Monday, April 21, 2008

March 27th, 2008: Boston College at St. John's (WNIT)

Kia Wright refuses to let her season end, Carolyn Swords is quite impressive, and Monique McLean is Little Sista Christon.


Kia Wright just doesn't want her season to end, does she? Not that I can blame her; none of the rest of us want to see her season end either. These second-half heroics, though, they're certainly coming at most interesting times. There's just no quit in these kids, and I'm loving every extended second of it.

Either I hadn't known or I had suppressed the fact that Nancy Darsch is an assistant for Boston College. Ye gods, that brought back some memories I could have lived without. She was much more animated than I remembered her, and very involved in the coaching, especially of the big girls- and those posts for BC are BIG, no getting around it. Carolyn Swords looks freakish in NCAA play- 6'6" with a thick body, she looks like a woman among girls. It took until the second half for BC to think, 'hmmm, she's three inches taller than the tallest Red Storm player, four inches taller than the tallest Red Storm player who will actually go into the paint, and six inches taller than the tallest Red Storm starter- hey, let's pound the ball to her and have her wreak havoc inside!' But once they did, the Eagles made it close in a hurry. She impressed me more than Stefanie Murphy, though I'm given to understand that Murphy gets more press. Both of them are physical, but more easily knocked out of the lane than one would guess from their build. BC seemed to depend a lot on the inside-out game, passing it in only to get open looks on the perimeter. Not what I'd do with big post players, but what do I know? Brittanny Johnson came up big in the second half. Other than Jaclyn Thoman, they didn't really get that much from their bench, which was their undoing.

St. John's, on the other hand, got plenty of contributions from non-starters. Granted, that factors in that Tiina didn't get the start (which, also, kind of confusing, because at this point, Coco doesn't bring that much more to the table than Tiina, and certainly isn't going to jostle big players out of place). Recee decided that she didn't give a damn how tall anyone was, and threw her body around indiscriminately, both for good and for ill- she had the difficult task of checking either Swords or Murphy all night, and she still managed ten points. Off the bench, Kelly also hit a couple of big threes and brought some very tenacious defense. The more I see her develop, the more I like her, because she has a knack for making big plays at the edges of the court, and her shot is one of the most fundamentally sound on the team; now she's learning to play defense, which makes her more useful than just a designated bomber. Sheree didn't score off the bench, but she brought energy- there were two plays I remember where she just kept fighting for a rebound, one on the defensive end where she evaded two BC players trying to get the tie-up, and then on the resulting offensive play, where she tapped the ball back out to Kia. Tiina came off the bench like she had something to prove, which I guess makes sense. Would that we had gotten the production from our starters that we got from our bench. Coco and Joy were both very ineffective. Joy got into early foul trouble and spent most of the game on the bench. Sky was also really quiet, and while I understand the need to train a point guard for when Kia graduates, I don't think she should be running the point while Kia's in the game. Just a thought, of course. Monique went off in the first half, and while the Boston College defense seemed to do a better job on her in the second half (or maybe she was just taking worse shots), she still got to the line. And with the late block, she was definitely doing her Sister Christon impersonation. Kia, in the first half, seemed to be looking to involve her teammates- which worked really well when Monique, Recee, and Tiina were hitting shots. In the second half, when the Eagles were trying to make a game of it, she took over, driving the lane and making some unfreakingbelievable shots. Bigtime, bay-bee. God, I'd love to see the Liberty bring her in for a look, and at least for her to make it to the preseason game against Washington. Is that too much to ask?

Lib Fan, I'm never talking to you again, you lucky bastard. I'm sure you've got more to contribute than I do, given how close your seats were. I've been down there. It's a funky view, but you must have heard and seen a lot more than I ever could have.

I don't want to say that Bonita Spence has fallen down the totem pole since Clockgate at TBA, but she was calling the game last night. How do you go from calling one of the biggest games of the regular season to working the WNIT? Then again, I'll also grant that it wasn't actually conflicting with a tournament game, that there's less of a need for refs with fewer games, that in NIT terms it actually was a marquee matchup, and that Spence has got to live in the metro area, considering the number of totally random matchups I've seen her work this past season. Still. You should have heard my primal scream when she emerged from the locker room.

As soon as the game was over and it was determined that NC State had host-rights, Sky's mom was on the phone ordering a bus. Like mother, like daughter, I suppose. At least that game will be a little easier for Monique's folks to get to than these two games in New York have been. We're still on the fence- a lot's going to depend on how much access we have to that bus Sky's mom ordered. I'd also rather go to the NCAA tournament than the NIT if I'm going to North Carolina, but then again…

Hold on tight, boys and girls. The ride's not over yet.

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March 24th, 2008: Iona at St. John's (WNIT)

McLeans are everywhere as St. John's plays host to the Gaels, and have I mentioned lately that Sheree Ledbetter is awesome?


Okay, so it's not the important dance, but it's nice to have one of my teams dancing unexpectedly, as St. John's picked up a win against Iona tonight at Carnesecca Arena.

Clearly our band decided that they didn't have to show anything remotely resembling effort- not that they're very good in the first place, but tonight was exceptionally awful. We were wincing by the end of it, it was that bad. I got the sense during early shootaround that some of the Red Storm didn't care about this game as much as they would about a normal game, but that got shaken out of them in a hurry; perhaps they expected Iona to be an easy opponent?

I owe Iona a big favor for last year- indirectly, they're responsible for my bragging rights in the bracket challenge by giving me cause to take Marist over Ohio State. They also produced Martina Weber, so I have to give them some love for that. They play tough, they play physical, and they fear no one and nothing. The MAAC may be a two-team league, but those two teams are pretty damn bad-ass. They have a big center, Anna McLean (who obviously confused the daylights out of St. John's fans who are used to McLean being one of the good guys), who isn't afraid to use her size to get inside. They bring (or brought) forward Jessica Smith, who's got a nicely balanced game, and off the bench they had a Serbian forward, Anda Ivkovic, who's only a freshman and has a gorgeous shot- I'd like her a whole lot better if she weren't a dirty player with a nasty set of elbows. Lauren DeFalco bombed a couple of deep, deep threes- we're talking professional range, maybe even NBA range. Their coach is a little insane- okay, a lot insane- but he's done well with what he has. I'm not sure how long Iona can hold on to the #2 slot in the MAAC; they're losing a lot to graduation, although they have some good freshmen in Ivkovic and Catherine Lutz.

For St. John's, this game was all about the second half. While Tiina and Sky did all their scoring in the first half- and for Sky, that scoring was almost completely neutralized by her boneheaded mistakes and Coach's odd insistence on using her as a point guard when there were actual point guards on the floor- Kelly and Joy combined for 13, and Kia loaded up on free throws and layups to score 12 of her 14, in the second half. Kia wanted this game too much, I think; she didn't play as smartly as she knows how to, although she steadied in the second half, and her hustle in the paint was unfreakingbelievable. Monique took over on offense, and for a change she wasn't forcing bad shots. Sky, on the other hand- we will not talk about Sky's shot selection or her court vision tonight. Tiina… so inconsistent. So blonde. So Euro. Joy was dead quiet in the first half- I thought she was having flashbacks to the preseason NIT game last year, when she was one of the only five Red Storm players remaining for the second half against an Iona team that lacked Martina Weber but that pushed Marist all through MAAC play. Someone kicked her in the ass during halftime, though; she came out hustling more like herself, going up strong with the ball instead of trying to bring it down and getting stripped, and performing what's become her signature offensive move, the pell-mell drive down the lane capped by a sweeping hook from the right side. Off the bench, Kelly made some great defensive plays against the baseline and hit a big three that got St. John's some breathing room from the stubborn Gaels. Sheree got a lot of time, and I liked that; she's become our sparkplug, the catalyst for a backcourt trap that makes me all tingly inside. The more I see of her, the more I like her, because she brings so much energy and because she balances the enjoyment of the game with attention to the game. Some of our players have so much fun that they seem to forget to pay attention to what they're supposed to be doing. Recee came in to try and balance out McLean, because that big girl was doing all kinds of bodily harm to our skinny posts. Kristin and Coco got minutes; I don't think Coco did much with her minutes, though she certainly had enough of them.

I wasn't expecting genius from the zebras tonight, since anyone who's worth a good goddamn should be calling the NCAA tournament, but there were some pretty egregious misses, and some questionable out of bounds calls. I'm still trying to figure out how Coco got called for her first foul.

Iona brought a big loud fan contingent. Major props to them- yes, I know, it's not exactly a long trip, but I didn't know how many Iona fans there were out there. At some points, they were drowning us out. It's good to see a good team well supported. Good for the game, good for the team, good for the other fans.

The VIP seats went to a couple of McLeans. I wasn't sure if they were Monique's, Anna's, or completely random McLeans until the end of the game, when Monique came upstairs, hugged the lady McLean, and called her momma. Papa McLean said he wasn't sure if he could make it up on Thursday, but he's going to have to, and Papa Wright's just going to have to wear that tie again, because we need all the help we can get against a big, strong Boston College team.

We had the pleasure of sitting next to a couple of fellow Liberty season ticket holders (they have better seats than we do, though). If by sheer dumb luck, you happen to be one of those Section 70 ladies, holler.

I thought the ride was over against Louisville, so I'm just holding on for dear life and grinning from ear to ear. I'll go as far as my team takes me, bay-bee.

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Sunday, April 20, 2008

March 9th, 2008: Atlantic 10 semifinals

You gotta be tough to survive, and tougher to advance, in the Atlantic 10- just ask Temple and Dayton. But you can have a sense of humor about it too- just ask George Washington and Xavier.


Day 3 (well, day 2 for me) dawned far earlier than it should have, thanks to Daylight Savings Time and insufficient sleep the night before. Nevertheless, we hied ourselves hence to Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse for the semifinals, where we met up with and introduced ourselves to the lovely and dedicated dwalkfan. Had we been just a hair more emotionally invested in Temple, we would have bought the awesome t-shirts- "REPO" on the front, with Hooter on the back clutching a net and the A-10 trophy in his talons.

