As I write this, I’m getting ready to leave for the airport for a trip to Texas for more basketball than any sane person should be able to see in five days.
Am I really seeing 10 games in five days? Probably. My brain isn’t quite all here. Maybe it’s eight. But it’ll be a Mississippi College/McMurry doubleheader on Thursday night, likely the Millsaps/Southwestern doubleheader on Friday night, Howard Payne/LeTourneau on Saturday, Millsaps/Trinity on Sunday and the Hardin-Simmons/McMurry rivalry battle on Monday.
Monday will be a D3hoopsNet broadcast, the first of the season.
At any rate, I look forward to meeting people and seeing a bunch of teams I’ve never seen before, courtesy of the McMurry Athletics Foundation. Of this group I’ve seen just McMurry, Hardin-Simmons and Trinity play.
I’ll also be talking about the trip on Hoopsville on Sunday night, as well as posting photos from games and more blog entries.
Looking forward to it. See you there!
Traveling is definitely glamorous. Sitting here at the gate at Newark, just posted both the D3hoops.com Around the Nation column and the D3football.com Around the Nation column. Should’ve been grabbing something to eat or sleeping instead before my 6 a.m. flight. 🙂
Pat we’ll definitely welcome you here in Brownwood on Saturday. Make sure you travel safe. You know us Texans don’t get this fun icy weather all that often. Sometimes we don’t know how to act 🙂
It’s a shame to go all that way and not make it to Alpine. You’ll never have a better chance!
Have a nice trip.
Pat – I think you should extend the trip and stop in St Louis for the first round of SLIAC games on Wednesday night – With Webster and Fontbonne both at home we could see parts of both men’s games easily!!!!
Hopefan,
That would be nice but NBCSports.com expects me in the newsroom at 5 p.m. on Tuesday. 🙂
Dave,
True. One of my story ideas on the board for football is for Keith McMillan to ride the bus with Louisiana College to Sul Ross State and write about the experience. It’s the longest regular bus trip in Division III that we know of. (Mississippi College flies to Sul Ross.)
In the Abilene airport, waiting for baggage to run. I won the informal guessing contest on the flight from Dallas to Abilene, guessing flight time (43 minutes, I was off by two) and cruising altitude (12,000 feet), but nearly lost my breakfast in the deal. Turbulence. Ugh.
This shot doesn’t capture the snow falling sideways but in case you didn’t believe me, there is indeed snow on the ground. 🙂
About 45 minutes to tipoff of tonight’s women’s game. You can listen to McMurry’s broadcasts tonight by clicking here.
Wow, Tarra Richardson is averaging 23.7 points per game so far? I know it’s just three games but look out.
McMurry is also outrebounding opponents by 25 boards per game so far.
Only outrebounded Mississippi College by 11 in the first half. Richardson scored 21. MC doesn’t have an answer for her at either end of the floor. Having trouble getting shots off.
Hmm, should’ve mentioned McMurry won the women’s game 87-62. 🙂
At the first media timeout here in the men’s game, McMurry leads 12-6 behind seven point by D.J. Firova.
Mississippi College fan in the stands yells at an official, “have you called a foul on MacMurray yet?” (I’m spelling it like he pronounced it.)
I look at the board and McMurry has two fouls to Mississippi College’s one. 🙂
MC has made four of its last six shots and trails 22-16 with 9:46 left in the half. Turning point so far was when MC took a timeout and came out and forced a McMurry shot clock violation. The Choctaws came down and hit a three. Been slowly climbing back into it.
Going to go shoot pictures so no more updates for a while.
Mississippi College ends the half on an 18-2 run and leads 34-24 at the break. In the final 9:46 of the half the Choctaws shot 7-for-12 from the floor, 3-for-5 from downtown, but more importantly outrebounded the non-Indians 11-4.
McMurry hung around for a long time, even cutting the MC lead to 47-41, but the Choctaws scored the next 11 points and have not looked back. Final Mississippi College 73, McMurry 57.
First podcast of the trip is posted:
http://www.d3hoops.com/audio/06/tourdetejasjones.mp3
I’ll be interested in your observations about Southwestern. My wife is an alum. While we don’t follow them closely, I do try to check out their won-lost record occasionally.
Great Podcast interview with Coach Mike Jones from Mississippi College.
If McMurry cannot beat you in the ASC Tourney rematch, then good luck carrying the ASC Banner.