The Pendulum
SPORTS
Thursday, February 26, 2004 • Page 23
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Sports Picks
By Tim Rink
After a 4-1 week, I’m feeling pretty good
about my picks. And it is with that sense of
confidence that I submit these five predictions to
the masses.
Elon Men’s Basketball v. UNC-G
The Spartans handled the Phoenix nicely
earlier this month, sending Elon home from
Greensboro with a 67-53 loss. This game was
the only blemish in a five-game mn in which the
Phoenix won four games. With no major
changes in either squad, there shouldn’t be too
much of a change in this game. However, I feel
that Elon has become a better team and matured
during the season. With Scottie Rice back from
the injury that he aggravated during the first
game against UNC-Greensboro, the Phoenix
offense should be firing on all cylinders. Matt
Nowlin has hit his stride of late. Nowlin has
scored 24,20, 11,13 and 20 points respectively
in the last five games. If these two can accom
plish what they’re capable of, I think the
Phoenix takes this game at Alumni Gym. Elon
65, UNC-G 59
Elon Women’s Basketball v. Furman
The last time these two ladies squads met, it
was ugly; ugly to the tune of 31 percent com
bined field goal shooting. Field goals are one
thing, but when both teams go 50 percent from
the line, you know the game was not exactly an
offensive exhibition. Both of these teams pride
themselves on suffocating defense. Furman is
second in the SoCon, and second in defense.
Furman allows 54.6 points per game, only one-
tenth of a point more than conference-leading
Chattanooga. Elon is allowing 63.6 points per
game, in contrast to the 65.4 points per game it’s
averaging. This should be a nasty game in
Greenville that I just don’t see the Phoenix being
able to pull out. Furman 65, Elon 55
Duke at Florida State
Tallahassee has quickly established itself as
one of the toughest places to play in the Atlantic
Coast Conference. No one wants to visit
Florida State because the Seminoles fear no one.
But the Blue Devils have never feared anyone
either. Duke has established itself as an elite
team in the country and it should receive a No.
1 seed in the tournament if it can win its remain
ing games. Duke has been slowed consider
ably of late, as teams seemed to have figured out
the Redick enigma. Florida State plays excel
lent defense and is very athletic. However, I’m
not convinced that it has the front line to com
pete with Shelden Williams, Shavlik Randolph
and Luol Deng. This should be a tight one.
Don t miss it. Devils in a barnburner. Duke 89,
FSU88
UNCatNCSU
Is there a hotter team in the ACC than NC
State? Correct answer; no. Are there any teams
in the ACC more in need of a big game win than
fm
—KRT Campus
Duke’s Sean Dockery goes for the steal
against Wake Forest’s Chris Paul.
the Tarheels? Correct answer, maybe, but not
many. These two teams squaring off in
Raleigh should make for a classic match-up.
NC State has won five of its last six games,
beating Wake Forest, FSU, Duke, and pulling
out a close one against The University of
Washington. Its little slip against Clemson can
be pushed aside as Little John is an abysmal
place for an opposing team to tiy and escape
with a win. Carolina has been playing well
over the last few games, but consistency has
been a problem all year. The stat will throw the
Tarheel fans into despair State hasn’t lost all
year in Raleigh, it’s a perfect 19-0 in the games
played there this year (including exhibitions).
On the other side of the coin, the Tarheels are
only 3-6 away firom the Dean Dome this year.
Those three wins came early in the season
against Davidson, Cleveland State and Illinois.
Tarheel fans shouldn’t count on coming home
with a ‘W’ this time. UNC 75, NCSU 87
ETSU at College of Charleston
East Tennessee Stale has absolutely domi
nated the SoCon this year and is ranked among
the top-10 mid-major teams in the country
according to ESPN.com. It has mn the table in
the SoCon up to this point and gave both Texas
Tech and Clemson all they wanted on hostile
courts. No one who has played this Buc team
(23-4, 14-0 SoCon) wants to do it again.
College of Charleston has been almost equally
intimidating this season. It has stumbled at
times though, and I think its inconsistencies are
going to cost them here. This game should be
allBucs.ETSU85,CofC70
Contact Tim Rink at pendulum@elon.edu or
278-7247.