By Lauren Biggers
Men's Basketball vs. Appalachian State
I meant to write something about last week’s BracketBuster matchup at Winthrop, but it’s a tough time in the sports information world. With spring sports starting up and winter sports still plugging along, the overlap often makes for, how shall we say, long weeks.
After a pair of home basketball contests, we got a brief respite on Wednesday. I spent Thursday at the Huntersville Aquatic Center, watching as the Wildcat women kicked off the 2007 Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association Championships, from which they would eventually bring home the inaugural trophy.
On Friday, we headed down I-77 to Rock Hill and the campus of Winthrop University. In the interest of full disclosure, I spent a year as an intern in the Eagles’ sports information office. It’s pretty tough to be loyal when you work in sports, but for what its worth, I wore red to the game. I was looking forward to the homecoming of sorts, but like Davidson baseball’s home opener, the Winthrop Eagles’ baseball kickoff got pushed back.
After giving SID assistant Will Bryan the quick tour – including my now condemned living quarters – we headed over to the Winthrop Coliseum. Finding the pressroom without food, we headed back out to Chick-fil-A. (I was told earlier in the season by an NBA scout that we have the best hospitality in the country at Belk, and I’m starting to think he’s right.)
Hunger satisfied by waffle fries courtesy of Davidson’s own Photo Bob, I settled into my spot on press row. The atmosphere was every bit as big-time as ESPN had to hope, with the Winthrop students and the Davidson fans sitting side by side and more than enjoying themselves. After the game, Winthrop head coach Randy Peele compared it to a second-round NCAA tourney game, not so subtly reminding everyone of his Eagles’ recent success.
On the court, it was not the Stephen (the assassin, water-gun toting) Curry show that the network had hoped for. The one-who-got-away finished with a season-low 12 points, but pulled his weight on the boards with eight rebounds. In a role reversal,Jason Richards decided to get in on the scoring, finishing with 21 points. Richards was fun to watch in the first half, shaking his head and smiling as his shot just kept falling.
In the hallway at halftime, a woman I used to work with said, “Your team is great,” and meant it. “That number two... He’s good.”
Flash forward a couple of baseball games and a lacrosse match,and the senior guard from Barrington, Ill., is still playing with a hot hand, leading the ‘Cats to a 68-55 win over Appalachian State on Wednesday night.
I missed the senior day presentations along with the first half of the game because of the overlap between baseball and basketball. In the interest of full disclosure, baseball is my first true love. But it’s tough to get excited about baseball when you can’t feel your toes, and like the sell-out crowd of 5,838 in Belk, I wanted to see the senior day show.
A glance up at the uber-fancy scoreboards at halftime pretty much gets me caught up, and as I thaw out, I settle back into my spot on press row for the final half of men’s basketball at Belk Arena of 2007-08 and the last I’ll see in person.
SteF-in got his points, finishing with 17, but the night once again belonged to Richards, who led all scorers with 24 points to go along with six assists and three steals. Needing 21 to become Davidson’s 37th 1,000-point scorer, how fitting that he would accomplish said feat in his final stand at Belk.
Afterwards in the media room, the notorious stats junkie says he wasn’t aware he’d hit the 1,000-point plateau until someone told him after the game, but I’m disinclined to believe him. Nonetheless, he, along with seniors Thomas Sander and Boris Meno seemed genuinely at ease while waiting in the holding room. The mood was festive, with the three taking congratulations from anybody and everybody from the final horn until long after the record-setting crowd had nearly emptied the building.
There’s not much to say about these three special players, who have been such a huge part of these really special times in Davidson basketball, but as they took to their bench for one final bow, the crowd of nearly 6,000 strong said it best:
“Thank you seniors.”
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Picking Up the Momentum
By Robert O'Donnell
Columbus, Ohio
Hey, it is Rob O’Donnell checking back in. A lot has changed since my last post: the dynamic of the democratic primary as well as my geographic location.
Since my last post, I have been in Richmond, Va., Chevy Chase, Md., and now Columbus, Ohio. As you all, hopefully, know by now, Senator Obama swept the Potomac Primary by a resounding margin in all three states.
I was based out of Richmond, Va., at our campaign headquarters working in our communications department. I set up conference calls with reporters, booked national surrogates, such as Master P, Susan Rice, Tom Daschelle, Chris Tucker, and Edward Norton, on the local Virginia radio stations, and even booked Senator Obama on a few radio stations throughout the D.C. metro area. It was a great opportunity to expand my understanding of how a campaign is run, aside from working in the field.
Since Virginia, I traveled home for two days so that I could get my cast taken off my left wrist from an injury sustained this past fall in soccer. I then traveled to Columbus, Ohio, where I am currently working as a field organizer in downtown Columbus.
The people in Ohio have been great providing us with their time and commitment. We are developing an aggressive grassroots campaign as we head into the final, critical phase before the Ohio primary on March 4th. We were given a boost with the decisive victories in both Wisconsin in Hawaii, which make it 10 primary contests in a row where Senator Obama has been the victor.
Anyways, we feel very strongly that we can and will compete in Ohio to win the primary and potentially solidify our status as the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. I hope things are well back at Davidson and I will make sure to check back in before the Ohio primary to give an update on how things are looking.
P.S. Here’s a picture of me with Senator Obama at the Jefferson Jackson Dinner in Richmond, Virginia. I was given the unbelievable opportunity to meet the Senator before he spoke to the crowd of 6,000 people. Senator Obama was engaging as well as impressive in person, and he personally thanked me for working on the campaign, which definitely was the highlight of my night!
