Both App St basketball teams might have entered the SoCon Tournament as 4-seeds, but the moods surrounding both programs were different. The men were on an upswing, having won their final two games to clinch the final bye. The women were on a downswing, having lost their final two and three of four to fall to #4. One thing remained the same and that was the expectations. Both teams were supposed to win their quarterfinal game and then go up against the #1 seed, both of whom had long winning streaks (15 for Davidson men, 17 for UTC women) and most importantly, a team that had their way with the Apps in the previous meeting.
On the surface, the scenarios went as expected. Both App teams won on Quarterfinal Saturday and then fell on Semifinal Sunday, but a deeper look showed a Sunday that changed the outlook for both programs going forward. Programs that had their toughness questions early and often put in upset bids that could carry over past Asheville and into 2013-14.
The men got a surprised on Friday as 12th-seeded Furman knocked off 5th-seeded Samford. Facing a team for the second time in nine days was cause for many people to think Samford could upset the Apps, but that didn't happen. The Paladins only had a few players dressed out and in the Saturday game, it showed. The Apps jumped out early and despite some runs here and there, were never in any danger as the men coasted to a 74-60 victory.
As was the regular season meeting, the scoring was balanced. Healy and Canty both got 13 points, Trice got 12, Hamilton and Baskin got nine and Obacha got eight along with seven rebounds. Rebounds were dead even at 28 and the Apps shot 54.4% while Furman shot 44.7%.
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Bob Marley can fly.[/caption]After this game, the looming prospect of playing Davidson was easily apparently. The Wildcats had dismantled GSU in the earlier game and looked every bit of a team on a 16-game winning streak. They were deep and well-rested. While the prevailing thought wasn't that it would be a repeat of the two regular-season beatings, the top seed would play like the top seed and win with their feet kicked up.
The game started off like a dream. After a quick three by Davidson, the Apps jumped on the attack and look a 20-9 lead by the halfway point of the half. Two quick fouls on Brooks sent him to the bench. Despite this lead, it was understood that the Wildcats would make their run, which they did. However this time the storm was weathered and the score was 28-26 Apps going into halftime. Still one would think Davidson would show their class and run away with things in the second half.
Then to the complete shock of everyone, the Mountaineers started the second half with another big run, getting up to 41-28 in the first five minutes. Inevitability still loomed, but this time with more sweat beading down off the foreheads off Davidson fans. The score quickly became 41-38, but then the Apps kept on responding. With just under seven minutes to go, it seemed like midnight struck as the Wildcats took their first lead since early in the game 49-47. The teams traded baskets until Davidson hit consecutive threes to make it 57-51 with just over four minutes left.
This season, the narrative was all too familiar. Blow big leads and then wither down the stretch. Not many would expect App State to come back after that quick barrage and make it a game, but that's what happened. The score was tied again not long after at 57-57, but then it quickly became 61-57, but again the Apps responded. It finally looked to be over after the deficit became six at 65-59, but a Hamilton three cut it in half. Then a missed FT by Cochran gave the Apps one more chance with five seconds left to tie it. The ball ended up with the one person it had to in Nate Healy, but the three rimed out and it was over.
Healy led the Apps with 14 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Canty and Neal both had 13 and had seven and five rebounds respectively. The team as a whole had 10 steals and shot 50% from the field (24/48).
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Despair is a smelly cologne.[/caption]Considering how Davidson blew out CofC in the title game 74-65 and also how they dismembered GSU 86-59 on Saturday (who fired their coach today), Sunday's almost-upset is quite remarkable. The Wildcats are looking at a potential 12-or-13 seed in the Big Dance and oiwn the nation's longest current winning streak.
Looking at the team, now the question will be asked of how to replace Healy. He did a little bit of everything so one would assume it was be distributed among several people. The starting five for 2013-14 would appear to be Neal, Hamilton, Canty, Baskin and Obacha, but that would discredit the impact of the incoming recruits and potential for players such as Rantavious Gilbert, Tommy Spagnolo and Dustin Clarke to make an impact. With only Baskin (and maybe Okam if he enrolls in grad school, but it's not known yet) as the lone senior coming back, the future looks good. But with that also comes expectations. Barring something unforeseen like transfers and academic ineligibility, this team will be tabbed as one of the SoCon favorites next year. CofC will be gone, Davidson is senior-laden and everyone else is on the same level.
