Davidson vs. Maryland Live Blog: 2007 NCAA Tournament

Today Davidson plays Maryland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, two of the greatest days in sports. Davidson won the Southern Conference thanks to their uptempo game. Led by their star guards, Freshman Stephen Curry (below, left) and Junior Jason Richards, they’ll need to shoot very well from the perimeter to win this game. The Terrapins also like to play a fast-paced game, but their strength in the defense, led by D.J. Strawberry (below, right), who should prove to be a mismatch against the undersized Wildcats. They will also need a good shooting day from Mike Jones! who? Mike Jones! who? Mike Jones!, their best three point threat. Maryland should win with good defense and superior rebounding inside.

12:14 pm: WRAL scared the s— out of me for while. From 12:00 to 12:10 they ran the local news. AAAAHHHHHH!!!!

12:20 pm: Maryland wins the opening tip, but they can’t get a basket after three tries.

12:22 pm: Ibekwe scores the first basket of the game, a hook shot off the backboard, but Davidson responds almost immediately. 2-2.

12:24 pm: 5-2, Davidson. Davidson steals the ball in the paint, and Richards hits a three in transition from the left wing.

Both teams are pressing. If they aren’t careful, one of them might get burned.

12:25 pm: 5-4, Davidson. Strawberry makes a great pass to Gist who finishes inside.

The Wildcats have been shockingly effective so far in getting offensive rebounds. Ibekwe is already in foul trouble. Curry hits another three to make it 8-4, Davidson.

12:28 pm: 8-8. Osby, latest sporter of the fro, gets another basket inside for Maryland. On the next possession Strawberry shoots, misses, gets his own rebound, gets the putback and the foul. Can Davidson handle his relentlessness for 40 minutes?

12:31 pm: 11-8, Maryland. Back then they didn’t want me, now I’m hot, they all own me. Jones gets the steal and layup to bring the lead to three.

12:33 pm: 13-8, Maryland. So far the Wildcats are shooting 25% from the field. They have no chance of winning if that stands; they need to shoot the ball well, their defense is suspect.

12:35 pm: 13-11, Maryland. Stephen Curry is the anti-Greg Oden. He looks like he should be in middle school.

12:37 pm: 15-14, Maryland. Davidson’s Canadian (Archambault) hits a three to reduce the deficit to one. Ibekwe gets inside for another easy basket for the Terps.

12:38 pm: 17-17. Archambault (below, left) hits another three to tie the game. Wow. I could see his head flapping and everything.

12:42 pm: 20-17, Davidson. Richards give the Wildcats the lead, getting three the hard way.

12:43 pm: 22-19, Davidson. UPDATE: Louisville 17, Stanford 6, first half.

12:45 pm: 22-21, Davidson. Strawberry gets another tough basket inside.

Davidson has shot 5 of 7 since starting 3 of 12.

12:46 pm: 23-22, Maryland. James Gist gets an easy layup off a great pass to take the lead.

12:47 pm: 25-25. Gist gets another basket, this time a midrange jumper, but Davidson hits another three. The Terps have yet to hit one today.

12:48 pm: 28-27, Davidson. Curry hits another three to take the lead again. Maryland can’t seem to stop the outside shot, but the more pressing question is: What the hell kind of a name for a Nigerian is Andrew Lovedale?

12:54 pm: 32-27, Davidson. The Wildcats are really gaining momentum.

UPDATE: 29-26, Boston College. Tyrese Rice has 11 points.

25-10, Louisville. These team shave the same nickname, but plural (cardinals) is always better that singular (cardinal).

12:57 pm: 35-30, Davidson. Maryland finally hits their first three of the game, but they’re still down five.

12:59 pm: 35-35. Mike Jones! who? Mike Jones! who? Mike Jones! hits a three, gets a defensive rebound, and a goaltending ties the game at 35.

1:01 pm: 37-35, Maryland. Strawberry forces the turnover, and passes to Vasquez, who gives the lead back to the Terps.

1:03 pm: 41-39, Maryland. Curry hits another three to give the lead back to Davidson. He has 16 in the first half.

1:07 pm: 41-41. This has been a really exciting game so far. I thought that Davidson would be a challenge, but I did not expect them to play this well.

1:09 pm: 44-43, Maryland. Parrish Brown hits a three to give Maryland the lead back.

1:11 pm: The first half ends with Maryland hanging on against Davidson. 44-43, Maryland. The Terps will need a way to negate the three point shot of they want to win this game, while Davidson will need to do a better job of rebounding inside.

