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The Mid-Majority Truth, justice and college basketball. http://www.compupants.com/ Copyright 2004-11 http://www.midmajority.com/ en-us <![CDATA[Last of the Independents: Cal State Bakersfield at New Mexico State 2/1/2012]]> William P Harty Jr http://www.midmajority.com/p/2578

Game #8-504: Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners at New Mexico State AggiesFebruary 1, 2012 8:30 pm
Pan American Center
BBState Stats/Recap
Wednesday in Las Cruces saw a visit to New Mexico State by the Roadrunners of California State University at Bakersfield. The Roadrunners played their first Division I season five years ago and have yet to find a conference home, although the Big West has been hearing from them regularly. There are only three independent Division I teams this year. Two of those have found conferences for next season: Longwood received its long-sought invitation from the Big South, and Seattle will be joining New Mexico State in the WAC. Assuming the survival of the Great West -- questionable given the recent attrition there -- CSUB will be the only independent next season.

The NCAA rules for moving up to Division I now require a conference invitation to be able to make the move. The two schools that have announced that they are beginning that process next year already have joined established conferences: Nebraska-Omaha will join the Summit League and Northern Kentucky the Atlantic Sun. CSUB may literally be the last of the independents in Division I basketball.

Before this season, the Aggies and Roadrunners had played only once, about 25 years ago, in an Aggie win in Las Cruces. The schools are playing a home-and-home this season, and the first game in Bakersfield on January 2 was a close one, coming immediately after starting Aggie guard Christian Kabongos decision to transfer (eventually to Southern Mississippi). The teams were tied at the half, and it took two free throws from Aggie Tyrone Watson with 0.9 seconds left for New Mexico State to get a 73-72 victory.

An interesting connection between the schools is Aggie assistant coach Keith Brown. Brown was an assistant at CSUB for eight years, before spending the past six years as their head coach. CSUB was 21-8 in 2005-06, their final Division II season, advancing to the NCAA regional semifinal. Of course, Coach Brown is very familiar with the Roadrunners upperclassmen, and led the coaching staff's scouting of CSUB.

NMSU jumped out quickly to a 10-5 lead, blocking three Roadrunner shots in the first few minutes. CSUB shifted to a zone at that point, and stayed there the rest of the game. The Aggies size advantage was offset somewhat by the Roadrunner quickness, allowing them to stay nearly even in rebounding. Forward Mo Hughleys nine first-half points, guard Zachary Lambs eight, and guard Stephon Carters six kept the Roadrunners fairly close. The Aggies led 36-29 at the half.

At halftime, the athletic department held its annual Academic Honors Night, introducing each of the 247 student-athletes who achieved a 3.0 or better grade point average in the fall. Despite some absences (maybe 30 of the honored football players were not present), the floor was pretty crowded.

The Aggies were, even against the zone, able to take the ball inside all night. After Wendell McKines missed his first two free throws, the Aggies shook off the free throw shooting issues of the past few games ending with only four misses in total. The Roadrunners had a short scoring run in the middle of the half, but the Aggies ran off with the victory, 78-57. CSUB forward Donald Johnson had 12 second-half points, and Carter added another seven, but Hughley was scoreless after halftime and Lamb was held to four.

The Aggies were again led by McKines 14th double-double of the season, twenty points and fourteen rebounds. The twelfth of those rebounds was the 1,000th of his career. He is only the second Aggie to get that many; only Sam Lacey of the 1970 Final Four team has more. The PA announcer announced the milestone ten rebounds too early; after the game, McKines said he felt pressure to get to 1,000 since it had already been announced. He is now one of two active players, along with T. J. Robinson of Long Beach State, to have 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Guard Daniel Mullings also had a good scoring game for the Aggies, with two dunks among his 16 points. Three other Aggies had between eight and ten points, showing the scoring balance that has been typical of New Mexico State victories this year. Both teams play their next games at home on Saturday: the Roadrunners host Cal Poly, while the Aggies return to WAC play against Louisiana Tech.

at NEW MEXICO STATE 78, CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD 57
02/01/2012

CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD 11-12 (0-0) -- I. Grayson 2-7 0-0 5; S. Carter 6-12 1-2 13; D. Johnson 7-14 0-0 15; Z. Lamb 4-7 2-2 11; M. Hughley 4-11 1-1 9; R. Savage 1-3 2-4 4; T. White 0-2 0-0 0; A. Young 0-7 0-0 0; I. Matip 0-0 0-0 0; K. Pearson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-63 6-9 57.
NEW MEXICO STATE 16-7 (5-2) -- H. Laroche 2-6 5-5 10; D. Mullings 7-11 2-2 16; W. McKines 8-14 2-4 20; T. Watson 2-3 0-0 4; T. Nephawe 1-2 6-6 8; H. Rahman 1-4 2-3 4; B. Sy 4-7 0-0 9; R. Barry 2-2 0-0 4; D. Lewis 0-0 3-4 3. Totals 27-49 20-24 78.

Three-point goals: CSB 3-17 (D. Johnson 1-6; S. Carter 0-1; I. Grayson 1-4; A. Young 0-3; Z. Lamb 1-3), NMSU 4-10 (W. McKines 2-4; H. Laroche 1-3; B. Sy 1-2; D. Mullings 0-1); Rebounds: CSB 26 (D. Johnson 9), NMSU 34 (W. McKines 14); Assists: CSB 13 (I. Grayson 7), NMSU 13 (H. Laroche 4); Total Fouls -- CSB 19, NMSU 11; Fouled Out: CSB-S. Carter; NMSU-None.

]]> Sat, 4 Feb 2012 02:34:00 -0400 <![CDATA[An Outsider in His Own City, or A Philadelphian`s Existential Crisis]]> Dominic Pody http://www.midmajority.com/p/2577

Game #8-503: George Mason Patriots at Drexel DragonsJanuary 12, 2012 8:00 pm
Daskalakis Athletic Center
BBState Stats/Recap
I'm filing this article very, very latethe game took place over three weeks agobut I believe I have a legitimate excuse, and it has nothing to do with my undiagnosed case of CPS (Chronic Procrastination Syndrome).

This game caused me to undergo an existential crisis, albeit a sports-focused one.

Allow me to back up a bit. I was born in Northeast Philadelphia, and although I spent most of my childhood in its suburbs, I've always felt a deep connection to my home city. This feeling was only strengthened when I left for Fairfax and George Mason University; any of my friends from my time as an undergraduate could tell you that I took my passion for cheesesteaks and the Phillies to unhealthymany would say abrasivelevels.

I often say that Philadelphians have "Middle Child Syndrome." Much like the second of three children, Philly, nestled between New York and DC, gets forgotten, having neither the glamor of the City nor the power of the District. The resulting inferiority complex manifests itself in the brash, blue-collar attitude of its citizens, which in the sports world is reinforced by our representation in the national media. Can you remember ever watching the talking heads on Around the Horn discuss even a minor incident involving Philadelphia sports fans without hearing, "Well, these are the same fans who threw snowballs at Santa Claus."? I doubt it. That was 44 years ago folks.

And so I've always believed that the intensity shown by Philadelphia sports fans, including myself, was a legitimate reaction to the shadow we live in. Sure, we may boo too heavily at times, and we may be too willing to forgive those who take their fandom to extremes, but it's valid because we are a persecuted fan base.

