Benzan hits nine 3-pointers, leads Terps in shootout win
With ‘inconsistent teams,’ standings logjam no surprise
No. 8 Maryland 111, Iowa 93
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Senior Katie Benzan broke her school record with nine 3-pointers and scored a career-high 29 points to lead Maryland to a victory over Iowa on Tuesday.
Hawkeyes freshman Caitlin Clark was equally impressive and made nine shots from beyond the arc, one shy of a program record, and scored 29 of her 34 points in the first half. Clark has scored 30 or more points nine times, the most in NCAA women’s basketball.
The Terrapins’ 68 firsthalf points were the most scored in Big Ten history.
Diamond Miller had 27 points and Ashley Owusu added 24 points and 12 assists for the Terrapins (17-2, 13-1 Big Ten).
The game was originally scheduled for Jan. 21, but Iowa coach Lisa Bluder canceled that trip because of the potential for further civil unrest with the presidential inauguration in nearby Washington.
STATE MEN
Richmond 79, Massachusetts 65
RICHMOND — Blake Francis scored 20 points, Nathan Cayo added 18 and Grant Golden had 16 as Richmond (13-5, 6-3 Atlantic 10).
Dyondre Dominguez paced the Minutemen (7-5, 6-3) with 15 points, while T.J. Weeks had 14.
Liberty 74,
North Alabama 54
LYNCHBURG — Darius McGhee hit six 3-pointers and finished with 24 points as Liberty won its eighth straight game.
Kyle Rode added 13 points for the Flames (19-5, 10-2 Atlantic Sun), while Keegan McDowell had 11.
Liberty scored eight straight points to close out the first half and open a 41-23 lead.
New game: Norfolk State added a game against Division III St. Mary’s College of Maryland at 2 p.m. Sunday at Echols Hall. The Spartans
will close out MEAC play at home tonight at Delaware State. The game against St. Mary’s will be the Spartans’ last before the MEAC tournament March 11-13.
LATE MONDAY
Men
Duke 85, Syracuse 71
DURHAM, N.C. — Former Norfolk Academy standout Mark Williams set season highs with 18 points and 11 rebounds for the first double-double of his freshman year as the Blue Devils (11-8, 9-6 ACC) won their fourth game in a row, continuing their push to try to reach the NCAA tournament.
DJ Steward had 21 points and seven assists and fellow freshman Jeremy Roach had 14 points, five rebounds and seven assists for Duke, which shot 53.1%.
Buddy Boeheim led the Orange (13-7, 7-6) with 21 points.
Oklahoma State 74, No. 18 Texas Tech 69
(OT)
STILLWATER, Okla. — Cade Cunningham scored 20 points as Oklahoma State got past Texas Tech in overtime for the second time this season.
Cunningham, the
Big 12’s leading scorer and one of the nation’s top freshmen, put on a show in front of about a dozen NBA scouts and executives, including Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti. He made
8 of 13 shots and had five rebounds for the Cowboys (15-6, 8-6 Big 12), who rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit with Cunningham on the bench due to foul trouble. Oklahoma State also beat Texas Tech in overtime on
Jan. 2.
Terrence Shannon
Jr. scored 18 points and Mac McClung added 17 for Texas Tech (14-8, 6-7), which lost its third consecutive game.
No. 19 USC 72, Oregon 58
LOS ANGELES —
Tahj Eaddy’s 24 points led Southern California (19-4, 13-3), which moved into sole possession of first place in the Pac-12 by dominating the Ducks with just a seven-man rotation. Second-leading rebounder Isaiah Mobley strained his right calf against Arizona and missed his first start of the season.
LJ Figueroa and Eric Williams Jr. scored 14 points each for Oregon (14-5, 9-4), which had its five-game winning streak snapped.
Women
No. 4 Stanford 62, No. 9 Arizona 48
STANFORD, Calif. — Kiana Williams scored 15 points as Stanford clinched its first regular-season Pac-12 title in seven years. Lexie Hull added 16 points and nine rebounds for the Cardinal (21-2, 18-2).
