OTHER NEWS AND NOTES: During an hour and a half flight delay, Newsome senior and former offensive lineman called his mother, Janine, and told her his visit to Southern Illinois went well but he will wait for an offer from Florida Atlantic, which she said he could expect Wednesday….Former Freedom defensive back Josh Lee said he enjoyed his visit to Georgia Southern over weekend and that the school has become his top choice. Lee will make his final official visit this weekend to Youngstown…. Tampa Catholic senior and former quarterback Dickie de Lama did not travel this weekend because of an SAT exam, but said he plans to schedule visits sometime this week. de Lama said he and his coaches are in the process of producing a highlight tape to send to Miami and a few other schools.
WRESTLING
By EDDIE DANIELS
The Tampa Tribune
ZEPHYRHILLS - Gulf’s wrestling team is back in familiar territory.
After last season’s sixth place finish in the Sunshine Athletic Conference, the Buccaneers re-claimed the top spot as the SAC champion Saturday at Zephyrhills.
The Bucs collected 236 points, outpacing last year’s champion Pasco, which scored 159 team points for second place. River Ridge (139.5) was third, while Zephyrhills (131.5) was fourth.
This is the fifth conference championship for Gulf in 7 years.
“There’s no equation for hard work. They go year ‘round,” Gulf coach Travis DeWalt said. “We knew we had a young, inexperienced team and we had to mature pretty fast. Last year we took our lumps and you see the product now.”
Gulf had the highest number of top four wrestlers (12), which included three champions – Jordan Holding (125), Mike Calafiore (130) and Josh Przybsz (135) – and three second place finishers – Brandon Muetzel (112), Matt Oliver (152) and John Palasky (285).
Oliver’s 152-pound finals match against Wesley Chapel’s Alex Turner stole everyone’s attention when the bout was stopped the first time after Oliver’s left leg was seemingly contorted. After being examined by a tournament trainer, he continued wrestling. Moments later, the match was stopped for a second and final time due to the injury.“A kids’ health is more important than winning a conference title,” DeWalt said. “He said he wanted to give it a whirl, he tried and he couldn’t go and that’ll do it.”
Tyler Fleming (River Ridge, 119), Calafiore, Josh Kweller (Land O’ Lakes, 140), Alex Turner (Wesley Chapel, 152), Eric Stroud (Pasco, 215) and Travis Tindell (Hudson, 285) each collected consecutive individual SAC titles.
Saturday’s tournament wraps up the regular season and preludes district tournament competition, which begins Feb. 3.
TEAM FINISH
1-Gulf, 236; 2-Pasco, 159; 3-River Ridge 139.5; 4-Zephyrhills, 131.5; 5-Hudson, 124; 6-Mitchell, 117.5; 7-Ridgewood, 117; 8-Land O’ Lakes, 91; 9-Wesley Chapel, 62; 10-Wiregrass Ranch, 29.5.
CHAMPIONSHIP BOUTS
103- Biondo (RR) maj. dec. McArdle (H) 13-1; 112- Stupar (RW) dec. Muetzel (G) 3-1; 119- Fleming (RR) p. J. Ruebens (Z) 3:11; 125- Holding (G) p. Dodd (H) 5:03; 130- Calafiore (G) p. Wolliamson (RW) 2;55; 135-Pryzbyz (G) maj. dec. Kunkle (Z) 13-5; 140-Kweller (L) dec. Thornton (Z) 8-3; 145- Finlay (P) dec. DeSantis (RW) 4-0; 152- Turner (WC) inj. def. Oliver (G); 160- Germano (H) dec. Carmody (P) 10-7; 171- Brown (H) ma.j dec. Lorentsen (M) 17-5; 189- Perez (P) p. Bentley (H) 3:27; 215- Stroud (P) p. Sowers (RR) :58; 285- Tindell (H) p. Palasky (G) 3:21.
THIRD/FOURTH PLACE BOUTS
103- Carpenter (G) p. Bailey (RW) 2:17; 112- Hynes (Z) dec. Perri (RR) 4-1; 119- McClendon (P) p. Middleton (WC) 2:46; 125- Scalise (L) p. C. Reubens (Z) 2:14; 130- Benitez (P) p. Bassous (M) 2:50; 135- O’Grady (L) dec. Kostakis (M) 5-2; 140- Hovenga (RW) p. Adetutu (WG) 1:19; 145- Bruno (M) p. Mayhill (G) 3:34; 152- Sacco (M) dec. Fredrickson (RR) 6-4; 160- Longnecker (G) p. Hitchcock (RR) 1:19; 171- Johnson (G) dec. Wine (RR) 2-1; 189- Hayes (M) dec. Levinson (G) 10-7; 215- Purviance (G) p. Doerr (Z) 1:51; 285- Hand (Z) dec. Burgos (P) 3-1.