This game changed all that. Thirty seconds in, two things were undeniable: Drexels Daskalakis Athletic Center is loud, and it is hot. The recently-renovated gym still features bleachers as its primary form of seating, and while sweating profusely three rows behind Masons bench I felt the oppressive force of a crowd willing and able to drown out every attempt at an oppositional cheer. That much I was expecting, of course, but then something both surprising and unnerving happened. As the game went on I was overcome with an uncomfortable sensation unlike any Ive ever experienced at a sporting event. Dont get me wrong, Im no stranger to unwelcoming arenas; Ive watched my favorite teams in hostile environments before, and have experienced the visceral defensiveness it inevitably produces. But this was different. No, this time I felt like a true Other, a person denied access to the breadth of the intrapersonal, emotional escapism that sports subconsciously provide us. Sporting venues are called suffocating so often that its far beyond clichd, but in this case it was literal. The highlighter-yellow-clad inhabitants of the DAC cut off the oxygen flow to both my head and my sporting sensibilities in a way that Ill never forget.

As strange as I was feeling in the stands, however, Masons Erik Copes was feeling right at home on Drexels court. A Philadelphia native himself, Copes is a 68 freshman center and four-star recruit who only ended up at GMU because his uncle Roland Houston, a celebrated Rhode Island Ram in his heyday who had since become a standout coach at George Washington, moved to Fairfax after he was forced out of his assistant coaching gig in Foggy Bottom. Erik seemed determined to make the most of his homecoming. As a first half dictated by solid defense, too many turnovers, and a molasses pace came to a close, the big man had seven blocks off the bench: only three less than George Masons game record set back in the blog-less oblivion known to some as the year 1990. We in Mason's small section of the bleachers felt something incredible coming. The record would be broken. Those at home were tweeting that the game had been taken over by a #copesblockparty.

But early in the second half, everything changed. Copes went up for an offensive rebound, missed badly, and fell down hard on his back. After a scramble the Dragons came up with the ball and drove up the court while Copes remained on the floor. It was one of the hardest falls I've ever seen in a basketball game. The Drexel fans, however, seemed to pay no mind as they watched their team set up a play on offense, but when the officials stopped play to allow Mason's training staff onto the floor, the boos began raining down. "Ass-hole! Ass-hole!" chants filled the DAC. And even when Copes finally got up and walked off the court, the booing continued in force. He did not return to the floor.

It was that very moment, as I listened, horrified, to the inhabitants of my hometown live up to their ESPN-constructed reputation, that I knew my Philadelphia fandom had changed. Had I contributed to this culture? Had cognitive dissonance taken over the logical part of my brain? Is this really what Philly fans are like to outsiders? Did I need to reexamine everything I believed about being a sports fan in the City of Brotherly Love?

These questions have dominated my thoughts over the past few weeks. And unfortunately, I don't have any answers. While part of me still feels strongly that we are a disrespected city, or that our media perception may be self-fulfilling (how can a person best react to being disrespected except to others disrespect in return?), I now know what it is like to be Otherized by Philadelphians. It's not a good feeling. It's offensive. And it's hurtful to both opposition players and their fans.

Until I can answer these questions, I'll keep pondering. Hopefully, this introspection will make me a better fan in the end.

at DREXEL 60, GEORGE MASON 53
01/12/2012

GEORGE MASON 12-5 (4-1) -- R. Pearson 1-9 2-4 4; B. Allen 4-11 1-1 9; V. Vaughns 1-7 1-2 3; M. Morrison 5-7 0-0 10; A. Cornelius 2-5 0-1 5; E. Copes 0-3 2-2 2; S. Wright 2-2 2-2 7; V. Gray 2-3 0-0 6; C. Edwards 1-1 0-0 3; J. Arledge 2-2 0-0 4. Totals 20-50 8-12 53.
DREXEL 11-5 (3-2) -- F. Massenat 4-18 2-3 12; D. Thomas 2-9 4-4 8; D. Lee 8-14 1-3 21; S. Givens 3-4 2-2 8; D. McCoy 2-6 1-2 5; D. Ruffin 0-3 0-0 0; C. Fouch 2-4 2-2 6; A. Younger 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-58 12-16 60.

Three-point goals: GMU 5-13 (A. Cornelius 1-3; R. Pearson 0-1; V. Vaughns 0-2; S. Wright 1-1; B. Allen 0-3; C. Edwards 1-1; V. Gray 2-2), DREX 6-17 (C. Fouch 0-1; D. Thomas 0-2; F. Massenat 2-5; D. Lee 4-9); Rebounds: GMU 27 (R. Pearson 11), DREX 36 (S. Givens 10); Assists: GMU 10 (R. Pearson 4), DREX 12 (D. Thomas 4); Total Fouls -- GMU 18, DREX 11; Fouled Out: GMU-None; DREX-None.

]]> Fri, 3 Feb 2012 23:17:00 -0400 <![CDATA[Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten]]> Gidal Kaiser http://www.midmajority.com/p/2576

Game #8-502: Idaho State Bengals at Montana State BobcatsFebruary 2, 2012 9:00 pm
Brick Breeden Fieldhouse
BBState Stats/Recap
He sat on the bench, dressed not in the normal "street clothes" one sees when a Montana State player -- usually a walk-on, but also an injured player -- is on the bench. While Danny Desin, Cody Anderson,Tor Anderson and the MSU student managers were decked out in dress shirts, dress pants and ties, one lone soul on the MSU bench sat apart from them prior to the contest and sat in a knit cap, jeans and a long-sleeve shirt. The scripted "Tone" was adorning each earlobe, and he was, like many people age 18 to 35 in this day and age, continually checking his smartphone as the MSU men's basketball team warmed up on the court.

Antonio Biglow is a 5-foot-11, 168-pound guard originally from Los Angeles, a product of Sylmar HIgh School. He spent two seasons at Mount San Antonio Junior College in Walnut, Calif. and absolutely blew up basketball in the South Coast Conference, earning the league's Player of the Year award as both a freshman and sophomore and being named the Southern California Player of the Year and California Player of the Year at the junior college level. He averaged 22.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game as a senior as Mt. SAC, as it is known, and signed a National Letter of Intent to play for two seasons in Bozeman on May 9, 2011. Thus began an ordeal no one saw coming.

As he explained through continual and constant Twitter contact after committing and signing, somehow his associate's degree from Mt. SAC wasn't fully validated by the time the 2011-12 school year started. As such, he wasn't a member of the team -- which also meant that while head coach Brad Huse and Montana State tried to figure out what was the deal, Biglow couldn't even set foot on campus. For months, Biglow languished out in California, playing basketball all day and night (or so it seemed) while awaiting words from someone, anyone, as to his status -- not just as a basketball player, but a student as well. We've all heard stories of what happens when athletes get lost in the cracks, or when anyone does. Unless it's kept up with, they become nobodies "who could've been great but missed the opportunity" because the system failed them.

Huse, his staff and MSU kept up with it. Kept after it. Brad Huse is not the kind of man who just lets a "lost cause" fall by the wayside. He's stuck with players in the past who have become academically ineligible before, never disregarding them unless they make the decision to leave on their own. Yes, he wants to see the kids he recruits on the court. But he also wants to see them make something of themselves, walk away from their time in Bozeman with a diploma. Which is why, after at least five months of wrestling with the NCAA and other factors, Biglow arrived in Bozeman on Thursday morning, went to his first class and then spent Thursday evening on a chair behind the MSU bench watching the Bobcats battle back, then fall from ahead and fall in overtime, 87-86, in a contest where free chalupas (achieved whenever MSU hits 11 #superhoops or more) were of no consolation to anyone.

His nameplate was over a locker when he walked into the Bobcat lockerroom, but his locker won't be used much. Biglow can not play for MSU this season at all per NCAA rules. "no go this year start off fresh next year" he tweeted shortly after I tweeted what was likely to happen now that he was on campus. He will practice with the team, with Friday's light pre-game practice (the annual Cat-Griz rivalry game, round 1, is Saturday) presumably his first, and be a student through the rest of this semester and probably have to go through summer school as well.

