Indiana Final Four Stirs Boycotting

Indianapolis, Indiana – Governor of Indiana, Mike Pence, signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on April 2, 2015. The controversy stirred behind this bill comes from the permission of discrimination against LGBT individuals. It took an uproar and travel ban for the Governor to sign a revised bill. And the timing of all this preceded the NCAA Final Four hosted by Indianapolis.

Connecticut, New York, and Washington were three of the states that recently lifted their travel ban. Uconn men’s basketball coach, Kevin Ollie, would be under refusal to travel to Indiana for the Final Four and the conference for National Association of Basketball Coaches. In a statement from UConn President Susan Herbst about the attendance of Uconn coaches.

Why Geno Auriemma Should Take His Own Advice

Geno Auriemma caused a stir on Wednesday when he expressed his dissatisfaction with NCAA men’s basketball during a Final Four teleconference. The UConn women’s head coach blasted college basketball from a spectator’s perspective, calling the men’s program “a joke.”

“Forget that I’m a coach, as a spectator, watching it, it’s a joke. There’s only like ten teams, you know, out of 25, that actually play the kind of game of basketball you’d like to watch,” Auriemma said.

While he did comment that women’s basketball is “behind the times,” all the focus has been on his harsh critique of men’s college hoops. Ironically, Auriemma’s words can be reflected onto his own team perfectly.

Raiders fall in Class M first-round

PLAINFIELD, CT- Visiting Enfield came up short in pursuit of their first-round upset against Plainfield in the Connecticut Class M State Tournament on Monday. The Panthers, who were ranked 11 in Class M, came away with a 50-46 victory over the 22 seeded Raiders.

Plainfield guard, Steve Jankowski, finished with a game-high 16 points, while hitting four from beyond the arc in the first half. Senior Rachone Preston led the Raiders with 15 points and seven rebounds, however, it wasn’t enough to pull out the win.

Rebounding from their previous season, in which they finished 3-17, the Raiders finished 2015 at .500, making the state tournament unlike the previous season.

With four seniors, only one of whom had played in the state tournament prior, the Raiders seemed to lack experience.

Battaini’s six threes lead WNE over Curry, 72-50

Sammie Battaini, whose nickname is Sammie B, took on another sobriquet on Saturday, when she knocked down six three-pointers. Call her Sammie three.

Battaini’s game high 19 points led Western New England past Commonwealth Coast Conference opponent Curry College, 72-50. The Golden Bears improve their record to 11-7 (6-6 CCC) and the Colonels fall to 11-8 (8-4 CCC).

Junior Chelsea Vujs recorded a double-double, totaling 12 points and 12 rebounds, while dishing out five assists.

Battaini corralled a long rebound and threw a full-court pass to hit Emily Anderson(six points) in stride, who dropped it in for the Golden Bears first points from the floor. Battaini came down two possessions later and drilled a trey, giving the Golden Bears and early 7-2 lead. WNE’s early run was extended to 11-2 when Anderson found space, fighting around a screen and knocking down a long two pointer.

The Golden Bears’ menacing defense extended out to the perimeter, where they denied shooters and forbid any passes inside. The superior defense forced a missed layup, and the Golden Bears worked the ball up court—found Battaini, who drilled her second three-pointer of the half. This extended their lead 25-16, with 5:24 left in the first half.

The Golden Bears’ lead was improved to 31-20, on a broken play down low, with the ball finding its way back up top to Battaini, who didn’t hesitate to add another three-ball.

With time winding down in the first half, Battaini missed a shot, but Vujs swooped in and grabbed the rebound, finishing in traffic, giving the Golden Bears a 30-24 lead. With one second remaining on the clock, Curry inbounded and Kerry White nailed a full-court shot to end the half.

The Golden Bears’ first half shooting was led by Sammie Battaini’s 13 points, consisting of four three-pointers. The Golden Bears outshot the Colonels in the first half, posting a 44.8 percentage from the field, compared to Curry’s 28.6 percentage. WNE also controlled the boards early on, pulling down 24 first-half rebounds; Curry grabbed 17.

The Golden Bears picked up where they left off in the second half, controlling the tempo of the game, and scoring with ease.

White went up for a layup for the Colonels, and Vujs’ strong presence altered the shot, and the Golden Bears took over on offensive—Vujs leading the push. She beat her defender, and dished it back out to Battaini, whose red-hot shooting continued with another three, making it 37-23, in favor of the Golden Bears.