The setup for the Tampa Bay Lightning was perfect — just perfect - Friday night.
The Bolts had a winning streak on and had seemed to be playing better.
Moreover, they were playing the New Jersey Devils at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa in the holiday atmosphere of Gasparilla before at least 21,404, a juiced up festive crowd that included perhaps a couple hundred who favored the Devils. Great setting. Great time to break the embarrassing statistic that says Tampa loses more at home than it wins.
“Odd,” someone said, “but think if the Lightning does indeed make the playoffs, as most of us think they will, “they could have a better record on the road than at home.”
“That is unacceptable,” said defensive Bolt Dan Boyle.
And embarrassing.
So, the Lightning does the impossible before Jose Gaspar and a sellout crowd waiting to explode.
They lost again at home.
What was it?
200 to nothing?
Might has well have been. The Lightning was predictably lousy — at home. They stunk. Got shut out. Gaspar left sober. The crowd, seeing nothing to interest them on the ice, went to the counters for grog and food. I checked. The totals on food consumption were high. There certainly wasn’t much, make that nothing, to toast, unless you were from Hackensack.
I knew the Lightning line would be well, but don’t forget, New Jersey in Martin Brodeur is probably the best in goal in the National Hockey League.
Still, the Lightning beat him the last time they played,
The Lightning, when its stars want to play and do play, can beat anybody and twice on Sunday. Oh, I know, their two scoring leaders, both wonderful players and men, Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis played in the NHL All-Star game two nights before in Texas. Don’t think is right either. It is a Hobson’s Choice. Stars want, deserve, to be honored. Their team needs them badly, especially if they are playing a tender like Brodeur.
No, neither St. Louis, nor Lecavalier, figured in the scoring. I say again, the Lightning played a lousy game. Lousy and at an important time in the season. This was where they have picked it up before.
Oh, sure, Lightning Coach John Tortorella spoke of the heroics of rival tender Brodeur. He also mentioned his own man in goal - Johan Holmqvist - did well. And he did.
When I said the score was 200-0, but admitted it was only 2-0, that 2-0 was true but only because the Tampa team pulled tender Holmqvist in the final minute plus for a shooter — always a desperation move. But Jersey scored on the open net, no Holmqvist there by choice. Thus it was a 1-0 game. Holmqvist had 23 saves. The Lightning’s Jay Feaster wants to keep Holmqvist and will try to add an extension to the one-year deal the Swede now has.
The shutout is embarrassing as well. This is a team that includes Lecavalier, St. Louis and the versatile Brad Richards. He, too, is so disappointed in the home losses, saying the Bolts were stung badly by losing at home, that such a thing is “unacceptable,” a popular description. Naturally, somebody made it clear that was Brodeur’s ninth shutout this year, and 89th in a Hall of Fame career.
A team of the firepower of the Bolts simply can’t be shutout, ever. We brag so of the firepower and the versatility of the club, and how most games are sold out. Well, selling out is a trend that performances like that Friday night can fix.
Jose Gaspar indeed went home sober that evening. He so wanted a shooter before the Saturday Gasparilla parade.
1-0… pffffft.
By KEVIN CARLSON
kcarlson@highlandstoday.com
WAUCHULA — Morgan Dickey noticed something different as she clung to her father, her hands grabbing at his damp shirt.
“Daddy, you’re wet,” the 26-month-old daughter of Hardee boys basketball coach Vance Dickey said, a look of concern on her face. Indeed, Friday night’s dramatic 60-58 win over Class 4A-District 10 foe Sarasota Booker had everyone worked up in a sweat, players and coaches alike.
It was an affair that came down to the final minute, and Hardee’s win ultimately earned them the second seed in the upcoming district tournament, which it will host. Booker howled about poor officiating in the aftermath, but the ‘Cats simply made the big shots when they mattered most.
“We gave good effort, so did Booker, and we knew they were going to do that,” Dickey said. “I challenged my guys at halftime and they responded just a little bit better, because Booker got really physical with us and we didn’t respond right away. You can’t blame that on the referees, that’s just one team deciding they’re going to be physical. I feel like we did better in the second half matching that style of play.”
