Saturday, November 26, 2011

ODU, VTech, Virginia and others in action today

Quick hits on Saturday's games:

Old Dominion vs. Seton Hall in Paradise Jam, Virgin Islands, 1 p.m.
Not sure of the tiebreaker procedures, but since all four teams in this event have 1-1, the Lady Monarchs may be playing for the tournament title. The three-games-in-three-days format makes this final day a survival of the fittest - brace yourself for an ugly game - and may work against a team like ODU that is short on depth. Furthermore, while all four of these teams have proven to be somewhat equal, Seton Hall is probably the most advanced at this stage on the development curve. Let's see if the Lady Monarchs can prove us wrong. Seton Hall 70, ODU 65

Radford at George Washington, 2 p.m.
Highlanders coach and George Washington Hall of Famer Tajama Ngongba brings her undefeated team to her old stomping grounds. We doubt Ngongba has made much of this this week, but you have to believe it would mean a lot to her to have her team perform well here. Radford 62, George Washington 56

Hampton at IPFW, 2 p.m.
Danger spot of the presently offensively challenged Lady Pirates, who gave up a season-high 77 points to these guys last year in Hampton needed a putback at the buzzer in overtime to survive 78-77. As was the case in Tuesday's 62-46 loss in Florida, Hampton's vaunted defense by itself may not be enough today. IPFW 61, Hampton 59

Virginia Union at Norfolk State, 6 p.m.
This game was originally scheduled to be played at 4 p.m. but was pushed back a couple of hours; apparently there's some other big sporting event involving Norfolk State going on earlier in the day. Haven't heard much about it, though.... Friendly scheduling has played a part in NSU's 3-1 start, and this game fits right in with that philosophy. To their credit, though, the Spartans have for the most part capitalized on their opportunities for success. Norfolk State 75, Virginia Union 55

Liberty vs. Lipscomb in Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament
Say this for the Lady Flames - no matter what else is going on out on the floor, these guys know how to grab a rebound. In Friday's 75-46 loss to Oklahoma, Liberty still won the rebounding battle 47-34. It was the 32nd consecutive game in which the Lady Flames won the battle of the boards. As usual, though, today's game figures to come down to turnovers. If the Lady Flames can avoid too many of them, we like their chances. If they struggle to take care of the ball, they're vulnerable against just about anyone. Liberty star Devon Brown is expected to miss her second straight game following the death of her mother, Jennifer Brown, on Tuesday. Liberty 45, Lipscomb 42

Hawaii vs. Virginia in Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort Showdown, Hawaii, 7 p.m.
Yet another stop on the Joanne Boyle Reunion Tour - Hawaii's Shawna-Lei Kuehu committed to Boyle and California before ultimately landing with the Rainbow Warriors. Nice opportunity for a bounce-back after Friday's 79-53 debacle against Texas. Virginia 60, Hawaii 48

Virginia Tech vs. Minnesota in SMC Concord Hilton Tournament, 8 p.m.
St. Mary's defeated Virginia Tech and Quinnipiac defeated Minnesota? Kinda doesn't sound right, does it? But that's what we got in Friday's first round. The Hokies can certainly play a lot better than they did against St. Mary's, and we expect they will. Would still like to see more production out of the post. Minnesota 62, Virginia Tech 54

3 comments:

  1. I'd say UVa winning 59-50 against Hawaii, actually. Let's wage?

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  2. Aren't we pretty much saying the same thing?

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  3. Yeah, yeah. But I'm picky.

    I find it very surreal that Quinnipiac defeated Minnesota but again, you got Harvard beating Florida State as well!

    R-

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