Columbus, Ohio
Hey, it is Rob O’Donnell checking back in. A lot has changed since my last post: the dynamic of the democratic primary as well as my geographic location.
Since my last post, I have been in Richmond, Va., Chevy Chase, Md., and now Columbus, Ohio. As you all, hopefully, know by now, Senator Obama swept the Potomac Primary by a resounding margin in all three states.
I was based out of Richmond, Va., at our campaign headquarters working in our communications department. I set up conference calls with reporters, booked national surrogates, such as Master P, Susan Rice, Tom Daschelle, Chris Tucker, and Edward Norton, on the local Virginia radio stations, and even booked Senator Obama on a few radio stations throughout the D.C. metro area. It was a great opportunity to expand my understanding of how a campaign is run, aside from working in the field.
Since Virginia, I traveled home for two days so that I could get my cast taken off my left wrist from an injury sustained this past fall in soccer. I then traveled to Columbus, Ohio, where I am currently working as a field organizer in downtown Columbus.
The people in Ohio have been great providing us with their time and commitment. We are developing an aggressive grassroots campaign as we head into the final, critical phase before the Ohio primary on March 4th. We were given a boost with the decisive victories in both Wisconsin in Hawaii, which make it 10 primary contests in a row where Senator Obama has been the victor.
Anyways, we feel very strongly that we can and will compete in Ohio to win the primary and potentially solidify our status as the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. I hope things are well back at Davidson and I will make sure to check back in before the Ohio primary to give an update on how things are looking.
P.S. Here’s a picture of me with Senator Obama at the Jefferson Jackson Dinner in Richmond, Virginia. I was given the unbelievable opportunity to meet the Senator before he spoke to the crowd of 6,000 people. Senator Obama was engaging as well as impressive in person, and he personally thanked me for working on the campaign, which definitely was the highlight of my night!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
In the Spotlight
By: Lauren Biggers
Men's Basketball vs. UNCG
It was the kind of game you want when the lights come to town.
By the first media timeout, MAX Paulhus Gosselin had a pair of his career-high seven steals, Andrew LOVEdale had two of his game-high three blocks, and the ‘Cats were up 10-2 and feeling good about it.
Kyle Hines was keeping Greensboro in the game, scoring all seven of the Spartans’ points to open play. Last year’s SoCon Player of the Year is a fine player to be sure, joining an elite club last night with 11 rebounds to become just the sixth player in NCAA basketball history to record 2,000 career points, 1,000 career rebounds and 300 career blocks. I’ve been impressed with Hines – who joins the more than notable group of David Robinson, Pervis Ellison, Alonzo Mourning, Tim Duncan and Derrick Coleman – every time I’ve seen him in person, including in UNCG’s win at Georgia Tech... until last night, that is.
Last night, Hines looked human. And about midway through the second half, the guys from the “World Wide Leader in Sports” were trying to get some sort of stat line to flash on the screen about Kyle and the Spartans, but Stephen (the human highlight) Curry, MAX Pauhlus Gosselin or Andrew LOVEdale just kept stealing the spotlight.
Coming off a career-high 41 points against the Spartans just a few days ago, SteF-in dropped in an even 30 this night on 10-of-18 shooting, going 6-of-9 from behind the arc and a shocking (?!) 4-for-5 from the line, in the Wildcats' 75-66 winning effort. (Both announcers came by after the game to apologize for the announcer curse on the missed free throw. Don’t take yourself so seriously guys.)
With ESPN in the house, SteF made sure to make its Top 10, getting a little assist off Hines' back on an inbounds play. I originally credited Jason Richards with an assist on that play. (“Gavin, I don’t know where he got the ball. Jason I guess.”). Some other-side-of-the-court help from men’s basketball SID Joey Beeler and SID Marc Gignac - who offered, “I guess you could give Steph an assist,” cleared things up, as did numerous showings on SportsCenter.
But if Steph was once again the key on offense, MAX was the lock on defense, recording a block and SEVEN steals to go along with eight points. Unfortunately for MAX, Davidson hasn’t kept a single-game steals record, but this effort was surely recordable.
After declaring last week’s game vs. Greensboro his “most fun ever,” did this one one-up that one?
“It was a fun game,” he said slowly, and I think a tad sarcastically.
So, did you do anything special today that might have affected your play?
“Nutella and bananas,” he says sitting on top the mini-fridge in the SID office.
Before the game, I was messing with Will Bryan’s desktop, selecting a new picture for the game, and I picked MAX. I think that’s funny. He humors me.
“When we got up by 20, we maybe felt a little too good,” he says, once I finally ask him a somewhat serious question, re: nearly losing the 20-point lead. “We maybe let down a little bit, but we got some stops and reacted really well.”
So on a night when “TV Teddy” hung out by the scorer’s table long enough to shush the crowd, and Doug Gottlieb (He’s kind of a big deal) held down a table at the Brickhouse, SteF Curry, MAX and the Davidson Wildcats earned the spotlight.
Men's Basketball vs. UNCG
It was the kind of game you want when the lights come to town.
By the first media timeout, MAX Paulhus Gosselin had a pair of his career-high seven steals, Andrew LOVEdale had two of his game-high three blocks, and the ‘Cats were up 10-2 and feeling good about it.
