(4) Maryland 78, (2) Duke 70
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Crystal Langhorne couldn't contain her excitement. Finally, after losing 14 games in a row to Duke, the fourth-ranked Maryland Terrapins had won.
And Langhorne yelled it to her teammates before they even got to the locker room.
"I think it was like 10 seconds after the game," quipped her coach, Brenda Frese.
No one would blame the Terrapins for savoring this one.
Laura Harper had 17 points, Marissa Coleman added 16 points and 13 rebounds and Maryland beat the second-ranked Blue Devils 78-70 Saturday in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference women's tournament.
Kristi Toliver also scored 16 points for the Terrapins (28-3), who advanced to Sunday's final against No. 1 North Carolina. Earlier this season, they gave the Tar Heels their only loss in a thrilling game that was decided in overtime.
"It definitely gives us confidence, but at the same time, they want revenge," Harper said. "So we're going to have to play an even better game than we did at their place."
Perhaps that matchup can satisfy fans who were hoping to see North Carolina and Duke decide the ACC championship for the a fifth consecutive year in the heart of Tobacco Road. This will be Maryland's first chance at a tournament title since losing to Virginia 106-103 in triple overtime 13 years ago.
"I love it when the media continues to hype up the Carolina schools," Frese said. "This team is motivated by any challenge you give them, and they definitely responded."
Monique Currie finished with 18 points but couldn't stop the Blue Devils (26-3) from failing to advance to the final for the first time in seven years. Lindsey Harding had 16 points.
"I'm not worried," Duke coach Gail Goestenkors said. "Every time we've lost, we've learned. Now we have several days to really work on some of the things we need to, to get ready for the NCAA tournament."
Maryland appeared in command after a 15-4 run early in the second half, and Coleman was the spark. She had a 3-pointer and another jumper before dribbling through a double team for a twirling layup. When Jade Perry worked inside for another basket, the Terrapins led 53-38.
"I was just trying to help my team out," said Coleman, named the ACC's top freshman earlier this week. "I just wanted to get that win. It was a very exciting environment."
Slowly, Duke came back, with a switch from its man-to-man defense to a zone trap. Toliver, Maryland's freshman point guard, had trouble finding open teammates to start the offense, and five straight possessions ended in turnovers.
The Blue Devils turned almost all of them into points on the other end. Currie made a 3, then converted a steal by Wanisha Smith into a three-point play. Smith's long pass led Currie perfectly, and after scoring, she leaped to bump chests with Smith.
And Duke wasn't finished. Smith got a nifty feed from Harding on an in-bounds play to make it 16 unanswered points, and suddenly, the Terrapins trailed 54-53.
"I was thinking, 'Thanks goodness we had a cushion,' because we did have some breakdowns," Frese said. "All the credit goes to Duke."
Crystal Langhorne quickly put them back in front, Harper had five points in less than 60 seconds and Langhorne worked free again in the paint to help Maryland resume control. The Blue Devils only got as close as six points down the stretch.
"They did a great job of moving the ball, going inside and outside, and knocking down the shots," Harding said. "Especially knocking down the big shots when they counted."
The outcome might have been enough to give the Terrapins a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, while Duke can only hope the committee rewards it for another stellar regular season.
"I think that speaks for itself," Frese said of winning. "It's up to the selection committee. But I said this going into the tournament: the biggest thing we can do is win, and put yourself in the championship game. It speaks volumes for this team."
March 05, 2006
February 27, 2006
Dennis Weaver, 'Gunsmoke' sidekick and detective in 'McCloud,' dies
9:52 a.m. February 27, 2006
LOS ANGELES – Dennis Weaver, the slow-witted deputy Chester Goode in the TV classic western “Gunsmoke” and the New Mexico deputy solving New York crime in “McCloud,” has died. The actor was 81.
Weaver died of complications from cancer Friday at his home in Ridgway, in southwestern Colorado, his publicist Julian Myers said.
Weaver was a struggling actor in Hollywood in 1955, earning $60 a week delivering flowers when he was offered $300 a week for a role in a new CBS television series, “Gunsmoke.” By the end of his nine years with “Gunsmoke,” he was earning $9,000 a week.
When Weaver first auditioned for the series, he found the character of Chester “inane.” He wrote in his 2001 autobiography, “All the World's a Stage,” that he said to himself: “With all my Actors Studio training, I'll correct this character by using my own experiences and drawing from myself.”
The result was a well-rounded character that appealed to audiences, especially with his drawling, “Mis-ter Dil-lon.”
At the end of seven hit seasons, Weaver sought other horizons. He announced his departure, but the failures of pilots for his own series caused him to return to “Gunsmoke” on a limited basis for two more years. The role brought him an Emmy in the 1958-59 season.
In 1966, Weaver starred with a 600-pound black bear in “Gentle Ben,” about a family that adopts a bear as a pet. The series was well-received, but after two seasons, CBS decided it needed more adult entertainment and cancelled it.
Next came the character Sam McCloud, which Weaver called “the most satisfying role of my career.”
The “McCloud” series, 1970-1977, juxtaposed a no-nonsense lawman from Taos, N.M., onto the crime-ridden streets of New York City. His wild-west tactics, such as riding his horse through Manhattan traffic, drove local policemen crazy, but he always solved the case.
He appeared in several movies, including “Touch of Evil,” “Ten Wanted Men,” “Gentle Giant,” “Seven Angry Men,” “Dragnet,” “Way ... Way Out” and “The Bridges at Toko-Ri.”
Weaver also was an activist for protecting the environment and combating world hunger.
