Well, one of my Final Four teams is out HSC, but I am a proud alumn, if HSC weren't in that Sectional, I would have picked VWC, but alas I picked my alma mater and I have no shame (you have to have one cinderella)

I wanted to chime in just a bit about the Posts between ODAC fans and the two nice posters from MC.

First, I think the ODAC posters have a right to WANT an all ODAC Final to assure one team to the Final Four. Every conference wants bragging rights especially one hoping to gain POWER status like the ODAC.

Second, it is right for VWC fans to think that they will win no matter who they play. VWC is undefeated at home, and they are playing at home against a team that will have some major travelling to bring fans to the game. VWC plays tough at home and those fans can definitely bring them back into the game. I am 100% sure that the fans are the only reason they beat AU in the first round (I was there and the fans pulled them back to the game).

Third, I asked a VWC official about seating, it seats 1300, but they sold 100 SRO tickets for the First Round games, so approx 1400 tickets might be available for the game.

GOOD LUCK TO THE QUAKERS AND THE MARLINS this weekend. I WANT TO SEE AN ODAC SECTIONAL FINAL, and I certainly think it is possible b/c VWC hasn't lost at home this year, and Guilford has been putting up some big numbers in the tournie, with impressive wins over Manhatanville and Johns Hopkins.

Great job to VWC and Guilford for making it to the Sweet 16. Hopefully they will both make it to the ELITE 8 and guarantee an ODAC team in the FINAL FOUR, for two consecutive years.

Hats of to HSC for an impressive end to a decent season. First, they won the ODAC when everybody counted them out. Second, they won their first round game against Hood and took it to VWC tonight (tied at 35 with 12 minutes to go, sorry only thing I have to go on is the refresh page from the D3 scoreboard by d3hoops.com through a phone conversation because I was unable to have access to my computer). I hope that HSC grows from this expeirence, and does a great job in the ODAC next year to continue to make it to the NCAA.

Quote from: justafan02 on March 03, 2007, 09:03:03 PM

Quote from: tigerphil on March 03, 2007, 12:33:31 AM

first half and will need to get that corrected before tomorrows game against VWC.

Now on to the VWC game. First, I have a few complaints to get off my chest about the disrespect shown by the VWC fans to the AU fans at the game. First, they got right in front of their student section and started pointing their signs at them, not something I liked, then a lady in a green semi-formal gown was sitting up in that section. Kudos to the VWC officials at the game table to get them away from the AU side and clear things up. Second, durring the final stretch of the game, the Students started chanting YOU SUCK, to a team that should have beat them on their home court which was very tasteless. Third, the STUDENTS should never have chanted BULL$%&^ at the bad call made by ref (we all know that d3 officiating isn't the greatest, get over it, have some class). I only hope that these STUDENT fans have a little more character tomorrow night when they play HSC (unfortunately, I won't be there to see if they actually are).

Are you serious?  I guess that ALL college programs I watch on T.V. have no class.  These are college students having fun at the basketball game.  In fact, that is what home court is all about...heckling the opposing team and players.  I know for a fact that HSC and RMC have an AWESOME following, and boy do they heckle.  It is great.  It makes for an AWESOME atmosphere.  You gotta be kidding me complaining about that....


Are the Cameron Crazies rediculous too?

If it was the players...coaches...different story.

First and foremost, I will complain regularly about inapporpriate behavior at a game by students. I think that the ODAC has one good thing going for it and that is that the FANS are CLASSY. It is one thing to heckle, and another to cuss at the officiating. I have watched several hundred D3 games and I have never seen a good officiated game. I expect there to be awful calls, and bad calls, and missed calls, etc. However, one does not have to cuss at the officials to get your point across. Several times durring the game, I was disgusted with some of the comments made by HSC fans to officials (like your wife is ugly, get off your knees); however, these were just one fan, not an entire STUDENT SECTION shouting BULL$@@^ at least 15 times. As a parent of a 9 month old, who is starting to talk, I don't want to hear him say that because he learned it a NCAA basketball game (and trust me, there were several babies at that game last night). The best thing about D3 sports, is it is FAMILY oriented. You can bring your family and expect a good game, not cussing.

