And here we are heading into the second half, Sesame Street fans!!! Wooo! I’m glad that you’re spending your Spring Break, reading my semi-professional live blog. Just so you’re sure, you can’t get these precious moments back.
Oh, by the way, that’s a picture of a green bucket on the Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse floor after the roof leaked during Saturday’s (Purple) rainfest. There is a green bucket in my house, too … Wait, that’s a lie. I don’t have a green bucket … or a house.
… Let’s delve into the second half after the jump.
Still Halftime – As things get crazier at this playhouse known as The Temple News office, I’ve noticed that ESPN play-by-play announcer Debbie Antonelli looks a lot like Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2: Judgement Day (sans the gigantic gun, of course).
18:08 – After Lady Comfort hits a 14-foot jumper, our announcer tells us she’s in “the comfort zone,” which was immeadetly followed by the type of silence that I get after I say, oh, just about anything to anyone. I will cry for her later tonight … Meanwhile, on their next possession, Xavier hits a basket – I don’t know who the player was … I’m a horrible sports reporter – to take a 27-26 lead.
17:28 – Hey! A Kevin McGuff shot. That makes the coach close up count, 285-1, in Staley’s favor.
16:26 – This is a physical game. On one sweeping sequence, Lady Comfort came down funny after bumping into a Xavier player after collecting a defensive rebound. Then, after flying down the court, Ashley Morris received the business from Special Jennings. This is all amazing because … Special’s siblings names are: Wonderful and Treasure, apparently … How you can get mad at kids with those names? … “I hate you Special …” “You are such a jerk Wonderful …” “I thought you were different, but you’re just like the rest of them Treasure …” … You know what the sad thing is? I could keep going with this … Man, I’m a loser with a capital O.
Some time later (I missed the time) – 5-foot-5 Ashley Morris goes into the lane and has her floater absolutely dismantled by 6-foot-4 Amber Harris. Harris has four blocks so far, the announcers inform us … The real question, though, is: Is she happy?
Some time even later (I’m really intoxicated, now) – Some Xavier player with the last name Phillips dishes off a gorgeous behind the back no-look pass to Amber Harris who hits the basket to make it a 34-31 game in favor of Temple. Best pass of the game, in my opinion. Oh wait … I’ve only watched about 60% of this game, in between running in and out of this newsroom.
11:49 – If you can make it here, we have free cookies in the office for the next 10 minutes!!!
10:21 – The ESPN announcer uses “low-scoring,” “tough” and “grind” to describe this 34-33 game (Temple still has the lead) … Someone has a travel thesauras (I spelled it wrong … sue me).
7:25 – Ta’shia Phillips puts in a basket and Xavier trailes by one, 37-36. This looks like its going to be tight all down the stretch … As “Kiss The Girl” from The Little Mermaid is being blasted in the TTN office.
5:26 – Dawn Staley Shot #6,000, this time an angry one … Still a three-point game here.
4:50 – Amber Harris hits two free throws to put Xavier up. 40-39. Then we get shot #2 of Kevin McGuff. He is chewing his gum like a champion.
4:11 – Temple is now down by three … The announcer informs us that Dawn doesn’t usually yell at her juniors and seniors, but Ashley Morris is getting a tounge-lashing, if my eyes are correct. I wear glasses with 20-inch lenses, by the way. And I have -10/20 vision.
A little while later – Christopher George Wink informs me that Temple is shooting horrible from the line. Jasmine Stone missed the front end of her foul shots, made up for it by helping force Xavier into a shot clock violation … I am litterally on my knees now, typing this. Don’t tell anyone I said that.
2:15 – Ashley Morris fires up an errant three early in the shot clock and Xavier gets the ball back. Looks like time is running out on Temple’s chances, as Lady Comfort heads to the bench.
1:46 – Morris gets a crazy steal, passes the ball to LaKeisha Eaddy, who misses a short jumper and then commits a foul on Amber Harris. Temple is down, 44-40.
Still 1:46 – Amber Harris misses the front end of a one-and-one free throw attempt but Temple can’t take advantage on their next possession as Comfort steps on the baseline and turns the ball over moments later.
1:05 – Xavier misses a three-pointer that might’ve been the nail in the coffin, but Ta’Shia Phillips grabs the offensive rebound and the Muskateers call a timeout. Xavier then misses another shot and Temple collects the board. The ESPN announcers say the A-10 will get at least two bids. They say that G.W. is already in and the other bid will go to the winner of this game.
33.0 – Shanea Cotton recovers Ashley Morris’ three-point attempt and puts it in to cut Xavier’s lead to 44-42.
25 seconds – Lindsay Kimmel commits a foul that puts Amber Harris on the free throw line. Xavier is the worst FT shooting team in the conference and, thus-ly, she only makes 1-of-2 and Temple gets the ball back with a chance to tie the game. Pressure’s on.
8.2 – Ashley Morris commits a crucial turnover, losing the ball along the left sideline to a Xavier player whose first name is Jeri/Jerry … Jerry NoLastName then nails two free throws. Temple committed 11 turnovers in the second half. After NoLastName’s free throws, Temple trails, 47-42 … Looks like Dawn Staley will lose her first A-10 Championship game …
0.0 – And it’s official. After a way-off three-point attempt by LaKeisha Eaddy, Xavier inbounds the ball and the final buzzer sounds. Game over. No A-10 title for the Owls … Looking for emotion shots, ESPN only finds a frustrated Dawn Staley shaking hands with the Xavier players, but no stereotypical shots of athletes crying. Oh, well … They tried … Was this the end for seniors Ashley Morris and Lady Comfort? Their fate lays in the hands of the NCAA Selection Committee.
Alright, thanks for hanging with me, readers. Like I said, you can’t get this time back … I’m sorry.
Check out Temple-News.com within the next couple of hours for more coverage of the A-10 Women’s Championship.
