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LAHAINA, Hawaii -- The Lahaina Civic Center sits on a hill above Honoapiilani Highway in western Maui, barely visible among the tropical trees and police station.The outside of the building is nondescript even up close, looking more like a school auditorium than a basketball arena. Same thing on the inside, with its upstairs, YMCA-style lockers and cage-like windows overlooking the court.Yet every November, the Lahaina Civic Center transforms into something else: one of college basketballs most raucous venues.Its like a high school gym being there, Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said Sunday, the eve of the Maui Invitational. The noise is loud, people are close to you. I think its neat. This time of year you want to play in front of an excited crowd, an arena where everything is close. Theres just so much you can gain from an experience like this and in a building like that. Theres really nothing like it.The Maui Invitational has become the top in-season tournament on the college basketball schedule, annually luring some of the best teams from across the country to the second-largest island in the Hawaiian chain.This years eight-team field has combined for 14 national championships and 40 Final Fours, and three teams are ranked in the top 10 of The Associated Press poll : No. 4 Oregon, No. 5 North Carolina and No. 9 Wisconsin.The three-day tournament, which starts Monday, also includes Tennessee, Oklahoma State, UConn, Georgetown and host Chaminade.At the center of this basketball-topia is the 2,400-seat Lahaina Civic Center.Built in 1972, the building is used as a public civic center 50 weeks out of the year, hosting high school basketball leagues, volleyball games, karate practices and community events.The two weeks of the Maui Invitational brings some changes to the civic center -- signs and banners, TV lights, cushioned chairs in front of the bleachers -- but its still nowhere near matching the massive, modern arenas found across the rest of college basketball. It didnt even have air conditioning until the 2005 tournament -- after North Carolina coach Roy Williams complained about condensation on the floor.Its hard to adapt an old building with such character into a 2016 basketball arena that everyones used to, said Mark Starsiak, director of events for KemperLesnik, which operates the Maui Invitational.I tell teams every year: `Its the most unique experience youll have walking from the locker room all season. If you have any questions, Ill try to answer them.Calling the Lahaina Civic Center quirky is like saying basketball players are tall.The court, outside of the massive Maui Invitational logo at midcourt, is like a high school hardwood, with volleyball court and vertical basketball lines crisscrossing the court.The seats are like something out of Hoosiers, old bleachers that are practically on top of the court and only go up a dozen-or-so rows.The locker rooms are unlike anything in college basketball.Those are on the second floor, up a narrow stairwell that leads to a common area with taekwondo and wrestling lines on the floor, with nothing but a black curtain separating the teams. The common room also has cage-like windows that overlook the floor, though the view has been obscured a bit with the massive Hawaiian-themed banner at the west side of the arena.The lockers are the old, metal bring-your-own variety, with four concrete chairs, a single whiteboard and showers that dont always work.Because of the small confines, teams waiting for the next game have to set up in the common area and often can be seen at the bottom of the stairwells as the previous game is about to end.Leave your strategy for the hotel because your opponent is right through there, Starsiak said, pointing at the black curtain. Anything you say can and will be used against you on the court.With all the pampering teams and players usually get, it might seem like the civic centers inconveniences would be a drawback.Instead, the quirkiness and quaintness adds to the charm of the building and the tournament, often making the players feel like theyre back in high school.And because of the venues size, the noise and atmosphere inside the Lahaina Civic Center is like nothing else in college basketball.The environments great, Georgetown coach John Thompson III said. The fans are right on top of you, you feel the emotion of the fans the whole time. Much like this entire tournament, the game is a unique experience.---For more AP college basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org Eric Young Jersey .B. -- The Baie-Comeau Drakkar took over sole possession of first place atop the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Thursday with their sixth straight win. Bryan Rekar Jersey .ca. Kerry, Just watched the shootout in the Coyotes/Leafs game and I have to ask, why was the James van Riemsdyk goal allowed to count? All of the video replays we were shown on TV were inconclusive about whether the puck had entirely crossed the line or not. https://www.cheaprockiesjerseys.us/614t-wes-parsons-jersey-rockies.html . Dallas hasnt ruled out the star quarterback for Sunday nights game against Philadelphia, but all signs point to Romos back injury pushing Kyle Orton into the starting role after two years of limited play as the backup. Surely Ortons name isnt the first that comes to mind for fans wanting a change after years of damaging interceptions, fumbles or, most infamously, the field goal flub when Romo dropped the snap on a kick that could have won his first playoff game in 2006. Daniel Murphy Jersey .C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night. Garrett Hampson Jersey . -- James Young couldnt wait to apply those tweaks to his jump shot, and the first one he made against UT Arlington told him it could be a good night. NEW YORK - Sania Mirza and Barbora Strycova saw off Nicole Gibbs and Nao Hibino 6-4, 7-5 on the new Grandstand court to reach the?womens doubles quarter-finals of the US Open?on Monday.?The Indo-Czech pair were the first to break which saw them take an early 2-0 lead. Nicole and Nao found their momentum slightly late in the first set, but it was not enough as Sania and?Strycova took the first set quite comfortably in the end. The set lasted 32 minutes.?The second set was more a contest as the American-Japanese pair stepped up their game. Sania Mirzas forehand and Strycovas net play were complemented well by their opponents, until a few unforced errors saw Sania and?Strycova go down 3-5 in the second.?From there on it was one way traffic as the Indo-Czech pair won four straight games to clinch the match and book a place in the?quarter-finals.?Sania Mirza is now Indias last representative at the US Open, but the multiple grand slam champion says she is used to dealing with high expectations.Having won three womens doubles Grand Slam titles with Martina Hingis,?including last years US Open, Mirza continued her fine start alongside new partner Barbora Strycova.?Her win came after compatriot Rohan Bopanna and his Canadian partner Gabriela Dabrowski missed out in their bid to reach the mixed doubles semifinals earlier on Monday, leaving Mirza the lone Indian left in the tournament.?I cant remember the last time I didnt have extra pressure on me, she told ESPN. Its always [like that], regardless of whether Im in a tournament or not. But its not something we think about. You focus on yourself, just try to win every tournament you play. For me, Im having lot of fun.Ive had a lot of success on the US hard courts over the years, whether its in singles, doubles or mixed. For me, its just importantt to stay focused and to try and play my best.ddddddddddddThe seventh seeds next face No. 1 seeds Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic.They hit 31 winners in this game, with Mirzas forehand proving to be a particularly useful weapon.I dont think I could ever teach it, Mirza said, smiling, of her forehand. Its a funny story. When I was younger I had an even more extreme grip on my forehand, but I was actually good at it.My coaches tried to change it, and brought it to this grip I have now. They wanted to change it further but I said Im not going to. I was like, 9 years old. I didnt want to do it anymore. Thats how it stayed. Its something not literally taught to me by a book, it just came naturally. I cant teach it, neither can I learn it again. I have no idea.When I see the ball, I just try to time it as good as I can. Im blessed to have certain mechanics in my arm that allow me to hit the ball that big and do so many things with the forehand.The victory continued Mirzas fine start alongside Strycova, who is the same age at 29 and whom she grew up with playing juniors.Yeah, its been really good, Mirza told ESPN of her their partnership. We won in Cincinnati. We came here and people saw how we play a bit. In Cincinnati it was more of a surprise package, they dont know how we play.But we are discovering how we want to play. Weve found our methods, our strengths, our weaknesses. Every match we played here has been tricky.Weve played people we have no idea about, played against teams who are also coming together for the first or second time. We just play, theres no pressure. Weve come through in tough situations, today we were down a break in that second set. ' ' '