Because the games were on CSTV, and because attendance had blown several large chunks the night before, one whole side of the arena was closed off (later, Charlotte would settle into there, but I don't think that counts so much towards paid attendance, and I wouldn't want to chase the one upset team from quarters out- isn't elimination enough without insult?) to compress the fan base and make the place look full. The Temple fans and the Dayton fans got into it early and often- oh, not fan-on-fan violence, but competing chants. Lots of noise as background to the broadcast, which I'm sure made the execs happy.

Dayton got a lot of breaks in the game; it seemed like a lot of questionable out-of-bounds calls and block/charge calls went their way. They just couldn't get through the Temple defense to capitalize. I… really don't know what Dayton's coach was thinking, to be completely honest with you. Remember how I said that Kendel Ross was the best player for Dayton in the Charlotte game? She was hitting shots, she was getting offensive rebounds, she was doing her share and then some to carry them over the 49ers. For whatever reason, he didn't give her all that much run, even though I see I missed her initial entry into the game. Still, I would have gone with what worked until she proved that it didn't, you know? This time the hot shooting came from Kiki Lund (who also played well in the Charlotte game), but 'most all of the Flyers were shut down.

Lady Comfort stepped up big in this game- Shanea Cotton got into major foul trouble in the first half, so she had to be all the muscle. She completely owned the paint against Dayton, and showed flashes of being more than just a goon. Ashley Morris got hers, but she really showed both her Philadelphia roots and her mentoring by Staley in this game- a lot of her passes were too much for her teammates to handle, and she was a little faster with the ball than her feet were. In that sense, she reminded me of a young Staley, although she doesn't have quite the same build. But leave it to a New Yorker to save a Philly team's bacon; in the second half, when Dayton had taken a one-point lead, Lindsay Kimmel hit back-to-back threes to give Temple the lead and room to breathe with it, and that was enough for Temple to survive, because those two threes gave Temple a five-point lead, same as the final spread. I think that put the swagger back in the Owls' step.

Major awesomeness from Hooter today- he seemed much more enthusiastic than he was yesterday, even getting into a routine with the cheerleaders that ended with the Owl up in a lift. That takes big brass ones to do in a mask that completely covers your face.

I don't envy the Dayton fans having to go back to Ohio and that large snow system that's waiting there for them, but they have nothing to be ashamed of. Their team played well, and if they can just make a run at one of those Chaminade-Julienne kids, they might seriously be something someday soon. And if I'm Temple, I'm not real cocky after this game, because they damn near choked it away, up thirteen with three and a half to go. Their opponent for the A-10 crown shows no mercy and will go for the jugular if they sense weakness.

On to game 2, after a TV-mandated 40-minute break (as compared to the twenty minutes that were afforded the day before). This was the George Washington-Xavier matchup, and it was an utter blast more for the fun in the stands than it was for the action on the court. See, both teams had their bands… and both bands were really into the game… and both bands had eclectic repertoires. George Washington won the first sally with their transposition of "Bohemian Rhapsody"; by the end, the Xavier band had their cell phones in the air. Then Xavier gave Kimberly Beck hell for airballing an early shot- she heard the "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaairbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall!" chants all night. Of course, at the other end, GW's fans and band were giving Special Jennings all kinds of grief for her name. And then Xavier started in on their rather traditional "spell out your school name" chant during free throws. Well, the George Washington fans weren't having with that, so they did it too. Yes, that's right. G-E-O-R-G-E-SPACE-W-A-S-H-I-N-G-T-O-N-SPACE-U-N-I-V-E-R-S-I-T-Y. Yes, they added the university part. Yes, they actually said "space!" between each word. Xavier struck back with their cheerleaders and the routine they have with spelling out the school name with their bodies. The GW fans had no answer for that, and of course, Xavier won the most important part of the whole episode.

At one point near the end of the game, I declared to the world at large that Ta'Shia Phillips could not be allowed to score anymore, as I was running out of room on my bootleg scoresheet to record her points. She went on to add a field goal and a free throw. I was not amused. She had her way in the paint, although some of the bullshit foul calls on the Adairs did not help one bit; by the end of the game, all three major frontcourt players for the Colonials had four fouls. Amber Harris took a hard hit in the second half and came up looking like… well, not so much "who am I and what am I doing here" as "ooooh, pretty colors!" After that, while she had a couple of late shots, she also started racking up stupid fouls. Xavier also got big shots from Jerri Taylor, and Maureen Harter, as she did in the first game, took care of all the team's whining needs- she's one of those players who would swear on a stack of Bibles that she never committed a foul in her life. Perhaps Jennings was disconcerted by the loudness of the George Washington fan contingent calling her name, because she didn't seem to be as much in control of the game as she was against St. Joseph's; of course, GW is also a higher-quality opponent, and she faced a better defender, and she did get her assist numbers.

As mentioned above, both Adairs were hobbled by bullshit fouls- Parrish also had four, but I can think of three calls against the Adairs as a combination that were pure, unadulterated crap. And they weren't effective on the other side of the ball, either. A lot of GW's problems on offense came from trying to force the ball over the top into the post- this is not a brilliant notion when the Musketeers' defense is anchored by a six-five forward with a ridiculous wingspan. Beck didn't play particularly well, I felt; she tried to force too much and let herself get rattled. I don't know if this was a coach's decision or a point guard's decision, but they waited too long to get Lawrence and Allen going, preferring to go into the post instead of onto the perimeter. Why play to Xavier's strengths?

Rule of thumb, dear crew: if you have caused Joe McKeown to swear at you? YOU HAVE MADE AN UNSPEAKABLY HORRID CALL. There were a couple of plays where he got quite animated, and one where I'm fairly certain he dropped the word "bullshit!" Then again, does the name Roy Gulbeyan ring any bells? I thought it might…

I still believe GW was the better team- they just didn't play like it. I'm not as sold on Beck as I was yesterday, but I do think she'd make a great backup for someone in the WNBA.

Temple and Xavier for the title belt. Shanea Cotton and Ta'Shia Phillips should be billed as the undercard; those two deserve each other, with the elbows and the hips they throw, and I wish I could see Morris versus Jennings.

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March 8th, 2008: Atlantic 10 quarterfinals

The Atlantic 10's new slogan: We know where our towel is.


I don't want to say that I was psyched up for this road trip, but I was up at three in the morning the day we were scheduled to leave, and I haven't slept yet, except for the occasional catnap in the car. So if these notes are a little loopier, a little less coherent, and a little more oddly phrased than you're used to seeing from this prolific note-taker, there's a very good reason for it- I've been up for almost twenty-four hours straight. At least for the first three games of the fourplay. The balance are being written from the familiar confines of the 718.

Part of why I'm a little disoriented is because the quadruple-header tipped off almost two hours late because there was a leak in the roof that came down right over the lane in front of the high seed's bench, and a secondary leak near the scoreboard. Fun times for all as one brave gentleman went up on a cherry-picker several times to sort out what the problem was. He first attempted to hang a bucket from the rafters, but it didn't stick. Somehow, though, stretching a towel between two rafters seemed to do the trick without sagging into collapse for seven hours. I wish I knew what kind of material that thing was made of…

It was very hard to take the PA announcer seriously, because he sounded like a slightly higher-pitched Bullwinkle J. Moose. Same intonations.

Don't know how many teams sent representatives, but even from a distance, we recognized Catherine Proto and Nick DiPillo from the Liberty's coaching staff. Methinks they were scouting Beck; DiPillo was definitely taking more detailed notes in game 3 than he was the rest of the time.

First game was #1 Temple versus #8 Richmond. Richmond brought a fair contingent, and their mascot (who's revamped their costume and looks more like Jessica Drew than Peter Parker, if you follow what I mean) was very animated. The Temple fans were out in force, of course, what with this being Philadelphia and all. One of them brought a title belt emblazoned with the A-10 logo and they hollered "YOU CAN'T HAVE THIS!" when the Spiders came out for practice. Temple, like the other high seeds in the tournament, brought their band, as well as their mascot. Made for a nice loud crowd.

Richmond found themselves forcing shots against the tenacious and physical Temple defense- but I'm definitely not saying that Richmond was innocent in these matters. There was a lot of hitting by both sides. I got the distinct sense that neither team was particularly fond of the other. Unfortunately, the Spiders got the worst of a lot of the calls. Temple's extremely physical style… well, put it this way: if they weren't coached by a Philadelphia legend who's also an Olympian and a WNBA All-Star, I sincerely doubt the Owls would get the benefit of the doubt as often as they do. I was all set to cheer for Temple- home team of sorts and a Board Junkie on the bench- but I was so put off by the rough play that I threw in my lot with Richmond.

For Richmond, I loved me some Brittani Shells- nice aggressive shooter, filled the stat sheet decently. I also liked Christina Campion's all-around game. Most of the offense went through those two in the first half, and in much of the second half, although Joanna McKnight saw fit to make her presence felt in the second, scoring all ten of her points in the second half. I think Crystal Goring has potential if she can put a little meat on her frame and work on her footwork. Also, dear Spiders, please stop going over the top to people who can't catch passes. IT DOESN'T WORK.

Temple was rough, as I've mentioned; the ironically named Lady Comfort, along with the more normally named Shanea Cotton and Shenita Landry, were throwing their weight around freely. Cotton kept putting me in mind of a loaf of Easter bread with her thick plait of hair that kept coming undone, to the point where she actually had to be subbed out to retie her hair. I was impressed with Staley's careful balancing act in handling her post rotation, as Cotton and Comfort both picked up four fouls early in the second half, while Landry played with three fouls for most of the game. She managed to keep all three of them in play for most of the game until Cotton picked up her fifth on a really stupid attempted block. Ashley Morris, while I like the way she runs her team and fears nothing, is not 5'5". 5'3", maybe. On a good day. With Dawn Staley's stilettos on.

