14 I Tuesday, January 16, 2007 I SIGNAL SPORTS SEC dominance Lady Panthers stumble on the road in college sports By JEREMY SAMPSON By PATRICK CHENEY [email protected] baseball this year. The seven teams pcheney [email protected] are the most that any one confer­ Like a majestic mountain ence has in the top 25. That means range, the long, grueling, NCAA Hopefully, Ohio State's loss to 28 percent of the top 25 comes basketball schedule for the Florida in the National from the SEC. The ACC has six Georgia State Lady Panthers is one Championship game will silence teams and the Big 12 is next with full of tranquil highs and sorrowful all the Michigan fans who were three. lows. Thursday's away game at crying that their team deserved to Why is the SEC so dominant? Old Dominion proved this, as the be in the game instead of Florida. It could be something in the water Lady Panthers stumbled, falling To me, it's no contest, Florida down here, because it seems that 75-54 at the Ted Center in Norfolk, was the most deserving team to go people from the south are just flat- Va. following Southern California's out better athletes than up north. Led by Head Coach Lea loss to UCLA. Sure, it's easy to Think about the differences. Henry, the Lady Panthers (9-6, 1 -3 say that now, but 1 was saying it My friend from Massachusetts CAA) entered Thursday's contest then. I even went so far as to say is always trying to throw the suc­ as winners of nine of their last 11 that Florida would beat Ohio State. cess of the New England Patriots games. However, Thursday night's In a house full of UGA fans, you in my face. However, I really don't match proved to be a setback as the GA State Athletic Dept. I Signal can understand how much trash pay that much attention to the NFL, in fact, I'd rather watch col­ Lady Panthers came out convert­ Brittany Hollins chipped in with 14 points and four steals in talking I had to endure following lege sports in general over profes­ ing only 23 percent of their field the loss. the opening kickoff. I'd like to say goals and managing only two that I was mature about it, and sional sports. That's not just attempts at the foul line. After the when Florida started to pull away, because I think college athletes try first period of play, Georgia State played a considerably better sec­ turnovers while the home team I kept my mouth shut, but that harder, but when I watch a UGA or headed into their halftime locker ond half as they were outscored scored 31 points off of Georgia would be a lie. After the game, the a Georgia Tech game, for the most room down 34-16. marginally 38-41. Georgia State State turnovers. one thing that everybody in the part, I'm watching kids from Once the Lady Panthers managed to improve their field After a game at George house agreed on was that the SEC around the state that I grew up in. returned to the court for the second goal percentage to 57 percent and Mason on Sunday (results were not is the most dominant football con­ Not many of the NFL players actu­ half they were led by senior guard converted all four of their three- available at time of press), the ference in the nation. ally play in the same region they Kelcey Roegiers-Jensen who, in point attempts. women's basketball team travel to The final standings for lived in. 38 minutes of play, tallied 19 This game was lost in the bat­ Wilmington, N.C. to face off Division I college football this past My lacrosse coach grew up in points, six assists and seven tle of turnovers as the Lady against UNC Wilmington. UNC season had the SEC finishing with Connecticut and moved down here rebounds. Sophomore guard Panthers committed 25 turnovers Wilmington was 5-9 (1-2 in CAA) five teams in the AP top 25 other in high school. He said that he was Brittany Hollins also had a consid­ compared to Old Dominion who at the time of press. They feature than the Gators (LSU, Auburn, one of the fastest, most athletic erable impact in her 36 minutes of committed 19. the reigning CAA rookie of the Arkansas, UGA and Tennessee). guys in Connecticut, but down play as she added 14 points, four Georgia State was simply year in Quanitra Hollingsworth, Of those five, Florida beat four of here he just about average. Sure, assists and four steals. unable to take advantage of the who is averaging 13.7 points per them with their only loss being a his stick skills were better than With fortuitous guard play and mistakes they made as 10 points game and 8.5 rebounds. Tip off is controversial one. The SEC had a others, but as far as pure athleti­ leadership, the Lady Panthers were scored off of Old Dominion set for 7 p.m. on Thursday. 6-3 bowl record this past season, cism, he was nothing special. and has continually been dominant New York and Indiana have in the new BCS format. Since the always been known to have top BCS began in 1998, the SEC has high school basketball prospects NEVER PICK UP won three national championships, come out of their states, however, the most of any of the conferences. Georgia's been one of the top high STRANGERS. The Big 12 is second with two. school basketball states of late. Football is not the only sport Look at the high school class that the SEC excels in. The Florida of 2004. Dwight Howard was the Gators became the first team to number one draft pick and has hold both the men's basketball and proved that he deserved it. The football championships at the same Atlanta Hawks' Josh Smith, while time. LSU also made it to the Final he was listed as coming out of Oak Four in March Madness last season Hill Academy in Virginia, actually only to lose to UCLA in the semi­ went to McEachern High School in finals. This season the SEC is con­ Georgia before transferring up tinuing its success. Florida, there his senior year. Another guy Alabama, LSU and Tennessee in that class that could have been a were all ranked in the top 25 as of solid draft pick had he not gone to Jan. 10. Even women's basketball college is Randolph Morris, who is dominated by the SEC. has had a less than ideal college Tennessee, LSU, Vanderbilt, UGA career at Kentucky, but still has and Arkansas all have women's talk about him being sought after programs in the top 25 right now. for a free agent contract. South Carolina, Vanderbilt, All in all, it seems that the Arkansas, University of SEC is so dominating because of Mississippi, UGA, Kentucky and its talent it can pull from down Alabama are all ranked in the here in the south. Rivals.com preseason top 25 for IN THEATRES EVERYWHERE FRIDAY, JANUARY 19? * WIN A QHANQI TO GET "KILLED" ON FILM H''l«AiXi(-1ii!Vifi(C£. ' I VI I- .VA4.H i.iN I- ii O'- i UJ? • Special l Signal Hov-jtf P«tjre« srtvllW *uu tj.yet "htttbit fttv t&ft> t)< me ".IM e' 4 duilf v..cue i JVI "ti >11 in'fit* I* [ Florida's upset of Ohio State has contributed to an impressive I . • , tSWW Ni'vrn » It . ;||A'4< 1 IV. >''•** .11 I .1- « -f .«•• •• •• 1 » ' <•••'• • ••• ••• '• • • '' '* ,.-••• .. • . '• - • • • ..... J run of SEC dominance in college sports. .