Hofstra Gets Double Overtime Win Over JMU
February 19, 2009
HEMPSTEAD, NY – Sophomore guard Charles Jenkins (Queens, NY) scored a game-high 32 points and set a career-high with 13 assists while senior forward Zygis Sestokas (Vilnius, Lithuania) knocked down a trio of three-pointers in the second overtime session on his way to a career-high 19 points as the Hofstra Men’s Basketball team pulled out a wild 99-96 double-overtime win over James Madison University in a key CAA matchup Wednesday night at the Mack Sports Complex.
With the win, the Pride improves to 18-9 overall and 10-6 in the CAA, moving into a three-way tie for fourth place with Drexel and Old Dominion (the top four finishers receive byes in the CAA Tournament).
Hofstra also improved its record to 11-2 this season in games decided by four points or less and improved its winning streak in the series with James Madison to 10 games (including a triple-overtime win, a double-overtime win, and two game winning shots in the last 10 seconds of regulation). James Madison slips to 17-11 overall and 9-7 in conference play.
It was a war of attrition as Hofstra forward Greg Washington (Centereach, NY) and James Madison forward Andrey Semenov both missed the game with illnesses. Both starting point guards, Hofstra’s Greg Johnson (Harlem, NY) and James Madison’s Devon Moore were lost to injuries in regulation, as was James Madison starting center Dazzmond Thornton. The contest featured 11 lead changes, 11 ties and had ten players scored in double figures as both teams shot over 50 percent from the floor.
Sophomore guard Nathaniel Lester also set a career high with 22 points
and tied his top mark of 11 rebounds. Senior forward Darren Townes
(New York, NY) added five of his season-high 15 total points in the first overtime session to help the Pride extend its winning streak to four, and improve to 8-2 in its last 10. Julius Wells matched Jenkins nearly shot-for-shot, scoring 32 points as every Dukes starter finished in double figures, and Juwann James’s 19 points off the bench gave James Madison six players with 10 or more.
The Pride set a season-high in points and shot over 50 percent (53.8
percent) from the field for the first time this year in sweeping the season series. Jenkins lifted the Pride to another dramatic finish in the first meeting, hitting a five-foot runner for a one-point win at the JMU Convention Center Jan. 24. Hofstra fell one point shy of cracking the 100-point mark for the first time since Feb. 29, 1992 against UMBC.
After 45 minutes of hot shooting, both sides found success behind the arc in the second extra session. Sestokas hit right-wing three-pointer to tie it at 86. But Wells answered right back with a trey of his own from the opposite side. Not to be out-done, Sestokas upped the ante next trip down, knocking down another three to it at 89.
Sesktoaks continued to stay in rhythm, as he hit his third trey just off the top of the key, putting Hofstra ahead, 92-90 to erase Madison’s final lead. Jenkins followed up his veteran teammate’s clutching shooting by stealing down low and lobbing a home-run pass to Lester, culminating with a layup and a 94-90 lead with 34 seconds left.
The Pride nearly won it in the first overtime. After Hofstra’s first overtime basket, Townes grabbed a rebound on JMU’s next possession, then created space in the paint, and scored down low to put the Pride up, 71-67, with 4:11 remaining in the extra session. His shot prompted the Dukes to call timeout, and JMU Head Coach Matt Brady was hit with a technical foul as the teams went to its respective benches, giving Jenkins the chance to add an extra free throw and extend the lead to five.
But the Dukes had no quit, and Wells’ driving layup with 33 seconds left knotted it at 81 and sent a Pride game into double overtime for the first time since Jan. 3, 2007. Hofstra junior guard Cornelius Vines (Syracuse, NY) had a good look at a winning three-pointer in the closing seconds off a feed from Jenkins, but had it hit off the front rim.
Hofstra was up by as much as eight with 7:49 left in regulation before JMU roared back to take the lead. Curtis Pierre (14 points) harassed the Pride into back-to-back steals, capping a 12-3 run that put the Dukes up
57-56 at the 4:27 mark.
Sesktokas gave a preview of his later heroics, chipping in a pair of clutch second-half three-pointers, including a left-wing trey that hit nothing but net with 4:01 remaining that broke a 57-all deadlock. But the Dukes came back when Kyle Swanston drew a three-point shooting foul and hit all three free throws to tie it at 62 with 2:22 left. Jenkins responded and hit Townes on an inside pass, resulting in a conventional three-point play before Wells answered with a three to tie it 65.
Jenkins hit a running top-of-key jumper with shot clock expiring, 67-65 lead at the 1:16 mark. Wells answered on the next possession, creating his own easy layup opportunity to knot it up.
Hofstra tried to run down the clock before Ben Louis created a held ball situation with 33.4 seconds left to swing possession back to JMU.
Louis nearly topped his defensive play before his left-wing three-pointer hit rim and bounced out with 17 seconds showing on the clock.
Curtis grabbed the rebound and after a timeout, nearly helped the Dukes win in regulation when he fired a pass to Juwann James on the baseline low block. Defensive pressure down low prevented the lay-in attempt at the buzzer sending the game into overtime.
Jenkins’ 13 assists were the most for a Hofstra player since Speedy Claxton had 13 in a win over Stony Brook in the 1998-99 season. The Pride won for the ninth team this season when trailing after halftime.
