The Morning Dish – Monday, February 14th
Tar Heels Rebound: North Carolina bounced back from Wednesday night’s loss to Duke with a 77-70 win over Connecticut. Raymond Felton had a double-double for the Tar Heels with 16 points and 10 assists, most of which came in the second half when North Carolina erased a three-point halftime deficit. The Huskies were missing leading scorer Rashad Anderson, who missed the game with a leg infection. Marcus Williams scored a career-high 18 points but also committed seven turnovers. UConn committed 22 turnovers in all, which UNC converted into 22 points.
Beavers Storm the Court: A month ago, Washington thumped Oregon State by 40 points, and the Beavers weren’t about to let that happen again. Led by a 60 percent shooting effort and 23 points from David Lucas, Oregon State returned the favor Sunday, beating Washington 90-73. Brandon Roy scored 25 points for the Huskies, who went 4-of-27 from downtown. The loss keeps Washington one game behind first-place Arizona in the Pac-10. The Beavers moved to 6-6 in the Pac Ten and 14-9 overall, the 14 wins being the largest win total for the squad since the 1991-92 season.
National Finalist in Trouble: Two ACC bubble teams battled as NC State beat Georgia Tech 53-51 on a Tony Bethel deuce with less than 10 seconds to play. The highlight of the game though came when the Yellow Jacket’s Isma’il Muhammad leaped over a NC State defender and dunked the basketball a la Vince Carter in the 2000 Olympics. Unfortunately, it was the only Georgia Tech highlight as B.J. Elder missed a three as the buzzer sounded that would have won the game. The loss dropped the Yellow Jackets to 5-6 in ACC, 14-8 overall and seriously threatens the tournament chances of a team that made it all the way to the final game last season. Julius Hodge had 15 points for the Wolfpack who moved to 4-7 in the ACC and 14-10 overall.
Too Many Benches Fuel the Fire: Duke fans traditionally celebrate big wins with bonfires sanctioned by the Durham fire marshal. Wednesday’s victory over North Carolina was no different, but this time fans may have taken things too far. Duke officials called the bonfire off after 45 minutes fearing the endangerment of bystanders and trees after too many benches were thrown on the fire. Permits for bonfires have been awarded for Feb. 20 when Duke plays Wake Forest and April 4 and 5, the dates of the men’s and women’s NCAA championship games. However, those permits are may be revoked as Duke officials and the fire marshal will meet later in the week to determine an appropriate course of action.
Panther Coach Gets Extension: Northern Iowa head coach Greg McDermott has signed a extension that will keep him in Cedar Falls through 2010. The new contract enhances his salary and adds one year to his current deal. The Panthers are 17-8 this season and poised for a second straight NCAA tournament bid. Last year, Northern Iowa finished 21-10 and won the Missouri Valley Conference tournament for the first time.
Huggins Questions C-USA’s Scheduling: For the second Saturday in a row, Cincinnati played a team that beat his Bearcats after a week off to prepare. Two Saturdays ago, Cincinnati lost to a well-rested Charlotte team after the Bearcats had a tough loss to Louisville three nights before. This past Saturday, Cincinnati lost to a well-rested DePaul team after a Thursday win over cross-town rival Xavier. Sunday, Cincinnati head coach Bob Huggins wondered why his team had to face the situation two weeks in a row, saying its not fair for his kids or for teams in the league who are playing opponents not at their best. The loss dropped the Bearcats into a tie for fifth place in Conference USA, all but ending any chances of a regular season title. Of course, all this complaining is for not as Cincinnati moves to the Big East next season.
Banks Open in Cincinnati: 2002-03 Mr. Basketball of Georgia and Cincinnati basketball player Vincent Banks has been given partial qualifier status, which means he is eligible to receive athletic financial aid. Banks, who has yet to play a game for the Bearcats, was declared a non-qualifier in January after NCAA officials questioned his test scores. Assuming he stays academically eligible, he will be able to play for the Bearcats next season.
Tonight’s Menu
• Syracuse hosts Pittsburgh as it tries to keep pace with Boston College in the Big East.
• Kansas tries to stay unbeaten in the Big 12 as the Jayhawks travel to Lubbock to face Texas Tech.
• The top four teams in the Mountain West clash as Utah travels to Wyoming and New Mexico hosts Air Force.
• Davidson travels to the College of Charleston trying to stay perfect in Southern Conference play.
• 0-27 Savannah State hosts Florida A&M in the final game of itsseason as they try to avoid joining Prairie View A&M as the only team in the last 50 years to finish a season winless.
