This was Old Dominion’s seventh appearance in the Final, to which they qualified by pulling out a thrilling 73-69 overtime victory over defending champ VCU, led by a spectacular 26-point effort by senior center Gerald Lee (First Team All-CAA).
William & Mary had to survive its own exciting Semifinal action, when a game-winning 3-pointer by David Schneider (Second Team All-CAA, 2010 Dean Ehlers Leadership Award) was enough to fight off seven scoreboard-tying attempts by Northeastern, edging out the Rams 47-45.
The Regular Season Champions and Top Seeded Monarchs came into the Coliseum with a dominating 62-15 record over the Tribe (4-1 in the CAA Tournament), plus back-to-back victories in the regular season.
After tip-off, ODU took a quick 5-0 lead, but a trey by Schneider and some heads up play put the Tribe right back in the game. A couple of three-point plays from each team held the score at 17-14 in favor of Old Dominion with just under 12 minutes to play.
The Monarchs had a slight edge in the paint (they set a record for rebounds with 60 in their Quarterfinal victory over Towson), but did not take advantage of possession with ball-mishandling and unforced turnovers.
ODU finally benefited from the edge in rebounding, reaching their first double-digit lead of the game (24-14) midway into the half with some solid play from Darius James and Kent Bazemore.
A three-point FG by James made the score 27-14 with 7:55 left in the half, forcing W&M to quickly take a time-out to regroup, and it worked, the Tribe went on a 10-3 run, fueled by three-pointers by Schneider, John Mark Ludwick and Danny Sumner, and forcing several Monarch turnovers.
Old Dominion continued to exert pressure inside, leading in rebounds 20-12 in the first half, and edging out the Tribe 31-24 at halftime.
The Monarchs went on their own 10-2 run right out of the locker room to regain the double-digit lead, and kept a sizeable advantage most of the half.
Nevertheless, sharp 3-point shooting by Sumner kept the Tribe in the game, and with 5:12 left, two free-throws converted by Quinn McDowell put the score 52-47 (still in favor of Old Dominion), a remarkable comeback by William & Mary, when the Monarchs led by as many as 15 points.
The Tribe did not take advantage of their possessions, and with 1:25 left, the Monarchs hung on to a 6-point lead. Another Sumner three-pointer kept William & Mary just down 5 points (56-51) with less than one minute left in the game.
After several free-throws taken by ODU, three missed three-point attempts by the Tribe pretty much sealed the CAA Championship for the aptly named Monarchs, finishing their perfect season at home (15-0) with a victory 60-53 over the William & Mary Tribe.
The Old Dominion Monarchs lived up to all expectations, becoming the eight #1 seed in seven years to capture the CAA Men’s Basketball Championship, and, like they proved to the Georgetown Hoyas in the Regular Season, could be one of the teams to watch in their date at the biggest ball of them all, the NCAA Tournament.
2010 CAA Men’s Basketball Championship – Semifinals Summary
Richmond Coliseum -- Sunday, March 7th, 2010
By Marly Rivera for HERB FM
RICHMOND, VA -- After getting past archrival George Mason in the Quarterfinals, there was no rest for the weary, and CAA Defensive Player of the Year Larry Sanders and the VCU Rams lost a heartbreaker at the hands of Old Dominion in the first game of Semifinal Sunday at Richmond Coliseum on March 7th.
The Rams and the Monarchs hold one of the longest and most bitter rivalries in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and their Semifinal match-up marked the 82nd meeting between the schools. ODU played with the added pressure of being the top seed, given that the school with such distinction has won seven of the last eight CAA Men’s Basketball Championships.
Old Dominion came into the arena to the riotous cheers (and boos) of the sold-out crowd, and inspired by their domination of Towson on Saturday, where they outrebounded the Tigers 60 to 27 on their way to an 86-56 victory, led by senior star center Gerald Lee (First Team All-CAA), junior Frank Hassell, and Kent Bazemore (CAA All-Defensive Team).
Both teams seemed to show signs of nervousness early, with several back-to-back fouls and multiple misses from the field and from the line.
After settling down, Old Dominion controlled the action from the paint, but a couple of turnovers and three-pointers kept VCU in the game, eventually putting the Rams up by 5 points with 8:45 left in the half, the only sizeable lead of the close match-up.