Aari McDonald scored 20 for the Wildcats (15-3, 13-3), who went more than four minutes without scoring late in the first half.
Top 15 1. Cox
Coming off of a 20-1 season and second consecutive state title, the Falcons are primed to once again be the top team in Hampton Roads. Though they lost All-Tidewater Player of the Year Zoe Campisi to graduation, Cox will be returning several key playmakers to their roster, including Stevie Drum, a University of Richmond commit who finished with 33 goals and 11 assists last season, and junior Zella Bailey, who scored three of the Falcons’ four goals in their Class 5 state championship win. The team is playing “with a ‘make the most of every moment’ attitude,” coach Taylor Rountree said.
2. Gloucester
After ending last season with a state semifinal loss and finishing 19-2, the Dukes are ready to get back to business. For years, Gloucester has been a juggernaut, at one point going on a tear of 40 consecutive wins before a one-goal loss to Cox in last season’s region title game, and amassing a 178-3 goal differential in 2019. Led by seniors Cara O’Beirne and Brooke Bilhimer, the Dukes will be “young at a lot of spots, but competitive,” said head coach Mike Miller.
3. First Colonial
Led by several key upperclassmen, including Allie Burnett, junior Emily Tammaro and seniors Kelly Taylor and Anna Delong, the Patriots are another young team with a “fantastic” attitude, according to head coach Beanie Schleicher. Last season, the Patriots went 14-3, but missed the state tournament after falling to Cox in the Class 5 Region A semifinals. Schleicher, who has put together a 206-12 record in her 10 years with the Patriots, says
“expectations are high” for her group this season.
4. Norfolk Academy
Norfolk Academy will have a strong veteran contingent on the field this year as it welcomes back a “big squad with lots of potential.” Among the key contributors returning to the Bulldogs are seniors Kate Ruffin and Haley Holland, who both helped lead their team to a 16-6-1 record and a VISAA Division I state semifinal berth in 2019. Longtime head coach Mary Werkheiser said one of the keys to a successful season will be staying healthy.
5. Cape Henry
The Dolphins, who took home their third consecutive VISAA Division II state title in 2019, have a new head coach in Kim Decker Dooren. Formerly an assistant on the coaching staff for six years, Dooren has a “squad that is unified and unselfish.” Helping to lead the charge for Cape Henry are All-Tidewater first-team defender Olivia Zettervall and forward/midfielder Livy Wallace, who netted 11 goals and added 15 assists last season.
6. Poquoson
In 2019, the Islanders played in their second
straight state title game, falling in overtime to defending champion James Monroe in the Class 3 final. Poquoson finished 19-2 and should be a contender again.
7. Great Bridge
The Wildcats are “very motivated to get to states again and working hard to be successful” after ending last season with an overtime loss in the Class 4 state final, said coach Katie Duke. Led by seniors Riley Buschert, who was named to the 2019 All-Tidewater first team, and Payton Wilson, the Wildcats are ready to get back to the big stage.
8. Kellam
In her first year as head coach, Nicole Morgan and the Knights went all the way to the Class 6 state championship game, finishing 17-5 with the program’s first state tournament appearance. The team is “hungry to compete for the state title for a second year,” said Morgan. Kellam lost a huge part of its offense with the graduation of Tori Carawan, but the returners are “ready to step up to the task.”
9. Western Branch
In 2019, the Bruins had one of their program’s best seasons, going all the way to the Class 6 state semifinals. This year, they will look to build on that success.
10. Tabb
The Tigers had another successful year in 2019, making it to the Class 3 state semifinals, where they fell to James Monroe, which went on to win a third consecutive crown.
11. Kecoughtan
After finishing 14-5 in 2019, the Warriors hope to continue the solid defensive effort that led their success last season. Among the players who will make an impact is Maddison Steele, a senior midfielder who finished the previous season with 15 goals.
