
West Virginia PoG--C. Cole 21 pts, 12 rebounds
Xavier PoG--A Harris 19 pts, 10 rebounds
(6) Louisville defeats (11) BYU 80-54
Louisville PoG--A. McCoughtry 24 pts, 9 rebounds
BYU PoG-- D. Kubik Wright 12 pts, 7 rebounds
(7) Georgia Tech defeats (10) DePaul 55-54
Georgia Tech PoG--C. Nnamaka 14 pts, 11 rebounds
DePaul PoG--A. Quigley 17 pts, 3 assists, 5 rebounds
(13) Marist defeats (4) Ohio State 67-63
Marist PoG--J. Viani 24 points, 3 rebounds
Ohio State PoG--A. Trebilcock 23 points, 6 rebounds
(3) LSU defeats (14) NC Asheville 77-39
LSU PoG--R. LeBlanc 15 pts, 2 assists, 3 rebounds
NC Asheville PoG--A. Elder 5 pts, 3 assists, 9 rebounds
(3) Arizona State defeats (14) UC Riverside 57-50
Arizona State PoG--B. January 15 pts, 2 assists, 4 rebounds
UC Riverside PoG--K. Nkele 16 pts, 6 rebounds
(2) Purdue defeats (15) Oral Roberts 63-42
Purdue PoG--L. Wisdom-Hylton 14 pts, 8 rebounds
Oral Roberts PoG--E. Turek 16 pts, 11 rebounds
My First Day Haul:
14-2
Not bad.
Most shocking to me was the Ohio State loss. I thought that they were going to win for sure. I had a strange feeling about the West Virginia-Xavier game but I didn't follow my instinct.
Day One of the Women's Tourney is done. :) On to Day Two.
Oklahoma PoG--J. Plumley 20 pts, 7 assists, 4 rebounds
SE Missouri State PoG--S. Daugherty 25 pts, 10 rebounds (4 offensive)
(6) Iowa State defeats (11) Washington 79-60
Iowa State PoG--L. Medders 12 pts, 10 assists, 5 rebounds
Washington PoG--C. Hicks 19 pts, 3 assists, 3 rebounds
(10) Florida State defeats (7) Old Dominion 85-75
Florida State PoG--A. Gladden 18 pts, 6 assists, 4 rebounds
Old Dominion PoG--T. Green 17 pts, 7 rebounds (5 offensive)
(4) Texas A&M defeats (13) Texas Arlington 58-50
(6) Marquette defeats (11) La LaFayette 87-58
Marquette PoG--C. Quaye 17 pts, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
La LaFayette PoG--J. Colbert 17 pts, 5 assists, 2 rebounds
(3) Georgia defeats (14) Belmont 53-36
Georgia PoG--A. Houts 10 pts, 6 assists, 4 rebounds
Belmont PoG--A. Clark 12 pts, 13 rebounds (7 offensive)
(2) Stanford defeats (15) Idaho State 96-58
Stanford PoG--B. Smith 29 pts, 3 assists, 9 rebounds (5 offensive)
Idaho State PoG--N. Doma 32 pts, 7 rebounds (4 offensive)
(5) George Washington defeats (12) Boise State 76-67
George Washington PoG--J. Adair 15 pts, 21 rebounds (11 offensive), 2 assists
Boise State PoG--N. Begay 26 pts, 2 assists, 4 rebounds
(5) Middle Tennessee State defeats (12) Gonzaga 85-46
Middle Tennessee State PoG--C. Givens 24 pts, 4 assists, 5 rebounds
Gonzaga PoG--M. Elliott 17 pts, 4 rebounds
(11) West Virginia defeats (6) Xavier 65-52
West Virginia PoG--C. Cole 21 pts, 12 rebounds
Xavier PoG--A Harris 19 pts, 10 rebounds
(6) Louisville defeats (11) BYU 80-54
Louisville PoG--A. McCoughtry 24 pts, 9 rebounds
BYU PoG-- D. Kubik Wright 12 pts, 7 rebounds
(7) Georgia Tech defeats (10) DePaul 55-54
Georgia Tech PoG--C. Nnamaka 14 pts, 11 rebounds
DePaul PoG--A. Quigley 17 pts, 3 assists, 5 rebounds
(13) Marist defeats (4) Ohio State 67-63
Marist PoG--J. Viani 24 points, 3 rebounds
Ohio State PoG--A. Trebilcock 23 points, 6 rebounds
(3) LSU defeats (14) NC Asheville 77-39
LSU PoG--R. LeBlanc 15 pts, 2 assists, 3 rebounds
NC Asheville PoG--A. Elder 5 pts, 3 assists, 9 rebounds
(3) Arizona State defeats (14) UC Riverside 57-50
Arizona State PoG--B. January 15 pts, 2 assists, 4 rebounds
UC Riverside PoG--K. Nkele 16 pts, 6 rebounds
(2) Purdue defeats (15) Oral Roberts 63-42
Purdue PoG--L. Wisdom-Hylton 14 pts, 8 rebounds
Oral Roberts PoG--E. Turek 16 pts, 11 rebounds
My First Day Haul:
14-2
Not bad.