1:31 pm: Davidson’s male cheerleader looks like an Asian Carlos Mencia.

1:33 pm: 46-44, Davidson. Curry hits another three to give the lead back to the Wildcats. He’s already hit his average of 21 points per game and the second half just started.

1:35 pm: 50-44, Davidson. The Cats decide to attack the inside, and they’re pretty successful so far. Curry gets a layup and Davidson is able to get an offensive rebound, giving Ibekwe his third foul.

1:37 pm: 52-44, Davidson. Maryland has to stop turning the ball over. Davidson is getting too many opportunities in transition.

1:40 pm: I think seven of Maryland’s last eight possessions have ended in turnovers. Davidson is playing good defense, but Vasquez is making really bad passing decisions.

1:42 pm: 52-47, Davidson. Vasquez finally stops the bleeding with a three.

First TV timeout of the second half.

1:45 pm: 52-50, Davidson. Osby delivers the dunk and gets the foul! This has been a game of momentum shifts. Just as it looks like one team is pulling away, the opponent responds with a big run.

1:49 pm: 52-52. Osby hits two free throws to tie the game.

I still can’t get over the name “Andrew Lovedale”. I just can’t. It’s like a porn name. And the dude’s Nigerian!
1:50 pm: 55-52, Davidson. Archambault hits a three to give the lead back to Davidson.

1:51 pm: 56-55, Maryland. Tell the world what’s his name…MIKE JONES!!! The emphatic dunk gives Maryland the lead.

Timeout, 12:16 left in the second half. Maryland is a deeper team. Does Davidson have enough left in the tank to keep up?

1:54 pm: 58-57, Maryland. Gist gets an easy layup off another Davidson turnover, but Richards drives inside to get a tough layup and reduce the difference back to one. Either Maryland is playing good defense or Davidson is running out of gas.

Ibekwe has four fouls, Strawberry has three.

Second TV timeout.

1:58 pm: UPDATE: BC 74, Texas Tech 70.

That travel call on Gist is BS.

1:59 pm: 62-59, Maryland. If Maryland holds on to win this game it will be because of Mr. Fro, Bambale Osby. He has 11 points and has done everything possible for the Terps.

2:01 pm: 64-61, Maryland. Osby strikes again, this time an assist to Gist.

2:02 pm: 67-63, Maryland. Strawberry hits a huge three to make it a two possession game. But Maryland is winning this game inside.

We hit the another TV timeout. Hope you don’t have Stanford in the Sweet 16 of your bracket.

2:06 pm: 69-63, Maryland. Ibekwe, in with four fouls, scores on a putback to extend the lead to 6.

Stephen Curry has been silent in the second half. Strawberry has been on him for most of the half.

There’s that “Andrew Lovedale” again. Insane.

2:07 pm: 69-66, Maryland. Curry hits a huge three from the baseline. I just had to say it, didn’t I?

2:09 pm: 71-66, Maryland. Ibekwe makes another tough basket to bring the lead to 5.

I had no idea where Canisius was until today.

2:11 pm: 71-68, Maryland. Curry gets another basket as we go to the final TV timeout. I think Maryland has more energy, and they should hold on. But I’ve been wrong before.

2:15 pm: UPDATE: It looks like Boston College is going to win against Texas Tech. Final: BC 84, TTU 75.
2:17 pm: 75-68, Maryland, 2:00 left. Mike Jones! who? Mike Jones! who? Mike Jones! hits a big three to make it a three possession game.

2:18 pm: 75-70, Maryland, 1:12 left. Ibekwe fouls out, and Osby comes in. Curry hits his free throws to cut the lead to 5. He has 30.

The Terps had better win; I have them in the Elite 8!

2:22 pm: 77-70, Maryland, 48.4 left. Davidson can’t hit their shots, Maryland gains possession of the ball, Vasquez is fouled, and I think this is pretty much over.

2:25 pm: 80-70, Maryland, :21 left. Curry fouls out with 30. He had a great game.

2:26 pm: The game ends, as maryland wins, 82-70. Davidson gave the Terps (and my bracket) all they could ask for, shooting lights out from the perimeter in the first half. But Maryland made great halftime adjustments, and Strawberry shut down Curry in the second Half, Osby stepped up when Ibekwe got in foul trouble, Maryland attacked the inside, and Davidson ran out of gas in the second half. The Terrapins will face the winner of Butler vs. Old Dominion.