There is March Madness and with it is the accompanying sadness. The latter is usually reserved for teams suffering elimination, especially in heartbreaking finishes. Today the sadness goes on a much deeper and personal level. We all lost a friend in the passing of John Feinstein.
A noted sportswriter, Feinstein covered many sports but was particularly tuned in and recognized for his work in the college game.
A10 Commissioner Bernadette McGlade said Feinstein was “a legendary storyteller who built lasting relationships with coaches, players and administrators.” That would particularly include the A10, a conference he enjoyed covering. As a tribute the A10 would leave his press seat open at the A10 Tournament. Feinstein was scheduled to cover the event. “College basketball lost a hall of fame writer,” McGlade added. “We will miss his presence on the sidelines at our championship each March.”
Those of us fortunate to know him will also miss a good friend.
The Second Round recap:
St. Bonaventure 64 Duquesne 59
Saint Louis 83 Davidson 75
George Washington 88 Fordham 81
Saint Joseph’s 75 La Salle 70
Double trouble. Isaiah Swope, with 26 points and Gibson Jimmerson 25, combined for 51 of the Saint Louis points in the win over Davidson. Not to be outdone, the Bills Robbie Avila posted a 13 point, 11 rebound double-double. SLU posted an excellent 119 offensive efficiency for the contest.
Maybe it was fitting, Fran Dunphy’s last game on the La Salle sidelines would be against a fellow Big 5 school. Dunphy was a fabric of Philadelphia basketball, specifically, the Big 5 since his days as a La Salle player straight through to his last stop in coaching.
St. Bonaventure rallied from 13 points down in the second half to stun Duquesne. Bonnies held the Dukes to 25 second half points, not allowing a field goal in the final four minutes. . They also enjoyed a 24-4 edge in points off turnovers by forcing 18 Duquesne miscues. The Bonnies have now won at least one tournament game in 10 of the 15 years they qualified under coach Mark Schmidt.
George Washington held a 13 point lead with just over eight minutes to play. Fordham, a first round winner over Rhode Island. rallied, gaining the lead with just over two minutes left. GW’s Trey Autry rescued the Revolutionaries by canning three consecutive three pointers. Autry tied his career-high with 23 points, including 7 of 13 (54%) shooting from downtown. Jackie Johson of Fordham led all scorers with 35 points.
Billy Lange’s Hawks hit the boards hard in the win over La Salle. They enjoyed a 46-35 rebounding advantage, 19-11 on the offensive glass. Their offensive rebounding percentage was an impressively high 44%. Rasheer Fleming grabbed a team-high eight rebounds for the Hawks, tying La Salle’s Mac Etienne for game honors.
La Salle Senior guard Corey McKelthan led all scorers with 29 points. Xzayvler Brown led Saint Joseph’s with 21 points.
La Salle trailed by 19 points with just over six minutes to play. The Explorers rallied attempting to extend their season and Dunphy’s tenure, cutting the deficit to two possessions with a minute left. The Hawks sealed the verdict with a perfect 6 for 6 showing from the charity stripe in the final 60 seconds.
Friday’s Quarterfinals:
St. Bonaventure-VCU
Loyola Chicago- Saint Louis
George Washington- George Mason
Dayton- Saint Joseph’s