His 32 points were also just one shy of his career high, set earlier this season at UNC Wilmington. Sestokas broke his previous career high of 18 set against Alaska-Anchorage two seasons ago, while Lester passes his previous high of 21 points set earlier this season, and matched his career high of 11 rebounds, which he set last year against Marist (led by current JMU coach Matt Brady).
After a two-day respite, Hofstra will play its first non-conference game since Dec. 27 when it heads to the Arena at Harbor Yard to play Fairfield in a Bracket Buster game Saturday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and can be viewed on ESPN360.com.
Rangers Singing the Blues
February 17, 2009
If it isn’t the end, then there really is nobody paying close attention when it comes to the hockey club that occupies 33rd and Seventh.
In a game they had to have essentially to save their coach’s job, the Blueshirts were just blue in the face falling to the Blues in St. Louis 2-1 extending the misery to eight defeats in the last nine (1-6-2). True to form, the league’s ugliest offense saw its collective shadow scoring two goals or less for the eighth time (all defeats) during this putrid stretch.
Also sadly predictable was Tom Renney remaining loyal to overpaid stiffs like Wade Redden, Scott Gomez and captain of this sinking ship Chris Drury while lone goalscorer Lauri Korpikoski and Petr Prucha mysteriously didn’t take one shift in a final period dominated by a hungrier St. Louis club that outshot them 14-4.
It was the Blues who wanted it more and got just reward with 5:14 left when an unchecked B.J. Crombeen got to a Barret Jackman rebound taking seemingly forever before putting one upstairs past a helpless Henrik Lundqvist, who looked visibly disgusted at his teammates.
That was enough to finish the dead team walking who had shifts so sloppy late, it made you wonder if they ever had an organized practice. The lack of cohesion was noticeable with the club struggling to get out of their own end with a Michal Rozsival giveaway handing the Blues the best chance to add an insurance tally.
That’s how little fight they had. Perhaps they saw dead people.
If it truly was the bitter end for Renney, he stuck to his bland system which has derailed this club. The powerless play again took the collar misfiring in three chances extending it to a mindless 1 for their last 32.
The coach who at the beginning commanded respect and brought it back to the bumbling franchise which humiliated itself not seeing a postseason for a decade clearly has lost this team. While it isn’t all his fault due to Glen Sather’s ineptitude last summer, a change clearly must be made before they take the ice to renew the rivalry with the Islanders.
With the exception of the always effort giving fourth line and a few others, the team has tossed in the towel and is beginning to look like a lot of past Ranger failures which saw overpaid fat cats rule the day with zero accountability as they missed the postseason.
That’s where this sinking ship is headed.
Three Stars:
3rd Star-B.J. Crombeen, Stl (deciding goal, 14:46 3rd)
2nd Star-Lauri Korpikoski, NYR (goal in 8:36)
1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (31 saves incl. 25 of 27 final 2 periods)
Notes: With D Paul Mara likely done for the season due to sustaining a shoulder injury in a scrap with Arron Asham who showed class stopping Saturday, D Dmitri Kalinin returned to the lineup following six missed games logging 12:13. … Also sticking to his guns to the very end, Renney somehow healthy scratched Nigel Dawes after trying him for two games with Gomez and hooking machine Markus Naslund. Team mascot Aaron Voros was back in and turned into a punching machine in a one-sided fight with ex-Devil Cam Janssen. Janssen probably got angry watching Orr pound rookie D Tyson Strachan 62 seconds earlier in the second.
… If the axe falls on Renney, his captain Drury went without a goal in 11 straight while Gomez was vacant in nine during the futile stretch that’s put the club in danger of missing the playoffs. … The circus comes back to town Wednesday when the Rangers (30-22-6, 66 Pts) host the Islanders, who ended their latest skid with a 3-2 shootout win over the Penguins with scrub Jeff Tambellini actually netting the winner.
SINGING THE BLUES (NYR Last 9 Games)
1-6-2 Record 13 GF 33 GA 1-for-30 PP
Note: Three games were decided in a shootout including Rangers’ lone win over Washington. Shootout wins weren’t factored into the goal differential.
Did Spags Spurn the Jets?
February 17, 2009
With Steve Spagnuolo headed to St. Louis, that can mean one of two things. Because of the clandescent method of coaching searches and interviews, we may never find out the true story. But the former Giant defensive coordinator was definitely on the Jets radar and rumored to be one of the finalists, along with Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan.
Spags is now off to St. Louis. (Bill Menzel/NYSD)
In the past few days, reports were that the Jets were leaning towards Ryan after they sat down together for five hours recently. With Baltimore facing Pittsburgh on Sunday in the AFC Championship Game, the Jets cannot officially sign him, even if they have already made a ‘wink-wink’ agreement. If that is the case, then they may have informed Spagnuolo that they were headed in a different direction.
But just couldn’t there have been a chance that ‘Spags’ either turned down the Jets or simply felt that the Rams job was more appealing? Of course, money and length of contract come into play, but without insider information we have to make our own conclusions.