I knew Richmond was done for with about twelve minutes left in the second half, when they had four chances to tie or take the lead on this one possession (I don't remember the exact score at the time) and completely blew it. They would keep drawing closer, and then they would lose it. And they don't have time, because while Shells is only a freshman, Campion is a senior. I think Richmond will stay competitive in the conference, though, because they keep getting players and their coach does know how to use them- of course, a solid coach in the A-10 always has the chance to move up on the ladder, if you know what I mean.

Dwalkfan did a superb job mopping up during a set of free throws when the towel dripped slightly. Excellent job camouflaging the Richmond-blue sweater with that jacket, chica.

Gulbeyan worked this game as crew chief, and I think that did affect the officiating in Temple's favor, as mentioned earlier. I'd love to take apart Temple's record and check out the foul differential in wins and losses, see whether that's one of the critical factors.


Game two of the fourplay was #5 Dayton versus #4 Charlotte. From a fashion standpoint, I almost wished Charlotte had been the lower seed, if only because their road uniforms are far more attractive than their home whites. But then they wouldn't have been able to bring their most excellent cheerleading squad and a band that could transpose "Iron Man" into something for marching band and still make it recognizable, so there's that to be said for tiebreakers.

This was a much faster-paced game than the first- it was one of the fastest of the four. Both teams liked to run it a lot. Made it more interesting. Unfortunately, the refs did their damnedest to make it less interesting as a game and more interesting in terms of tournament seeding. Not amusing.

Charlotte goes full throttle in everything they do. They brought a sizeable, if not very loud, fan base; their cheerleaders were the most athletic out there (and at one point, they proclaimed themselves to be fuckin' metal); their band was among the most enthusiastic; their team, until approximately the fourth quarter of their game, left it all on the court. Remind me again why the Sting couldn't draw in the same effing town? The 49ers, at least in the first half, went after every loose ball and played tough, sticky one-on-one defense. I loved senior forward Sabrina Gregory, who had a way of running her team and was the linchpin of their defense. Guard Shannon McCallum also impressed me; I liked the way she looked for her shot. In general, though, Charlotte played a very balanced game; everyone scored, and looking at the boxscore, everyone played at least ten minutes, so there's that to be said for their coach's style. On the other hand, Charlotte doesn't seem to know what to do when things go bad. They got a lot of crappy calls against them on the offensive end, and when Dayton started to pull away on the strength of free throws and three-pointers, they just wilted. You could almost see the intensity level drop. It was a sad, sad thing.

Dayton looked like they weren't quite sure what to do with prosperity. Even at the end of the game, when they were running away with it by damn near thirty, they were taking threes with time on the shot clock. This is not on, people. This is not on. Running up the score on Charlotte is not going to make Temple quake in their sneakers; it's going to make Lady Comfort flatten you against the stanchion. Dayton looked to be a "live by the three, die by the three" team, and they survived by the three. That being said, I loved sophomore forward Kendel Ross, who came alive in the second half on the offensive boards- she had two that spring to mind as fierce follows, and one amazing pass to Nikki Oakland that resulted in an assist. I think she recognized the urgency that her senior teammates were playing with, recognized that Dayton needed this game to be even seriously considered as a tournament at-large, and kicked it up a notch, and I like that in a player.

Sometime during the game, the refs just turned on Charlotte like the 49ers owed them money or something, and it got ugly fast. At one point, when the foul differential was something like 8 to 3 with a lot of time left in the second half, I caught Gregory looking at the scoreboard and shaking her head in frustration. That was about the time that Charlotte took it down a notch, and it's a crying shame to see a team brought that low that easily, though I'm sure the onus is as much on the coach as it is on the uneven calls.

The worst part about the way the first half of the fourplay shook out is that I don't want to root for Temple, I don't want to root for Dayton, and I can't even root for the flaming abyss, because I don't want to end up in the flaming abyss myself, and also, where would they play the second game? I like GW. I don't want them to end up in a flaming abyss.


Speaking of George Washington, game three pitted the #2 Colonials against #10 Rhode Island (who, fortunately for GW's sanity, knocked St. Bonaventure out in qualifiers). GW does things right, man. Their band has jerseys with their class number on them, and they rocked out pretty hard. A big loud fan base came down for the game- makes sense, because they were pretty certain that they'd be around for the whole weekend- but it's still pretty damn awesome. They brought their mascot, and while they didn't have their cheerleaders, they did have their dance team, and strangely enough, I can see parallels between the dance team and the basketball team: they go about their business competently and classily, they're very good at what they do, they work well with each other, and there is a minimum of wasted motion in everything they do.

Rhode Island was in over their heads, and I think they knew it, but that didn't keep them from trying to make it interesting, and I salute them for that. Definitely didn't help their cause that their leading scorer was held to 1-12 shooting and got into foul trouble early. That all being said, I loved LaQuanda Brandon, who decided in the second half that she was going to do her level best to make this a respectable game. She seemed to be everywhere. This is a good thing. They also got great shooting out of Amanda McGrew, although GW seemed to figure her out after her third three. I enjoyed the bench play from Rhode Island more than their starters, actually; Brandon, Sierra Cooper, and Ebony Evans brought a lot more intensity and passion than the starting five.

Kimberly Beck. Mother of mercy. WANT. SO MUCH WANT. She could do with some muscle, especially on her toothpick legs, but WANT. She's one of those players who, as soon as she walks on the court with her team, owns the game and is clearly and totally in control of her team. Love her court vision. Love her defense. Love her shooting- she had one amazing clutch three as the shot clock was winding down, although I hesitate to use the word clutch when it comes to a game that was won by 27. Love her hustle. Love her intensity. I hope she's around with our second first-rounder. I think she'd be a great complement to Loree Moore. But George Washington brought a full team effort, and I think Whitney Allen may have played herself into the attention of WNBA scouts with her shooting and rebounding. Sarah-Jo Lawrence started off hot, but she got hurt in the second half and never came back in (though, granted, that might just have been because there was no reason to bring her back, but we'll know more about that during the semis). The Adairs are… well, the boy described them as a poor man's Paris twins, and I suppose that's true in a sense, but McKeown seems to have a rule that there must always be an Adair on the court, but almost never more than one; either that or he likes to screw around with PA announcers, because they were almost constantly in and out for each other. I think the better one came off the bench, but both of them seemed to be in the mold of big girls who are simply just big. I also don't think GW is going to lose as much as people think in terms of point guard play when Beck graduates, because I like Rivera; she just needs to get some of the rough edges smoothed out.


On to game four, Xavier versus St. Joseph's. If you're exhausted from reading these notes, don't worry; I was just as exhausted the day of the game, and by the time this matchup rolled around, there were kids asleep in the bleachers. This was a game that I thought St. Joseph's had a decent chance of stealing, since I wasn't sure how good Xavier was, and St. Joseph's has pulled interesting upsets on their home floor in the A-10 tournament before. The crowd wasn't as big as I would have expected it to be, but then again, there was that giant delay, and Hawk fans might have considered it a lost cause. Besides, a fair number of GW fans stuck around, so the arena looked halfway decent.

I really don't like the way these Musketeers handle themselves. I don't remember them having this kind of arrogance the last time I saw them, in the A-10 tournament two years ago. I'll admit that I'm a little biased because I don't like the way Xavier's been recruiting lately- the Purdue situation, the transfers from Rutgers- it all makes me uneasy about what McGuff is doing or promising. But they seem to carry themselves with a large chip on their shoulders. Honestly, if I were a Purdue fan and I saw this team, I'd be relieved that Ta'Shia Phillips wasn't on my team. She's nasty. Talented, don't get me wrong, but she plays dirty. She and Amber Harris seriously seemed to have it in for one of the Hawk forwards, and I don't understand why. Harris… she's freaky. She looked so out of place on the court because of her size that it was frightening. She reminded me a little of Garnett in her build. St. Joseph's had no answer for her, or for Phillips. Bear these words in mind. I liked the backcourt tandem of Taylor and Jennings, especially Taylor's shooting. On the other hand, while I enjoyed watching her on the court and the way she ran her team, I cannot take anyone named Special seriously. Yes. Special Jennings. I wish I were kidding.

Most of the Hawks had been wandering through the building throughout the elongated quadrupleheader, so I grew quickly fond of the tall, eccentric redhead who spent a lot of time shaking her booty to the music coming over the sound system. She turned out to be the hustling and oft-whacked freshman center Sarah Acker, who did her best against the bigger, stronger, and more aggressive Harris and Phillips. I'll say this for St. Joseph's: they embodied the essence of their school, the whole "The Hawk will never die" thing and the motto on all the banners around the campus- "The faith and strength to dare". They never gave up, even when Xavier was up big at the end of the game and showboating. Amy Wold's shooting and Loschiavo's playmaking impressed me- I think St. Joseph's, if they didn't have the rest of the Big Five to compete against in terms of recruiting, could do very well for themselves with the coach they have, if she doesn't decide to leave for a better position.

So after the second day, four teams were left to dance for the A-10 title: Temple, Dayton, George Washington, and Xavier.

Awards for the first day, from yours truly:

Best players: Ashley Morris, Temple; Kendel Ross, Dayton; Kimberly Beck, George Washington; Amber Harris, Xavier

Best coaching job: Dawn Staley, Temple

Best cheerleaders: Charlotte, by a mile- their squad was classy and athletic.

Best band: George Washington by a hair- the jerseys put them over the top. But all four top seeds brought great bands.

Best mascot: Richmond. Spidey actually worked with the Richmond cheerleaders on a couple of routines.

Best fan contingent: Close between Dayton and GW. Sorry, Philly fans, but you're going to have to do a lot more than you did to get the award.

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March 3rd, 2008: Notre Dame at St. John's

NB: This was written before the WNIT draw was announced- wasn't sure if we were even eligible at the time.

If the ride is over, then this is the perfect way for it to end- although Kia Wright does one of the dumbest things ever seen on a basketball court.


This game is designed to break your heart. It's a baseball quote, but it comes to mind for me an awful lot when it comes to college sports, because no matter what happens, there will always be heartbreak. The players have to leave you; you know that coming in. They might come back on alumnae days or as staff, but the day that they leave the court for the last time in the team colors you've come to know and love is inevitable. And that's what it was today at Carnesecca Arena. It won't be the last game for Tiina Sten and Kia Wright, not since they've clinched tenth in the BEast, but tonight was the last time that they would put on the home whites, the last time they'd hit the floor to Kanye West's "Good Life", the last time they'd play in front of the few fans who've stuck with them all these years.

