Thursday's games
VCU 70, UNC Wilmington 58: Courtney Hurt is doing for the Rams (7-6, 2-0 CAA) what Elena Delle Donne did for Delaware a year ago during her fabulous freshman season - almost singlehandedly carrying her squad to victories. Hurt's number were spectacular by themselves - a school record-tying 35 points, 13 rebounds. But 25 of those points - 25 of VCU's 39 - came in the second half as she rallied her Rams past the dangerous Seahawks (9-4, 1-1 CAA). It was the latest in a string of sensational efforts from Hurt (24.9 ppg, 13.7 rpg), the most potent double-double force in the CAA since, well, Elena Delle Donne. Hey, ESPN, how 'bout some national pub for this kid? .
JMU 89, William and Mary 75: We love it when the Dukes (9-5, 2-0 CAA) get a lot of folks involved. So while you had Dawn Evans with 29 points and 6 assists (yawn) and a beastly Lauren Jimenez with a career-high 23 points and 11 rebounds, you also had Lauren Whitehurst (12 points, 12 rebounds), Tarik Hislop (14 points) and Courtney Hamner (12 points) getting off, too. The Tribe (1-11, 0-2 CAA) got a career-high 25 points and 12 rebounds from sophomore Emily Correal and 15 points from fellow sophomore Taylor Hilton, and crept within three points with less than 6 minutes remaining. But at some point they needed to take something away from JMU; instead, virtually everyone the Dukes put on the floor got theirs. Taysha Pye also scored 15 points for William and Mary and now has 999 in her career.
Wake Forest 62, Hampton 49: The Lady Pirates (8-5) seem to have done enough defensively - although Wake got a lot done on the offensive boards - but couldn't make enough shots to prevent falling for the first time in eight games. The Demon Deacons didn't make many shots, either, but they did the job at the free-throw line in the second half, hitting 15 of 18 after making just 1 of 2 over the first 20 minutes. Not sure who to credit, but it appears as though someone from Wake did some nice work guarding Lady Pirates star Jericka Jenkins, who managed just 8 points on 3 of 13 shooting and was unable to put her usual stamp on the game. Former Phoebus High star Nicole Hamilton led Hampton with 15 points and Quanneisha Perry added 14, including the 1,000th career point. She now has 1,006. By the way, the game drew 279 fans to 14,665-seat Lawrence Joel Coliseum.
ODU 70, George Mason 66: Hey, ODU fans, remember the days when a home game against George Mason was another way of saying "30-point blowout win?" Well, these Patriots aren't those Patriots, and Thursday the Lady Monarchs had to dig really deep to open their conference home schedule in style. A cleaner, more efficient second half from ODU (8-5, 2-0 CAA) did the trick - the Lady Monarchs outrebounded the Patriots by 7 and had just 6 turnovers after the break. Tia Lewis also came alive, too, scoring 16 of her 24 points and grabbing 8 of her 10 rebounds after the break. It continued a string of outstanding efforts from Lewis in the wake of last month's Richmond debacle when Lewis had 2 points, 2 rebounds and 7 turnovers. In the five games since, Lewis is averaging 17.0 ppg and 10.2 rpg. From Old Dominion's perspective, the second-best news of the night - and it's a close second - came when Georgia Tech rallied past No. 8 and previously undefeated North Carolina 71-70. That season-opening win over the Yellow Jackets is looking better by the day. Brittany Poindexter (20 points), Taleia Moton (17), Ashleigh Braxton (15) and Evelyn Lewis (9 rebounds) led the way for George Mason (7-6, 1-1 CAA), which lost - albeit with honor - for the first time in six games.
Florida State 79, Virginia Tech 48: The Seminoles aren't 31 points better than the Hokies - they just were Thursday night. Brittany Gordon got the game's first two points, but 8 minutes and 55 seconds elapsed before the Hokies scored again. Meanwhile, the Seminoles (13-3, 1-0 ACC) seemingly couldn't stop scoring, as they shot 65 percent in the first half and 54 percent for the game in serving up a good old-fashioned butt-whuppin' at Cassell Coliseum. There's surely a lot Tech (9-6, 0-1 ACC) can learn from a game like this, but the Hokies shouldn't spend too much time beating themselves up about what went down. Florida State was that good Thursday. Tip your caps and move on.
Miami 82, Virginia 73: You can't stop scorers like Shenise Johnson and Riquna Williams, but you'd better contain them a bit. So when Johnson goes for 30 points and Williams hits 22, well, looks like they broke contain. And while these Hurricanes (15-1, 1-0 ACC) don't need help scoring, the Cavaliers gave them some anyway, turning the ball over 20 times which led to 23 Miami points. It all added up to Miami's 14th straight victory and a disappointing ACC opener for the Cavaliers, who lost for the first time in eight games at John Paul Jones Arena. Paulisha Kellum had 19 points, Ariana Moorer 17, and freshman Ataira Franklin 15 points and 8 rebounds for Virginia (10-6, 0-1 ACC).
Thursday, January 6, 2011
CAA, ACC and Hampton on tap
Thursday's games:
Hampton (8-4) at Wake Forest (8-7), 7 p.m.
The Lady Pirates haven't lost since Nov. 27 and will take a seven-game winning streak into play. No chance the Deacs underestimate the Lady Pirates simply because they're from the MEAC. Last March, MEAC regular-season champ North Carolina A&T humiliated Wake Forest 73-49 in the WNIT. Hampton's Quanneisha Perry, the reigning MEAC Player of the Week, needs just 8 points to reach 1,000 for her career. The Lady Pirates are 1-10 lifetime against ACC schools, with the lone victory coming at Maryland in 1998. Hampton 66, Wake Forest 57
Hampton (8-4) at Wake Forest (8-7), 7 p.m.
The Lady Pirates haven't lost since Nov. 27 and will take a seven-game winning streak into play. No chance the Deacs underestimate the Lady Pirates simply because they're from the MEAC. Last March, MEAC regular-season champ North Carolina A&T humiliated Wake Forest 73-49 in the WNIT. Hampton's Quanneisha Perry, the reigning MEAC Player of the Week, needs just 8 points to reach 1,000 for her career. The Lady Pirates are 1-10 lifetime against ACC schools, with the lone victory coming at Maryland in 1998. Hampton 66, Wake Forest 57
Miami (14-1) at Virginia (10-5), 7 p.m.
One of several interesting matchups on the opening day of ACC play. Monday's tidy 75-62 victory over Richmond boosted the Cavaliers to 8-0 at John Paul Jones Arena, and they've won 6 straight against Miami. The Hurricanes have three players capable of going off for 20-plus points, so Virginia needs to make these guys take tough shots and, more importantly, limit them to just one shot. The Cavaliers are 9-1 when they outrebound their opponent. The Hurricanes have some gaudy stats - 13-game winning streak, the top two scorers in the ACC (Riquna Williams at 19.5 ppg and Shenice Johnson at 18.3), 2nd in the nation in steals (15.6) - yet it's tough to fully evaluate them because virtually all of their success has come at home. Miami is 13-0 in Coral Gables. That's one of the benefits of playing in a BCS conference - VCU, for example, will play 13 home games all season. Virginia 77, Miami 62
One of several interesting matchups on the opening day of ACC play. Monday's tidy 75-62 victory over Richmond boosted the Cavaliers to 8-0 at John Paul Jones Arena, and they've won 6 straight against Miami. The Hurricanes have three players capable of going off for 20-plus points, so Virginia needs to make these guys take tough shots and, more importantly, limit them to just one shot. The Cavaliers are 9-1 when they outrebound their opponent. The Hurricanes have some gaudy stats - 13-game winning streak, the top two scorers in the ACC (Riquna Williams at 19.5 ppg and Shenice Johnson at 18.3), 2nd in the nation in steals (15.6) - yet it's tough to fully evaluate them because virtually all of their success has come at home. Miami is 13-0 in Coral Gables. That's one of the benefits of playing in a BCS conference - VCU, for example, will play 13 home games all season. Virginia 77, Miami 62
Florida State (12-3) at Virginia Tech (9-5), 7 p.m. The Hokies have been playing great ball, winning four of their last five behind Shanel Harrison and Monet Tellier. In the last five games, Harrison has averaged 17.2 ppg (8-of-13 from behind the arc) and Tellier, 15.8 ppg. The Seminoles have won their last three after being on the other end of all the UConn attention; they were the Huskies 90th victim. Four starters average double figures, and they will be ready for Tech says coach Sue Semrau. "They just beat Vanderbilt and we know what a tough team they are," she said. "Our eyes are open." Florida State 75, Virginia Tech 69
James Madison (8-5, 1-0 CAA) at William and Mary (1-10, 0-1), 7 p.m.: The Tribe was one of five CAA teams to defeat the Dukes a year ago, but prolific point guard Dawn Evans sat that game out. The national scoring leader at 25.6 ppg, Evans has led JMU to three straight. Freshman Kaitlyn Mathieu has improved the Tribe's post game, but other than a win over Norfolk State, W&M hasn't been able to get it done this season. Tribe guard Taysha Pye is 16 point shy of 1,000. James Madison 80, William and Mary 67
George Mason (7-5, 1-0) at Old Dominion, (7-5, 1-0) 7 p.m.: The Lady Monarchs are at home, where they have never lost to the Patriots. ODU has won two of its last three and got a whopping 25 career-high points from post Alena Voronina in her first game back from tearing ligaments in her elbow. The teams have the same record and the Patriots have won five straight but against a much lighter schedule. Mason was also beaten by a George Washington team that ODU held to 35 points. Old Dominion 71, George Mason 55
UNC Wilmington (9-3, 1-0) at Virginia Commonwealth (6-5, 1-0) 7 p.m.: The Seahawks surprised us by upending Drexel 69-61 in their CAA opener. Wilmington has won five of six and is opening eyes in the league as its top rated defense. At home we might give this to Wilmington. On the road we like the Rams, boosted by Courtney Hurt (who leads the nation in rebounding and double-doubles) and Andrea Barbour. VCU 60, UNC Wilmington 56
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Silent majority rankings #9 (Jan. 4)
Previous weeks
Week 7
Week 6
Week 5
Week 4
Week 3
Week 2
Week 1
Preseason
ESPN mid-major rankings
Collegeinsider.com mid-major poll
1. Xavier (10-2)
Last week: 1
The Musketeers essentially no-showed last week at Stanford, although as we saw a couple of nights later, the Cardinal's "A" game can take down anyone. We're leaving Xavier in the top spot because we haven't forgotten how they came within a blocked layup of taking down undefeated Duke in Durham.