12. Princess Anne
According to coach Kristen Wheeler, her young team’s success will depend upon “the leadership of our more experienced players.” Among those important veterans is senior midfielder Madi San Diego, who had six goals and four assists for the 10-7 Cavaliers last season.
13. Catholic
There’s plenty of individual talent on the roster for the Crusaders, but the key will be if “they can learn to work together,” said coach Beth Keenehan. Senior midfielder Kinley Koch will be a major figure in Catholic’s success.
14. York
Led by junior forward Julia Skinner and senior midfielder Shannon Gaffney, several key returners will make an impact for the
Falcons, who finished last season 12-7.
15. Tallwood
“It will be a team effort” for the Lions this season, according to longtime head coach Theresa Platte, who has several former junior-varsity players stepping up into a varsity role this year. Led by several strong returners, including seniors Megan Rolince and Juliet Griffin, Tallwood hopes to build on last year’s 12-6 finish.
5 things you should know State tournament bottleneck
With First Colonial and Cox both dropping down a class last season, Class 5 Region A proved to be a gauntlet in 2019 as the Patriots, Falcons and Gloucester Dukes all battled for supremacy. Last season, First Colonial missed the state tournament for the first time in several years. This year, it will be even tougher as the VHSL will allow just one school from each region to advance to the next stage.
Coaches continuing to make their mark
Two coaches are hitting a big milestone with their teams this season as First Colonial’s Beanie Schleicher and Menchville’s Nicole Kuykendall Sullivan both enter their 10th season with their schools. There are several coaches in the Hampton Roads area who have spent more than a decade on the same sideline, with Great Bridge’s Katie Duke and Nansemond River’s Ali Dize both entering their 11th season, Gloucester’s Mike Miller in his 14th year, Catholic’s Beth Keenehan in her 15th year and Tallwood’s Theresa Platte and Norfolk Academy’s Mary Werkheiser having more than 20 years apiece.
Pared-back play
With COVID-19 still on the forefront of everyday thought, teams are preparing to play a much more condensed season than normal. Many teams are looking forward to a season in which they’ll face just teams from their own districts, while some are even more limited. According to Nansemond River coach Ali Dize, the Warriors are competing against Suffolk-area foes Lakeland and King’s Fork only. And many other schools are facing similar limitations.
State success
In 2019, 11 Hampton Roads teams made it to the state tournament, seven of which advanced to the semifinals and four to the finals. One of those teams — perennial contender Cox — won it all for the
program’s 21st state crown. It was a dominant showing for a region that has always been at the forefront of field hockey in Virginia. Out of more than 70 state field hockey champions listed in the VHSL Record Book, more than half have hailed from Hampton Roads.
Hockey hub
Virginia Beach will be on the national field hockey stage as the Big Ten Conference descends for a slate of matchups. Nine college teams — Rutgers, Indiana, Michigan State, Maryland, Penn State, Michigan, Iowa, Northwestern and Ohio State — will play neutralsite games over the next two weekends. Former Hampton Roads players on those teams’ rosters include Cox’s Sam Zywna (Maryland), Gloucester’s Madison Hutson (Penn State), Poquoson’s Emily Deuell (Iowa), Bayside’s Aaliyah Hernandez (Ohio State) and Cape Henry’s Ali Gordon (Ohio State).
5 players to watch Stevie Drum, Cox, senior
Drum had 33 goals and 11 assists for the Falcons in 2019 as they captured the Class 5 crown, their second consecutive state title. Drum, who is committed to the University of Richmond, will be a major contributor for the Falcons as they chase the program’s 22nd state championship.
Olivia Zettervall, Cape Henry, senior
Defensively, the Dolphins will be led by stalwart Zettervall, who tallied eight goals and six assists last season as her team went 17-4-1 and earned a third-consecutive VISAA Division II state championship.