Kyle Hines was keeping Greensboro in the game, scoring all seven of the Spartans’ points to open play. Last year’s SoCon Player of the Year is a fine player to be sure, joining an elite club last night with 11 rebounds to become just the sixth player in NCAA basketball history to record 2,000 career points, 1,000 career rebounds and 300 career blocks. I’ve been impressed with Hines – who joins the more than notable group of David Robinson, Pervis Ellison, Alonzo Mourning, Tim Duncan and Derrick Coleman – every time I’ve seen him in person, including in UNCG’s win at Georgia Tech... until last night, that is.
Last night, Hines looked human. And about midway through the second half, the guys from the “World Wide Leader in Sports” were trying to get some sort of stat line to flash on the screen about Kyle and the Spartans, but Stephen (the human highlight) Curry, MAX Pauhlus Gosselin or Andrew LOVEdale just kept stealing the spotlight.
Coming off a career-high 41 points against the Spartans just a few days ago, SteF-in dropped in an even 30 this night on 10-of-18 shooting, going 6-of-9 from behind the arc and a shocking (?!) 4-for-5 from the line, in the Wildcats' 75-66 winning effort. (Both announcers came by after the game to apologize for the announcer curse on the missed free throw. Don’t take yourself so seriously guys.)
With ESPN in the house, SteF made sure to make its Top 10, getting a little assist off Hines' back on an inbounds play. I originally credited Jason Richards with an assist on that play. (“Gavin, I don’t know where he got the ball. Jason I guess.”). Some other-side-of-the-court help from men’s basketball SID Joey Beeler and SID Marc Gignac - who offered, “I guess you could give Steph an assist,” cleared things up, as did numerous showings on SportsCenter.
But if Steph was once again the key on offense, MAX was the lock on defense, recording a block and SEVEN steals to go along with eight points. Unfortunately for MAX, Davidson hasn’t kept a single-game steals record, but this effort was surely recordable.
After declaring last week’s game vs. Greensboro his “most fun ever,” did this one one-up that one?
“It was a fun game,” he said slowly, and I think a tad sarcastically.
So, did you do anything special today that might have affected your play?
“Nutella and bananas,” he says sitting on top the mini-fridge in the SID office.
Before the game, I was messing with Will Bryan’s desktop, selecting a new picture for the game, and I picked MAX. I think that’s funny. He humors me.
“When we got up by 20, we maybe felt a little too good,” he says, once I finally ask him a somewhat serious question, re: nearly losing the 20-point lead. “We maybe let down a little bit, but we got some stops and reacted really well.”
So on a night when “TV Teddy” hung out by the scorer’s table long enough to shush the crowd, and Doug Gottlieb (He’s kind of a big deal) held down a table at the Brickhouse, SteF Curry, MAX and the Davidson Wildcats earned the spotlight.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Introducing Omar Pickett "Tha Ticket"
By Will Bryan '08
Behind every great team, there is a great manager. And with Davidson's Omar Pickett, the greatness often overflows the kettle. Pickett is known to Wildcat fans the world around for his pinstripe suits and his unceasing energy behind the Davidson bench. I recently had the chance to sit down with Omar Pickett "Tha Ticket."
Favorite food: Rice and Hot Dogs (HA!!! YOU THOUGHT IT WAS BOJANGLES!!!)
Favorite academic subject: Anything about Political Science
Favorite piece of clothing: Anything Under Armour
Reason you became a manager: Free Powerade after practice
Favorite moment in your managerial career: When the team got me an IPOD Nano
Player you like going 1-on-1 against the most: Dan Nelms
How often have you beat him: Once (he was on his cell phone the whole time, but a win is a win)
Plans for the summer: Internship in DC or a Christian Nature camp in Tennessee
Favorite road gym you've managed in so far ... why? Cameron Indoor Stadium...Cause I found out how crappy it looks in real life.
Favorite Davidson coach ... why? They're all great, but I'd pick Coach Matheny, cause he can be smooth and intimidating at the same time
Biggest conspiracy in professional sports: Right after 9/11, when everyone wants to be PATRIOTIC, the PATRIOTS win the Super Bowl.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Saying Thanks
By Lauren Biggers
Men's Basketball vs. Furman
After last week’s “Greensboro experiment,” it took a while for my heart rate to return to normal. It certainly took most of the car ride back home, over the river and through the snow, and after that adventure in not cheering on press row, Saturday’s game against Furman was a lot easier to swallow.
Once the ‘Cats jumped out to a 19-0 lead (have you ever seen that before?), this one was less about the final result, more about the margin.
And after Stephen (someone outscored me?) Curry and Will Archambault, who put up a combined 54 points in the ‘Cats 86-51 win, make their way to the bench, the nearly 5,000 fans at Belk let them know they enjoyed it, saying thanks with an extended ovation.
Three minutes later, with the game firmly in hand, frosh Brendan McKillop enters the game in relief of senior Jason Richards, and the crowd once again roars its approval. Surely acknowledging yet another outstanding performance from the Cats’ floor general, who finished with nine assists and seven boards despite not scoring, it’s clear the applause isn’t for Jason alone. With seven minutes to play, this crowd is excited to see what Brendan will contribute.
And when fan favorite Can Civi checks in at the three-minute mark, the ovation is the loudest of the game, that is, until he takes it to the hoop, and with under 30 seconds to go, lays it in. This layup inspires undoubtedly the biggest ovation of the day, and as the students chant, “Civi! Civi! Civi!,” you can’t help but just feel good, can you?
I asked Civi’s roommate, Andrew Lovedale, about it after the game, about how it feels to watch these guys that practice so hard day in and day out get rewarded on the court and acknowledged by the crowd.
