Big Wins

Shell Games wins Mobbie Award for Best Terps Blog!

On October 14, 2009, In Maryland sports, By Scott

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YEAH BABY! We did it! Thanks to your votes, the Cinderella slipper fits, and Shell Games has won the Baltimore Sun’s Mobbie Award for best blog in the Terps category. We also finished seventh overall.

A thousand sincere thank-yous to everyone who voted, be it once or be it every day. Special thanks to those who put up with our regular e-mail and Facebook reminders.

Also, much respect to our fellow Terps bloggers, especially Testudo Times (which won for best general sports blog), Turtle Soup, Terp Talk, and Maryland Basketball: Where Are They Now? (Michaelangelo: Thanks for the bulletin board material heheh.) I guess we’re technically “competitors,” but at the end of the day we’re all in the same gang. Blogging can be hard work, and people don’t exactly do it for the fame and fortune. We here at Shell Games do it because we love the Terps, and love making smart-ass comments about the Terps. That is our mission. Some might call it a calling.

In all honesty, Shell Games may not get hundreds of comments per post, and we may not be familiar with the long snapper class of 2019, but we’ve got our own thing going on here, and I think we do it pretty well. Hopefully, those who found us over these past couple weeks will stick with us. Thanks again to everyone who voted. We’ll be at the awards reception tonight in Baltimore…paparazzi must keep at least 15 feet away. You’ve been warned, you filthy parasites!

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That girl from "I Love You Man" has sisters on the lacrosse team

On April 28, 2009, In Maryland sports, By Scott

Maybe. But before I get to that…the lesser-known Maryland sports just keep on rolling. The latest trophy for the case comes from your 2009 ACC Champion women’s lacrosse team. Only one more regular season game (Saturday vs. Princeton) for the undefeated, #2 Terps before Selection Sunday May 3, which I assume airs on CBS.

A few quick observations:

Freshman phenom goalie Brittany Dipper has a porn star name. Just calling it as I see it. Miss Dipper, you’ll always be welcome in “the industry,” as we like to call it here in the industry.
What’s up with all these Maryland towns named after larger, more famous places? ACC MVP Caitlyn McFadden hails from Phoenix, Md. Amanda Spinnenweber, who does NOT have a porn star name, is from Pasadena, Md. Grace “I can’t believe I’m not Asian” Gaeng is from Bel Air, Md. There is also a California, Md. and a Hollywood, Md. I’m telling you right now – there is no Maryland, California.
Lady Terps Brittany and Brandi Jones are sisters. But more interestingly, both bear a strong resemblance to actress Rashida Jones, who is perhaps best known for playing Jim’s other girlfriend on The Office a while back or the fiance in “I Love You, Man,” which was a really good movie by the way. Same last name…all from California…

Judge for yourself:

Brandi

Brittany

Rashida

See? Freakin uncanny right? Now this is the kind of hard-hitting news I like to provide. You are so welcome. Goterps.

Tagged with: Big Wins • championships • Lacrosse • the ladies

Yeeee-haaaaaa!!!!!!!!

On March 13, 2009, In Maryland sports, By Scott

With no regular player over 6′ 7″, the Maryland Terrapins beat Wake Forest 75-64 tonight to all but assure themselves a spot in the NCAA tournament.

That was a fun sentence to type. THEY DID IT! MARYLAND’S GOING TO THE DANCE BABYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had my doubts, but they got it done. It was a solid 40-minute effort and they didn’t fold under pressure. Vasquez that crazy guy I love to hate, he came through. As did Sean freaking Mosely (his block to force that Wake shot clock violation in the early second half was my play of the game), Big Dave Neal, Dino Gregory, Eric Hayes, everybody. And how about that zone? They shut down Teague and frustrated the bigs. Great win. Great win. THEY’RE GOING DANCING!!!!!!

I think I’ll let the pictures take over now. I’M GOING STREAKIIINNNNG!!!!!!!!!!!