For a team that started off the year with an NAIA win then seven-straight losses, including at home to High Point and Duquesne, finishing 15-16 with a first-round bye and taking Davidson to the wire was quite shocking. Capel more than earned next year and it will be interesting to see in the upcoming weeks if he looks for an extension or if he has to prove himself next year as well to stick around.
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Oh Capel, how much we loved and hated you this year.[/caption]Now, onto the sheilas.
The women stumbled into Asheville after giving up a game-winning three on Monday to Samford and suffering a beating by UTC on Saturday. This wasn't the senior season many had pictured for Anna Freeman, Sharkey and Courtney Freeman, but it's what happened for a number of reasons.
First up on Saturday was the ever-dangerous 4/5 game against College of Charleston in Kimmel Arena on the campus of UNC-Asheville. The Apps took both regular season meetings and looked to be a favorable match up for the black and gold. After eight minutes of feeling out, the designated home team jumped out and took a 34-28 lead into the break.
The Cougars came out in the second half and cut the deficit down to a single possession many times and wouldn't go away. Then with just over five minutes left, the seniors took over and bloated the lead out to ten before CofC started to foul. Free throws clinched the win by the final of 74-60.
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Above and Beyond...with creepy grandpa in the background.[/caption]Leading the Apps was Anna Freeman with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Sydnor chipped in 17 points, six rebounds and three steals, Raven Gary got 14 points, six rebounds and four assists while Courtney Freeman claimed 11 points and eight rebounds. The ladies held Charlestowne to 28.6% shooting (22/77), including a paltry 5 of 20 from three. After leading all NCAA teams in FT shooting earlier in the season, the team had a return to form, going 23 of 26 from the line in the game.
After this triumph, the team headed downtown to center stage at the Civic Center for a High Noon showdown with the Lady Mocs of UT-Nooga. Wes Moore's ladies went 19-1 in the SoCon this year, winning a close game against Darcie in the Roundhose, then took the Apps to the woodshed eight days before in Boone. Just like the men's semifinal, it seemed like a tall task, but not an impossible one.
From the onset, you could tell this game would be different. The Apps came out abandoning the press that failed so badly eight days before and were more aggressive on offense. The game remained close for the first half. UTC did take an eight-point lead late in the half, but the Apps kept on fighting and were down only 30-28 at the break.
The second half was more of the same. The Lady Apps kept on responding to the pressure and played one of their best games all season. The Mountaineers did take a 55-50 lead with around five minutes to go, but the Lady Mocs responded with a run of their own to take the lead. Despite the effort, a combination of questionable fouls and the presence of Dewart down low sealed the final score at 72-67.
Raven Gary led the Apps with 19 points in an inspired effort from the point. Courtney Freeman got 12 points and 10 rebounds, Sydnor accumulated 10 points and Katie Mallow showed some of that promise from her freshman year with 10 points and some dirty crossovers. Anna Freeman only got four points and six rebounds, but was fighting the entire game with the UTC bigs to free up her teammates.
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Such a nice shooting motion from Bria.[/caption]In the first half, UTC got their first foul called on them 11:19 in. Amazing. Not quite as much as the second half though as the Lady Mocs had their first foul called on them 11:24 into the half. With how much elbowing there was going on down low both ways, the foul count ending up 21-10 seemed unjust. That in turn led to 27 foul shots for UTC compared to only 11 for App, which made a world of difference When phantom hand checks are being called at one end and full body contact is allowed at the other end, it makes winning very hard. According to the players, they would have their hand on the UTC player's hip moving laterally but not pushing off and then it would be swatted off and the foul would be called on them. Only so much you can do and only so much Darcie can do with one SoCon reprimand hanging over her head. Yes UTC was the better all-around team and would be the best SoCon representative in the Big Dance, but that day it's questionable they were the better team.
Just like the men, the team that knocked the Apps out is going dancing. UTC beat Davidson 64-63 on Monday to improve their record to 14-0 in SoCon title games and extend their winning streak to 19 games. Not only that, but UTC should be far and away the favorite to win the SoCon next year as well.