The fourth quarter began with the score knotted at 39. The lead changed hands five times in the early goings of the final period, with the Wildcats fending off the Tornadoes with good free-throw shooting down the stretch. Up 52-51 with 2:08 remaining, senior Jermain King buried a 3-pointer to give Hardee some breathing room.
Booker’s Mike German duplicated the feat to cut the lead back to one, and Marquis Mack sank two free throws with 59 seconds left in regulation to tie it at 56. Needing someone to step up, Hardee watched as swingman Marwin Simmons set up on the far baseline and buried a 3-pointer with 41 ticks left for the eventual game-winner.
“We’re getting a little bit better closing out games,” Dickey said. “I’ve been telling Marwin to shoot 3s all year long. We were messing with him the other day because he’s been like 2-for-23, but he’s just not been shooting them. I keep telling him: shoot them, shoot them, shoot them.
“I told all of them that they’re going to hit a big one at the right time. Still, I was about to die when he shot that one.”
Mark St. Fort and Weston Palmer led the way for the Wildcats, combining for 35 points. Palmer drained 3 of 4 long-distance shots in the first quarter before sitting out most of the second period with foul trouble, but still managed 17 points on the night. Simmons and King chipped in with nine points apiece.
Sloan Collins was the main man for Booker, scoring a game-high 20 points. Mack joined him in double-figures with 15.
Hardee now faces Class 6A Lakeland on Tuesday in preparation for next week’s district tournament.
By KEVIN CARLSON
kcarlson@highlandstoday.com
The South Florida Community College baseball season got off on the right foot Friday, as the Panthers beat Hillsborough Community College 3-1 in Tampa.
Sophomore Sean Bryant earned the win with six innings of three-hit ball, striking out three and walking one. Calvin Brutus notched the save with three innings of scoreless relief. Sophomores Nick Polston and Dale Slimick led the offense with two hits apiece for the Panthers (1-0).
The Panthers open the home schedule Monday against Central Florida C.C. at 5 p.m.
By CHRIS HOFFMAN
choffman@highlandstoday.com
PALMETTO — No rain and no mercy for the Sebring Blue Streaks boys soccer team on Friday night.
The Palmetto Tigers were clearly the more aggressive and physical team on this night, using good ball-movement and a defense that shut down every Blue Streak scoring chance, beating Sebring 2-0 in the Class 4A-District 10 championship match at Harllee Stadium in Palmetto.
“They were the better team tonight,” Sebring head coach Paul Brown said. “We didn’t do the basic things that got us here. I think we may have been a little tired with the travel and playing two really tough games already this week. I take nothing away from Palmetto. They played great.
“We just didn’t have an answer for them.”
Sebring walks away as the District 10 runner-up and will travel to play the Class 4A-District 9 champion Tampa Jesuit on Thursday at 7 p.m. while the district champion Tigers will host Haines City.
The Blue Streaks, which were missing their best friend –– Mother Nature –– were just a step slower and were out of position more times than not. This clearly wasn’t the same team that bounced the top-seeded Hardee Wildcats just two days before.
“We were very lethargic tonight,” Brown said. “The biggest thing we lacked and will have to work on is communication. There were times we had three guys on the ball and they would get wide-open looks at the goal. We can’t play like that and expect to win.”
Palmetto pressured the Sebring defense from the onset, getting shot after shot on Blue Streak goalie Carl Belcher. Belcher kept his team in the game, stopping seven shots in the first half alone to hold Palmetto scoreless.
Sebring’s lone scoring chance in the first half came after senior David Collins was taken down, giving the Blue Streaks a direct kick that failed to penetrate Palmetto’s wall of defenders.
The second half was all about adjustments and Palmetto knew exactly what it wanted to do and how to do it.
The Tigers pushed the ball up the field and found a seam in the Sebring defense, enough for sophomore Bobby Stephenson to send a crossing shot from Julio Zuniga past Belcher’s outstretched hands for the goal, less than two minutes into the half.
The wind seemed to be out of the Blue Streaks’ sails from that moment on. Palmetto had its way with Sebring, getting any shot from anywhere at any time it wanted.
The Tigers put the nail in Sebring’s coffin with 11 minutes left in the match when the Streaks were called for an apparent handball in their own goalie box, forcing a penalty kick. Palmetto junior Josue Martinez put the ball in the upper-right corner for the score.