And while I left his answers on my desk (seriously, I lose a lot of stuff), he said something along the lines of, “It was fun.” And I’m pretty sure he even used the word “awesome.”
So while it would be easy to note the accomplishments and individual efforts of STEF- in and Archambault on days like Saturday - and surely the result wouldn’t have been such without them - players like Can Civi and Brendan McKillop tend to get lost in the box score.
And yet, the result wouldn’t have been the same without them either.
MAIL CALL
Our first official question comes from Judge Joe Craig, class of '78, who asks the following:
I'm Class of '78 and a huge fan of this very special team. I've only seen them in person twice this year, both games on the road -- At Elon, and then last night at UNC-G. I know you are superstitious and that some of the players are big on karma as well. Both games, I wore a dark red/black plaid shirt, and at halftime of both games, I nearly tore it off my back, thinking it was bad luck. But both games we stormed back and won. My question: should I keep wearing this shirt when I go to games, or leave it home in the closet?
I am, as you point out, somewhat superstitious by nature, so my immediate thought is that you've got yourself a seriously lucky shirt. Both the Elon and Greensboro road games were come-from-behind, heart-stoppers, and perhaps we can attribute some of that to your shirt (though surely, SteF-in Curry may object a bit). As for the team, I did an informal survey of which players are the most superstitious. Getting an athlete to admit to a superstition, other than the obvious, is tough, but it was nearly unanimous that the most superstitious on the team is athletic trainer Ray Beltz.
Thanks for the questions! Email yours to labiggers@davidson.edu, and I will bring you the answers if possible.
Men's Basketball vs. Furman
After last week’s “Greensboro experiment,” it took a while for my heart rate to return to normal. It certainly took most of the car ride back home, over the river and through the snow, and after that adventure in not cheering on press row, Saturday’s game against Furman was a lot easier to swallow.
Once the ‘Cats jumped out to a 19-0 lead (have you ever seen that before?), this one was less about the final result, more about the margin.
And after Stephen (someone outscored me?) Curry and Will Archambault, who put up a combined 54 points in the ‘Cats 86-51 win, make their way to the bench, the nearly 5,000 fans at Belk let them know they enjoyed it, saying thanks with an extended ovation.
Three minutes later, with the game firmly in hand, frosh Brendan McKillop enters the game in relief of senior Jason Richards, and the crowd once again roars its approval. Surely acknowledging yet another outstanding performance from the Cats’ floor general, who finished with nine assists and seven boards despite not scoring, it’s clear the applause isn’t for Jason alone. With seven minutes to play, this crowd is excited to see what Brendan will contribute.
And when fan favorite Can Civi checks in at the three-minute mark, the ovation is the loudest of the game, that is, until he takes it to the hoop, and with under 30 seconds to go, lays it in. This layup inspires undoubtedly the biggest ovation of the day, and as the students chant, “Civi! Civi! Civi!,” you can’t help but just feel good, can you?
I asked Civi’s roommate, Andrew Lovedale, about it after the game, about how it feels to watch these guys that practice so hard day in and day out get rewarded on the court and acknowledged by the crowd.
And while I left his answers on my desk (seriously, I lose a lot of stuff), he said something along the lines of, “It was fun.” And I’m pretty sure he even used the word “awesome.”
So while it would be easy to note the accomplishments and individual efforts of STEF- in and Archambault on days like Saturday - and surely the result wouldn’t have been such without them - players like Can Civi and Brendan McKillop tend to get lost in the box score.
And yet, the result wouldn’t have been the same without them either.
MAIL CALL
Our first official question comes from Judge Joe Craig, class of '78, who asks the following:
I'm Class of '78 and a huge fan of this very special team. I've only seen them in person twice this year, both games on the road -- At Elon, and then last night at UNC-G. I know you are superstitious and that some of the players are big on karma as well. Both games, I wore a dark red/black plaid shirt, and at halftime of both games, I nearly tore it off my back, thinking it was bad luck. But both games we stormed back and won. My question: should I keep wearing this shirt when I go to games, or leave it home in the closet?
I am, as you point out, somewhat superstitious by nature, so my immediate thought is that you've got yourself a seriously lucky shirt. Both the Elon and Greensboro road games were come-from-behind, heart-stoppers, and perhaps we can attribute some of that to your shirt (though surely, SteF-in Curry may object a bit). As for the team, I did an informal survey of which players are the most superstitious. Getting an athlete to admit to a superstition, other than the obvious, is tough, but it was nearly unanimous that the most superstitious on the team is athletic trainer Ray Beltz.
Thanks for the questions! Email yours to labiggers@davidson.edu, and I will bring you the answers if possible.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Little by Little
By Lauren Biggers
Men's Basketball at UNCG
Making their way from the Davidson locker room to the post-game interview in the Fleming Gym media room, Stephen (Are you not entertained?) Curry and MAX Paulhus Gosselin look simultaneously exhausted and exhilarated.
As many words as I will write, SteF-in sums up Davidson’s down-to-the-wire 83-78 thriller in one. “WOW,” he sighs more than says.
Call me a pessimist, but when the Spartans took a 9-0 lead behind the dominant play of current SoCon Player of the Year Kyle Hines, I wasn’t exactly feeling the “wow” factor.
Watching the players and coaches on the bench… they too looked, well, uneasy. For most of the first half, the Davidson contingent, fat and happy (?) and accustomed of late to kicking back and watching, could only sit quietly, nervously, and watch as the UNCG students more than earned their middle block of seats and the pep band played the SportsCenter theme song for what seemed the 10 millionth time.
