Was at Northwestern's Ericksen Center in Roseville on this Saturday evening after a VERY good meal at my favorite Mexican Restaurant, Don Pablos; to take in this interesting MIAC-UMAC clash between visiting Augsburg and host Northwestern. Augsburg needed to get it going again after having their jets cooled in consecutive losses to GAC and St. Olaf and, at least on paper anyway, this looked like a good way to do it.
After a sweet duet by Northwestern's Chanel Madson and Mollie Sir of the National Anthem, Northwestern appeared ready to duke it out with the Auggies as Madson drained a "3" from the left wing at the 19:48 mark for a quick 3-0 Eagle lead and duet partner Sir did likewise at the 16:40 mark as Northwestern held an 8-4 lead. However, Augsburg's powerful junior Brittany Zins enabled the Auggies to knot things at 8-all with two inside shots at the 15:27 and 15:04 marks. Sophomore Kendra Ware nailed a "3" from the right wing at the 14:26 mark but Sir answered right back with another "3" at the 13:01 mark to knot things at 11 apiece.
At that point, anyway, it looked as if Northwestern was going to be right in the thick of things for the duration. But the visiting Auggies had other ideas as they decided to rip off a decisive 13-0 run over a 4-minute stretch that would give them the cushion they needed. Freshman Abbey Luger nailed a "3" at the 12:41 mark to start the assault. A stifling Augsburg defense resulted in a plethora of Northwestern turnovers that led to two easy transition buckets by the Auggies. At the 10:32 mark, junior Brittany Dyshaw made a beautiful move along the baseline and finished inside and then senior guard Lexi Thompson then was able to finish off the run with two charity stripe shots. Sophomore Jessica Fife finally got the Eagles out of their funk when she scored off the glass at the 7:28 mark but a "3" by junior Katie Ahlstrom gave Augsburg a commanding 29-16 lead by the 6:36 mark. Another "3" by Madson as the shot clock expired at the 5:22 mark cut into the Auggie lead a bit but not enough to make a difference. Perhaps even more disconcerting for Northwestern was the fact that senior leader Kristin Sczublewski was totally held in check by the Auggies defensive schemes; staying scoreless for the entire first half that enabled Augsburg to take a 37-21 lead into the locker room at halftime.
But as young an inexperienced as this Eagle team is, they do not know the meaning of the word quit as they came out in a spirited attempt to try and claw their way back into this game in the second half. Sir knocked down a "3" from the right wing at the 19:43 mark that at least temporarily lit a fire for the home team. But they could not afford to simply trade baskets with the Auggies, either. Senior Nikki Borkhuis scored inside at the 18:51 mark and connected with a short jumper at the 17:02 mark for a 41-26 advantage. Still, Northwestern did their best to try and keep scratching and clawing. A lay-up by promising freshman Kasie Shoberg and yet another three Ms. Sir at the 14:17 mark cut the Auggie lead to a more manageable ten-point deficit but they simply did not have the firepower to bring it all the way back. Sczublewski was still conspicuously silent in this game until the 11:55 mark when she finally nailed two charity stripe shots. Sczublewski did nail a "3" at the 9:15 mark that did get the Eagles to withing six but that would be as close as Northwestern could get. Lay-ups by both Zins and Thompson would enable the Auggies to build up the cushion again and although by Sir and Madson tried to go bombs away from behind the arc in a vain effort to get it close again, Augsburg would hold off the host team to claim a tough 61-51 win.
Los Angeles Rams
Monday, December 19, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
UST vs St. Olaf 12-13-11
Was at St. Olaf's Skoglund Center last night to take in the much-anticipated tilt between UST and host St. Olaf. I was expecting a good game from two of the upper-echelon teams of the conference - and I got it.
Coming into this game, I thought it was imperative for St. Olaf to get out to a good start and junior PG Mackenzie Wolter did her part to make sure the Oles did; scoring inside at the 19:21 mark and also with a drive and finish at the 18:05 mark for a 4-2 St. Olaf lead. But the Tommies would quickly respond; thanks to sophomore reserve guard Kelly Brandenburg as she tied the game at 4-all with her pretty turnaround jump shot off the glass at the 15:15 mark and then put the Tommies ahead at the 14:30 mark with another short jumper. UST then proceeded to use a press and half-court trapping defense to try and take the Oles out of their offensive rythm which enabled the Tommies to go on a 6-0 push for a 12-6 lead by the 12:25 mark.
But St. Olaf was not going to be meek on their home floor. Junior Kirstee Rotty connected with a long jumper at the 11:57 mark and then it was junior post Erin Haglund's turn to grab the spotlight as she used her long, lanky body to score inside at the 11:23 and 10:49 marks to tie the game at 12-all. Then, it was UST's turn to respond as they went on a quick 7-0 push that was punctuated by willowy senior Ali Johnson's lay-up in transition where she was hammered in the process that helped put UST in the bonus by the 8:37 mark. But the Oles came right back with a push of their own as junior (C'mon) Eileen O'Donoghue nailed a "3" from the right wing at the 7:19 mark and then Rotty knocked down a "3" from the left corner at the 6:07 mark to put the Oles back in front by a score of 20-19. Rotty then again connected with a jumper at the 5:34 mark and another O'Donoghue "3"; this one from the left wing - gave St. Olaf a 25-21 lead. With 3:12 left, Rotty then again connected with a "3" from the right corner this time for St. Olaf's largest lead at 29-23. UST was able to climb back closer towards the halftime break as senior Sarah Smith; playing with a heavy heart with the recent loss of her brother, scored inside with 2:43 left and again at the 1:13 mark with a turnaround jumper that cut the Ole lead to 29-27.
The beginning of the second half saw a continuation of this see-saw affair. Junior guard Kellie Ring nailed a "3" at the 17:08 mark but sophomore Addy Bates who hails from Nevada, Iowa, drained a "3" from the left wing at the 16:16 mark and a lay-up by Rotty shortly afterward again gave St. Olaf a six-point 36-30 lead. But the explosive and incredibly deep Tommies would then go on the decisive run that would point the way to ultimate victory. Smith again scored inside at the 13:56 mark and then sophomore sensation Taylor Young (who would have a monster second half) scored in transition at the 13:40 mark. Then it was Johnson with one of her patented "3's" at the 11:55 mark that put the Tommies up for good at 38-37. Perhaps just as important, UST again found themselves in the bonus early when Young was fouled at the 9:01 mark. Lay-ups by both Wolter and O'Donoghue kept the Oles close.
But UST was again coming at St. Olaf hard with their man-to-man "D" and half-court trapping/pressing that was forcing the Oles into several unforced errors and making life particularly difficult for Wolter as the Oles had a tough time finding any offensive rythm coming down the stretch. There were several possessions where the Oles found themselves with little time left on the shot clock and either had a shot blocked at the shot-clock buzzer or where time expired on them. Freshman Sheridan Blanford was able to score inside at the 5:42 mark but she already had four fouls on her and picked up her fifth foul by the 4:47 mark. Bates would connect with a "3" at the 5:13 mark as did freshman Nicole Frogner at the 3:15 mark that helped keep the Oles within striking distance. But each time the Tommies had an answer - usually in the form of Young or Johnson - that keeped the Oles at bay and enabled the Tommies to claim a tough 62-57 win.
Coming into this game, I thought it was imperative for St. Olaf to get out to a good start and junior PG Mackenzie Wolter did her part to make sure the Oles did; scoring inside at the 19:21 mark and also with a drive and finish at the 18:05 mark for a 4-2 St. Olaf lead. But the Tommies would quickly respond; thanks to sophomore reserve guard Kelly Brandenburg as she tied the game at 4-all with her pretty turnaround jump shot off the glass at the 15:15 mark and then put the Tommies ahead at the 14:30 mark with another short jumper. UST then proceeded to use a press and half-court trapping defense to try and take the Oles out of their offensive rythm which enabled the Tommies to go on a 6-0 push for a 12-6 lead by the 12:25 mark.
But St. Olaf was not going to be meek on their home floor. Junior Kirstee Rotty connected with a long jumper at the 11:57 mark and then it was junior post Erin Haglund's turn to grab the spotlight as she used her long, lanky body to score inside at the 11:23 and 10:49 marks to tie the game at 12-all. Then, it was UST's turn to respond as they went on a quick 7-0 push that was punctuated by willowy senior Ali Johnson's lay-up in transition where she was hammered in the process that helped put UST in the bonus by the 8:37 mark. But the Oles came right back with a push of their own as junior (C'mon) Eileen O'Donoghue nailed a "3" from the right wing at the 7:19 mark and then Rotty knocked down a "3" from the left corner at the 6:07 mark to put the Oles back in front by a score of 20-19. Rotty then again connected with a jumper at the 5:34 mark and another O'Donoghue "3"; this one from the left wing - gave St. Olaf a 25-21 lead. With 3:12 left, Rotty then again connected with a "3" from the right corner this time for St. Olaf's largest lead at 29-23. UST was able to climb back closer towards the halftime break as senior Sarah Smith; playing with a heavy heart with the recent loss of her brother, scored inside with 2:43 left and again at the 1:13 mark with a turnaround jumper that cut the Ole lead to 29-27.
The beginning of the second half saw a continuation of this see-saw affair. Junior guard Kellie Ring nailed a "3" at the 17:08 mark but sophomore Addy Bates who hails from Nevada, Iowa, drained a "3" from the left wing at the 16:16 mark and a lay-up by Rotty shortly afterward again gave St. Olaf a six-point 36-30 lead. But the explosive and incredibly deep Tommies would then go on the decisive run that would point the way to ultimate victory. Smith again scored inside at the 13:56 mark and then sophomore sensation Taylor Young (who would have a monster second half) scored in transition at the 13:40 mark. Then it was Johnson with one of her patented "3's" at the 11:55 mark that put the Tommies up for good at 38-37. Perhaps just as important, UST again found themselves in the bonus early when Young was fouled at the 9:01 mark. Lay-ups by both Wolter and O'Donoghue kept the Oles close.