If he decides to stick it out, he will give MSU another backcourt weapon next season to pair with two will-be senior shooting guards and a will-be sophomore point guard. At 11 p.m., the SoCal start ended the night with this message, one of hope: "I just wanna go to sleep and wake up and its next year just so I could play"

While Biglow was watching from the bench, another spectator connected with the team was in the arena, in a seat somewhere eyeing MSU's come-from-20-down, fall-from-ahead-in-overtime loss to the Bengals. Jamie Stewart is a junior from Detroit, Mich. He came to Bozeman by way of Henry Ford Community College, and once dribbled, shot and played defense on the court MSU was playing on tonight. Unfortunately for Stewart, he spent more time during the first semester of his junior year concentrating on basketball and not enough on his schoolwork (just like a certain scribe penning this piece, but swap student newspaper for basketball and freshman year for junior year). After one game of conference play, where he came off the bench and played a season-low nine minutes, Stewart was so upset he felt like quitting. There were rumors about his grades being bad, anyway, and it looked like he wanted out. He was the more regarded of the HFCC boys -- current starting shooting guard Christian Moon being the other -- and even joked about transferring at semester's end, going back to Michigan to play at a D-II school and giving up in Bozeman.

Just like in Biglow's case, the concept of family, of togetherness, of completing a task won out for Huse. Stewart, who tweeted both "How you let dude hit you for 30 bro! That's terrible (Christian Moon) Im not gonna say what I really want on twitter cuz I'm talking to u now" and "Good game G.. Shoot. Every. Time. (Christian Moon)," has stuck around so far, has been working out on campus while going to class and preparing for next year.

If both do stay on, MSU will be near the scholarship limit next season. Nine of the current scholarship players on the roster return, while Stewart makes 10 if he's still being counted despite being on academic probation. Biglow makes 11 with this redshirt being this lost year, and MSU signed two during the early signing period. That's 13, and they expect to nab at least one more during the April signing period, which is 14. The limit is 15.

For now the Bobcats, who break every practice with "1-2-3-family" and "4-5-6-together" are a bit broken, but all the pieces are there. Will someone be forgotten in the future? Not likely, unless it is their choice to be.

****

It took a family effort for the Bobcats to come back from the 20-point deficit. Usual suspects Xavier Blount (24) and Christian Moon (22) led the way, but senior forward Jourdain Allou, listed at 6-7 but more around 6-6, put up his first double-double w/13 points and 12 boards. The Idaho State family, on the other bench, walked out of the arena with everyone hugging and cheering its favorite son, Kenny McGowen. McGowen sank seven #superhoops of his own and scored a career-high 30, and his game-winning reverse layup fell through the net with 10.3 left in overtime.

IDAHO STATE 87, at MONTANA STATE 86
02/02/2012

IDAHO STATE 8-14 (6-4) -- C. Grabau 6-14 2-2 16; A. Moreira 4-5 6-8 14; M. Morgan 3-8 0-0 6; K. McGowen 9-18 5-6 30; A. Hatchett 5-8 2-7 12; S. Baldwin 1-5 0-0 2; D. Kostur 3-4 0-0 7; N. Mason 0-1 0-0 0; J. Kusmieruk 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 31-63 15-23 87.
MONTANA STATE 11-10 (6-4) -- C. Moon 7-13 2-2 22; R. Singleton 3-10 2-3 10; X. Blount 7-13 7-10 24; J. Allou 4-5 5-8 13; T. Johnson 4-9 3-6 11; M. Fall 0-1 0-0 0; S. Reid 1-5 1-2 3; M. Dison 0-1 0-0 0; J. Budinich 1-2 0-0 3. Totals 27-59 20-31 86.

Three-point goals: IDST 10-30 (S. Baldwin 0-4; C. Grabau 2-7; N. Mason 0-1; K. McGowen 7-14; M. Morgan 0-3; D. Kostur 1-1), MTST 12-23 (J. Budinich 1-2; S. Reid 0-2; R. Singleton 2-4; C. Moon 6-9; M. Dison 0-1; X. Blount 3-5); Rebounds: IDST 26 (A. Moreira 7), MTST 38 (J. Allou 12); Assists: IDST 11 (K. McGowen 3), MTST 16 (R. Singleton 7); Total Fouls -- IDST 23, MTST 20; Fouled Out: IDST-None; MTST-None.

]]> Fri, 3 Feb 2012 22:26:00 -0400 <![CDATA[Anticipation]]> Brandon Hickey http://www.midmajority.com/p/2575

Game #8-501: Toledo Rockets at Akron ZipsFebruary 1, 2012 7:00 pm
James A. Rhodes Arena
BBState Stats/Recap
6:25 couldnt get there soon enough.

Thats what time my Business Law class ended, and while I enjoy learning about leasehold agreements and evictions (who doesnt?), I was ready to get out of there. I went through the same process that typical 9-5ers do at 4:30 every day: constantly checking the clock. Everyone knows that feeling of being on the verge of leaving work or school. Its an odd feeling, where you can sense that you are near the end, but its just not going as fast as youd like. Youd check your watch one time, finish up some things, and then look again: only five minutes had gone by. 4:30 becomes 4:40, and the closer you get to that magic time of 5:00 p.m., the longer it seems to take. Frustrating is one word to describe it, and when a very dry professor makes a subject drier than it already is, its agonizing.

I tried to find the right song to convey how I was feeling prior to the game on Wednesday night. Being a child of the 1990s, not too many songs came to mind while sitting in class that pertained to how I was feeling. A quick YouTube search brought me upon the angelic voice of one woman: Miss Carly Simon. Her song Anticipation drew me in, even though it was released in the early 1970s and was about a potential date with Cat Stevens. The chorus really got me:

Anticipation, anticipation
It's making me wait
It's keeping me waiting
The anticipation of the upcoming Akron-Toledo game was killing me. It wasnt a good match-up on paper: Akron was the leader in the clubhouse at 6-1 in the Mid-American Conference, while Toledo came in at just 2-5. But in a conference where any team can beat another on a given night, you can never let your guard up. Waiting in the classroom was keeping me from the place that I truly wanted to be: James A. Rhodes Arena.

Akron was coming off of a long month of January that comprised of six away games and just two home games. The Zips had probably spent more time on the bus then sitting in class, but their record showed that winning on the road was not a difficult proposition. They seemed to really come together as a team, and rallied around the concept of roadkill as guard Brian Walsh so eloquently called their win streak on Twitter.

Toledo, on the other hand, has been pretty average this season. Give them credit though: they had four wins last year and currently have 10. They had to rebuild through transfers after former coach Gene Cross left the program a mess. UTs team had a less-than-stellar Academic Progress Rate, and therefore had three scholarships taken away at the end of last year. Having only 10 scholarship players on the team is definitely tough, but there are no seniors and only two juniors. They are really building for 2012-2013, where they have a chance to be a surprise in the MAC West.

Sitting in traffic and listening to the pre-game show on the radio just made me want to be there more. I finally arrived right before tip, after briskly walking from the parking garage. When the game started, you could hardly tell that Akron had any sort of travel lag. They jumped out to a 31-17 lead midway through the first half, courtesy of some quality superhoops. Toledo closed a little, but the halftime margin ended up at nine with the Zips leading 43-34.

The second half proved to be a little different, as the Zips became very sloppy with the ball. Four turnovers and three missed foul shots allowed the Rockets to come back, closing the gap to 48-44. The game stayed close until around the mid-point of the second half, when UTs Rian Pearson threw down a nasty put-back slam but was called for a technical for slapping the glass afterward. This seemed to be the turning point of the game, as the Zips responded with a 9-0 run and never looked back. Toledo hung around but was put away when Akron coach Keith Dambrot called for a 2-3 zone in the closing minutes, which the Rockets were not expecting.