As first reported by the NFL Network’s Adam Schefter, Spagnuolo signed a four-year, $11.5 million contract with St. Louis, who is coming off a 2-14 season. They lost their last 10 games and besides running back Steven Jackson, defensive end Chris Long and wideout Donnie Avery, their roster isn’t exactly filled with much promise. They do have the second overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft and will be looking to upgrade an offense that averaged a meager 14.5 points per game, low enough to finish tied for 30th in the league.
Following their ‘Greatest Show on Turf’ run with Kurt Warner, the Rams have run into some hard times. They haven’t had a winning season since 2003 and snuck into the playoffs a year later at 8-8. They have been on a steady downfall since and cannot have been that attractive from a personnel standpoint to the Massachusetts native. But he did take the job and one of his former players had nothing but praise for him. “He is one of those coaches that has certain attributes about him that you can’t replace,” said Giants defensive end Justin Tuck.
Perhaps the Jets were leaving Spagnuolo hanging without a definite answer and he wanted to ensure a big payday before his star ran out. That may certainly be the case, but it’s also easy to speculate that he wanted nothing to do with a franchise that has had a black cloud hanging over it for then past 40 years.
Who would know that better than someone associated with a team that plays in the same stadium, the one that it was built for and named after? The stigma of not having their own identity will continue when the new stadium opens in 2010, one that will have a neutral corporate name but ultimately be called the “new Giants Stadium” by fans and scribes alike.
Over the years, regardless of who was the head coach or on the field, the Jets have made crushing defeats and disappointment a part of their culture. The mere mention of names such as Bill Simpson, A.J. Duhe, Vance Joseph or Rich Kotite will bring a litany of choice words from anyone who has bled Jet green over the long years. If you were in Spagnuolo’s shoes and had a choice, would you be rushing over to the ‘Same old Jets?’
With an unsettled quarterback situation and coming off a December collapse in which they lost four of their final five games, the Jets have many questions heading into the offseason. That had to make some type of impact on Spagnuolo when he was sitting down being interviewed by Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum.
This may all be a moot point if the Jets end up with a candidate that they wanted all along. But speculation such as this may have some legs to it.
Is Big Papi Another Palmeiro?
February 17, 2009
The best place to hide a tree is in the forest, right? Raphael Palmeiro tried that on March 17, 2005 and accentuated it with a pointed finger. The former Texas Ranger made every attempt to deflect the attention away from him as far as steroids were concerned. Boy, did that blow up in his face.
Now we have David Ortiz standing up and making a bold statement, not about anything concerning his own steroid use, but baseball players in general. Speaking at the Red Sox spring training facility in Fort Myers, Florida, Big Papi told reporters that if a player tests positive for steroids even once, “Ban ‘em for the whole year.”
Not exactly what you would call a physical specimen, Ortiz does possess great power and some of the names that have come out over the years as steroid users wouldn’t be mistaken for bodybuilders, either. Case in point, Mo Vaughn, who could pass for Ortiz with their similar girth and Boston uniform. Big Mo was named in the Mitchell Report and was also spoken about in Kirk Radomski’s new book, “Bases Loaded.”
Vaughn was the caliber of player that thought merely using performance-enhancing drug was all it takes to benefit. He did not exercise and was inconsistent with using the substances, which Radomski described as the reason why Vaughn looked the way he did.
Hypothetically, let’s say Ortiz realized that he needed to make a decision to save his career after being cut by the Minnesota Twins in December of 2002. Although he had decent numbers that year (.272, 20, 75), his numbers went way up his first year at Fenway, with not only his batting average being higher, but his home runs and RBI jumped to 31 and 101, respectively.
He then became a legitimate superstar and hit a career-high 54 bombs in 2006. His numbers have declined since, and he also missed some time last summer due to injury.
It isn’t impossible that Ortiz dabbled into the use of steroids at one time and may now be clean, so it’s easy to step up and make a statement like he did. He was going yard and in a big way during the period that has been proven to be the so-called ’steroid era.’
By stepping up and saying,”Hey, come and test all of us and throw us out if we’re stupid enough to do it,’ Ortiz deflects any doubt that may have been lingering over him.
Similar to what Pameiro did. Get my drift?
Saying Goodbye to the Old Girl of Broad Street
February 13, 2009
PHILADELPHIA – Three other modern venues elicit attention when entering Broad Street after exiting the Walt Whitman Bridge. It isn’t until you scan the literal quadrant of stadiums and arenas that the smaller building catches the eye amidst the modern sporting palaces that comprises the landscape.
Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Eagles, is the conspicuous facility because of its size. Even in the offseason, the ballpark across the parking lot is noticeable because of a bright red sign and a message board proclaiming its home inhabitant as Major League Baseball champions. Citizens Bank Park, which opened in 2004, is the home of Phillies while the Eagles’ home field is one year older. Rounding out the last of the newer stadiums is the home of the Flyers and 76ers, which opened way back in 1996.
But amid the new palaces for this city’s sports teams sits a haunt for generations of Philadelphia entertainment fans. Like the aforementioned venues, the Spectrum’s formal name is preceded by a corporate sponsor. But while the arena doesn’t host big league events anymore, many sports fan have been making the trek to see a historic site that is scheduled to be razed this spring.
The Spectrum has been like an old friend to a sports-crazed city since it opened in 1967. There are many similarities between the old barn and Nassau Coliseum, which is undergoing a major public relations campaign by the Islanders to renovate what is considered by many fans to be an outdated facility.