Most shocking to me was the Ohio State loss. I thought that they were going to win for sure. I had a strange feeling about the West Virginia-Xavier game but I didn't follow my instinct.
Day One of the Women's Tourney is done. :) On to Day Two.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Saturday Games: NCAA Women's Tourney
My picks are in bold
12:00 NN
(14) SE Missouri State vs. (3) Oklahoma
(11) Washington vs. (6) Iowa State
2:00 PM
(10) Florida State vs. (7) Old Dominion
(13) Texas Arlington vs. (4) Texas A&M
2:30 PM
(11) La LaFayette vs. (6) Marquette
(14) Belmont vs. (3) Georgia
4:00 PM
(15) Idaho State vs. (2) Stanford
(12) Boise State vs. (5) George Washington
8:00 PM
(12) Gonzaga vs. (5) Middle Tennessee State
(11) West Virginia vs. (6) Xavier
(11) BYU vs. (6) Louisville
(10) DePaul vs. (7) Georgia Tech
10:00 PM
(13) Marist vs. (4) Ohio State
(14) NC Asheville vs. (3) LSU
(14) UC Riverside vs. (3) Arizona State
(15) Oral Roberts vs. (2) Purdue
12:00 NN
(14) SE Missouri State vs. (3) Oklahoma
(11) Washington vs. (6) Iowa State
2:00 PM
(10) Florida State vs. (7) Old Dominion
(13) Texas Arlington vs. (4) Texas A&M
2:30 PM
(11) La LaFayette vs. (6) Marquette
(14) Belmont vs. (3) Georgia
4:00 PM
(15) Idaho State vs. (2) Stanford
(12) Boise State vs. (5) George Washington
8:00 PM
(12) Gonzaga vs. (5) Middle Tennessee State
(11) West Virginia vs. (6) Xavier
(11) BYU vs. (6) Louisville
(10) DePaul vs. (7) Georgia Tech
10:00 PM
(13) Marist vs. (4) Ohio State
(14) NC Asheville vs. (3) LSU
(14) UC Riverside vs. (3) Arizona State
(15) Oral Roberts vs. (2) Purdue
Duke Blue Devils NCAA Preview
I'm done with my "March 13 from hell" where I had two essays and a midterm so now I can finally immerse myself (almost) completely into March Madness. :)
Duke is the number one overall seed in the tourney, which means they get to play in the Greensboro Region. They play their first game on Sunday at 7:00 PM against Holy Cross, a team that has not even had a .500 season this year. They managed to get in by winning their conference tournament, something that I have to admit the Blue Devils didn't do. I'd say I'm pretty darn optimistic about this game but I don't want to write it off either (because there's still a superstitious part of me).
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/ncaatourney07/bracket
Here's a look at the bracket. If the Blue Devils get past Holy Cross (Okay, I'm actually hoping they manhandle them just so I can start relaxing a bit about this whole darn thing), they may get to go against the Dawn Staley-led Temple Owls, a game I'd kill to see.