McCann’s low-post play added to the Golden Bears’ surge, and was able to coincide with the strong outside shooting, with a high-low post offense. When the bigs popped up, the guards fed them on the high post, opening the outside for the three-ball. McCann, created space and popped up—found her opening, took a step back and nailed a corner jumper, with 11 minutes and 27 seconds left in the game, giving WNE a 51-34 lead.

The Golden Bears began to put the game out of reach, when they extended their lead to 59-40. Curry missed a basket, and Dorothy O’ Neill grabbed a long rebound—she found a streaking Vujs up court, who finished with an easy lay in. Battaini hit her sixth three-pointer with 1:58 left in the game, when she spotted up on the wing, and received the ball after swift passing from the Golden Bears.

Efficient offensive play aided the Golden Bears’ effort throughout the entire game. They shot 47.5 percent from the field, on 28-of-59. The Colonels struggled from the floor, hitting 22-of-66 for a 33.3 field-goal percentage. The Golden Bears’ hot shooting was made possible by the crisp passing, which resulted in 24 assists.

Kerry White scored 16 points for Curry, and Alyssa Keeney added seven.

The Golden Bears will face off against Gordon on Tuesday at home, in another CCC matchup.

DeFeo’s hot shooting leads Golden Bears over Curry in CCC

The Western New England University men’s basketball team started off slow during Saturday’s Commonwealth Coast Conference contest with Curry College, but the Golden Bears were able to find their rhythm midway through the first half and pull out a victory 65-56.

Golden Bear co-captain Nick DeFeo finished the first half with 18, leading all scorers with a game-high 24 points. DeFeo got hot in the first half hitting six three-pointers in a row, which sparked the comeback. He finished with eight from long range.

“Everything I was shooting felt great. My legs were feeling good and my teammates were able to find me for open shots. Once the first went down, I knew I was going to be able to get a few more,” said DeFeo.

The CCC’s leading scorer, Curry’s Antonio Jones, put up a team high 23 points for the Colonials, however, with the help of transfer sophomore, Mike Gelineau, and co-captain, Musa Elsir the Golden Bear’s were able to get stops when they needed them.

Gelineau added 18 points, none bigger than a three pointer to stop the bleeding with just about a minute left in the game. Elsir contributed by playing strong defense and putting up 11 points.

“We beat Curry earlier in the season so we knew we had the ability to do it again, it just depended on who wanted it more. After a slow start we started to realize where we could score against their zone. Shots started falling, we played solid defense and pulled out the win, “ said Elsir.

With the victory on Saturday, the Golden Bears swept the Curry Colonials in the regular season and make them .500 in conference at 6-6, 8-11 overall.

Elsir added, “It’s a huge win because now were back to .500 and fifth place in the conference. We’re one game out of having a home playoff game, which we haven’t had in a long time.”

After going into half up 35-26, the Golden Bears stretched their lead going up 20 with 13 minutes left in the second half.

The visiting Colonials were able to chip away a bit late in the second half and with a few missed free throws down the stretch, Curry was able to get within six with a minute left in the game.

However, on a made three by Gelineau on the following possession and a defensive rebound by the Golden Bears, they were able to dribble out the clock and preserve the nine-point victory.

As a team, the Golden Bear’s shot 14-35 from long range and 24-58 overall from the field.

 

Good Read: An Underdog Story

With all of the media outlets seemingly forgetting any sport besides golf this weekend, I found myself breathing a sigh of relief when I came across this interest piece about New York Knicks center Chris Copeland.

Copeland, a two-year starter at the University of Colorado, failed to reel in a draft spot in the 2006 NBA draft, eventually leading him to pursue a career across the pond. Throughout his time in European leagues, the modest Virginia native made a name for himself as a straight up worker. This drew the attention of a few teams in the NBA, eventually landing him a starting spot on the injury-stricken, yet widely successful, New York Knicks.

The article, which can be found on the sbnation blog here, focuses on the experiences of Copeland over his basketball career and opens your eyes to the true beauty and opportunities of sport.