Yet the Spectrum is undeniably one of the most storied places in North American sports. It has hosted two NBA All-Star Games and four Finals series, six Stanly Cup Finals series (one more than the Coliseum) and two All-Star contests, two Finals Fours and crossed over into the entertainment world, with banners still hanging that chronicled the Grateful Dead tours. From the cinema world, the Spectrum was in the script of the famous “Rocky” fight against Apollo Creed and the actual building at one time was the location of the famous statue to honor the fictional Rocky Balboa (sorry, Philly fans, he is just a character and not a real champion).
Some fans like Will Janson said some non-sports events will make the demolition of the Spectrum a sad day and could prompt him to take home some memorabilia before the doors close for good.
“I actually had the prettiest girl in the world sitting on my shoulders during a David Bowie concert in ’76″ Janson said. “She actually still lives in the neighborhood. I’ll try and grab a section of the wall and I’m going to try and grab my seats.”
The Spectrum serves as the home to the AHL’s Philadelphia Phantoms, the Flyers’ farm team. Though long since outdated for the modern NHL, the capacity of 17,380 for hockey allows fans to sit close to the ice, making it easy to envision the heyday of one of the most intimidating places to play for visiting teams when the Flyers were racking up consistent playoff appearances decades ago.
“I like the comradery here,” Brett Marino said during an intermission of a Phantoms game. “Everybody’s always glad to be here and glad to see a good game. It’s a shame. I’ll hate to see it go.”
Purple stanchions on the glass give the place a unique look and portraits of past Flyers and 76ers great players and coaches are painted on the walls of the narrow corridors that stretch around the arena. Instead of an eagle-eye view of the action from the press box on the luxury box level, the press sits between the two-tiers of seats, sitting within ear-shot of the crowd. A small staircase actually located inside the media area allows access to the dressing room by descending two flights of stairs into the rickety underbelly that has served as the dressing room for Hall of Famers and A-list celebrities.
Passageways directly next to the benches lead from the dressing room to the ice, making the players who enter and exit the playing surface are level with the first rows of seats. Players are literally within touching distance of the fans. It’s easy to imagine fans of the Broad Street Bullies taunting future Islanders Hall of Famers during the 1980 Stanley Cup Finals, where the Islanders were able to hold off a Philadelphia team that went undefeated for 35 games during the regular season to win the first of its four straight titles.
“The building is outdated ,but you can’t beat the seating here,” said Chris Poole, who has been coming to the Spectrum for the past three decades. “I saw my first concert here [to watch] Kiss.”
Almost 140,000 fans have passed through the Spectrum’s gates this season. Overall, the Phantoms average nearly 7,000 per game. Claude Giroux, the Flyers 2006 first-round pick who started the year in the AHL before getting called up, said it meant extra playing in the Spectrum.
“Every game, they cheer a lot,” Giroux said after a December win against Hartford. “It’s a big motivation every time we play here. We’re lucky to have those fans.”
New arenas seat closer to 20,000 people and offer amenities like more leg room, cup holders and wider lobbies, though there is usually a tradeoff with fans sitting further from ice level. The Devils’ new home in Newark exemplifies the dichotomy between modern perks and things like great sight lines for which old barns like the Spectrum were noted. Some fans like the close-quarter feelings a 42-year-old arena provides.
“It just has a nice feel,” Michelle Penkrot said. “It’s nice that it’s a little smaller.”
A patch that that espouses the arena as “America’s Showplace” is being worn on Phantoms jerseys this season. It is influenced by the original logo, replete with 1960s-era color scheme. The Phantoms could move to Allentown, Pa. next season after Comcast Spectator, the Spectrum’s owner, sold the team to Brooks Group of Pittsburgh. While those plans have not been finalized, there will certainly be a literal and figurative vacancy at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex.
“It’s very intimate,” Jansen said. “You’re close to [the action]. It’s old style now, well, it wasn’t back then. But it’s just perfect.”
Hofstra Captures Key CAA Win Over Old Dominion
February 11, 2009
HEMPSTEAD, NY – Hofstra held Old Dominion to just 27.5 percent field goal shooting and sophomore guard Charles Jenkins (Queens, NY) scored a team-high 15 points to help the Pride post a 60-51 victory in a key CAA matchup Tuesday evening at the Mack Sports Complex.
Jenkins finished just two rebounds short of a double-double while sophomore guard Nathaniel Lester (Brooklyn, NY) and senior forward Darren Townes (New York, NY) added 11 and 10 points, respectively, to give the Pride three double-figure scorers. Lester added 10 rebounds for his second career double-double, while Townes added a season-high four blocked shots to go with his season-high 10 points.
Hofstra won its second game in a row and recorded its sixth victory in the last eight games to improve to 16-9 and 8-6 against the CAA. Gerald Lee poured in a game-high 20 points for ODU but couldn’t prevent the Monarchs from dropping to 15-9 and 8-6 in conference play, tying it with the Pride.
Senior guard Zygis Sestokas (Vilnius, Lithuania) added nine points on 3-6 shooting from beyond the arc, giving him 101 career three-pointers, making him only the 15th player in school history to make 100. Sophomore forward Greg Washington (Centereach, NY) added three blocked shots to give him 100 in that category, one of only four players to reach that milestone. As a team, Hofstra blocked 13 shots, one shy of the school record set on two occasions (1999-2000 against New Mexico State and 2005-06 against Towson).
