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Pittsburgh has another breakdown in NCAAs
Category: Sports Written by Associated Press
ONE AND DONE--Wichita State Chadrack Lufile, left, fights for the ball with Pittsburgh's Steven Adams during a second-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament in Salt Lake City, Thursday, March 21. (AP Photo/George Frey)
by Lynn BeBruin
AP Sports Writer
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — This was supposed to be a comeback season for Pittsburgh after failing to make the NCAA tournament last year.
But a quarterfinal loss to Syracuse in the Big East tourney and a 73-55 thumping at the hands of Wichita State on Thursday in the second round of the NCAA tournament had coach Jamie Dixon feeling bad for his players.
"I'm sorry for our seniors to go out this way. They had great careers, and won a lot of games for us," Dixon said of Dante Taylor and Tray Woodall, who wept during postgame interviews.
Dixon, the subject of speculation surrounding the head coaching job at Southern California, said "Well, yes," when asked whether he expected to be back at Pitt (24-9).
"I just had my point guard break down here," he added quickly. "That's the farthest thing from my mind."
Woodall was leading No. 8 seed Pitt in scoring entering Thursday's second-round game. He finished with two points on 1-of-12 shooting, including 0 of 5 from 3-point range, with five turnovers.
"They played great and seemed to be far more aggressive," Dixon said of the ninth-seeded Shockers. "Extremely disappointed in the loss. I know we're a better team that what we played today."
The Panthers will go forward with 7-footer Steven Adams, forward Lamar Patterson and freshman Durand Johnson.
Adams led Pitt (24-9) with 13 points and 11 rebounds in his first NCAA action, hardly overwhelmed at the big stage, something that could be a springboard for next year.
"Well, it has to be," Dixon said. "That's what I told our returning guys ... it's something we've got to learn from and for Steve, he kept battling and kept going and was active around the glass."
Malcolm Armstead led Wichita State with 22 points and Cleanthony Early added 21. Carl Hall added 11 points for the Shockers (27-8), who face the winner of the No. 1-ranked Gonzaga-Southern game.
The Shockers forced Pitt into 15 turnovers and held the Panthers to 35 percent shooting, including 1 of 17 from 3-point range.
Woodall missed his first four shots and it didn't get much better from there.
Plenty of credit went to Tekele Cotton, who had the task of guarding Woodall.
"Tray missed three layups there in a row at one point," Dixon said. "It's just one of those days for us. We talked about him being their best defender. ... Our balance has been our key, but when you don't have anybody shoot it well and you go 1 of 17 from the 3, there are not a lot of things you can point to."
The Shockers scored 21 points off turnovers and took advantage at the free throw line, making 33 of 41 attempts.
Wichita State led 26-21 at the break but nearly doubled its offensive output in the second half.
Early's layup and two free throws by Armstead pushed Wichita State's lead to 30-21 early in the second half. Johnson's 3-pointer cut it to 30-26, and the Panthers were within 35-31 following a three-point play by James Robinson. Cotton answered with a 3-pointer to bump the Shockers' lead to 38-31 with 12:44 remaining.
Hall's three-point play with under 12 minutes left gave the Shockers a 10-point lead, 41-31. Pitt pulled within six after four free throws but the Shockers went on a 6-0 run, fueled by a pair of steals, a dunk by Cotton and two more free throws by Early for a 47-35 advantage with 10:13 left.
The Panthers wouldn't get any closer than eight the rest of the way.
The game was expected to be a defensive struggle, with Pitt allowing just 55.4 points and the Shockers known for dominating the glass with 38 rebounds a game.
As expected, it was physical.
When Adams went in strong for a dunk in the first half, he was fouled hard by Early.
"We weren't surprised at all," Woodall said. "Coming into this game, coach emphasized to us that they were real physical. These guys were real tough."