“We were a little down,” Curry said of the locker room mood at halftime. “Coach told us to find a way to win. To chip away little by little.”
“To play defense. To stop them from shooting threes in our face. To keep our heads cool,” MAX says of the coaching staff’s halftime advice. “Chip away, chip away until we get in a position to win. Which we did.”
“It wasn’t really that bad,” Thomas Sander, relegated to street clothes on this evening, said of the team’s half-time mentality. “We weren’t really down. We made some adjustments. We have a mature team. I feel like we all knew that we were gonna come back.”
In the first stanza, the Spartans simply couldn’t miss – hitting an insane 9-of-12 from behind the arc and shooting a blistering 69.6 percent (16-of-23) in the first half. On the flip side, Davidson simply couldn’t get a stop, much less mount an attack. When the ‘Cats took to the locker room trailing 52-37, I didn’t exactly feel hopeful.
Nothing if not confident, men’s basketball SID Joey Beeler said, “We are still gonna win,” and I told director of marketing Martin McCann, well, it’s either gonna be a really ugly loss or one heck of a comeback.
Forty-one points from Stephen ensured it was the latter.
I have no –zero, nothing, nada – notes from the first half and four pages worth from the second, so that tells you something. But there isn’t really one play or even player that can sum up the game, and I have four pages of notes because I kept waiting for it.
Watching Steph put up 41 was fun, to be sure, but every player in red kicked it up a notch in the second half so that effort mattered in the end. Doing exactly what they discussed, the Wildcats did exactly what they had to do to win; they chipped away, little by little.
Finally within striking distance at 60-52 with just over 13 minutes to play, the ‘Cats send SteF to the line to cap off the and-one play, and the shift in momentum is nearly tangible. Tearing through a pack of gum on most days, I decide to get a new piece in honor of the new karma. This might happen, you start thinking.
Soon after, a BORIS! Meno rebound on one end turns into a Jason Richards layup on the other, and the ‘Cats are down just three, 65-62.
And then, the obligatory SteF sequence puts the ‘Cats on top. Steal, three, defensive rebound, finger-roll lay-in rattles around the rim and takes an eternity to fall, but does. Davidson, up 67-65. Greensboro, TIMEOUT.
The emotion that was mounting finally explodes. Stephen taunts the crowd; Jason, who left the game gushing blood from a cut above his eye, returns, thanks to the A-game of athletic trainer Ray Beltz, chest bumping and high fiving; the coaching staff is clapping, smiling, the bench standing and cheering. No, this happens.
“One of the most fun games I’ve probably played in my life,” Max says. I ask him if that’s a hyperbole, and as he begins clarifying, I get lost in his accent. To overcome our language barrier, he clarifies slowly, “It was real fun.”
“Exciting to say the least,” Steph says, post 41, post media room, post radio. “We brought a lot of fans and to find a way to win without The General and against a team like this on the road, that was pretty exciting.”
“It was really fun to watch Steph, and to see the team rally around him,” Thomas says of his unusual view from the bench. “It was a little nerve wracking, and I felt a little helpless. You aren’t out there so you can’t control what’s happening. I have superstitions though. I got a new piece of gum at halftime.”
Guess what? Same kind. As it turns out, peppermint Orbitz proved very good luck for the Wildcats.
As if this weren't enough, we're going to launch another NEW feature to enhance the Wildcat experience. Email your questions for the players and coaches to labiggers@davidson.edu, and I'll bring you the best questions and answers. My question of the day: favorite movie. Stephen: Scream. Max: Life is Beautiful. What do you want to know? Ask.
As many words as I will write, SteF-in sums up Davidson’s down-to-the-wire 83-78 thriller in one. “WOW,” he sighs more than says.
Call me a pessimist, but when the Spartans took a 9-0 lead behind the dominant play of current SoCon Player of the Year Kyle Hines, I wasn’t exactly feeling the “wow” factor.
Watching the players and coaches on the bench… they too looked, well, uneasy. For most of the first half, the Davidson contingent, fat and happy (?) and accustomed of late to kicking back and watching, could only sit quietly, nervously, and watch as the UNCG students more than earned their middle block of seats and the pep band played the SportsCenter theme song for what seemed the 10 millionth time.
“We were a little down,” Curry said of the locker room mood at halftime. “Coach told us to find a way to win. To chip away little by little.”
“To play defense. To stop them from shooting threes in our face. To keep our heads cool,” MAX says of the coaching staff’s halftime advice. “Chip away, chip away until we get in a position to win. Which we did.”
“It wasn’t really that bad,” Thomas Sander, relegated to street clothes on this evening, said of the team’s half-time mentality. “We weren’t really down. We made some adjustments. We have a mature team. I feel like we all knew that we were gonna come back.”
In the first stanza, the Spartans simply couldn’t miss – hitting an insane 9-of-12 from behind the arc and shooting a blistering 69.6 percent (16-of-23) in the first half. On the flip side, Davidson simply couldn’t get a stop, much less mount an attack. When the ‘Cats took to the locker room trailing 52-37, I didn’t exactly feel hopeful.
Nothing if not confident, men’s basketball SID Joey Beeler said, “We are still gonna win,” and I told director of marketing Martin McCann, well, it’s either gonna be a really ugly loss or one heck of a comeback.
Forty-one points from Stephen ensured it was the latter.