The Pride never trailed in the game, as Townes hit a pair of shots in the opening minutes to stake Hofstra to an early 9-3 lead. Hofstra led by as many as 10 points in the first half at 20-10 on a Jenkins jumper before settling for a 28-19 lead at the break after Townes converted on a put-back with 49 seconds left.
Old Dominion got as close as four points (38-34) in the second half on a fast-break lay-up from Keyon Carter with 14:20 left in the game. Sestokas answered with his third three-pointer coming out of a time-out to stretch the lead back up to seven. The Monarchs came within six points on six different occasions in the last 10 minutes, but could get no closer. Jenkins answered twice with the lead down to six in the final five minutes, and senior forward Arminas Urbutis (Kaunas, Lithuania) knocked down a fadeaway with the shot clock expiring and 1:28 left on the clock to push Hofstra’s lead to 55-47.
Hofstra out-rebounded Old Dominion 48-39 on the day in a battle between the top two rebounding teams in the CAA. Old Dominion came into the game first in the league with a +6.9 rebounding margin, while Hofstra was second at +6.1. Hofstra also improved its league-leading field goal percentage defense by holding the Monarchs to just 27.5 percent shooting on the day (19-69). Carter had 15 points for Old Dominion off the bench to support Lee’s 20-point effort, and Darius James added eight, but the rest of the Monarch team combined for only eight points on 2-28 shooting from the floor.
The Pride will next be in action when it travels to Delaware on Saturday for a 4 p.m. contest, which will be televised locally on MSG+ Network.
Rawson Rouses Controversy with Truth
February 9, 2009
There is an old media double standard in golf – and really sport. On one hand, golf writers lament about how boring and socially unremarkable so many players are. On the other, they rail players that make controversial statements or speak their mind. In effect, a player really cannot win.
On the PGA Tour side, Vijay Singh is one of those players. The media loves to nail Vijay for pretty much any opinion that he has. Sergio Garcia gets his fair share of press for speaking his mind. In his case, it’s deserved because he whines so much.
Tiger Woods is blasted at times because he will offer little in opinion or substance in press conferences. He does that through his website. Reporters, though, tend to keep those stories few and far between for the ironic fear of upsetting Woods.
In the last couple of years, there has been an explosion in the development of young, talented, and attractive players on the LPGA Tour. Paula Creamer, Natalie Gulbis, and others – depending on what you deem physically attractive – have proven that professional women’s golf can be attractive and excellent.
What’s more is that these players and others are more apt to speak their mind with the media. Christina Kim is a gem of a quote machine and a genuinely interesting person. She will tell you how it is. Morgan Pressel does not mince words or emotions. Neither does Anna Rawson.
Rawson went on an Australian radio station this past week and used the term “dykes” as part of describing the mainstream stereotype of women’s professional golf over the course of the last 25 years.
“The mentality unfortunately amongst the media and the industry hasn’t changed,” Rawson said. “They still think we’re at 25 years ago when the tour was full of, you know, a lot of dykes and unattractive females nobody wanted to watch.”
Of course, since Rawson dropped the term media into her statement, she was inevitably going to get it from the media as to how “out of line” she was by using the word “dyke.”
Let’s be clear here. Dyke is an offensive term to some. Some defending Rawson say that the term isn’t offensive or that some lesbians use it to describe themselves. Basically, it’s the defense used by white people when they use the “n word.” That won’t fly.
But, her defenders are right that Rawson didn’t intend to offend anybody with what she said. In fact, I’ve heard mutterings like that around professional events, golf clubhouses, and among sports fans for years. I’ve heard this stuff at LPGA events!
Rawson is right. The attitude toward female professional golfers is slow in changing despite the influx of such great talent. It has to be frustrating at times, to the point that someone might let their guard down and use a word like “dyke.”
Anna Rawson intended to explain how she feels that her and her colleagues are perceived by their own media and industry. She did it in an honest fashion, using words that are lobbed around in private by naysayers. When she uses it in public to confront reality, she is the one to pay for it? That makes no sense whatsoever.
The reason that Rawson is getting the treatment that she is in the press is simply due to the insertion of media into the quote. Rather than addressing the substance of what Rawson said – media opinions about female golfers – writers have harped on a single word in a bigger message.
The LPGA Tour is trying to grow by getting younger, more talented, and yes, more attractive to men. It is a strategy that is working although perhaps not at as quick of a pace as desired by the players. Playing for purses that are one-third those of men will make golfers hungry, frustrated, and sometimes be blunt in public.
It doesn’t mean that Rawson does not have an appreciation for who came before her or how hard many women toiled on the course to get the LPGA Tour to where it is today. It means that she is acutely aware of how the public thinks, and that it will never hurt her career or the LPGA Tour that she has a dual career as a model.
Hofstra Entertains ODU Tuesday Night
February 9, 2009
HEMPSTEAD, NY – The Hofstra Men’s Basketball team (15-9, 7-6 CAA) entertains Old Dominion (15-8, 8-5 CAA) at the Mack Sports Complex on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in a pivotal Colonial Athletic Association contest, which will be televised nationally on ESPNU.
