The Morning Dish – Wednesday, February 16th
South Carolina Smothers Kentucky: Behind suffocating defense, South Carolina upset Kentucky 73-61 for the Gamecocks’ first win against the Wildcats in more than seven years. The Gamecocks forced 21 turnovers and held the Wildcats to 38 percent shooting from the field. Junior guard Tarence Kinsey helped inspire the upset with a team-high 17 points. Kentucky fell behind by a dozen early in the second half and pulled within five before the Gamecocks put the game away with an 8-0 run. Senior guard Kelenna Azubuike led the Wildcats with 16 points.
Connecticut Evades Upset: Connecticut needed double overtime to exit Providence with a win, 94-89. Sophomore forward Charlie Villanueva led the Huskies with 22 points, including major baskets to seal the deal in overtime, to help Connecticut overcome a career-high 37 points from senior forward Ryan Gomes. Gomes shot 12-of-29, more than a third of his team’s total field goal attempts. Sophomore guard Marcus Williams had another sensational game to make up for the absence of Connecticut’s most reliable perimeter player, Rashad Anderson, who continues to recover from abscess on his leg. Williams scored 15 points and dished out 13 assists. He was one of four Huskies to register a double-double.
Wake Forest Survives Bad Shooting: Wake Forest has one of the nation’s most potent offenses but an unproven defense. In a 68-63 win at Miami, the Demon Deacons needed great defense, holding the Hurricanes to 33 percent shooting in the second half. Senior guard Taron Downey broke a 44-44 tie with a three pointer, and the Demon Deacons led the rest of the way, even though Miami stayed close until the very end. Sophomore guard Anthony Harris missed a long three-point attempt that would have tied the game in the closing moments. Fellow sophomore guard Guillermo Diaz led all scores with 20 points, and sophomore guard Chris Paul and junior forward Eric Williams each had 13 points to lead Wake Forest.
Cooked Duck: Oregon junior forward Ian Crosswhite’s career as a Duck is officially over after school officials dismissed him from the team. The decision follows a suspension for an unspecified violation of school rules. Coach Ernie Kent said Crosswhite will remain at Oregon, where he’s scheduled to graduate this summer. The political science major averaged 8.4 points and 5.7 rebounds in 19 games for Oregon this season. He started 17 of those games.
Iowa Won’t Take Pierce Back: Troubled Iowa junior guard Pierre Pierce approached coach Steve Alford to appeal his dismissal from the team, but Alford declined to reconsider. Alford kicked Pierce off the team after local police indicated that Pierce is the center of an investigation. They have charged Iowa’s leading scorer with a litany of charges, including burglary and assault with intent to commit sexual abuse. He could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted. Pierce had been averaging 17.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game for the Hawkeyes.
Storm Clouds Gather: St. John’s has been plagued by scandal for much of the past season and a half, and now, another problem threatens to force the school to forfeit four victories from earlier this season. Junior forward Rodney Epperson officially terminated his career at St. John’s by withdrawing from the school. Epperson was suspended in late December because school officials learned that Epperson’s junior college credentials may have been doctored by Randy Wolf, a former coach at Barton County Community College and the center of a serious academic fraud investigation. If an investigation proves that Epperson should never have played for the Red Storm, the team may have to forfeit the four wins against Wagner, Stony Brook, Virginia Tech and Marist in which Epperson played.
Danger Zone: Sun Belt officials are still trying to determine whether Arkansas – Little Rock coach Steve Shields made contact with a fan during a road game at Arkansas State. Shields said he turned to the fans to urge stadium officials to improve security after he was reportedly grazed by a water bottle. Video tapes and witness accounts indicate that Shields did not make contact with the fan in question. Considering the specter of mayhem in Detroit during the Pistons/Pacers brawl in December, Sun Belt officials would be wise to ensure that fans are aware that any contact with the opposing by anything is inappropriate and dangerous.
Northern Illinois Goes Commercial: Northern Illinois and Gatorade officials have reached an agreement that makes the sports drink the official energy booster for the Huskies’ programs. Gatorade officials will supply plenty of their product, in addition to all the other products you could possibly want – including towels, cups, dispensers and coolers. Gatorade officials included a special package for summer programs.