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Tagged with: Basketball • Big Dave Neal • Big Wins • Dino Gregory • Eric Hayes • Gary Williams • I can't believe we won that game • Mental freaking toughness • Vasquez

Lady Terps win ACC Tourney, Men hopefully taking some kind of notes

On March 9, 2009, In Maryland sports, By Scott

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HUGE congratulations to the Maryland female hoop squad, who won the program’s first ACC tournament in 20 years last night with a monstrous overtime win against Duke.

No one can say they got a weak draw, either. They beat Duke and Carolina along the way, plus a squeaker over Wake. As usual, the team was led by ACC Player of the Year Kristi “I am the Female Juan Dixon” Tolliver (24 points and overcoming an illness to play) and ACC Tournament MVP and overall attractive woman Marissa Coleman (28 points, 15 rebounds). This almost certainly locks up a #1 seed for them in the Big Dance. Other than UConn — which seems like an unstoppable juggernaut this year — I don’t see anyone playing better ball right now than Maryland.

If only the same thing could be said for the guys, who finished seventh in the ACC regular season standings. After yet another choke in a game they had to win, Maryland is yet again hoping for some kind of crazy ACC tournament run that they haven’t given anyone any reason to hope is a realistic possibility. But I’m a fan, so hope I do. If I have a rant in me somewhere, I’ll wait until after I watch another Selection Sunday go by with no mention of my beloved Terrapins.

In the meantime, I just took a look at their tournament draw and it’s actually pretty decent. According to the latest bracketology (Bracketologist comment on the Viriginia loss: “Who didn’t see [it] coming from a mile away? Over the past few seasons, these are the kind of games the Terrapins have been unable to win.” But I digress.), Maryland needs at least two more wins for a decent shot at an at-large bid. They’ve got N.C. State in the first round (Thursday, 7 p.m., Raycom) — much better than Virginia, Ga. Tech or Miami. If you’ll follow me into Theoretical Town for just a moment, you will see that a victory there gets them to Wake in the second round, who they played pretty close just a few days ago. A possible Duke semifinal showdown is too crazy to consider at this point. Let’s see if we can pull it together for N.C. State — who was no pushover — and go from there.

My prediction: beat N.C. State, lose a close one to Wake, NIT here we come. Hope they prove me wrong. In the meantime, congrats again to Brenda Frese and her team this season, who continue to beat every team that gets put in front of them. Go (lady) Terps!

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(Photo credits: Top: Chuck Burton, Associated Press; Bottom: Greg Fiume)

Tagged with: Basketball • Big Wins • Brenda Frese • championships • Kristi Tolliver • Marissa Coleman • the ladies

I'll hold off on the partying and the unborn chicken counting, thank you very much

On February 23, 2009, In Maryland sports, By Scott

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Good gravy! What’s all the commotion in here? Turn on those lights! Hey! You in the corner! Put your pants back on! One big win and suddenly Terps fans are a bunch of extras from Superbad? Well, not in this blog post. I know I’m a pessimistic pain in the ass and all. But I’m a good pessimistic pain in the ass. Because the team still has A LOT of work to do. So I’m here to dunk some heads in the horse troughs. Sober up out there! It’s Monday, for god’s sake.

So yeah, Maryland beat the #3 UNC Tar Heels. Great win. Huge win. An important resume win. The gold unis are truly a power to behold. Credit where it’s due: Vasquez was incredible. He deserves all the accolades. As do Gary Williams, Cliff “He should have benched me earlier” Tucker, and everyone else. It was a great team win and a big step forward.

But whoa, Nelly. Hold the phone there. The feeling now seems to be that we’re basically in the tournament. It’s true that we’re on the bubble, but for now, that’s it. No one should even be uttering the word “tournament” at this stage. Nothing should be taken for granted. But as a fan base we love to do this. One big win and omgthatwassoamazingBIGGESTWINEVERwe’retotallygonnamakeitomg. Should I remind you that they beat #1 Carolina last year and still didn’t make it because they fell apart down the stretch? Or that in 2004-2005 they swept Duke and still found a way to miss the dance? For this season’s finale, the line of logic seems to be that the Terps “only” have to beat either Duke or Wake, then have the manager throw their jerseys on the floor in Raleigh and Charlottesville and they’re in with a 20-10, 9-7 record. Or, they could win two of their last four and get one or two in the ACC tourney. Oh, the ACC tourney, no prob! Because they’ve been so dominant in that venue. We’ve gotta learn from the past. NC State and Virginia now have “Trap Game” written all over them.