But UST was again coming at St. Olaf hard with their man-to-man "D" and half-court trapping/pressing that was forcing the Oles into several unforced errors and making life particularly difficult for Wolter as the Oles had a tough time finding any offensive rythm coming down the stretch. There were several possessions where the Oles found themselves with little time left on the shot clock and either had a shot blocked at the shot-clock buzzer or where time expired on them. Freshman Sheridan Blanford was able to score inside at the 5:42 mark but she already had four fouls on her and picked up her fifth foul by the 4:47 mark. Bates would connect with a "3" at the 5:13 mark as did freshman Nicole Frogner at the 3:15 mark that helped keep the Oles within striking distance. But each time the Tommies had an answer - usually in the form of Young or Johnson - that keeped the Oles at bay and enabled the Tommies to claim a tough 62-57 win.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
CSB vs Gustavus 12-10-11
Was down at St. Peter on this sunny but cold afternoon for the 3:00 P.M. clash between visting St. Bens and host Gustavus Adolphus. Gustavus has rebounded nicely after the tough loss to UST a week ago but it's been a rough roller coaster ride for the Blazers and things have become even more precarious for Mike Durbin's team as of late as senior PG Cassie Dorschner went down this last Wednesday night in the home victory over St. Kate's with a broken leg; an incredibly tough break for this young lady who had big plans for her and her team in her senior season.
Despite all that, there was a part of me that had mixed thoughts about how this game could go as CSB and GAC historically have had very close, very tough games before and last year the Blazers spanked the Gusties right there in Lund Arena. Then again, I knew that if there was ever a year where the Gusties might really take it to the Blazers, this would probably be the year. Just how much CSB already misses their senior PG became obvious early on as the Gusties raced to a 9-0 lead fueled by a finish by senior guard Ava Perry in transition to get things going; sophomore Eli Benz' basket inside; a "3" by senior Molly Geske, and a lay-up by junior Kelsey Florian. The Gustie lead bulged to as much as 15-2 before CSB junior Jamie Wollin temporarily stopped the bleeding with baskets at the 14:06 mark and 13:39 mark. But no matter how the Blazers tried to counter, Gustavus simply had too many weapons to let the Blazers in this contest. "3's" by junior Steph Comer and ever-improving sophomore Britta Rinke from the right corner got the Gusties to a 25-12 lead by the 9:53 mark and Florian's "3" at the 8:39 mark gave the Gusties a two-touchdown lead at 28-14 by the 8:39 mark. Things would only get worse for the red-clad Blazers coming down the stretch. Perry finished in transition again at the 6:07 mark and sophomore reserve guard Shelly Blashko nailed a "3" (her specialty) at the 3:01 mark that enabled the Gusties to take a commanding 44-21 lead into the locker room at the half.
The Blazers showed that they can still play with a lot of heart as they got off to a good start in the second half. Sophomore Brianna Barrett connected with a turnaround jumper and was fouled in the process and, although she missed the ensuing free throw, it gave the Blazers a flicker of hope. Junior Whitney Canton did make two freebies after being fouled at the 19:02 mark and Barrett snared a rebound and got a putback at the 18:14 mark. A "3" by Barrett from the right wing at the 17:45 mark and another "3" by freshman PG Jessica Fischer briefly kept the Blazers to within 20 but the Gusties then went on yet another onslaught. Geske made a pretty move and finish inside at the 14:47 mark and senior PG Colleen Ruane finished in transition at the 14:12 mark. Both Comer and Blashko swished "3's" at the 11:11 and 10:38 marks, respectively and junior reserve post Amanda Iverson got in on the act as well with a charity stripe basket and a score inside a bit later. Another "3" by the dimunitive Blashko from the left wing gave the Gusties their largest lead of the day at 69-39 by the 8:51 mark. The Blazers would cut into that bulge coming down the stretch; never quitting; never giving up but the Gusties had the ample cushion that they needed to cruise to an easy 81-64 win.
Perhaps the most encouraging thing for Gustavus on this day was that Head Coach Mickey Haller had ample opportunities to use her bench and give her reserves plenty of playing time which, IMHO, really helps this team as they do seem (for whatever reason) to get into a stagnated mode offensively from time to time. Players such as reserve senior Liz Shay, sophomore Abbey Arends (who has an incredibly bright future ahead of her at GAC), and fellow sophomore Julia Dysthie can all figure into the equation that helps to give Gustavus an incredibly deep bench. As for CSB, Head Coach Mike Durbin knows he has a very young team and with Dorschner now out of the mix with her injury, this will likely be a rebuilding year for the Blazers. But don't expect CSB to just lay down and wave the white flag for the rest of the season. They are well-coached and will always be dangerous on any given night.
Despite all that, there was a part of me that had mixed thoughts about how this game could go as CSB and GAC historically have had very close, very tough games before and last year the Blazers spanked the Gusties right there in Lund Arena. Then again, I knew that if there was ever a year where the Gusties might really take it to the Blazers, this would probably be the year. Just how much CSB already misses their senior PG became obvious early on as the Gusties raced to a 9-0 lead fueled by a finish by senior guard Ava Perry in transition to get things going; sophomore Eli Benz' basket inside; a "3" by senior Molly Geske, and a lay-up by junior Kelsey Florian. The Gustie lead bulged to as much as 15-2 before CSB junior Jamie Wollin temporarily stopped the bleeding with baskets at the 14:06 mark and 13:39 mark. But no matter how the Blazers tried to counter, Gustavus simply had too many weapons to let the Blazers in this contest. "3's" by junior Steph Comer and ever-improving sophomore Britta Rinke from the right corner got the Gusties to a 25-12 lead by the 9:53 mark and Florian's "3" at the 8:39 mark gave the Gusties a two-touchdown lead at 28-14 by the 8:39 mark. Things would only get worse for the red-clad Blazers coming down the stretch. Perry finished in transition again at the 6:07 mark and sophomore reserve guard Shelly Blashko nailed a "3" (her specialty) at the 3:01 mark that enabled the Gusties to take a commanding 44-21 lead into the locker room at the half.
The Blazers showed that they can still play with a lot of heart as they got off to a good start in the second half. Sophomore Brianna Barrett connected with a turnaround jumper and was fouled in the process and, although she missed the ensuing free throw, it gave the Blazers a flicker of hope. Junior Whitney Canton did make two freebies after being fouled at the 19:02 mark and Barrett snared a rebound and got a putback at the 18:14 mark. A "3" by Barrett from the right wing at the 17:45 mark and another "3" by freshman PG Jessica Fischer briefly kept the Blazers to within 20 but the Gusties then went on yet another onslaught. Geske made a pretty move and finish inside at the 14:47 mark and senior PG Colleen Ruane finished in transition at the 14:12 mark. Both Comer and Blashko swished "3's" at the 11:11 and 10:38 marks, respectively and junior reserve post Amanda Iverson got in on the act as well with a charity stripe basket and a score inside a bit later. Another "3" by the dimunitive Blashko from the left wing gave the Gusties their largest lead of the day at 69-39 by the 8:51 mark. The Blazers would cut into that bulge coming down the stretch; never quitting; never giving up but the Gusties had the ample cushion that they needed to cruise to an easy 81-64 win.
Perhaps the most encouraging thing for Gustavus on this day was that Head Coach Mickey Haller had ample opportunities to use her bench and give her reserves plenty of playing time which, IMHO, really helps this team as they do seem (for whatever reason) to get into a stagnated mode offensively from time to time. Players such as reserve senior Liz Shay, sophomore Abbey Arends (who has an incredibly bright future ahead of her at GAC), and fellow sophomore Julia Dysthie can all figure into the equation that helps to give Gustavus an incredibly deep bench. As for CSB, Head Coach Mike Durbin knows he has a very young team and with Dorschner now out of the mix with her injury, this will likely be a rebuilding year for the Blazers. But don't expect CSB to just lay down and wave the white flag for the rest of the season. They are well-coached and will always be dangerous on any given night.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Gustavus vs Augsburg 12-7-11
Was over at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall for this Wednesday evening clash between the host Auggies and the visiting Gusties from Gustavus. The Gusties were coming off the big win on the road at Carleton while Augsburg was still licking its wounds from the tough loss over at Bethel from Monday night.
It was the home team that got off to a good start in this one. Senior guard Lexi Thompson started things off with two charity stripe shots after getting fouled at the 19:05 mark. Baskets by senior Nikki Borkhuis at the 16:04 mark and sophomore reserve Kendra Ware helped push the Auggie lead to 9-2 but, in the process, junior standout Brittany Zins picked up two quick fouls that forced her to the pine by the 14:44 mark. Still, junior reserve sharp-shooter Katie Ahlstrom nailed a "3" from the top at the 11:23 mark for a 12-4 Auggie lead.
The Gusties finally picked up the tempo at the 11:02 mark when sophomore reserve PG Shelly Blashko connected from behind the arc. Ever-improving junior Kelsey Florian scored at the 10:22 mark and then sophomore Eli Benz muscled her way inside to score at the 9:39 mark to cut Augsburg's lead to 14-11 and another Benz score at the 7:36 mark cut the deficit to a scant one point. Gustavus took its first lead of the game at the 6:36 mark when Florian hit two freebies but junior forward/post Brittany Dyshaw put the Auggies right back on top with 5:52 left with her rebound and putback. But the Gusties would counter and take the lead for good when Florian scored inside with 2:02 left and upped their advantage when junior reserve post Amanda Iverson scored inside with a pretty move that allowed Gustavus to take a slim 26-23 advantage into the locker room at halftime.
Things would again stay close for the early part of the second half. Baskets by Dyshaw and Zins sandwiched a Benz score inside and then senior Ava Perry connected with a "3" from the left wing at the 17:28 mark for a 31-27 Gustie lead. Another "3" from senior PG Colleen Ruane from the left corner put the Gusties up 34-30 at the 15:56 mark but freshman Abbey Luger connected with a "3" of her own from the left wing that brought the Auggies back to within two.
The turning point of the game for the Gusties may have come around the 14:57 mark when Zins picked up foul #3 and, although she scored a bit later that again brought the Auggies to within two, the Gusties slowly began to take control. Sophomore reserve guard Julia Dysthie connected with a short jumper at the 13:50 mark and then connected with a huge "3" at the 12:32 mark that pushed the Gustie lead to 42-36. Another pretty move and finish off the glass by Iverson at the 10:24 mark gave the Gusties a 46-38 advantage.
