Showing posts tagged “Florida State”
Mike Potter ·
15 Mar 2010, 9:56 PM ·
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N.C. State's Marissa Kastanek dribbles up court as Duke's Karima Christmas defends during the ACC Tournament championship game. (Photo by Rob Rowe)
BACKYARD BISTRO/RALEIGH Kellie Harper couldn’t remember exactly when she had been in such a situation before.
Back when the N.C. State women’s basketball coach was a point guard at Tennessee the Lady Vols - who won three NCAA titles during her career - were pretty much in the NCAA Tournament before the season started. Then during her five seasons as head coach at Western Carolina and three seasons as an assistant at Chattanooga before that, Southern Conference teams knew they had to win the conference tournament or they might earn a bid to the WNIT.
But the Wolfpack (20-13) has been on the NCAA “bubble” ever since losing the ACC championship game to Duke eight days ago, although most of the bracketologists had N.C. State in the field.
Harper and her team gathered with about 300 fans on Monday night to watch the Selection Special on ESPN that announced the 64 competing teams.
Continue reading »
ACC, Basketball, Duke, N.C. Central, N.C. State, UNC-Chapel Hill, Women's Basketball Amber White, Cetera DeGraffenreid, Chattanooga, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Gonzaga, Hampton Pirates, Hartford, Jasmine Thomas, Joanne P. McCallie, Joy Cheek, Kellie Harper, Louisiana State, Marissa Kastanek, Michigan State, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Nikitta Gartrell, Portland State, Southern Conference, Sylvia Hatchell, Texas A&M, UCLA, Virginia Cavaliers, Western Carolina
Mike Potter ·
14 Mar 2010, 11:01 PM ·
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ACC champion Duke (27-5) is going to be one of the 64 teams on the board when the NCAA Women’s Tournament field is announced tonight at 7 on ESPN.
N.C. State (20-13) and UNC (19-11) think they’re in, but won’t be sure until they see their names on the board tonight.
The Wolfpack and Tar Heels are two of about eight ACC teams who will be waiting with baited breath, first to make sure they’re in the field and then to see where they’re headed.
Duke and Florida State (26-5) are both hosting first- and second-round games, so it’s a certainty the Seminoles are also going to get an invitation. It would also shock the women’s basketball world if Georgia Tech (23-9) or Virginia (21-9) doesn’t get the thumbs-up.
The Wolfpack, under their first-year coach Kellie Harper, and the Tar Heels, under veteran Sylvia Hatchell, likely sealed their invitations with recent wins.
State had to avenge a regular-season loss by beating Clemson in the first round of the ACC Tournament, and the Wolfpack got that done and added two more wins to boot.
The Tar Heels’ signature victory was over Duke at Carmichael Auditorium on Senior Day - UNC’s final game before the ACC Tournament - but they had to beat N.C. Central on Sunday to avoid seeing the bid slip through their fingers, and they got that done. Continue reading »
ACC, Basketball, Duke, N.C. Central, N.C. State, UNC-Chapel Hill, Women's Basketball Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Joanne P. McCallie, Kellie Harper, Maryland Terrapins, Miami Hurricanes, Sylvia Hatchell, Virginia Cavaliers, Wake Forest
Mike Potter ·
14 Mar 2010, 12:01 AM ·
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Eleven ACC women’s basketball teams played their final game before the post-season tournaments at some point during the ACC Tournament last week.
Duke has, of course, clinched an NCAA bid as the conference’s regular-season champion and three other teams - Florida State, Virginia and Georgia Tech - seem to be resting easy about their spot on the board when the NCAA Tournament bracket comes out tomorrow night.
Nearly half a dozen more may or may not be on a “bubble.” Only one has something left to add to the argument.
That’s UNC, which for the second straight year will play a home game on the same day as the ACC men’s tournament final.
Last season it was against South Dakota, and although the Coyotes gave the Tar Heels a good scare at the Smith Center UNC didn’t have to win.
It does today. Sylvia Hatchell’s club is going to be a really big favorite in its 3:30 home contest against N.C. Central in the Eagles’ final game of the season, but the Tar Heels absolutely have to emerge victorious to avoid giving any naysayers on the selection committee a lot of fodder.
Cetera DeGraffenreid (pictured) is the Tar Heels’ assist leader, and has been their best player over the last few weeks. Continue reading »
ACC, Basketball, Duke, N.C. Central, UNC-Chapel Hill, Women's Basketball Cetera DeGraffenreid, Danielle DeBerry, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Italee Lucas, Joanna Miller, Joli Robinson, Latoya Bennett, Laura Broomfield, South Dakota Coyotes, Sylvia Hatchell, Virginia Cavaliers
Mike Potter ·
6 Mar 2010, 8:05 PM ·
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GREENSBORO COLISEUM Somebody wants to write a Cinderella story out of the ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament this season, and the candidate is going to come out of this second semifinal game.
