Game 7: Monmouth-Roseville vs. United (Girl's)

Game 7
Monmouth-Roseville vs. United (Girl's)
Ridgewood Thanksgiving Tournament
(11/17/10)

Once again, it was a switch from my Internet broadcast equipment to the radio broadcast equipment, but I would be leaving my own stuff plugged in with the third game online.



My broadcast partner, Vanessa, wanted to plug everything in for future broadcasts and to familiarize herself with it. We were using a Remote Mix 4, with cell phone. It makes me extremely nervous using a cell phone, because they are very unreliable.

Tonight, once again, the unreliability of cell phone broadcasts reared its ugly head, with several cut-outs. One of the biggest problems we have had is the cell phone disconnecting on its own. This was something I addressed in the off-season. After ruling out several factors, it had to be the actual cell phones we used. It couldn't be the cell service, since I could unplug the cell phones from the mixer boards, and maintain a connection for an entire broadcast. We used a total of three different mixer boards and the problem occurred with each. We have two different cords that connect the phone to the board, so there couldn't be a short. My personal cell phone (same service) would work with the same setup.

During the summer months, I made the phone calls to different people again. Different sports directors at radio stations. They had no idea. I called the maker of the mixer board, they referred me to the cell phone company. I called tech support at U.S. Cellular, and they were baffled. I took the equipment into a U.S. Cellular branch and explained the problem to the manager and tech support guy. Neither could offer an explanation. We bought two new cell phones. The problem continued....but was even worse, that we returned them after two weeks. It is the most baffling problem that has driven me nuts for two seasons now!

Monmouth-Roseville lost about their entire team from a successful 2009-10 season. The inexperience showed on the floor, as the Titans played like a team that was unfamiliar with each other. United's defense was smothering, and would push the Red Storm to a 52-25 victory, with a running clock in effect for the second half. Monmouth-Roseville scored just two points in the first quarter, and had nine points at halftime.

Brooke Armstrong had two consecutive steals and layups in the 2nd quarter. She finished with 9 points. Taylor Toops scored a game-high 14 points for United. Teammates Gina Long (11) and Augusta Chandler (10) scored in double figures.

The Red Storm are a team I am anxious to follow throughout their conference season in the Lincoln Trail. They have the talent, and they are now veterans. Last season, they were very tentative, and just couldn't string together four quarters of consistent play. That has changed. I was very impressed with their run over the summer in the Monmouth College Shootout, where they finished in the final four.

Katie Grant is the United JV coach. She is the daughter of Monmouth-Roseville boy's basketball coach Chuck Grant.

Game 7 Miles: 0