2. Marist (10-2)
Last week: 2
The Red Foxes shook of the rust of a nearly two-week layoff - due in part to the storm-related cancellation of last week's game at Arizona State - by downing Rider 81-65 on Sunday for their sixth straight victory. Marist continues to lead the nation in fewest turnovers per game (11.3).
Related: Marist looking to reschedule with Arizona State. Hope they can work it out. The Foxes could really use the RPI boost.
3. Bowling Green (12-1)
Last week: 3
Speaking of low turnovers, the Falcons rank 3rd in fewest turnovers (13.3) while No. 4 Green Bay is 4th in turnover margin. In other words, these teams don't beat themselves. The Falcons wrapped up non-conference play with their 12th straight victory, a 73-64 decision at Butler. Star Lauren Prochaska, author of the NCAA-record 70 straight free throws, actually missed 3 of 9 from the line in that game. But we're not mad at her - she also torched Butler for 28 points.
Related: Falcon men, women set for conference challenges
4. Green Bay (13-1)
Last week: 4
Senior guard/forward Kayla Tetschlag earned Horizon League Player of the Week honors after posting back-to-back double-doubles over Detroit and Wright State. The Detroit game also included Tetschlag's 1,000th career point.
5. Duquesne (12-2)
Last week: 19
Ohio State had a 115-2 record at home against unranked opponents before these Dukes went into Value City Arena and walked out with a 71-67 victory and their program-record 7th straight road victory. Wumi Agunbiade, who has clearly established herself as one of the best freshmen in the country, had 17 points and 10 rebounds en route to her fourth Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week nod. An aside: Duquesne has won 11 of its last 12, has an RPI of 23 and just won at Ohio State, yet couldn't crack this week's AP Top 25. Go figure.
Related: Gensler a cornerstone of booming Duquesne program
In draining 13 3-pointers against Belmont, the Eagles scored as many points from long distance as the Bruins got from anywhere in a 79-39 victory. While they're not listed in the NCAA's official stats because FGCU is still in a reclassifying status from Division II, the Eagles are averaging 11.1 3-pointers per game. The official No. 1 team in Division I 3-pointers made, Fresno State, is averaging 9.2.
Related: FGCU junior (Courtney Chihil) fights adversity
Eagles not wrapped up in national poll recognition
7. Princeton (8-3)
Last week: 7
Exceptionally impressive week for the Tigers, who won over Davidson, then prevailed at Wake Forest despite the absence of star sophomore Niveen Rasheed. Rasheed suffered a knee injury about four minutes into the second half against Davidson. But it's just the latest example of how much of a team surrounds Rasheed. On Dec. 17, the Tigers held off Drexel on a night when Rasheed played just 16 minutes before fouling out.
Update: Mel Greenberg reports that Rasheed has suffered a torn ACL in her right knee and is out for the season.
8. Gonzaga (12-4)
9. Middle Tennessee State (10-4)
Last week: 10
Add Ebony Rowe's name to that list of the nation's outstanding freshmen, and somewhere near the top, too. Rowe scorched South Alabama for 26 points, 16 rebounds and 3 blocks on Sunday as the Blue Raiders won their Sun Belt opener and the 700th game in program history. Still, MTSU fans can only dream about what might have been - earlier in the week the Blue Raiders led No. 11 Kentucky by 10 with less than 7 minutes remaining before succumbing to the Wildcats' fullcourt press and dropping an 81-72 decision.
10. Louisiana Tech (8-5)
Last week: 14
Not a bad week for senior forward and WAC Player of the Week Adrienne Johnson - 30 points, 11 rebounds in a 13-point win over Georgia, 17 and 10 in a loss to Marquette and 34 and 13 in a home win over Southern Mississippi. Nope, not bad at all.
Related: Johnson putting up All-American numbers
11. Tulane (11-2)
Last week:
Tulane DoubleTree Classic MVP Tiffany Aidoo averaged 18.5 points in the tournament, but it was her steal from a driving Jasmine Parker with 3 seconds remaining that allowed the Green Wave to stare down Old Dominion 62-59 in the title game. Tulane then added an 85-57 bludgeoning of Southeastern Louisiana to hand coach Lisa Stockton her 400th collegiate victory.
12. Dayton (9-5)
Last week: NR
We've been waiting for a signature victory from the Flyers, so all we can say after Monday's 89-77 victory over Boston College is guys, you have beautiful handwriting. Their timing couldn't be better, either, as they'll need a similar effort on Sunday when they visit Xavier in an ESPN2-televised affair.
13. TCU (8-6)
Last week: NR
Huge effort by the Horned Frogs in spoiling Whitney Hand's return and spanking No. 14 Oklahoma. Still, TCU has had a streaky, up-and-down nature this season, so it'll be interesting to see if they can string two good efforts together. And they'll need another one on Wednesday at San Diego State.
14. Old Dominion (7-5)
Last week: 21
The Lady Monarchs got their first victory away from their Constant Center by slaying Charlotte in Tulane's DoubleTree Classic, then earned its first true road win by besting Towson in their CAA opener. The game marked the return of senior forward Alena Voronina, who dropped a career-high 25 points on the Tigers in her first game since she suffered an elbow injury on Nov. 30 at Florida. Voronina continues to author one of the most dramatic final-season transformations in Division I. Prior to this season, Voronina's career high was 7 points.
15. Charlotte (12-3)
Last week: 6
Junior guard Epiphany Woodson earned Atlantic-10 Co-Player of the Week honors (along with St. Joseph's Katie Kuester) after averaging 21 points in three games. The 49ers rebounded from a loss to Old Dominion to rout Nicholls State before surviving a 60-58 war with resurgent Virginia Tech.
16. Houston (9-3)
Last week: 9
A major disappointment to see the Cougars rolled over at home to Georgetown (77-37). But the larger concern is over the health of senior forward Courtney Taylor, who sat out the Hoyas game and Thursday's 30-point win over Houston Baptist with a knee injury.
Update: Lamar 69, Houston 60: Cougars fall despite leading by 12 in the second half. Taylor (15.8 ppg, 11.7 rpg) missed her third straight game.
17. Richmond (9-5)
Last week: 16
It's been a nice non-conference season for the Spiders, but they struggled a bit with physical play in Monday's 75-62 loss at Virginia and are about to start play in an Atlantic 10 full of physical teams.
18. Hampton (8-4)
Last week: 17
Senior forward Quanneisha Perry earned Georgia State tournament MVP and MEAC Player of the Week honors after leading the Lady Pirates to the title courtesy of a 30-point pasting of the host school. Hampton will take a 7-game winning streak into Thursday's game at Wake Forest.