Waiting in tomorrow’s 1 p.m. title contest will be No. 8 Duke, which has played in the last two conference finals and knows exactly what the finals are all about.
Those candidates for the glass slipper are No. 6 seed N.C. State, a team common wisdom says is headed for the NCAA Tournament no matter what happens today, and No. 7 seed Boston College, which just needs to keep winning unless it plans to head to one of the two post-season consolation tournaments.
BC is coming off a very big upset over No. 2 seed Florida State, while the Wolfpack is coming off an impressive although probably less shocking conquest of No. 3 seed Virginia.
It’s the 33rd edition of the tournament, and never have No. 6 and No. 7 seeds squared off in the semifinals.
The regular season results don’t offer much predictive help, as the Eagles rolled 83-66 on Jan. 10 in Chestnut Hill and the Wolfpack got revenge 74-63 on Feb. 21 at Reynolds Coliseum.
And as is obvious, it’s a matchup between Eagle size and Wolfpack speed with State holding on to win 63-57. Continue reading »
ACC, Duke, N.C. State, UNC-Chapel Hill Bonae Holston, Boston College, Carolyn Swords, Florida State, Inga Muciniece, Jaclyn Thoman, Kellie Harper, Lucy Ellison, Marissa Kastanek, Nikitta Gartrell, Sylvia Crawley, Virginia Cavaliers
Mike Potter ·
5 Mar 2010, 9:50 PM ·
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GREENSBORO COLISEUM It’s another battle in the “maroon bracket” of the ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament as No. 7 seed Boston College, having dispatched Virginia Tech in Thursday’s first round, will take on No. 2 seed Florida State.
Everything is set for a Seminole victory.
They’re ranked No. 8 nationally. They’ve won eight straight games since their visit to Duke. And they’ve never lost to Sylvia Crawley’s Eagles.
On paper, it looks like a very easy win. But don’t forget we’re going to play tonight on wood.
And wood sometimes hurts when you fall on it.
FSU gets an awful break when Jacinta Monroe goes down with a sprained ankle, and BC puts together an inspired team effort to win 67-60.
BC’s twin towers of Carolyn Swords and Stefanie Murphy are in foul trouble from the outset, but the Eagles get through it.
The Seminoles lead 28-24 at halftime, and stretch the lead to 36-29 on a 12-foot jumper from Alexa Deluzio with 16:33 left.
But the Eagles come back with eight straight points, including a three-point play from Ayla Brown (pictured) and a 3-pointer from Jaclyn Thoman to set up a pair of Brown free throws for a 41-39 lead with 10:52 to go. Continue reading »
ACC, Basketball, N.C. State, Women's Basketball Alexa Deluzio, Alysha Harvin, Ayla Brown, Boston College, Carolyn Swords, Chasity Clayton, Cierra Bravard, Florida State, Jacinta Monroe, Jasmine Gill, Scott Brown, Stefanie Murphy, Sue Semrau, Sylvia Crawley
Mike Potter ·
5 Mar 2010, 3:53 PM ·
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Duke junior guard Jasmine Thomas has received the annual Kay Yow Award as the Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Thomas is currently averaging 15.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.8 steals. She was earlier named a third-team Academic All-American by ESPN The Magazine.
Thomas is one of four Blue Devils on the squad, which includes grad student Keturah Jackson, senior Bridgette Mitchell and freshman Allison Vernerey.
N.C. State placed two players in senior Brittany Strachan and freshman Marissa Kastanek.
Others named are Boston College senior Ayla Brown and grad student Brittanny Johnson; Maryland freshmen Tianna Hawkins and Diandra Tchatchouang; Virginia Tech senior Lindsay Biggs and freshman Alyssa Fenyn; Florida State junior Christian Hunnicutt; Georgia Tech junior Deja Foster; and Miami freshman Morgan Stroman.
Lindsay
ACC, Duke, N.C. State Allison Vernerey, Alyssa Fenyn, Ayla Brown, Boston College, Bridgette Mitchell, Brittanny Johnson, Brittany Strachan, Christian Hunnicutt, Deja Foster, Diandra Tchatchouang, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Keturah Jackson, Lindsay Biggs, Marissa Kastanek, Maryland Terrapins, Miami Hurricanes, Morgan Stroman, Tianna Hawkins, Virginia Tech
Mike Potter ·
4 Mar 2010, 9:48 PM ·
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GREENSBORO COLISEUM It’s a battle between former Big East rivals Boston College and Virginia Tech in what turns out to be the “maroon” bracket of the ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament, since the winner will advance to a Friday night quarterfinal against Florida State.
BC is looking for revenge, since the Hokies won their only regular-season meeting 69-64 on Feb. 21 in Blacksburg.
The Eagles are seeded No. 7 and the Hokies No. 10, but they’re evenly matched at 15-14 each. BC, which on its best day of the season upset Duke, is looking to redeem itself for a shaky regular season with a good post-season run.