He served as president of Love Is Feeding Everyone (LIFE), which fed 150,000 needy people a week in Los Angeles County. He founded the Institute of Ecolonomics, which sought solutions to economic and environmental problems. He spoke at the United Nations and Congress, as well as to college students and school children about fighting pollution and starvation.
“Earthship” was the most visible of Weaver's crusades. He and his wife Gerry built a solar-powered Colorado home out of recycled tires and cans. The thick walls helped keep the inside temperature even year around.
“When the garbage man comes,” Jay Leno once quipped, “how does he know where the garbage begins and the house ends?”
Weaver responded: “If we get into the mindset of saving rather than wasting and utilizing other materials, we can save the Earth.”
The tall, slender actor came by his Midwestern twang naturally. He was born June 4, 1924, in Joplin, Mo., where he excelled in high school drama and athletics. After Navy service in World War II, he enrolled at the University of Oklahoma and qualified for the Olympic decathlon.
He studied at the Actors Studio in New York and appeared in “A Streetcar Named Desire” opposite Shelley Winters and toured in “Come Back, Little Sheba” with Shirley Booth.
Universal Studio signed Weaver to a contract in 1952 but found little work for him. He freelanced in features and television until he landed “Gunsmoke.”
Weaver appeared in dozens of TV movies, the most notable being the 1971 “Duel.” It was a bravura performance for both fledgling director Steven Spielberg and Weaver, who played a driver menaced by a large truck that followed him down a mountain road. The film was released in theaters in 1983, after Spielberg had become director of huge moneymakers.
Weaver's other TV series include “Kentucky Jones,” “Emerald Point N.A.S.,” “Stone,” “Buck James” and “Wildfire.” From 1973 to 1975, he served as president of the Screen Actors Guild.
Weaver is survived by his wife; sons Rick, Robby and Rusty; and three grandchildren.
9:52 a.m. February 27, 2006
LOS ANGELES – Dennis Weaver, the slow-witted deputy Chester Goode in the TV classic western “Gunsmoke” and the New Mexico deputy solving New York crime in “McCloud,” has died. The actor was 81.
Weaver died of complications from cancer Friday at his home in Ridgway, in southwestern Colorado, his publicist Julian Myers said.
Weaver was a struggling actor in Hollywood in 1955, earning $60 a week delivering flowers when he was offered $300 a week for a role in a new CBS television series, “Gunsmoke.” By the end of his nine years with “Gunsmoke,” he was earning $9,000 a week.
When Weaver first auditioned for the series, he found the character of Chester “inane.” He wrote in his 2001 autobiography, “All the World's a Stage,” that he said to himself: “With all my Actors Studio training, I'll correct this character by using my own experiences and drawing from myself.”
The result was a well-rounded character that appealed to audiences, especially with his drawling, “Mis-ter Dil-lon.”
At the end of seven hit seasons, Weaver sought other horizons. He announced his departure, but the failures of pilots for his own series caused him to return to “Gunsmoke” on a limited basis for two more years. The role brought him an Emmy in the 1958-59 season.
In 1966, Weaver starred with a 600-pound black bear in “Gentle Ben,” about a family that adopts a bear as a pet. The series was well-received, but after two seasons, CBS decided it needed more adult entertainment and cancelled it.
Next came the character Sam McCloud, which Weaver called “the most satisfying role of my career.”
The “McCloud” series, 1970-1977, juxtaposed a no-nonsense lawman from Taos, N.M., onto the crime-ridden streets of New York City. His wild-west tactics, such as riding his horse through Manhattan traffic, drove local policemen crazy, but he always solved the case.
He appeared in several movies, including “Touch of Evil,” “Ten Wanted Men,” “Gentle Giant,” “Seven Angry Men,” “Dragnet,” “Way ... Way Out” and “The Bridges at Toko-Ri.”
Weaver also was an activist for protecting the environment and combating world hunger.
He served as president of Love Is Feeding Everyone (LIFE), which fed 150,000 needy people a week in Los Angeles County. He founded the Institute of Ecolonomics, which sought solutions to economic and environmental problems. He spoke at the United Nations and Congress, as well as to college students and school children about fighting pollution and starvation.
“Earthship” was the most visible of Weaver's crusades. He and his wife Gerry built a solar-powered Colorado home out of recycled tires and cans. The thick walls helped keep the inside temperature even year around.
“When the garbage man comes,” Jay Leno once quipped, “how does he know where the garbage begins and the house ends?”
Weaver responded: “If we get into the mindset of saving rather than wasting and utilizing other materials, we can save the Earth.”
The tall, slender actor came by his Midwestern twang naturally. He was born June 4, 1924, in Joplin, Mo., where he excelled in high school drama and athletics. After Navy service in World War II, he enrolled at the University of Oklahoma and qualified for the Olympic decathlon.
He studied at the Actors Studio in New York and appeared in “A Streetcar Named Desire” opposite Shelley Winters and toured in “Come Back, Little Sheba” with Shirley Booth.
Universal Studio signed Weaver to a contract in 1952 but found little work for him. He freelanced in features and television until he landed “Gunsmoke.”
Weaver appeared in dozens of TV movies, the most notable being the 1971 “Duel.” It was a bravura performance for both fledgling director Steven Spielberg and Weaver, who played a driver menaced by a large truck that followed him down a mountain road. The film was released in theaters in 1983, after Spielberg had become director of huge moneymakers.
Weaver's other TV series include “Kentucky Jones,” “Emerald Point N.A.S.,” “Stone,” “Buck James” and “Wildfire.” From 1973 to 1975, he served as president of the Screen Actors Guild.
Weaver is survived by his wife; sons Rick, Robby and Rusty; and three grandchildren.
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