Other things about the Duke-side of the bracket, Rutgers is our number 4 seed. Now I spent the whole season telling Kilcher (a die-hard Uconn-er) that UConn would breeze past any Big East opponent and they were really on a whole different level from the rest of the Big East. Then comes the conference tournament finals where, for some unfathomable reason to me, Rutgers beats UConn. THEN they appear in my side of the bracket. Part of me still thinks that Rutgers is just not that good this year but they're apparently better than I previously thought. Now I'm going to be extremely uneasy about them. There's nothing worse than saying all year that a team just isn't up to par and then having that same team ruin your team's season.
As for the other seeds in the Duke bracket apart from Rutgers, Vanderbilt and Michigan State kind of pop out to me as possible stumbling blocks. I know Arizona State is the 3rd seed but I haven't kept track of them all year so they are an unknown variable to me right now.
Overall, I'm cautiously pleased about our bracket. I don't think there's anything there that's unfair or insurmountable. If you want any of that, you may want to look at the Dayton bracket. :) Tennessee, Maryland, Oklahoma and Ohio State...yeah, that's pretty much a killer right there. If anything, that portion of the bracket should be getting the most air time. I'm definitely excited to see those games. Whoever gets out of this bracket will have been through the fire and back and survived. Either they'll be scarily good or scarily exhausted both physically and mentally.
I shall be wearing all Blue Devil gear every day that Duke has a game. Shirt, Sweater, Cap and maybe I can even get my sister to draw the Blue Devil logo on my arm. I'm really really excited.
Argh, six games to the title. I'm only a spectator but I think I'm going to go crazy every single day til this whole thing ends.
GO BLUE DEVILS!!!
Duke is the number one overall seed in the tourney, which means they get to play in the Greensboro Region. They play their first game on Sunday at 7:00 PM against Holy Cross, a team that has not even had a .500 season this year. They managed to get in by winning their conference tournament, something that I have to admit the Blue Devils didn't do. I'd say I'm pretty darn optimistic about this game but I don't want to write it off either (because there's still a superstitious part of me).
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/ncaatourney07/bracket
Here's a look at the bracket. If the Blue Devils get past Holy Cross (Okay, I'm actually hoping they manhandle them just so I can start relaxing a bit about this whole darn thing), they may get to go against the Dawn Staley-led Temple Owls, a game I'd kill to see.
Other things about the Duke-side of the bracket, Rutgers is our number 4 seed. Now I spent the whole season telling Kilcher (a die-hard Uconn-er) that UConn would breeze past any Big East opponent and they were really on a whole different level from the rest of the Big East. Then comes the conference tournament finals where, for some unfathomable reason to me, Rutgers beats UConn. THEN they appear in my side of the bracket. Part of me still thinks that Rutgers is just not that good this year but they're apparently better than I previously thought. Now I'm going to be extremely uneasy about them. There's nothing worse than saying all year that a team just isn't up to par and then having that same team ruin your team's season.
As for the other seeds in the Duke bracket apart from Rutgers, Vanderbilt and Michigan State kind of pop out to me as possible stumbling blocks. I know Arizona State is the 3rd seed but I haven't kept track of them all year so they are an unknown variable to me right now.
Overall, I'm cautiously pleased about our bracket. I don't think there's anything there that's unfair or insurmountable. If you want any of that, you may want to look at the Dayton bracket. :) Tennessee, Maryland, Oklahoma and Ohio State...yeah, that's pretty much a killer right there. If anything, that portion of the bracket should be getting the most air time. I'm definitely excited to see those games. Whoever gets out of this bracket will have been through the fire and back and survived. Either they'll be scarily good or scarily exhausted both physically and mentally.
I shall be wearing all Blue Devil gear every day that Duke has a game. Shirt, Sweater, Cap and maybe I can even get my sister to draw the Blue Devil logo on my arm. I'm really really excited.
Argh, six games to the title. I'm only a spectator but I think I'm going to go crazy every single day til this whole thing ends.
GO BLUE DEVILS!!!
Saturday, March 03, 2007
March 3--ACC Semifinals: Duke Falls to NC State 70-65
Well, the dream run has ended...for now. I am still extremely hopeful that Duke will get the National Championship in a few weeks.