The gap was quickly erased by a 10-5 run by ODU, for the 7th lead change of the game. The Monarchs held on to a 32-29 lead at halftime.
VCU came attacking out of the locker-room, quickly going on a 13-4 run, and eventually reaching the first double-digit lead of the game with 12:32 left (50-40). Both teams seemed to be headed to foul trouble, with Sanders and Terrance Saintil one away from disqualification, and Bazemore and Lee with three a piece with 7:51 left.
ODU went on its own 7-0 run, and after a couple of treys on both sides, the Rams managed to hold on to a slim 2-point lead (62-60) with 2 minutes left.
The Monarchs went on to tie the game, led by a spectacular 22-point effort in regulation by Gerald Lee; with 34 seconds left, possession went to ODU, where a traveling violation turned the ball over to the Rams with 6 seconds in the clock, eventually leading to overtime.
A three-point shot by Ben Finney gave the Monarchs a 5-point lead in OT with 1:05 left, but a trey by Brandon Rozzelle made it 71-69; after VCU failed to convert on a turnover after a 5-second violation, Old Dominion, in a game that lived up to all expectations, squeaked out the 73-69 victory, in a tough loss for the hometown favorites and defending champions.
The Monarchs advanced to the CAA Championship Game on Sunday, where they will face the winner between #2 Northeastern and #3 William & Mary.
RICHMOND VA -- In their fourth straight CAA Tournament Quarterfinal, Towson University (#8) faced heavily-favored top seed Old Dominion in the first game at Richmond Coliseum on Saturday, March 6th. It is worth noting that the #1 seed has being crowned champion of the tournament seven times in the last eight years.
The Monarchs entered the game holding the third longest winning streak at home in the country, with their last loss coming to Northwestern in January of 2009, and with an imposing record of 22-1 over the Tigers.
The schools were led by CAA All-Defensive Team selections Kent Bazemore (Sophomore G/F, ODU) and Robert Nwankwo (Junior F, TU), and senior Finnish star center for the Monarchs, and First Team All-CAA member, Gerald Lee.
Old Dominion controlled the paint early, outnumbering the Tigers in rebounds 28-11 deep into the first half. Towson lacked the offensive spark exhibited in their First Round dominating win over UNC Wilmington, when they scored 52 points in the first half, and seemed puzzled at the powerful Monarch defensive stance.
ODU reached their first double-digit lead with 3:42 left before halftime, and they would manage to hold on to it for the rest of the game. Towson missed various opportunities to shorten the lead before halftime, missing free throws and easy layups, and failing yet again to take charge in rebounding; with a 10-1 run, the Monarchs lead 39-21.
The Monarchs steadily extended their lead to over 30 points, with Towson having no answer for the offensive and defensive rebounding clinic, combined with very poor FG percentage; Old Dominion finished the game outrebounding the Tigers 60 to 27.
ODU thrashed Towson by a final score of 86-56, moving on to Semifinal action, where they will meet their archrivals, defending champions VCU Rams.
The second game of the afternoon featured one of the best rivalries of the tournament, Virginia Commonwealth University vs. George Mason, and the largest crowds to date. The Rams and the Patriots have played each other in the CAA tournament three times, all of them in the Championship game, and favoring VCU.
Both teams started the game with good accuracy from the field, matching attempts shot by shot, especially from inside the paint, led by Luke Hancock (All-CAA Rookie Team) and Ryan Pearson of the Patriots, and local stars Larry Sanders (All-CAA First Team, All-CAA Defensive Team, Defensive Player of the Year) and Joey Rodriguez.
The score was tied six times in the first 20 minutes, and the teams exchanged leads 8 times; VCU established the highest lead of the game (7) midway into the half, but Mason responded nicely with Hancock and Pearson (who combined for 24 pts. in the 1st half), taking a 3 point lead (35-32) into halftime.
VCU’s full-court press led to a few turnovers, and with some sloppy play by Mason late in the half, including poor shooting from the free-throw line and a three-point foul on Rodriguez, the Rams managed their first double-digit lead of the game with close to 4 minutes left.