Yeah, I cried. I'm not gonna lie. When they talked about Kia's accolades and her place in the record books, when they gave her the flowers and the framed photo of her blowing by Toliver, when it finally hit home that the ride's just about over, there were tears rolling down my cheeks. I think Tiina had some kinfolk there- not her parents, but sisters or something. Kia's parents went to center court with her, and her large, extended family all seemed to be in attendance somewhere in the arena. It would have been nice if they'd done the jersey thing like most schools do, and I'm not so sure that combining the male seniors and the female seniors on the same shirt is a sign of unity and not just a sign of the school being cheap-ass motherfuckers. But whatever.

I'm not so sure I like Notre Dame. Melissa D'Amico, who's from somewhere in New York, brought a large posse, and they brought signs. Maybe I'm a bit, er, parochial, but if I'm going to someone else's house for the last game of the season, for their Senior Night, I don't bring signs, and I certainly don't bring negative signs; it's one thing to have a "Go Irish" sign, but it's another thing to bring a "Stomp The Storm" sign. And I really don't like Lindsay Schrader: forearm to Coco's, er, chest, forearm to Joy, er, chest, forearm to Recee's, er, chest; the last of these was met with a ferocious elbow. Recee does not approve of people groping her teammates. We were really wondering if Notre Dame was playing all out, since they were locked into the top four and didn't look like they gave much of a damn about most of the game- their shooting in the first half was appalling. It looked like McGraw was taking a backseat to her assistants and her starters were taking a backseat to her bench- well, for the most part. Tulyah Gaines played defense as if her life and existence depended on sticking close to her woman, and Charel Allen and Ashley Barlow looked often for her shots. Barlow found them more often than Allen did. We have also come to the conclusion that the name Barlow seems to come invested with a certain sense of badassery; certainly it fits former St. John's player Greeba Barlow, Louisville Cardinal Patrika Barlow, and the aforementioned Ashley Barlow. Hmmm. Have already mentioned my disapproval of Schrader. Was not impressed with the Notre Dame bench; they all seemed to be interchangeable, although Williamson brought good size. Granted, it helps one's block totals if players on offense are stubborn and persist in driving on you, no matter how often you stuff them.

Senior Night should have been Tiina and Kia's night to shine, and Kia did have one gorgeous pass to Coco, who flew in to score the basket. Unfortunately, Tiina and Kia also showcased their fatal flaws: Tiina is a stereotypical Euro unwilling to use her size, with a habit of missing easy shots and not taking shots she should take, and Kia plays far more with her heart than with her head. In the last couple of minutes, she made an unbelievably boneheaded move in picking up her fourth foul on defense, and compounded it by saying something to the ref that caused her to pick up a technical. Remember, kids, this is college. The tech was Kia's fifth and final foul, the seventh foul on St. John's, and two additional free throws for the Irish. This is NOT the last image I wanted to have of Kia as a member of the Red Storm, damnit, and this is certainly not the last impression I wanted her to leave on the scouts who happened to be there. Sky was off and on like someone was playing with a light switch- one possession, she hit a three and completed a four-point play, then turned around and gave half of it back to Gaines. Sometimes I look at her, at her body language in shootaround and on the bench, and wonder if she really wants to be part of this team; she just doesn't look like she belongs, and I hope she does find herself here- or wherever she needs to find herself. Monique was too well covered to get anything up, and a lot of the shots she did put up had the look of desperation, but she was fierce on the boards. Seriously, she channels so many sides of Sista Christon that the resemblance is getting freaky. Joy was Joy- you could hear her and you definitely saw her. Kelly got hers, although Kelly needs to either do some serious ballhandling and passing drills, or just accept her role as a catch-and-shoot player. Kristin got good run tonight- had one very tenacious o-board and putback, and generally did the job I expect of her, which is to hold a lead, neither extending it nor letting it go. For now, she's steady. Next year, we'll need her to be, er, more. Recee brought her badassery tonight. It cannot be stated often enough: when Recee Mitchell is confident, and not worrying about various injured body parts or whatever, Recee Mitchell is a badass. She's got a big body and she enjoys using it- but she's also deceptively quick for her size. And don't fuck with her teammates. Now, if she could just hit some damn free throws.

Looking it up after the fact, this was Dee Kantner's crew, which provides no excuse for some of the rather blatant missed calls that led up to Kia's technical. There was a point during the game where I thought they were deliberately avoiding making calls in order to avoid making one that would be controversial, and the game was getting rougher and rougher. I've already described Schrader's preferred method of finding space to shoot; on the flip side, there were elbows thrown by women in white jerseys. I don't think these teams like each other. I don't think Muffet McGraw likes the tri-state area very much, either.

Kia's family really is a trip. Her immediate relatives make it clear where she gets her knowledge of the game and the leadership she often shows; her more distant relatives showcase the passion and excessive emotion that often get her in trouble. I was about ready to smack one of her aunts over the head because the woman would not stop hollering to Kia the whole damn game… including while Recee and Joy were shooting free throws, which is enough of an adventure without further distraction from the stands.

It's not technically over yet. I know that much. I know they'll play the seventh seed in Hartford, and if they win that game, it's time for me to tear my hair out again. I know this much is true. And I know this was a signature win for the program, a fitting high note for two seniors who helped revive a team that used to be a joke. But I started with a quote, so let me end with a quote that really sums up how I'm feeling tonight, after the last time I'll see Carnesecca for eight months, the last game with any emotional meaning I'll see for two months and more, the last time I'll ever see Tiina play, maybe the last time I'll ever see Kia play. This one actually is basketball-related, from Pat Summitt's book Raise the Roof:

I realized the room was virtually silent. You would never have known that we had just won a championship, much less staked a claim as the greatest women's college basketball team ever. Our players sat in front of their lockers, subdued. Semeka practically hung her head. Even Kellie had a downcast expression. No one spoke. They just looked at me.

"What's wrong with you all?" I said.

"We're sad," Semeka said, softly.

"Why?" I asked, incredulous.

Semeka gazed up at me with those moist brown eyes.

"Because it's over," she answered.

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March 1st, 2008: Syracuse at Rutgers

The Game Notes bid a fond, if temporary, farewell to Essence Carson and Matee Ajavon, and look forward to the Big East's future in Vionca Murray and Erica Morrow.


You know what the really nice thing is about having the WNBA around? Senior Day/Night isn't nearly as much of a goodbye as it could be. At least when it comes to Matee Ajavon and Essence Carson, I know they'll be back in town at the Garden at least once this summer. It was emotional to know that this would be their last game at the RAC- the last game at the RAC for the season- but it wasn't "adios" so much as it was "hasta luego". Probably also helps that Rutgers has another road game and a couple of dances to attend.

The pregame ceremony was beautiful- did Stringer write that opening speech and just have the PA guy read it? It sounded a lot like her phrasing. It's nice to see folks with their families, and just to hear the incredible stats that Matee and Essence have put together in their four years as Scarlet Knights… it made me realize how lucky we've been. Yeah, I got misty-eyed, and I won't deny it.

So really, I'm not surprised that Syracuse eventually succumbed. They just had too much to go up against. That being said, I really like the job Hillsman is doing with his team. He's done a great job mining the New York City talent, a skill that I ardently wish the Big East school in New York City would actually look for. He needs an assistant who can work with that team on fundamentals such as ballhandling, but I like how he handles his players and how he reads the flow of the game, not to mention that he's absconded with the zone that the Syracuse men use, a defense that I've always found incredibly sexy. It definitely threw Rutgers off (of course, then the Rutgers offense adjusted in strange and unexpected ways). I was really impressed with Erica Morrow (yeah, yeah, I know, late to the party on that one, but I haven't watched high school basketball since I graduated high school)- she's got the cojones necessary to survive in the BEast, and to make Syracuse a serious contender in said BEast. She and Murray make a good combo, and I don't think the Orange lose anything with Murray stepping into the lineup next year. Michael seems to have regressed a bit; she looks like she needs to be picked up by the collar of her jersey and shaken a little bit, because I think she thinks she's still the first option on this team, and she's not anymore because she doesn't need to be. I like the way Tasha Harris runs her team- as a freshman, no less. Wow, she and Morrow are gonna be an awesome tandem in a couple of years. I felt that Syracuse played as well as could be expected, going into the teeth of the Rutgers defense, and the balance that they showed bodes well for them in the future.

Appropriate that Essence and Matee both played well on Senior Day, although Matee needs to stop doing stupid show-the-ball tricks. Essence did it somewhat quietly; I looked up after one of her field goals and asked, "Hey, when did Carson get into double figures?" Katie Adams seemed scared to shoot; didn't she know the fans were waiting to blow the roof off when she got the ball while open? Ah, well. Can't change the past and all of that, and it's not like she needs any pointers on basketball anymore. I've rarely had the chance to see her play- she's a lot faster than I thought she was. Epiphanny was quiet- I think she knew this needed to be the seniors' show. Otherwise, that probably would have been how Rutgers attacked the Orange zone- have Prince penetrate and kick out. Instead, they force-fed the post a lot- no, passing in to a quadruple-covered Kia Vaughn is not necessarily going to end well. Then they went to shooting threes, and lo! the threes were good. The threes were *very* good, actually. We got some great, great bench play- Heather led all rebounders with seven and provided a boatload of hustle, while Brittany was bombing threes like there was no tomorrow. I didn't think Rashidat played that well, though; both she and Kia spent too much time staring at loose balls instead of rebounding them. And we will not speak of the free throw shooting again. Epiphanny hit the first of the game, and then the rest of the first half until Essence went to the line was a disaster upon a nightmare. For all I know, they're shooting free throws right now. This game was much more on fluky outside shooting and the seniors' determination not to fuck this up beyond all redemption for the last time at the RAC. If this is what they bring to Connecticut tomorrow, it's gonna be brutal.

