Round One!
Grilled sausage, peppers, and onions at 10am? Why not? The Rebounders never miss an opportunity for a tailgate party! It was a great way to get fortified for a double-header of basketball!
The first game on the card today was a #8/#9 seed match-up between Villanova and Utah, followed by the #1/#16 game between the Terps and Dartmouth.
Lest old acquaintances be forgot . . . prior to the first game, Maryland (and former Utah) Assistant Coach Daron Park greeted Utah Head Coach Elaine Elliott's Mom. Considering the distance, the Utes had a good showing of loyal fans on hand. And since we were already wearing red, the BasketCases decided to join them.
If you're going to sit with the Utes, you'd better learn the cheers!
Swoop, the Utes mascot (no relation to Sheryl), made the trip from Salt Lake City!
And Will D. Cat came down from Pennsylvania to support Villanova! The antics of the two mascots turned out to be about the most exciting moments of the first game. When the #8 and #9 seeds play you expect a competitive game. Nope, not today. Villanova was completely overmatched by Utah; apparently, their offense was left behind in the Keystone State. By halftime, the Wildcats had managed to put up only 16 points (ouch!). In the second half, they managed to score 14! (Double ouch!) The final score: Utes 60, 'Nova 30.
A great crowd turned out for today's game . . . nearly 11,000 people!! But one 
With no Dartmouth band in the house, the Maryland band had to do double duty. Fortunately, they were up to the task.
Testudo had to do double-mascot duty as well. He too was up to the task!
Here's a sight rarely seen at Comcast Center. . . the Senior Superstars (along with other starters) parked on the bench for a good bit of today's game . . . and none of them in foul trouble! With the game well in hand (or foot, or hair . . .), Coach B used the opportunity to give the reserves significant playing time. Everyone who was suited up played, and everyone scored. Making the most of her penultimate appearance at Comcast, Kristi Toliver lit up the scoreboard, scoring 23 points by halftime, equaling Dartmouth's total at the break all by herself! Kristi finished with 27 points in only 26 minutes!
82-53, a fairly predictable final score when a #1 plays a #16. Next: the Terps face the Utes on Tuesday at 7 PM.Photo Credit: DC BasketCases
posted by BasketCases @ 7:16 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Nice photos. Looking forward to playing the Utes on Tuesday, because if we had to play 'Nova I would show up to Comcast in in pajamas.
I don't have anything Villanova, but that was one of the worst-played, most boring displays of team sports I have ever seen on any level. To borrow someone else's quote, our bench - the actual bench - could have beaten them today.
How was it possible there were empty seats at Comcast today? 10,000+ is ok, but I really thought the arena would be full today.
So glad that Brenda gave the bench so many minutes this afternoon, and let the starters rest -- and stay out of the mess. (That's how great players get injured: some 16th-ranked player steps on an ankle, or throws an elbow.)
I was equally disgusted that Gino felt the need to completely humiliate the Vermont kids today. 104-65 is just unnecessary.
Can't wait for Tuesday night! Go Terps!
Um, posting-up, the UConn starters played less then the Maryland starters ... what more do you want Geno to do? Play some members of the crowd? Give them a break - they're simply a deep team. It's like in Same River Twice ... some crowd was giving Geno a hard time, telling him to play the bench ... he turned around and said 'this is my bench.'
Not much more could be done, sans not playing the starters at all, which is unfair on them - considering they deserve to play too.
Kudos to the Maryland fans. Comcast had the best attendance I believe for all the NCAA Tournament women's games on Sunday - more than 1500 than showed up in Storrs, CT. No doubt about it, Terps fans are the best women's basketball fans in the country.
I'm expecting a very tough game from Utah. If people will remember, we had to go into OT to beat them in the national championship year.
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