That changed the entire makeup of the game, and VCU went on a 16-4 run, a lead they would hold on to until the final buzzard, beating the Patriots 75-60, a score that did not reflect the closeness of the game, even though George Mason had to abandon the Richmond Coliseum with yet another loss at the hands of the Rams.
2010 CAA Men’s Basketball Championship – First Round Summary
Richmond Coliseum -- Friday, March 5th, 2010
By Marly Rivera for HERB FM
RICHMOND, VA -- At the 25th CAA Men’s Basketball Championship, the first game of the Opening Round was a blow-out, with Towson routing UNC Wilmington 91-74, a final score that did not reflect the one-sided quality of the game, though the Tigers ended up posting their highest point total and surpassing their highest margin of victory of the season.
It was the third meeting of the season between the schools, which split away wins. The match-up had the added interest of pairing the youngest coach in the League, 29-year-old Brooks Lee, against 30-year Division I coaching veteran Pat Kennedy of Towson University.
CAA’s #8 seed controlled most of the offensive effort in the first half, dominating 30-52, in what shaped to be one of the best historical tournament debuts for the Tigers. Rashawn Polk and Troy Franklin eventually combined for a total of 38 total points, with three other players reaching double digits.
The Seahawks attempted a comeback in the second half, but the shooting from beyond the arch proved ineffective, even though Towson hung back and allowed them to taken quite a few open shots, resting on the sizeable lead.
The Tigers will now have the daunting task of facing #1 seed Old Dominion in the Quarterfinals on Saturday, March 6th.
The second game featured #5 seed and defending champion Virginia Commonwealth University vs. the Delaware Blue Hens.
The VCU Rams were not only the hometown favorites, but also the statistical front-runners, entering the arena with a 13-1 record over the Blue Hens in their last 14 meetings, including a streak of eight seasons with at least one win in the tournament.
The limited attendance for the opening game completely turned around, with the Rams’ solid fan base filling up the stands in their signature black-and-gold regalia.
The locals went off to a rapid start, shooting about 60% from three-point range, but Delaware kept within striking distance early. Nevertheless, the Blue Hens poor FG percentage created havoc on the court, and by the end of the first 20 minutes the Rams’ 16-point lead would prove unsurmountable.
Delaware was not able to capitalize on VCU’s diminishing accuracy from the field in the second half, and junior guard Alphonso Dawson’s 13-point effort was not enough to counteract the Rams’ offense, led by First Team All-CAA junior forward Larry Sanders (15 TP), recently named the 2010 Defensive Player of the Year.
VCU went on to defeat the Blue Hens 66-49, and will face #4 seeded CAA powerhouse and regular season champ George Mason in the Quarters, in another true Virginia backyard rivalry.
Led by CAA Men’s Basketball Player of the Year, Charles Jenkins, Hofstra University (#7) beat Georgia State (#10) by one point in the third game of the First Round. Hofstra entered the Coliseum riding a six-game winning streak, and with their star junior guard as only one of five players in the nation with an average of at least 20 ppg. The game was also a rematch of their season ending win over the Panthers (87-74), held February 27th at the Mack Sports Complex.
Both teams had trouble finding the net early, with the Panthers resting on the offensive prowesses of Joe Dukes, and Hofstra, as expected, on Jenkins. The Panthers relied on their solid defense and matched the Pride shot by shot, finishing the half down by only 5 points (26-31), in the closest 20 minutes played in the Opening Round.
The second half started with a slight edge for the Pride, with Jenkins right on pace to surpass his season average, grabbing its first double digit lead 10 minutes in.
Powered by a solid defensive stance, GSU made a miraculous comeback by tying the game at 53 with 6 minutes left, and taking a 1 point lead with 30 seconds left to the final buzzard. Nevertheless, Greg Washington put in his 10th and 11th points of the game to give the edge 68-67 to the Pride, and with 18 seconds left, the Panthers were unable to score, losing in a heart-breaker.
Hofstra will face #2 seeded Northeastern in the Quarterfinals; the Pride fell to the Huskies 55-75 at home on February 6th.
In the last match-up of an action-packed Friday at Richmond Coliseum, 2010 Rookie of the Year Chris Fouch and Drexel University (#6) faced Second Team All-CAA Denzel Bowles and James Madison (#11). The Dragons dominated the season series, with back-to-back wins in January and February, and held an impressive 14-1 all-time record over the Dukes.