19. Nevada (11-2)
Last week: 22
Saturday's 57-53 victory over BYU was Nevada's fifth straight. But rather than talk about that, senior guard Johnna Ward used her blog entry to detail the strength and character of teammate Tahnee Robinson, the nation's No. 6 scorer (22.7 ppg) after the passing of Robinon's grandfather.
20. James Madison (7-5)
Last week: 20
Dawn Evans leads the nation in scoring (25.6 ppg), but one of our favorite JMU efforts came last week when she had just 15 in an 82-47 rout of Western Carolina. Four other Dukes scored in double figures and the team had 25 assists against just 9 turnovers. You don't want Evans passing too much when she's really feeling it, though, and on Sunday, she made 13 of 16 field-goal attempts and scored 31 points as the Dukes opened Colonial Athletic Association play with an 84-61 win over Northeastern.
22. UC Davis (11-3)
Last week: 11
Cal State-Fullerton surprised the Aggies on New Year's Eve to snap UC Davis' 13-game homecourt winning streak. The Aggies rebounded with a 22-point win over Cal State Northridge to level their Big West record at 1-1.
23. Drexel (8-4)
Last week: 12
The Dragons drop in our poll, but we're cutting them some slack for Sunday's 69-61 loss at UNC Wilmington since it was Drexel's third road game in five days, with the other two coming in San Diego. But it does make us wonder if we've been missing the boat on Cynthia Cooper-Dyke's improved Seahawks, who blitzed the Dragons with 64.4 percent shooting from the field.
24. St. Joseph's (10-3)
Last week: 23
Almost wet the bed in the first round of their own tournament before surviving New Hampshire 67-66. They then blitzed Lafayette by 35 to take the title and join Middle Tennessee and the newest members of the 700 victory club. Maryland trumped the Hawks 74-60 on Sunday despite a career-high 23 points from junior guard and Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week Katie Kuester.
25. Missouri State (11-3)
Last week: 25
Sophomore forward Christiana Shorter had 21 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Lady Bears past Evansville to go 2-0 in Missouri Valley Conference play. Shorter was the MVC Freshman of the Year in 2009-10.
St. Bonaventure (10-5) - Big showdown on Saturday at Duquesne.
Illinois State (10-3) - We suspect these Redbirds aren't getting enough respect in these rankings.
Memphis (11-3) - The Tigers closed non-conference play on a 7-game winning streak.
UC Irvine (9-4) - Senior G Jade Smith-Williams scored a career-high 28 points against UC Riverside to earn Big West Player of the Week honors.
Fresno State (9-5) - Shot 52 percent from 3-point range (12-of-23) in an 80-57 win over UC Riverside.
Arkansas-Little Rock (8-5) - Tuesday night's game vs. South Dakota State has been postponed until 2011-12.
UNC Wilmington (9-3) - Surprised us with Sunday's win over Drexel, but apparently not themselves.
San Diego State (6-6) - Interesting matchup with TCU on Wednesday.
Hofstra (8-4) - Wasn't expecting the Pride to fall to a Delaware team minus Elena Delle Donne.
Temple (8-6) - Satoria Bell came off the bench and scored 22 points in a rout of Akron.
Lamar (10-3) - Back in the picture after winning 5 straight. Love this headline on their official site: "Lady Cardinals Steam Past Rice"
Update: Lamar 69, Houston 60: Lady Cards roar back from a 12-point second-half deficit to win their 20th straight at home. Senior forward Trashanna Smith, all 5-11 of her, blocked 3 shots to set the program record for career rejections (180).
Week 7
Week 6
Week 5
Week 4
Week 3
Week 2
Week 1
Preseason
ESPN mid-major rankings
Collegeinsider.com mid-major poll
1. Xavier (10-2)
Last week: 1
The Musketeers essentially no-showed last week at Stanford, although as we saw a couple of nights later, the Cardinal's "A" game can take down anyone. We're leaving Xavier in the top spot because we haven't forgotten how they came within a blocked layup of taking down undefeated Duke in Durham.
2. Marist (10-2)
Last week: 2
The Red Foxes shook of the rust of a nearly two-week layoff - due in part to the storm-related cancellation of last week's game at Arizona State - by downing Rider 81-65 on Sunday for their sixth straight victory. Marist continues to lead the nation in fewest turnovers per game (11.3).
Related: Marist looking to reschedule with Arizona State. Hope they can work it out. The Foxes could really use the RPI boost.
3. Bowling Green (12-1)
Last week: 3
Speaking of low turnovers, the Falcons rank 3rd in fewest turnovers (13.3) while No. 4 Green Bay is 4th in turnover margin. In other words, these teams don't beat themselves. The Falcons wrapped up non-conference play with their 12th straight victory, a 73-64 decision at Butler. Star Lauren Prochaska, author of the NCAA-record 70 straight free throws, actually missed 3 of 9 from the line in that game. But we're not mad at her - she also torched Butler for 28 points.
Related: Falcon men, women set for conference challenges
4. Green Bay (13-1)
Last week: 4
Senior guard/forward Kayla Tetschlag earned Horizon League Player of the Week honors after posting back-to-back double-doubles over Detroit and Wright State. The Detroit game also included Tetschlag's 1,000th career point.
5. Duquesne (12-2)
Last week: 19
Ohio State had a 115-2 record at home against unranked opponents before these Dukes went into Value City Arena and walked out with a 71-67 victory and their program-record 7th straight road victory. Wumi Agunbiade, who has clearly established herself as one of the best freshmen in the country, had 17 points and 10 rebounds en route to her fourth Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week nod. An aside: Duquesne has won 11 of its last 12, has an RPI of 23 and just won at Ohio State, yet couldn't crack this week's AP Top 25. Go figure.
Related: Gensler a cornerstone of booming Duquesne program
6. Florida Gulf Coast (10-0)
Last week: 5In draining 13 3-pointers against Belmont, the Eagles scored as many points from long distance as the Bruins got from anywhere in a 79-39 victory. While they're not listed in the NCAA's official stats because FGCU is still in a reclassifying status from Division II, the Eagles are averaging 11.1 3-pointers per game. The official No. 1 team in Division I 3-pointers made, Fresno State, is averaging 9.2.
Related: FGCU junior (Courtney Chihil) fights adversity
Eagles not wrapped up in national poll recognition
7. Princeton (8-3)
Last week: 7
Exceptionally impressive week for the Tigers, who won over Davidson, then prevailed at Wake Forest despite the absence of star sophomore Niveen Rasheed. Rasheed suffered a knee injury about four minutes into the second half against Davidson. But it's just the latest example of how much of a team surrounds Rasheed. On Dec. 17, the Tigers held off Drexel on a night when Rasheed played just 16 minutes before fouling out.
Update: Mel Greenberg reports that Rasheed has suffered a torn ACL in her right knee and is out for the season.
8. Gonzaga (12-4)
Last week: 7
The Zags couldn't survive Notre Dame's finishing kick in a 70-61 loss that snapped an eight-game winning streak. But once that was over, they resumed their high-scoring ways, racking up 91 and 102 points in routs over Seattle and Southern Utah.
Related: Redmon and Standish shine for Bulldogs
Related: Redmon and Standish shine for Bulldogs
9. Middle Tennessee State (10-4)
Last week: 10
Add Ebony Rowe's name to that list of the nation's outstanding freshmen, and somewhere near the top, too. Rowe scorched South Alabama for 26 points, 16 rebounds and 3 blocks on Sunday as the Blue Raiders won their Sun Belt opener and the 700th game in program history. Still, MTSU fans can only dream about what might have been - earlier in the week the Blue Raiders led No. 11 Kentucky by 10 with less than 7 minutes remaining before succumbing to the Wildcats' fullcourt press and dropping an 81-72 decision.
10. Louisiana Tech (8-5)
Last week: 14
Not a bad week for senior forward and WAC Player of the Week Adrienne Johnson - 30 points, 11 rebounds in a 13-point win over Georgia, 17 and 10 in a loss to Marquette and 34 and 13 in a home win over Southern Mississippi. Nope, not bad at all.
Related: Johnson putting up All-American numbers
11. Tulane (11-2)
Last week:
Tulane DoubleTree Classic MVP Tiffany Aidoo averaged 18.5 points in the tournament, but it was her steal from a driving Jasmine Parker with 3 seconds remaining that allowed the Green Wave to stare down Old Dominion 62-59 in the title game. Tulane then added an 85-57 bludgeoning of Southeastern Louisiana to hand coach Lisa Stockton her 400th collegiate victory.