That presented a major problem for App State. With Anna Freeman, Courtney Freeman, Sharkey adn Raven Gary all graduating, the starting lineup will look completely different next year. With the struggles this season, the lineup was shuffled around with different under class men getting starts. The only seemingly-sure thing is that Sydnor will be in the starting lineup. After that, nothing seems certain. If the Apps are selected to play in the WNIT or WBI, then we might see a glimpse of the future. The only senior for next year, Michelle Taylor, fell off the radar completely and would seemingly be long shot for a starting job. So then it falls on the returning sophomores and juniors. If Barrios improves on offense she would be in contention. Mallow might be the safest bet right now as well as Farrahn Wood and then you have several options for down low. Bria Huffman, LaShawna Gatewood and Keke Cooper would be going for those two spots and one can't make a pick right now. Regardless, next year seems like a rebuilding year, but also it could be a year that Darcie might enjoy more as she can mold them better.
Diamoneers at Furman - Nothing Is Easy
After having their mid-week contest at ETSU postponed due to weather, the Apps traveled down to Travelers' Rest to take on Furman in what quickly became an important early SoCon series. With some impressive early-season wins, Furmie was ranked Top 10 in the RPI and this became a series between two Top 20 RPI teams.
Game One on Friday was a pitching duel. The Dins struck first in the second on a single and fielding error to go up 1-0. The Black and Gold responded in the 4th with Callaway coming across to make it 1-1. The score stayed the same until the 6th when Furman plated two to take a 3-1 lead. That proved to be decisive as the team left the bases loaded in the 8th and left a runner on third in the 9th to end the game. Nunn (L, 3-1) picked up his first loss of the year despite a solid outing of 7 IP, allowing seven hits, two earned runs and striking out six.
Game Two started off quick with Leach scoring after a failed pickoff attempt and a Callaway single. However the lead wasn't for long as the Paladins put up a four-spot in the 4th, which led to Springs (L, 0-2) getting yanked after 2.2 IP. A Noah Holmes single in the 5th scored Dillon Dobson, but the remaining runners on second and third were left stranded. The lead was cut to 4-3 in the 7th on a ground out RBI by William Head to score Hector Crespo, but Furman doubled that in the bottom half of the inning with two of their own. The team responded in the 8th with RBI's by Jaylin Davis and Josh Zumbrook to make it 6-5, but again couldn't take the lead and then went down in order in the 9th to end the game.
Game Three represented a chance for the Apps to salvage a game and gain some confidence back. After a Davis RBI in the 2nd and a Crespo home run in the 3rd, Furman exploded for a five-spot in the 3rd to go up 5-2 and install a familiar pattern. This time it wasn't followed as Dobson homered in the 4th to even the score at 4-4. The Boone Bombers then took the lead in the 5th as Preston Troutman scored on a throwing error. Head added a home run in the 6th and Callaway scored on an error to make it 9-6 by the stretch. The lead didn't even make it to the 8th as Furman took advantage of another jam to even it at 9-9. A bases-loaded double-play ended the inning and prevented further damage. Marcello kept the Furpies at bay for six outs before Clyde Tate came in because there was no one else. In the 11th, a Head single up the middle scored Leach from third to take the lead. Tate (S, 1) handled the bottom half and the series was salvaged.
After such a series, it would normally be a time to rest, but not this week! The team headed straight to Athens, GA for a two-game midweek series that begins Tuesday versus UGA. Tuesday's starter is Chad Farmer and Wednesday's is TBA. There hasn't been a second midweek game this season to tell us who would start. For those who don't read other blogs, UGA is currently 7-8 and hasn't started SEC play yet. The Dawgs dropped a series in Statesboto...yes, THAT Statesboro and also dropped a mid-week contest to the Whee. But still, SEC baseball is SEC baseball and the Dawgs have the talent to be a major challenge. I would spout off more about Jawga, but one of their own already did, plus I've saving roasting material for November. As part of the Blogging Act of 2007, equal web-space was provided in return and Nate wrote about the Apps, telling the UGA fans to watch out for Jamie Nunn, even though he won't pitch at all since he's set to go for Game One on Saturday.
