Monday, January 31, 2011

Live Blog: Davidson vs. Elon (Women's Hoops)

Wildcats' Roar is offering another way to follow your 'Cats online. Mark Brumbaugh of the sports information staff will keep a live blog during the women's basketball game vs. Elon.

The idea for it is to be fun and informative so comments are encouraged!

HELPFUL LINKS
Coverage: Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats
Information: Davidson Preview | Elon Preview
Davidson Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
Mobile Phone Users: View Here

Friday, January 28, 2011

Live Blog: Davidson vs. College of Charleston (Men's Hoops)

Wildcats' Roar is offering a new way to follow your 'Cats online. Mark Brumbaugh of the sports information staff will author a live blog during the men's basketball game vs. College of Charleston.

The idea for it is to be fun and informative so comments are encouraged! Click the "Reader Information" link in the applet below for more.

HELPFUL LINKS
Coverage: Live on SportSouth | Live Audio | Live Stats
Information: Davidson Preview | CofC Preview
Davidson Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
Mobile Phone Users: View Here


Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Live Blog: Davidson vs. The Citadel (Men's Hoops)

Wildcats' Roar is offering a new way to follow your 'Cats online. Mark Brumbaugh of the sports information staff will author a live blog during the men's basketball game vs. The Citadel.

The idea for it is to be fun and informative so comments are encouraged! Click the "Reader Information" link in the applet below for more.

HELPFUL LINKS
Coverage: Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats
Information: Davidson Preview | The Citadel Preview
Davidson Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Friday, January 21, 2011

Davidson Wrestling In Boston

The Davidson wrestling team is in Boston for the BU Duals on Saturday. The team arrived Thursday night, ahead of the snow. The streets were cleared in time for the 'Cats to make their way to Boston University for a workout, though. Head coach Bob Patnesky shared his thoughts on the trip.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Cats and Dogs

By Lauren Biggers
Men's Basketball vs. Wofford
January 15, 2011

“I hate losing, Biggers.”

This is how whatever-his-title-is-now Billy Thom sums up the Wildcats’ 69-64 loss to the Wofford Terriers, and I think its fair to say that the large majority of the crowd at Belk Arena Saturday night felt the same. That was a tough one.

Things got off to a rocky start early with the malfunctioning microphone for the National Anthem. The crowd did a stellar job, (the opposing fan behind me had quite a nice voice), and after Mike Young promised not to spill his water on us, we were off and running.

The WL checked in from an Oakland vacation to plead for scoring updates while stranded at an Office Depot appearance with The Kid (free pens!!), but things weren’t going so great early for his Wildcats. Not yet attempting a three, the Terriers had hit 4-of-5 from behind the arch and some fella not named Noah Dahlman (or even Noah Dahlberg, Charlotte Observer preview) dropped in 20 in the first half. (p.s. I will need someone in the D-block to explain a. calling Cameron Rundles “Treasure” and b. continuing to taunt a guy who scores 20 in 20).

The ‘Cats held last year’s POY Dahlberg to just three points in the first half, but on the wings of Rundles, Wofford opened up an 11-point lead with 8:20 left in the half.

After moonlighting for the marketing staff by removing the Monkee’s banner from center court, BMcK missed a three, got it back on a Tommy Droney offensive board, and made the next, to cut Wofford’s lead to 25-16. After Rundles got his 15th point on a FT to more “Treasure” (because he was money?) chants, Tommy Droney hit a layup (that he probably shouldn’t have), and Davidson was down just four with 4:05 to play.

Jake Cohen stripped Noah Dalhberg, as the defense came up with the stop they needed, but on the other end, the ‘Cats didn’t quite get the shot they were hoping for. Tim Johnson clanked a pair of freebies, so it’s all a wash anyways. A couple possessions later, a block from Cohen and a defensive board for Nik (needs a nickname) Cochran lead to two fast-break points for JP Koolman, and Davidson trails just a pair, 27-29 with 51 seconds remaining.

Lest we forget about him, Rundles drains a three, gets a steal and hits a fall away jumper at the buzzer, putting up a five-point flurry in 29 seconds, to send Wofford into the locker room with a 34-27 halftime lead.

