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.