he boys talked and just taking it all i

Posted in IYH Forums by lavender123456 at 01:02, Jun 25 2014

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Marcus Paige and his North Carolina teammates have endured so many wild swings -- big wins, surprising losses, NCAA drama -- that no one can blame their Hall of Fame coach for wondering whats next. And yet, a month after sitting at 0-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Tar Heels are surging after a rousing comeback against their fiercest rival that had their fans rushing to midcourt to celebrate when it was over. Paige scored all 13 of his points in the second half, including two big baskets in the final 2 1/2 minutes, to help UNC beat No. 5 Duke 74-66 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win. Senior Leslie McDonald added a season-high 21 points for the Tar Heels (19-7, 9-4 ACC), who rallied from 11 points down in the second half to beat the Blue Devils (21-6, 10-4) in a rivalry game postponed more than a week by a winter storm. It was by far North Carolinas most impressive win during its run. Before Thursday, most had come against teams standing sixth or lower in the ACC standings. "Im not going to say were a finished product because weve got games left," Paige said, "but man, were playing really well right now and were winning games in a lot of different ways." It marked UNCs third win against a top-five team this season, along then-No. 1 Michigan State and then-No. 3 Louisville. Throw in then-No. 11 Kentucky in December, and the Tar Heels have beaten the top four teams from The Associated Press preseason Top 25. Not bad for a team that never had top player P.J. Hairston due to NCAA violations for improper benefits. "It was a bunch of guys that fought really hard," coach Roy Williams said, "and I couldnt be prouder of my team than I am right now." After filling the entire court after the horn, thousands of fans mobbed Franklin Street on the north end of campus to continue a celebration that came eight days later than they had hoped due to last weeks winter storm. The storm brought enough snow and ice to paralyze area roads and kept Dukes bus from even making it to Durham to pick up the team for the 11-mile drive to the Smith Center in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels made it worth the wait for their fans by being tough enough to wrestle control from the Blue Devils. They shot 50 per cent from the field after halftime and even made their last 10 free throws after a disastrous start at the line. Jabari Parker and Quinn Cook both scored 17 points for Duke, which led 51-40 with about 15 minutes left before going ice cold from the field. The Blue Devils missed 13 straight shots and went scoreless for 6 minutes at one point, helping the Tar Heels climb back in it by mixing a 1-3-1 zone with man defence. "They would just keep switching," Cook said. "Wed come down, and we wouldnt know what theyd be in. They kept us on our toes with their defence." Duke shot 36 per cent (11 for 31) after halftime and made 5 of 22 3-pointers for the game, Coach Mike Krzyzewski said he thought his team "played young" in the second half. "We looked tired or we didnt have life," Krzyzewski said. "And no matter what we did in a timeout, we just didnt have that spark -- the anger, the emotion, the thing you have to have to match what their crowd, their team is doing. You have to try to counter that. And I just felt we were, we didnt have the life that you needed to have." Paige provided plenty of that fight for the Tar Heels. After being hounded by Duke defenders Cook and Rasheed Sulaimon through his scoreless first half, he scored nine points in the final 5 1/2 minutes starting with his only 3-pointer of the night. McDonald hit the go-ahead jumper to make it 62-60 with 3:54 left, capping his own strong performance after two straight 1-for-8 shooting performances. Paige followed with a stepback jumper over Rodney Hood with 2:11 left, then answered Parkers free throws by driving for a scooping layup through the heart of Dukes defence. After Sulaimon missed a 3 on the ensuing possession, freshman Nate Britt followed with two free throws that pushed the lead to 68-62 with 46.2 seconds left and soon had the rowdy home crowd inching closer to the court. It marked the 11th time Paige has scored in double figures in the second half this season after scoring four or fewer in the first. The postponement created a four-games-in-eight-days stretch for both teams, though its particularly challenging for Duke with No. 1 Syracuse visiting Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday night in a rematch of the overtime classic won by the Orange earlier this month. UNC hosts Wake Forest on Saturday afternoon. cheap jerseys . -- The Smallrus finally hoisted a big PGA Tour trophy. wholesale jerseys . The three-time All-Star scored 26 points to lead Oklahoma City past the Charlotte Bobcats 116-99 Sunday night. He was 10 of 12 from the floor in 25 minutes in his fifth game since returning from right knee surgery. http://www.wholesalenfljerseysplay.com/. The much-maligned Moroccan striker headed in the winner in the 42nd minute to give Tony Pulis a win in his first home match in charge and provisionally lift the London club out of last place. wholesale nfl jerseys . Now that hes finally made it, he doesnt care that he got there after a loss. Alex Ovechkin fully expected to be in the playoffs. cheap jerseys from china . Thabeet banged his head into Stiemsmas after the pair exchanged shoves during the Thunders 105-102 loss on Thursday. The NBA says Monday that Thabeet will miss the first game that he is eligible and physically able to play in during the regular season.ST. PETERSBURG, Florida – Gareth Morgan sat in the dugout before Tuesday afternoons sun-soaked Baseball Canada Junior Teams tilt against the Blue Jays, visualizing what was to come both in the short term and in the future. "Its pretty cool and humbling," said Morgan. "Its an honour to be a part of this team and get an opportunity to do this. Its not everyday you get to put your uniform on and play against big leaguers." Morgan, who turns 18 next