Somewhat ironically, this is where both teams went in a perimeter scoring drought worse than the 1930's Dust Bowl that, in the end, hurt the Auggies much more than it hurt Gustavus. The Auggies had several chances to cut the lead and simply couldn't convert. Junior post Abby Rothenbuehler's two free throws at the 5:06 mark did push the Gustie lead to 49-40 and then Benz did the same with 3:40 left that gave Gustavus a ten-point cushion at 51-41. Ware valianty tried to bring Augsburg back with two big jumpers at the 3:13 mark and again with just 1:11 left but the Gusties had the advantage they needed. A late "3" by Zins wouldn't make much of a dent as the Gusties scratched and clawed their way to an ugly (but important) 58-48 win.
It was the home team that got off to a good start in this one. Senior guard Lexi Thompson started things off with two charity stripe shots after getting fouled at the 19:05 mark. Baskets by senior Nikki Borkhuis at the 16:04 mark and sophomore reserve Kendra Ware helped push the Auggie lead to 9-2 but, in the process, junior standout Brittany Zins picked up two quick fouls that forced her to the pine by the 14:44 mark. Still, junior reserve sharp-shooter Katie Ahlstrom nailed a "3" from the top at the 11:23 mark for a 12-4 Auggie lead.
The Gusties finally picked up the tempo at the 11:02 mark when sophomore reserve PG Shelly Blashko connected from behind the arc. Ever-improving junior Kelsey Florian scored at the 10:22 mark and then sophomore Eli Benz muscled her way inside to score at the 9:39 mark to cut Augsburg's lead to 14-11 and another Benz score at the 7:36 mark cut the deficit to a scant one point. Gustavus took its first lead of the game at the 6:36 mark when Florian hit two freebies but junior forward/post Brittany Dyshaw put the Auggies right back on top with 5:52 left with her rebound and putback. But the Gusties would counter and take the lead for good when Florian scored inside with 2:02 left and upped their advantage when junior reserve post Amanda Iverson scored inside with a pretty move that allowed Gustavus to take a slim 26-23 advantage into the locker room at halftime.
Things would again stay close for the early part of the second half. Baskets by Dyshaw and Zins sandwiched a Benz score inside and then senior Ava Perry connected with a "3" from the left wing at the 17:28 mark for a 31-27 Gustie lead. Another "3" from senior PG Colleen Ruane from the left corner put the Gusties up 34-30 at the 15:56 mark but freshman Abbey Luger connected with a "3" of her own from the left wing that brought the Auggies back to within two.
The turning point of the game for the Gusties may have come around the 14:57 mark when Zins picked up foul #3 and, although she scored a bit later that again brought the Auggies to within two, the Gusties slowly began to take control. Sophomore reserve guard Julia Dysthie connected with a short jumper at the 13:50 mark and then connected with a huge "3" at the 12:32 mark that pushed the Gustie lead to 42-36. Another pretty move and finish off the glass by Iverson at the 10:24 mark gave the Gusties a 46-38 advantage.
Somewhat ironically, this is where both teams went in a perimeter scoring drought worse than the 1930's Dust Bowl that, in the end, hurt the Auggies much more than it hurt Gustavus. The Auggies had several chances to cut the lead and simply couldn't convert. Junior post Abby Rothenbuehler's two free throws at the 5:06 mark did push the Gustie lead to 49-40 and then Benz did the same with 3:40 left that gave Gustavus a ten-point cushion at 51-41. Ware valianty tried to bring Augsburg back with two big jumpers at the 3:13 mark and again with just 1:11 left but the Gusties had the advantage they needed. A late "3" by Zins wouldn't make much of a dent as the Gusties scratched and clawed their way to an ugly (but important) 58-48 win.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Concordia vs St. Kate's & Augsburg vs Bethel Recaps
A busy Monday night found myself first over at St. Kate's to take in what I could of the 6:00 P.M. clash with visiting Concordia which had to be anxious to bounce back after getting beat up and bullied by suddenly-rising Augsburg this last Saturday. The Cobbers wasted little time taking control of this one early as sophomore post Alexandra Lippert scored twice within the first minute for a quick 4-0 lead. Junior Tricia Sorenson's "3" from the top at the 17:28 mark bulged the lead to 9-0 before freshman Sarah Mong finally got the 'Cats on the board at the 15:19 mark. But there would be no spirited comeback by St. Kate's on this night against a bigger and more talented Concordia squad. Freshman Alley Fisher banged home a "3" at the 14:10 mark as did Sorenson at the 13:36 mark. Sorenson also took a sweet back door pass at the 11:58 mark to score inside to build the Cobbers lead to 21-9. By the time I had to get going to head over to Bethel for their game with Augsburg, Concordia was safely up 37-19 and would never look back en route to 73-47 win which had to make the long trek back to Moorhead slightly more enjoyable.
I was up at Bethel to help out as a proud member of the Community Hoops "Sinister 6-Pack" to do coverage of the Augsburg vs Bethel tilt at 7:30. I was quite anxious to see this up-and-coming Augsburg squad that has already notched wins over both CSB and this last Saturday against Concordia. Augsburg is basically the same team as they were last year; they've always had decent talent there but new Head Coach Bill McKee has brought his own brand to this team and in the process has re-energized it as well. The first half was very tight although the Auggies were able to build a five-point advantage with just 3:44 left in the first half. In their two big wins, this is where Augsburg was able to open up the necessary distance to pull away for ultimate victory. But Bethel was able to respond and withstood the Auggie assault and quickly got even and was able to build a small 31-28 lead by the half. The challenge for Bethel in this game was to try and contain the 1-2-3- punch of Seranae Levine, Kendra Ware, and Brittany Zins who is quickly establishing herself as one of the top tier players in the conference.
But the Royals have a few weapons of their own in their arsenal; one of them obviously being senior sensation Taylor Sheley who was simply fantastic in the second half. Junior forward Kelly Swenson; known more for her defensive prowess also had good night making some key buckets down the stretch. After Swenson's layup off the glass at the 2:56 mark that appeared to put Bethel in control by a count of 59-51, the Auggies were able to make a quick 6-0 push that tightened things up again to 59-57 with just under a minute left. Augsburg had one more real opportunity left but junior Katie Ahlstrom's "3" point attempt missed that allowed the host Royals to ice the game away at the charity stripe for a huge 66-57 win and, just as important, move into first place in the MIAC with a 3-0 record.
I was up at Bethel to help out as a proud member of the Community Hoops "Sinister 6-Pack" to do coverage of the Augsburg vs Bethel tilt at 7:30. I was quite anxious to see this up-and-coming Augsburg squad that has already notched wins over both CSB and this last Saturday against Concordia. Augsburg is basically the same team as they were last year; they've always had decent talent there but new Head Coach Bill McKee has brought his own brand to this team and in the process has re-energized it as well. The first half was very tight although the Auggies were able to build a five-point advantage with just 3:44 left in the first half. In their two big wins, this is where Augsburg was able to open up the necessary distance to pull away for ultimate victory. But Bethel was able to respond and withstood the Auggie assault and quickly got even and was able to build a small 31-28 lead by the half. The challenge for Bethel in this game was to try and contain the 1-2-3- punch of Seranae Levine, Kendra Ware, and Brittany Zins who is quickly establishing herself as one of the top tier players in the conference.
But the Royals have a few weapons of their own in their arsenal; one of them obviously being senior sensation Taylor Sheley who was simply fantastic in the second half. Junior forward Kelly Swenson; known more for her defensive prowess also had good night making some key buckets down the stretch. After Swenson's layup off the glass at the 2:56 mark that appeared to put Bethel in control by a count of 59-51, the Auggies were able to make a quick 6-0 push that tightened things up again to 59-57 with just under a minute left. Augsburg had one more real opportunity left but junior Katie Ahlstrom's "3" point attempt missed that allowed the host Royals to ice the game away at the charity stripe for a huge 66-57 win and, just as important, move into first place in the MIAC with a 3-0 record.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Gustavus vs UST 12-3-11
After the wild affair at Hutton Arena, I then went back down Snelling and over Summit Avenue as well to St. Thomas to take in the much-anticipated nightcap between Gustavus and UST. In my own mind, I was hoping that the Gusties were ready to step up and take early control of the conference race but, as was plainly evident, they simply don't have the spectacular talent that Ruth Sinn's Tommies do.
Still, this one would be close early on. UST was trying to establish itself down low while GAC was using its strengths of speed, quickness and defense to force Tommie turnovers into easy baskets. After senior Molly Geske's jumper at the 7:15 mark that gave the Gusties a 21-20 lead, UST then proceeded to go on the decisive 10-0 run over the course of less than four minutes that proved to be the cushion they would need to go on to victory. The Gusties did manage to cut that lead to five points with just under a minute left when lanky junior post Abby Rothenbuehler connected with a jumper but timely baskets by reserve senior forward Haley Loesch and reserve senior post Sarah Smith once again pushed the lead back up to ten by the half by a count of 35-25.
Then, it was sophomore Taylor Young's turn to show off her stuff in the second half for the Tommies. Two free throws at the 18:37 mark and then a drive and finish along with getting fouled at the 17:23 mark plus the ensuing charity stripe shot really set the tone the rest of the way. Young would connect from behind the arc at the 14:08 mark and fellow senior MIAC three-point shooting Queen Ali Johnson's "3" at the 9:14 mark bulged the lead to 51-37. The Gusties would be able to make a couple of small pushes in the second half but nothing that ever was able to threaten the UST stranglehold. Geske did connect with a "3" from the left wing with 2:15 left to cut UST's advantage down to 61-54 as did junior Kelsey Florian with just .09.9 left but the Tommies were able to ice this one away from the free throw line as they won 69-60. Despite the run that UST had in the first half, the Gusties still had opportunities but missed several short shots that could have been worth 10-12 points. There will always be the officiating aspect and there was one truly HORRIBLE call on Rothenbuehler as she appeared to have scored and get fouled but was instead whistled for one herself that might have changed the complexion of the game somewhat. In the end, GAC, if they want to entertain thoughts about winning the conference, has to find a way to STEP UP and MAKE big plays; especially when playing a team like UST which has arguably made GAC their little "you know what" over the last couple of seasons.