Sebring managed only three direct shots on Palmetto goalie Adam Danziger and none were a threat to get past the senior net minder.
The Blue Streaks leading scorer Tim Wheaton was harassed the entire game, as the Tigers put two defenders on him and denied him to break into the open space.
Wheaton had one chance to score in the second half but he elected to pass the ball off to Daniel Grimaldo, but the pass was broken up and the Tigers ran the clock out.
“They whooped us in every department,” Brown said. “We were out-classed, out-hustled and out-smarted. I don’t have much else to say about the way we played.”
Name, School Pos. School visiting
Evan Cromer, Jefferson WR Air Force
Jarrold Gunn, Middleton OL Tuskegee
Trey Hill, Jefferson DB Wayne State
Chaz Hine, Newsome OL Southern Illinois
Jamere Johnson, Wharton DL Florida Atlantic
Kaimarcus Jones, Middleton DB Tuskegee
Chris Kuzdale, Plant DB Hawaii
Robert Marve, Plant QB Hawaii
Marcus McGee, Jefferson DB Middle Tennessee State
Luke Rorech, Plant DB Furman
Brent Thomas, Plant LB Hawaii
Joe White, Middleton OL Tuskegee
Orlando Christian Prep’s girls basketball program was found guilty of recruiting, the Florida High School Athletic Association announced Friday, partly due to the transfer of former Gulf standout point guard Dominique English.
The program was handed down a ban from the FHSAA girls basketball state series and preseason classics that begins immediately and continues through the end of the 2009-10 school year.
English and the other transfer from South Florida, both seniors, have also been banned from participating in another OCP sporting event for the rest of the school year.
English, a 2005 and 2006 Pasco Tribune Girls Basketball First Team selection, transferred from Gulf to OCP in the summer of 2006, citing academic and personal reasons, though it was unclear at the time who she would be living with. Her father and mother live in Pasco County and Ocala.
According to the FHSAA’s release, both girls had moved in with an OCP teacher in the summer and once the summer was over, one girl moved in with a friend of her family not affiliated with the school, while the other moved in with the family of one of her OCP teammates. FHSAA rules prohibit transfers from living with anyone affilliated with their new school or athletic program.
On Jan. 3, the Orlando Sentinel reported that both girls had been suspended by OCP’s athletic director in December for the illegal living arrangements. The intention was that once new arrangements were found, the girls could rejoin the team but that did not happen before the FHSAA hit the program with the suspension and fine.
OCP has been one of the top girls basketball programs in the state in recent years.
I was fortunate enough to be in Indianapolis last weekend for the AFC Championship Game to watch Tony Dungy earn his first Super Bowl berth and judging by the reaction most of you feel very strongly that Dungy’s ascent is a good thing.
I wrote three consecutive columns on the subject - one advancing the game, one based on the game, and one based on a post-game chat that Tribune football expert Ira Kaufman and I had with Dungy. That’s a lot of words invested in one subject, but readers seem to believe it was worth it. I’ll exerpt some of your e-mails here, then finish it off with a comment or two.
Sandra Padgett wrote: Thank you for a wonderful article this morning in the sports section. I am a Hoosier by birth but a Floridian for 34 years. I was saddened the day that Tony left Tampa Bay. He was everything that this community needed in sports and sportsmanship. I am so thrilled that his team finally made it last night. I’m sure that my stomach was not the only one that was in knots. I know that if his team had not won last night Tony would have not changed. His faith and relationship with Jesus Christ is what keeps this wonderful man calm. There are other things in life that are important and in all things he gives his God the honor and the glory.
Larry Alter of Seminole wrote: Let me add my voice to the mass of Hoorahs that Tony made the Super
Bowl. Unlike many, I figured it was just a matter of time because he’s an excellent coach.
Delano M. McIntosh wrote: I am not much of a sports fan, but got caught up in the excitement of yesterday. When I did my cursory scan of today’s sports page, I saw your column and read it. I simply want to thank you for such a beautiful tribute to Tony Dungy. I like your perspective and think I will start reading you everyday.
Lesli Williams of Ruskin wrote: Would like to applaud you on your article of 1/22/07- Beautiful article, Great journalism!
Susan Lester of Brandon wrote: Nice guys can finish first. Mr. Dungy and Mr. Smith have proved it!