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Last Updated on Saturday, 23 March 2013 18:37
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Baylor's Griner more than just girl who can dunk
Category: Sports Written by Stephan Broadus
SHOT BLOCKER--Baylor's Brittney Griner (42) celebrates after breaking the NCAA women's career record for blocks as Odyssey Sims (0) and Oklahoma's Aaryn Ellenberg (3) stand by during the second half of a college basketball game in Waco Texas. Baylor was announced Monday, March 18, to join Connecticut, Stanford and Notre Dame as a No. 1 seed in the women's tournament, marking the second straight season those four schools were the top seeds. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)
by Stephen Hawkins
AP Basketball Writer
WACO, Texas (AP) — Brittney Griner arrived at Baylor known as the girl who could dunk.
Last Updated on Thursday, 21 March 2013 09:06
Hits: 321
Overtime: Steubenville jocks got off too easy
Category: Sports Written by Bill Neal
BILL NEAL
:10 Hey, here’s a bulletin! Just because a girl is high, drunk, knocked out, whatever, doesn’t give anyone the right to do anything to her. Let alone rape! The two punk jocks from Steubenville should get more than a year in the juvenile system. I’m just saying!
Last Updated on Thursday, 21 March 2013 08:35
Hits: 465
Camo, neon aren't college basketball fan favorites
Category: Sports Written by Associated Press
FASHION STATEMENT?--This photo illustration released by Adidas shows the uniforms for NCAA basketball teams, from left, University of Cincinnati, University of Kansas, University of Notre Dame, Baylor University, UCLA and the University of Louisville. (AP Photo/Adidas)
by Samantha Critchell
AP Fashion Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — It seems an unpopular position in college basketball is fashion forward.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 20 March 2013 17:45
Hits: 585
Hopewell’s Shatori Walker Kimbrough is Gatorade PA Girl’s Basketball Player of the Year
Category: Sports Written by Courier Newsroom
EMOTIONAL FAREWELL—Shatori Walker-Kimbrough gets emotional as she leaves the court in her last high school game against South Park March 13. Walker- Kimbrough finished her outstanding high school career with 2,427 points. (Courier Photos/William McBride)
CHICAGO—In its 28th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, recently announced Shatori Walker-Kimbrough of Hopewell High School as its 2012-13 Gatorade Pennsylvania Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Walker-Kimbrough as Pennsylvania’s best high school girls basketball player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year award to be announced this week, Walker-Kimbrough joins an elite alumni association of past state girls basketball award-winners, including Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Diana Taurasi (1998-99 & 1999-00, Don Antonio Lugo HS, Calif.), Maya Moore (2005-06 Collins Hill HS, Ga.), Rashanda McCants (2004-05, Asheville HS, N.C.), Shyra Ely (1999-00, Ben Davis HS, Ind.) and Lisa Leslie (1988-89, Morningside HS, Calif.).
The 5-foot-11 senior guard led the Vikings to a 22-5 record and a second-round clash with South Park in the Class AAA playoffs, on March 13. Walker-Kimbrough scored 20 points for Hopewell but they lost to South Park 50-46. Through 26 games, Walker-Kimbrough was averaging 28.3 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.8 steals and 4.5 assists. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Player of the Year in 2012, she is a
two-time First Team All-State selection and an Honorable Mention All-American by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.
Walker-Kimbrough has maintained a 3.90 GPA in the classroom. She has volunteered locally on behalf of food and toy donation drives, as well as the Special Olympics and youth basketball programs.
“Walker-Kimbrough is the most dominant player I’ve seen in my eight years as a head coach,” said Steve Lodovico, head coach at Blackhawk High. “She’s very athletic and can get to the rim almost at ease. She’s also developed her outside game and has become a threat from 15 feet and out.”
Walker-Kimbrough has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball on scholarship at the University of Maryland this fall.
Walker-Kimbrough joins recent Gatorade Pennsylvania Girls Basketball Players of the Year Sierra Moore (2011-12, Delone Catholic High School), Madison Cable (2010-11, Mt. Lebanon High School), Kayla McBride (2009-10, Villa Maria Academy), Stephanie Holzer (2008-09, Cardinal O’Hara), Markel Walker (2007-08, Schenley), and Jence Rhoads (2006–07, Slippery Rock Area) among the state’s list of former award winners.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each
sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade high school sports leadership team in partnership with USA TODAY High School Sports, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.
To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit www.gatorade.com/poy.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 20 March 2013 09:27
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