I'm never reassured by seeing June Courteau as one of the refs, but I thought the two gentlemen with her did a solid job. Yes, Kia, it is a foul if your elbow lands in someone else's face. No, Matee, you cannot fling yourself into an offensive player and get the foul called on her. Yes, Piph, you were out of control. I love my fellow Rutgers fans, but sometimes the ragging on the ref gets to be a little too much.

Hi, Megan! Yes, the Liberty had a table set up before the game. They left before halftime, though. :( Still nice to see them there. Only two months until the preseason- OMG, I think I can make it through.

It's sad to realize the ride's almost over- oh, there's the Little Dance at Hartford and the Big Dance, to be sure, but for those of us who have no intentions of visiting the Nutmeg State any time soon, the ride's pretty much over. It's been fun. Frustrating- hey, you can't spell frustrating without RU- but fun.

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February 26th, 2008: Seton Hall at St. John's

Joy McCorvey approves of the music, but the Game Notes do not approve of Bryan Enterline.


Okay, now I think it can be conclusively stated that St. John's is, at worst, the thirteenth best team in the conference. It remains to be seen whether they can prove themselves to be the twelfth best team, and worthy of getting a first-round ass-whooping instead of watching someone else get a first-round ass-whooping. If they play anything like they did tonight… well, the gods alone know the depths of Cincinnati's sucktiude, so that's a winnable game.

I'll admit to having had a bad feeling about this game when I went in. For one thing, St. John's is doing major construction around Carnesecca, which resulted in me tromping through the muddy, wet, snowy, dark parking lot in an ankle-length dress while the rain pissed down on me. For another thing… ENTERLINE. Goddamn it, hasn't that man been thrown out of Division I yet? And I'm not so sure that the other ref wasn't a very badly used Courteau or Bell. Argh.

Something must be up with Seton Hall, and not in the good way, because I knew Mukosiej was injured, but Womack didn't play either. The plot, it thickens. Honestly, this Seton Hall team didn't even look as good as they did against Rutgers, although I do wonder how much of that has to do with the absence of Womack. Freshman guard Ebonie Williams got herself loose for a lot of jumpers, though she does make the freshman mistake of taking shots with a foot on the line. Shantel Brown was also sneaky quick. I'm really surprised they didn't try to find Jadis Rhodin more often- I remember her whoopin' on RU with some outside jumpers, and tonight her primary defender was Little Sista Christon (that's Monique McLean, for those of you who haven't been reading my notes for three years), who has the same sporatic interest in defense as the original Sista Christon and less size than Rhodin. I think they also wanted to establish Amber Harris, and couldn't manage to do it, between the foul situation and yeoman's work by the post rotation for the Red Storm. The Pirates went with a very short rotation, which took me by surprise. Their bench play was rather international, with Aussie Nikole Sullivan and Brit Kashmere Joseph getting the bulk of those minutes. Joseph handles herself like she thinks she's Cheryl Ford- honey, your ass ain't even Amisha Carter. I'm starting to think Seton Hall is just playing out the string until they can bid a fond farewell to Harris, Sullivan, and Mukosiej and then think about next year, when I think they're really going to finish the push they started this year.

What I loved about this game was the early balance. Monique hit her 1000 early- congratulations to the 16th woman in Red Storm history to hit the four-digit plateau! She did a great job of getting to the line and hitting her free throws. Sky's shot was actually falling, although she took a couple of horrible shots that she should have passed to someone else. Kia got her points, and her assists- on the flip side, there were a couple of possessions that ended in misses or turnovers during which Kia had an open shot that she passed up. Joy was the cleanup girl, same as she always is, getting buckets off broken plays and offensive rebounds, not to mention being one of the few Red Storm players to chase after loose balls. 11 rebounds in 22 minutes- Joy, ilu. Off the bench… Lord have mercy. As soon as Amber Harris picked up her fourth foul, Recee started beatin' on her like she was the redheaded stepchild. True facts: the wonderful lady sitting next to me headed to the concession stand when Recee had 5 points and was ready to take the first of two free throws. When my companion for the evening returned, Recee had 13 points. In those three minutes, she looked like she could take on the Oklahoma front line with enough left over to take on Appel and Pederson for dessert. Badass to the max. It was nice to see Sheree get extended minutes for her hustle, and much, much nicer to see Nikki Jo and Charisse again. I was starting to miss them. I've been watching Nikki Jo in shootaround, and I think she's finally starting to get this whole team thing- it escaped her a little bit at the beginning of the year. I'd like to see her get a little more run- I mean, it's not likely to happen this season, since we've only got two games left and I'd kinda like Kia's last game not to be a bitch-slapping by Notre Dame.

Don't ever tell me music doesn't make a difference to a team. The team changed their "look, we're coming onto the court now!" music early in the season, from "My Name Is Ho" to "Good Life" (while the rumored reason annoys me, I happen to like the new song better, so there). And they just changed up the second-half "look, we're coming back onto the court now!" music this game, to "Walk It Out"… which was the introductory "look, we're coming onto the court now!" music last season. When that came out of the speakers as the Red Storm came back out onto the court, Joy's face split into this big grin that didn't come off all through halftime. And Joy's not as much into the groove as some of her teammates- through much of the bad part of the season, I've been saying that Sky, Monique, Coco, Sheree, and Recee are about one choreographer and two makeovers away from forming a girl group.

The bad news was that Enterline sucked as much as can be expected. The good news, at least for fans in red, was that the suckitude was more or less in St. John's favor. The Seton Hall bench drew a technical after one… particularly interesting call. I think that was the one where three players hit the deck and nothing was called, because Barnes Arico was steamed too, and Mangina had a very long talk with Enterline during the media timeout that followed. Phyllis, if you called him any bad words, please let us know so we can reward you appropriately.

Recee, you are a badass. This has already been established. However, if you have 14 points and Coach just sent in Nikki Jo, Charisse, and Kristin, the proper response is not to keep the ball yourself and score. The proper response is to dish off and see if your teammates- especially those who haven't seen the court in ages and were suspended alongside you for UConn- can get theirs. At least Sheree- who did get hers earlier- tried to dish off to Kristin on the fast break, but Kristin backed it out. This may be why Recee was pulled at the end of the game. Save some of the badass for Cincy and Notre Dame, aiite?

Oh- apparently the players who got suspended were causing some kind of ruckus in their room up in Connecticut- according to the Kia-kin, Kia left before the ruckus got too bad, but obviously Coach wasn't interested in that. I'm not sure if I buy that completely, because that would have to be some kind of ruckus for me to suspend half the freakin' team. The more I think about it, though… she knew we were gonna get spanked by UConn, the team certainly played the last thirty minutes with fire and passion, and really, except for questioning the lack of subs during the spanking, no one would have noticed if she suspended Nikki Jo and Charisse. If there was a life lesson involved in there somewhere, or even a power struggle, that was probably a good time to do it. I still think it's hormones talking. That's my excuse for anything that's gone wrong this season: crazy female hormones.

If any of you happen to be the guy who spent the entire game screaming at Sky Lindsay as if she could hear you from the stands, for the love of God, please shut up. You're gonna give someone a heart attack one of these days. At least spread the yelling out.

I saw a classic blonde moment tonight, and it didn't even come from Tiina. During the t-shirt toss, two high schoolers a few rows below me were… well, I don't know if they were chatting, or watching the cheerleaders, or whatever, but one of the shirt tossers reared back and tossed the shirt… and hit one of the girls in the head. Worse. I have the sneaking suspicion that the blonde was that kid from Mary Louis who committed as a junior, and if that's the case, she can change her mind at any time; we had four years of blonde moments from Tiina, we don't need another batch.

I don't want to say the attendance sucked, but even Seton Hall didn't have a posse, and the fan of the game was Barnes Arico's daughter. The official box says 375, but I find that hard to believe. More like 300, I'd say. Better be more for senior night, damnit.

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February 13th, 2008: Louisville at St. John's

With great Cand(y)ce comes great power, and Jeff Walz has learned well from Brenda Frese.


I have had it with this shit. I have had it with my team giving, at best, a half-assed effort. I'm tired of ballhogging and complaining to the ref instead of talking to teammates, sick and tired of blonde moments and freshman mistakes, frustrated with the fear of going up and the lack of desire to go in. I really have had it with a coach who is at best in over her head and at worst a hormonal bundle of tyrannical cluelessness. Is this a Division-I, Big East team or not? This is a question that should have been answered long before the 24th game of the season.

Louisville certainly is an in your face team. I could hear their coach all the way from the other side of the arena (although, granted, a St. John's crowd doesn't make all that much noise even when there are people there, and there really weren't, which is a whole other bundle of issues because student tickets were free, but what are you gonna do?). He does seem to reflect his former employer in that regard. If tonight's game was any indication, that's one helluvan offense they have- 96 points in a college game is nothing to sneeze at. They provided some cheap laughs when, during their chest-bumping, Chauntise Wright knocked Desereé Byrd to the ground. Angel McCoughtry made an impressive showing on both ends of the floor with her athleticism, range, and great hand, and if she comes out this year, some team will be lucky to have her, that's for certain. If she doesn't come out this year, well, some team will still be lucky to have her. The player who really brought it tonight for the Cardinals, though, was junior forward Candyce Bingham, who seems to be channeling the general power of awesome that the name Candace/ice/yce bears. She reminded both me and my mom of Dupree, in build and in style of play. It was getting to the point where I was yelling at the Red Storm not to let her score because I was running out of room to mark her field goals. Chauntise Wright is a scary big woman, but she uses that bulk well, or at least she was using it well against the slender and/or utterly FUCKING USELESS posts that St. John's put against her. Patrika Barlow had a knack for being everywhere. Mom rather liked her. Maybe it's just the name. ;)