In a very physical game, with ample fouls and free throws taken by both teams, JMU edged Drexel 33-27 into the half. Bowles and Curtis Pierce combined for most of the Dukes’ offense during the first 20 minutes, while the Dragons’ offensive output was more spread out, led by Derrick Thomas with 8 points.
The JMU defense stepped up in the second half, with a game total of 7 blocks to 1, and complete domination in free throws, with a total of 28 for an average of 80%. Fouch’s impressive 20 points were more than aptly matched by Third Team All-CAA Julius Wells (18), Pierce (19), and Bowles (22), who were the force behind the Dukes’ unexpected 77-65 win, in what can be considered the first upset of the tournament.
James Madison will now have to face CAA’s Coach of the Year Tony Shaver and the William & Mary Tribe in the last Quarterfinal game Saturday night.
CAA Semi-Final #2 Northeastern vs William & Mary
In the second Semifinal, the #2 seeded Huskies would continue to chase their first CAA Championship with the less than enviable task of facing CAA Coach of the Year Tony Saver and the William & Mary Tribe, riding the momentum of a thrilling 74-71 double OT victory over Charles Jenkins (2010 CAA Player of the Year) and Hofstra University in the Quarterfinals.
The Tribe came back to beat number 11 seed James Madison University in the last Quarterfinal game on Saturday, driven by a brilliant 26-point game by Matt Janning.
All-ACC First Team selections Chaisson Allen and Janning led the revenge effort against William & Mary, which downed them by one point on their only meeting of the regular season last February 13th.
In their second-straight CAA Tournament Semifinal, W&M jumped to a double-digit lead midway into the half, fueled by a spread-out offensive effort led by Steven Hess, Marcus Kitt, and Sean McCurdy.
The Tribe continued to dominate the paint, outrebounding the Huskies and with much better FG percentage. Northeastern showed signs of fatigue and had a lot of trouble finding the net; with a few forced turnovers, William & Mary jumped to their highest lead (16), finishing the low-scoring first half up 31-17.
The sell-out crowd in the arena dwindled after the first game and the seemingly one-sided action; nevertheless, many fans were still in hand to cheer on their favorite team, particularly those sporting the green and yellow colors of the Tribe.
The Huskies closed the gap to five points within 6 minutes with forced turnovers and some much needed rebounding. After exchanging back-to-back treys, Northeastern seemed to find new inspiration, and after a 20-6 run led by Janning and Manny Adako, tied the game (37-37) with 8 minutes left.
After being down in the scoreboard most of the game, with less than 3 minutes left, Northeastern took their first lead of the half; with one minute remaining to the final buzzard, the Huskies kept the momentum and a one-point lead, but a clutch three-point shot by David Schneider, his first FG of the game, put the Tribe up 47-45 with 30 seconds left, in what would prove to be the final score.
Two sloppy back-to-back possessions by Northeastern, where they failed to convert on multiple attempts to the rim, finished in lucky bounces in their favor; with 2 seconds left in the clock, and after two more missed shots by the Huskies, the William & Mary Tribe escaped with the victory and a place in the 7 pm tipoff for the Championship game versus the Old Dominion Monarchs, guaranteeing a fourth CAA Championship in a row for a school from the Commonwealth of Virginia.
ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 28th, 2010) – The Bayhawks made their first major move of 2010 on Thursday by acquiring attackman John Christmas, defenseman Ray Megill and goalkeeper Mike Levin from the Boston Cannons in exchange for midfielder Kevin Buchanan and three draft picks, according to Bayhawks General Manager Spencer Ford.
“We have been looking for a right handed attackman who can do it all – feed, dodge, score,” said General Manager Spencer Ford. “John Christmas is one of those players who is extremely complete and experienced, and will be a leader for this team. After losing Shawn Nadelen to what is believed to be a season ending injury, the addition of Ray Megill will add a defensive minded player who can contribute in all aspects of defense – a player who can play with a short stick, long stick, and control the entire defensive end of the field. Mike Levin is a proven leader who has won a championship as a starting goalie and his team-first attitude will pay dividends on the back end of the field.”