Still, this one would be close early on. UST was trying to establish itself down low while GAC was using its strengths of speed, quickness and defense to force Tommie turnovers into easy baskets. After senior Molly Geske's jumper at the 7:15 mark that gave the Gusties a 21-20 lead, UST then proceeded to go on the decisive 10-0 run over the course of less than four minutes that proved to be the cushion they would need to go on to victory. The Gusties did manage to cut that lead to five points with just under a minute left when lanky junior post Abby Rothenbuehler connected with a jumper but timely baskets by reserve senior forward Haley Loesch and reserve senior post Sarah Smith once again pushed the lead back up to ten by the half by a count of 35-25.
Then, it was sophomore Taylor Young's turn to show off her stuff in the second half for the Tommies. Two free throws at the 18:37 mark and then a drive and finish along with getting fouled at the 17:23 mark plus the ensuing charity stripe shot really set the tone the rest of the way. Young would connect from behind the arc at the 14:08 mark and fellow senior MIAC three-point shooting Queen Ali Johnson's "3" at the 9:14 mark bulged the lead to 51-37. The Gusties would be able to make a couple of small pushes in the second half but nothing that ever was able to threaten the UST stranglehold. Geske did connect with a "3" from the left wing with 2:15 left to cut UST's advantage down to 61-54 as did junior Kelsey Florian with just .09.9 left but the Tommies were able to ice this one away from the free throw line as they won 69-60. Despite the run that UST had in the first half, the Gusties still had opportunities but missed several short shots that could have been worth 10-12 points. There will always be the officiating aspect and there was one truly HORRIBLE call on Rothenbuehler as she appeared to have scored and get fouled but was instead whistled for one herself that might have changed the complexion of the game somewhat. In the end, GAC, if they want to entertain thoughts about winning the conference, has to find a way to STEP UP and MAKE big plays; especially when playing a team like UST which has arguably made GAC their little "you know what" over the last couple of seasons.
Bethel vs Macalester & St. Kate's vs Hamline Roundups
Saturday, December 3 was an incredibly busy day as I took in THREE MIAC games. First, I was over at Macalester's Leonard Center as the host Scots took on northern St. Paul neighbor Bethel. I was basically only able to stay for a half as I had to leave early in the second half to get over to Hamline to get ready for their home game against St. Kate's as I did color commentary with Mike Peden. In any event, the highlight of the Bethel - Macalester game was senior guard Taylor Sheley notching her 1,000th career point as a Bethel Royal. It took Sheley a bit to get started but she finally got it at the 6:45 mark with a drive and finish and, with family and friends in attendance, the moment proved to be very special - except for the host Scots who again got off to a good start in this one only to see their advantage evaporate. They were holding a 15-9 lead by the 13:18 mark when senior Shannon Rene nailed a "3" from the left corner and maintaned that advantage when senior post Holly Schiedermayer was able to score inside at the 9:17 mark for a 21-16 lead. But the Royals soon closed the gap when Sheley got untracked as mentioned above and then Sheley again with another drive and finish at the 6:04 mark. Sheley then nailed a "3" from the left wing at the 3:41 mark and in another grand moment for the willowy blonde from Backus, she nailed a "3" as time was about to expire in the first half - off the glass no less - as the Royals took a 31-29 lead into the locker room at halftime - a lead that the Royals would not relinquish the rest of the way in their win over Macalester.
But even Sheley's antics could not have prepared me for the wild affair I was about to take in over at Hamline as they hosted a VERY young but feisty St. Kate's team that doesn't know the meaning of quit. Even while doing color commentary with Mike Peden, you knew this one had the makings of a shootout. Both teams played at a fast pace and the Wildcats had to battle back from ten-point deficits not once but twice. Coming down the stretch in regulation, it appeared that St. Kate's had the inside track to pull off the improbable upset but Hamline freshman sensation Jordan Sammons twice had to come to the rescue. In the first overtime, once again it appeared that St. Kate's might pull it out and, in fact, came very close to winning it when freshman Sarina Baker's drive at reverse lay-up attempt barely fell off the rim. In the second OT, Hamline finally started making free throws and wound up winning an exhausting contest by a score of 106-100.
But even Sheley's antics could not have prepared me for the wild affair I was about to take in over at Hamline as they hosted a VERY young but feisty St. Kate's team that doesn't know the meaning of quit. Even while doing color commentary with Mike Peden, you knew this one had the makings of a shootout. Both teams played at a fast pace and the Wildcats had to battle back from ten-point deficits not once but twice. Coming down the stretch in regulation, it appeared that St. Kate's had the inside track to pull off the improbable upset but Hamline freshman sensation Jordan Sammons twice had to come to the rescue. In the first overtime, once again it appeared that St. Kate's might pull it out and, in fact, came very close to winning it when freshman Sarina Baker's drive at reverse lay-up attempt barely fell off the rim. In the second OT, Hamline finally started making free throws and wound up winning an exhausting contest by a score of 106-100.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Bethel vs St. Kate's 11-30-11
I hurried over to St. Kate's Butler Center to take in what I could of the Bethel - St. Kate's game that started at 7:30 on this night. I got there at halftime and saw that Bethel had a commanding three-touchdown lead on the host Wildcats of 42-21.
Still, this young, feisty St. Kate's team did not lay down coming out of the locker room as they proceeded to go on a 10-2 run to start the second half that gave the home fans some hope but those hopes were quickly dashed after Bethel Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer called a time-out to get his squad settled down. Sophomore Nicole Berscheid nailed a "3" from the right corner at the 16:53 mark and athletic junior Kelly Swenson scored in transition to build the lead back up to 16 at 51-35 by the 13:53 mark. Senior sensation Taylor Sheley nailed a "3" from the top at the 11:40 mark as the lead bulged back up to 56-35 and sophomore guard Micaella Petrich scored at the 11:09 mark as the Royals regained that 21-point margin. Bethel even increased that margin when freshman Katelyn Thomsen knocked down a "3" at the 10:23 mark and Swenson snared a steal and got a lay-up out of it at the 7:01 mark that enabled Bethel to cruise to a 72-57 win.
Still, this is a fun St. Kate's team to watch and although Head Coach Gary Rufsvold has a lot of work in front of him, there is definitely hope for the future even with the loss of Laura Kalbfell, Sonja Ellingson, and Quin Halverson who were all in attendance last night watching their former team. Freshman Jule Muegge (formerly of Hopkins) is an outstanding player and, although she has some mechanical work to do on some of her shots, she has the ability, IMHO, to be the MIAC MVP in the next year or so - she is that good. Also fun to watch is 5'2" freshman PG Tiffani Pak; fresh out of Lowell High School in San Francisco. Pak, just 16 years old, is not only smart but quicker than smoke and tough to guard. Her youth may work against her at the moment but she will get better as time goes on. Also, this Wildcat team has the injury bugaboo to deal with again as both sophomore Madison Pertler and senior guard Megan Zillmer were out with injuries (although Zillmer told me that she's hopeful she'll be back by PERHAPS this weekend). Wildcat faithful have to be patient as this could be a long year in terms of the won-loss column but it will be fun to watch this team grow, mesh, and get better in the process.
Still, this young, feisty St. Kate's team did not lay down coming out of the locker room as they proceeded to go on a 10-2 run to start the second half that gave the home fans some hope but those hopes were quickly dashed after Bethel Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer called a time-out to get his squad settled down. Sophomore Nicole Berscheid nailed a "3" from the right corner at the 16:53 mark and athletic junior Kelly Swenson scored in transition to build the lead back up to 16 at 51-35 by the 13:53 mark. Senior sensation Taylor Sheley nailed a "3" from the top at the 11:40 mark as the lead bulged back up to 56-35 and sophomore guard Micaella Petrich scored at the 11:09 mark as the Royals regained that 21-point margin. Bethel even increased that margin when freshman Katelyn Thomsen knocked down a "3" at the 10:23 mark and Swenson snared a steal and got a lay-up out of it at the 7:01 mark that enabled Bethel to cruise to a 72-57 win.
Still, this is a fun St. Kate's team to watch and although Head Coach Gary Rufsvold has a lot of work in front of him, there is definitely hope for the future even with the loss of Laura Kalbfell, Sonja Ellingson, and Quin Halverson who were all in attendance last night watching their former team. Freshman Jule Muegge (formerly of Hopkins) is an outstanding player and, although she has some mechanical work to do on some of her shots, she has the ability, IMHO, to be the MIAC MVP in the next year or so - she is that good. Also fun to watch is 5'2" freshman PG Tiffani Pak; fresh out of Lowell High School in San Francisco. Pak, just 16 years old, is not only smart but quicker than smoke and tough to guard. Her youth may work against her at the moment but she will get better as time goes on. Also, this Wildcat team has the injury bugaboo to deal with again as both sophomore Madison Pertler and senior guard Megan Zillmer were out with injuries (although Zillmer told me that she's hopeful she'll be back by PERHAPS this weekend). Wildcat faithful have to be patient as this could be a long year in terms of the won-loss column but it will be fun to watch this team grow, mesh, and get better in the process.
Concordia vs Macalester 11-30-11
Was over at Macalester's Leonard Center's for this evening's 5:45 P.M. clash between the visiting Concordia-Moorhead Cobbers and the host Scots. I was anxious to see this new Concordia team without the likes of Erica Nord, Lindsey Schultz, Brittany Jossart, et al, and how they would fare against a Macalester team that can be very, very dangerous at times.