12. Dayton (9-5)
Last week: NR
We've been waiting for a signature victory from the Flyers, so all we can say after Monday's 89-77 victory over Boston College is guys, you have beautiful handwriting. Their timing couldn't be better, either, as they'll need a similar effort on Sunday when they visit Xavier in an ESPN2-televised affair.
13. TCU (8-6)
Last week: NR
Huge effort by the Horned Frogs in spoiling Whitney Hand's return and spanking No. 14 Oklahoma. Still, TCU has had a streaky, up-and-down nature this season, so it'll be interesting to see if they can string two good efforts together. And they'll need another one on Wednesday at San Diego State.
14. Old Dominion (7-5)
Last week: 21
The Lady Monarchs got their first victory away from their Constant Center by slaying Charlotte in Tulane's DoubleTree Classic, then earned its first true road win by besting Towson in their CAA opener. The game marked the return of senior forward Alena Voronina, who dropped a career-high 25 points on the Tigers in her first game since she suffered an elbow injury on Nov. 30 at Florida. Voronina continues to author one of the most dramatic final-season transformations in Division I. Prior to this season, Voronina's career high was 7 points.
15. Charlotte (12-3)
Last week: 6
Junior guard Epiphany Woodson earned Atlantic-10 Co-Player of the Week honors (along with St. Joseph's Katie Kuester) after averaging 21 points in three games. The 49ers rebounded from a loss to Old Dominion to rout Nicholls State before surviving a 60-58 war with resurgent Virginia Tech.
16. Houston (9-3)
Last week: 9
A major disappointment to see the Cougars rolled over at home to Georgetown (77-37). But the larger concern is over the health of senior forward Courtney Taylor, who sat out the Hoyas game and Thursday's 30-point win over Houston Baptist with a knee injury.
Update: Lamar 69, Houston 60: Cougars fall despite leading by 12 in the second half. Taylor (15.8 ppg, 11.7 rpg) missed her third straight game.
17. Richmond (9-5)
Last week: 16
It's been a nice non-conference season for the Spiders, but they struggled a bit with physical play in Monday's 75-62 loss at Virginia and are about to start play in an Atlantic 10 full of physical teams.
18. Hampton (8-4)
Last week: 17
Senior forward Quanneisha Perry earned Georgia State tournament MVP and MEAC Player of the Week honors after leading the Lady Pirates to the title courtesy of a 30-point pasting of the host school. Hampton will take a 7-game winning streak into Thursday's game at Wake Forest.
19. Nevada (11-2)
Last week: 22
Saturday's 57-53 victory over BYU was Nevada's fifth straight. But rather than talk about that, senior guard Johnna Ward used her blog entry to detail the strength and character of teammate Tahnee Robinson, the nation's No. 6 scorer (22.7 ppg) after the passing of Robinon's grandfather.
20. James Madison (7-5)
Last week: 20
Dawn Evans leads the nation in scoring (25.6 ppg), but one of our favorite JMU efforts came last week when she had just 15 in an 82-47 rout of Western Carolina. Four other Dukes scored in double figures and the team had 25 assists against just 9 turnovers. You don't want Evans passing too much when she's really feeling it, though, and on Sunday, she made 13 of 16 field-goal attempts and scored 31 points as the Dukes opened Colonial Athletic Association play with an 84-61 win over Northeastern.
21. Central Michigan (8-4)
Last week: 13
When a team, in this case Pittsburgh, makes 12 of its first 15 3-pointers, even these high-powered Chippewas can't score enough to keep up. That explains the Panthers' 94-78 victory on Sunday. The result was especially disappointing since it came at home. It's tough to get schools from the Big 6 conferences to visit, so you hope to be at your best when they do. Still a solid non-conference season for CMU, though. 22. UC Davis (11-3)
Last week: 11
Cal State-Fullerton surprised the Aggies on New Year's Eve to snap UC Davis' 13-game homecourt winning streak. The Aggies rebounded with a 22-point win over Cal State Northridge to level their Big West record at 1-1.
23. Drexel (8-4)
Last week: 12
The Dragons drop in our poll, but we're cutting them some slack for Sunday's 69-61 loss at UNC Wilmington since it was Drexel's third road game in five days, with the other two coming in San Diego. But it does make us wonder if we've been missing the boat on Cynthia Cooper-Dyke's improved Seahawks, who blitzed the Dragons with 64.4 percent shooting from the field.
24. St. Joseph's (10-3)
Last week: 23
Almost wet the bed in the first round of their own tournament before surviving New Hampshire 67-66. They then blitzed Lafayette by 35 to take the title and join Middle Tennessee and the newest members of the 700 victory club. Maryland trumped the Hawks 74-60 on Sunday despite a career-high 23 points from junior guard and Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week Katie Kuester.
25. Missouri State (11-3)
Last week: 25
Sophomore forward Christiana Shorter had 21 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Lady Bears past Evansville to go 2-0 in Missouri Valley Conference play. Shorter was the MVC Freshman of the Year in 2009-10.
Hey, what about us?
St. Bonaventure (10-5) - Big showdown on Saturday at Duquesne.
Illinois State (10-3) - We suspect these Redbirds aren't getting enough respect in these rankings.
Memphis (11-3) - The Tigers closed non-conference play on a 7-game winning streak.
UC Irvine (9-4) - Senior G Jade Smith-Williams scored a career-high 28 points against UC Riverside to earn Big West Player of the Week honors.
Fresno State (9-5) - Shot 52 percent from 3-point range (12-of-23) in an 80-57 win over UC Riverside.
Arkansas-Little Rock (8-5) - Tuesday night's game vs. South Dakota State has been postponed until 2011-12.
UNC Wilmington (9-3) - Surprised us with Sunday's win over Drexel, but apparently not themselves.
San Diego State (6-6) - Interesting matchup with TCU on Wednesday.
Hofstra (8-4) - Wasn't expecting the Pride to fall to a Delaware team minus Elena Delle Donne.
Temple (8-6) - Satoria Bell came off the bench and scored 22 points in a rout of Akron.
Lamar (10-3) - Back in the picture after winning 5 straight. Love this headline on their official site: "Lady Cardinals Steam Past Rice"
Update: Lamar 69, Houston 60: Lady Cards roar back from a 12-point second-half deficit to win their 20th straight at home. Senior forward Trashanna Smith, all 5-11 of her, blocked 3 shots to set the program record for career rejections (180).
Abby Redick settles in at Drexel
After several days of rumors, it's now official - former Virginia Tech forward Abby Redick has transferred to Drexel. The 6-1 Redick will have have junior eligibility status when she joins the Dragons at the start of Colonial Athletic Association play in 2011-12.
"We are very pleased to welcome Abby to the Drexel program," Dragons coach Denise Dillon said. "She is an excellent student-athlete who will help to strengthen our squad next year. Her Division I experience and drive to succeed should allow her to make a seamless transition at Drexel."
"We are very pleased to welcome Abby to the Drexel program," Dragons coach Denise Dillon said. "She is an excellent student-athlete who will help to strengthen our squad next year. Her Division I experience and drive to succeed should allow her to make a seamless transition at Drexel."
Monday, January 3, 2011
Virginia, Liberty and Radford(!) score victories
Monday's games
Virginia 75, Richmond 62: Looks as though the Cavaliers learned their lesson from that 82-80 loss to JMU. Virginia blew a 13-point late-second-half lead in that one, and on Monday, it appeared as though history might be repeating itself when the Spiders cut an 18-point deficit to two (60-58) with 5:41 left. But this time, Whitney Edwards calmly drained a 3-pointer. A Genevieve Okoro layup made it a one-possession game again, but Edwards and Ariana Moorer led the Cavaliers on a game-closing 12-2 run to improve Virginia to 8-0 at John Paul Jones Arena. The Spiders came in riding a five-game winning streak and battled gamely throughout, but the Cavaliers (10-5) continually held them at arms length most of the way. And whenever Virginia really needed to make a play, the Cavs continually got a Simone Egwu offensive rebound, a Chelsea Shine steal or a score from Moorer (18 points) or Edwards (14). Brittani Shells led all scorers with 22 points - 16 in the second half - Abby Oliver had 15 and Crystal Goring 12 points and 9 rebounds for the Spiders (9-5). But Richmond also committed 20 turnovers - the Cavaliers had just 14 - and you got the sense that the Spiders are capable of a much better performance. Of course, the Cavaliers surely had a lot to do with making sure they didn't give one.