Pearson showed why he is the third leading scorer in the MAC this year, finishing with 29 points on 9-18 shooting and 12 boards. Eleven points came from the free-throw line, as he was a force inside and proved to be a match-up problem for the Zips. Akrons Zeke Marshall continued his stellar season with 14 points and 5 blocks.

Was it worth missing the entire pregame? Im not sure. I just wish I could have been there a little earlier. My anticipation almost got the best of me.

at AKRON 86, TOLEDO 72
02/01/2012

TOLEDO 10-12 (2-6) -- K. Gabriel 4-12 8-9 16; D. Buckley 3-7 0-0 8; R. Pearson 9-18 11-12 29; C. Dennis 4-12 0-0 8; R. Holliday 2-4 2-2 6; M. Smith 4-6 1-1 9; J. Brown 6-12 0-1 12; D. Dear 0-0 0-0 0; R. Wonnell 0-0 0-0 0; A. Mathew 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-59 14-16 72.
AKRON 15-7 (7-1) -- A. Abreu 5-9 2-2 14; Q. Diggs 4-5 5-6 16; N. Cvetinovic 4-6 2-4 10; Z. Marshall 6-9 2-5 14; B. Walsh 0-4 2-2 2; C. Gilliam 5-7 0-0 11; B. McClanahan 3-5 1-2 9; D. Treadwell 2-3 4-8 8; N. Harney 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 30-50 18-29 86.

Three-point goals: TOL 2-9 (D. Buckley 2-4; C. Dennis 0-3; J. Brown 0-2), AKR 8-19 (C. Gilliam 1-1; B. Walsh 0-3; B. McClanahan 2-4; N. Cvetinovic 0-2; Q. Diggs 3-3; A. Abreu 2-6); Rebounds: TOL 27 (R. Pearson 12), AKR 29 (N. Cvetinovic 10); Assists: TOL 8 (J. Brown 5), AKR 15 (A. Abreu 5); Total Fouls -- TOL 21, AKR 16; Fouled Out: TOL-M. Smith; AKR-None.

]]> Fri, 3 Feb 2012 14:58:00 -0400 <![CDATA[Slow Down!]]> Matt Cayuela http://www.midmajority.com/p/2574

Game #8-500: Charleston Southern Buccaneers at Campbell Fighting CamelsFebruary 2, 2012 7:00 pm
Gore Arena
BBState Stats/Recap
The previous game I had seen between Charleston Southern and Campbell was much closer than the final score indicated. It was a high-scoring affair that was bucket for bucket until the Buccaneers pulled away late. Charleston Southern plays with the 17th-highest tempo while Campbell is 2nd in the nation at shooting the ball, so it was a no-brainer that I had to see the rematch, especially since Campbell plays much better at home.

I decided to take a different route to Campbell this time around, as there is no direct route to Buies Creek from Conway, so I was seeing if I could get up there a little bit faster. My new route was going to take me through some of the smaller towns in the Carolinas, which is a pain at times since you have slow way down to get through the downtown sections.

I was cruising up Hwy 9 going about 60 in a 55 when I was approaching the town of Nichols. The Reduce Speed Ahead sign came up and the limit quickly dipped to 40. I was able to slow down enough to get to about 48 when I passed the marker only to be greeted by another sign saying the limit was going to 25. I didnt want to slam on the brakes, so I eased my car down to an acceptable speed. Right as I entered the city limits I could see that someone was being pulled over on one of the side streets. My initial thoughts were Whew! Im glad thats not me until I saw flashing blueberries in my rear view mirror.

With all this traveling Ive been doing for the 800GP, I knew it was going to happen eventually since I was going through all these unfamiliar small towns. I got busted for going 37 in a 25, not a damning mark on my driving record, but nothing I was too pleased about. The 25 mile per hour speed limit is only for a few tenths of a mile and is an obvious speed trap with how quickly the speed decreases. The bustling town of 368 should just put a toll up in the center of the city, it would serve the same purpose.

Even with a speeding ticket in tow, it wasnt going to damper my mood. After the delay, I still made it to Campbell with plenty of time to spare (but I wont be taking that route again obviously). I was expecting a bigger crowd than what showed up since the Campbell game notes said the Camels were leading the Big South in attendance, which is nothing to brag about, but an announced crowd of 1,603 was still disappointing.

As expected, the game started pretty wide open as both teams werent using much of the shot clock before jacking up a shot. Ive seen the Bucs go on some pretty ridiculous hot streaks and jump out to some big advantages by doing this, but the shots werent falling so easily tonight. The Camels had the early advantage using their big man Eric Griffin, who had six quick points, down low, since it seemed that CSU didn't have a legitimate way of stopping him.

CSU didnt quit chucking though and it payed off evenetually when some of the threes started to fall from Saah Nimley and Chris Grier. The teams would exchange the lead or tie throughout the rest of the first half, but it wasnt exactly efficient basketball. Charleston Southern shot 29 percent, while Campbell was only at 35 percent. There was plenty of fast and furious action, but there will still plenty of bricks being tossed around.

It seemed like the coaches gave their teams speeding tickets after the half, since they both came out at a much slower tempo. The shooting didnt see much of an upswing though, but the sloppiness was cleaned up.

A few minutes into the half it looked like Campbell was building somewhat of a lead, but Nimley hit consecutive threes to give the Bucs 45-44 lead. That would be the last points for CSU in nearly a seven-minute stretch. Campbell wasnt able to take full advantage with plenty of misses of their own although Andrew Ryan sank two threes to push the lead to five.

CU had the lead going into the final few minutes, but Arlon Harper got the Bucs to within one after scoring four straight points. Campbell had the ball with under a minute to go and Trey Freeman wanted to add to the lead, but CSU forced a stop.

The 5-foot-8 Nimley was able to grab his seventh rebound of the game and streak up the court and drive to the basket. Lorne Merthie was the lone defender and was able to strip Nimley as he was going up under the basket. Nimley was furious, as were the rest of the Bucs looking for a foul, but the Camels had the ball and the shot clock was off. It took 16 seconds before Freeman was fouled, wasting precious time. Freeman was able to make both and the Bucs had a chance to tie with 17 seconds to go. Jeremy Sexton had a good look in the corner for a three, but missed, as did Kelvin Martins airball after an offensive board. CU sealed the game and came up with another close Big South victory.

I wasnt expecting a score of 62-57, but the offense was off tonight for both teams. Things were slowed down in the later stages and Campbell was able to get the stops it needed. I slowed things down as well on the way home, putting the cruise at the speed limit. The last thing I needed was another visit from another law enforcement officer.

at CAMPBELL 62, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 57
02/02/2012

CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 14-8 (8-4) -- S. Nimley 4-13 2-3 14; M. Muo 1-8 2-2 5; K. Martin 4-11 1-2 9; J. Sexton 2-8 1-2 6; A. Harper 3-14 3-4 10; P. Gombwer 2-2 1-2 5; C. Grier 2-4 0-0 6; C. Bowen 1-2 0-0 2; S. Strickland 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-62 10-15 57.
CAMPBELL 15-10 (9-4) -- E. Griffin 6-11 1-4 13; T. Freeman 5-13 10-10 22; L. Merthie 0-5 0-0 0; D. White 2-11 1-2 5; A. Horton 2-4 0-0 5; M. Harris 2-5 2-2 6; A. Ryan 3-4 1-2 9; R. Ferguson 1-5 0-0 2; A. Kalpic 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 21-59 15-20 62.

