As the game gets ready to get started here, I notice a few maroon shirts up in the crowd and I wonder ... who are they rooting for here? They'll either have to play the only team that's shown it can beat them or a team playing in an environment that is, essentially, a home game.

That's assuming a WT win, of course, but I think that's a safe assumtion.

In-game next ...

Continue reading "Bartlesville, Day 4" »

Posted by · March 8, 2008 12:05 PM · Comments (0)

We're about five minutes from tipoff here, and both teams looked pretty pumped in warmups. Of course, when you are playing for a shot in the conference championship game, how can you not be pumped, right?

For ACU, it's their first appearance in the semis since the 1997-98 season, which also happens to be the last time the team made the tournament. There they lost a 134-129 thriller to UCO.

Ranked No. 9 in the region coming in, ACU beat No. 7 Southwestern Oklahoma State in the first round. Now they've got two wins over SWO this season -- which might be enough to push the Wildcats into the regional tournament. A win here, and I would think a regional berth for the Cats is a certainty, regardless of what happens in the championship game.

In-game is next ...

Continue reading "Bartlesville, Day 3" »

Posted by · March 7, 2008 5:50 PM · Comments (0)

Well, it looks like ACU will have to win this tournament to make the regionals -- which is absolutely ridiculous.

For the third straight week the Wildcat women have waited for the Wednesday release of the South Central Region poll, thinking each time that, finally, this will be the week they’ll see Abilene Christian listed.

And, for the third straight week, the Wildcats were jilted in the poll that will, at season’s end, determine the eight teams that will advance to the Division II regional playoffs.

The hottest team in the conference, ACU has beaten multiple regionally ranked teams this season, including No. 1 West Texas A&M. In the rematch with the Lady Buffs, ACU fell by just two on the road. It was the only loss ACU suffered the entire month of February. None of that, however, has swayed the voters.

The Lady Buffs still sit atop the poll, while Angelo State -- despite being upset in the last week of the season by a Texas A&M-Kingsville team that finished the season 7-20 overall and 3-11 in South Division Play -- is still No. 8. Northeastern State is No. 9 and Texas A&M-Commerce is No. 10. ACU split the season series with Angelo State, beat Northeastern in the lone matchup and fell in overtime at Commerce, the team ACU will face today in the first round of the conference tournament.

In-game updates coming soon.

(Oh, and the PA guy? I'm pretty sure it's either Reverend Lovejoy or Principal Skinner. Kudos to the LSC and Bartlesville for footing the bill to get him here from Springfield. That's good stuff.)

Continue reading "Bartlesville, Day 2" »

Posted by · March 6, 2008 12:16 PM · Comments (0)

The gym and facilities here in Bartlesville are as advertised. Great atmosphere for a game here, and while the crowd for the first game isn’t huge, it is making a fair amount of noise, which is great.

I’ve successfully raided the media room for every media guide I was previously missing, and also managed to get my hands on the media guide put together for the tournament. If you get a chance to get down here, track one down. The thing is full-color and full of great stuff. The folks at the LSC and Bartlesville, once again, doing an outstanding job.

And a note for the Abilene folks: I caught up with former local sports anchor Cayden McFarland, now working in Tulsa. He’s loving the new gig, he said, as is his wife. Look for his Game 1 highlights to show up on KRBC and KTAB tonight.

Continue reading "Bartlesville, Day 1" »

Posted by · March 5, 2008 12:12 PM · Comments (0)

Well, it's been a long day, but I'm in Bartlesville, Okla., and we're less than 12 hours away from the first truly neutral-site Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament. It’s pretty exciting, really.

The local newspaper today (Tuesday) had a welcome to the players and fans on the front page, a story in sports and there was a full-page, full-color ad in there as well, which looked very professional. There were also signs with the conference tournament logo hung in the lobby of the hotel, and the folks here seem genuinely excited about the event. Stan Lambert and the rest of his crew in the LSC office, it seems, have this thing ready to go.

Be sure to check back often throughout the tournament. While I’ll be primarily covering ACU, Tarleton and Angelo State, I will also have a chance to see and talk with fans and players from most of the teams here, I’m sure. I’ll try to let you know what’s going on here as it happens, and hopefully will be able to offer some in-game insight while sitting courtside.

Posted by · March 5, 2008 12:24 AM · Comments (0)

14:55 -- Bernard Scott. Again. After the PAT this one's 52-24 and looking a lot more like it should.

13:34 -- Kingsville turns it over on downs on the ACU 35 ... I'd look for backups, but Jerale Badon is 44 yards shy of the conference yards record - not sure if Thomsen will leave him in to take a crack at it or not. I'm headed to the field ... this one's pretty much a yawner at this point.

Posted by · November 3, 2007 4:48 PM · Comments (0)

12:07 -- First-and-goal Kingsville at the 2. ACU just is sort of looking lethargic out there. They've got another pass interference call on this drive.

12:03 -- Ramirez runs in from two out and suddenly ACU's lead shrinks to four, 28-24.

9:34 -- Third-down conversion no good, Matt Adams in to attempt a 40-yard field goal. It's good, ACU back up by seven, 31-24.

5:34 -- Following a huge 50-yard pass to Johnny Knox, ACU looked to score another six on a pass to Jerale Badon, but a holding call nixed that.

5:17 -- Bernard Scott, again. The guy takes a little dump screen and turns it into a 28-yard touchdown. (That's the fifth game this season the guy has scored at least three touchdowns.)ACU 38-24

4:42 -- Fred Thompson gets a nice pick right on the ACU sideline, ending what was looking to be a good start on Kingsville's ensuing drive. ACU ball with the chance to go up 21.

3:40 -- Johnny Knox and Billy Malone connect again, this time from 50 out. Three Javs had an angle, but Knox is just too fast. His second score - on his 21st birthday - makes it 45-24.

Posted by · November 3, 2007 3:49 PM · Comments (0)