Hofstra comes into the game in seventh place in the CAA at 7-6, but it is only one game out of fourth place, as Old Dominion, James Madison and Drexel are all tied at 8-5. Drexel (at first place Northeastern) and James Madison (at second place VCU) both play tough road games on Wednesday, which would mean that the Pride could pull into a four-way tie for fourth place with a win over Monarchs. The top four teams in the CAA standings receive opening-round byes in CAA Tournament, which will be held from March 6-9 in Richmond, Virginia.
Hofstra and Old Dominion also only play each other one time this season, which gives the game added significance for potenital tiebreakers. Should the two teams end up in a two-way tie for fourth, the winner of Tuesday’s game would earn the fourth seed and the opening-round bye.
If the past is any indication, the game should come right down to the wire. Hofstra has won five of the seven games in the series at the Mack Sports Complex, including 5-1 in the regular season (Old Dominion captured an NIT quarterfinal game at Hofstra in 2006). Four of the six regular season meetings have come down to buzzer-beaters, including misses by Old Dominion in 2001-02 (67-66) and 2003-04 (80-79), a miss by Hofstra in 2004-05 (67-66) and a made three-pointer by Hofstra’s Aurimas Kieza in 2005-06 (65-63). Old Dominion holds a 10-7 lead in the all-time series, which includes a win in 1993-94, before the Pride joined the CAA.
If the game does come down to the wire, Hofstra will be in familiar territory. The Pride is a remarkable 10-2 this year in games decided by five points or less, including its last three conference wins, which have featured last-minute game-winners from three different players. Sophomore guard Charles Jenkins (Queens, NY) defeated James Madison with a jumper with 1.9 seconds left on Jan. 24, senior forward Arminas Urbutis (Kaunas, Lithuania) defeated UNC Wilmington at the buzzer on Jan. 28 and sophmore forward Greg Washington (Centereach, NY) hit the game-winner with 30 seconds left in Saturday’s 71-68 win over Towson.
Jenkins currently leads Hofstra with 18.1 points per game, which ranks him second in the CAA behind VCU guard Eric Maynor. He is also ninth in the CAA in assists (3.5 per game) and eighth in free throw percentage (81.0 percent). Sophomore guard Nathaniel Lester (Brooklyn, NY) has stepped up recently as a secondary option, scoring in double figures in four of the last five contests, including a career-high 21 in Saturday’s win over Towson. Lester had 19 of his 21 points in the second half, including 13 of Hofstra’s 17 points during a 10-minute stretch when Jenkins was on the bench with four fouls.
The Monarchs come into the week at 15-8 and riding a four-game winning streak which has pushed them into a tie for fourth place in the CAA, including a 63-53 win at Drexel on Saturday in the first part of their two-game, five-day road trip. Junior forward Gerald Lee leads the Old Dominion offense with 15.1 points per game, including 22.0 in the last four. Ben Finney is the only other Monarch in double figures (10.7), while point guard Darius James has 107 assists and only 52 turnovers.
For ticket information, contact the Hofstra Box Office at 516-HOF-TIXX (516-463-8499).
Hofstra Wins Another Nail-Biter
February 8, 2009
HEMPSTEAD, NY – Sophomore forward Greg Washington (Centereach, NY) nailed a clutch jump shot with 30.9 seconds remaining, breaking a 68-68 tie to give the Hofstra Men’s Basketball team a 71-68 victory over Towson in a Colonial Athletic Association matchup Saturday afternoon at the Mack Sports Complex.
With the win, the Pride improves to 15-9 overall and 7-6 in the CAA, while also improving to 10-2 this season in games decided by five points or less. Towson slips to 8-17 overall and 3-10 in league play.
Washington capped a flurry under the basket that featured two Pride offensive rebounds before he made a high-arching jumper from the left wing to hand Hofstra a 70-68 lead. Junior guard Josh Thornton hit four three-pointers for Towson and was 4-9 from the field, but his potential game-tying 20-foot shot near the arc fell short of the rim and went out-of-bounds with an even two seconds left on the clock, preserving the Hofstra victory.
Sophomore guard Nathaniel Lester (Brooklyn, NY) scored five straight points to break a tie late in the second half and put Hofstra ahead 66-61. Lester had all but two of his career-high 21 points in the second half. Charles Jenkins (Queens, NY) added a game-high 24 points in just
27 minutes after picking up his fourth foul early in the second half, and Arminas Urbutis (Kaunas, Lithuania) scored a career-high 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for his first double-double.
Junior Hairston scored a team-high 23 points for Towson, including a three-pointer that tied it at 68 with 1:11 left before Washington’s go-ahead basket. The Pride, which trailed by as much as 12 points in the contest, opened up a late lead when Lester scored five straight points to break a 61-all tie with 3:15 remaining. Lester earned a lay-up coming out of a time-out, Urbutis grabbed a key defensive rebound on Towson’s next possession to lock up his double-double. Senior guard Zygis Sestokas (Vilnius, Lithuania) then hit Lester with a crisp pass and Lester drew a foul on David Brewster while hitting the shot in the paint. Lester completed the three-point play with a free throw, building a 66-61 lead with 2:26 left.