Three-point goals: CHSO 9-35 (K. Martin 0-1; J. Sexton 1-6; M. Muo 1-7; C. Grier 2-3; A. Harper 1-8; S. Nimley 4-10), CAMP 5-16 (L. Merthie 0-4; D. White 0-4; E. Griffin 0-1; A. Horton 1-2; A. Ryan 2-2; T. Freeman 2-3); Rebounds: CHSO 42 (K. Martin 7), CAMP 38 (D. White 7); Assists: CHSO 13 (J. Sexton 5), CAMP 18 (T. Freeman 7); Total Fouls -- CHSO 18, CAMP 17; Fouled Out: CHSO-None; CAMP-E. Griffin.

]]> Fri, 3 Feb 2012 13:56:00 -0400 <![CDATA[In Memory of Coach Spoonhour]]> Dwight Strayer http://www.midmajority.com/p/2573

Game #8-499: Northern Iowa Panthers at Missouri State BearsJanuary 28, 2012 5:00 pm
JQH Arena
BBState Stats/Recap
Authors Note: Im writing this recap on Wednesday, February 1st. This morning we learned of the passing of Coach Charlie Spoonhour, who coached Missouri State (then Southwest Missouri State) from 1983-1992. Coach Spoon, as he was affectionately called, was a legend in Missouri State basketball. He helped usher Missouri State in to Division I basketball and the Missouri Valley Conference and led them to five NCAA tournament appearances. His great coaching turned the Hammons Student Center into Spoons Temple of Doom and made Springfield a nightmare for opposing teams. Coach Spoon was a great coach and a great man and he will be missed greatly by everyone in Bear Nation, the Missouri Valley Conference family, and the Mid Majority family. Rest in peace, Coach Spoon.

This recap is dedicated to the memory of Coach Spoonhour.

Like all Bears fans, my personal anticipation level for this game between Missouri State and Northern Iowa was high. It should be after the way the first game ended between these two teams in Cedar Falls two weeks earlier. Northern Iowa won a hard-fought game by one point on a lay-in in the final seconds of the game after a questionable no-call by the officiating crew on what looked to be a traveling violation on the Panthers. Not only was the loss tough to swallow, it also seemed to put the Bears in a funk as they lost three of their next four games after being tied for first place in the Missouri Valley standings. There was no doubt that players, coaches, and fans wanted this win badly.

Although JQH Arena was not packed to the brim, the place was pretty full and it was buzzing. In particular, the student section showed up in force, continuing to assert themselves as the best student section in The Valley. With the national anthem and introductions out of the way, the game was ready to begin. Northern Iowa was the early aggressor and they shot out to a quick 9-3 lead on the shoulders of their junior leader Jake Koch. Despite the early run, the Bears did not look phased, especially senior star Kyle Weems. After closing the gap to 9-7, Kyle Weems buried a #superhoop to give the Bears the lead. Two possessions later, Weems added three points the old-fashioned way, triggering a 13-2 run for the Bears going into the under-eight timeout.

But, the Bears werent done yet. On the Bears first possession out of the timeout, in the flow of the offense, Kyle Weems decided to fire on a 25-foot three-pointer and buried it. The bucket sent the crowd into a frenzy and pushed the Bears lead to 13 points. A few possessions later, Weems brought the crowd to their feet once again as he received a pass in the corner, drove hard down the baseline, and threw down a monstrous #omgdunx! When it was all said and done, Missouri State held a 34-24 lead going in to the half.

The halftime festivities were devoted to the recognition of seven new members to the Missouri State athletics half of fame: six athletes and one coach. All seven individuals had very impressive careers during their time at Missouri State.

With the halftime festivities wrapped up, the players took the floor and the second half got underway. The biggest concern for any team coming out of halftime with a double-digit lead is will there be a letdown to start the second half. The Bears quickly answered that question with a giant NO, as they started off the second half scoring with a powerful #OMGDUNX from senior big man Isaiah Rhine after some smooth ball movement from the Bears. After pushing the lead to 15 on an Anthony Downing three pointer, it looked like the Bears had the game under control. However, they suddenly went cold, going five minutes without scoring a point. The door was wide open for the Panthers to get themselves right back in the game, but they couldnt take advantage of the opportunity. Despite the scoring drought by the Bears, Northern Iowa was only able to close the gap to nine points before Anthony Downing finally got the Bears back on the board with a three-point bucket.

After that basket, Missouri State was able to find their grove and eventually push the lead to 16 at the five-minute mark on an impressive play by Anthony Downing. With the shot clock winding down, Northern Iowa managed to tip a Missouri State pass and send the ball in to the back court. Downing scrambled after the ball and managed to track it down 75 feet away from the basket with four seconds left on the shot clock. He dashed back in to the front court and drilled a 25 foot #superhoop as the shot clock buzzer sounded.

With a 16-point lead and five minutes to play, it finally looked like Missouri State was going to shake their problems with blowing games late. Northern Iowa managed to make the Bears sweat with a quick 8-2 run after the Downing three-pointer, but the Bears held firm and made their free throws down the stretch to secure a 63-51 victory.

Any win in our game feels good, but this one felt especially good given the circumstances. As a Bears fan, this convincing win helped wash out the bad taste of the tough earlier loss to the Panthers. Those of us who make our home in The Valley know that this conference is a battle. Every game is tough and every arena is tough to play in. Protecting your home court is critical, and on this day the Bears did just that.

]]> Fri, 3 Feb 2012 00:13:00 -0400 <![CDATA[Marist at Manhattan 2/2/2012]]> Jesse Kramer http://www.midmajority.com/p/2572 Game #8-498: Marist Red Foxes at Manhattan JaspersFebruary 2, 2012 8:00 pm
Draddy Gymnasium
BBState Stats/Recap
The Manhattan student section was plentiful and rowdy on Thursday night in its first home game of the second semester, with the wisecrack of the night going to an obnoxious student, who yelled out to Marist head coach Chuck Martin, "Chuck Chuck Bo Buck Banana Fana You Suck."

Obnoxious students can get annoying, but sometimes they're right. Marist (7-15, 2-9 MAAC) lost for the eighth consecutive time, and Martin's road record in four years with the Red Foxes now stands at a miserable 2-53.

Manhattan (17-7, 10-2) came out of the gate slowly, but it pulled away in the second half and cruised to a 73-51 win. The Jaspers have now won eight straight games, and 14 of their last 17. Not only are they one of the hottest squads in the MAAC, but they have also emerged as one of the hottest teams among all mid-majors.

Marist's Adam Kemp and Mahattan's Rhamel Brown went at it in the post all night long. The MAAC's two best shot blockers combined for seven blocks (three for Kemp, four for Brown), including a couple of stuffs on each other. The dynamic swatters made everything at the rim difficult.

Unfortunately, barring a matchup in the MAAC Tournament, this will be the last time they go head-to-head this year. Fortunately, both are sophomores, so there will still be two more years of battling for the MAAC shot-blocking title.

Aside from Brown, the Manhattan defense remained active and pesky, as usual. The Jaspers forced 21 turnovers and had 13 steals, eight of them by sophomore point guard Michael Alvarado. They converted efficiently off the takeaways with 27 points of turnovers. The Manhattan guards consistently made Marist's ballhandlers look like amateurs with the rock.

Manhattan, which entered the contest at 23rd in the nation in field-goal defense (39 percent) held the Red Foxes to 37.7 percent shooting.

George Beamon continued his quest towards Manhattan's 1,000-point club. The junior posted 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting, but he is still 14 points shy of quadruple digits. With a good night on Saturday against Iona, he will have a spot reserved on the Draddy Gymnasium banners.