Radford 81, UNC Asheville 69: Amazing. The Highlanders have done it again, turning from lambs to lions as soon as they hear the words "Big South opener." Radford has now won its first conference game seven straight years - five of them on the road - with this one snapping a five-game losing streak. And the final score doesn't do Radford's domination justice - the Highlanders (4-10, 1-0) built a 17-point lead in the first half and were up 21 midway through the second. Senior Kaylyn Crosier led the way with a career-high 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting. In addition, Brooke McElroy had 14 points, Erica Rivera scored 11 and Da'Naria Erwin Spencer added 10 for the Highlanders, who shot a season-high 53 percent from the field, handed out 21 assists and committed only 12 turnovers. All of which leaves us with two questions:
a) Where's the level of play been?
b) Is there any way you can keep it up?
Liberty 68, High Point 60: Typically stout 3-point defense from the Lady Flames (6-7, 1-0), who limited High Point to 6-of-28 shooting from distance in another successful Big South opener. Typical Liberty rebounding dominance, too (a 48-30 advantage on the boards). And a big night for the Lady Flames starters: Devon Brown 17 points, Avery Warley 12 points and 16 rebounds, Jelena Antic 12 points and 9 rebounds, Tomu Omatola 9 points and 12 rebounds, and Emily Frazier 8 assists.
Virginia 75, Richmond 62: Looks as though the Cavaliers learned their lesson from that 82-80 loss to JMU. Virginia blew a 13-point late-second-half lead in that one, and on Monday, it appeared as though history might be repeating itself when the Spiders cut an 18-point deficit to two (60-58) with 5:41 left. But this time, Whitney Edwards calmly drained a 3-pointer. A Genevieve Okoro layup made it a one-possession game again, but Edwards and Ariana Moorer led the Cavaliers on a game-closing 12-2 run to improve Virginia to 8-0 at John Paul Jones Arena. The Spiders came in riding a five-game winning streak and battled gamely throughout, but the Cavaliers (10-5) continually held them at arms length most of the way. And whenever Virginia really needed to make a play, the Cavs continually got a Simone Egwu offensive rebound, a Chelsea Shine steal or a score from Moorer (18 points) or Edwards (14). Brittani Shells led all scorers with 22 points - 16 in the second half - Abby Oliver had 15 and Crystal Goring 12 points and 9 rebounds for the Spiders (9-5). But Richmond also committed 20 turnovers - the Cavaliers had just 14 - and you got the sense that the Spiders are capable of a much better performance. Of course, the Cavaliers surely had a lot to do with making sure they didn't give one.
Radford 81, UNC Asheville 69: Amazing. The Highlanders have done it again, turning from lambs to lions as soon as they hear the words "Big South opener." Radford has now won its first conference game seven straight years - five of them on the road - with this one snapping a five-game losing streak. And the final score doesn't do Radford's domination justice - the Highlanders (4-10, 1-0) built a 17-point lead in the first half and were up 21 midway through the second. Senior Kaylyn Crosier led the way with a career-high 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting. In addition, Brooke McElroy had 14 points, Erica Rivera scored 11 and Da'Naria Erwin Spencer added 10 for the Highlanders, who shot a season-high 53 percent from the field, handed out 21 assists and committed only 12 turnovers. All of which leaves us with two questions:
a) Where's the level of play been?
b) Is there any way you can keep it up?
Liberty 68, High Point 60: Typically stout 3-point defense from the Lady Flames (6-7, 1-0), who limited High Point to 6-of-28 shooting from distance in another successful Big South opener. Typical Liberty rebounding dominance, too (a 48-30 advantage on the boards). And a big night for the Lady Flames starters: Devon Brown 17 points, Avery Warley 12 points and 16 rebounds, Jelena Antic 12 points and 9 rebounds, Tomu Omatola 9 points and 12 rebounds, and Emily Frazier 8 assists.
Virginia, Richmond battle for state bragging rights
We were touting the Richmond-Virginia matchup as THE battle of the state's best teams, until Dawn Evans and JMU snatched victory out of the Cavaliers' clutches last month in Harrisonburg. Guess it was another case of premature prognostication. Not the first time we've experienced that.... Anyway, it should still be one heck of a confrontation.
Monday's games
The Spiders have won 5 in a row, have won their last 4 games against ACC teams (3-0 last season plus a win over N.C. State this year) and are 5-0 against Virginia teams in 2010-11 with an average victory margin of 22 points. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers have won 5 of their last 6 (thanks, JMU) and - here's the big one - are 7-0 at John Paul Jones Arena. Virginia has won despite flurries of turnovers of late - at least 23 in each of their last four victories. The Cavs probably won't be able to get away with that many mistakes tonight as the Spiders feast on turnovers - they scored 32 fast-break points thanks in large part to 34 Radford turnovers in last week's 73-50 victory. The Spiders will need to hold their own on the boards, as they've been outrebounded in 3 of their 4 losses. If this game were in Richmond, we'd probably lean towards red-hot Richmond. But since it's at JPJ, we just can't pull the Spiders' trigger. Virginia 78, Richmond 75
Radford (3-10) at UNC Asheville (7-4), 5 p.m.
The Highlanders staggered through their non-conference schedule (5 straight losses, 1-10 vs. Division I teams) but typically get well when Big South play commences. Radford has won six straight conference openers, including four on the road. The Bulldogs have won 4 of their last 5 thanks to a balanced effort led by Copper Hill, Va. native Lindsey Thompson (16.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg). There's not a lot to recommend Radford here, but we felt the same way last year at about this time, right before the 1-10 Highlanders opened Big South play by winning at eventual regular-season champion Gardner-Webb. The streak has to end sometime, but until it does, we're going to ride that puppy - and the Highlanders. Radford 63, UNC Asheville 62
Liberty (5-7) at High Point (6-7), 7 p.m.
The Lady Flames didn't get the RPI boost they'd hoped for from a souped-up schedule, and that loss to N.C. Central (RPI 329) is like an anvil around their necks. But they still head into Big South play with momentum after last week's strong effort against nationally ranked St. John's followed by a convincing win over LaSalle during Maryland's Terrapin Classic. The Lady Flames won all three meetings with High Point last season, in large part because while High Point is really good at shooting the 3, the Lady Flames have been even better at defending the 3. We suspect Liberty will keep that up in a successful Big South opener. Plus they'll want to get a good feel of High Point's Millis Center, as it will also be the site of the Big South tournament in March. Liberty 59, High Point 53
Sunday, January 2, 2011
JMU, ODU, VCU, NSU, GMU all winners
In a wild Sunday, here's what we learned:
--We're not as smart as we thought. Check out UNCW/Drexel result.
--The Hokies' win over Vandy was no fluke despite Sunday's heartbreaker.
--Courtney Hurt and Dawn Evans are as awesome in 2011 as they were in 2010.
Old Dominion 69, Towson 63
We thought ODU (7-5, 1-0) would dominate this game, and we know Wendy Larry can't be too pleased that the Lady Monarchs were outscored by seven in the second half. At the same time, she's got to be thrilled at Alena Voronina returning and scoring a big-time career high of 25 points. ODU shot 52 percent in winning its first true road game of the season and improved to 20-0 in CAA openers. Credit the Tigers (6-6, 0-1) for keeping this one close thanks to five players in double figures and a plus-10 advantage on the boards.
James Madison 84, Northeastern 61
Another day, another 31 from Dawn Evans. We can't fault her shot selection either, as the senior landed a tidy 13-of-16 from the field including 5-of-7 from behind the arc. It's Evans 22nd 30-point game, and she did most of the damage in the second half, scoring 21. Amazing to hear from Kenny Brooks, "I almost scratched Dawn before the game. She (told) me, 'My energy level is really low today.' ....I thought she had unbelieveable rhythm." Also noteworthy: Lauren Whitehurst posting her second double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 boards. By the way, Dawn. What are you capable of when you have high energy?
VCU 73, William and Mary 61
The only reason this one was remotely close was because the Rams (6-5) shot an icky 17-of-39 from the free-throw line. The 1-2 punch of Courtney Hurt and Andrea Barbour combined for 32 points. We'd be remiss to not point out Hurt's gaudy 18 rebounds, a career best, against a pretty sizeable W&M (1-10) team that couldn't find its range (shooting 34 percent) at home.
Morehead State 82, Longwood 79
Credit the Lancers for hanging in after the Eagles (10-4) scored 50 in the first half to lead by 15. Credit Morehead State for winning despite dressing seven. If Longwood had a better long-range game, they might have pulled this one out. Morehead State shot nine 3s; Longwood had a pair of them. Longwood (3-10) got a layup from Krystal Garrison with 1:12 left to make what had been a 21-point MSU advantage into a two-point lead. Mina Jovanovic (15 points) added a free throw to make the margin one, but Courtney Lumpkin and Chynna Bozeman each hit a free throw to secure the victory.