Bottom line: they’ve proven they are capable of making the tournament, and in general, just playing good basketball. But I’ve been on this roller coaster ride a few times before. The same emotions that get them up for Duke and Carolina also get them down for the Miamis and the Morgan States and the games they’re “supposed” to win. We have to find consistency, or else come Selection Sunday, when Jay Bilas mentions the Carolina win it’s gonna be followed by a big BUT. So come on. No more fruity business. Finish strong this year and close the damn deal. Then, and only then, would I celebrate. Huzzah Terrapins.

Tagged with: Basketball • Big Wins • Cliff Tucker • Gary Williams • Vasquez

maryland beats unc; college park in flames

On February 21, 2009, In Maryland sports, By Ian

The Maryland Terrapins shocked UNC 88-85 in overtime today. Shell Games is live in College Park, MD, where fans have spilled onto the streets.

Frat Row is in flames as Maryland students celebrate

The scene here is chaotic. Maryland students stormed the court, busted windows in the Comcast Center, and took to the streets setting late model American cars ablaze across this college town.

Police and firefighters can only watch as Maryland fans celebrate in their own unique way

Testudo has called a press conference in front of the White House to call for an end to the madness.

Testudo pleas for student unity, hugs a booster

Damage at the corner of Rte. 1 and Knox Rd is so severe it can only be described as a midieval scene.

The Cornerstone has been reduced to rubble and historic campus buildings have been changed forever

This blogger is in disbelief. I cannot describe my emotions at a moment like this. I can only think to say…

LETS GO MARYLAND!

Tagged with: Basketball • Big Wins • riots • Testudo • UNC

Lady Terps show the men how you do it

On January 26, 2009, In Maryland sports, By Scott

At least one Maryland team is playing well. Yesterday, the no. 12 women’s hoops team upended no. 2 North Carolina, 77-71. Big ups to the lady Terps…after a slightly rocky start, the team finds itself in a pretty good spot…they’re 4-1 in ACC play and could crack the top 10 soon.

The ladies seem to have a lot of pieces that the men very blatantly lack. Strong floor leadership in Marissa Coleman and Kristi Toliver. They’re calm in the clutch. And they get awesome post play from Coleman, Demauria Liles, and Lynetta Kizer, who combined for 44 points and 34 rebounds in this game. How much money would you pay to see the men’s frontcourt put up a line like that?

Pinky and the pinks couldn't get over Lynetta Kizer and co.

The game also included a tribute to N.C. State women’s coach Kay Yow, sister of Maryland athletic director Debbie Yow. This is the second campus icon that N.C. State has lost to cancer. Here’s hoping Kay Yow’s legacy lives on in as strong and beneficial a way as Jimmy V’s has.

All in all, great day for the ladies. It’s nice to have something positive to root for in College Park right now. One thing I’m most decidedly NOT rooting for is a return of those hideous pink Carolina unis. Hey, Carolina. I know it’s meant to be a tribute, but tributes should never be unsightly. Your unis are so distinctive that their color is actually named for them. And it’s not Carolina Pink. Think, McFly. Think.

Photo credit: AP Photo/Gail Burton

Tagged with: Basketball • Big Wins • Debbie Yow • Kristi Toliver • Marissa Coleman • the ladies

Huzzah! Soccer team captures the championship

On December 14, 2008, In Maryland sports, By Scott

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Well, it wasn’t pretty, but the Maryland men’s soccer team got a goal midway through the second half and held on to grind out a 1-0 victory over North Carolina to win the national championship. GO TERPS!

Graham Zusi scored the game’s only goal after Jeremy Hall’s shot bounced off the UNC goalkeeper and went right to him. He collected the carom and rolled it into the corner of the net. Sweet. Zusi has to be the tourney MVP — he scored the only goal against St. John’s, too.