The Hokies are just looking for respect.
The Eagles are coached by Sylvia Crawley (pictured), who was the All-America center for UNC’s 1994 NCAA championship team. Her top assistant is Stephanie Lawrence Yelton, who had the assist on Charlotte Smith’s winning 3-pointer in that NCAA title game.
The Hokies’ local connection is Northern Durham alumna Utahya Drye, who will finish her college career this month.
Tonight the Eagles get revenge with a 62-49 win.
BC takes a 13-2 lead on Mickel Picco’s 3-pointer with 14:23 left in the first half before the Hokies make any offensive noise, and never leads by fewer than seven points the rest of the way.
Stefanie Murphy leads the Eagles with 18 points, followed by Brittany Johnson with 10. Continue reading »
ACC, Basketball, Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, Women's Basketball Beth Dunkenberger, Boston College, Brittanny Johnson, Charlotte Smith, Florida State, Mickel Picco, Nikki Davis, Stefanie Murphy, Stephanie Lawrence Yelton, Sylvia Crawley, Utahya Drye, Virginia Tech
Mike Potter ·
4 Mar 2010, 12:01 AM ·
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CAMERON INDOOR STADIUM/DURHAM If you look at the ACC women’s basketball season as a whole, it’s hard not to say Duke is a solid favorite to win the conference tournament that starts this morning at Greensboro Coliseum.
The No. 1 seed Blue Devils are ranked No. 6 nationally and finished three games ahead of anybody except Florida State, a team they destroyed 73-43 during the regular season.
But the problem for the Blue Devils is their bracket.
Joanne P. McCallie’s club has a bye today, then will play on Friday at 3 against the winner of today’s 3 p.m. first-round game between UNC and Maryland, the two teams that probably love to beat Duke the most and the two that have combined to win the last five tournaments in Greensboro.
In fact, whichever team that comes out of that group and into the semifinals will be the only team that has ever won the event during its 10-year run in the Gate City.
“That’s OK,” McCallie (pictured) said during a semi-regular press luncheon on Wednesday in the press room at Cameron. “It’s a little bit strange to see both Maryland and North Carolina in an 8-9 game. If you look at the numbers it’s weird. Why are they in an 8-9 game? Obviously they’re very good teams. But from our standpoint it’s anybody, anyplace, anywhere. So we just get ready to go, kind of thing. Continue reading »
ACC, Basketball, Duke, N.C. State, UNC-Chapel Hill, Women's Basketball Amber White, Beth Dunkenberger, Bonae Holston, Boston College, Brooke Thomas, Bruttany Waters, Carolyn Swords, Cetera DeGraffenreid, Clemson, Cristy McKinney, Dara Taylor, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Italee Lucas, Jaclyn Thoman, Joanne P. McCallie, Katie Meier, Kellie Harper, Keyrra Gillespie, Laura Broomfield, Lele Hardy, Lindsey Biggs, Lynetta Kizer, Maryland Terrapins, Miami Hurricanes, Mike Petersen, Nikki Davis, Riquna Williams, Secily Ray, Shenise Johnson, Sylvia Crawley, Sylvia Hatchell, Utahya Drye, Virginia Cavaliers, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
Mike Potter ·
3 Mar 2010, 2:21 PM ·
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Duke senior guard Keturah Jackson has been named to the five-player All-ACC defensive team in women’s basketball.
Virginia senior Monica Wright was named defensive player of the year on the team, selected by the league’s 12 coaches.
Other members of the team are Clemson’s Lele Hardy, Miami’s Shenise Johnson and Florida State’s Jacinta Monroe.
Jackson, a fifth-year senior and graduate student at Fuqua School of Business, has 70 steals in 29 games and is averaging 5.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists.
ACC, Basketball, Duke, Women's Basketball Clemson, Florida State, Jacinta Monroe, Keturah Jackson, Lele Hardy, Miami Hurricanes, Monica Wright, Shenise Johnson, Virginia Cavaliers
Mike Potter ·
2 Mar 2010, 2:03 PM ·
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N.C. State guard Marissa Kastanek has been named ACC women’s basketball freshman of the year, leading the five-player ACC all-rookie team chosen by the Blue Ribbon Panel that also includes the league’s coaches.
Duke center Allison Vernerey, who did most of her work coming off the bench, was also selected to the team along with Wake Forest’s Sandra Garcia, Maryland’s Diandra Tchatchouang and Florida State’s Chasity Clayton.
Kastanek started 28 of 29 games for the Wolfpack - all except the regular-season finale against Georgia Tech on Senior Day - and averaged 10.7 points per game. She also hit 35.3 percent of her 3-point attempts.
Vernerey averages 7.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
ACC, Basketball, Duke, N.C. State, Women's Basketball Allison Vernerey, Chasity Clayton, Diandra Tchatchouang, Florida State, Marissa Kastanek, Maryland Terrapins, Sandra Garcia, Wake Forest