Sestokas earlier hit a three-pointer, the 98th in his career, for a
60-57 Hofstra lead and provided tight defense on Thornton’s tying shot with two seconds left. With Jenkins on the bench after picking up his fourth foul nearly four minutes into the second half, the Pride surged in front when Lester hit a three-pointer in front of Hofstra’s bench for a 50-49 lead with 10:41 left, the Pride’s first lead since 2-0.
Lester then forced a Towson timeout after hitting another three from the opposite wing just 2:03 later to put the Pride up 53-51 after Troy Franklin put the Tigers back ahead. Lester added another jumper and a lay-in off a drive, giving him eight points in less than three minutes.
Hofstra fell behind as much as 12 points in the first half before Jenkins initiated the comeback. Jenkins produced nearly half of the Pride’s offense, scoring 16 points on 6-11 shooting to cut Towson’s lead to 35-31 at the break. Urbutis also reached his career high of 10 points in the first half alone, eclipsing his previous best of nine points, which he had accomplished six times.
Towson forged a 10-1 run midway through to build an 18-7 lead with
10:35 remaining. Rocky Coleman hit a three-pointer with a defender in his face and Robert Nwankwo followed a Tigers defensive stop with a two-handed put-back dunk for the 11-point edge.
Hofstra cut the deficit to four following Jenkins’ running jumper through the paint. Josh Thornton re-established a double-digit lead for the visitors minutes later, finishing a catch-and-shoot three-pointer off Brian Morris’s quick pass to cap an 8-0 run, building a 28-16 lead.
Jenkins scored Hofstra’s next seven points, including a lay-in off a loose ball in the paint while Urbutis chipped in six of his 10 points in the final five minutes. The duo accounted for all but five of the Pride’s points before halftime.
Hofstra shot 53.8 percent in the second half (14-26) after shooting only 29.6 percent in the opening stanza (8-27). The Pride also outrebounded the Tigers 31-27 on the afternoon.
The Pride will be back in action Tuesday when it hosts CAA-rival Old Dominion in a game that will be televised nationally on ESPNU. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
An Excerpt from “Heavyweight Armageddon”
February 6, 2009
Wearing the black trunks, Iron Mike Tyson is one of the world’s most recognizable men. In white, Lennox Lewis is the emperor of the throne of the world heavyweight title. These two magnificent gladiators waged historic war to see who was superior – the good or the bad guy? A comprehensive collection of eyewitness accounts, research and interviews, “Heavyweight Armageddon” tells the fascinating tale of one of boxing’s most socially important super-fights. Two troubled but extraordinary boys from underprivileged backgrounds gravitated to the boxing ring for different reasons – both taking separate and spectacular journeys to the highest, most prestigious pinnacle in all of sport – the world heavyweight title. They meet once and for all in Memphis on June 8, 2002 with much more at stake than just multi-millions of dollars. People from all over the globe wanted to see who would prevail, the force of good or the spirit of evil? If you have an appetite for the dram! a and pageantry of boxing at it’s best, Heavyweight Armageddon! is an insightful read which will take you on an exciting journey with a cast of colorful characters – and of course two of boxing’s most renowned warriors.
The cover of Heavyweight Armageddon
Lucia Rijker: “The other great fight in history – Louis-Schmeling – was political. The fight of Lewis and Mike was almost light against darkness. Good against evil. And, to me, Mike needed the lesson to be humbled, he needed the lesson to realize his causes and how he lived his life were wrong. And Lennox was the one to show him. And, to me, the fight represented that good wins always over evil, eventually. Light wins over darkness. That gave me hope…that there is justice in life. Because I thought $50 million in the hands of a man that doesn’t show responsible causes, would be dangerous. If Mike Tyson would have won against Lennox, he could have been a very dangerous influence. And if the world is like that, like Mike Tyson, where would the world go? It would be the world’s destruction.”
Lennox Lewis: “It will be a battle of good versus evil. The way I look at it, the good guy has to win. And the good guy will win.”
Mike Tyson: “I’ve known Lennox since I was 16. I have mad respect for him. Everything I said was in proposition for promoting the fight. He knows I love him and his mother…This guy, there’s no way I could ever beat him. He’s just too big and too strong. He’s just a consummate fighter.”
Book Excerpt: Heavyweight Armageddon: The Tyson-Lewis Championship Battle
“Our main focus on the day before and during the fight is certain points, certain things,” said Courtney Shand. “We might see Lennox get up and do something. When he does it, you remind him of certain things. If he gets up and starts moving around, okay, remember when you do that? Do this. And as soon as you do that, do that. Positive reinforcement. If you push Tyson a certain way, we know what he’s going to do before he resets himself to throw a punch. So, capitalize on that. When Mike does things a certain way, expect this. Positive reinforcing. We don’t just go in and jump on him. As soon as Lennox shows us that fire, we’re on him. Keep drilling it in.”
“Again, it’s when he gets up and turns on the TV, he watches a certain section of the fight, okay, remember do this when you see this. What do you do if…? Sometimes we put questions on him. Okay, you saw what Buster did right there, okay what do you gotta do when that happens? When you get him off you, what do you have to do? Just keep his mind stimulated.”
“‘Cause he has to read it. He’s like a quarterback in a football game. He gets up there, he sees the defense lining up, just before he huts the ball and they shift – he’s got to read what Tyson is gonna do. Read from his body language. Read from the way he’s setting his feet. Because Tyson’s, like, a deliberate fighter.”