Predictably, it was Shannon Rene who got things going for the home team as she canned a jumper for a 2-0 lead at the 18:14 mark but, just as predictably, the Cobbers looked for their big gal, 6'4" sophomore post Alexandra Lippert to get them on the board and she did at the 17:00 mark. Macalester would be able to make a bit of a push that was fueled by Jessica Rene's "3" from the left wing at the 13:33 mark for an 8-4 lead but the Cobbers would come right back behind scores from Lippert and reserve sophomore post Kelsey Walloch to knot the issue at 8-all a little more than a minute later. Senior Maggie Wood would nail a "3" of her own at the 10:37 mark for the Scots but so would junior Emily Thesing at the 8:31 mark. The Scots would make one more push behind Jessica Rene's "3" that enabled Macalester to build a 20-15 lead by the 7:17 mark.
That would be about as good as it would get for the host Scots as they watched this young but good Concordia team go on a 15-0 run which is so typical for a Jessica Rahman-coached team. Lippert scored consecutive baskets at the 6:51 and 6:19 mark and then padded her scoring at the 3:23 mark. Junior Tricia Sorenson knocked down a "3" from the left top at the 2:03 mark that sandwiched some fine work by freshman Katelyn Holland that gave the Cobbers a 30-20 lead. Another lay-up by senior reserve Mary-Michael Vance enabled the Cobbers to go into the locker room at the half in control with a 32-23 lead.
But Macalester Head Coach Ellen Thompson would not let her team go out with a whimper. Jessica Rene nailed a "3" at the 19:15 mark of the second half and junior PG Kyana Jones got a lay-up a bit later that suddenly cut the Concordia lead to only 32-29. But one of the hallmarks of a Concordia team is that they are mentally tough and do not get rattled. Thesing calmly swished a "3" at the 18:36 mark and Lippert made one free throw at the 17:49 mark that halted this Macalester push. The Scots would again cut the Cobber lead down to a scant three-point advantage thanks to Jessica Rene's jumper and Woods' steal and lay-up but again Concordia would calmly respond as they would go on a 12-2 run that effectively extinguished Macalester's hope for a comeback. Despite Lippert picking up her fourth foul by the 8:23 mark and Jones nailing a "3" at the 6:49 mark to briefly get the Scots back to within single digits, the Cobbers were in firm control down the stretch. Macalester offered up a brief ray of hope when Jessica Rene canned another "3" at the 4:46 mark but the Cobbers would be able to pad their lead from the charity stripe down the stretch for a final tally of 63-51.
A disappointed Ellen Thompson explained to me that she felt her team simply didn't hit enough shots which is true; they did not convert on some key lay-up attempts and you could also argue that the Rene Sisters had something of an off-night. I think a lot of credit has to go to the Cobber defensive efforts that can make life miserable for any team and both Lippert and Jessica Rahman echoed those sentiments to me afterward. As Rahman explained, this team does have experience playing - just not playing TOGETHER - yet. When they get that, this Cobber team will be tough to beat.
Predictably, it was Shannon Rene who got things going for the home team as she canned a jumper for a 2-0 lead at the 18:14 mark but, just as predictably, the Cobbers looked for their big gal, 6'4" sophomore post Alexandra Lippert to get them on the board and she did at the 17:00 mark. Macalester would be able to make a bit of a push that was fueled by Jessica Rene's "3" from the left wing at the 13:33 mark for an 8-4 lead but the Cobbers would come right back behind scores from Lippert and reserve sophomore post Kelsey Walloch to knot the issue at 8-all a little more than a minute later. Senior Maggie Wood would nail a "3" of her own at the 10:37 mark for the Scots but so would junior Emily Thesing at the 8:31 mark. The Scots would make one more push behind Jessica Rene's "3" that enabled Macalester to build a 20-15 lead by the 7:17 mark.
That would be about as good as it would get for the host Scots as they watched this young but good Concordia team go on a 15-0 run which is so typical for a Jessica Rahman-coached team. Lippert scored consecutive baskets at the 6:51 and 6:19 mark and then padded her scoring at the 3:23 mark. Junior Tricia Sorenson knocked down a "3" from the left top at the 2:03 mark that sandwiched some fine work by freshman Katelyn Holland that gave the Cobbers a 30-20 lead. Another lay-up by senior reserve Mary-Michael Vance enabled the Cobbers to go into the locker room at the half in control with a 32-23 lead.
But Macalester Head Coach Ellen Thompson would not let her team go out with a whimper. Jessica Rene nailed a "3" at the 19:15 mark of the second half and junior PG Kyana Jones got a lay-up a bit later that suddenly cut the Concordia lead to only 32-29. But one of the hallmarks of a Concordia team is that they are mentally tough and do not get rattled. Thesing calmly swished a "3" at the 18:36 mark and Lippert made one free throw at the 17:49 mark that halted this Macalester push. The Scots would again cut the Cobber lead down to a scant three-point advantage thanks to Jessica Rene's jumper and Woods' steal and lay-up but again Concordia would calmly respond as they would go on a 12-2 run that effectively extinguished Macalester's hope for a comeback. Despite Lippert picking up her fourth foul by the 8:23 mark and Jones nailing a "3" at the 6:49 mark to briefly get the Scots back to within single digits, the Cobbers were in firm control down the stretch. Macalester offered up a brief ray of hope when Jessica Rene canned another "3" at the 4:46 mark but the Cobbers would be able to pad their lead from the charity stripe down the stretch for a final tally of 63-51.
A disappointed Ellen Thompson explained to me that she felt her team simply didn't hit enough shots which is true; they did not convert on some key lay-up attempts and you could also argue that the Rene Sisters had something of an off-night. I think a lot of credit has to go to the Cobber defensive efforts that can make life miserable for any team and both Lippert and Jessica Rahman echoed those sentiments to me afterward. As Rahman explained, this team does have experience playing - just not playing TOGETHER - yet. When they get that, this Cobber team will be tough to beat.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Macalester vs Northwestern 11-22-11
Was at Northwestern's Ericksen Center last night as they hosted Macalester for yet another UMAC vs MIAC clash. This would be my first look at Macalester since I visisted one of their opening practices back in October and I was curious as to how they would come out of the gate after their Chicago trip where they came away with a split - beating Benedictine and losing to powerhouse Chicago.
The whole event this evening got off to a nice start when Northwestern's Mollie Sir and Chanel Madson did a sweet duet of the National Anthem. But the visiting Scots wasted no time to get things going after the tip-off. Senior guard Shannon Rene drained a "3" from the right corner at the 19:40 mark for a quick 3-0 lead and senior post Holly Schiedermayer added to the Macalester advantage when she scored inside and got fouled in the process for a 5-1 Macalester lead. Northwestern came right back, though, as senior Kristin Sczublewski nailed a "3" from the right corner at the 17:48 mark and then the Eagles grabbed their only lead of the night at the 17:01 mark when Sir connected with a "3" from the top for a 7-5 advantage. Undaunted, Macalester came right back as senior Maggie Wood made a tough reverse layup to knot things at 7-all and then junior PG Kyanna Jones snared a steal and got a layup the other way. Reserve sophomore post Rebekah Keller scored inside at the 15:09 mark for an 11-7 Scot lead.
Now it was Northwestern's turn to make a move. Sczublewski scored inside at the 14:16 mark and got two free throws a bit later to tie things again at 11-all. Then it was Macalester's turn to make a move. Schiedermayer got two inside buckets to fall and reserve sophomore Taylor Pike got a jumper off the glass to go in for a 17-11 Macalester lead. But right back came the home team. Freshman guard Ashley Arneson dropped two freebies from the charity stripe. Sophomore post Jessica Fife (who seems to get better with each outing) got a rebound and putback with 7:13 left and then Sir did her thing from the charity stripe to once again tie the issue at 17-all. Things would then stay tight for the next few minutes but the Scots were able to make one more push before the halftime break. Wood made yet another reverse layup with just under two minutes left and then sophomore reserve Kathryn Medinger got a rebound and putback. Jessica Rene was able to sink two free throws and then Jones made another steal and layup the other way with just :38 left on the clock for a 28-22 Scot advantage at the break.
Unfortunately for Northwestern, they would not be able to close the gap once the second half began. The Scots wasted no time getting things going as they were able to build a ten point advantage at 34-24 by the 16:52 mark when senior Shannon Rene drilled a "3" from the right wing. Medinger scored at the 15:44 and 14:55 marks and then Jessica Rene put a dagger in the heart of the Eagles when she drained a "3" from the top at the 13:31 mark for a 40-26 advantage.
Northwestern never gave up, though, Willowly sophomore guard Becca Kendrick (who had to leave the game at one point with a bloody nose) swished a "3" from the right wing at the 11:36 mark and Sir would connect behind the arc with 7:00 left and Sczublewski did likewise with 4:15 left that cut the Macalester lead to 53-42 but just when the Eagles seemed to be on the brink of a comeback Macalester simply had a better answer. Wood was able to get inside to grab a rebound and get a putback with 3:13 left and Schiedermayer did more damage inside coming down the stretch and, despite two more heroic "3's" from Northwestern's Sir, Macalester was able to finish off a 63-50 win.
According to Macalester Head Coach Ellen Thompson, this was obviously a good win but there's still some things they need to do better. Arguably, Northwestern's 2-3 zone they employed on this night made things difficult for the Scots in the first half and Thompson said that they still need to shoot better. Moreover, she's still trying to get her younger players up to "game speed" which is not always an easy thing to do. Still, I think Macalester has a nice blend of experience and youth and, if they stay healthy, they have a great shot at snaring that sixth playoff spot in the MIAC. As for the Eagles, Head Coach Aaron Kahl knows he has a young team and they have to strive to get better with each practice; with each game. As with last year when they had Katie DeWitt, it seems as if sometimes the rest of the team stands around and relies too heavily on Sczublewski at times. I do like how sophomore post Fife has made strides in her game but I think the next step is to try and get more production from Kendrick and Madson to complement not only Sczublewski but also the three-point prowess of Sir as well.