Kidani Brutus led all scorers with 16 points off the bench. The senior co-captain shot 7-of-10 from the field, including a pair of pretty, stepback jumpers. For Marist, Isaiah Morton and freshman Chavaugn Lewis each had 11 points.

Although the rout was fun to watch for all Manhattan fans, this was just a warmup. As the final seconds ticked away, fans rose to their feet and started chanting, "Bring on Iona!" The Jaspers will face the Iona Gaels on Saturday night for first place in the MAAC. (The game is already sold out -- sorry to mid-major fans who were looking to make the trip to NYC.)

]]> Fri, 3 Feb 2012 00:06:00 -0400 <![CDATA[Free Food at FU]]> Ian McCormick http://www.midmajority.com/p/2571 Game #8-497: Davidson Wildcats at Furman PaladinsFebruary 1, 2012 7:00 pm
Timmons Arena
BBState Stats/Recap
I had not been to Furmans Timmons Arena in three years. The last time I was there was when I went to visit all 23 Division I and Division II mens basketball arenas in South Carolina. Back then I had intended to go see Davidson play there, but when the presence of Stephen Curry led to a sellout, I had to move my visit up earlier in the week to a lightly attended game against Georgia Southern. Tonight I got my chance to see Davidson at Timmons Arena, reserving my ticket a few hours in advance. I took a seat in the Davidson section, since the best available seats were among the visitors. It looked to be a full crowd, and tickets were $15. Those are slightly above average for mid-major basketball, presumably because the game was against first-place Davidson and their large number of traveling fans.

While this was a good matchup to see on a Wednesday night (most mid-majors play midweek games on Mondays and Thursdays to condense travel costs with weekend games), I was dreading Timmons Arena slightly. Like some of the places I visited last December, the place is not well-suited for basketball. But unlike those other arenas, it isnt suited for hockey either. Timmons Arena is designed to serve as an auditorium for concerts and special events (before the opening of the downtown Bi-Lo Center in 1999, it was Greenville's premier concert venue), with one side of retractable seating that pulls out for basketball. The arena seats over 5,000, but that includes bleacher seating with an obstructed view, far from the court in the corners of the baseline. Furman usually closes the bleacher space behind large black curtains and uses it as a picnic area, reducing the capacity of the basketball configuration to 2,900. Aside from the retractable seats opposite the benches and scorers table, most seats in Timmons Arena are far from the court.

The arena and the Furman campus are also at a bit of a remove, being on the northern edge of the city of Greenville.The lack of good access to the major freeways of the upstatecan create traffic congestion coming out of big campus events, as most of the Greenville metro area and all the major highways are to the south of campus in one direction.

Trying to get through rush-hour Greenville traffic, I decided that it was too congested to stop and eat or use an ATM if I wanted to get to the game my usual 30 minutes before tip. But I only had seven dollars in cash, and with money tight I was wondering how I could stretch it out at the Furman concessions. When I arrived it was raining, but it was warm and friendly, and once I got inside the arena at 6:10 I felt more relaxed. After ten minutes, I decided to go to the bathroom and to check concession prices. As I got on the concourse, I was offered a free piece of pizza. The pizza was cut into tiny squares, and I assumed I would get one of those squares. Still, it meant a way to reduce spending elsewhere. To my surprise, I got three squares rather than one!

I then went to the bathroom and looked to see how much the drinks cost. I did not see a menu, but did see drinks sitting on the counter. I picked up a Mountain Dew and asked how much it cost. "Its free," said the girl working the counter. With a full slice of pizza and a drink, I was ready to have a small free meal. As I walked back to my seat, I saw a freezer in the picnic area where people were just taking ice cream sandwiches. I decided to pick one up myself and had even more free food! And I noticed a lot of people were carrying around food at Timmons Arena. Could I find even more free food and turn my free small meal into a free full dinner? Does Furman not charge for concessions?

The answer: Furman does not charge for concessions! I went back and ordered a hot dog, and was asked, "Is that all? You can get four items with each visit." So with that, I also picked up another slice of pizza and nachos on the side as well. Since I already had a drink from my last visit, I decided that would be it, even though the woman working the counter really wanted to give me another item of food. Where else can you go in sports and have everything on the menu in the concessions stand cost nothing?

I know of some pro baseball stadiums where you can buy certain special tickets that come with free food, but you either have to accept very bad seats or pay a whole lot more for the right to have all the food you want. At Furman, though, all tickets are the same and there is no cash register at the concession stand. The people working there just serve you the food you ask for, and you get it and go back to your seat with nobody paying for it. Some of the schools below the Black Line, and some non-revenue mid-major sports, may have free admission; most non-revenue sports outside of Division I have free concessions, in that there are no concessions. But at Furman, you can have all the pizza, burgers, nachos, hot dogs, ice cream sandwiches, popcorn, and drinks you want without paying for it. You are limited to four items per visit, but your visits are not limited. This is something I have never experienced before.

The $15 ticket that gets you in may be slightly above average for mid-major basketball. But I have on occasion paid $20 for tickets, while still having to pay high concession prices at mid-major games. (Nearly all schools above the Red Line charge more for basketball tickets as well.) The Paladins SoCon rival College of Charleston charges at least $15 for each home game, bumping that up to $20 for important weekend conference games and $25 for games against opponents above the Red Line as well as Citadel games.(And that is with high prices at the concession stand as well as parking fees for their garages.) The Citadel and Wofford both charge $10 for admission, but that easily comes to above $15 once you add a drink and a small snack at their pricey concession areas. Davidson charges $14, and that is for seats in the upstairs bleachers; like everybody else, they also charge for concessions. Furman charges $15 for admission, and absolutely everything else in the arena is free. The school has admitted that raising the price from $12 to $15 didn't actually cover the costs of the concession stand. But the Paladins have been doing much better in attendance since instituting the new "all-inclusive" policy a year ago, and it has worked well for them. Where else can you get a better deal?

This can be the kind of thing that helps boost support for basketball at a traditionally football school. AndFurman has a history of being different. The college was willing to cut its historical ties with the Southern Baptist Convention 20 years ago to promote better academic freedom and more religious perspectives, despite being in a conservative city with Bob Jones University just a few miles down the road. And Furman students are very proud of the schools initials, "FU." The double entendre of its name is not uncommon among South Carolina schools. (At one time last year, I saw the Charleston Southern womens basketball team play three games, all against teams with suggestive names: the South Carolina Gamecocks, the Presbyterian Blue Hose, and the College of Charleston Cougars.)

But the initials FU are quite unique. Supposedly Jerry Falwell, when looking to rename his Lynchburg Baptist College, considered naming the school after himself. But he did not approve of the initials Falwell University brought, so he went with Liberty University instead. But Furman fans are very proud of their initials. In my history classes at High Point, there was always a student with a FU Furman cap, and I doubt he had any connection to Furman. I know there have been students kicked out of school in other states for wearing South Carolina hats that simply read "Cocks." I wonder if that has been the case for Furman gear that reads "FU"? I remember that when my high school outlawed white t-shirts for one day, one student protested by writing the letters F U in blue ink in defiance on his white t-shirt. Furman shirts can provide the same message, just by using the schools abbreviation.

The school seems to approve of this; as I recall, when I went to Furman for a baseball game a graphic on the scoreboard read "GO F U," with a space in between the F and the U. Furman students also chant their school initials at opponents during free throws. Opponents also like to pick up on the initials as well. I remember last year when Furman played at Charleston, C of C students chanted their opponents initials alongside their opponents school name.