Norfolk State 67, Savannah State 66
We know Debra Clarke has to be tickled with the Spartans (6-4) shooting 50 percent over a Savannah State team that prided itself on its defense. Whitney Long scored 22 for NSU and Rae Corbo, 19. Eight 3s kept the Savannah State (7-8) in it, but NSU had the edge at the free-throw line, nailing 21 of 26. What must have made Clarke's heart skip a beat was the 16-point lead NSU had that whittled down to two and really got scary when Ezinne Kalu's swished back-to-back 3s in the final eight seconds. Kudos to NSU for hitting its last four free throws, including four straight by Long to end the game.
Charlotte 60, Virginia Tech 58
We hurt for the Hokies (9-5), who rallied in this one to lead 58-57 with 30 seconds left. But with 3 seconds left, Shannon McCallum stunned Tech with a 3 from the wing (it was only Charlotte's second trey of the game). Marvelous effort by Shanel Harrison with 26 on 10-of-16 shooting. Tech was hurt by 26 turnovers and only got to the foul line five times compared to 26 for the 49ers (12-3). We won't let that spoil the momentum this team is building after winning their own holiday tournament by defeating Vanderbilt.
George Mason 71, Georgia State 47
Ashleigh Braxton's 19 plus 28 GSU turnovers made this one a rout at the Patriot Center. Braxton buried five of the Patriots' eight 3-pointers. George Mason played a clean game start to finish, missing just three of its 18 foul shots. It also helped that Georgia State shot 28 percent.
UNC Wilmington 69, Drexel 61
As you learned from our CAA preview, we were really in love with the Dragons, a thought we're reconsidering just a few hours after we posted our thoughts. Maybe we underestimated the job Cynthia Cooper Dyke is doing with the Seahawks, too, who are now 9-3 in her first year. Beating Drexel is actually nothing new for Wilmington, which holds a 5-3 mark in the series, including the last two. Here's really all you need to know. Wilmington shot 64 percent, something the Seahawks haven't done since this decade started. Sophomore guard Jessica Freeman poured a career-high 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting to highlight the effort, which also included nine points, five assists and four steals from Alisha Andrews. The Dragons were a lowely 35 percent shooting from the field and trailed the whole way. "We were really able to execute in the half court," said Cooper-Dyke, who advised her team not to be afraid to win when Drexel cut it to four late in the game. Cooper-Dyke lamented her team's lack of offensive rebounding but otherwise praised the Seahawks for a stellar effort in their CAA opener.
--We're not as smart as we thought. Check out UNCW/Drexel result.
--The Hokies' win over Vandy was no fluke despite Sunday's heartbreaker.
--Courtney Hurt and Dawn Evans are as awesome in 2011 as they were in 2010.
Old Dominion 69, Towson 63
We thought ODU (7-5, 1-0) would dominate this game, and we know Wendy Larry can't be too pleased that the Lady Monarchs were outscored by seven in the second half. At the same time, she's got to be thrilled at Alena Voronina returning and scoring a big-time career high of 25 points. ODU shot 52 percent in winning its first true road game of the season and improved to 20-0 in CAA openers. Credit the Tigers (6-6, 0-1) for keeping this one close thanks to five players in double figures and a plus-10 advantage on the boards.
James Madison 84, Northeastern 61
Another day, another 31 from Dawn Evans. We can't fault her shot selection either, as the senior landed a tidy 13-of-16 from the field including 5-of-7 from behind the arc. It's Evans 22nd 30-point game, and she did most of the damage in the second half, scoring 21. Amazing to hear from Kenny Brooks, "I almost scratched Dawn before the game. She (told) me, 'My energy level is really low today.' ....I thought she had unbelieveable rhythm." Also noteworthy: Lauren Whitehurst posting her second double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 boards. By the way, Dawn. What are you capable of when you have high energy?
VCU 73, William and Mary 61
The only reason this one was remotely close was because the Rams (6-5) shot an icky 17-of-39 from the free-throw line. The 1-2 punch of Courtney Hurt and Andrea Barbour combined for 32 points. We'd be remiss to not point out Hurt's gaudy 18 rebounds, a career best, against a pretty sizeable W&M (1-10) team that couldn't find its range (shooting 34 percent) at home.
Morehead State 82, Longwood 79
Credit the Lancers for hanging in after the Eagles (10-4) scored 50 in the first half to lead by 15. Credit Morehead State for winning despite dressing seven. If Longwood had a better long-range game, they might have pulled this one out. Morehead State shot nine 3s; Longwood had a pair of them. Longwood (3-10) got a layup from Krystal Garrison with 1:12 left to make what had been a 21-point MSU advantage into a two-point lead. Mina Jovanovic (15 points) added a free throw to make the margin one, but Courtney Lumpkin and Chynna Bozeman each hit a free throw to secure the victory.
Norfolk State 67, Savannah State 66
We know Debra Clarke has to be tickled with the Spartans (6-4) shooting 50 percent over a Savannah State team that prided itself on its defense. Whitney Long scored 22 for NSU and Rae Corbo, 19. Eight 3s kept the Savannah State (7-8) in it, but NSU had the edge at the free-throw line, nailing 21 of 26. What must have made Clarke's heart skip a beat was the 16-point lead NSU had that whittled down to two and really got scary when Ezinne Kalu's swished back-to-back 3s in the final eight seconds. Kudos to NSU for hitting its last four free throws, including four straight by Long to end the game.
Charlotte 60, Virginia Tech 58
We hurt for the Hokies (9-5), who rallied in this one to lead 58-57 with 30 seconds left. But with 3 seconds left, Shannon McCallum stunned Tech with a 3 from the wing (it was only Charlotte's second trey of the game). Marvelous effort by Shanel Harrison with 26 on 10-of-16 shooting. Tech was hurt by 26 turnovers and only got to the foul line five times compared to 26 for the 49ers (12-3). We won't let that spoil the momentum this team is building after winning their own holiday tournament by defeating Vanderbilt.
George Mason 71, Georgia State 47
Ashleigh Braxton's 19 plus 28 GSU turnovers made this one a rout at the Patriot Center. Braxton buried five of the Patriots' eight 3-pointers. George Mason played a clean game start to finish, missing just three of its 18 foul shots. It also helped that Georgia State shot 28 percent.
UNC Wilmington 69, Drexel 61
As you learned from our CAA preview, we were really in love with the Dragons, a thought we're reconsidering just a few hours after we posted our thoughts. Maybe we underestimated the job Cynthia Cooper Dyke is doing with the Seahawks, too, who are now 9-3 in her first year. Beating Drexel is actually nothing new for Wilmington, which holds a 5-3 mark in the series, including the last two. Here's really all you need to know. Wilmington shot 64 percent, something the Seahawks haven't done since this decade started. Sophomore guard Jessica Freeman poured a career-high 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting to highlight the effort, which also included nine points, five assists and four steals from Alisha Andrews. The Dragons were a lowely 35 percent shooting from the field and trailed the whole way. "We were really able to execute in the half court," said Cooper-Dyke, who advised her team not to be afraid to win when Drexel cut it to four late in the game. Cooper-Dyke lamented her team's lack of offensive rebounding but otherwise praised the Seahawks for a stellar effort in their CAA opener.
VaTech, NSU, Longwood and CAA teams in action
Sunday's games
Georgia State (5-6) at George Mason (6-5), noon
The Patriots have been dominant at home (5-1) and won their last four games by an average of 23.7 points. But remember, they cleaned up during the non-conference season last year, too (7-4 overall 7-0) at home before falling off a cliff once CAA play began (lost their first 4 and 14 of their first 15 CAA games). Today we find out how much of Mason's success has been scheduling and how much is for real. George Mason 62, Georgia State 59
Longwood (3-9) at Morehead State (9-4), 2 p.m.
Last week's win over William and Mary made the Lancers a respectable 2-3 under new coach Bill Reinson. They are 0-2 under Reinson on the road, though (0-4 away on the season) and will be facing a Morehead State team that is 5-0 at home. By the way, not sure we mentioned this before, but kudos to the Lancers for making 20 of 21 free throws in the victory over William and Mary. Morehead State 79, Longwood 69
Virginia Commonwealth (5-5) at William and Mary (1-9), 2 p.m.