After some more scoreboard confusion (“this is getting old”), Mike Young starts to get really interesting. Frustrated by fouls on Dahlberg (“how many is that on him?”) and Kevin Giltner, he starts begging the refs to “Let them play!” JP Koolman musta got into the candy at halftime, because he starts with a Rundle-like flurry, scoring six of the Wildcats’ first eight points.

Koolman’s runner puts Davidson down just three, but this feels a lot like the Western game, where there’s some kinda invisible line keeping them from getting closer. NK’s jumper from Jake Cohen puts it back at three, 37-40, and suddenly he’s guarding the inbounds play right in front of the table. He does a pretty good job, but it just makes me miss MAX again.

Mike Young is spitting and shouting about the foul disparity (It doesn’t HAVE to be equal, fellas), and well, it does help that the ‘Cats are a perfect 10-for-10 at the line. Make it 11-for-11 as Clint Mann gets one to rock and rattle in. Fun while it lasted, he misses the next. Not too long, though, before Davidson’s back on the line, and Mike Young wants to know how JP Koolman is doing tonight. Yeah, he’s about to be 4-for-4, coach.

But before you can blink, Wofford’s again turned a six-point lead into a 10-point one as Noah Dahlberg musta glanced at his resume at halftime. Mike Young wants to run something called “Bobcats,” which is just funny. He also has a play called, “Cougar,” and I’m having a tough time deciding which is better.

Before long JP Koolman’s back at the line, staying perfect, and Davidson’s cut it to five, 51-56, with 2:01 to go. As you knew they would, the ‘Cats solved Rundles at the half and he doesn’t get his first two points of the second til 1:22 to play to put Wofford up eight.

BMcK comes curling off a screen at the top of the key and drains a three from NK, and it’s 56-61 with 1:12 left on the moody game clock. A pair of free throws from woefully misnamed Terry Martin, though, give Wofford a seven-point cushion, but with the Wofford bench shouting “It’s OK” at his defender, can-I-get-little respect NK hits a huge three and comes back down the floor 12 seconds later and does it again. Wofford’s lead is just two, 64-62, and it’s not OK anymore, is it, coach?

Cohen gets whistled for a foul, and Brad Loesing makes good on his two chances at the charity stripe, and it seems the invisible line has shifted to two. Without any timeouts, there’s some confusion on the court, and even I briefly forget that I can’t shout out instructions to the guys in white. Jamar Diggs does the ‘Cats a favor and misses both, and JP Koolman goes the distance with 6.4 seconds remaining.

Mike Young is shouting again, this time “they can’t huddle here,” as “Terry Martin” misses the first, makes the second from the line to give the ‘Cats a chance, trailing three with 6.4 to play.

And the winner of player-who-does-not-deserve-this-ending award goes to NK, who gets stuck in the double team and turns it over. Diggs makes up for missing earlier by making both at the line to seal the 69-64 deal.

“ I hate losing, too, Billy.”

Friday, January 14, 2011

Live Blog: Davidson vs. Wofford (Men's Hoops)

Wildcats' Roar is offering a new way to follow your 'Cats online. Mark Brumbaugh of the sports information staff will author a live blog during the men's basketball game vs. Wofford.

The idea for it is to be fun and informative so comments are encouraged! Click the "Reader Information" link in the applet below for more.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Live Blog: Davidson vs. Chattanooga (Women's Hoops)

Wildcats' Roar is offering a new way to follow your 'Cats online. Mark Brumbaugh of the sports information staff will author a live blog during the women's basketball game Friday vs. Chattanooga.

Snow and Ice-Water

By Lauren Biggers
Men's Basketball vs. Furman
January 12, 2011

Just a few thoughts from me this a.m., because as it turns out, there are only 36 days until baseball season starts (!?!!) and I have a LOT to do before opening weekend (Feb. 18!!). But last night’s 79-70 victory over the Furman Paladins is worth some ink before I shift my attention to baseball AND the upcoming Kicks from ‘Cats (January 29! Vs. College of Charleston!).