I have no –zero, nothing, nada – notes from the first half and four pages worth from the second, so that tells you something. But there isn’t really one play or even player that can sum up the game, and I have four pages of notes because I kept waiting for it.
Watching Steph put up 41 was fun, to be sure, but every player in red kicked it up a notch in the second half so that effort mattered in the end. Doing exactly what they discussed, the Wildcats did exactly what they had to do to win; they chipped away, little by little.
Finally within striking distance at 60-52 with just over 13 minutes to play, the ‘Cats send SteF to the line to cap off the and-one play, and the shift in momentum is nearly tangible. Tearing through a pack of gum on most days, I decide to get a new piece in honor of the new karma. This might happen, you start thinking.
Soon after, a BORIS! Meno rebound on one end turns into a Jason Richards layup on the other, and the ‘Cats are down just three, 65-62.
And then, the obligatory SteF sequence puts the ‘Cats on top. Steal, three, defensive rebound, finger-roll lay-in rattles around the rim and takes an eternity to fall, but does. Davidson, up 67-65. Greensboro, TIMEOUT.
The emotion that was mounting finally explodes. Stephen taunts the crowd; Jason, who left the game gushing blood from a cut above his eye, returns, thanks to the A-game of athletic trainer Ray Beltz, chest bumping and high fiving; the coaching staff is clapping, smiling, the bench standing and cheering. No, this happens.
“One of the most fun games I’ve probably played in my life,” Max says. I ask him if that’s a hyperbole, and as he begins clarifying, I get lost in his accent. To overcome our language barrier, he clarifies slowly, “It was real fun.”
“Exciting to say the least,” Steph says, post 41, post media room, post radio. “We brought a lot of fans and to find a way to win without The General and against a team like this on the road, that was pretty exciting.”
“It was really fun to watch Steph, and to see the team rally around him,” Thomas says of his unusual view from the bench. “It was a little nerve wracking, and I felt a little helpless. You aren’t out there so you can’t control what’s happening. I have superstitions though. I got a new piece of gum at halftime.”
Guess what? Same kind. As it turns out, peppermint Orbitz proved very good luck for the Wildcats.
As if this weren't enough, we're going to launch another NEW feature to enhance the Wildcat experience. Email your questions for the players and coaches to labiggers@davidson.edu, and I'll bring you the best questions and answers. My question of the day: favorite movie. Stephen: Scream. Max: Life is Beautiful. What do you want to know? Ask.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
These Wildcats Hustle
By Lauren Biggers
Men's Basketball vs. Coll. of Charleston
I get asked quite commonly now, “How do I warrant a mention in your blog?” And while I admit it's mostly in jest, there is certainly something about our YouTube/MySpace culture that loves to see our names in lights, isn’t there? (Or on a T-shirt perhaps?)
Simply put, you gotta earn it, people, and assistant director of ticketing April Albritton did just that on Saturday afternoon, conducting the post-game conversation with SteV-en Rossiter. (I don’t use the term interview intentionally, as I don’t particularly “interview,” though, a bit paranoid, he kept insisting things were “off the record.” Too much Law and Order, Steve?)
I caught some slack for being a bit tardy with my last post, and I expect the same treatment this time. But you’ll come back, because where else can you learn that SteV-en Rossiter’s favorite “actress” is Jessica Alba?
Rossiter earned his mention in today’s blog, and not just becauseSteF-en (how long can she keep this going?) Curry and Jason (Man on the T-shirt) Richards bolted for Kilgo’s post-game radio interview. He finished yesterday’s 81-56 win over the College of Charleston with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting and four boards in 18 solid minutes off the bench.
Rossiter is a good interview, measured and well spoken, and yet entertaining. He even gave credit to Davidson SID Marc Gignac’s pre-season media training when pressed on why he insists on answering with all the “right” answers.
“How do you keep playing that hard when you are beating a team by 30?” April, and most everyone else, wants to know.
“We are constantly trying to get better,” Rossiter answers quickly, and correctly. But you can tell he believes it.
And if you watched the Wildcats dismantle the Cougars on Saturday, you believe he believes it.
In front of a crowd of 5,753, great majority clothed in black per the “Blackout Belk” theme, the game lived up to its hype for a little while, with things staying close through the first 10 minutes. But after a Tony White, Jr. layup, the ‘Cats – or really just Rossiter andBORIS! Meno – scored eight straight and took a commanding 28-13 lead.
And then they just put it in cruise control. Unfortunately for Charleston, it was set around 85.
No matter the score, these Wildcats just keep coming. On this day, they were without question the best team on the court. But no matter the margin, they played with more hustle, too.
For this team, MAX Paulhus Gosselin, finishing with four points and four boards, defines hustle, but you’d be hard pressed to find a Wildcat on this 2007-08 team that doesn’t nearly match his efforts game by game.
I was going to do a Top 10, a la Letterman, today, but well, I did six and stopped. (Sometimes even I can’t explain my methods.) The plays and the players involved were all over the place, but my favorite remains the first.
It was early in the game, and Jason was looking for Stephen. They nearly fumbled the exchange, but worked it out, and SteF buried a three. Coach Cremins shakes his mop of white hair and turns around, smiling. It’s like he knew it was gonna be that kind of day.
Afterwards in the media room, April is enjoying her time, basking in Cremins' presence. This is not the type of person you would expect after a 30-point loss. Completely relaxed and unassuming, yet slightly confused about why the media didn’t request him, Cremins is a great presence.
But still not quite as good as Belk and these Wildcats on this day.