The return of Andrea Barbour makes VCU something of a wildcard as it remains to be seen how big of an impact she can make. Not to put any pressure on her, but we suspect it will be a substantial one. Meanwhile, the Tribe have been somewhat snakebitten as four of their last six losses have come by 5 points or less or in overtime. VCU 65, William and Mary 62
Northeastern (5-6) at James Madison (7-5), 2 p.m.
The Dukes are coming off their most efficient effort of the season (25 assists, 9 turnovers) in Thursday's rout of Western Carolina. The Huskies have received a boost from Christine Huber, a 6-4 Rutgers transfer who is averaging 9.0 ppg and 8.7 rpg since becoming eligible 3 games ago. Northeastern still loves the 3-point shot, though; they rank 2nd in Division I in 3-pointers made and nailed 12 of them while beating Holy Cross on Dec. 21. JMU 75, Northeastern 62
Old Dominion (6-5) at Towson (6-5), 2 p.m.
Ignore the fact that these teams have the same record, as ODU's strength of schedule ranks 15th among Division I teams while Towson's is at 291. So while the Lady Monarchs have yet to win a true road game this season, they have an excellent opportunity here to get their CAA campaign off to a winning start. ODU 61, Towson 48
Virginia Tech (9-4) at Charlotte (11-3), 3 p.m.
Was Tech's stunning win over Vanderbilt Thursday a defining moment for these Hokies? Only if they can follow it up. The Hokies prevailed 56-54 when these teams met last season in Blacksburg, but winning at Charlotte will be tough. They'll have almost no chance if they fall behind by double digits in the first half, something this Tech team has tended to do. Charlotte 58, Virginia Tech 55
Savannah State (7-7) at Norfolk State (5-4), 4 p.m.
The Spartans have dropped three of their last four games - all by at least 15 points - but are 2-0 at home this season and are in another winnable situation today. But while the Lady Tigers are far from a powerhouse, they're an excellent defensive team as they've held eight of their opponents to 47 points or less and surrendered only 51 to SEC member South Carolina. Norfolk State 48, Savannah State 43
The CAA report
With Colonial Athletic Association play set to begin Sunday, let's get up to speed on how the teams fared during their non-conference battles. For a more in-depth look at today's CAA openers, check out the conference's gameday report.
2011 storylines
*What's up with Elena Delle Donne? The Delaware sophomore's career continues to play out like a soap opera. She's missed the past three games with what appears to be a deep muscle ache in her back and will see a spine specialist this week. When will she return?
Best nonconference wins
Old Dominion 65, Georgia Tech 63
James Madison 82, Virginia 80
Drexel 83, Penn State 74 (in Happy Valley)
Old Dominion 69, Louisville 65
Almost but.....
San Diego State 85, Hofstra 83 OT
Cincinnati 65, Hofstra 63
Syracuse 72, Northeastern 69
NC State 62, Old Dominion 60
Iowa 71, James Madison 67
Virginia Tech 63, VCU 61 OT
First-team all (non-)conference
Dawn Evans, James Madison
Courtney Hurt, VCU
Shante Evans, Hofstra
Elena Delle Donne, Delaware
Brittany Blackwell, UNCW
Impact transfers (became eligible in-season)
Christine Huber, Northeastern - 6-4 Rutgers transfer has been a rebounding force
Andrea Barbour, VCU - Projects as someone capable of getting 20 points any night.
Sarah Acker, Delaware - former St. Joseph's standout gives the Blue Hens a presence underneath.
Marcquitta Head, Georgia State: Well-traveled 6-3 senior - Head made the CAA All-Defensive team and recorded a triple-double for the Panthers in 2006-07 before transferring to UCF - has returned.
Frosh on the rise
Kaitlyn Mathieu, William and Mary
Kate Loper, Hofstra
Alisha Andrews, UNCW
Kendra Long, Georgia State
Shakeva Richards, ODU
LadySwish predicted order of finish
1. Drexel
2. Old Dominion
3. James Madison
4. VCU
5. Hofstra
6. Delaware
7. UNC Wilmington
8. Northeastern
9. George Mason
10.Georgia State
11. William and Mary
12. Towson
2011 storylines
*What's up with Elena Delle Donne? The Delaware sophomore's career continues to play out like a soap opera. She's missed the past three games with what appears to be a deep muscle ache in her back and will see a spine specialist this week. When will she return?
*JMU's Dawn Evans Player of the Year? Delle Donne (if healthy) Player of the Year? Well how about VCU's Courtney Hurt, who leads the conference in scoring and rebounding? Heading into Sunday, Evans (25.1) and Hurt (24.6) rank 1-2 in Division I scoring while Delle Donne, although she hasn't played enough games to qualify for the official stats, is at 26.0.
* Now that Andrea Barbour has been cleared to play, how big of an impact will she make for the Rams?
*When will the Tribe get it going? William and Mary's lone win is over Norfolk State.
*Drexel lost the best player in school history in Gabriela Marginean. We thought they'd be in rebuilding mode, but behind Nacickaite, the Dragons are a showy 8-3.
*They beat Virginia; they lost to Hampton and Monmouth. Who are these (JMU) Dukes, anyway?
*Speaking of unpredictable, the Lady Monarchs have shown us their grit in wins over Georgia Tech and Louisville. But the Lady Monarchs were routed by Richmond and continue to struggle with turnovers (26 at Tulane). Still, at 7-5 they've got to be pleased with their nonconference results and could get a boost with the expected return of Mairi Buchan and Alena Voronina sometime this month.
*Will the CAA get more than one NCAA tournament bid? Defending champion James Madison is 75 in the RPI, Old Dominion is 48 and Drexel, 29. Mel Greenberg has a good breakdown of all conference's NCAA prospects.
Old Dominion 65, Georgia Tech 63
James Madison 82, Virginia 80
Drexel 83, Penn State 74 (in Happy Valley)
Old Dominion 69, Louisville 65
Almost but.....
San Diego State 85, Hofstra 83 OT
Cincinnati 65, Hofstra 63
Syracuse 72, Northeastern 69
NC State 62, Old Dominion 60
Iowa 71, James Madison 67
Virginia Tech 63, VCU 61 OT
First-team all (non-)conference
Dawn Evans, James Madison
Courtney Hurt, VCU
Shante Evans, Hofstra
Elena Delle Donne, Delaware
Brittany Blackwell, UNCW
Impact transfers (became eligible in-season)
Christine Huber, Northeastern - 6-4 Rutgers transfer has been a rebounding force
Andrea Barbour, VCU - Projects as someone capable of getting 20 points any night.
Sarah Acker, Delaware - former St. Joseph's standout gives the Blue Hens a presence underneath.
Marcquitta Head, Georgia State: Well-traveled 6-3 senior - Head made the CAA All-Defensive team and recorded a triple-double for the Panthers in 2006-07 before transferring to UCF - has returned.
Frosh on the rise
Kaitlyn Mathieu, William and Mary
Kate Loper, Hofstra
Alisha Andrews, UNCW
Kendra Long, Georgia State
Shakeva Richards, ODU
LadySwish predicted order of finish
1. Drexel
2. Old Dominion
3. James Madison
4. VCU
5. Hofstra
6. Delaware
7. UNC Wilmington
8. Northeastern
9. George Mason
10.Georgia State
11. William and Mary
12. Towson
Saturday, January 1, 2011
2010 - the LadySwish year in review
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Dawn Evans, James Madison
TEAM OF THE YEAR
HAMPTON
GAME OF THE YEAR
JMU 88, Delaware 83 (2OT)
2010 STANDINGS
Records for games played in 2010 only, with winning percentage
Hampton 24-8 .750
Liberty 25-11 .694
Old Dominion 23-11 .676
James Madison 23-11 .676
Virginia 21-12 .636
Richmond 20-13 .606
VCU 20-14 .588
Virginia Tech 15-15 .500
Longwood 8-18 .307
George Mason 9-21 .300
Radford 8-22 .266
Norfolk State 7-20 .259
William and Mary 6-23 .206
2010 TEAM CAPSULES
LONGWOOD
2010 theme: "No More Drama," Mary J. Blige
Only God knows where the story ends for me;
But I know where the story begins;
It's up to us to choose
Whether we win or lose
And I choose to win....
Big ups: Longwood 74, Wright State 70...all-independent team honors for Chelsea Coward and Brittanni Billups.
Low down: The Kristin Caruso carousel.
New Year's resolution: To play on the road as well as they (usually) play at home. And can somebody get these guys in a conference?
VCU
2010 theme: "Hurt's So Good" - John Mellencamp. OK, so we added the punctuation. But we're suckers for 1980s pop. And you have to admit, the title fits.
