Sports

Rising to the top of the 2009 NCAA Big Dance

One of the toughest decisions the NCAA bracket committee has to make every year is to announce the No. 1 seeds. Almost every year, there are about six teams that are worthy of those four top spots.

AU bball gave all in NCAA game

Coach Jeff Jones summed it up best when he said the AU men's basketball team left everything on the court. Every player played their heart out and gave it their all, but in the end they couldn't stack up against the Villanova University Wildcats. One year ago the AU Eagles were one of the only teams in Division I basketball that had never made the NCAA tournament.

Breaking down AU v. Nova

As our men's basketball team takes on the Villanova University Wildcats tonight in the first round of the NCAA tournament, I thought it would be fair to check out the comparisons between the two teams. Yeah, they might have a better seed and are essentially playing on their home court.

Are the Eagles this year's Cinderella?

There really couldn't be that much a difference between the quality of a No. 14 seed and a No. 11 seed could there? Well the AU Eagles are about to find out, as they are only three seeds away from the place in which George Mason University made their magical Cinderella run.

Eagles escape against Army

The AU Eagles squeaked out a tough 61-60 win over the U.S. Military Academy Black Knights during the Patriot League semifinal game Sunday afternoon in Bender Arena. The victory keeps AU in the hunt for its second straight league title and appearance in the NCAA tournament.

Caps fail at deadline

To be considered a winner, you have to act like one, which sometimes means moves off the ice are just as important as on. Based on this definition, the Washington Capitals are not at that level. On trade deadline day, the Capitals stayed put and filed to make any new acquisitions and did not move a single person.

Musical chairs in NFL

TOP 3 SIGNEES Washington Redskins DT Albert Haynesworth Former Tennessee Titan DT Albert Haynesworth signed a mega-contract contract with the Washington Redskins on Feb. 27. The deal is for seven years at $100 million. The two-time All-Pro will receive $32 million over the first 13 months.

Eagles advance to PL semifinals

Another home game, another victory for the AU men's basketball team as the Eagles defeated Lafayette College 78-56 in the Patriot League quarterfinals last night in Bender Arena. It was the team's 15th win in a row over league opponents on their home floor.

Women's hoops wins on Senior Day

The AU women's basketball team closed out the regular season in style, celebrating Senior Day with a 75-54 victory over the Lafayette College Leopards at Bender Arena on Saturday afternoon. The win snapped the team's three-game losing streak. The Eagles finish the season at 19-10 and 9-5 in the Patriot League - good enough for the No. 2 seed in the upcoming tournament.

Caps cautious at trade deadline

The trade deadline is Wednesday and it has already been said that the Capitals need to make a move but it can't be at the detriment of the locker room. Already once this season the Washington Capitals have needed to move some bodies in order to be looked at as one of the premier teams in the National Hockey League.

Wild AL West up for grabs in '09

The last division to cover in the American League is the AL West. This seems to be a case of saving the worst for last. Sure, last year's AL West champion Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim had the best record in the MLB, but it's important to keep in mind that the team played most of their games against teams within their division.

AU advances to Patriot League Semifinals

The AU Eagles defeated the Lafayette Leopards 78-56 in the Patriot League Quarterfinals Wednesday night. They will now play Army on Sunday in the league's semifinals.

Eagles escape Lafayette, 75-68

An extra five minutes of play was just what the doctor ordered for Garrison Carr to snap out of his game-long slump, as the senior guard scored 11 of his game-high 23 points in overtime to lead the Eagles to a 75-68 victory over Lafayette College Saturday afternoon.

Sending off the seniors

Predicting the 2009 Big Dance

Win or go home. That is what it comes down to for NCAA Men's basketball teams that are fighting for the last few positions in March's NCAA tournament. The NCAA tournament consists of 65 of college basketball's best teams. Of those 65 spots, 31 teams receive automatic bids by winning their conference tournament.

Seniors help take PL crown

The AU men's basketball team clinched the Patriot League regular season title with a late rally over the U.S. Naval Academy Wednesday night. Down one point with less than two minutes to go, the Eagles came from behind to beat Navy 64-59. The Eagles quickly jumped out to an early lead over the Midshipmen but couldn't sustain it through the rest of the game.

Home cookin' Bender style

Duke University's Cameron Indoor Stadium, UCLA's Pauley Pavilion, University of Pennsylvania's Palestra. These are what most college basketball fanatics think about when they think of home court advantage, the arenas that bring up images of half-naked, painted-chest, jumping and clapping students willing their teams to victory.