Both teams were clearly gassed after having just played on Friday, and stiff winds hampered the ball movement. So it was definitely a, uh, defensive struggle. But that seemed to play into the Terps’ hands…they were on the Tar Heels like glue. UNC didn’t even get a shot off in the first half and never really threatened. The crowd was overwhelmingly pro-Terps, with the ”let’s go Maryland” chants raining down from the opening seconds. It was awesome to see our fans out in force like that.

No comment yet from Maryland head coach Joseph Tribbiani, but I imagine it will be something regarding Italian food and sexual conquests, in keeping with his unique brand of happy-go-lucky misogynism. In the meantime, HUGE congratulations to the entire team. Football may not have gone the way we wanted, and the basketball team is anybody’s guess, but between this and field hockey, the Terps have two titles so far this year. Not too shabby. GO TERPS!!!

(Photo credit: UMTerps.com)

Tagged with: Big Wins • championships • Soccer

Soccer team makes final four

On December 8, 2008, In Maryland sports, By Scott

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Buenos dias. I have some beautiful news to share with you this morning, beautiful readers. And it has to do with the Maryland Soccer Team. Most Americans call it soccer, but to me, it is simply The Beautiful Game. That is what I like to call it. Because of the beauty, the passion, the artistry, the beauty, the majesty, and of course, the great great passion of its players and fans. So many congratulations, many bouquets both verbal and physical, are due now to the Maryland men’s The Beautiful Game team, who on Saturday made the Final Four (called the College Cup in soccer) with a 1-0 win over Creighton.

The Creighton coach said it was “probably the most we have been outplayed in any match in the last decade or longer.” Ah, yes. The game’s only goal came from Omar Gonzalez, who has a very very beautiful future in the professional ranks. I hope that a certain local pro team, who has fallen on hard times recently and may be in need of fresh blood, is paying attention.

The Terrapins join ACC mates North Carolina and the big juggernaut, top-ranked Wake Forest, in the cup. St. John’s, who will be Maryland’s next opponent this Saturday, rounds out the group. Dios mio, but I hope that Maryland continues to play The Beautiful Game with passion! I now kiss them, man to man, for good luck.

(Photo credit: One Game at a Time)

Tagged with: Big Wins • Soccer

Terps win $10,000 in one hand, lose $8,000 in next

On November 29, 2008, In Maryland sports, By Scott

And so it goes.

The hoops team put it all together in a monstrous win over no. 5 Michigan State. They got a balanced attacked from Hayes, Vasquez, Neal, and Bowie, they played to their strengths, and they out-hustled the Spartans on every loose ball.

But then, that broken Maryland record started skipping again.

In a butt-kicking the next night at the hands of no. 10 Gonzaga, the Terps’ lacking frontcourt was utterly exposed. The Terps were outrebounded by 11, and the two main Bulldog big men, Heytfelt and Daye, combined for 39 points. Dupree, Neal, Burney, and Dino Gregory answered with a combined 12.

Meanwhile, Vasquez seems to forget his lessons just as quickly as he learns them. He channeled his intensity into great hustle and determination against MSU, but against Gonzaga it reverted to sloppiness. Hayes disappeared entirely.

I agree completely with this quote from Steve Yanda in Terrapins Insider:

Last night seemed like a throw-back to last season, when Greivis Vasquez was asked to shoulder the scoring load while everyone else tried to figure out some way to be useful. That, clearly, will not fly…the Terps need (and I mean NEED) at least two or three players besides Vasquez to score in double digits in order for them to be successful. The guy is good, but not good enough to carry the team by himself.

We need other guys to step up — plain and simple. If they do, we win. If they don’t, we lose. That’s no news flash, but it bears repeating.

All in all, we’re still ahead. The Spartans upset will be a signature win, and definitely means more than the loss to Gonzaga, who played some serious ball last night. The Terps left it all out on the floor for MSU, and gassed pretty hard last night, so fatigue played a role here, too. So overall a good effort. It’s just frustrating that the team always seems to give back so quickly most or all of the momentum it ever gains.

Silver lining: Sunday we’ve got Georgetown. Huzzah! It’s a shame they need to go all the way to Orlando to renew that local rivalry, but I’ll take it. If we can win it, that is. Goterps.

Tagged with: Bad Losses • Basketball • Big Wins • Braxton Dupree • Vasquez