Initials aside, I like how Furman is different from all other schools in the region, and its scenic campus on the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains is a unique place to visit.But this wasnt FUs night on the court. Davidson was coming off a bad road loss over the weekend at Samford. Furman seemed to have a good crowd behind it and made big shots, but could never string them together for a much-needed run. On defense they played well except when fouling the Wildcats, and the good free throw shooters at Davidson made the most of their chances. Davidson had a 40-30 lead at halftime, and I went to get another ice cream sandwich and a Dr. Pepper because I can just do that here with no problem. Not having people pay for the concessions also helps the lines move better as well.

The Paladins started to come back in the second half; cutting the Wildcat lead to two five minutes into the second half. But the foul trouble continued to hurt their depth and the Wildcats stormed back to a double digit lead. Furman continued to foul repeatedly at the end, giving away free throws like they were hot dogs at the concession stand. The Wildcats knocked down foul shots to end up with a 71-53 win, although the game was a bit closer than the final score indicates.

When I walked out, the concession workers were offering to give away their remaining hamburgers and hot dogs. But I had already had plenty to eat, and eating that much often is not good for you so I had to pass up the final offer. But it is a great deal, one that more people need to take advantage of. Furmans campus is a bit out of the way if you are not in Greenville, and that's why it was the last remaining mid-major arena not to have a recap from it in South Carolina. But if you are traveling in the Upstate of South Carolina, it is really worth the visit to Timmons Arena. All the food you can eat with Division I basketball is a great experience for $15, and is part of many reasons why Furman is a different place.

DAVIDSON 71, at FURMAN 53
02/01/2012

DAVIDSON 16-5 (10-1) -- J. Kuhlman 2-7 8-8 13; D. Brooks 9-18 1-3 19; J. Cohen 2-6 4-4 9; N. Cochran 3-12 8-9 14; C. Czerapowicz 3-6 0-0 6; C. Mann 3-6 0-0 6; T. Kalinoski 0-1 0-0 0; T. Droney 1-1 2-2 4; F. Ben-Eze 0-0 0-0 0; W. Reigel 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-57 23-26 71.
FURMAN 11-11 (5-6) -- B. Austin 1-4 2-2 4; B. Sebirumbi 2-8 4-6 8; J. Loyd 2-8 2-4 6; C. Reddick 5-13 0-0 13; D. Early 1-4 0-0 3; B. Irwin 1-3 0-0 3; C. Toler 1-2 0-0 2; D. Brown 2-4 2-2 6; C. Reddick 2-3 2-2 6; B. Barnes 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 18-53 12-16 53.

Three-point goals: DAV 2-12 (J. Kuhlman 1-2; N. Cochran 0-6; J. Cohen 1-1; C. Czerapowicz 0-3), FURM 5-14 (B. Austin 0-1; B. Barnes 0-1; B. Irwin 1-2; C. Reddick 3-5; J. Loyd 0-2; D. Early 1-3); Rebounds: DAV 38 (J. Cohen 8), FURM 29 (B. Sebirumbi 8); Assists: DAV 9 (J. Kuhlman 5), FURM 10 (J. Loyd 4); Total Fouls -- DAV 17, FURM 24; Fouled Out: DAV-None; FURM-J. Loyd.

]]> Thu, 2 Feb 2012 16:27:00 -0400 <![CDATA[Questions Me and the Seahawks Can`t Answer]]> Matt Cayuela http://www.midmajority.com/p/2570 Game #8-496: Georgia State Panthers at North Carolina-Wilmington SeahawksFebruary 1, 2012 7:00 pm
Trask Coliseum
BBState Stats/Recap
As many of you have already read, the details for Season 9 were released Wednesday afternoon. I was waiting in anticipation, like Im sure others were to see what was in store for the Mid-Majority next year. We Are, Together could have meant many different things, but I could not wrap my mind around what changes may occur. I kept checking the site through the morning, but it wasnt until shortly after I got back from lunch when the preview was released. After reading the info, a ton of questions started to form in my head. I tend to over-analyze and worry about things unnecessarily, which probably provided me more stress than I needed, but I was still doing it in this case.

"Whats a team leader?" "Can the leaders write about games too?" "Do I have $100?" "Do I have to pay to be able to write?" "If Im able to be a writer, will anybody pick me to be on their team? Will it be like grade school dodgeball all over again?" "What number do I want on my shirt?" "I want the number to be of the total games Ive been to, will that number be taken?" "Will there be memberships left?"

Then the thought of "why do I even worry so much about something that is 9 months away" came across my mind. There is plenty of time to figure things out between now and then. The questions in my head did take up a huge chunk of the rest of the day though. It even made the drive up to Wilmington go that much quicker. Here I was contemplating TMM9 while were only a little over halfway into TMM8, and I still had a game to go to.

Coming off their last defeat, the UNCW Seahawks had issues they were probably worrying about too. You knew it would happen eventually, but no one wanted to be the team that was going to give Towson its streak-breaking win. Unfortunately for the Seahawks, they were "That Team" when they went up to Maryland on Saturday and gave the Tigers their first win in 41 tries. And the bigger picture problem for UNCW was that they had lost 6 of 7 and were on the verge of falling apart altogether.

Georgia St was in a slump of their own, as they once had an 11-game winning streak and the look of a surprise contender in the CAA, but losing four out of five recently had dropped them back to the middle of the pack.

I could tell right away that the fans were still peeved with the Seahawks after the embarrassing loss to Towson. The crowd at Trask Coliseum was sparser than usual and the student section is diminishing for every game. I could also overhear people questioning what was wrong with the team and how something like that could happen. The pressure was on for UNCW to make a statement against the Panthers, and prove that they were still a team worth getting behind.

In the early going, Wilmington did respond with a sense of urgency. It benefited them on the defensive side of the ball as they were making stops and forcing GSU into mistakes. But iy became a hindrance on offense, as they seemed too amped-up and were forcing shots. I could only think it became demoralizing for UNCW that they were playing well, but there was nothing to show for it. Thats when GSU started to take over, with two big first-half runs. First it was a 10-0 run that got them the lead; Wilmington came back to tie, but a 15-0 run dispirited the team and the fans.

The home fans had nothing to cheer about until a promotion during a media timeout. It was your basic make a layup, free throw, and 3-pointer and win the prize. An older guy in blue jean overalls and a teal shirt was able to make all three, including the 3-pointer at the buzzer, which of course led to the "maybe they should suit this guy up har har har" comments from the crowd.

While Farmer John was well past his eligibility, I dont think he or Brett Blizzard would have helped on this evening. Georgia State maintained its lead and while UNCW would make small runs of 4 or 6, there would always be a response from the Panthers. The defense that had been so good for the Seahawks in the first 10 minutes disappeared for the rest of the game, as GSU was getting uncontested layups and dunks. On the rare occasion GSU did miss, Eric Buckner was there to clean things up, especially in the second half when he had five offensive boards and 16 points.

Georgia State pulled out of their recent funk and dominated most of the game to get a 68-53 win. The loss for UNCW was pretty bad, as they have lost some at home of late but mostly kept the games close. Freshman scorer Adam Smith has hit the wall and isnt pouring in points like earlier in the season, and the overworked Keith Rendleman cant do everything on his own. Its troubling that the Seahawks have so many questions to be answered this late in the season.

If only the answers were as easy as the questions I had in my head when I left the arena: "When can I get enough cash to get that awesome Mid-Majority foam finger?" and "I wonder if theyll take that McDermott kid #1 in the 'sixth man draft'?"