“Even at 6’8 it was sometimes easy to forget Copeland played professional basketball. He’s friendly and unassuming, and his round, vibrant face and long lanky arms covered in a layer of baby fat often made him seem younger than he was. When I knew him, there was nothing in his game, at least visibly, to suggest he could ever, even in the most outlandish of clichéd fairy-tale stories, end up playing for the New York Knicks. Yet here he was, a 29-year-old NBA rookie coming off a 22-point master-class performance four nights earlier against New Orleans and in the starting line-up against the Pistons in London.”

So if you find yourself getting sick of hearing about Tiger’s chances or if Jason Day will implode in his final round on Sunday, head over to Flinder Boyd’s article on the Knicks star.

And for those of you who just can’t get enough golf, I’ve got you covered:

Check out this article about what seems to be the only inexpensive thing about Augusta National–the food.

Good Read: The Heat’s Winning Streak Finally Ends at 27 in Chicago

An article from The Courier, written by the Associated Press in Chicago, had an interesting account to the end of the Heat’s winning streak. The Chicago Bulls ended the Miami Heat’s Winning Streak on Wednesday night. I enjoyed reading more insight on what took place not only during the game, but throughout the past couple months for the Heat. Their streak was the second longest in pro sports history, 27 wins in a row, dating back to February 1^st when they beat the Toronto Raptors. The article puts in context the significance behind the Heat’s streak and also how the Bulls finally managed to stop the Heat. The writer of the article conveyed great details from the game, showing good observation skills of the arena and the players. He also had a nice background of quotes; some from the Heat’s players, other players’ thoughts of the streak, and also their coach, Erik Spoelstra. This is definitely an article to check out where you can get both an interesting recap of the Heat-Bulls game and how the streak continued for so long. This will go down in history for the Heat, the sure favorites to win their second straight NBA title. The article also gives a good idea of how the players handle the pressures in an NBA game. Here is a glimpse at the article,

For whatever reason, the Heat were unbeatable for nearly the next two months.

And they won games in a number of different ways.

They blew out good teams like the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Bulls, then inexplicably struggled with lottery-bound Cleveland, Detroit, Sacramento, Charlotte and Orlando. They rallied from 13 points down in the final 8 minutes to beat Boston, from a 27-point, third-quarter hole at Cleveland, and from 11-point deficits against Detroit and Charlotte — all those coming in a seven-day span, no less.

“There are several teams that can do it,” Pistons guard Jose Calderon said, when asked what it would take for someone to beat Miami. “It’s difficult to maintain this concentration every day. It will likely take everyone to have a bad day.”

Even when those bad days happened, the Heat found ways to win.

Click here if you want to continue reading the article.

Iona Shakes off Pesky Jaspers for 8th MAAC Title

The Iona Gaels are making their second trip in as many years to the big dance.  The 4^th seeded Gaels defeated their rivals, the #6 seed Manhattan Jaspers, to win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship earning an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

It is a trip that they had to earn against a very determined and scrappy Manhattan squad.

The Manhattan Jaspers took the Gaels out of their game in the first half.  The Gaels’ explosive run-and-gun offense, first in the nation averaging 81.2 points per game, had been held to 22 first half points with seconds left before halftime.  Every time the Gaels had tried to pick up the pace of the game, Manhattan would force turnovers and use timeouts to keep the game mired in the half court.  The Jaspers dictated the tempo.

Manhattan had possession for the final shot before halftime and looked to extend their lead, but RaShawn Stores air-balled with 4 seconds left and gave the Gaels one last shot to trim the deficit.

Tournament MVP Lamont “Momo” Jones took the ball coast-to-coast and hit an off-balance jumper as time expired to cut the Jasper lead to two and ran straight off the court holding his hand up signaling “number 1”.

Iona Guard “Momo” Jones (2) drives to the basket
Photo Courtesy of Andrew Varnon

Jones’ jumper proved to be the momentum boost Iona needed.  The Gaels stormed out of the locker room in the second half.  After the teams exchanged baskets back and forth for the first six minutes of the half, the Gaels were finally able to get their offense online and, for the first time in the game, dictate the tempo.

With the score 35-30 in favor of the Jaspers, Iona guard Tre Bowman drew a foul on a three-point attempt.  He would hit 2 of 3 free throw attempts to cut the lead to 35-32.  The play ignited the Gaels to 17-2 run in which they were able to get out on the break and quicken the pace of the game.

As the Gaels piled on the points in an offensive flurry, Manhattan coach Steve Massiello became increasingly more animated on the Jasper bench and received two warnings for coming out onto the court.  With 9:03 left in the game he received a technical foul for this violation and the ensuing free throws gave the Gaels a 10 point lead 47-37.  It was a lead they would never relinquish.