Gloria Foster and family wrote: I just wanted to thank you so much for the articles you have written about Tony and his legacy here as well as his character. It sure is time he gets his due! Tampa Bay loves him and we are so happy you are writing so positively about him.
Keep ‘em coming!
And this unsigned one: For cryin’ out loud, quit fawning over him already. I know there’s no such thing as ‘balanced reporting,’ but this is nuts. G-d forbid if he wins the Super Bowl. You don’t work in Podunk, Arkansas. You write for rags in a major metropolitan area. Now man up! And stop acting bush league and small time. If you’ve got such feelings for him, spout it in a blog or personal diary. Hey, I’ve got nothing against Dungy. Nice guy. Coaches a team in another city. Used to coach here, but so did many others in football and other sports. He hasn’t yet found a cure for cancer. Or did
I miss something?
In fairness, the unsigned person sent me that as a copy to other columnists in the area who also have waxed poetic about Dungy.
OK, it’s my turn: It shouldn’t amaze me how popular Tony Dungy is here even five years removed from coaching the Bucs, but it does. I understand, really, those who scream “enough already” but, you know what? Those folks will just have to deal with it for a while. The key about Dungy that resonates with everyone, it seems, is his deep-rooted dignity and decency. Football is a vehicle for mass distribution of that decency, and that seems to matter more to Tony than just winning games. Don’t be mistaken - the man WANTS to win. So does Lovie Smith. But being a first-class human is more important than winning a Super Bowl, and maybe that’s the biggest lesson of all this. It’s a refreshing thought in a culture that devalues anything but first place.
By MEL BERMAN
The cold-warm cycling of our weather always seems to come up aces for weekend anglers. At least today, with balmy conditions, a pre-full moon phase and excellent tides, fishing should be brisk.
Drifting the deeper flats off Dunedin earlier this week, we were able to catch a great variety of species deploying Old Bayside 4-inch Shadlyn 61/87-ounce jigs. We caught several frisky silver and speckled trout. Then, working spoils and mangroves, we found more trout and good numbers of cooperative juvenile redfish.
From what we are hearing there is an abundance of larger sea trout to the north in Pasco and Hernando counties. However, be aware that trout season there will close for the month of February. At the same time, snook season reopens everywhere Thursday. Don’t forget the new daily bag limit is one snook per day between 27 and 34 inches.
Dock fishing for snook has been excellent, especially for those who have mastered the art of “skip-casting.” The best way to hook a nice linesider is to fire an imitation or live shrimp into the deepest recesses of the structure and then hang on.
Also this week, captain Brent Gaskill made a rare catch around one of Hillsborough County’s artificial reefs. He hooked a hogfish working a shrimp on the bottom. “This was only the second one I ever landed by this method in a lifetime of fishing these waters,” he said.
Hear “The Captain Mel Show” Saturdays from 6-9 a.m. on WFLA, 970 AM, and Sundays from 6-9 a.m. on WDAE, 620 AM. Also, visit “Fishing Florida OnLine Magazine” at capmel.com.
Plant volleyball players Kellie Catanach and Christine Williamson were selected to the PrepVolleyball.com 2006 All-American team. Williamson, a senior and former middle blocker, and Catanach, a junior setter, were selected to The Tampa Tribune’s All-Hillsborough County first-team.
Williamson and Catanach helped Plant win its first Class 5A state title since 2003. Both were selected to the Class 5A All-State team. Williamson will play at Miami in the fall while Catanach has verbally committed to Duke.
Since the University of South Florida football contract coaching salary graphic that ran in Thursday’s Tribune with my USF beat column didn’t appear online, here’s a copy of the graphic for those outside the Tampa Bay area.
SHOW ME THE MONEY
A look at how the salaries for USF’s football coaches during the 2006 season compared among the 65 Bowl Championship Series universities:
Football (BCS rank) USF salary BCS Avg.
Jim Leavitt (38) $1 million $1.29 million
Assistants (BCS rank) USF salary BCS Avg.
Wally Burnham (63) $144,000 $229,052
x-Rod Smith (65) $106,000 $209,903
Carl Franks (65) $106,000 $179,784
x-Greg Frey (65) $95,000 $159,225
Greg Gregory (65) $85,000 $151,433
Rich Rachel (65) $85,000 $144,587
x-Lawrence Dawsey (65) $79,000 $139,308
x-Bernard Clark (65) $75,000 $132,505
Troy Douglas (63) $75,000 $122,068
x-recently left USF for other schools
The 65 Bowl Championship Series schools, not including Notre Dame, consist of teams from the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and SEC. BCS rankings in parentheses are compared with the 65 BCS schools and do not include Big East schools DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Notre Dame, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John’s and Villanova. BCS Avg. is the average salary for that position among the 65 BCS schools.
