March 9, 2008...11:17 pm
UND women show lack of class in loss
The UND women were put in an unusual place on Sunday, a third straight loss to USD. This time USD beat UND in the North Central Conference championship game. UND missed a three point basket at the buzzer that would have tied the game. Immediately, the team went to their bench and quickly ran off the court at the DakotaDome towards the locker room. The UND women didn’t even wait to shake USD’s hands after the game.
The crowd noticed they didn’t shake USD’s hands as they booed UND off of the court. The UND team would come back onto the court a couple minutes later to shake hands with USD and to take part in the NCC awards. After that, the UND team ran off the court as fast as they could again to boos from the USD student section again for their actions.
As they ran off the court, UND forward Ashley Langen shouted at the crowd “Way to show some class.” Wow. That’s all I have to say is wow. You are telling us to show some class but the minute you don’t win any part of the NCC title, you run off the court without shaking hands??? You are telling us to show some class?
When asked after the game, USD coach Chad Lavin was asked about the situation and he said UND coach Gene Roebuck told the team to go to the locker room because he thought the USD crowd would charge the court. That was Roebuck’s excuse.
It will be interesting to follow the regional tournament now because USD will almost certainly be the number 1 seed, so UND would have to play in the Dome again if they make it that far. It will be over spring break so that will help UND, but I am sure the team’s reception won’t be that great after the stunt that was pulled at the Dome.
———-Justin Rust
7 Comments
March 11, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Not a surprise that UND showed a lack of sportsmanship. This happens in hockey too and I’m sure most of their other sports.
March 12, 2008 at 4:53 am
Congrats to the USD women on their first NCC Tournament Championship! I, for one, am looking forward to another great battle between these two teams next Monday night if it comes to that - which I hope it does! Go Sioux!
March 12, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Although I can see where the team leaving the floor (which was not 2 minutes) looked unsportsman like, they pehaps should have just huddled by the bench if there was a concern about the fans rushing the floor, I see that another occurrence was left out of the article. USD fans threw popcorn, pop bottles and bottle caps at the UND team (some of which hit our players). I would hope that never happens at a UND women’s basketball home game. Class does work both ways! Looking forward to a rematch!
March 12, 2008 at 6:19 pm
While it may seem unsightly to run off the court after a game without shaking hands, it is far worse to place student athletes in a dangerous situation when fans rush the court. This scenario has played out several times over the last few years in various college arenas and the enthusiastic USD fans could have been expected to follow suit. The article clearly states that UND did return to the floor to shake hands and participate in the ceremony, before “they ran off the court as fast as they could.” What would the author have preferred? Should the UND team have stayed on the floor to watch USD cut down the nets? Has this been the case with other conference tournaments that the writer has witnessed?
Secondly and more importantly, during my years of working with basketball in the NCC, the USD students are by far the most abusive in the league. On several occastions, the taunts and language from the USD student section crossed the line from good natured college humor to obscene and “classless”. Perhaps this is no longer the case at USD, but it was true for several years.
While I agree that everyone can show more class in sports, I also think it is important that those throwing insults are able to look at their own situation in an objective light. I would challenge Mr. Rust to observe the USD student section (unless they are all on Spring Break) during the upcoming Regional Tournament and specifically a potential game against UND. I think a fair perspective on what he sees and hears during that game would be enlightening.
March 12, 2008 at 6:19 pm
While it may seem unsightly to run off the court after a game without shaking hands, it is far worse to place student athletes in a dangerous situation when fans rush the court. This scenario has played out several times over the last few years in various college arenas and the enthusiastic USD fans could have been expected to follow suit. The article clearly states that UND did return to the floor to shake hands and participate in the ceremony, before “they ran off the court as fast as they could.” What would the author have preferred? Should the UND team have stayed on the floor to watch USD cut down the nets? Has this been the case with other conference tournaments that the writer has witnessed.
Secondly and more importantly, during my years of working with basketball in the NCC, the USD students are by far the most abusive in the league. On several occastions, the taunts and language from the USD student section crossed the line from good natured to obscene and “classless”. Perhaps this is no longer the case at USD, but it was true for several years.
While I agree that everyone can show more class in sports, I also think it is important that those throwing insults are able to look at their own situation in an objective light. I would challenge Mr. Rust to observe the USD student section (unless they are all on Spring Break) during the upcoming Regional Tournament and specifically a potential game against UND. I think a fair perspective on what he hears during that game would be enlightening.
March 13, 2008 at 1:10 am
Justin
Really, You are serious with this. Did you take the time to ask Coach Roebuck about what transpired? Did you take the time to inquire about an interview with Ashley Langen with UND’s SID department.? Good work on this story, sherlock.
Here’s a question, since when did it say in the sportsmanship rulebook that the loser has to sit around and wait to shake hands until the winner is done celebrating? Answer that, genius. Oh wait I forget UND has won this before and they have always gone to shake first then celebrate near their bench area. Why? because they have done it many times before. They have been there.
Congrats to USD’s women- they earned it. They earned that right to celebrate and they are a great team, you however are a subpar journalist.
I honestly think what this boils down to is that some-noticed I only said, some- in the USD community have a bit of an “inferiority complex” UND has many things- National Championships (Women’s Basketball, Football, Hockey) This is not so with USD. UND has tremendous facilities (The Ralph, Alerus, The Betty…etc) USD has an aging Dome that is being retro fitted but still feels 45 years old. I just feel that some are looking for any reason to make a big deal out of this running off the floor deal, to displace this feeling which they feel about their place in the college athetics world. By the way did Coach Lavin elaborate on how he perceived the situation-did he have a problem with it, or did you forget to ask that question from him? Are you aware of what type of relationship Coach Lavin and his staff have with UND’s -good bad, or indifferent…I bet you don’t know do you. By the way ,Coach Lavin- Congrats on being NCC coach of the year, you deserve it…a simply masterful touch with this team.
Justin, tool-shed journalism doesn’t necessarily make you a tool, but it certainly doesn’t make you a journalist, either. Speaking of class- why don’t you go back to it so that way you can learn how to follow through in getting all sides of the story before you post.
March 18, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Thank goodness, UND fans have lots of class, just ask them. They have the finest facilities that deutsch marks can buy. Come on, admit it, your team screwed up. It was a no class move on their part to walk off without shaking hands and no amount of excuses will change that.
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