Great season Jackets - let's hope more ODAC teams are there next year! 

Last comment on the subject:  I'm excited for VWC to prove you wrong.  I think you've got the complete wrong impression, and I stick to my guns that our school and athletes and COACHES (don't know where that one came from) are good people who just want to do well and have a great amount of pride about their school...just like all of you.

Quote from: valleybballfan on February 27, 2007, 07:43:23 PM

Quote from: vwcbeachbum on December 01, 2006, 10:19:11 AM
I know you guys must be getting sick of seeing us win at everything, and we understand, but you should be getting used to it by now so it's time to just start admitting to yourself that we have better athletes and better coaches and that is why we win. I know women's basketball is one of the few remaining sports we don't completely dominate in year in and year out but it must scare the stuff out of you that a team that won only 5 games just 3 years ago was preseason picked 2nd in the league.

I have to say.....after seeing EMU, BC, and W&L all go down in both the men's and women's tournaments (the teams I tend to pull for) I was unsure of who to cheer for....then I sat with a VWC fan at the girls' first round game and they assured me both the guys and the girls were going to be #1 this year....and that we better get used to seeing VWC as the #1 teams in basketball....I forgot you had said that vwcbeachbum and I thought to myself it couldn't have been you....or could it? did you talk to an older gentleman with a green flannel shirt and say something along these premises? That sure would be crazy if I sat beside you for that game


and by the way...after sitting with that fan I decided since VWC was so good I knew who to cheer for...the underdogs, which meant every team other then the mighty marlins

I wonder how many comments like these come HOURLY from die hard fans from the ODAC's oldest and finest - R-MC, Bridgewater, Roanoke, etc...and as soon as VWC starts getting better and fans start getting excited, people just can't take it.  Pretty childish.

Doesn't seem like anybody ever started talking about how "unclassy" VWC teams were until we actually starting pulling towards the top of the league in pretty much every sport. ( VWC has finished #1 in the Virginia College Sports Information Directors All-Sports survey with a school record winning percentage of 71% or higher for the past two or so years for all DI, DII and DIII schools  . )  I don't know why our school is plagued with these comments, because our athletes are top notch and most extremely gracious.   Like EVERY school, there are bad moments (i.e. some of the men's comments during the tourney) but that most certainly doesn't speak of the whole team, school, etc.  If having emotion and passion towards continuing to win is such an awful thing, then it wouldn't be competitive college basketball with a lot of effort and heart behind it. 

I just had to say something because it's very hard to sit back and let people make Virginia Wesleyan as a whole seem like such an "unclassy" act.   Stop picking on my fish!

Anyway, moving past all that, I'm still rooting for R-MC.  I finally got to see them play watching the championship game on the internet Sunday.  Molly Arial is a rockstar for being only a freshman.  She's very smooth and if she gets the ball down low with anyone smaller guarding her (which the Piedmont girls will be) she's good for two.  And I thought Kristen Morgan was a real presence on the floor for Macon as well. Looks like Piedmont is a bit vulnerable (like some teams in the ODAC), going into OT against Roanoke this season.  The Jackets should take care of business.  Anyone know who they'd get the second round?

I think, as with any sport and any school, there are going to be very annoying fans who act immature, and there will be very classy fans who show good sportsmanship.




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Oh yeah, you will find it anywhere and everywhere.  It's a shame that the men had to act that way during the tourney, but I've been to plenty games where the student sections which have included members of the men's team have acted in the same exact way- including R-MC. 

Don't get me wrong - I DO hope that they play well and represent the ODAC well.  I'm always cheering for whoever makes it to the big dance.  That comment just struck me wrong when I read it.  I'm sure R-MC has a lot of class when they win - I mean let's face it, that's all they do, so they have practice at it!  I just know what a big thing it was to win for VWC when they have completely turned around their team from 4 years ago - and those locker rooms are right next to each other with thin walls.  I'm sure they weren't being obnoxious about it...just happy and showing their emotions.  I don't think that's such a bad thing.

From that article:

"With the Marlins within striking distance, LaHaye said the Yellow Jackets only had to remember how they were laughed at after losing at Virginia Wesleyan on Dec. 6.

"We remember sitting in the Virginia Wesleyan locker room, and they were cheering and running up and down the hallways," LaHaye said. "I just looked at my very hurting team and said to them, 'they are cheering now, but let's see who's cheering at the end of the season.'"

Guess being happy to beat a team who they NEVER did in four+ years is not kosher with Lahaye.  But hey, I guess she'll say whatever it takes for them to come out and win their third straight ODAC tournament.  I really don't know who was "laughing" at her team for losing to the first/second place team all year (VWC).  I might be a little oversensitive to it, but that comment really bothers me.

