WBB: Empire 8

[gobombers15]

I think the only player in E8 history that could legitimately challenge Cleary for best player in conference history is Kerri Brown.  But without doing a bit of research I think Cleary was better as a Senior than Brown was.  Then again, Brown had to share the ball with Cleary in her senior year.

Yes, but Cleary had to share the ball for three years with Jennie Swatling. Jennie also has quite the resume and you could argue that she may have been better than both of them. The only E8 award she doesn't have on her mantle is the E8 POY, which she also could have won in 2003-04 (in other words, how in God's name did Jennifer Parker win it over Swatling or Cleary...something I'll never know). Jennie was, and still is, a pretty close friend of mine and the only discernible difference between Cleary and Swatling is their mentality; there was no doubt that Cleary has the alpha dog personality. I'll put it this way and you can make your own deductions from what I said and didn't say: Jennie was more than happy if she only scored 8 or 10 points and the team won...Steph, well, Steph was happy if the team won and she scored a lot of points. Also, the one thing that I think Cleary has over Swatling is that Cleary had to carry the team in 2004-05 and Swatling never had to do that, given her ample supporting cast (always had either Brown, Cleary or even Gawronski). I'll say this, if Jennie was a different type of person and player, I think we'd be talking about her in the same breath as Cleary.

[gobombers15]

Ithaca and Elmira in a tight one, tied at 63 with 4.8 seconds remaining.

[gobombers15]

Elmira wins, 64-63. Not sure what happened there at the end. My internet kept cutting out. There was some debate about whether an intentional foul should have been called. I'm not really sure. Either way, E8 Women's Tourney will be at Elmira.

[sotier]

If your lucky you, you see one game a season that you just will not forget for  a long time.Tuesday night Elmira and Ithaca treated us to such a game.No one yelled uncle, no one gave up, no one disappointed. Each score was countered with the same, like a heavy weight counter punch.Neither could secure an advantage. From the start it had the feel of a game where you new something dramatic would win it in the end. Thats just the way it ended.  Championships should be won in a game just like that, and if we are lucky(one more time), they will meet again for the E8 title. Here's hoping for it.

[lileyes]

Yea I would say Kerri Brown should be in consideration as best E8 player. I would also throw in Tiffany Hurley. 

Sounds like Elmira/Ithaca was a great game! Shoudl be an interesting women's E8 tourny.

[lileyes]

Also, I think Jen Parker was the most talented player the E8 has seen.  It's really too bad for her and Elmira that she only played 2 seasons.

[gobombers15]

Also, I think Jen Parker was the most talented player the E8 has seen.  It's really too bad for her and Elmira that she only played 2 seasons.

Lileyes, don't even get me going. I went to see her play in her senior year because I had heard through the grapevine that she was really good. I'll put it this way, she looked utterly overwhelmed in that game against IC. I think Swatling and Cleary ended up combining for around 50 that night and I think Parker had like 10. She was a good player, but I'll leave her at that. She was good. Not great.

[lileyes]

She was never a senior.  She only played her freshman and sophomore year.  And yeah, you said it, you saw her play once...once! You can't say that at some point in any great player's career that htey don't have a bad game. 

[Caz Bombers]

She was never a senior.  She only played her freshman and sophomore year.  And yeah, you said it, you saw her play once...once! You can't say that at some point in any great player's career that htey don't have a bad game. 

So a supposedly great player happened to have one of her rare bad games against the best team in the league, going head-to-head against equal and superior talent?  I can't believe it!! That never happens.  WATFO?

[gobombers15]

Also, I think Jen Parker was the most talented player the E8 has seen.  It's really too bad for her and Elmira that she only played 2 seasons.

It's one thing to get your rocks off against the RIT and Alfred's of the conference, it's another to do it against Ithaca and Fisher. I remember looking after she won POY and seeing how pedestrian her numbers were against the top two teams. That was part of the reason it was so upsetting; she put up monster numbers against the aforementioned garbage teams while Cleary and Swatling were usually on the pine for most of the 2nd half against those teams because IC was routing them, and Parker probably got the votes from the bad teams. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if Cleary/Swatling cost one another votes (cut each other up, in other words).

I'm not saying Parker is a bad player; she's obviously not. But comparing her to Swatling and Cleary isn't right. To analogize, Parker would be like going to a nice Prime Rib or Steak restaurant and ordering the Chicken Oscar; sure, it's good, but it's still chicken and why would you order chicken when you could have a Prime Rib or a Filet?

[lileyes]

hahahaha i still have my opinion, but i love the analogy!

[sotier]

playoff time  is near . Elmira,Ithaca and Utica will be in but who will be the fourth?Two teams are currently tied for forth place (RIT and SJF). And one game back is Hartwick. RRIT has a tough weekend coming up with games against bot EC and IC. Fisher playes Utica and Hartwick. Hartwick playes Fisher and Alfred. As disappointing as your year has been Hartwick, you may yet salvage a playoff spot. The schedual is in your favor
.

[Caz Bombers]

EC takes the #1 seed by beating Naz tonight while Ithaca loses at RIT. 

Since the Empire 8 isn't that old, one may have to go back to the old EAA days to find Elmira's last championship, regular season or postseason, in ANY SPORT.  I'm almost dead positive Elmira hasn't won anything since I first showed up at IC in August 2000.  Let's just say EC won't have much trouble finding room in the trophy case for the 2007 women's basketball regular season plaque.

[maxpower]

With all due respect to Amy Tagliareni,

Elmira is the bane of my existence.

[Caz Bombers]

With all due respect to Amy Tagliareni,

Elmira is the bane of my existence.

Max, I've heard they've gotten better...now sending out boxscores within 2 to 3 business days, at most, of the end of the game.