Unfamiliar Territory

By: Lauren Biggers
Men's Basketball vs. Wofford

I had jotted down some notes from last night’s men’s basketball win over Wofford, but I can’t find them. No matter, because I’m pretty sure I didn’t write down anything Pulitzer Prize worthy. (Some day.) Or for that matter, worthy at all. And should my musings fall until opposing hands, well, for crying out loud, somebody get a hand in Stephen (How do you like me now?) Curry’s face. But surely you knew that already, eh?

The observations that I find myself making from the Davidson press row are a bit different than those from the road or the Brickhouse. Because of the nature of my game-day responsibilities, assisting women’s basketball SID Gavin McFarlin with the stats keeping, I tend to get lost in the game. Turnover, steal, layup. Assist?

On most nights, you could pop in SteF-in and Jason (how many assists did I have?) Richards into this sequence. But for a while in the first half, the Wildcats were in unfamiliar territory... That’s it. That’s what I had jotted down.

You see, Davidson’s previous home contests (and for these purposes, we mean ACTUAL home games in cozy Belk) have included a 120-56 win over Emory, a 98-50 win over N.C. Central, a 95-74 win over the Citadel, a 92-67 win over Georgia Southern and an 85-58 win over Chattanooga.

Against the Citadel, the ‘Cats were tied (39) at the half, but before last night hadn’t gone into their own locker room with a half-time deficit. Even in the other “close one” at home this season, an 86-73 win over Western Carolina, Davidson was up 50-38 at the break.

What’s more, Steph missed the free throw that would have tied the score with under three minutes to play in the half. (I love when he misses a free throw. Not because he missed it, but because it’s such news that he missed. Did you hear the collective gasp? He IS human people.)

No matter, he comes back with a pair of freebies to tie the score, but after a Wofford jumper puts the Terriers back on top, the desperation three clanks off the rim. Though it was close – and would have been worth the gasp, the ‘Cats head to their locker room down by one. Unfamiliar territory.

After the intermission – which included A LOT of jump ropers, the universe was righted. A JRich steal/ layup put the ‘Cats up a pair, and Curry’s trey (on a Richards assist, of course) builds on the lead. And I got lost in the game again.

With the clock winding down, I checked the monitor. Steph has poured in 34 points, and the ‘Cats are up 78-65, not nearly as close as it looks.

Afterwards in the media room, I express my disappointment to SteF-in and the fashionably astute Maximus Paulhus Gosselin. Maybe one of the only ones, I wanted a close one. “That was close,” Max counters.

Was it? I had already forgotten.