Randolph-Macon 76
Virginia Wesleyan 65

The Marlins fought hard to cut a 21 point lead by Macon down to 4, but some bad turnovers and missed shots in the end let the Jackets pull away.  Nicole Thurston tried to carry the team on her back and just couldn't anybody else to help put points on the board.  Broke her career points record last night and today.  She will be sorely missed, as will Dove, Rector, and Churchill.  Macon just couldn't be stopped at certain points during the game - they made everything they shot.  It was so awesome to watch it on the internet! 

Fingers crossed for an at large bid for my Marlins 

A little nervous GAVA?     I love it.

Quote from: GAVA on February 24, 2007, 08:35:19 AM

Quote from: Old School Marlin on February 24, 2007, 12:17:28 AM
  With EMU out, things hopefully will be a little easier down the stretch, although it looks like W&L is in Salem to play some ball.  And if I were in a Macon uniform tomorrow, I'd really bring it for 'Noke.  They could be the real deal this weekend.  Wish I was there!

Oh what a strange twist. OldSchool and Beachbum need to be rooting for RMC to take out Noke today. If RMC stumbles today they get the only at large bid. A RMC-VWC final gets both to the dance.

Oh GAVA, always so quick to think we are Macon haters - (well, I guess beachbum is on his own).  I just said Roanoke is playing well and that, like RMCAlum30 said, the Jackets are going to need to bring their A game.  Just like VWC will today and for the rest of the tournament.  One game at a time baby.

"VWC senior Nicole Thurston led all scorers with 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the field"

Big win for the Marlins over the Quakers today- big momentum going into tomorrow.  And congrats Thurston for the first team honor!  It's been about 7 or 8 years since that's happened for V-dubb.  Great hon. mentions as well for Dove and Ushinski which they truly deserve.  It's so neat to watch such a well rounded team.  With EMU out, things hopefully will be a little easier down the stretch, although it looks like W&L is in Salem to play some ball.  And if I were in a Macon uniform tomorrow, I'd really bring it for 'Noke.  They could be the real deal this weekend.  Wish I was there!

Quote from: GAVA on February 14, 2007, 06:27:27 PM

Quote from: odac fan 4 life on February 14, 2007, 04:21:18 PM
on a side note...I definitely think Thurston from VWC should receive all-conference honors (I know that was discussed a while ago...but I thought I would throw in my two sense)

PLEASE don't throw in your last two senses if you have already lost your other 3 !!!!

I don't think you can discount Nicole Thurston from all-conference honors.  She's a strong second team if you ask me.  Her stats may not be first-team caliber, but she is a big reason for VWC's success, and with a second or third place finish in the league, she deserves it.  And no question to me, Katie H-L for POY (she just so all-around) and Lahaye for COY.  What a turnaround for her squad.

As for the EMU/VWC matchup - I think if VWC can keep Riley contained and below her average and maintain a good shot selection from the outside themselves, I think the Marlins have the edge.  EMU will have a tough one with Roanoke the night before as well.  The beat Noke by just 2 very early in the season, and both teams are playing well.  This tournament is going to be insane - everybody must bring everything they've got.  And hopefully this will be the year the Marlins make it to a second game 

Yeah, this whole living in Montana thing and still trying to stay abreast of ODAC basketball has been hard - let me tell ya    And don't forget, I'm an ODAC lover and R-MC was my first school, so I'm not a hater like you may think - but I'm so proud of my Marlins this year.  R-MC has been pretty much a sure thing the past few years, and it's been a real fight to the end this year.  Much props to everyone for making it a lot of fun to watch.  Jacket fans, you totally should be happy, especially if you felt like this year you'd be the underdogs.  But the fact is, Silva didn't make and break you.  Like other schools, kids come and go and the talent is endless that this league will continue to find.  Coach Lahaye always does a good job recruiting and so will everybody else in the future.  So you eeked one out in the regular season   but there are most definitely some fish on your tail    And I'm sure B'H20 will show up strong tourney time.  They have to be getting some real choice words/encouragement from the Willy-Justice camp.

Herr-Lovell played almost the whole game and tallied some good stats.  37 min, 10pts, 3 assists, 3 steals, and about 5 boards.  Not too bad on her effort at all.  And their shot percentage as a team wasn't too bad.  Don't know what happened to them - I thought it was going to be a lot closer game.  The Marlins led at the half and then for the rest of the game.

Here's the box score:
http://www.vwc.edu/athletics/wbasketball/season/06_07/games/bc2.htm