Using that segue, we look forward to the weekend and more non-conference action. This time the Apps return to home to Protect The Beav against the Big Red of Cornell. The Ivy Leaguers are 4-4 on the season, having went 3-1 in the UMES Tournament and then dropped three of four to George Washington. Not exactly a great sample size, but it appears the Big Red are offensively lacking, but defensive respectable. Saturday is a doubleheader beginning at 1pm and then same time, same place on Sunday for the third game.
Oh, Protect The Beav is the greatest App Baseball slogan ever. Spread the movement by hashtagging it.
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Credit: twitter.com/The_TaylorAdams WE'RE NOT SELLING THESE FOR PROFIT, DON'T SUE![/caption]This Week In Realignment - Getting Hot In Hot Springs
Our lord god and savior Karl Benson and the Sun Belt leaders converged this weekend in Hot Springs, Arkansas for not only the Sun Belt Basketball Tournament, but to plot the course of the conference going into the future. App ad GSU fans both waited with baited breath for word, any word, on how they went.
What we found out is that nothing officially has happened. At the State of The Sun Belt presser, OLGAS Benson chose his words carefully and was seemingly agitated by the results of the meeting. Details came from far and near, pieces here and there and there still isn't a clear picture.
What seems to be the case is that it's not about the next two schools to get invites, it's about the two or three after that. Certain schools with certain geographic interest lobbied their cases. Certain schools who aren't the "next two" lobbied hard to not be left out. Tempers flared among the decision-makers, someone said something about someone's mama and feelings were hurt.
Going into the weekend, after getting past the reactionary Tweets and hopeful whispers, it was established that it was a long-shot for something official to happen. It was more a gauge on what should be done next. OLGAS Benson wants a championship game. That would require 12 football-playing schools. With WKU the SB is at eight for 2013, so that would mean at least four additions. If the Tulsa/WKU domino effect happens, then the number becomes five.
For App fans, there shouldn't be too much worry. Yes it's been a long process with the CUSA teases, the Charlotte shocker and the near-hit before the Big East blew up at Christmas, but it seems like it's almost over. Some fans won't believe it until the logos are painted on the field, but it does seem like the high probability at this point. 2013-14 is looking like the App State and GSU SoCon Farewell Tour.
This Week In Everything Else
-Congrats to Zach Strickland (165) and Dominic Parasi (125) who with their second-place finishes at the SoCon Championships earned at-large bids to the NCAA Championships. The team finished sixth out of eight teams with 27 points. Strickland and Parasi will boh travel to Des Moines, Iowa to begin a quest for a National Championship on Thursday, March 21st.
-Congrats to women's tennis for earning their first national ranking in school history. The team climbed up to 65 in the ITA Top 75. The team has a busy week as they travel to Gardner-Webb on Wednesday, head down to UNC-Wilmington on Thursday, go up to Campbell on Friday, then return to Boone on Saturday for SoCon play against Georgia Southern.
-Softball started SoCon play this past weekend just down the road from Asheville in Cullowhee. The Lady Diamond Apps took both Saturday games by the scores of 6-1 and 5-4. The team was run-ruled on Sunday 13-4 in six, but still emerged with the series win. The team returns to action Wednesday as they travel to North Charleston to play Charleston Southern in a double-header, then return to Boone for some SoCon action against Samford. The Saturday double-header starts at 1 pm and Game Three is Sunday, also at 1 pm.
-Men's Tennis picked up a win over the weekend as they downed Army by the score of 5-2 in Orlando. After dropping the doubles point, the Apps took five of the six singles matches to pick up the meet win. The Monday match against South Carolina State was cancelled due to weather but the team returns to action on Tuesday against Northern Illinois. Conference play begins this week as the team will head to Chuck Town to face The Citadel on Friday then College of Charleston on Saturday.
-A full recap of both golf teams' tournaments will be next week after their tournaments finish late Tuesday.
T-Notes
-Asheville was a lot of fun again. If next year is the SoCon Farewell Tour, it'll be an App fan's last chance to experience Beer City Hoops. I highly suggest it.
-After the UTC/Davidson women's title game, The Lady Mocs' Kylie Lambert got proposed to at center court. For his sake, Good thing they won as he didn't have a backup plan.