Conference tournaments are about basketball but also so much more: the fans, parents, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The CAA Tournament is taking place this weekend in Washington, DC, and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from DC with a recap of the quarterfinal quadruple-header on Sunday.
Another delicious lunch of make-your-own cheeseburgers, roasted potatoes, and brownie/chocolate chip cookie for dessert! Let’s tip off a 2nd straight day of quadruple-headers from up in the press box:
GAME #1: Drexel-Towson
The 2 coaches (Pat Skerry/Zach Spiker) are ready to roll:
I missed most of the 1st half while typing up/preparing some interviews. Drexel G Shane Blakeney scored 11 PTS/4-6 FG in the 1st half but Towson wing Tyler Tejada scored 12 PTS/6-10 FG as the Tigers opened up a 38-29 lead at halftime:
Sometimes it can be difficult to find the difference-maker during a game…but not today. Blakeney kept pouring it on all game long but Towson G Dylan Williamson simply took over in the 2nd half, making all 6 of his shots from behind the arc (including the game-clincher with 25.2 seconds left) and setting a career-high with 32 PTS, as the Tigers slayed the Dragons by a score of 82-76.
In the postgame press conference I asked Williamson (who is from Upper Marlboro, MD) if he had a lot of family/friends in the crowd. He said that he did and that he really appreciated their support:
GAME #2: Delaware-William & Mary
I missed most of the 1st half while preparing my all-conference awards (Part 2). Delaware F John Camden came out hot with 15 PTS/4-6 3PM in the 1st half, but William & Mary used a balanced scoring attack thanks to Kyle Pulliam and others as the Tribe finished the half with a 49-47 lead. In the 2nd half Camden somehow took it up a notch with 21 PTS/4-4 3PM to finished with a career-high 36 PTS as #12-seed Delaware pulled off the huge upset by a score of 100-78.
In the postgame press conference I asked Camden (who only made 7 total threes last season) if it was 1 of those scenarios where every shot he put up seemed to go in because he was “in the zone”. He said that he has not been shooting the 3 that well during the past month but that he felt he was due for a good performance. His coaches trusted him and his teammates found him for good looks:
GAME #3: Hampton-UNCW
Another great dinner: BBQ sliders/roasted potatoes/cornbread! I missed most of the 1st half while preparing for an interview. UNCW G Bo Montgomery was the 1st half hero with 15 PTS/6-7 FG as his team opened up a 45-28 lead heading into halftime:
I also missed most of the 2nd half while conducting another interview. Montgomery did not make a single FG after halftime, but the rest of his team picked up the slack as the Seahawks soared to a 79-65 win.
In the postgame press conference I asked UNCW coach Takayo Siddle if he had the “freshest” team left in the tourney since Donovan Newby is the only guy on his roster who averages 30+ minutes/game. He said he certainly hopes so. He uses an 8-man rotation and the beauty of his team is that they attack you in different ways.
GAME #4: Monmouth-Charleston
I was running on fumes by the end of the night but was able to snap a quick photo of Jack/Kathleen Miller, who will be in the rare position of cheering for both teams tonight…but they have a very good reason. Their son Corey plays for Monmouth and their son Jack plays for Charleston: #MillerTime!
That is a wrap for today, check back tomorrow for the semifinal doubleheader.