I've mentioned before that I'm throwing this season away and blaming it on pregnancy hormones, right? Because Coach Barnes Arico is making no sense, and her lack of making sense is leaking over to her team, which is in turn fucking things up fourteen ways from Sunday. I know I'm biased because Joy's my favorite, but how in the blue fuck do you sit a starter who is in only mild foul trouble for just over half of the second half? And how is this going to help team morale when she happens to be one of your co-captains? And it's not like Joy was playing badly, either. Compare/contrast to Tiina, who looked completely lost out there- I honestly think she's actually regressed since sophomore and early junior year, which should be a red flag. Coco made a lot of dumb plays- hustle plays, I'll grant, but she's got to go up with the ball instead of coming back down, because her handle is nonexistent, and this leads to turnovers. Monique had one good defensive stand on McCoughtry, but one out of several isn't going to cut it. She was really forcing her shots, especially in the second half, which makes no sense whatsoever, because it looked like Sky had finally found her shot and some of her confidence. She's not a point guard by any stretch of the imagination, our Sky, but she was finding, taking, and making her shots at the two- at least in the first half. When Kia got into foul trouble, Sky had to shift to the point, and as of right now, she's not ready to play point on the D-I level. Kia… girl, I don't know what's wrong with your head, but you better get it on straight. Even her own cheering section was calling her out for talking more to the refs than her own teammates. Kia, maybe you wouldn't have to talk to the zebras quite so much if you didn't actually commit the spectacularly dumbass fouls. About the only highlight for St. John's was Kia's bullet pass to Joy for a layup in the paint. I love the connection the two of them have- I only wish we had more time to see it. Kelly played well off the bench, although she was also forcing some of her shots, and guess what? She made a play on the sideline that resulted in a steal! Recee played hard, but I think Wright was a little much, even for her. At least she and Sheree were both aggressive.

This is the third game this season that we've been competitive at the half and then completely fallen apart in the second half. What the hell is Barnes Arico saying, or not saying, in that locker room? I honestly don't know, but I think she's lost her team, and in turn lost this season. Her team captains aren't doing their jobs, or perhaps aren't being allowed to do their jobs. The result? Tiina's acting like a stereotypical blonde and a stereotypical Euro, Kia's not talking to her teammates (and sometimes it's really obvious she doesn't want anything to do with them), and Joy? Well, Joy seems to have been marginalized, which isn't good when she's the only one I hear actually communicating with her teammates. (And Nikki Jo. But Nikki Jo lives in the doghouse with Charisse and will never see the light of day again, apparently.) It's to the point where I'm almost grateful this season is coming to a close and will most likely end on March 3rd. At least when things go wrong for Rutgers, we can blame everyone else most of the time. When St. John's fucks up, they fuck up. And all of this interpersonal shit makes me nervous about next season…

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Monday, April 14, 2008

February 9th, 2008: Villanova at St. John's

You'd think a three-point-shooting Euro would recognize a three-point-shooting Euro, but that would require Tiina Sten to make sense.


You know, if we had actually bothered to play defense today, we might actually have won this game. Yeah, it doesn't look like allowing 69 points is a lot- but to Villanova? And believe me, the defensive breakdowns were absolutely brutal. I should *never* run out of room to mark an opposing player's three-point shots. Never, never, never. Playing a prevent defense really doesn't work against a team that likes to run the shot clock down and take long shots late in the clock.

For the second game in a row, the injured players were better dressed than the coach. I know it's hard to find a decent wardrobe when you're far along in the pregnancy, but there have to be more flattering ways to present one's self than in the same clothes you were wearing before. It's to the point where I'm almost going to blame this season on hormones gone wild.

Harry Peretta is certainly fun to watch coach. I'm sure he drives his players up the wall with his nitpicking, but I like hearing a coach go after his players instead of the refs on stupid fouls that ought not to have been committed. And believe me, you can hear him. Everyone can hear him. And that eccentric offense of his paid off today- twelve three-pointers, including seven for Lisa Karcic. She had some range on her, phew! Stacie Witman had a knack for evading her defender (although given that her defender was Monique McLean, that isn't saying much) and getting open on the inside. Karcic and Witman combined for 48 of the 69 points Villanova put on the board. The rest of the team seemed to be out there for the express purpose of playing hard-nosed, hell-on-earth defense and setting screens for the shooter. Any shots they hit were gravy. And they did their jobs admirably, although I wasn't real thrilled with Kurz hitting Coco Hart in the face near the end of the game- yes, I know, unintentional, but that doesn't mean I have to like it, nor did I have to like O'Connor's holding.

As much defense as Villanova played, St. John's didn't. Tiina and Monique were especially bad at losing their women- you'd think Tiina, a three-point shooting post, would know how to defend Karcic, a three-point shooting post. You'd think, but Tiina's a blonde and a Euro, and apparently she doesn't. Sky's shot just refused to fall, which led to her being tentative on offense- at least she made a couple of big defensive plays, and she seems to be working harder on that end of the floor than she has most of the season; I wonder if she recognizes that her offense is currently made of fail and if she's going to contribute, she's going to have to do it on the other end of the floor. Joy and Kia connected for a couple of absolutely gorgeous plays, although the most gorgeous one was the one Joy didn't finish. I like their chemistry- too bad Kia's career is almost over, because I don't think Joy is going to develop that kind of connection with Monique. I was surprised to see Joy get benched so long in the second half, because she's the only one of our post players who comes up at least consistent in crunch time: Tiina's a flake, Recee makes a lot of stupid mistakes, Coco is on and off like a spastic Clapper, and Sheree's only recently broke into the rotation. Kelly didn't get her shots off, but I like the way she played today- she was tough on defense, including one of her nearly patented plays on the sideline. Kia seemed almost desperate to put the team back on her shoulders, as if she's had enough of this shit from Monique and Sky, and I think she forced her offense a little bit. I'm almost glad this season is over, because I'm not enjoying the power struggle between Kia and Monique for the soul of this team. Coco and Sheree both seem to have hit their freshman walls, which isn't good when the rest of the post rotation is as described above.

A game with a lot of stops and starts, and a game that went fast and slow. Seemed to be fairly called- nothing too egregious went unnoticed. I think this was Felicia Grinter's crew, and I'm fairly certain I've seen that blonde ref before- you know the one, the one who looks like she could be Stacy Clinesmith's mother.

This was not a game we could afford to lose. I mean, not that we have very many games we can really afford to lose at all, who am I kidding? But we should have beaten Villanova, and the fact that we lost it on the defensive end doesn't bode well for the next month. This isn't the way Kia's career should end, damnit. This was supposed to make up for last year, not make last year look good!

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February 5th, 2008: UConn at Rutgers

Renee Montgomery doesn't want the Huskies to lose- but damned if Epiphanny Prince is losing to Christ the King. Also, the Game Notes suck at figuring out people's classes.


Nothing is perfect, baby. Doesn't matter what sport you're playing. Nothing is perfect.

When it comes to college sports, I firmly believe there is nothing like a crowd at the RAC. You combine loud, passionate fans with an arena that's designed to collect noise from all sides and drop it down onto the court, then stir in an exciting game in one of the sport's biggest rivalries, and it's enough to make you want to sit back and soak it in… except, of course, if you're a real fan, you're probably up on your feet shouting and hollering with the rest of them, so you're not exactly concerned with the way the arena sounds inasmuch as you're concerned about helping the arena sound that way. My throat's still slightly sore.

For a while, though, I was sure this was going to be another heartbreak, thanks in no small part to the unreal shooting of Renee Montgomery. Y'know, between the state's products and its university, I could get a serious dislike on for West Virginia. Then again, Montgomery's panic fouls and fumble on the pass pretty much sealed the win for Rutgers. Somehow, I get the feeling she just took a bit of a slide down the draft board. And then there was Tina Charles, who had Kia Vaughn for dinner. Damn, but she can move for a big girl. I'm not fond of the elbows out on her screens, though. She and Hunter both had a knack for being in places that they needed to be and/or ensuring that even if Vaughn happened to be in a place where a rebound might go, that they got it from her. Moore got hot late, and I'm not sure how much of that to credit to any clutchness she might have and how much to credit to the defense forgetting that she existed, because she either didn't or couldn't get her shots in the first three quarters. Dixon annoys me, and I don't know why. You'd think a Debbie Black fan would like the undersized players, but Dixon doesn't seem to have yet realized that she *is* smaller than most of her colleagues in the conference, or that she's not going to get any advantages from that lack of size. She's a little overdramatic, to say the least. Off the bench… now I can see why UConn fans are ticked at Geno for not playing Houston, because she's got good size and good aggressiveness, and early in the game, when they were getting nothing out of Moore, she stepped up and picked up the slack. I don't know if going away from her was one of the keys to Rutgers coming back in the second half, but it's not a move I would have made. I like Swanier running the team better than whoever they're using as point guard (Dixon?); I think she's got a better handle on her teammates' strengths and weaknesses. Was not impressed with McLaren; I realize she's a freshman, but she brought nothing to the court except size. Has UConn always been playing this aggressive, in your face defense? Seemed surprising that Geno was going to go after Rutgers with, essentially, Rutgers basketball.

On the ride home, we concluded that sometime in the second half, Epiphanny Prince decided, "You know what? Hell if I'm losing to those CTK girls." She took over so dominantly- if I read the box right, 27 of her 33 points were in the second half; to put that in perspective, 27 of RU's 49 points in the second half were hers. It was crazy. She was everywhere. It was beautiful. I wasn't thrilled with Ajavon's performance on offense, but she was after every loose ball, and watching her make those plays was beautiful. Carson didn't look right at all. Vaughn may have been quite impressive on offense, but on defense and on the boards, she was utter shit. I'm sure some of that can be credited to the UConn posts, but she looked like she was doing her best Tammy Sutton-Brown impression for most of the night. There were points I turned to the boy and said, "I never thought I'd be grateful for Tiina Sten; at least she has an excuse." Junaid seemed to be on a strict minute count, because I would have liked to see more of her, especially when they were doing the press; the way Vaughn was playing defense, she wasn't ready for when UConn did manage to break the press, and the Huskies got buckets that were all too easy. Stringer seemed to be going with her starters even more than one would expect for a team with only three bench players; why Zurich was exiled for so much of the game I will never understand, and why the sub so often seemed to be a switch between the two bench players was a source of agita, angst, frustration, and the occasional primal scream from section 203. Have I mentioned lately that I love both McCurdy and Zurich on the inbounds defense? Because I do. Myia more than Heather, but both of them know how to make an inbounder's life hell.