Christmas was the Cannons 1st round pick (5th overall) in the 2005 Collegiate Draft. He scored 68 goals and recorded 55 assists for the Cannons over 5 seasons, including career high 24 goals and 19 assists in 2007. Megill was the Cannons 1st round pick (9th overall) in the 2007 Collegiate Draft. The defensemen appeared in 28 games over 3 seasons with the Cannons. Levin spent one year with the Cannons and played 9 games in net in 2009 and recorded a 5-2 record.
The Bayhawks sent Kevin Buchanan and three draft picks to Boston. Buchanan, 23, played in 6 games last season for the Bayhawks, recording at least 1 point in each game. He finished the 2009 Season with 7 goals and 6 assists. Buchanan was the 5th overall pick in the 2008 MLL Collegiate Draft by Los Angeles. He scored 8 goals and recorded 5 assists in the 2008 season. Buchanan graduated from Ohio State University in 2008 and that season was named Great Western Lacrosse League Player of the Year. He recorded 175 points for the Buckeyes over 4 seasons.
“I want to thank Kevin for his contributions to this team,” said Ford. “His personality alone will make him a great asset to any team he plays for.”
The Bayhawks open their season on May 15th at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium when they take on the Long Island Lizards at 7 PM. Ticket information is available at www.washingtonbayhawks.com.
By Bryan Bartram
Boston Blazers 2009 1st round draft pick is heading to the city of brotherly love to play for the wings. Max Seibald, the first American taken in the ‘09 entry draft was selected 8th overall by the Boston Blazers.
Seibald the former standout from Cornell was the recipient of the 2009 Tewaaraton award for the most outstanding college player in Division I. During the off season the Blazers knew that Seibald would be a hold out and made him inactive for the 2010 NLL season. The Wings receive Max Seibald while sending the Boston Blazers a 2010 1st round draft pick and future consideration. For a team that seems to be very inconsistent on offense, Seibald will bring them that spark that they are looking for.
Colt McCoy Wins Golden Arm Award
Baltimore, MD-- Johnny Unitas is arguably the greatest quarterback that ever played the game. His legacy lives on in many ways. One of those ways is the Golden Arm Award which is given to the best collegiate quarterback of the year. This year Colt McCoy of the Texas Longhorns received this honor.
There were many stars on hand to help celebrate this great athlete. Brooks Robinson, Bart Starr, and Raymond Berry were there to congratulate Colt McCoy. Robinson is probably the most recognized Baltimore athlete next to Unitas. Bart Starr had many great battles against Unitas as the quarterback of the Packers. Raymond Berry was Unitas' favorite target. All of these athletes were reminiscing about their interactions with Johnny Unitas all evening as well as complimenting the type of person Colt McCoy is.
We had a chance to talk to Colt McCoy during the evening and he told us that he would be happy to play for any NFL team but has a strong affliction for the Dallas Cowboys. Colt also told us that it will be strange to play with out his favorite target Jordan Shipley.
The award ceremony was held at the Tremont Hotel in Baltimore. John Unitas Jr. kicked off the ceremony with talking about his father and his impact on the game. Scott Garceau also spoke about the legacy of Unitas and the character of Colt McCoy. Raymond Berry and Bart Starr also shared their thoughts on Unitas and McCoy. Following the speeches they showed a highlight film of McCoy and scrolled through his 10 school records and 4 NCAA records. Finally, Colt took the podium to recieve his award where he thanked his family, the Unitas family, and his team mates.
Previous winners of this award: Rodney Peete, Peyton Manning, David Carr, Carson Palmer, Eli Manning, Matt Leinart, Brady Quinn, and Matt Ryan. The award has been around since 1987 when it was first given to Don McPherson of Syracuse.
Fox Sports announced the BCS Bowl Game selections Sunday night. The BCS Selection Committee had their work cut out for them as the final weekend of games made things interesting. Here is how the games shape up:
Citi BCS Championship Game:
Thursday, January 7 on ABC, 8pm.
No. 2 Texas vs No. 1 Alabama
This game will also have two Heisman finalist as Colt McCoy leads his Longhorns against Mark Ingram and the Crimson Tide. Pasadena, California will be the host for this game.