If you think I am ridicolous fine, that is your opinion. However, CLASS is important to a basketball program, school, and Conference. And if you saw another of my posts, my biggest complaint is the cussing (I can give a little credit to the heckling of AU, since I heard that there was a very hostile environment at AU (or so I heard from a VWC coaches wife). However, the CLASSY thing to do, is just beat them on the court where it really counts.

The game could have gone either way over the course of the last two and a half-minutes. If 55 could have avoided foul trouble, picking up three and four early in second-half it most definitely would have been a different game, but HSC kept all three big men in foul trouble which led to them winning the game.

Catholic is tough to beat at home. I went there for a NCAA game a few years ago when HSC played and that was probably the best NCAA game I had been to, and HSC lost to Catholic, but it was a nail biter if my memory serves me correctly

Brian

Any leftover tickets after tonight's sales will be sold at 3 pm at the Box Office. They did not sell tickets until each game was over and only at the Batten Center. Good luck getting tickets, but I think they will have Standing Room Only tickets, they sold 100 of those tonight (which people got seats as Hood and HSC fans left early)

AU played a great game tonight and should have beaten VWC, but the crowd was just a little too much to handle as they got back into the game with about 5 minutes to play. Great season AU, and good luck next year.

I just wanted to give a huge thanks to Matt for his scouting report on Hood. While I was at the game, what he said came true. HSC couldn't handle 55, the 6'8" Center who when double-teamed either found the open trey shooter or the cutter down the lane to give Hood an early 10 point lead, but when he got in foul trouble, HSC was able to do well on offense, of course the three ball was very big for HSC tonight who killed the 2-3 Zone with extra passes to find the open man. It was a great game and a very good scouting report. Hood very easily could have beat HSC, but both teams shot poorly from the field, HSC won with only 37% shooting. Thanks for a great game tonight HOOD

I really only hope that this was only payback from what I heard from some VWC fans was a hostile enviornment at AU when VWC lost their this year. This was my first time seeing VWC at WVC so I cannot say that this behavior is indicative of the team, but I have come to expect better from ODAC fans throughout the years and was grossly disappointed, especially since VWC is the DEFENDING NATIONAL CHAMP

I guess I am the first poster to post after watching both games at the VA Beach. First and foremost, what a great mini-scetional as both games went down to the wire and were only won by 3 points each. I agree that it is a shame to see one ODAC team lose tomorrow, but hey see my rants on the travle rules in the Worst Frist Round Match-up boards for discussion on that thread.

First for the HSC-Hood game. The scouting report we received on Hood was pretty darn accurate. 55 (sorry I can't spell that name, not going to try) their 6'8" guard was a tough cookie to handle tonight. If HSC double-teamed he almost always found the cutter in the lane for an easy two points for Hood. HSC jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but it was soon to be long gone after Hood came up with a three pointer. HSC fought hard, but went down 22-12 before 55 got his second foul and sat for the last 8 minutes of the first half. At this point HSC went on a tear. They finished the half on a 18-10 run where they nearly took the lead from Hood. However, they went in to the half down two thanks to an amazing three point buzzer beater by Mike Edwards. The second half is when the Tigers finally came out firing on all cylinders (I hate how HSC waits for the second half to begin to really play some great Bball). Drew Prehmus was amazing as he lead the Tigers with 23 points. He kept hitting the big three. Down the stretch it got really tight, HSC was up 65-60 when I think it was Tyler Murray (or maybe Turner King) missed the front end of 1-1 and Hood came back with an impressive immediate three pointer. The tigers were lights out from the chairty stripe, which was the difference in the game. Tigers went 91% from the line (great stat for the Tigers). The game ended on a possible questionable call when the refs called the Hood player out of bounds in front of his own bench when he touched the ball with .8 seconds left in the game, and I still dont understand why Byron Lawton wasn't allowed to sub in after the Tigers got to in-bound the ball under their own basket. HSC struggled in the first half and will need to get that corrected before tomorrows game against VWC.

