March Sports

      It's time to get caught up with our adventures in Durham. March was a very busy time for Duke sports and I managed to take in a few contests live. The biggest on campus event involved the women's basketball team.  They hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA women's basketball championship tournament and I was lucky enough to have tickets for each game given to me by my friend Spiro.  They're great seats and over the past couple of years I've gotten to know some of the other season ticket holders.  It's a fun and chatty group.
      The opening round featured Duke v. Hampton and Oklahoma State v. DePaul.  Each team brought their pep bands, which increased the atmosphere as well as the noise level.  Hampton brought several bus loads of boisterous fans and played Duke pretty even for awhile, but Duke ultimately won.  In the second game, OK ST got off  to a big lead in the second game , but had to hang on in the second half to beat DePaul.  Duke and OK ST got the BB wins, but Hampton won the battle of the bands. They were great playing, singing, and dancing their way through the contest.
      In the second round game Oklahoma State again established a big lead - at least 14 points as I remember.  Duke's come-back was tremendous and Cameron Indoor Stadium was rockin'.  Duke won and moved on to the Sweet Sixteen.  The OK ST cheerleaders were very athletic and put on some great gymnastic displays, but if I never hear the song "Oklahoma" played again it will be too soon.

     In addition to the women's basketball I made it to a Duke baseball game.  The game played at the Durham Athletic Park was against Boston College.  It was a good game, even though it seemed to take forever.  It seems as though college games move at a snails pace.  But the day was sunny and warm and Duke won, so a good time was had by all  - well by me anyway.

     I also attended a men's tennis match.  In college tennis they play three doubles matches first vying for one match point.  The each match is played to 8 points - win two of the three matches and you get the one point.  Then 6 singles matches are played each worth a point.  Duke has one of the top players in the country, Henrique Cunha, from Brazil.  He's a very steady player.  We played Miami and won handily.
     I've played quite a few rounds of golf in March, thanks to a series of gift certificates given to me for Valentines Day by my beautiful, loving wife.  The courses are just starting to "green-up" and the trees are in flower.  My game however seems to still be in hibernation.