Bowman, who led all scorers with 20 points, played a spectacular game.  In the first half, he kept his team in the game and scored 15 of their first 39 points.

The Gaels also got a stellar performance from their now MVP guard “Momo” Jones.  He scored 14 points and created multiple plays for his teammates driving to the lane and drawing double teams before dishing out the rock to the open man.

David Laury, who was the story of their semifinal win over Niagara when he put up a double-double with 20 points and 17 rebounds, was held to a meager two points in the first half.  He struggled to find a rhythm for most of the game and had to leave the game after being shaken up fighting for a loose ball, but the 6’8” forward came through for his teammates when they needed him.

With 8 minutes to go in the game Manhattan cut the lead to 47-41.  Laury scored three straight baskets for the Gaels to counter the Manhattan push and was able to keep the lead at 5 as the jaspers scored on 4 consecutive possessions to make it 53-48.

David Laury (13) Puts the Exclamation on the Iona Victory
(Photo By Andrew Varnon)

Then Bowman hit a 3 to push the lead out to 56-48 and Iona had breathing room again.  Laury finished with 10 points, including a slam dunk on a fast break with six seconds left to put the exclamation point on the win.

Manhattan’s Michael Alvarado played an outstanding game and finished with 14 points an led a furious rally.  The Jaspers buried a trey to make it 60-55 with .1 seconds on the clock and Iona stormed the court.  They received a technical foul since the game was not over and Manhattan hit the two free throws.  However, Ion had possession on the in-bounds and the final tenth of a second ticked off and left Manhattan rally short at 60-57. The Jasper’s season is finished.

Iona now moves on to their second straight appearance in the NCAA tournament.  Last year, the Gaels were a 14 seed and lost in the first round to the 3 seed Brigham Young University 78-72.  This year’s team boats the number one offense in the nation and they look to make some noise when March Madness tips off on Tuesday March 19^th.

Big East Tournament Preview: Ending an Era

The 2013 basketball season has been marked with a series of lasts for fans of Big East basketball, for the end of the conference as we know it comes July 1, when Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and maybe even Notre Dame will join the ACC.

From Georgetown’s sudden resurgence as a powerhouse squad, to surprising upset wins by Villanova and Marquette, fans of Big East basketball have spent the past 4 months eulogizing the end of what is arguably the strongest basketball conference in America.

However, Tuesday afternoon will bring cheer into Big East fans’ hearts for one more time. For the last time ever, the teams of the conference will take to the court at Madison Square Garden, and fight for the right to be the last Big East Tournament champion ever. And as always, it’s not going to be easy for any team to make it to the trophy presentation on Saturday evening. Lets take a look at what to expect out of the 2013 Big East Tournament:

Who should win: Georgetown

Head coach John Thompson III has strung together an unlikely starting five, who seem to beat the odds with their on-court chemistry. Led by sophomore forward Otto Porter Jr., the Hoyas (24-5, 14-4 Big East) have blown out teams such as Notre Dame and Syracuse. Their offense scores a reasonable 65 points per game, but a stifling defense is the strong point of the young Georgetown team. Furthermore, unlike many other Big East schools, the team is streaking going into the tournament. After a daunting loss to lackluster South Florida in mid-January, the Hoyas have won 12 of their last 13. Look for Georgetown to come out of their two-round-by with guns firing, looking to take home one last Big East title.

Who can beat the Hoyas: Marquette

By now, every big east fan knows this once simple rule; avoid Marquette in any and every tournament. Since their NCAA tournament run a few years ago, it seems that any team can fall victim to the never say never Golden Eagles. Led by the heralded young-gun Buzz Williams, Marquette (23-7, 14-4 Big East) bounced back from poor non-conference play early in the season to earn a share of the Big East regular season title. Juniors Vander Blue and Davonte Gardner have combined for a 25.9 PPG average this season, leading an explosive offense that seems impossible to stop. With a chip on their shoulder and Williams’ charisma, the Eagles are undoubtedly a team to watch this week.

