Angel and Dream take 1-0 advantage

THURSDAY AT CARDINAL COUPLE:

-Angel key in 95-90 Dream win

-"worst joke I have heard lately"

-another chance to spend your paycheck

Former UofL great Angel McCoughtry refused to lose last night and the visiting Atlanta Dream took a 1-0 lead in the WNBA Eastern Conference semifinals...defeating the Washington Mystics 95-90 in the Verizon Center. McCoughtry led all scorers with 28 points as Atlanta broke a two game losing streak.

The Dream began the game with a vengeance...jumping out to an early 10-1 lead...largely due to the efforts of Iziane Castro-Marquez. Washington clawed their way back into the contest, though and led 19-17 as first quarter action finished.

The Dream regained the lead early in the second quarter and put on an excellent shooting and fast break display...going 16 for 19 from the floor in the second stanza and taking a 48-33 advantage into the locker room at halftime. McCoughtry totaled 17 first half points and guard Coco Miller added 10. The Dream couldn't catch a break on fouls, though...and several players had 3 whistled on them in first half action.

Atlanta managed to sustain the double digit lead through the 3rd quarter. A late Mystic run cut the margin to 10 at 68-58 to end the 3rd quarter. McCoughtry was silenced most of the period...but still had 21 points on the scoreboard.

What followed was a wild and wacky 4th quarter. Washington methodically narrowed the Atlanta advantage and had whittled the margin to 68-63 with 8:59 remaining. They would climb within 2 at 77-75 and Atlanta looked to be on the ropes with 4:30 left in the game. Angel and Miller found some spare gas, though and the Dream went on a 9-0 run to hold a 84-75 lead with 2:54 to go. Washington would manage to cut the deficit to four several times in the final minutes but clutch free throw shooting by Miller and McCoughtry preserved the 5 point win.

The teams travel to Atlanta for game 2 on Friday in the best of three playoff format. If the Mystics win...game three returns to Washington on Sunday.

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The other playoff game last night featured the Seattle Storm hosting the L.A. Sparks. Seattle took the contest 79-66...getting 20 points from Swin Cash and 17 from Lauren Jackson. Two games on tap for Thursday night...New York and Indiana go to battle in the East and Phoenix and San Antonio square off in the West.

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I watched the Dream victory last night on WNBA All-Access from my laptop. Good picture, only one freeze up but the play by play and commentary was horrendous. Beside being blatant Mystics "homers"...the inept crew kept mispronouncing half the Dream's players names and was offering moronic advice like "if you allow Atlanta wide open shots in the paint...they'll score" and "if Atlanta could make more free throws...they'd have a bigger lead."

Really? I have no idea where they find these bozos...but wherever it is...it's a source they need to drop. Two hobos by a shanty near a railroad track could have provided better analysis and play by play.

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OK...this one is horrible but it had me going until the final sentence:

'Charlie Strong, UofL football coach has been replacing Rick Pitino in television commercials in the Louisville area market as of late. As we all know, most television commercials are 30 seconds in length. Pitino can only last 15.'

It's only going to get worse as basketball season gets closer and closer. Hang in there, Rick...maybe Calipari will do something stupid to take the pressure off you.

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Changes on tap for the football season and the goings on at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. The ticket office and Cardinal apparel store is now open next to the east entrance and offers 10% off any purchase if you are a season ticket holder. There is now a no-smoking policy in force inside the stadium (good luck on that one) and food and drink specials will be offered before the game on the new south side observation deck overlooking the Crunch Zone and end zone.

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Good luck to former Cardinal great Candyce Bingham who is leaving today to go play Euro hoops. Never felt that she got a fair break to make the WNBA after graduation...but she's probably making more money overseas...so go to the hoop and block out, C.B.