“We watch our fights too. Because we gotta analyze what the other guy is trying to analyze about us. See what things we’re doing that they might try to take advantage of. They’re smart and we think we’re smart. They’re trying to match wits.”
***
Lewis emerged from his vehicle inside the Pyramid looking perfectly relaxed. HBO cameramen were there to greet him. He was wearing a red sweatsuit, black ragamuffin hat and black shades. He was chewing gum. Tyson arrived just before Lewis in a giant Rolls Royce limo wearing a tight-fitting blue short-sleeved muscle shirt. He was looking cool too, except for the huge sweat stains on his shirt.
…Then Mike Tyson strode out of his dressing room, to the beat of rap music by DMX’s “What’s My Name?” Iron Mike had his gloves together in front of his heart, with the customary white towel covering his body. At first glance, he looked slightly apprehensive, even reluctant for the fight, in contrast to how he seemed at the weigh-in. His posture looked a bit slumpy and droopy. He banged his hands together as he neared the ring.
The entire crowd was mesmerized by the appearance of Tyson, one of the mightiest, most notorious and celebrated fighters the world had ever witnessed. But the fire was not burning at full intensity. To my eyes, he looked like he was more there because he had to be then because he wanted to be. There was a subdued element to his mood.
When Iron Mike stepped through the ropes, much of the crowd applauded him. Love him or hate him, this was a man who defied all odds and achieved unparalleled greatness and distinction in the brutal sport of boxing. Upon hearing the acclaim, Tyson looked around, slightly inquisitive, acknowledging the unexpected warm greeting. He raised his arms about half way – not all the way up – in a muted pose of triumph. He looked a little nervous, even uncomfortable. But it was still Mike Tyson. Iron Mike Tyson was in the ring.
There was no doubt about it, Lewis was the predator. There was a twelve-man wall of security dividing the ring, all attired in yellow shirts and black pants. Lewis’s eyes looked clear and clean and spirited. You could detect not even an iota of doubt in his disposition.
“Tyson came up to the barrier,” Lewis would say later. “Looking at me, looking at my body. I’m beating my stomach, Yeah, I’m ready.”
***
Round Three
Lewis continued the pattern of controlling the range with jabs and right hands. Lewis’s graceful movements conjured the image of a great artist at work, poetically using his fists as tools to sculpt defeat onto this hulking shape of clay. Tyson’s only answers were one-punch-at-a-time attacks, which Lewis easily thwarted. The size and reach advantages were just too much for Tyson
Lewis drew first blood – a small cut over Tyson’s right eye. Tyson looked to be in pain as Shields implored him, “You got to get closer to this man.” But no man in 15 years had ever really done so. Those Lewis jabs and rights were a mighty arsenal to penetrate. Tyson grimaced as his cutman, Ira Trocki, tended to the wound. Steward told Lewis, ‘He can’t deal with your uppercut. Let’s get it together. The man is tired.”
***
“I remember one summer about six, seven years ago, Tyson rolled up. He used to rise his Harley around Brooklyn. And he was riding around. And some of me and my people were outside, on Crown Street. And a couple of me and my boys was slap boxing, just playin’ around. Tyson rolled up. By himself. And everybody looked. They were wondering if that was Tyson or not. So, he just roll up and he say, Yo, I’ll give whoever knocks the other one out, I’ll give you one hundred dollars right now. So, that just got people hyped. Word! Word! So they just start rumblin’. Next thing you know my boy just catches him with two lefts and a right – boop, boop, boop – and he just dropped him. Boop. Tyson said, Good shit. Gabe him a hundred dollars, got on his bike and left. I said, Oooohh, shit. I say, Yo, that’s too much power for one man to have. It was like straight out of a movie scene. Because we just chillin’ He just comes out of nowhere.”
***
In the fight did Tyson do anything you did not expect? “I’m glad he fought fair,” Lewis said. “Because I was definitely ready for anything. Even after (the fight) I had respect for him. I was hitting him with some shots. It was the first fight where my hands were a little sore. I said it was because of the size of his neck. He’s like a shock absorber. He’d take it, shake it off and come back at you. Like that Rhino Man in Spiderman.”
At the Cory Spinks-Ricardo Mayorga fight in Atlantic City in December 2003 you and Tyson were at ringside watching the fights in the same area, with him one seat in front of you. I was wondering if you both talked at all that night?
Lennox Lewis: “Yeah. I don’t know. For me, there’s never any bad blood – unless you do something to me. When we sat there, everyone was tense, looking at us, everybody was tense like that. I could tell. I said, What’s goin’ on Mike? He looks back at me, [says in a high-strung voice] What’s goin’ on with YOU? And that was it [laughs].”
“Heavyweight Armageddon: The Tyson-Lewis Championship Battle” is available at www.amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and borders.com.
Scoop has written boxing for The Ring, New York Post, New York Daily News, World Boxing Japan, Boxing World South Africa, The Fist (Australia), Boxing Digest, BoxingInsider.com, Boxing Update newsletter, Boxing News (U.K), CBS Sportsline.com, MOVES Magazine, Fightnews.com, Boxingtalk.com and of course NYSportsDay.com.