NOTE: Except for offensive and defensive coordinators, assistants are ranked and compared to other BCS assistants based on their ranking within their respective staffs and not according to the position they coach. Salary figures are from USF and a 2006 national athletic directors salary survey obtained by The Tampa Tribune. Salaries do not include incentive bonuses.
-------------------------
GRASS IS GREENER?
USF has lost four assistant coaches in the past three weeks, and each one with the exception of Rod Smith, who went from being a coordinator at USF to a lower-paying position as quarterbacks coach at West Virginia, received a substantial raise.
Former asst., new school USF salary New salary
Bernard Clark, Fla. Int. $75,000 $100,000
Lawrence Dawsey, Fla. St. $79,000 $130,000
Greg Frey, West Virginia $95,000 $145,000
Rod Smith, West Virginia $106,000 $105,000
Figures are base salaries only and provided by USF, Florida International, Florida State and West Virginia. They do not include any possible incentives for bowl games, etc.
-- Brett McMurphy, Tampa Tribune
This was not a good day for defense as Land O’ Lakes beat Pasco 94-71 Thursday night in the highest-scoring game in the county this season.
Land O’ Lakes had a 23-15 lead after the first quarter and a 20-point lead by the half thanks to steals and aggressive rebounds on both ends against the Pirates.
Pasco’s Demetrious Larry had the most points of any player with 33. Mike Espinosa led the the Gators with 21 points. Teammate Justin Fisher had 19.
In spite of Land O’ Lakes’ sizable lead, the Pirates kept battling but turnovers kept hurting their attempts at a rally.
The Gators have now won three straight games and nine of their last 10. This also marked the 10th time this season Land O’ Lakes has scored 75 points or more in a game.
TALLAHASSEE—The Florida State women’s basketball team made a valiant effort to do what no team in school history has done—beat a No. 1-ranked team—but the Seminoles failed to make enough shots for it to matter. FSU shot only 34.2 percent (25 of 73) from the field, and hit only two of 15 3-pointers in Thursday night’s 73-60 loss to No. 1 Duke.
“It was fun to see my team compete with the No. 1 team in the country,’’ FSU coach Sue Semrau said. “There were a lot of positives for us in this basketball game. I don’t know if you can win a basketball game when you go to the line 12 times and the other team goes 26.’’
FSU was outscored 20-8 at the free-throw line, but otherwise the final box score was pretty close in terms of stats. Duke entered the game coming off an emotional win at Tennessee on Monday night before 21,118 fans in Knoxville. On Thursday, the crowd of 2.203 certainly didn’t intimidate the Blue Devils, but it did seem to boost the ‘Noles, who closed to 28-27 right before halftime before Duke took control.
The loss was FSU’s first ACC defeat of the season, dropping the ‘Noles to 15-5 overall, 4-1 ACC. FSU center Britany Miller, who scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds, hopes the ‘Noles learned a lesson.
“I felt we had a chance to come back,’’ Miller said of trailing by eight at halftime. “We can learn that we have to come back even harder next time we’ll play them.’’
It’s not often you’ll find me blogging courtside at a women’s basketball game—actually, this is the first time ever if you really want to know the truth. So, what brings me out to the Donald L. Tucker Center tonight? Well, No. 1-ranked Duke (20-0) is in town to face FSU.
Both teams are unbeaten in the Atlantic Coast Conference and a victory by the ‘Noles would rank as one of the biggest in school history, and first ever over a team ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press poll.
The ‘Noles kept it close in the first half, cutting Duke’s lead to 28-27 right before halftime on a pair of three-point plays by center Britany Miller. However, the Blue Devils, coming off a big win at Tennessee three nights ago, stretched the lead to 36-28 at halftime.
We’re early in the second half now, and Duke has stretched its lead to 48-34, so it’s not looking too good for the ‘Noles.
If FSU men’s basketball coach Leonard Hamilton is reading, it may be time for you to pull a Bruce Pearl (Tennessee men’s coach) and get out here courtside, painted garnet and gold with your shirt off cheering on the women. It might not help them come back, but it sure would add some color to this blog.
We’ll check back in after game.
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