The whole event this evening got off to a nice start when Northwestern's Mollie Sir and Chanel Madson did a sweet duet of the National Anthem. But the visiting Scots wasted no time to get things going after the tip-off. Senior guard Shannon Rene drained a "3" from the right corner at the 19:40 mark for a quick 3-0 lead and senior post Holly Schiedermayer added to the Macalester advantage when she scored inside and got fouled in the process for a 5-1 Macalester lead. Northwestern came right back, though, as senior Kristin Sczublewski nailed a "3" from the right corner at the 17:48 mark and then the Eagles grabbed their only lead of the night at the 17:01 mark when Sir connected with a "3" from the top for a 7-5 advantage. Undaunted, Macalester came right back as senior Maggie Wood made a tough reverse layup to knot things at 7-all and then junior PG Kyanna Jones snared a steal and got a layup the other way. Reserve sophomore post Rebekah Keller scored inside at the 15:09 mark for an 11-7 Scot lead.
Now it was Northwestern's turn to make a move. Sczublewski scored inside at the 14:16 mark and got two free throws a bit later to tie things again at 11-all. Then it was Macalester's turn to make a move. Schiedermayer got two inside buckets to fall and reserve sophomore Taylor Pike got a jumper off the glass to go in for a 17-11 Macalester lead. But right back came the home team. Freshman guard Ashley Arneson dropped two freebies from the charity stripe. Sophomore post Jessica Fife (who seems to get better with each outing) got a rebound and putback with 7:13 left and then Sir did her thing from the charity stripe to once again tie the issue at 17-all. Things would then stay tight for the next few minutes but the Scots were able to make one more push before the halftime break. Wood made yet another reverse layup with just under two minutes left and then sophomore reserve Kathryn Medinger got a rebound and putback. Jessica Rene was able to sink two free throws and then Jones made another steal and layup the other way with just :38 left on the clock for a 28-22 Scot advantage at the break.
Unfortunately for Northwestern, they would not be able to close the gap once the second half began. The Scots wasted no time getting things going as they were able to build a ten point advantage at 34-24 by the 16:52 mark when senior Shannon Rene drilled a "3" from the right wing. Medinger scored at the 15:44 and 14:55 marks and then Jessica Rene put a dagger in the heart of the Eagles when she drained a "3" from the top at the 13:31 mark for a 40-26 advantage.
Northwestern never gave up, though, Willowly sophomore guard Becca Kendrick (who had to leave the game at one point with a bloody nose) swished a "3" from the right wing at the 11:36 mark and Sir would connect behind the arc with 7:00 left and Sczublewski did likewise with 4:15 left that cut the Macalester lead to 53-42 but just when the Eagles seemed to be on the brink of a comeback Macalester simply had a better answer. Wood was able to get inside to grab a rebound and get a putback with 3:13 left and Schiedermayer did more damage inside coming down the stretch and, despite two more heroic "3's" from Northwestern's Sir, Macalester was able to finish off a 63-50 win.
According to Macalester Head Coach Ellen Thompson, this was obviously a good win but there's still some things they need to do better. Arguably, Northwestern's 2-3 zone they employed on this night made things difficult for the Scots in the first half and Thompson said that they still need to shoot better. Moreover, she's still trying to get her younger players up to "game speed" which is not always an easy thing to do. Still, I think Macalester has a nice blend of experience and youth and, if they stay healthy, they have a great shot at snaring that sixth playoff spot in the MIAC. As for the Eagles, Head Coach Aaron Kahl knows he has a young team and they have to strive to get better with each practice; with each game. As with last year when they had Katie DeWitt, it seems as if sometimes the rest of the team stands around and relies too heavily on Sczublewski at times. I do like how sophomore post Fife has made strides in her game but I think the next step is to try and get more production from Kendrick and Madson to complement not only Sczublewski but also the three-point prowess of Sir as well.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
NIACC vs Anoka-Ramsey 11-21-11
Was up at Anoka-Ramsey last night as they were hosting North Iowa Area Community College in a non-conference clash. It was a little weird not seeing long-time coach John Oertel leading the NIACC team as he retired after last season. Kelli Terrell now leads the program and has already notched some big wins against Riverland, Illinois Central Community College, and RCTC (Rochester).
Both teams would come out of the gate sluggish. Sophomore Brittany Robinson got NIACC on the board first at the 17:02 mark and it took Anoka-Ramsey almost two more minutes before freshman Maria Loughlin finally got the Rams even at 2-all with her drive and finish. NIACC would take one more early lead at the 14:58 mark when sophomore Jenna Morris scored inside for a 4-2 lead. Sophomore Jenessa Tesch gave the Golden Rams the lead for good, though, at the 13:19 mark when she scored inside.
The Golden Rams finally got things going offensively (after a good chewing-out session by Head Coach David DeWitt) when sophomore PG Allison Ballstadt snared a steal and went the other way for an uncontested lay-up to push the Anoka-Ramsey lead to 12-6. Sophomores Sadie Pittman and Morris tried to stem the tide with some timely buckets but the Golden Rams were able to build a double-digit lead by the 7:20 mark on sophomore Capreice Ogris' two free throws and a jumper by Ogris from the left corner by the 3:05 mark extended the lead to 28-13. Anoka-Ramsey's tough, in-your-face pressure defense was also causing a lot of problems for the visitors as well that helped the Golden Rams get on their usual run to let them build an almost insurmountable 34-15 halftime lead.
Except for some uncharacteristic turnovers by Anoka-Ramsey in the second half (much to the chagrin of DeWitt), not much changed. Sophomore Tamarra Shorter, arguably the best athlete on the team and strong sophomore post Tracy McGregor helped extend the Anoka-Ramsey lead to 40-17 and a steal and lay-up by freshman reserve Jacquie Lommen pushed things to 42-18 in favor of the home team. A "3" by Ogris at the 7:48 mark and Tesch's score inside a bit later gave the Golden Rams a 52-22 lead. Freshman Maria Loughlin showed off her three-point shooting skills when she swished one in from the top at the 6:54 mark. NIACC would be able to force some sloppy play down the stretch on the Golden Rams and, although Anoka-Ramsey did come out on top easily enough 58-34, it was not a pretty after-game speech by DeWitt according to what Ballstadt told me afterward. Understandably, the turnovers and sloppy play coming down the stretch are not typical of a DeWitt-coached team and this group has a lot of work to do if they want to entertain thoughts about repeating last year's national championship.
Both teams would come out of the gate sluggish. Sophomore Brittany Robinson got NIACC on the board first at the 17:02 mark and it took Anoka-Ramsey almost two more minutes before freshman Maria Loughlin finally got the Rams even at 2-all with her drive and finish. NIACC would take one more early lead at the 14:58 mark when sophomore Jenna Morris scored inside for a 4-2 lead. Sophomore Jenessa Tesch gave the Golden Rams the lead for good, though, at the 13:19 mark when she scored inside.
The Golden Rams finally got things going offensively (after a good chewing-out session by Head Coach David DeWitt) when sophomore PG Allison Ballstadt snared a steal and went the other way for an uncontested lay-up to push the Anoka-Ramsey lead to 12-6. Sophomores Sadie Pittman and Morris tried to stem the tide with some timely buckets but the Golden Rams were able to build a double-digit lead by the 7:20 mark on sophomore Capreice Ogris' two free throws and a jumper by Ogris from the left corner by the 3:05 mark extended the lead to 28-13. Anoka-Ramsey's tough, in-your-face pressure defense was also causing a lot of problems for the visitors as well that helped the Golden Rams get on their usual run to let them build an almost insurmountable 34-15 halftime lead.
Except for some uncharacteristic turnovers by Anoka-Ramsey in the second half (much to the chagrin of DeWitt), not much changed. Sophomore Tamarra Shorter, arguably the best athlete on the team and strong sophomore post Tracy McGregor helped extend the Anoka-Ramsey lead to 40-17 and a steal and lay-up by freshman reserve Jacquie Lommen pushed things to 42-18 in favor of the home team. A "3" by Ogris at the 7:48 mark and Tesch's score inside a bit later gave the Golden Rams a 52-22 lead. Freshman Maria Loughlin showed off her three-point shooting skills when she swished one in from the top at the 6:54 mark. NIACC would be able to force some sloppy play down the stretch on the Golden Rams and, although Anoka-Ramsey did come out on top easily enough 58-34, it was not a pretty after-game speech by DeWitt according to what Ballstadt told me afterward. Understandably, the turnovers and sloppy play coming down the stretch are not typical of a DeWitt-coached team and this group has a lot of work to do if they want to entertain thoughts about repeating last year's national championship.
Monday, November 14, 2011
MIAC Predictions
I posted this up on D3 Hoops a bit ago but here are my predictions for the MIAC this season:
Running a little late this year but I guess it's time I dust off the cobwebs on this board (since I'm about the only one posting up here anymore) and offer up my prognostications for the 2011-12 MIAC race:
The Title Contenders
UST & GAC
The talent that UST has amassed over the last few years is nothing short of amazing and, because of that, they'll have the inside track to both the regular season and tournament titles. They have Maggie Weiers who can simply dominate down low, an incredible sophomore in Taylor Young, and senior three point shooting Queen Ali Johnson plus a pretty capable backcourt duo of Kellie Ring and Carolyn Dienhart; not to mention a bench that's LOADED. Still, as good as this team is, they are not infalliable and their loss in the MIAC Championship Game at home to Concordia proved that. The one team that will challenge them for the title this year has to be GAC. They have one of the top two or three PGs in Colleen Ruane, a do-it-all senior in Molly Geske, a much, much improved Abby Rothenbuehler at the post, and, like UST, a bench that is absolutely LOADED. The Gusties will get tested early, though, with a roadie over to WIAC powerhouse UW-River Falls tomorrow night and a trip out to the Motherland to take on SCIAC opponents Redlands and Occidental.
Playoff Contenders
St. Olaf, CSB, Concordia, & Bethel
To me, St. Olaf is the team that makes the big jump this year into the elite group. They have the best PG in the conference, IMHO, in Mackenzie Wolter and a big front line that includes Erin Haglund and Elise Raney at the post position. On the downside, they are not deep and if their roster starts getting red crosses like my fantasy football team does, everything could go awry for them. Last year's senior-laden team CSB and defending MIAC Champ Concordia are both incredibly young this year although the Corn still has lanky 6'4" post Alexandra Lippert. I give Bethel the best chance to snare the 6th spot this season despite losing Scottie Moats who had to end her basketball career prematurely. They still have Taylor Sheley and a great defender in Kelly Swenson.
