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5:30
I personally would love to call this team amazing. The Lady Rattlers have trumped out of conference opponents. They have won close games in style. They have overcome adversity. If you just read the good headlines, these girls should be unstoppable.
Then you have to read the bad headlines. Six turnovers in the last eight minutes to lose a game. Mistakes cause missed opportunities.
Do not misunderstand me. A 9-4 record with a 2-1 conference record is nothing to scoff at. These girls are still the team to beat in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. But really, if you’re going to beat Florida and Alabama and South Florida, you need to blow out these interconference teams.
The Maryland-Eastern Shore Lady Hawks aren’t a bad team. At home they’re 4-1 and they average 62 points per game, more than the Lady Rattlers do. Their struggles come defensively. 68 points per game allowed. Plus, they’re abysmal on the road. They have traveled six different times and have not won a single game.
5:35
It is way too early for LaShonda Gains to be in foul trouble. Not even five minutes in the game and she has picked up two fouls.
Nobody is really playing stellar basketball yet. A quick three from Antonia Bennet and two post plays from UMES are the only points scored in this game so far.
UMES foul shooting is pretty bad too. 0-4 so far.
3-4, UMES with 15:00 in the first half.
5:59
All right so we had a total server shutdown for a few (20) minutes. Server is back up now and I have lots and lots to tell you!
…Not really.
A grand total of 10 points have been scored since I left you 20 minutes ago. As I was typing that previous sentence, another basket was scored bringing to total to 12. Wow. This is not getting “back to Rattlers basketball.” Qiana Donald is continuing to struggle from the charity stripe (she’s 0-3). These girls are truly playing down to their competition.
Oh yeah, as I was typing that sentence the Lady Hawks decided to score again on an and-1 basket.
8-14, UMES with 6:00 in the first half.
6:03
I am typically not one to bash the referees. Their job is insanely hard and we do not give them enough credit to put up with the junk they do. Please understand how hard it is for me to say this.
These refs are seriously blowing calls.
There is no reason to not call a travel when someone is moving like a running back towards the basket. When she is smacked across the face there is no reason not to call the foul. This is going both ways so I’m not complaining about either side.
UMES is looking like a team that dominates no matter where they go. Forget the road woes for these girls. Their defense is so good they do not even need appropriate match ups. The Lady Rattlers could not even convert on a three versus two scenario where one of the two looking in the wrong direction.
10-14 UMES with 3:00 left in the half.
6:05
I was not aware the rules of basketball were changed so you could belly flop on top of a player to try and get the ball.
In happier news, Deidra Jones hit a pretty nice looking buzzer beater to beat the shot clock and close the gap on this lead.
6:09
In even happier news, Jones also decided that an and-1 would look nice on her stat sheet. She hit the basket but missed the free throw. Then she got her own rebound. She is still clearly hampered by that knee injury, it shows in her step. Right now though, she is the best player on the court.
14-14 with 5 seconds left in the half.
6:25
Well halftime is over and all I can do is hope that some serious adjustments have been made. 20 percent shooting from both teams is just unforgivable. Free throw shooting for tha game has been pretty sad as well with both teams shooting under 40 percent.
6:27
Two quick scores from Chena Parker and the Lady Hawks are back on top. Simone Durden is not going to just roll over and die though. She is doing some big work of her own, getting inside and playing well in the post.
Parker has an unfair advantage though. Being 3 inches taller than everyone else is a plus.
19-18 FAMU with 17:00 left in the game.
6:30
“You refs are missing a pretty good game,” a fan said.
I agree.
19-19 FAMU with 16:35 left in the game.
6:40
I have never seen so many bodies hitting the floor without a whistle being blown.
With Jones on the bench the Lady Rattlers are having trouble keeping their heads out there, letting the Lady Hawks score seven unanswered points. They are going back to the sloppy ball that started the game and dug them into a hole.
As I was typing that sentence, Jones had to get up from her 30 second break and take charge of her team again. As I was typing that sentence, Jones scored.
It’s really strange, the girl is back and suddenly the Lady Hawks are running around blind. The Lady Rattlers need Jones to do well.
She also just sank a three.
24-26 UMES with 11:37 left in the game.
6:44
How about the Lady Rattlers just never take Jones out of the game? The refs make better calls when she’s around.
26-26 with 10:57 left in the game.
6:49
You know what I call toughness? Turning and facing a girl that is about three inches taller than you and twice as thick. Qiana Donald shows toughness in every game. This girl leads the MEAC in rebounds and frequently matches up against girls that out size her. She could still probably turn around and smack any of them across the face.
The girl has heart and she is not scared to show it.
31-32 UMES with 8:00 left in the game.
6:53
I am not going to rag on the refs… I am not going to rag on the refs… I am not going to rag on the refs…
32-38 UMES with 6:00 left in the game.
6:58
This is turning into a comedy show. These refs are almost laughably bad. Gaines is an excellent player. Not even she should allowed to just hang out to a player’s leg to stop her from moving. Whatever it takes to win I guess.
35-40 UMES with 3:33 left in the game.
7:03
Chena Parker has fouled out. The fans seem pretty happy. Donald looks kind of disappointed. I’m betting she wanted another crack at the girl.
“These girls are just a bunch of big bullies. Like the head coach just picked up a bunch of girls off the street and said, ‘Beat them up as much as possible. Oh yeah score some points while you’re at it.'”
Yeah that sounds about right. UMES could win a cage match, if nothing else.
41-42 FAMU with 1:20 left in the game.
7:09
It must be nice having Deidra Jones on your team. If she is injured she will fight through the pain. If the refs are bad, so what? She won’t complain. If you need a game-tying shot, she’ll hit it.
UMES would not just go away though.
43-45, UMES on the free throw line with 12 seconds left in the game.
7:13
43-47 UMES wins it.
UMES decided to really show no class towards the end though. It is one thing to celebrate, it is another to taunt the home crowd. Really just not cool.