After last week’s loss to Appalachian — which I didn’t write about because I was too busy being nervous about inputting stats, with WBB SID @gwagonmcfarlin on the road, and because it wouldn’t have been that fun to write anyways — and a tough road loss at Western this weekend, the Wildcats needed a win to get this train back on the tracks.

Only 39 seconds into this one, with super soph Jake Cohen saddled with two quick (ticky-tacky?!) fouls it was obvious that might be a challenge. The early goings were interesting, and we were tied at 8-8 (with SEVEN total fouls) at the first media timeout and both teams batting 1.000. Each a perfect 3-for-3 from the field with the Paladins converting their only free throw attempt.

Furman busted up the stalemate (yes, people love when I use that phrase) with five unanswered points, and the Wildcats were playing from behind. Not. This. Again. But Bootz hit a layup, grabbed a couple rebounds, and JP Koolman drained his first three of the night to cut that lead to two, 15-13, with just under 12 left in the half.

The scoring though, played second fiddle to the officiating crew (which didn’t even include TV Teddy. Sad face.), prompting Furman’s Jeff Jackson to explain to his staff that, “John Adams (NCAA coordinator of basketball officiating) is here, so he is losing his mind.” (GAH, I love an entertaining opposing bench so).

I’m not sure that the NCAA can’t assess fines to SID offices that speak negatively about officiating, so let me just say that these guys called an... uh... interesting... game, which at one point prompted student worker Leah to shout “FOULLLLLL!!!” before realizing she was indeed at the “silent” and “impartial” scorer’s table and clapping her hand over her mouth (NBD, we’ve all done it) and the D-block (who was FANTASTIC in their second-semester debut) to engage the crowd in a “Let them play!” chant. (And my personal fav solo heckle of the night, ‘hey ref, great free throw contest!’)

The Paladins led by as many as nine in the first half, but the momentum started to shift when Bootz hit a layup with five-and-a-half to go to cut it to four. After a Furman miss, Captain Will SECURED the rebound, Bootz found JP Koolman for the layup AND-ONE free throw, and the ‘Cats were down just one, 30-31, and threatening.

When Captain Will (MVP of the first half and prompting official scorer Lee Jones to add “and playing a hell of a game” after his name during our points/fouls run-down at half) secured the offensive board and made the pair of freebies from the ensuing foul. Bootz scored the next two layups, the second which gave Davidson its first lead, before Nik Cochran hit a three that caused the biggest eruption of the night from the Wildcat bench.

After some technical difficulties with the scoreboard (my sistah re: that break — that’s the most I’ve ever seen people dance at a Davidson game), Furman got the game knotted up for the last time at 39 on a Noah States layup with 18:16 left, before Jake Cohen (“where’s he been?... oh, that’s right. THE BENCH. WITH FOUL TROUBLE.”) put the ‘Cats on top for good, 43-41.

With the Furman bench shouting “SHOOTER!” about BMcKillop, Nik Cochran drains the three to put Davidson ahead 64-54, their largest lead of the night with 8:33 to play. Hey Furman, Nik doesn’t care; he’s got ice water in his veins. 22 points. 13 made free throws! AND THE ONLY DAVIDSON BLOCK OF THE NIGHT! (Me to Gavin: “K (that means block. I don’t know why, it just does.), Nik??”)

The Wildcats are winning, the Paladins are fouling, and all is right in the world again. And finally, one of my favorite parts of the night, Bootz passing up the last shot and (so smartly. So sportsmanlike) dribbling out the clock and Jeff Jackson calling off the dogs. (Also sportsmanlike. And we thank you. This game has lasted a while.)

That and the D-block all but refusing to leave until Nik got his much-deserved curtain call.

If you fought through the ice and snow, the show at Belk Wednesday night was deserved, too.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Live Blog: Davidson vs. Furman (Men's Hoops)

DavidsonWildcats.com is offering a new way to follow your 'Cats online. Mark Brumbaugh of the sports information staff will author a live blog during the men's basketball game tonight vs. Furman.

The idea for it is to be fun and informative so comments are encouraged! Click the "Reader Information" link in the applet below for more.

Blog on Davidson Athletics

Welcome to the official blog of the Davidson Wildcats! Take an inside look at the world of college athletics from Davidson players, coaches and staff.

Search This Blog