The Lurkers
Hamline, Macalester, & SMU
I have not seen Hamline's roster yet but they should be dangerous as always if not consistent. Macalester still has the Rene Sisters who can terrorize opponents from behind the arc and if anyone can squeeze the most out of a lemon, it's Macalester Head Coach Ellen Thompson. I have to say that including SMU in this group is somewhat generous given the fact that the coaching staff there doesn't even have ten years experience amongst them and also includes an assistant who is a media hack (cough cough....Willy Wonka) with an agenda. Still, SMU does have a very capable senior in Emily DeWitt plus an up-and-coming post in Courtney Euerle so they will have their moments.
The Cellar-Dwellers
Carleton, St. Kate's & Augsburg
I don't expect much from either one of these teams this year although St. Kate's will be a team to keep your eye on with all the newcomers they have; particularly Jule Muegge. New Augsburg coach Bill McKee has a tough task ahead of him but if anyone can make Augsburg competitive again it's him.
Running a little late this year but I guess it's time I dust off the cobwebs on this board (since I'm about the only one posting up here anymore) and offer up my prognostications for the 2011-12 MIAC race:
The Title Contenders
UST & GAC
The talent that UST has amassed over the last few years is nothing short of amazing and, because of that, they'll have the inside track to both the regular season and tournament titles. They have Maggie Weiers who can simply dominate down low, an incredible sophomore in Taylor Young, and senior three point shooting Queen Ali Johnson plus a pretty capable backcourt duo of Kellie Ring and Carolyn Dienhart; not to mention a bench that's LOADED. Still, as good as this team is, they are not infalliable and their loss in the MIAC Championship Game at home to Concordia proved that. The one team that will challenge them for the title this year has to be GAC. They have one of the top two or three PGs in Colleen Ruane, a do-it-all senior in Molly Geske, a much, much improved Abby Rothenbuehler at the post, and, like UST, a bench that is absolutely LOADED. The Gusties will get tested early, though, with a roadie over to WIAC powerhouse UW-River Falls tomorrow night and a trip out to the Motherland to take on SCIAC opponents Redlands and Occidental.
Playoff Contenders
St. Olaf, CSB, Concordia, & Bethel
To me, St. Olaf is the team that makes the big jump this year into the elite group. They have the best PG in the conference, IMHO, in Mackenzie Wolter and a big front line that includes Erin Haglund and Elise Raney at the post position. On the downside, they are not deep and if their roster starts getting red crosses like my fantasy football team does, everything could go awry for them. Last year's senior-laden team CSB and defending MIAC Champ Concordia are both incredibly young this year although the Corn still has lanky 6'4" post Alexandra Lippert. I give Bethel the best chance to snare the 6th spot this season despite losing Scottie Moats who had to end her basketball career prematurely. They still have Taylor Sheley and a great defender in Kelly Swenson.
The Lurkers
Hamline, Macalester, & SMU
I have not seen Hamline's roster yet but they should be dangerous as always if not consistent. Macalester still has the Rene Sisters who can terrorize opponents from behind the arc and if anyone can squeeze the most out of a lemon, it's Macalester Head Coach Ellen Thompson. I have to say that including SMU in this group is somewhat generous given the fact that the coaching staff there doesn't even have ten years experience amongst them and also includes an assistant who is a media hack (cough cough....Willy Wonka) with an agenda. Still, SMU does have a very capable senior in Emily DeWitt plus an up-and-coming post in Courtney Euerle so they will have their moments.
The Cellar-Dwellers
Carleton, St. Kate's & Augsburg
I don't expect much from either one of these teams this year although St. Kate's will be a team to keep your eye on with all the newcomers they have; particularly Jule Muegge. New Augsburg coach Bill McKee has a tough task ahead of him but if anyone can make Augsburg competitive again it's him.
Wartburg vs Gustavus Scrimmage 11-12-11
Was in St. Peter Saturday afternoon to take in the scrimmage between Wartburg from the IIAC and the host Gustavus Adolphus Gusties of the MIAC. First, you'll have to excuse me for not being able to identify the Wartburg players. I did have a roster from their website - unfortunately, it had no numbers associated with the names. I have to admit that I think this is the first time I've been able to get a roster from a school website that didn't contain the numbers. Thanks a lot, Wartburg.
1st Scrimmage
In the first scrimmage, the Gusties line-up was as follows:
Colleen Ruane
Ava Perry
Molly Geske
Eli Benz
Abby Rothenbuehler
In this one, the Gusties got off to a very good start and showed a lot of intensity on both ends of the floor. Rothenbuehler got the Gusties on the board first with a jumper at the 18:18 mark and Ruane got a steal and lay-up the other way for a quick 4-0 lead by the 17:21 mark. A bit later, Geske connected from behind the arc for a 7-0 Gustie lead. The Gusties were able to bulge the lead to 12-2 when Rothenbuehler scored inside again at the 13:56 mark. Finally, the Knights were able to get untracked and make a run of their own. Wartburg's #1 connected with a "3" at the 11:35 mark and again at the 10:57 mark to cut the Gustie lead to 14-8. Then Wartburg's #34 muscled her way inside and finished at the 9:27 mark to trim the GAC lead to 14-10. Wartburg's #1 then got a lay-up at the 8:37 mark to make it a 14-12 game. Then it was time for a Gustie response. Perry scored off the glass at the 8:02 mark and then Geske connected with a medium-range jumper at the 7:09 mark. With 6:02 left, Rothenbuehler made a quick drive inside and finished to build it up to a 20-12 lead by the 6:02 mark.
Then the Knights came right back. After two Knight free throws, Wartburg's #33 made her presence known with "3's" at the 4:17 and 3:33 mark that suddenly tied this one at 20-all. Just when you thought that maybe the Gusties could have been had in this one, Rothenbuehler came to the rescue of her team quickly. She scored inside at the 3:15 mark and then free throws (one by Kelsey Florian and two more by Geske) would give the Gusties the cushion they needed to take the first scrimmage by a score of 25-22.
2nd Scrimmage
The second scrimmage would be a much tighter affair from start to finish. The Knights got on the board first when their big #34 muscled her way inside at the 19:15 mark for a 2-0 lead but GAC quickly countered with a "3" from Geske from the left corner. After a "3" by Wartburg's #1 at the 17:34 mark, Florian tied it at 6-all with her score at the 17:17 mark. The Gusties would build a slight lead at 12-8 after Geske scored inside at the 15:20 mark but the Knights came right back and regained the lead at 14-12 when their sharp-shooting #33 buried a "3" at exactly the 13:00 mark.
But then the Gusties came right back and decided that they could show off their three-point shooting skills as well. Perry knocked one down at the 12:30 mark and then Steph Comer followed suit at the 11:39 mark. Up-and-coming sophomore Britta Rinke then scored inside at the 10:19 mark and then Benz scored in transition with 8:44 left and the Gusties had their largest lead in this one at 22-14. But again, the Knights came right back. Wartburg's #33 AGAIN torched the Gustie defense with a "3" at the 8:33 mark and then Wartburg's #31 scored a lay-up which was then followed by a jumper by Wartburg's #30 to trim the GAC lead to 22-21. But the Gusties would never let the Knights get over the top down the stretch. Another move inside by Rothenbuehler at the 2:24 mark and with :36 left plus some key free throws enabled the Gusties to hang on once again; this time by a score of 29-26.
3rd Scrimmage
Like the first two scrimmages, this one was 20 minutes as well but it featured running time to help speed things along. And, unlike the first two, both teams had their young ones in for pretty much the whole time to see what they could do. Also, the Gusties dominated from start to finish. With the score tied at 2-all, Shelly Blashko nailed a "3" at the 16:37 mark to propel the Gusties on a 18-4 run and a 20-5 lead by the 4:25 mark. The small but spunky Blashko flourished in this one as did GAC's #32 (still don't know her name). GAC's Liz Shay and Whitney Novak were able to notch scores as the Gusties rolled in the final stanza of the day by a final count of 25-7.
1st Scrimmage
In the first scrimmage, the Gusties line-up was as follows:
Colleen Ruane
Ava Perry
Molly Geske
Eli Benz
Abby Rothenbuehler
In this one, the Gusties got off to a very good start and showed a lot of intensity on both ends of the floor. Rothenbuehler got the Gusties on the board first with a jumper at the 18:18 mark and Ruane got a steal and lay-up the other way for a quick 4-0 lead by the 17:21 mark. A bit later, Geske connected from behind the arc for a 7-0 Gustie lead. The Gusties were able to bulge the lead to 12-2 when Rothenbuehler scored inside again at the 13:56 mark. Finally, the Knights were able to get untracked and make a run of their own. Wartburg's #1 connected with a "3" at the 11:35 mark and again at the 10:57 mark to cut the Gustie lead to 14-8. Then Wartburg's #34 muscled her way inside and finished at the 9:27 mark to trim the GAC lead to 14-10. Wartburg's #1 then got a lay-up at the 8:37 mark to make it a 14-12 game. Then it was time for a Gustie response. Perry scored off the glass at the 8:02 mark and then Geske connected with a medium-range jumper at the 7:09 mark. With 6:02 left, Rothenbuehler made a quick drive inside and finished to build it up to a 20-12 lead by the 6:02 mark.
Then the Knights came right back. After two Knight free throws, Wartburg's #33 made her presence known with "3's" at the 4:17 and 3:33 mark that suddenly tied this one at 20-all. Just when you thought that maybe the Gusties could have been had in this one, Rothenbuehler came to the rescue of her team quickly. She scored inside at the 3:15 mark and then free throws (one by Kelsey Florian and two more by Geske) would give the Gusties the cushion they needed to take the first scrimmage by a score of 25-22.
2nd Scrimmage
The second scrimmage would be a much tighter affair from start to finish. The Knights got on the board first when their big #34 muscled her way inside at the 19:15 mark for a 2-0 lead but GAC quickly countered with a "3" from Geske from the left corner. After a "3" by Wartburg's #1 at the 17:34 mark, Florian tied it at 6-all with her score at the 17:17 mark. The Gusties would build a slight lead at 12-8 after Geske scored inside at the 15:20 mark but the Knights came right back and regained the lead at 14-12 when their sharp-shooting #33 buried a "3" at exactly the 13:00 mark.