GEORGIA STATE 68, at NORTH CAROLINA-WILMINGTON 53
02/01/2012

GEORGIA STATE 15-8 (7-5) -- J. Ali 6-11 2-4 16; E. Buckner 8-11 1-4 17; D. White 2-10 0-2 5; J. Fields 3-6 1-1 7; J. Micheaux 3-6 2-2 8; R. Richardson 4-10 0-0 10; T. Kimbro Jr. 1-5 1-2 4; B. McGee 0-0 0-2 0; J. Vincent 0-0 1-4 1; J. Taylor 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-59 8-21 68.
NORTH CAROLINA-WILMINGTON 8-14 (4-8) -- K. Rendleman 5-10 2-5 12; F. Jackson 2-6 0-1 4; D. Morales 5-12 3-3 14; A. Smith 4-15 0-2 9; M. Wilson 3-3 0-1 6; K. Simmons 2-6 0-1 4; C. Williams 1-1 0-0 2; T. Milson 0-1 0-0 0; T. Deloach 0-0 0-0 0; N. Anderson 1-1 0-0 2; C. Chambers 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-55 5-13 53.

Three-point goals: GSU 6-15 (J. Ali 2-3; J. Fields 0-1; J. Micheaux 0-1; R. Richardson 2-6; D. White 1-2; T. Kimbro Jr. 1-2), UNCW 2-10 (T. Milson 0-1; D. Morales 1-3; K. Simmons 0-2; A. Smith 1-4); Rebounds: GSU 38 (E. Buckner 9), UNCW 36 (K. Rendleman 13); Assists: GSU 13 (D. White 6), UNCW 15 (F. Jackson 5); Total Fouls -- GSU 14, UNCW 16; Fouled Out: GSU-None; UNCW-None.

]]> Thu, 2 Feb 2012 14:45:00 -0400 <![CDATA[Turnovers, Blown Whistles and Bill Murray]]> Gary Moore http://www.midmajority.com/p/2569 Game #8-495: Towson Tigers at Hofstra PrideFebruary 1, 2012 7:00 pm
Mack Sports Complex
BBState Stats/Recap

When Towson defeated UNCW last Saturday, the Tigers ended their NCAA record 41-game losing streak. With the win, Towson entered a tie for eleventh place in the CAA with Hofstra. The Pride had just lost earlier in the day at Northeastern. Both teams entered last night's game with a 1-10 conference record.
One team at the end of the night would be in eleventh place and the other team would be in the cellar. As my older son and I walked toward the Mack Center entrance, Matthew turned to me and said "I really hope Hofstra wins so they don't go into last place." Leave it to a six year old to sum up most Pride fans' feelings in a nutshell.

For the second season in a row, the Mack Center entertained a special guest, one Bill Murray. Murray's son, Luke is now an assistant coach with Towson. Last season, he was an assistant for Wagner when they played Hofstra in a December non conference game. His dad watched as the Pride held off the Seahawks. Last night, his dad was sitting in the first row behind the Towson bench in Section 104. There's no truth to the rumor that Bill Murray gave the Tigers' his inspirational speech, "It Just Doesn't Matter" as the pep talk before the game.

It was quite appropriate that he was in attendance last night, because the first twelve to thirteen minutes of the game were quite comical. You had the Tigers, who couldn't hold onto the ball, and the Pride, who couldn't shoot the ball. Towson turned the ball over on each of their first four possessions and had 13 turnovers in 13 minutes.

Meanwhile, during the same stretch, Hofstra couldn't take advantage as they seemingly couldn't put the ball in the ocean. The Pride shot 6 of 21 during the first 13 minutes. Amazingly, Hofstra was only up 18-9 with seven minutes left in the half.

The Pride extended the lead to fifteen, 33-18 going into halftime. Still the numbers were brutal. Towson had more turnovers, nineteen, then points or rebounds (also eighteen). Both teams had sixteen free throw attempts. Towson missed ten of them while Hofstra missed six of their own. Towson shot a respectable forty two percent, but that's when they could get off a shot, as they only had fourteen field goal attempts in the first half. Yes, that means they only had six field goals in the first twenty minutes. Hofstra had thirty three field goal attempts, but only hit eleven of them. My friend Tieff called it "The Good (Bill Murray), The Bad (Hofstra) and the Ugly (Towson)."

Towson actually brought a few fans for the game as they cheered early on behind the Tigers bench. During halftime, I wondered what Bill Murray was doing to entertain them. Was he Nick Winters singing the Star Wars theme or was he just in town because it was Groundhog Day on Wednesday? Perhaps he went into the Towson locker room and gave another pep speech, this time the one from Stripes. Oh the possibilities.

We decided at halftime to join my good friend DefiantlyDutch and his better half Michelle in their seats behind the Hofstra basket. However, I was told by the Dutchman that if we brought bad karma and the lead got under ten points, we would be forced to go back to our regular seats. Sure enough, Towson went out on a 7-2 spurt and cut the lead to ten, 35-25.

But just as the Dutchman was getting ready to toss us out, Hofstra responded with a 13-0 run over the next three minutes. Nathaniel Lester and Mike Moore were responsible for all 13 points scored in that run. Also during that run, Lester scored his 1000th career point on a free throw. Lester received a standing ovation from the crowd.

The score was 48-25 and all that was left was to see if Lester and Moore together could outscore the entire Towson team. And for a good part of the second half, the two Hofstra players were leading the entire Tigers team as Moore and Lester combined to score 48 points. However, a late 3- pointer by Christian Collins made the final score Towson 49, Moore and Lester 47. Unfortunately for the Tigers, Hofstra had an additional 27 points as the Pride defeated them 74-49.

It had been a long game due to the 44 fouls called, the 49 combined free throw attempts and the 27 Towson turnovers. In fact, last night, all the CAA games started at 7:00 PM Eastern time. The Hofstra-Towson game was the last one to finish by a good margin. There were more whistles in this game than Salma Hayek walking past a construction site.

Moore had 28 points and Lester added 19. The Pride also had 20 offensive rebounds, one more than defensive rebounds. Walk-on Matt Grogan had a career high six points. Erique Gumbs had 12 points and Kris Walden had ten points.

It was the 20th time in 24 games that Towson scored under 60 points on the season. The Tigers were now back in sole possession of last place in the CAA. As Bill Murray left the Mack Center, I wonder if he was saying to himself "It just doesn't matter."
at HOFSTRA 74, TOWSON 49
02/01/2012

TOWSON 1-23 (1-11) -- K. Walden 4-7 2-5 10; M. Damas 2-8 2-4 7; E. Gumbs 5-7 2-7 12; R. Nwankwo 3-8 3-4 9; A. Giergen 1-4 2-3 5; D. Jones 0-1 0-0 0; D. Cook 0-1 0-0 0; J. Pressley 0-0 2-8 2; J. Flash 0-0 0-0 0; B. Blackstone 0-0 0-0 0; C. Collins 1-1 1-2 4. Totals 16-37 14-33 49.
HOFSTRA 8-16 (2-10) -- M. Moore 9-16 6-6 28; D. Imes 1-8 0-0 2; N. Lester 6-14 5-7 19; D. McMillan 1-3 0-0 2; S. McLendon 3-8 0-0 7; S. Mejia 1-5 1-2 3; S. Nwaukoni 1-5 3-4 5; M. Kone 1-1 0-2 2; M. Grogan 3-4 0-0 6; J. Good 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-65 15-21 74.

Three-point goals: TOWS 3-11 (A. Giergen 1-4; C. Collins 1-1; M. Damas 1-4; K. Walden 0-1; D. Cook 0-1), HOFS 7-21 (N. Lester 2-4; S. Mejia 0-3; D. Imes 0-2; M. Moore 4-7; M. Grogan 0-1; S. McLendon 1-4); Rebounds: TOWS 29 (R. Nwankwo 8), HOFS 36 (N. Lester 8); Assists: TOWS 11 (K. Walden 6), HOFS 17 (D. McMillan 6); Total Fouls -- TOWS 20, HOFS 24; Fouled Out: TOWS-None; HOFS-None.

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