Posts Tagged ‘ Kansas ’
I am a Muslim, an American Muslim and that identity itself has become the biggest challenge for me. I am a naturalized citizen, I but my children and grandchild are born in America. Just because we are Muslims, we cannot be treated as foreigners. We do not seek special favoritism but do expect an equal treatment allowed by the U.S. constitution. Muslims are not âchildren of lessor Godâ.The negative portrayal of Muslims the mainstream media incites the Islamophobia. Anti-Islam groups are rising in popularity. Some politicians particularly in the election year are spreading the fear of the Shariah law. Discrimination and hate crime against Muslims are on the rise. Our holy book Qurâan and several mosques have been desecrated. Seems to me that kicking around the Islamic values is the favorite game in town.
The challenge to me is how to fight bigotry, remove the paranoia and change the American consciousness. Then I remind myself of the command of the God Almighty in the Qurâan:
âGoodness and evil can never be equal. Repel evil with what is better (or best). Then see: the one between whom and you there was enmity has become a bosom friend.â [41:34]
I practice patience, tolerance and respect for others. I forgive wrongs done to me and my community. I try to be modest, gentle, friendly, and helpful to others. I participate in several social, cultural, charitable and interfaith activities and events.
Offering prayers and keeping a positive attitude has always been helpful to me. I make efforts to keep the same positive attitude during editing my weekly online newsletter Muslim News Digest. I try to inspire Muslims and cultivate understanding and build bridges between Muslims and my fellow Americans of other faiths.
As Reported By The Associated Press
North Carolina State needed a miraculous run late in the season just to make it to the NCAA tournament. Then it seemed as if the Wolfpack would never go home.
Even when mighty Kansas, the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Regional, had pulled ahead by eight in the closing minutes Friday night, coach Mark Gottfriedâs bunch refused to give in. It wasnât until Richard Howellâs off-balance shot at the buzzer came up short that reality finally hit.
The dream season for the No. 11-seed Wolfpack had ended in a 60-57 defeat.
âI was proud of them,â Gottfried said afterward. âIt was a tough day for us, but weâll step back and look at what all was accomplished. For that, these guys need to hold their heads really high and feel good about what they were able to accomplish.â
It was that far beyond anybodyâs expectations.
The team was picked in the middle of the pack in the ACC â at best â yet managed to knock off San Diego State and Georgetown to reach the Midwest Regional semifinals.
The Wolfpack just didnât have an answer for the bruising inside tandem of Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey, who provided the grit that moved Kansas within a game of the Final Four.
Robinson finished with 18 points and 15 rebounds, and Withey blocked 10 shots to finish one shy of the NCAA tournament record. And the Jayhawks set up a date with top-seeded North Carolina on Sunday night â a showdown between the bluest of the bluebloods.
âItâll be a great game. Two great teams, two teams with great size, both well-coached. Itâll be a great game,â Gottfried said. âWeâre just disappointed weâre not in it.â
C.J. Leslie had 18 points to lead N.C. State (24-13), despite sitting much of the second half with four fouls. Scott Wood finished with 12 points on 2-for-10 shooting, though his biggest error wasnât a missed shot but the shot he never even got to attempt.
N.C. State had pulled within 58-57 on a transition layup by C.J. Williams with just over a minute remaining. The teams swapped possessions before Kansas managed to get a layup from Elijah Johnson off an inbound pass from Taylor with 13.5 seconds left.
The Wolfpack crossed midcourt and called a timeout to set up a play, which was designed to get the ball to Wood off a baseline pass. Instead, a skip pass went high and the sharpshooter stepped out of bounds trying to pull it in, giving the ball back to Kansas with 5 seconds to go.
Robinson was fouled and missed the free throw at the other end, but a pass down court and Howellâs tightly guarded shot at the buzzer came up nowhere close, allowing Kansas to escape.
âWe did not execute very well. The end of the day, thatâs my responsibility,â Gottfried said.
Johnson finished with 11 points for the Jayhawks (30-6), who moved on despite a lousy performance by Taylor. Their second-leading scorer had six points on 2-for-14 shooting.
Kansas was just 1 for 14 from beyond the arc as a team.
âIt gets frustrating, but I canât hang my head and get down. Iâve just got to be able to do other things to help my team win,â said Taylor, who still managed 10 rebounds and five assists.
The Wolfpack took a page from Purdueâs playbook over the first eight minutes, using constant double teams on Robinson inside and forcing Kansas to settle for jump shots.
They didnât go in, at least early on.
Just as they did against the Boilermakers last weekend, Kansas struggled to gain traction, and Leslie took advantage by scoring five of his 12 first-half points during an opening salvo.
Williamsâ 3-pointer gave the Wolfpack a 17-11 lead â their biggest of the half.
Kansas eventually clawed back, relying on defense during a 12-0 run. Withey provided most of it inside with seven blocks in the first half.
âI was just in a zone,â he said. âAfter the first block I just got in a rhythm.â
Leslie answered with back-to-back baskets for N.C. State, and his bucket on the heels of a 3-pointer by Wood gave the Wolfpack a 33-32 lead at the break â their last lead of the game.
Johnson, who provided the big shots that allowed Kansas to reach St. Louis, hit his only 3-pointer of the game out of halftime. It was the start of a 12-2 run during which Leslie was forced to the bench with four fouls and nearly 16 minutes still on the clock.
âIt was a very physical game. Theyâre very active coming over and helping,â he said.
Kansas extended the lead to 50-40 when Taylor lobbed a pass to Withey for an alley-oop dunk, and a partisan crowd inside the Edward Jones Dome roared in approval.
Leslie finally checked back in with less than 7 minutes left, giving N.C. State a brief boost. But moments later he was back on the floor as trainers appeared to work on a cramp, and Kansas pounded away inside before he checked back into the game.
The lead was 58-50 with just over 3 minutes remaining, and Kansas managed to hold on during a furious final stretch to reach another regional final â and earn a date with the Tar Heels.
âWe didnât shoot the ball really great. To get the win feels really good,â Withey said. âIt was all defense, and weâre dancing. Weâre still in the NCAA tournament.â
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