One Game at a Time

So it's Valentine's Day and there's a basketball game tonight. Fortunately for me my wife Julie is very accommodating and she gave me the nod to go shoot the game tonight. Prior to the game we had dinner so I got my romantic-points in (hopefully).

I showed up as the Terrapins were being announced and got my gear assembled and headed out to the court. I was at court-side for the opening tipoff and that made me very happy. I was able to have a nice classy meal with my wife as well as make it to my "second" job as a sports photographer.

The Terps played very well this evening. Ashleigh Newman started scoring again, and Marah Strickland was ridiculously hot tonight. In the first half she sank 4 3-pointers. It seemed like almost every time she got open she hit the 3-ball. It's amazing to think that she's only a freshman and yet she's so lethal. It will be enjoyable to watch her devlop over the next 3 years. I'll bet that she'll be breaking records her senior year.

Harper also blocked a shot just a few minutes into regulation and marked her place in history as the all-time leading shot blocker at Maryland. Her 187th blocked shot ousted Kris Kirchner from way back in 1980. Apparently Harp wasn't even aware that she was coming up on this plateau.

The Terps didn't commit a single foul in the second half. It was definitely a site to see. Maryland played their defense and offense the way they wanted to and didn't get drawn into the Boston College gameplan of slowing the ball down to draw the Terps out.

Please go read my DC Sports Box article on the Terps win over Boston College.

I had a nice time talking with Gail Burton this evening. She's an AP photographer and also the team photographer for the UMBC Retrievers. She also is a photographer teacher at Anne Arundel Community College and, despite being a full-time photographer, still seems to have a spark for it. I enjoy talking with her because she seems generally happy about photography. This is in stark contrast to many of the other photographers I've spoken with, who are jaded, bitter, and feel as though they have been disenfranchised by their employer or some other larger entity in the past. I try to stay away from the latter folks!

Sadly there is only 1 more women's basketball home game left and then it's tournament time. Fortunately the first round is held in College Park and hopefully the DC Sports Box will receive a credential to cover it. While walking to the Dining Hall tonight (I said it was a "classy" dinner, didn't I?) I noticed the baseball players practicing over on Shipley. Boy that place is cold. I'm not looking forward to those early March openers.

Softball starts up in another week so that's exciting. Lacrosse scrimmages tomorrow night too. I'm sure there will be lots to do in the coming weeks.