month, is a presence at 64", 220 pounds. He is the top-ranked Canadian heading into Junes amateur draft. Some projections have the product of Torontos Vaughn Road Academy going in the first round. An outfielder, he possesses all the tools over which scouts salivate. "Hes a high school player so sometimes I think the expectation is unrealistic given the skill set," said head coach Greg Hamilton. "He has tremendous talent. Hes got everything youre looking for. Hes got size. Hes got power. Hes got speed for a big man. Hes got a plus arm. Its a complete package. Its a major league right fielder in the making if everything falls into place and he stays healthy, obviously." Morgan grew up splitting his summers and winters between baseball and hockey. Three years ago, his first in high school, Morgan made a choice. He would commit to playing baseball full-time and, having already gone through a growth spurt, was showing signs of the imposing figure hes become. Fast forward three years, through all the games and the tournaments and the travel with the junior team, and he feels like he belongs. "I feel like Ive come a long way both mentally and physically," said Morgan. "I was a lot smaller back then and my skills werent as good. On the mental side, Ive gained more confidence and I just feel more comfortable with what Im doing." He recently spent a week visiting Larry Walker in West Palm Beach, Florida. They hit, shagged flies, worked out and talked the tools of the trade. It was an opportunity to pick the brain of a former great about life in the big leagues. "It was awesome," said Morgan. "We hung out, went kayaking, played a little baseball, hit with the Cardinals." Theres a big decision looming on the horizon. As he awaits the June draft, Morgan also has a scholarship offer from North Carolina State University. Hell have to weigh the value of signing with the pro club that selects him versus a free education at a strong ACC school. "It crosses your mind sometimes, of course youre going to think about it, but the less you think about it the better it is," said Morgan. "Just go out and play the game you love and have fun with it." "We try to give them the information thats objective so that they know all the opportunities available to them and then they qualify what resonates to them the most," said Hamilton. "As long as they understand what a Division I scholarship means and what that experience means; what signing out of high school and minor league baseball and the challenges that come with that mean, the day to day grind that theyre going to go through means to them on a personal level and where they are physically and mentally, I think if theyve got the comparables in front of them, everythings in order, then it becomes a personal decision. We try to convince them its not always about dollars." Morgan cites Brett Lawrie as his favourite ballplayer. The two shared the same field together on Tuesday.dddddddddddd A few years from now, it could happen again. ONYSHKO GRINDS IT OUT Left-hander Ben Onyshko, a 17-year-old from Winnipeg, admitted to being nervous in the first inning. He walked the first two hitters he faced, Munenori Kawasaki and Colby Rasmus, almost hitting Kawasaki twice. Brett Lawrie followed with a single, loading the bases with nobody out for Jose Bautista. "I mean, I tried not to think about it," said Onyshko. "I tried to just execute pitches the same as always but Ive got to admit, my mind was racing a little bit. It was surreal." Bautista flew out to deep left centerfield for a sacrifice fly. "I was scared for a split second when he hit the ball," said Onyshko. "Once I was able to get that first out I think things started to roll a little bit better. I settled in." He certainly did settle in. Onyshko limited the Jays to that one run in the first and allowed two runs over his three innings of work. Onyshkos curveball caught the attention of onlookers. Its a pitch he started throwing when he was 12. "I just remember hanging in the backyard with my dad, just working on it, throwing it," said Onyshko. "He would sit there catching bullpens for me every couple of days." LAWRIE HAS FLASHBACKS It wasnt too long ago Brett Lawrie was playing for the Baseball Canada junior team in games like Tuesdays. "Its a lot of fun for me," said Lawrie. "Especially nowadays because theres a lot more guys coaching that Ive played with and had a chance to play with that are across the other way now. Its good to see those guys coming back and helping the young guys. It sets a good example for all them because the guys I played with were the good players and theyre fun to play with so things are probably pretty light in the clubhouse, which is cool." Lawrie and his Blue Jays teammates did most of the talking as they mingled with the young Canadians before the game. "I think its kind of keep your ears open, more or less," said Lawrie. "Theyre a little nervous, which I anticipated so I think, more or less, they just kept their ears open, listened to how the boys talked and just taking it all in." HAMILTON APPRECIATES BLUE JAYS APPROACH Brandon Morrow started for the Blue Jays. Baseball Canada alum Brett Lawrie, Jose Bautista, Colby Rasmus, Adam Lind and Dioner Navarro were in Torontos starting lineup on Tuesday. Head coach Greg Hamilton appreciated the Jays willingness to send some of the clubs top stars to the game. The rest of the roster was in Lakeland for a game against the Tigers. "Its a special day and an opportunity to come out on the field and play against the players that you watch on TV and aspire to be like is incredibly special," said Hamilton. Fans will follow the paths of these young players. Visit www.baseball.ca to learn more about the program. "Every player that weve got has a chance to play beyond high school," said Hamilton. "At minimum theyre going to go on scholarships and play collegiate baseball. You never know. You extend your playing career and you figure a few things out and there are some here today you think will be for sure potential major league prospects and there are others who will sneak up on you too just by having the opportunity to continue to play." ' ' '