ALLSTATE Sugar Bowl
Friday, January 1 on FOX, 7:30pm
No. 5 Florida vs No. 3 Cincinnati
Tim Tebow and the Gators fell in the standings after losing to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. Tony Pike will lead the Bearcats in their second straight BCS appearance.
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
Monday, January 4 on FOX, 8pm
No. 6 Boise State vs No. 4 TCU
This is probably the most intriging matchup of the BCS Bowl Games. There has been more push for the smaller market schools with good teams to play in these games. No better way then to pit two high powered offences together in this game.
Rose Bowl Presented by Citi
Friday, January 1 on ABC, 4:30pm
No. 8 Ohio State vs No. 7 Oregon
Terelle Pryor will lead the Buckeyes against Jeremiah Masoli and the Ducks. Ohio State will look to return to the national spotlight with their elusive quarterback. The Ducks have been flying under the radar all season and quitely won the Pac-10.
FEDEX Orange Bowl
Tuesday, January 5 on FOX, 8:00pm
No. 10 Iowa vs No. 9 Georgia Tech
Iowa Hawkeyes have completed their best regular season since 2001. Georgia Tech will try to do something on one other ACC school has done in the last 10 years. Both teams boast good defences. This will come down to the high flying Hawkeye offence vs the time cosuming Yellow Jacket triple option.
HerbFM will bring you insight on all the bowl games throughout the month of December. Do not forget to find out what the boys think about these game on The Penalty Bos, where they will break down all of these games.
Orlando, Fl -- The Orlando Titans NLL team officially announced the signing of Casey Powell. The Titans also announced plans to expand lacrosse in the Orlando area.
Patrick Richardson was on hand for the event had a moment to catch up with Casey.
PR: With the starting of the Titans Academy, how excited are you to see so many young players here?
CP: Oh its awesome. Wells that’s going to be a big part of what we do. This is a weekend sport and in between the weekends we’re going to fill it in with giving back to the game. We’re excited to have that opportunity. And although I’ve been playing lacrosse a long time, I remember being a kid and what it means to look up to a role model and that’s what we try to be. We feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to do that and we’re excited to get going. And like I said at the press conference, this is an opportunity to give back and make lacrosse happen here in Florida.
PR: Now you’re going to be captain of a lot of young talent, a handful being selected for the national team, what kind of role will you be to them?
CP: Well, I’m 33 years-old and I have rookies coming in who are 22, and they call me Mr. Powell and I say, “Hey! Its Casey, buddy! Take it easy I want to feel young too.” (said with a laugh) Its great to be captain of the team and these young guys look up to me as a player, and on and off the field. And the younger players, I have the opportunity to help these guys, nurture them along a little bit and hopefully show them it is good to give back and they’ll kind of follow in our footsteps. We have some great players and instructors coming in the areThe press conference drew a large crowd of young lacrosse fans. This was perfect for announcing the formation of the "Titans Academy of Lacrosse". This academy will hold workshops and clinics for players, coaches and referees. The goal is to expand lacrosse in the Orlando area.
The program will also provide sticks and equipment to inter city kids through the "City Sticks" program.
Patrick also had a chance to speak to Titans Director of Lacrosse Development and Operations, Nathan Snyder.
PR: As I asked Casey the same question, with the starting of the Titans Academy, how excited are you to see so many young, future players here?
NS: Well, really that’s what its all about. Seeing the youth players out here gets your blood flowing. You realize they are the future of the game, and seeing them already out here being excited about seeing Casey and the rest of our team. And like I said, it’s really what its all about when it comes down to it, and that’s why from the development side of thing we are so dedicated to it, because we do realize the importance of it.
Powell graduated from Syracuse in 1998 as one of the most decorated player in NCAA history. 1st team All-American ('96-'98), 2nd team All-American ('95), D1 MOP ('97, '98), D1 Attackman of the Year ('98), D1 Midfielder of the Year ('96), Four Time NCAA All-Tournament Team, and Named to Lacrosse Magazine's All-Century Team.
Powell has jumped around the NLL playing with the Knighthawks, Storm, LumberJax, and NY Titans. He is a 5 time NLL All-Star.
Check video coverage of Casey Powell and information about the Academy. Also, for pictures of the event click on the Photos tab.