Now on to the VWC game. First, I have a few complaints to get off my chest about the disrespect shown by the VWC fans to the AU fans at the game. First, they got right in front of their student section and started pointing their signs at them, not something I liked, then a lady in a green semi-formal gown was sitting up in that section. Kudos to the VWC officials at the game table to get them away from the AU side and clear things up. Second, durring the final stretch of the game, the Students started chanting YOU SUCK, to a team that should have beat them on their home court which was very tasteless. Third, the STUDENTS should never have chanted BULL$%&^ at the bad call made by ref (we all know that d3 officiating isn't the greatest, get over it, have some class). I only hope that these STUDENT fans have a little more character tomorrow night when they play HSC (unfortunately, I won't be there to see if they actually are).

Now the game was very interesting and very one-sided in my opinion. AU was the HUNGRIER team tonight, and lost because VWC had the home crowd, which was silent for most of the game, until Adair decided to take VWC on his back down the final stretch with 5 minutes to go (I kept telling the VWC fans sitting near me, if the crowd stays out of it, you will lose). VWC was done 9 late in the second half and came on strong to take the game, first hitting a four point play, and then using some impressive defense to tie to the game.  A couple of late fouls and some clutch shooting by Adair helped give the Marlins the win. If 20 hadn't fallen at the end of the game, and I think it was 43 for AU taking that awful three point shot after picking up the loose ball, AU may have taken the game to OT.

Preview for tomorrow...
Both HSC and VWC need to come out firing on all cylinders early. They need to shoot the ball better then they did tonight. HSC ended with 37% shooting and VWC only shot 27% in the first-half (not sure of final stats). Both teams need to take better care of the ball, HSC had 16 tournovers, not sure how many for VWC but there were plenty. Both teams need to have huge fan support because that is what won it for both teams tonight. HSC needs better defense in the paint and not to rely too heavily on the three point shot like they did tonight. VWC needs to play much better ball offensively. They need to take the higher percentage shot and just get the ball to Adair and let him show why he was POY last year for D3. It should be a great match-up to see HSC-VWC #4. I regret that I cannot attend, but will be tuning in and keeping the updates going. Just thought I would share about the great MINI-SECTIONAL held at VWC!

I did what I could for HSC, having only been to one game this year already.

Unfortunately, I have only managed to make it to one Hampden-Sydney game this year where they barely escaped with a win at hom against Eastern Mennonite (a team that was in the bottom of the conference at the time). HSC just got back from a loss at Bridgewater the day before and looked sluggish for the first 30 minutes of the game. They played flat and played down to the level of EMU. However, with about 10 minutes to go, they managed to put together a defensive clinic and push ahead with about 2 minutes to go, to go on and win by 7. It was a scary game, and one that made me think that this was just another rebuilding year for the Tigers. However, I can say that HSC is a very team oreinted team. With the exception of the ODAC Tournament where Edwards took over, it is typically a different Tiger each night who leads the team to victory. They are very balanced, but a little weak in the middle, playing a three guard, two forward scheme. The Tigers can play lights out, or just down right awful depending on which team decides to show up. If they continue the run from Salem at the ODAC tournie, they will be tough to beat. Furthermore, HSC travels well, and the game at the Batten Center will be a HOME game for the Tigers (I have my tickets already) and HSC plays well at HOME and in big games.

I think this is the best I can do, and I believe it is completely unbiased

I want changes for the travel rule, but I also understand why they won't make changes. D3 doesn't give scholarships, so the student athletes, really are students first, then athletes. It is nice that the NCAA recognizes this (plus cost effectiveness), but it doesn't allow the best teams to make it to the Final Four, but then again who says the best teams make it without a travel rule.

That most definitely is a very UPSET special Final Four, (Stevens, probably the last bubble team to make it)

I think VWC and MC didn't get byes because there were three ODAC teams to make the tournie when really only two should have (and I am an HSC alumn saying HSC went on a great run to win the ODAC and get the A bid). When they decided to add Guilford with a pool c, that cost VWC or MC the bye. If you want to complain about them not getting byes, complain about the travel rule that forces conferences to paired in the same conference (which I am confused about having read Pat's article about the Women's bracket where there are teams from Maine in two different sectionals, a little clarity would be nice  )