I had the horrible feeling I recognized at least one of those ponytailed refs, but they stayed out of the game, more or less. For the first time in I can't remember when, RU had more free throws than an opponent… but this is the kind of thing that happens when you drive the lane and go for the shot. Wild concept, I know. Ajavon got whammed a couple of times, no call- I mind me of one play where she was pretty much checked into the boards with no call either way. Think my favorite comment on the refs was after a bad out of bounds call, when one of the guys above me said, "I thought I knew all the blonde jokes, but I found a new one: this ref." This was in the first half, so Prince had yet to force an absolutely ridiculous number of fouls against UConn.

It was nice to see representatives from almost all of the women's teams at halftime, though I wonder why the tennis team couldn't send a representative, even if they weren't there. Ah, well. Personally, I'm inclined to believe that, given the number of black warmup jackets and accents on uniforms, RU needs to give up this red and white thing and stick to the red and black; it'll make wardrobe choices so much easier for me.

Nice suit, Coach Stringer. Nice suit, Coach Auriemma. Black never goes out of style.

I wouldn't have missed this for the world. I really wouldn't. I've never been prouder of my team than I was last night. But don't think this means they can let down their guard. It doesn't get any easier after this. Does it ever? ;)

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February 2nd, 2008: Marquette at St. John's

NB: I don't usually comment on future events, but it's worth mentioning that perhaps Leslie was scouting for something other than guards- because in April 2008, Tiina Sten was invited to the Sparks' training camp.

I think the phrase "about damn time!" applies to this game. About damn time we got a win at Carnesecca. About damn time Kia Wright stepped it up, or was allowed to step it up. About damn time someone lit a fire under Sky Lindsay's ass. About damn time Recee Mitchell found her cojones. About damn time they played like they actually wanted to be out there.



I like when things like this start off on a good note, so the fact that the anthem was vocal and didn't suck? A major, major plus. That always makes me manage to find the good in the day instead of the bad. Strange, I know.

I promised Marquette Fan I'd make a detailed report, and so I shall. I really think Marquette's going to be something else in the next couple of years. With only one senior on the roster, and with some very impressive underclasswomen, they're loaded to make some noise next year and the year after that. Sophomore guard Janelle Harris got whatever shots she wanted, both on the perimeter and on the inside; I like the way she positions herself to either get a good shot or get the foul and go to the line. Krystal Ellis seemed to spearhead the whole thing, and I think Marquette first found themselves in trouble when she got into foul trouble in the first half- they righted the ship, but that set up the ending of the game where they no longer had her available. Their ball movement seemed better when she was out there. I also liked Angel Robinson from the starting lineup, though I'm not sure how much of her offense was legit and how much of it was because she had the weakest link in St. John's defense on her. But the player who really impressed me actually came off the bench. I love Jocelyn Mellen's nose for the ball- she's got nice size and seems to like going either inside or out. A great pickup for the Golden Eagles. It looks like Coach Mitchell's done a great job in getting size for her team- I think her only issue now is that she's got to trust more of her rotation, and that will come with time. She gave UConn a scare last year- I think that'll happen again next year.

We see you, Sky Lindsay! Yeah, Sky only scored eight, but she was getting better shots, getting her shots to go down, and becoming confident enough to make better plays on the defensive end and on the boards. I hope she keeps this fire through the rest of the season, because we are now in the belly of the BEast, and there is no mercy here; we need everyone to be sharp. It was also absolutely wonderful to see Kia back in her element, because when Kia's game is on, not only does she get her shots and make them, she gets other people their shots in better position and makes things happen in that way. The only thing that bothered me about Kia's game today was her passing- she made more than a few uncharacteristically stupid passes to players that were quite clearly covered, although I'm never sure whether to credit that to the passer or to the defense. Ahem. Anyway. Little Sista got her offensive game on, but not so much her defensive game. Probably wouldn't have been close at all if she'd stayed on her woman; on the other hand, twenty-three points is nothing to sneer at, and most of her shots seemed to be coming within the flow of the offense. Joy did her hustle thing, and in the second half, she was one of the few St. John's players to think 'hmm, Marquette has nine fouls, perhaps going inside would be a really good idea'. Tiina… please don't let's talk about Tiina. The next time anyone else starts bitching about their center, please note that ours is a blonde and a Euro, and as the season has progressed, has taken to playing more and more like a blonde and a Euro. Our bench stepped up big today- not on the scoreboard, but in a lot of little ways. Someone found Recee's cojones, which is a big relief when Tiina's not on, because Recee was fighting and scrapping for rebounds and she came up way big. Kelly, though I'd like to see her drive more, hit her shots when she needed them, and she made a couple of plays against the edge of the court that helped St. John's stay in it. Sheree came in and injected the team with a whole lot of fire, even if she couldn't necessarily hit shots off the rebounds she got. She'll learn. She's only a freshman, after all. The only player who really, truly, and honestly disappointed me today was Coco- I can't for the life of me recall one good play she made.

Good thing we didn't need Kristin today, because she was in street clothes and seemed to be limping slightly. At least she's a good dresser. Some of our players are from the "what do you mean, people will think I only have two shirts?" school of dressing for games. Speaking of folks in street clothes, I don't know if Victoria will ever be healthy enough to play, but she seems to be learning a lot about the coaching side of the business on the St. John's bench. I'm intrigued. Speaking of Connecticut connections, if any Sun fans are reading this, could you thank Le'Coe Willingham for the loan of her hair? Recee looked magnificent, and she certainly played better than I've seen her in a month. (A couple of players changed up their hair. Seeing Joy with her hair down was disconcerting, to say the least. And Marquette forgot their headbands, so the red with the blue and gold was interesting.)

Dear Coach: plz to be losing the jacket with the strained single tie, kplzthxbye. There comes a point where you have to sacrifice your wardrobe to your figure. If Brenda Frese can pull off carrying twins without looking like a fashion disaster, I'm sure you can find something that doesn't make you look like you're about to pop OMGnow.

I'm still not sure what that technical was about near the end of the game, or who it was on. I only had Ellis with three fouls when she committed the foul on defense that resulted in her disqualification. Now, if the T were on her, or if I had miscounted earlier on, I can understand what happened, but otherwise, I think Mitchell had a very good reason to be pissed off. The refereeing was consistently inconsistent so that some of the more egregious errors balanced out; in complete honesty, Kia should have fouled out, but there were some interesting calls on St. John's. Like I said, in my doing-my-best-to-be-unbiased opinion, the refs balanced themselves out.

She Whose Name Must Not Be Spoken did make an appearance, but they must have rescheduled her halftime appearance thing to pregame clinic stuff, because the only way we even knew she was there was an announcement by the PA guy near the start of the second half. She seems to look good, though we didn't get much of a view of her. Mom wondered if she was taking the opportunity to get in some scouting for the Sparks, but Kovalenko's no prospect and I don't think Kia's the kind of guard they're looking for. (Then again, the Sparks are pretty much looking for any kind of guard, aren't they?)

Okay, ladies, take this to Georgetown, because if you can't beat the Hoyas, you should just call the whole thing off and see what you can do about taking your courses from home. Come on, guys! All we need is .500 to dance somewhere.

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January 26th, 2008: Lehigh at Lafayette

Now this is what a rivalry game's about.


The Grand Tour continued on Saturday, as we ventured to our third state in this quest, crossing the Delaware for one of the oldest rivalries in college sports: Lehigh-Lafayette. For once, we had excellent directions, as Lafayette's website was very useful in providing address information and specifics about the arena's location on campus.

Kirby Sports Arena sits along College Hill, a simple building with a modern, elegant interior that celebrates both Lafayette's varsity sports and its intramurals; as Glenn pointed out, you might be at an academically inclined school if one of your intramurals is backgammon. Their gym, much like Princeton's, is set up for indoor track, but unlike at Jadwin, the extra space is muffled so that noise doesn't escape out of the playing area, instead rising to the rafters and coming back down, much like the RAC. They also take advantage of the extra space by having their concession stand between two sets of screens. Signs your game might be held in Pennsylvania: the concessions include funnel cake. In retrospect, we should have taken advantage of the Herr's chips.

The beauty of a rivalry that is pretty much among neighbors is that the traveling team can enjoy some of the advantages of home, and Lehigh played that to the hilt. Despite wearing their, frankly, unattractive and non-menacing road brown and white, they enjoyed the support of a vocal cheering section… and their cheerleaders… and their band, who did a wicked version of "Carry On Wayward Son". For a Patriot League team, they brought a lot of size and used it well. Haly Crites, Melissa Rich, and Courtney Dentler all did incredible work protecting the paint against Lafayette- at least in the first half, and through much of the second. Rich, along with guards Erica Prosser and Tricia Smith, showed a knack for getting to the line, though not always converting. I loved the defensive work of Sullivan on the perimeter, and the outside shooting of Alex Ross was unreal. She showed damn near NBA range, and she's only a sophomore. There's a reason Lehigh's making noise this season, and why they'll probably win the Patriot despite losing this very important conference game. They've got a lot of grit and a good mix of inside and outside games.

Side note of interest: there's kin of Wally Szczerbiak on the Lehigh roster, sophomore forward Wendy Szczerbiak. Either she was the tall, slim, brunette in street clothes with the injured knee… or she was the very large, very blonde forward in the appropriate jersey. I was pretty convinced that the jersey was accurate at the time, but the more I think about it, the more I think that there was absolutely no family resemblance between Wally and #10, whereas the young lady in street clothes bore a slight resemblance to him. 'cuz otherwise, someone got switched at birth, no lie.

