April 11, 2008
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Friday’s Game One Recap: Maryland-Eastern Shore 4, Vanderbilt 0
Posted Friday at 2:15 p.m. CT
OMAHA, Neb — Basketball coach Jim Valvano coined the phrase “Survive and Advance”, meaning nobody should worry about how they win in a tournament format so long as they figure out how to win.
That phrase might be appropriate for Vanderbilt’s bowlers, who staged an intense battle with sixth-seeded Sacred Heart before advancing to the NCAA Bowling Championship’s third round Friday afternoon.
In the end, the Commodores prevailed four games to three over the valiant Sacred Heart squad, who gave the match their best effort.
Prevailing was a good alternative in a morning of upsets. Top-seeded and tourney host Nebraska was the first team bounced out after losing 4 games to 1 to Central Missouri, who had the eighth and last seed. The Huskers were then shutout by Minnesota State to shock the home state partisans.
The turning point of Vanderbilt’s best-of-seven might have occurred in the first game. Sacred Heart appeared to hold its fate in its own hands and its anchor needed just eight pins in the tenth frame to slam the door on the defending champs. However, her first ball resulted in a split with four pins left standing and her spare attempt netted just one pin, giving Vanderbilt a 208-207 win.
The Commodores posted another good score in Game 2 but so did Sacred Heart, the game ending with VU on the right side of a 212-200 game.
Missed spare opportunities cost Vanderbilt in Game 3, losing 171-164 but Vanderbilt rebounded in Game 4 with a 201-180 advantage and a 3 games to 1 cushion.
There was to be no easy pass into Round 3 as Sacred Heart won Game 5 by a 186-174 score and Game 6 with a sizzling 256 total in which it opened with three strikes and closed with six more.
Game 7 saw Vanderbilt substitute sophomore Ashley Belden for the normally steady Tara Kane, who had thumb problems yesterday and was erratic part of the morning. In the end, steady performance allowed Vanderbilt to win gong away, 210-167.
It is tempting to see the Commodore struggles as under performance but they tallied 960 pins in their losing effort to Maryland-Eastern Shore and four games north of 200 against Sacred Heart. It is probably much more an indication of how closely matched the field happens to be this year.
Redshirt freshman Brittany Garcia continued to bowl admirably in the second slot of the otherwise veteran Vanderbilt lineup.
This afternoon’s action will also pit Minnesota State against Arkansas State. The winner, along with the winner of Vandy-Central Missouri, will join Maryland-Eastern Shore and New Jersey City as bowling’s “Final Four”.
Should Vanderbilt get by the pesky Jennies of CMSU, they would meet MES in a quick rematch later in the afternoon.