Sleeper: Villanova

Georgetown and Marquette may be the teams to beat, but Villanova has proven that they might just be the team to do it. This is because the 19-12 Wildcats have done it already this season. Jay Wright’s team stunned the Eagles in late February, 60-57. Less than three weeks later, they dominated the Hoyas, 67-57, breaking Georgetown’s 11-game winning streak. Add to the mix an overtime win against Syracuse and a convincing 9-point victory vs. Louisville, and you have this season’s king of the upset. However, the Wildcats have stumbled at times, with humbling losses to Seton Hall and Providence. Regardless, the Wildcats seem to play to the level of their opponents. Therefore, if Nova can avoid a loss to St. John’s in their first game of the tournament, they will undoubtedly be on the radar of every other squad.

What will win the trophy: Patience

You can run the numbers and look at the regular season matchups all you want, but the truth is that you can never assume a winner when it comes to the Big East tournament. If history reveals any hint of who will win, then it is safe to say that the team that can control the ball, and slow the game down in their favor can win it all. The Big East thrives on fast-paced play, with sloppy offense being a result of the powerful defenses represented by teams across the conference. If any squad wants to hoist the coveted trophy one last time, they must have patience with the ball. Although it is impossible to say what team this will be, patience is a must for each and every team this week.

For more information on the Big East Tournament, head to the official website here.

An End of an Era Looming for the Celtics

At 28-24 heading into the all-star break, the Celtics sit in a strange position.

They ended the regular season winning eight out of their last nine games, but suffered drastic losses in their roster. In total, the C’s have had to deal with three season-ending surgeries, one those being Rajon Rondo. Much confusion surrounds where this team is headed and if an end to an era is near.

The Celtics have been the most successful team in NBA history. With 17 championships, the club has built its reputation as a respectable team, however, its elite status may be in question. As of right now the Celtics sit third in the Atlantic conference, trailing the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets. Do the Celtics have the right athletes to continue contending for more championships, or even first place in their division?

When the Celtics’ Big Three was formed prior to the 2008 season, basketball in Beantown finally looked promising. The additions of talented veterans, shooting guard Ray Allen and power forward Kevin Garnett, fit in perfectly with Paul Pierce and the other players. They were able to win the NBA title that year against the Los Angeles Lakers in six games, but haven’t produced a championship banner since.

In 2010, the Celtics came up close with almost the same team as 2008. The Celtics once again were in the finals against the Lakers and were up 3-2 in the series. In Game 6, the Celtics lost center Kendrick Perkins to torn ligaments in his right knee. Perkins was the main force in the paint for the Celtics who defended the Lakers big men, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, to perfection. His loss was a main factor in not closing out the series.

The Celtics traded away Perkins the following year to the Oklahoma City Thunder for forward Jeff Green. Green missed most of last year with an injury. Despite Green’s efforts this year, the Celtics have missed Perkins and haven’t been able to replace his presence in the paint.

After almost winning their second title in three years in 2010, the Celtics have been struggling to reach the pinnacle of the basketball world. The rise of the Miami Heat and their “Big 3” has put aside the Celtics as a serious threat. The Heat were crowned NBA Champions last season after a dominating effort in the finals against the Thunder. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and former Celtic Ray Allen have once again produced a great start to the year. Once again, the Heat have become the favorite of the Eastern Conference and this doesn’t seem it will change anytime soon. The Celtics seem old while the Heat are athletic and fit. The Celtics seem tired and injury-prone while the Heat are consistent and never lose energy.

As a point guard, Rajon Rondo helped the Celtics to new heights with his lightning-quick speed and passing ability.  With his season-ending ACL injury, there is no true point guard to replace his ability to get others the ball and also his speed to keep the Celtics playing at a fast tempo. Veteran guard Jason Terry, age 35, still has the talent to make shots and has fit in well, but is no Rondo.

The two veterans the Celtics have been able to rely on for so long suddenly seem frail and fragile. Pierce complained recently of a pinched nerve which has been bothering him, while Garnett needs rest given periodically throughout each game. Age for both players have caught up to them and have made them less effective as a result.

The Celtics’ future does not look promising and there needs to be more effort to start over and get younger. Their signings during last year’s draft seemed like good moves, adding big men Fab Melo and Jared Sullinger, both being big bodies down low. However, Sullinger went down with a season-ending back surgery, while Melo is still trying to prove himself in the NBA.

Pierce and Garnett won’t be a Celtic forever and general manager Danny Ainge needs to start looking towards improving the future outlook of the franchise. If there will be another Celtic “dynasty” like in the past, a change in order is necessary.