These past two weeks feature 31 Division I women’s basketball tournaments, and if you watch them on television, they all tend to look similar. In person, however, each one has its unique charms. For example, you know you’re at the MEAC Tournament at Norfolk’s Scope if . . .
*Hampton coach David Six is prowling the sidelines.
The MEAC Tournament isn’t really the Lady Pirates Invitational. It’s only seemed that way over the past decade. Friday’s 61-60 semifinal victory over Bethune-Cookman sent Hampton to the tournament final for the eighth time in the last 10 seasons. The Lady Pirates will be appearing in their seventh final in nine seasons under Six, who is 21-2 in this tournament with six titles as the HU coach. They meet North Carolina A&T on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
*The wireless connection is hit-or-miss. Actually, last year it was hit-or-miss. This year, it’s just miss. No wireless at all. So for those who were wondering why we didn’t live-tweet the above information, now you know.. Christy Winters-Scott is sitting courtside breaking down the action for ESPN viewers. The former Maryland star-turned ace television analyst worked the Big Ten tournament last week, but she brings the same high energy when calling the MEAC games
“It’s been awesome!” Winters-Scott said of the action she’s seen so far.
Winters-Scott’s knowledgable, enthusiastic commentary regardless of the platform is among the reasons we look up to her.
The other, of course, is she’s like 6-foot-5 in heels.
*Bovant’s Cosmetics Spa is set up in the concession area to allow you to get your face done between games. Try getting that at the ACC Tournament.
*You’re constantly picking popcorn out of your teeth. The MEAC keeps a popcorn machine full throughout the tournament, and media members and workers beat a constant path to a room adjacent to the court to get their munchies on. The only problem — the miniature containers the conference provides only hold about one large handful of the stuff. By the time you get back to your seat, you need to return for more. But since it beats paying $4.50 for a jumbo bag at the concession stand, we’re not sweating the extra steps. We’d be embarrassed to reveal how much free popcorn we consume during MEAC week. Let’s just say when we leave for the tournament, we make sure to pack all the essentials — laptop, tape recorder and dental floss.
*There are poster-sized action photos of one of the stars of each team in the postgame interview room. The players love to take the photos — but not too soon. The MEAC only turns them loose after a team loses. So if you see a player walking around the arena carrying a huge cardboard image of herself in action, you know that player’s team is no longer in the competition.
*Desiree Finney is rooting on one of her children — loudly.
In this case, it was Hampton’s Monnazjea Finney-Smith, the fourth and final of Finney’s children to star in college basketball. Because of their exploits, over the years Finney has also been a full-throated fixture at the CAA, CIAA, SEC and ACC events. We wanted to know more, so we asked a Hampton official to point Finney out in the crowd.
“I’m not sure where she is,” the official replied. “But if you listen, you’ll hear her.”
Players and coaches typically try to tune the crowd out, but given the volume of Finney’s support, the Lady Pirates have pretty much given up.
“I definitely hear her,” Finney-Smith said
.
“Everybody hears her,” Six added.
With Finney-Smith a redshirt senior, Finney acknowledged it’s bittersweet to think about her cheering days finally coming to an end (it’s also hard to imagine the Lady Pirates in the Big South next season).
“But if we win (Saturday), we’ll go to the (NCAA) tournament,” Finney said. “I’ll have at least one more game.”
We heard that.