WBB: American Southwest Conference

[inthepaint]

[Attendance was 147
Guess not much draw in Washington for a Texas-Virginia game.
Couldn't sectional inclusion criteria be improved?

147?!?!? There were more at the Upwards Basketball game at First Baptist Church in Anytown, Texas than that! 

I don't know how many people I would expect under similar circumstances here in Texas but I would think that hosting a tournament like that would draw some of the community! 

[GAVA]

  I don't mind the paltry attendance figures. 

I would think the NCAA would be embarrassed. 

[GAVA]

RMC[/url] web site, I see that the Jackets played to one crowd of 1000.

Life in the ASC-West is much different.  Hardin-Simmons, McMurry and Howard Payne play before thousands of fans several times in the season. 

I don't know which game that was. Maybe a regular season game on a snowy night?
RMC also has to compete in a market with 2 D I schools.
I was at the Regionals and the gym was full.

[Ralph Turner]

Schadenfreude  (shah'  den froi' duh)  "glee in the misfortune of others"

The other day, my devotional lesson dealt with the "commandment" -- Thou shalt not commit schadenfreude. 

The serious fans on this message board began dealing with this when we realized that it was HSU and not our respective alma maters would be the first school to make the Final Four.

Schadenfreude's co-conspirator is "in-your-face-fandom" type of bad sportsmanship.  Sportmanship means you don't smash your opponents' face in the result of a game.

[bcal]

H-SU carries ASC banner for all of us.  There is no greater respect than between teams who have met on the field and gave it their best on a given night.

All of us in the ASC, East or West, want the Cowgirls to do well.  Win it ALL!!!

[Ralph Turner]

Okay, now I am really mad!

I have 84 points in the Women's Pick'em contest for 22nd place out of 340.  I had McMurry to win it all.  So far, HSU has knocked me out of being in 2nd place with 99 points.

It will take an incredible amount of sportmanship on my part considering what HSU has done to me, but I must remember my devotional...Thou shalt not commit Schadenfreude.

[inthepaint]

Schadenfreude  (shah'  den froi' duh)  "glee in the misfortune of others"

The other day, my devotional lesson dealt with the "commandment" -- Thou shalt not commit schadenfreude. 

The serious fans on this message board began dealing with this when we realized that it was HSU and not our respective alma maters would be the first school to make the Final Four.

Schadenfreude's co-conspirator is "in-your-face-fandom" type of bad sportsmanship.  Sportmanship means you don't smash your opponents' face in the result of a game.

Excellent advise, Ralph, but what prompted this?  I have seen nothing but cross-conference support.  As many have said, this is a very good thing for the ASC as a whole.  This tells the world that the ASC can be a formidable foe.

[Ralph Turner]

Paint,  Pre-emptive...for the lurkers!

[fanstand]

Coulda, shoulda, woulda. I'm still sulking. I think any of our three teams would have faired well, but HSU got it done when they needed to. And you know Sonya still has a year of eligibility left, I know of two of the HSU players getting married this summer I think, wouldn't be setting up next year's team yet, and who will stay and who will go is a question not answered until the bell rings for school next year.

[dsc]

Of course you are absolutely right, fanstand!

But "insiders" say Sonya West will graduate in December...

But many things can happen between now and then...to any team!  Look at the injuries to HSU's QB's last year in football.

etc., etc., etc.,

But hey, maybe it will help in recruiting...the HSU Cowgirls are getting some great experience in "away" games...and exposure in the press, etc...

[mcmfan]

An interesting comment from Shanna Briggs closes the article on yesterday night's game in today's Abilene Reporter-News at
http://reporternews.com/abil/sports/0,1874,ABIL_8049,00.html
"When you think your season is over, you tend to become brutally honest," she is quoted as saying.  "And that actually might have been the best thing for us."  I don't know what that means, but I suspect what happened was a mark of the leadership ability that has characterized Briggs' tenure at HSU.  Irrespective of the issue of Schadenfreude which Ralph has raised, there is no doubt in my mind that she has done a great job leading her team and capitalizing on opportunities.

[fanstand]

Well said mcmfan, I believe as you do, that Coach Briggs really got the maximum effort from her players these last couple weeks. I hope all our players from this year return and that next year we are able to have good recruits and get the maximum from our players, because I truly believe in these ladies and think that they would also be able to achieve Final Four status. I know the talent is there at McM, the ASC was very strong this year, and will continue to be next year.

[Josh Bowerman]

Congrats to the HSU Cowgirls!  Way to go and good luck against USM!

I'm looking forward to Springfield this coming weekend.  If you're coming, please say "Hi"--I'll be under the baskets shooting pictures for this site.  And, please remember to check out the images on the d3hoops.com website after the games!

[sethhpu]

Congrats to the Cowgirls and good luck. I'm glad we have an ASC team representing in the Final Four. Maybe now the ASC will get some much deserved respect.

[inthepaint]

There is absolutely no question that Coach Briggs figured out how to get the most out of her team when it mattered most.  I have asked more than one time this season if coaching made the difference in some of the close games between the conference leaders.  The answer each time I asked was pretty direct - coaching was not the difference.  

It would seem that coaching is a real strength for HSU.  It is the complete picture?  Absolutely not.  It is, however, a major, maybe THE major, reason why the Cowgirls are playing in the first-ever ASC Final Four appearance.  Coach Briggs is getting some valuable experience.  She and the HSU Cowgirls will only improve as the result.