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March 15, 2006
A HUGE HUZZAH!! HUZZAH!! HUZZAH!!!!
...for sweet Sister NJSue's college team!!
Monmouth Lets Its Play Justify Its Place in Final 64
Joy on the faces of the Monmouth Hawks on Tuesday belied the atmosphere of debate and rancor that has cloaked the N.C.A.A. tournament since its field was selected and seeded Sunday.Monmouth provided a respite from the rhetoric with a simple reminder of what makes this postseason event enthralling.
The Hawks basked in the glow of winning an N.C.A.A. tournament game for the first time since its founding in West Long Branch, N.J., in 1933.
"To this date, this is Monmouth's finest moment," Hawks Coach Dave Calloway said.
Monmouth, 19-14 and champion of the Northeast Conference, officially became a No. 16-seeded team by defeating Hampton University, 71-49, in the opening-round game at the University of Dayton Arena.
Ahhhh...the little team that could. She'll be high-fiving and trash talkin' with all her students this morning ~ if anyone made it to class after last night. (Bingley was positively giddy when he called with the news last night and he hasn't posted yet...)
Now, about that game on Friday. Don't sweat it Monmouth ~ I've already got a close friend workin' it for ya...
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Don't worry about a thing.
Posted by tree hugging sister at March 15, 2006 08:45 AM
Comments
"I'm soaking up my 15 minutes before I probably end up working for my family in a pharmacy."
Gawd, I love these kids!
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at March 15, 2006 09:51 AM
(So you're alive. Stay that way ~ the tournament is young yet.)
Posted by: tree hugging sister at March 15, 2006 09:53 AM
They played well and they've got a tourney win this year, which is something 31 other teams won't be able to say come Saturday..
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at March 15, 2006 09:57 AM
I have to say that I hate the play-in game. Poor kids get to the tournament and as a reward, face one of the top three teams in the land. They'd be better off having BOTH gotten regular seedings, with some middling at-large team watching from home.
The Hoosiers, for example, are 18-11, their coach is already fired, and they're a SIXTH seed with a cushy game against San Diego State University. Then there's two tenth-seeds: Alabama (17-12), proud losers of games to Mississippi State and Temple; and Seton Hall (18-11), which finished by losing to Rutgers. "Lost to Rutgers" is never a positive on one's resume, especially when it's the second time you've done it. (BTW, Duke snuck past the Hall 93-40, and the Pirates put up a mighty 42 against Northwestern and 47 against St. John's, both teams with losing records.)
I'm happy for Monmouth, but mad at the NCAA for the whole concept of a 65th team. It's a cheap way for them to cheat a conference champion out of a spot they earned.
Posted by: Nightfly at March 15, 2006 01:28 PM
The campus was pretty quiet today. I think they were all sleeping it off! What's really nice about this is the homecoming: even if the team loses early, when they come back to West Long Branch the cops and fire department will be escorting the bus and everyone will be cheering.
Posted by: NJ Sue at March 15, 2006 07:45 PM