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No. 7 Gonzaga vs. No. 10 Davidson live blog
3:32: Curry put on a show, didn’t he?
On the court, UMBC is hanging with Georgetown. It’s too early to start making predictions about upsets, but the Hoyas are not as strong as some think.
2:29: Adam Morrison, probably the best player Gonzaga has ever produced, is near the bench. They just showed him on the big screen, and he looks pretty close to crying. I am just saying — he has a history of such behavior.
Somewhere, Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg is crying, too. He could have had Curry and didn’t think he had the game. Oops.
2:23: The intriguing subplot of the day? Whether or not I remain true to my Catholic upbringing and, thus, my mother.
As it is Good Friday, I should restrain my meat. I’ve done a good job of that throughout Lent, but today is really important.
Problem is that the NCAA Tournament provides very little options in the terms of food. Goldfish crackers and potato chips are just not going to get it done.
Hopefully, there will be a Catholic option on the buffet.
As far as the game, Curry just hit another 3-pointer (that’s 37 points) and the Wildcares are up 77-74 with 58.6 seconds left.
And Dell Curry is behind me.
2:15: Davidson is doing a great job of getting out into the Gonzaga passing lanes.
The Wildcats’ main problem right now is that everyone in the arena knows the ball is going to Curry. Bob McKillop needs to find a way to get him open. The kid doesn’t need but a little bit of room and his jumper is absolutely wet.
2:10: Stephen Curry is literally averaging a point per minute. And the Wildcats band is breaking out a rousing rendition of “Sweet Caroline.”
2:03: Rocky Mount Academy product Mike Schmitt nearly took out a few teammates running out to greet Stephen Curry after Curry’s 3-pointer tied the game at 62 with 9:41 remaining. Schmitt may be just a freshman, but he has a senior walk-on’s ability to put himself in the TV shots. Bravo, Schmitty.
1:58: Rumor from back in Rocky Mount has it that TV has switched over to Tennessee and American.
Well, you might be coming back. Davidson is back within five, and momentum has swung over to the Wildcats.
1:48: Stephen Curry with the steal, layup and free throw. Suddenly, the Wildcats are back within eight, with 14 minutes remaining.
If the Wildcats are going to make a game of this, Curry is going to have to put his team on his shoulders. I know that’s not a stunning bit of basketball analysis, but sometimes this stuff really is KISS.
1:38: This is turning into a see-saw affair, with Gonzaga’s early run really providing the difference in the game. The arena is filling up, as more and more UNC fans start to trickle in. Gametime for their contest is still more than five hours away, but it’s a little cold outside and someone is playing basketball inside the arena. In North Carolina, that’s as good a reason as any to end the tailgate.
1:03:With 3:52 left in the half, Davidson is still down by six, 33-27.
Let’s take a moment to discuss Stephen Curry. Davidson’s sophomore guard has not left the court, and is absolutely sensational.
Of course, we all know that. The son of Dell is the worst-kept secret in college basketball, and any hoop-head worth his salt knows this kid can play. But will it translate to the NBA? He’s only 6-foot-3, and he is still rain thin. But Kevin Martin was similarily thin, and also came out of the Southern Conference (Western Carolina).
I saw Martin play a few times during his last college season, and I thought he didn’t have a chance. He scored too many of his points at the free-throw line, and NBA refs would not give him the calls he got from SoCon officials.
But, Martin has excelled. A late first-round pick of the Sacramento Kings, Martin is averaging 23 points a game this season.
Granted, Martin is four inches taller. But Curry has the talent and basketball IQ to at least come off the bench for a competitive NBA team.
12:50: Gonzaga’s Steven Gray just hit a 3-pointer, and the Zags are up 25-17. Any notion that Gonzaga would come out flat because of having to make the cross-country trip earlier this week (it’s 9:50 in Spokane) has been quickly dismissed.
12:31: First timeout, and Gonzaga is up on Davidson, 10-8. There’s some cultural diversity to this game that you might not necessarily expect. Of the 10 starters, two are from Canada (Gonzaga’s Robert Sacre and Davidson’s Max Paulhus Gosselin), one from Nigeria (Davidson’s Andrew Lovedale), two from the home of Lincoln (Gonzaga’s Jeremy Pargo and Davidson’s Jason Richards) and one from Ohio (Davidson’s Thomas Sander). It says something about these schools and their ability to break out of the “mid-major” label. They are able to recruit nationally (and internationally), not just in their respective backyards.
12:17 p.m.: The Gonzaga band is busting out some Maroon 5. Oh, dear. Do yourself a favor kids, and look up Hall & Oates on iTunes. So, so much better. Davidson has just come out on the court and the fans behind me are riled up.
Overall, the crowd is what you would expect — the arena is half-full, with about 30 percent wearing Davidson red and another 50 percent wearing Carolina blue. Some Georgetown fans are hanging around.
Not much Gonzaga. Rumor has it that the school returned at least a portion of its tickets, which went on sale yesterday morning.
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