On to the Leopards- who get credit for at least having a halfway unique name instead of being one of many Hawks or Bulldogs or Tigers. Some interesting names on that team; Elizabeth Virgin is definitely on the All-WTF Name Team, and the mythology geek in me wonders if she has a sister named Athena. They also have a Lauren Jackson, which is just disconcerting. I mean, I know they're both common names, but that doesn't keep it from being disconcerting. Lafayette's lineup was much more traditionally sized in terms of mid-majors, with twos playing the three, and threes playing the four and even the five. Lafayette's scorecard came with a handy stat breakdown, so I knew to watch senior Vanessa Van De Venter and freshman LaKeisha Wright (who, with one of the injury to one of Lafayette's other guards, had the dubious distinction of being "the black player") as the scoring stars, as both of them were putting up impressive shooting percentages, especially for perimeter players. I found myself liking Van De Venter's stroke, but not so much her hands- her fumbles almost cost Lafayette the game in the late stages, both in the giving and the receiving. Wright stepped her game up in the second half, showing a pretty impressive array of moves getting to the rack. But right around the third possession, the Leopard I found myself watching most intently was ballhawking guard Jessica Spicer, who played dogged defense and hit shots late in the game- a three to swing the momentum back in Lafayette's favor and a layup that helped put it out of reach. Clutch was also Emily Garner, who stepped up big off the bench and had the defining block that put the game in Lafayette's control- and since they weren't getting the production they ought to have been out of the scoreless Cristin Zavocki, they needed her to score.

The crowd was really into it, and I think the presence of the Lehigh fans really helped that- it wasn't a call and response, per se, but the presence of loud, vocal Lehigh fans helped spur the Lafayette fans on to back their team. In short, it was everything a rivalry game could hope for: tightly but fairly contested, loud and passionate fans for both sides, and a satisfying win for the home team.

The only thing better than a tightly, fiercely played rivalry game? A tightly, fiercely played rivalry game with a post-game autograph session. For the sake of completeness, I was disappointed that Van De Venter and Wright had to go handle media stuff in the midst of the session. A very charming bunch of young ladies who seemed genuinely pleased at the size of the crowd- and of course, the win over Lehigh. And I did promise I wouldn't tell, but somehow I doubt there are any Leopards reading these notes: senior forward Val Gomez, near the end of the autograph line, had clearly gotten bored at one point as traffic jammed up near the front, because she had doodled glasses and a Harry Potter scar on a couple of her teammates' images on a spare poster. "I guess I should turn that over," she said when I laughed.

This is what our Grand Tour is about- seeing games we would never have otherwise dreamed of seeing, being in the arena for rivalry games like this, having some of the best seats in the house for everything a rivalry game should be, surrounded by passionate fans and passionate players. This may well be the best game I've seen all season, and I'd like to thank the ladies of the Patriot League for providing it.

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January 22nd, 2008: Pittsburgh at St. John's

The Game Notes do not approve of players who just give up on the game- but they do approve of live wires and firestarters like Sheree Ledbetter and Kelly McManmon.


This nonsense has got to stop. I'm not paying to see a team just fucking give up out there. I'm not paying to see Monique McLean do her best Pretty Pretty Princess impression, combining the worst traits of Becky with the worst traits of Shameka. I'm not paying for power trips and bullshit. I'm paying for some goddamn basketball.

Are you tired of me complaining about the St. John's band? Cuz I'm tired of me complaining about the St. John's band.

Marcedes Walker continues to impress me less and less whenever I see her. Yeah, she's big, but a lot of that size jiggles. She was losing positional battles to Joy, who's a lot skinnier than pretty much anyone on the floor. The tattoo seems more and more like false bravado every time I see her. She got her points, but I'm willing to bet that she padded her stats with a lot of o-boards on her own misses. Shavonte Zellous continues to impress me with how she gets around her opponents. Kia's no slouch, but she was burning the hell out of Kia. Winn had a better game than she did against Duke, but I'm still not sold on her. Next year is going to be interesting for the Panthers; I'm not sure that the supporting cast around Zellous is going to attract enough attention to prevent teams from doubling or tripling down on her. She's got size around her, but so much of the offense goes through that big three that I don't know if that size is any good. Tough team. Some Penguins and Steelers on that roster.

For St. John's the question became "who actually wants to play this goddamn game?" There weren't nearly enough answers. Kia came to play, no doubt, although she needs to- if need be- defy the set play and take the damn shot sometimes. She's forcing a lot of passes, and they're going on her shoulders in the boxscore, even if the pass is good and the receiver is off in lala land. Joy came to play, and she did a helluva job trying to deny position to someone who's got… I don't even want to think about how much weight Walker has on her. Probably a small child's worth. Kristin came to play- Mom keeps accidentally calling her Loree, and tonight she did a damn good Loree impression. Sheree came to play- but in the few minutes she gets, Sheree always comes to play. Kelly came to play in the second half, and her defense in the backcourt helped key the run that made the game respectable. Those five together took a twenty-point Pitt lead and brought it down into single digits. The rest of the team… I want to know what the hell is wrong with Sky. She doesn't seem to be playing with any confidence at all. I know she had a rep, but she doesn't seem to be showing any hint of it now. Monique… don't get me started on her. She's ballhogging, she's not playing defense, she's making stupid decisions on the court, and finally, finally, tonight, Coach hooked her for all the crap she pulled. Monique seems to have the longest leash of any player on the team, and it doesn't seem fair. Hopefully, Coach noticed that the big run we made came with Monique's ass glued to the bench. Tiina… on the one hand, she was really out of it when it came to the loose balls, but I think she would have been a little fiercer if she hadn't been saddled with major foul trouble, much of it undeserved. Coco was royally out of it; she was not playing like she usually does at all. And Recee, I honestly think she's scared after she hurt her knee at Rutgers. She's hesitating in ways she never did before.

That all being said, the last time I've been this proud of a lineup was when Tiina, Monique, and the three freshmen had to go the full twenty last year. Kia, Kelly, Kristin, Sheree, and Joy made things happen when they were out there, and I'd really like to see more of Kristin and Sheree.

I know I've been this frustrated with teams before. How long have I been a Liberty fan? I'm just scared for next year. But take it one day at a time and all of that.

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January 21st, 2008: Longwood at Columbia

The Lions show a whole lot of hustle, Columbia is quite clever when it comes to marketing, and there might be an Oedipal complex on the Longwood bench.


The more we thought about it, the more we realized we could do the bootleg day-night doubleheader, so after refueling at the Dallas BBQ, it was uptown on the 1 to Columbia, where the Lions played host to the Lancers of Longwood. Levien Gym was a lot of things that St. Francis was not: spacious, well-appointed, and generally having the appearance of someplace in which Division I sports were played. Like most places on an Ivy League campus, it was a bit tricky to find, but we did get there eventually.

The kid who did the anthem was adorable, but that doesn't mean she should be allowed to ever do that to strangers again. I was starting to yearn for the St. John's band, which is usually a sign that I'm running a fever.

Bleachers, for the most part, although there are some reserved seat-seats. Don't know how you get those- we wanted to be on the band side, on account of Ivy League bands tending to rule the universe in terms of geekery, and that was the bleacher-seated student section. We nudged over a bit from the seats that we were sold, because I'm not a big fan of staring down the endline and the photographer kept blocking my view. As for the band, I liked them better than most- the heavy drums were certainly an interesting change- but I'd still rank them below Rutgers and Princeton.

Longwood has a UConn alumna as their coach, Kristin Caruso- I'm wondering if she used to be Kris Lamb? Whatever the case may be, she clearly comes from Geno's tree, what with the overdramatics and theatrics. The mouthy assistants are a little much, and I'm really trying not to figure out if there's such a thing as an Oedipal complex in coaching, because the mouthy assistant was an Italian dude. They brought a very aggressive, attacking defense, and an equally aggressive offense that liked to bomb it from outside or bring it inside. Shooter Krystal Garrison impressed me tonight- she's only a freshman, and I think she's got a lot of potential- as did junior guard Courtney Dyer- that's someone who might have needed to step up in class to get the attention she deserved, but it's a little late now for a junior. Keiva Small did yeoman's work in the first half on Columbia shooter Michele Gage, and when she got in foul trouble, Columbia was able to get back into the game. I have a notation down for Cierra Baker's block, though I'm not sure if that was the one that almost went behind the stands or not.

Yes, signs you might be watching a mid-major: when the game ball damn near rolls out of the gym, they don't go grab another one, the game is delayed while the ref chases the ball down the corridor. A couple of blocks almost went out the door, no joke. In that sense, Livien really is a gym.

For Columbia, the problem was not necessarily on the floor, although they do need to work on communicating with each other and making their passes more accurate, as well as speeding up their offense a little bit. They were fierce on the boards, fierce and disruptive on defense, faster than your average mid-major, and they got their shots- they just couldn't get those shots to fall in the first half. It was brutal. There was more English on the shots going in than in the courses I took for four years. But unlike St. Francis- and even unlike St. John's on Saturday, they didn't give up. They never gave up. Even with the game decided with two seconds left, when Longwood inbounded, Dwyer took a swipe at the ball before stepping back as the buzzer sounded. That's the kind of fire that might have provided different results at St. John's and St. Francis. They absolutely turned it on in the second half- their inside game came alive, with Lauren Dwyer getting all eight of her points and Chelsea Frazier picking up ten of her thirteen in the second. I suspect that as goes Michele Gage, so go the Lions- she seems to be a pure streak shooter, and when she's on they have a legitimate inside-outside game, and when she's off they have a lot of bad passes. I loved the hustle on that team- the whole team, really, but especially Frazier and Danielle Browne.

Interesting thing about the Columbia program: it lists which specific college each player is going to. I guess they have to because of the whole Barnard thing. (And completely off-topic squee, this New York City public school kid is pleased as punch to see another New York City public school kid as the president of Barnard College.)

Tradition I would take from Columbia for the ultimate college experience: the tchochkes only come out whenever a Columbia player hits a three-pointer. Keeps the crowd excited in more ways than one and keeps the flow slow but steady. Also a brilliant idea: making a deal with the local Subway to sell sandwiches in the lobby, therefore guaranteeing food that doesn't suck and a decent take.

In conclusion: I'd go back to Columbia. St. Francis, not so much. Sorry, Brother Joe.

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