Big ups: Two wins in the WNIT; the all-conference brilliance of D'Andra Moss and Kita Waller, a 19-point win at ODU, the Rams' first win over the Lady Monarchs in Norfolk since 1972-73, Courtney Hurt's emergence.
Low down: LaTavia Rorie's career-ending ACL tear.
New Year's resolution: To stay healthy, and to make opponents bow down to the trio of Hurt, Sonia Johnson and Andrea Barbour (could the 2011 theme be "The Barbour of C'Ville?).
HAMPTON
2010: "Big Things Poppin,' " T.I.
Big ups: Tearing up the MEAC and winning all three conference tournament games by double digits...Quanneisha Perry: MEAC Defensive Player of the Year...Coach David Six: from interim tag to a three-year deal...Jericka Jenkins: the straw that stirs the drink...winning at JMU and routing Florida.
Low down: Duke 72, Hampton 37...The continuing physical struggles of guard Bernadette Fortune.
New Year's resolution: For Hampton reserves to rise up and stop letting the starters have all the fun.
VIRGINIA
2010 theme: "We're All In This Together" It fits, because after leaning on Monica Wright so heavily, the Cavaliers now really do need each other. We're just not crazy about being outed as someone who's watched "High School Musical".
Big ups: Repeatedly hearing the following phrase during postseason awards time: And the winner is...Monica Wright!...Wright becoming the Cavs' all-time leading scorer...Chelsea Shine's emergence as a leader and on-court force...Debbie Ryan, er, I mean Sonny Bono, crooning for kids. We're glad we've got you, Babe.
Low downs: JMU 82, Virginia 80...flameouts in the ACC and NCAA tournaments...another injury setback for point guard China Crosby.
New Year's resolution: To keep China upright. Also, while balance is great, it would be nice if someone could emerge as a go-to scorer.
NORFOLK STATE
2010 theme: "We're Not Gonna Take It" - Twisted Sister. After that feeble 2009-10 season we were tempted to go with "All I Need Is A Miracle." But thankfully, this latest edition of Spartans hoops looks capable of fighting back.
Big ups: Two C.C. Chambers' free throws with 2 seconds left to boost NSU past Central State 70-69...the Spartans' 5th victory of 2010-11 (the Spartans won 4 all of last year)...Interim coach Debra Clark getting the full-time gig...
Low down: Ongoing losing streak in conference games extended to 20.
New Year's resolution: End the season as the MEAC's most improved team.
JAMES MADISON
2010 theme: "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" - The Police
Big ups: Defending the home court and taking the CAA title...JMU 88, Elena Delle Donne 83 (2OT). At least that's how it seemed...Dawn Evans passing Tamera Young as JMU's all-time leading scorer...JMU 82, Virginia 80...Lauren Jimenez playing the way we wish all seniors would, like it's now or never...25 assists, 9 turnovers vs. Western Carolina. Wow.
Low downs: Evans' kidney issues...William and Mary 64, JMU 56 (No offense, Tribe)...CAA Player of the Year voting...Temple 65, JMU 53
New Year's resolution: To find that balance between everyone pitching in and Evans taking over. That is, until money time. Then hey, Dawn, go to work.
OLD DOMINION
2010 theme: "Get Back," The Beatles
Get back, get back
Get back to where you once belonged
Big ups: CAA regular-season title...Injury-plagued guard Vicki Collier making it through the entire season on her feet...CAA Tournament semifinals: Old Dominion 50, Elena Delle Donne 49. At least that's how it seemed...ODU 65, Georgia Tech 63
Low downs: The Senior Night debacle against Towson...790 fans in the Constant Center for ODU-American WNIT action...The NCAA Tournament in Norfolk, the Lady Monarchs in Providence (WNIT).
New Year's resolution: Master the art of playing well away from the Constant Center.
LIBERTY
2010 theme: "I Turn Everything Over" - Switchfoot We kid because we care.
Big ups: Devin Brown's dazzling (redshirt) freshman year...Brown's jumper off glass with 4 seconds left for a 68-66 victory over Gardner-Webb in the Big South title game......1st-team all-conference honors for Brown and Avery Warley...Led the nation in rebounding margin...Great effort in an 83-77 loss to Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament.
Low downs: Creighton 40, Liberty...35? Really?...Brown missing the first several games due to injury...North Carolina Central 50, Liberty 48...Averaging 23.6 turnovers through 12 2010-11 games.
New Year's resolution: To stop giving the ball to the other guys.
RADFORD
2010 theme: "Why's It So Hard?" Madonna. We're convinced there's a pretty good team in there somewhere.
Big ups: Highlanders score 23 of the final 31 points to stun Gardner-Webb 68-53 and win their sixth straight Big South opener...Scored 31 of the final 39 points to stun George Mason and former coach Jeri Porter...A 4-1 start to last year's Big South season...All-conference honors for Kymesha Alston (2nd team), Da'Naria Erwin Spencer (all-freshman) and Kaylyn Crosier (all-academic)
Low downs: Closing 2009-10 with losses in 11 of their last 12 games...A pre-holiday (Dec. 23) no-show at home against VCU (a 74-44 loss).
New Year's resolution: To start games faster to avoid having so much second-half ground to make up.
WILLIAM AND MARY
2010 theme: "It Don't Come Easy," Ringo Starr
Big ups: Tiffany Benson, the CAA's all-time leading shot blocker...William and Mary 63, James Madison 56...all-conference honors for Benson (Defensive Player of the Year), Taysha Pye (2nd team), Emily Correal (all-rookie), Robyn Barton (all-academic) and Lindsey Moller (all-academic)...The emergence of freshman Kaitlyn Mathieu, already a 2-time CAA Rookie of the Week winner.
Low downs: An 0-6 start to the 2010-11 campaign...blowing an 11-point lead over the final 5 minutes in a double-overtime home loss to Virginia Tech
New Year's resolution: To defend without fouling so much.
GEORGE MASON
2010 theme: "One Step Closer", Linkin Park
Big ups: Four straight wins to close out 2010...Amber Easter became the first Patriot since 2001 (Jen Derevjanik) to earn CAA All-Rookie team honors. Three Patriots also earned conference all-rookie plaudits - Angelee LaTouche (1st team), Rashauna Hobbs (honorable mention) and Brittany Eley (honorable mention).
Low downs: The Patriots' early season propensity to blow second-half leads, with the most notable meltdown coming at home to Radford...10-game losing streak during last year's CAA season...Are 2-16 in road games since the start of the 2009-10 season.
New Year's resolution: Like ODU, learn to get it done on the road. Then again, the Lady Monarchs' road problems were strictly a non-conference issue, as they went 8-1 in CAA road games. Mason has trouble winning everywhere except the Patriot Center.
VIRGINIA TECH
2010 theme: "Smells Like Teen Spirit," Nivana. Underclassmen (10 freshmen and sophomores) have infused the Hokies with youthful energy...OK, it's a stretch. But hey, we love the song and wanted it to be part of the package. Indulge us.
Big ups: Virginia Tech 74, Vanderbilt 68, featuring a masterpiece by Monet (Tellier): 19 of her 23 points during the Hokies' brilliant second half...Shanel Harrison's 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds left to force overtime; the Hokies went on to prevail in double-OT...Virginia Tech 79, No. 10 North Carolina 64...Utayha Drye earning All-ACC honors (honorable mention).
Low downs: Shani Grey leaves team; Abby Redick transfers...Hokies lose by 14 at home to Robert Morris...Porschia Hadley's season-ending ACL tear...Hokies withdraw their name from WNIT consideration.
New Year's resolution: Stop waiting 'til the second half to make your move.
RICHMOND
2010 theme: "This Is How We Do It" - Montell Jordan. The Spiders seem to know exactly what their strengths are and how to play to them.
Big ups: Brittani Shells: 1st-team All-Atlantic 10 and All-Defensive team again...Abby Oliver: A-10's Sixth Player of the Year...Richmond 81, N.C. State 75...Spiders go 4-0 against the CAA (ODU, VCU, William and Mary and Towson, all by double figures) and 5-0 vs. Virginia schools (ODU, VCU, William and Mary, Hampton and Radford, all by double figures).
Low down: Dayton 83, Richmond 31. The loss sent the Spiders into a tailspin and they dropped 7 of 9 games.
New Year's resolution: Don't let one loss turn into three. Of course, we felt the same way at this time last year, until they dropped the ball and couldn't pick it back up. Coach Michael Shafer believes they'll respond better to adversity this time, so we'll believe, too.
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