I wasn't able to watch this game so I don't really know how it went in terms of momentum, etc. I did notice however some pretty bad shooting nights from our two seniors. Harding was 3-13 and Bales was 4-13. That means our most experienced players were 7-26. They shot about 27% from the field. Obviously, this was a factor in this game.
Anyway, I'm pretty disappointed that my team lost but I have a feeling they'll be able to bounce back from this. Now they CANNOT lose a single game. If there's any team that can do it, it's Duke.
I'm left wondering what Coach G said to her players after that game. I wonder if there was a lot of screaming or just positive reinforcement. :)
Top 5 Scorers:
Alison Bales--17
Abby Waner--17 (She shot a very good 6-9 from the field. Yay, the shooting's back I guess)
Lindsey Harding--10
Wanisha Smith--9
Joy Cheek--8
Top 5 Rebounders:
Alison Bales--7
Joy Cheek--5
Lindsey Harding--4
Wanisha Smith--4
Carrem Gay--3
Top 2 Assists:
Abby Waner--4
Lindsey Harding--4
Top 2 Steals:
Alison Bales--1
Lindsey Harding--1
(Very little steals this game. Maybe this was also a big factor since Duke usually breaks a game open with their transition game)
Top Blocks:
Alison Bales--3
No idea when or against whom the next game is. :( It will be the First Round of the NCAA tourney. Come on Devils, it's winning time again.
:)
I wasn't able to watch this game so I don't really know how it went in terms of momentum, etc. I did notice however some pretty bad shooting nights from our two seniors. Harding was 3-13 and Bales was 4-13. That means our most experienced players were 7-26. They shot about 27% from the field. Obviously, this was a factor in this game.
Anyway, I'm pretty disappointed that my team lost but I have a feeling they'll be able to bounce back from this. Now they CANNOT lose a single game. If there's any team that can do it, it's Duke.
I'm left wondering what Coach G said to her players after that game. I wonder if there was a lot of screaming or just positive reinforcement. :)
Top 5 Scorers:
Alison Bales--17
Abby Waner--17 (She shot a very good 6-9 from the field. Yay, the shooting's back I guess)
Lindsey Harding--10
Wanisha Smith--9
Joy Cheek--8
Top 5 Rebounders:
Alison Bales--7
Joy Cheek--5
Lindsey Harding--4
Wanisha Smith--4
Carrem Gay--3
Top 2 Assists:
Abby Waner--4
Lindsey Harding--4
Top 2 Steals:
Alison Bales--1
Lindsey Harding--1
(Very little steals this game. Maybe this was also a big factor since Duke usually breaks a game open with their transition game)
Top Blocks:
Alison Bales--3
No idea when or against whom the next game is. :( It will be the First Round of the NCAA tourney. Come on Devils, it's winning time again.
:)
Friday, March 02, 2007
ACC Quarterfinals--Duke Beats Virginia 79-58
Top 5 Scorers:
Abby Waner--24
Alison Bales--13
Joy Cheek--10
Carrem Gay--10
Harding, Smith, Waner--6
Top 5 Rebounders:
Wanisha Smith--9
Alison Bales--8
Abby Waner--6
Joy Cheek--6
Mitch, Waner, Gay--2
Top 2 Assists:
Wanisha Smith--8
A. Waner, Harding--4
Top 2 Steals:
Alison Bales--3
Harding, Smith--2
Top Blocks:
Alison Bales--6
Next Game:
ACC Semifinals Duke Blue Devils vs. NC State
March 3 Saturday, 2 pm ET
Abby Waner--24
Alison Bales--13
Joy Cheek--10
Carrem Gay--10
Harding, Smith, Waner--6
Top 5 Rebounders:
Wanisha Smith--9
Alison Bales--8
Abby Waner--6
Joy Cheek--6
Mitch, Waner, Gay--2
Top 2 Assists:
Wanisha Smith--8
A. Waner, Harding--4
Top 2 Steals:
Alison Bales--3
Harding, Smith--2
Top Blocks:
Alison Bales--6
Next Game:
ACC Semifinals Duke Blue Devils vs. NC State
March 3 Saturday, 2 pm ET
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