“The crowd was amazing,” Rossiter tells April, now enjoying his time in the limelight a little. “They were into the game the whole time.”
And so were these Wildcats.
Men's Basketball vs. Coll. of Charleston
I get asked quite commonly now, “How do I warrant a mention in your blog?” And while I admit it's mostly in jest, there is certainly something about our YouTube/MySpace culture that loves to see our names in lights, isn’t there? (Or on a T-shirt perhaps?)
Simply put, you gotta earn it, people, and assistant director of ticketing April Albritton did just that on Saturday afternoon, conducting the post-game conversation with SteV-en Rossiter. (I don’t use the term interview intentionally, as I don’t particularly “interview,” though, a bit paranoid, he kept insisting things were “off the record.” Too much Law and Order, Steve?)
I caught some slack for being a bit tardy with my last post, and I expect the same treatment this time. But you’ll come back, because where else can you learn that SteV-en Rossiter’s favorite “actress” is Jessica Alba?
Rossiter earned his mention in today’s blog, and not just becauseSteF-en (how long can she keep this going?) Curry and Jason (Man on the T-shirt) Richards bolted for Kilgo’s post-game radio interview. He finished yesterday’s 81-56 win over the College of Charleston with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting and four boards in 18 solid minutes off the bench.
Rossiter is a good interview, measured and well spoken, and yet entertaining. He even gave credit to Davidson SID Marc Gignac’s pre-season media training when pressed on why he insists on answering with all the “right” answers.
“How do you keep playing that hard when you are beating a team by 30?” April, and most everyone else, wants to know.
“We are constantly trying to get better,” Rossiter answers quickly, and correctly. But you can tell he believes it.
And if you watched the Wildcats dismantle the Cougars on Saturday, you believe he believes it.
In front of a crowd of 5,753, great majority clothed in black per the “Blackout Belk” theme, the game lived up to its hype for a little while, with things staying close through the first 10 minutes. But after a Tony White, Jr. layup, the ‘Cats – or really just Rossiter andBORIS! Meno – scored eight straight and took a commanding 28-13 lead.
And then they just put it in cruise control. Unfortunately for Charleston, it was set around 85.
No matter the score, these Wildcats just keep coming. On this day, they were without question the best team on the court. But no matter the margin, they played with more hustle, too.
For this team, MAX Paulhus Gosselin, finishing with four points and four boards, defines hustle, but you’d be hard pressed to find a Wildcat on this 2007-08 team that doesn’t nearly match his efforts game by game.
I was going to do a Top 10, a la Letterman, today, but well, I did six and stopped. (Sometimes even I can’t explain my methods.) The plays and the players involved were all over the place, but my favorite remains the first.
It was early in the game, and Jason was looking for Stephen. They nearly fumbled the exchange, but worked it out, and SteF buried a three. Coach Cremins shakes his mop of white hair and turns around, smiling. It’s like he knew it was gonna be that kind of day.
Afterwards in the media room, April is enjoying her time, basking in Cremins' presence. This is not the type of person you would expect after a 30-point loss. Completely relaxed and unassuming, yet slightly confused about why the media didn’t request him, Cremins is a great presence.
But still not quite as good as Belk and these Wildcats on this day.
“The crowd was amazing,” Rossiter tells April, now enjoying his time in the limelight a little. “They were into the game the whole time.”
And so were these Wildcats.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Winning Ugly
By: Lauren Biggers
Men's Basketball vs. Elon
"You got any creative ideas for tomorrow’s post?,” Stephen (worth the price of admission) Curry asks, looking up from his private viewing of “The Office” on his Mac at his makeshift desk in the SID office.
It’s Tuesday, the day before the Elon game, and ABC Sports is making a day of interviews with several Wildcats, including a feature on the Curry father-son duo and international players Andrew Lovedale and Boris Meno. Stephen, free of class on Tuesday and Thursday, decides to make a day of it as well.
“Not yet,” I reply. “You gonna do anything creative?”
“I’ll think of something for you,” he promises.
Thirty-six points makes good on that promise, and several of those typical “seriously?” baskets certainly qualify as creative.
Curry finished last night’s 74-64 win with 36 points on 12-of-18 shooting, including three treys and a perfect 9-of-9 night at the line. He once again had his way with those once again pesky Elon Phoenix, but unlike Jan. 9’s near-miss in Elon, SteF-en had his shot from the beginning.
Well, maybe not quite the beginning.
After last night’s game, I managed to make it to my desk with my notes (an accomplishment in and of itself … the copy machine was perfect too, so I went a personal 2-for-2), which tell me that the ‘Cats were 0-for-5 at the first media timeout and trailing 3-2. Not quite what you’d call a “made for TV” start, EH?
From there, Davidson put together a 9-2 run and was up 11-5 at the next media timeout. Curry had all nine.
“I tried to get going early,” Curry said afterwards, suffering through our post-game conversation after being mocked and stranded by senior captains Jason Richards and Thomas Sander. “Last time, they tried to shut me down.”
Last time, they did just that until the ‘Cats got eight points from Curry in under a minute to escape with a 59-57 victory at “The Nest.”
This time was different. Many have qualified this win as “ugly.” In fact, “official stats coordinator” Will Bryan jotted down that very word at one point, and soon after the guys from the TV truck asked if we were keeping stats on air balls.
But you have to be able to win ugly too – “winning in the 50s and 60s” as the talking heads call it, and Davidson showed it can do just that.
