DMN Write-up: Dia hasn't practiced in 2 weeks?!?!

[SMU Spartan]

SMU 57, NORTHERN IOWA 50
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — Papa Dia has a sore back and hasn’t practiced for SMU in two weeks, but nobody would have guessed that Monday night.
Dia grabbed a career-best 21 rebounds and scored 17 points as the Mustangs tripped Northern Iowa, 57-50, in the quarterfinals of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament before 3,968 fans in the McLeod Center.
Dia finished with the most rebounds for an SMU player in 26 years, matching a 21-rebound performance by Jon Koncak in 1985, and shattered the arena record for most boards in a single game.
“He was a man out there,” SMU coach Matt Doherty said.
Dia, a 6-9, 235-pound senior from Senegal, had a double-double by halftime with 15 points and 12 rebounds. The Panthers (20-14) double-teamed him in the second half to limit his scoring, but he still owned the backboards.
“I guess the ball bounced my way,” he said. “I just got lucky, I guess.”
The Mustangs (20-14) advance to Friday’s semifinals. The opponent and location will be determined after the three other quarterfinal games are played Tuesday night.
“It feels good,” Doherty said. “This is a really good tournament and well-run. It has good programs in it. It allows us to grow as a program.”
SMU guard Mike Walker, who was raised in Iowa City, Iowa, scored seven points and hit two free throws with 15.4 seconds left to clinch the victory.
“It was fun,” he said. “I had a lot of friends and a lot of family here tonight. Most importantly, we got the win. That was the best part of it.”
Dia scored the first nine points of the game for SMU. He was too big and too strong for the Panthers, who have played the last month without injured center Lucas O’Rear.
“Their best player shouldn’t get 10 or 12 points in the first four or five minutes,” UNI coach Ben Jacobson said. “That shouldn’t happen. That got them off to a good start.”
The Mustangs opened a 41-28 lead in the second half on a 3-pointer by Robert Nyakundi. Northern Iowa pulled within 41-37, but Collin Mangrum scored for SMU and Nyakundi hit another 3-pointer to make it 46-37. Northern Iowa did not get closer than five points again.
Mangrum and Nyakundi scored 11 points apiece for SMU. Kwadzo Ahelegbe led UNI with 18 points.

Apologies if this has already been posted, but the Dia news is new to me. That's INSANE.

[mavsrage311]

practice? We talkin about PRACTICE?

/Iverson

[shadowman]

Papa don't need practice to school your azzzz...

[ontheedgeofmyseat]

Who needs to practice for the CIT? The legend grows...cemented, as some have said...Go Ponies, Beat the Aztecs!!

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Amazing. It seems to work. I hope he doesn't practice this week!