Allie Burnett,
First Colonial, junior
Burnett, who led the Patriots in scoring as a sophomore, is a “very fast and aggressive” player, according to head coach Beanie Schleicher. The ODU commit will help lead a young and competitive team.
Riley Buschert, Great Bridge, senior
The defender/midfielder had 13 goals and four assists last season as she helped lead the Wildcats to a Class 4 state championship-game appearance and an 18-4 record.
Zella Bailey, Cox, junior
As a sophomore, Bailey had 19 goals and 17 assists, and she’ll be a key part of filling the void left by the graduation of 2019 All-Tidewater Player of the Year
Zoe Campisi. Bailey, who is committed to Ohio State, is described by head coach Taylor Rountree as a “selfless player” who is “as fast with the ball as she is without.”
This is a bizarre season for the NBA in a bizarre time for the world.
Most of those who must attend the All-Star Game in Atlanta don’t seem particularly excited by those plans. Arenas across the country are somewhere between almost empty and totally empty because of coronavirus protocols. Game schedules are typically known months in advance; nobody knows what the second week of March looks like yet.
All of this is most unusual.
There is, however, one constant: The Eastern Conference standings are a mess.
Spending any time trying to figure how the East is going to shake out would be a futile undertaking, because it’s clear that the teams themselves have no idea. The Heat won the East last season and have spent zero days over .500 this season. The Bucks — the NBA’s best regular-season team in each of the last two seasons, a team with two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo — just had a streak of five consecutive losses. Every team in the East has had at least one three-game losing streak; 11 of those 15 teams have had multiple threegame slides and the season isn’t even half over.
If all that wasn’t enough, the Western Conference is dominating its friends from the other half of the league. The West is winning 57% of its games against the East. That’s on pace to be the biggest margin since the West won 58.4% in 2014-15 — and virtually assures that the West will win the regular-season series versus the East for the 21st time in the last 22 seasons. The East won four consecutive years against the West from 1995-96 through 1998-99; the only season in which the East beat the West since was 2008-09.
By now, that’s to be expected.
Having only three teams better than one game above .500 entering Tuesday’s games, two months into the season, that’s the big surprise out of the East. The 76ers (20-11) and Nets (20-12) sit atop the East, and the Bucks (18-13) are right in their shadow.
That’s where the ridiculously tight traffic jam starts, with the next 10 teams — the Pacers, Raptors, Celtics, Knicks, Bulls, Hornets, Heat, Hawks, Magic and Wizards — all within 3 ½ games of each other.
Some offer a very simple explanation. “I see a lot of inconsistent teams in the East,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And we’re one of them.”
That being said, there are signs that some teams are figuring it out.
The Nets just went 5-0 on a West road trip, playing most of those games without Kevin Durant. The Raptors started 7-12; they’re 9-3 since. The Bulls and the Heat have already won more games in February than they did in January. The Wizards beat the reigning champion Lakers on Monday night for a fifth consecutive victory, meaning they’re 5-0 since starting 6-17. And the Knicks — this is true and amazing — have a chance at their first winning calendar month since going 8-7 in November 2017.
“We’re striving to become a 48-minute team,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, who has already made a sizable impact in his first couple of months in New York. “We’ve got a long way to go.”
The good news is that there’s a lot of time left.
Teams will get their second-half schedules finalized by the NBA this week. Everyone, even those going to Atlanta for the one-day All-Star events on March 7, will get a little bit of a much-needed break after a very hectic first couple of months to the season.
The trade deadline on March 25 will be interesting, because with the play-in tournament happening this year — and 20 teams essentially going to the postseason, even if four will be eliminated in very short order — more teams than usual will technically be in the playoff race.
Put simply, there’s a long way to go. And that means there’s plenty of time for this East logjam to break up a little.
“Anybody that can find some consistency and reliability quicker can find some separation in the standings, but right now that there is not separation,” Spoelstra said. “So