MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[Will2Win]

Runnin' Royals up on HS-C 44-37 at the half. Loosely called first half and rather entertaining. Hinson leads the way for EMU with 12. HS-C pased by Ru White's 10....T. Phillips and H. George each with only 5 at the break.

[Will2Win]

WOW, Very poorly officiated game in Salem to this point....This is getting outta hand. Numerous guys from both teams going to the floor hard and leaving the game for a min or two with injuries....

[Will2Win]

EMU survives to fight another day. THey blew a 16 point first half lead and HS-C Shoots lights out in 2nd half.....Eli Crawford gets the game winning stick back on a 3rd offensive rebound ina row with 1.8 seconds to go. WOW
The ODAC better wrangle their officials up and tell them to blow the whistle a little bit. only 22 fouls called all game. Could have gotten more than just George Johnson hurt in this one!!! Unacceptable.

[Kenleen]

EMU survives to fight another day. THey blew a 16 point first half lead and HS-C Shoots lights out in 2nd half.....Eli Crawford gets the game winning stick back on a 3rd offensive rebound ina row with 1.8 seconds to go. WOW
The ODAC better wrangle their officials up and tell them to blow the whistle a little bit. only 22 fouls called all game. Could have gotten more than just George Johnson hurt in this one!!! Unacceptable.

That was a huge turn-around when George Johnson got hammered and HSC scored on a dunk to end the half!  It gave them momentum and reduced a key scoring and play-maker threat to one good leg.  EMU was fortunate to survive along with stepped up play by Hinson and Crawford.  Phillips was sub-par for him but still delivered some key threes when needed to take away HSC's momentum and lead.  I'll still take that kind of consistent no-call officiating over giving the ball to RMC and fouling out Phillips with no time on the clock and a tie score last year in the semis! 

[HSCDad]

Sad for H-SC team and fans - so close - the three offensive rebounds by EMU at the 2 sec mark and then the easy layup were too much - one more tip would have run the clock out - H-SC tried to foul several times but never called as they had one to give and it might have run the clock out with their one point lead at the time - per above comments, the officials let the game go too much - fortunately no one really got hurt - Ru White did show the league his talents with 23 points (led all scorers, I think) and a lot of floor leadership - his 3 point shot at the buzzer from mid court almost went in - George had 20 with 16 in the second half (I believe)- like several games with H-SC getting down in the first half by 14 to 20 points (tonight at 15), the comeback was strong and will enhance them for the 2011-12 season - 16 turnovers and a 19-11 offensive rebound spread in favor of EMU really made a difference - Colin O'Neil's leadership was a big part of the late season run and he will be missed next year - watch out ODAC in 2011-2012 - the TIGER is roaming!!!

[algernon]

EMU is probably the best team the Tigers have faced all year.  Even so, the game could have gone either way.  The last few seconds of the game were wrenching for the Tiger crowd.  Now that it's over, I will be cheering for the Runnin Royals (and other ODAC teams) throughout the NCAAs ... and I certainly think that this EMU team has a great shot of going as deep or deeper than they did last year, when the same starting EMU five were just one win against Guilford away from getting to the Final Four.

For the Tigers, Ru White had 23 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal, and a block.  One more tremendous game from him!

Harrison George had 20 points and 13 rebounds.  An amazing player, as always.

The Tigers season began solid enough, with a 7-3 record (including a win over North Carolina Wesleyan) before the New Year.  Then, after a 2-5 record over the next 7 games, including 2 losses to Lynchburg and another one at Bridgewater (but also including a near-win vs. RMC at home), the Tigers turned the corner and became an excellent team capable of competing with the best of the best in the best conference in the country (sorry, NESCAC .... ).  They won 8 of their last 10 games, including a solid win at then #19 Ferrum College, another one vs. #10 Virginia Wesleyan, and they lost a game at #8 Randolph-Macon by just 1 point, and then this tournament game vs. #11 EMU by a single point.  Since January 29, the Tigers have been able to stick with and actually go 2-2 against four of Division III's Top 25 basketball teams!  They finished as a Top 25 team in my book.

The Tigers will miss their team captain, Colin O'Neill, when next year rolls around.  However, they will return a full roster and should have a great season, with rising seniors Ru White and Ben Jessee, rising juniors Harrison George, Randall Ward, Patrick Corrigan, Alex Potapov, and Andy Fox, rising sophomores Khobi Williamson, Fletcher Lumpkin, Sasha Obradovic, Keegan Wetzel, and Jack Sumner, plus a solid recruiting class, I would bet ....  if the past couple years are any indication.

[rmc1982]

Are you not in the OBX this weekend?  Sorry thats 82.

The beach is GREAT!!Went out to eat when we got down here and missed game-almost choked when I got home and saw we only won by 7......Maybe you're right DonHo! We also never shoot well at VWC....go get the curtains!! Beautiful sunrise on the OBX this morning guys! ....Hopefully we'll play better today-WE BETTER!!....or we're gonna get SMOKED by the EMU's-They're HUNGRY!!

[donho]

 Anyone interested in going to salem today, from the beach?? I am trying to work it out. Could leave here by noon and catch both VWC and R-MC games then head back to the beach. I have the car, just do not feel like driving alone.

[FISHTANKFAN]

 Good luck to the Marlins today.  If you played like you did yesterday, you will put another win in the column.  My predictions?  VWC and RMC in the championship game.  EMU is hot right now but if the real RMC team shows up , could be some fine basketball.  All 4 teams are capable of winning today, and I have a 50-50 shot of my predictions coming true, if the Marlins win.  Good luck to all the teams today, You deserve to be at Salem.

[2RMCFans]

^ Good luck to all in the ODAC Final 4 tonight! 

donho, we hope you make it here!

GO JACKETS!!!

[HSCDad]

Best wishes to all tonight and tomorrow - good preparation for ODAC's run at a NCAA III National winner - I agree with algernon plus add Sasha Obradovic, a rising sophomore, to their future success who especially offered good bench strength in the latter part of this H-SC season - pleased that Ru White had such a great game even though the last second 3 pointer rimmed out - he was the Most Valuable in last night's game

[algernon]

Best wishes to all tonight and tomorrow - good preparation for ODAC's run at a NCAA III National winner - I agree with algernon plus add Sasha Obradovic, a rising sophomore, to their future success who especially offered good bench strength in the latter part of this H-SC season - pleased that Ru White had such a great game even though the last second 3 pointer rimmed out - he was the Most Valuable in last night's game

HSCDad ... Thanks for picking up on my mistake in forgetting Sasha.  Don't know how I could have done that ... such a great guy and he looked very strong during the Tigers' last 10 games!  He will be very important to next year's team; no doubt about it.  I have corrected my original posting.

Ru White may have been the MVP, but Harrison George was co-MVP.  He made a tremendous inbounds pass to Ru for that last-second shot attempt and, in addition to his 20 points, co-led both teams in rebounds (with Orie Pancione: 13).  It is great to know that both will be back next year.

[hsctigers2002]

Ru White was the best player on the court yesterday for the EMU vs. H-SC. In the second-half, EMU simply did not have anyone on that roster that could guard him driving to the basket. Further proof of how laughable it was that he was left off the All-ODAC team.

Hampden-Sydney basketball is back folks. ODAC better watch out next year...

[DeWayneCarter]

Good luck VWC to Randolph today..... if my Marlins win tonight I'm coming to Salem tomorrow!!!!!

[donho]

   Time for the R-MC men to follow the R-MC women into the FINALS!