In my last post, I asked for a close game. And after the Chattanooga game, I (quickly) rescinded that complaint. This one didn’t seem close - just uncomfortable.
And so it goes. After the next media timeout, Davidson is up 21-9 on 6-for-15 shooting. Stephen Curry’s line? Same.
The ‘Cats got a pair of free throws from LOVE-dale, a three and a pair of freebies from JRich and an and-one play from SteV-en Rossiter to take command.
Late in the game with the final (sort of) in doubt, Thomas secured a rebound to force a jump ball with the possession arrow favoring the ‘Cats. Jason earned three straight trips to the line and sank five straight gimmies to seal it. Curry iced it with another pair.
And the Wildcats won ugly.
“It felt pretty good. It was DEFINITELY (emphasis mine, word preference his) a tough game,” Steph says. “They play us tough. They try to stop Jason in transition. We had to find a way to win.”
Check.
Men's Basketball vs. Elon
"You got any creative ideas for tomorrow’s post?,” Stephen (worth the price of admission) Curry asks, looking up from his private viewing of “The Office” on his Mac at his makeshift desk in the SID office.
It’s Tuesday, the day before the Elon game, and ABC Sports is making a day of interviews with several Wildcats, including a feature on the Curry father-son duo and international players Andrew Lovedale and Boris Meno. Stephen, free of class on Tuesday and Thursday, decides to make a day of it as well.
“Not yet,” I reply. “You gonna do anything creative?”
“I’ll think of something for you,” he promises.
Thirty-six points makes good on that promise, and several of those typical “seriously?” baskets certainly qualify as creative.
Curry finished last night’s 74-64 win with 36 points on 12-of-18 shooting, including three treys and a perfect 9-of-9 night at the line. He once again had his way with those once again pesky Elon Phoenix, but unlike Jan. 9’s near-miss in Elon, SteF-en had his shot from the beginning.
Well, maybe not quite the beginning.
After last night’s game, I managed to make it to my desk with my notes (an accomplishment in and of itself … the copy machine was perfect too, so I went a personal 2-for-2), which tell me that the ‘Cats were 0-for-5 at the first media timeout and trailing 3-2. Not quite what you’d call a “made for TV” start, EH?
From there, Davidson put together a 9-2 run and was up 11-5 at the next media timeout. Curry had all nine.
“I tried to get going early,” Curry said afterwards, suffering through our post-game conversation after being mocked and stranded by senior captains Jason Richards and Thomas Sander. “Last time, they tried to shut me down.”
Last time, they did just that until the ‘Cats got eight points from Curry in under a minute to escape with a 59-57 victory at “The Nest.”
This time was different. Many have qualified this win as “ugly.” In fact, “official stats coordinator” Will Bryan jotted down that very word at one point, and soon after the guys from the TV truck asked if we were keeping stats on air balls.
But you have to be able to win ugly too – “winning in the 50s and 60s” as the talking heads call it, and Davidson showed it can do just that.
In my last post, I asked for a close game. And after the Chattanooga game, I (quickly) rescinded that complaint. This one didn’t seem close - just uncomfortable.
And so it goes. After the next media timeout, Davidson is up 21-9 on 6-for-15 shooting. Stephen Curry’s line? Same.
The ‘Cats got a pair of free throws from LOVE-dale, a three and a pair of freebies from JRich and an and-one play from SteV-en Rossiter to take command.
Late in the game with the final (sort of) in doubt, Thomas secured a rebound to force a jump ball with the possession arrow favoring the ‘Cats. Jason earned three straight trips to the line and sank five straight gimmies to seal it. Curry iced it with another pair.
And the Wildcats won ugly.
“It felt pretty good. It was DEFINITELY (emphasis mine, word preference his) a tough game,” Steph says. “They play us tough. They try to stop Jason in transition. We had to find a way to win.”
Check.
Super Tuesday, The Aftermath
By Robert O'Donnell
Richmond, Va.
Hey, it’s Rob O’Donnell checking in from Richmond at the Virginia for Obama campaign headquarters. I’d quickly like to give a shout out to Christian Hambleton who due to injury will no longer be able to play soccer for the Wildcats. Christian has helped lead the Cats on and off the field, he has represented Davidson with courage and conviction, and most importantly he has been a trusted and loyal friend. He will be missed, and I would personally like to say, on behalf of Davidson Soccer and the entire student body, thank you for your dedication and hard work over the past two years.
As for the Democratic presidential primary, today marks the first day after Super Tuesday where 22 states voted on who would be the Democratic nominee. Senator Obama won 14 of the 22 states, while Senator Clinton won only 8. The delegates won by each candidate were much closer however, with Senator Obama narrowly edging out Senator Clinton. The focus of the Democratic primary will now turn to the February 9th caucuses and the Feb. 12th primaries.
Virginia, where I am stationed out of, has its primary on February 12th when the Chesapeake states: VA, D.C., and MD all cast their ballots. There is no word on what polling data looks like for the region, but we have a very strong grassroots base here in the commonwealth. We have hosted organizational meetings for supporters across the state, and we are planning an extremely aggressive grassroots campaign.
I’m working in the press office helping to coordinate surrogate visits as well as deal with the media in Virginia. It’s been a great opportunity to broaden my understanding of how a campaign works outside of the field aspect of it. I'm finally getting used to consistently being on the road, but the hours are still long. Anyways, now that the spotlight is on us, it is time to get back to work. I’ll check in at a later date. Hope things are well at school.
-Rob O’Donnell
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