But then the Gusties came right back and decided that they could show off their three-point shooting skills as well. Perry knocked one down at the 12:30 mark and then Steph Comer followed suit at the 11:39 mark. Up-and-coming sophomore Britta Rinke then scored inside at the 10:19 mark and then Benz scored in transition with 8:44 left and the Gusties had their largest lead in this one at 22-14. But again, the Knights came right back. Wartburg's #33 AGAIN torched the Gustie defense with a "3" at the 8:33 mark and then Wartburg's #31 scored a lay-up which was then followed by a jumper by Wartburg's #30 to trim the GAC lead to 22-21. But the Gusties would never let the Knights get over the top down the stretch. Another move inside by Rothenbuehler at the 2:24 mark and with :36 left plus some key free throws enabled the Gusties to hang on once again; this time by a score of 29-26.
3rd Scrimmage
Like the first two scrimmages, this one was 20 minutes as well but it featured running time to help speed things along. And, unlike the first two, both teams had their young ones in for pretty much the whole time to see what they could do. Also, the Gusties dominated from start to finish. With the score tied at 2-all, Shelly Blashko nailed a "3" at the 16:37 mark to propel the Gusties on a 18-4 run and a 20-5 lead by the 4:25 mark. The small but spunky Blashko flourished in this one as did GAC's #32 (still don't know her name). GAC's Liz Shay and Whitney Novak were able to notch scores as the Gusties rolled in the final stanza of the day by a final count of 25-7.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Concordia Tip-Off Classic Concordia St. Paul vs Regis 11-11-11
The feature show of this double-header at Gangelhoff Center was host Concordia St. Paul taking on Regis University out of Denver, Colorado. This one would stay close for the first five minutes or so. Regis' Tae'lor Purdy gave the Rangers a short-lived 5-2 lead at the 18:37 mark and senior forward Kari Ameline tied the game at 12-all at the 15:44 mark. But from then on, it was pretty much all Concordia St. Paul. as they went on a 20-6 run enroute to a 32-18 lead by the 5:02 mark as the big Golden Bear front line began wearing down a smaller Regis line-up. Regis junior Sarah Feeney scored off the glass with 3:31 left to try and stem the tide for the Rangers but the Golden Bears then made another push before the half behind athletic sophomores Carissa Wolyniec and Rachel Hanson that helped give the Golden Bears a commanding 45-20 halftime lead.
Both teams were sluggish offensively early on in the second half and Concordia committed some sloppy turnovers as well; much to the chagrin of sometimes volatile head coach Paul Fessler. But it didn't take long for the Golden Bears to get untracked. Freshman post Anika Whiting connected with a short jumper at the 17:56 mark and another super soph, Jodi Batzel, scored in transition at the 17:24 mark and the home team was well on their way. Ameling and Feeney would never let their Ranger teammates quit, however as Ameling scored back-to-back buckets at the 15:30 and 15:03 mark but the Golden Bear speed and size would prove too much as Concordia St. Paul built a 30-point lead by the 6:38 mark that would pretty much hold up down the stretch as the Golden Bears cruised to a 72-46 victory.
Both teams were sluggish offensively early on in the second half and Concordia committed some sloppy turnovers as well; much to the chagrin of sometimes volatile head coach Paul Fessler. But it didn't take long for the Golden Bears to get untracked. Freshman post Anika Whiting connected with a short jumper at the 17:56 mark and another super soph, Jodi Batzel, scored in transition at the 17:24 mark and the home team was well on their way. Ameling and Feeney would never let their Ranger teammates quit, however as Ameling scored back-to-back buckets at the 15:30 and 15:03 mark but the Golden Bear speed and size would prove too much as Concordia St. Paul built a 30-point lead by the 6:38 mark that would pretty much hold up down the stretch as the Golden Bears cruised to a 72-46 victory.
Concordia Tip-Off Classic - UC-Colorado Springs vs Winona State 11-11-11
Got over to Gangelhoff Center at Concordia St. Paul with about 5:13 left with UC-Colorado Springs leading and they were able to maintain that lead en route to a 24-21 haltime margin. Winona State looked out of synch offensively and their perimeter shooting was not clicking.
However, as the second half began, the Warriors would begin to cut into that narrow three-point deficit even more. Sophomore Darcy Rice made a lay-up at the 19:10 mark to trim the deficit to one and junior post Lizzie Naumann tied the issue at 27-all by the 13:45 mark. Winona State took the lead at the 12:02 mark when junior Abby Busch (younger sister of former St. Kate's standout Ashley Busch) connected with a short jumper and then redshirt junior Becca Friestleben swished a "3" at the 11:33 mark to give Winona State a 32-28 lead and it looked like the Warriors might take control of the game at that point.
But back came UC-Colorado Springs as they were able to quickly tie the issue at 32-all behind Sammi Gentile and Jessica Brown at the 10:33 mark. UC-Colorado Springs would build a 40-36 lead by the 6:55 mark but Winona State would be able to make one more push to briefly regain the lead by the 5:34 mark as senior Michelle McDonald connected with a jumper from the right baseline and sophomore Kelsey Andrist's "3". But sloppy ball-handling and turnovers would doom the NSIC favorites down the stretch. Jessica Brown gave UC-Colorado Springs the lead again at 42-41 and would eventually hang on with free throws for a final margin of 50-45 in something of an upset over Winona State.
However, as the second half began, the Warriors would begin to cut into that narrow three-point deficit even more. Sophomore Darcy Rice made a lay-up at the 19:10 mark to trim the deficit to one and junior post Lizzie Naumann tied the issue at 27-all by the 13:45 mark. Winona State took the lead at the 12:02 mark when junior Abby Busch (younger sister of former St. Kate's standout Ashley Busch) connected with a short jumper and then redshirt junior Becca Friestleben swished a "3" at the 11:33 mark to give Winona State a 32-28 lead and it looked like the Warriors might take control of the game at that point.
But back came UC-Colorado Springs as they were able to quickly tie the issue at 32-all behind Sammi Gentile and Jessica Brown at the 10:33 mark. UC-Colorado Springs would build a 40-36 lead by the 6:55 mark but Winona State would be able to make one more push to briefly regain the lead by the 5:34 mark as senior Michelle McDonald connected with a jumper from the right baseline and sophomore Kelsey Andrist's "3". But sloppy ball-handling and turnovers would doom the NSIC favorites down the stretch. Jessica Brown gave UC-Colorado Springs the lead again at 42-41 and would eventually hang on with free throws for a final margin of 50-45 in something of an upset over Winona State.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Northwestern vs St. Olaf Scrimmage 11-9-11
Was down in Northfield last night to catch the scrimmage between Northwestern and up-and-coming St. Olaf that proved to be very entertaining to watch. The Oles still have some injury issues they're dealing with - Elise Raney dislocated her knee (again) and likely won't return until sometime next month and Maddie Ehrich is still going through rehab following the ACL injury she suffered this last summer. Northwestern is going through the growing pains any young team would at the early stages of the season.
In the first scrimmage, both teams were quite even from a scoring standpoint as St. Olaf took a while to get untracked offensively. Erin Haglund got the Oles on the board first with a shot off the glass at the 18:38 mark but Northwestern's Mollie Sir came right back on the ensuing possession to tie things up at 2-all. Things would would stay very tight until the 15"43 mark when the Eagles were able to make a bit of a move. Senior Kristin Sczublewski put the Eagles up by one with a free throw and a 10-9 lead. Sir then connected with a jumper at the 14:23 mark. Freshman Chanel Madson hit a jumper at the 13:45 mark for a 14-11 lead then then hit one free throw a bit later to up the lead by one. The Eagles then banged home a "3" at the 12:32 mark for an 18-11 lead before the Oles finally woke up. Haglund hit a short jumper at the 12:19 mark and then junior PG Mackenzie Wolter then drove in for a lay-up and got fouled in the process and her obligatory free throw shot cut Northwestern's lead to 18-16. Junior Ashley Menzel tied the issue at 18 with her jumper along the left baseline at the 11:14 mark and then fellow junior Eileen O'Donoghue got a rebound and putback at the 10:44 mark for a 20-18 lead that the Oles would never relinquish. St. Olaf would have their way down low against an inexperienced Northwestern front line that enabled the Oles to go on a 23-9 run the rest of the way for the final margin of 43-29.
The second scrimmage was simply all St. Olaf as they continued their domination in the paint against a young Northwestern front line. Haglund and Menzel quickly got the Oles to a 4-0 lead in this one and O'Donoghue nailed a "3" at the 16:12 mark to help set the tone. The Oles were up 10-0 before Sczublewski finally connected for the Eagles at the 15:11 mark. Wolter than craftily split the Northwestern 2-3 zone defense with a drive and finish and got the freebie as well. Sophomore Addy Bates and junior Kirstee Rotty each connected with "3's" to balloon the lead to 19-4. But the person who stood out to me in this one was St. Olaf freshman Sheridan Blanford out of Aurora, Colorado. She showed what a monster she can be on the boards and she used her 5'11" frame to eat a ton of glass in this one. Sczublewski would never let her Eagle teammates quit but the Oles cruised to a 44-22 victory in this second 20-minute stanza.
The third scrimmage, also 20 minutes, differed from the first two as this featured running time to help speed things along. And, unlike the second scrimmage, this one would be a nail-biter. St. Olaf would build a 10-5 lead by the 14:49 mark but Northwestern sophomore Becca Kendrick showed what a slayer she can be behind the arc as she nailed a "3" with 13:42 left that cut the Oles lead to 10-8. The Oles would be able to build the lead back up to 17-10 when Menzel connected with a hook shot at the 8:41 mark but the Eagles then made their run fueled by a "3" from freshman Ashley Arneson at the 3:46 mark. With St. Olaf clinging to a 20-17 lead late, Arneson then drilled a "3" from the left wing with just 1:06 left to tie things up at 20-all. With just :09 left on the clock, the Oles, on their last possession got a layup for the final margin of 22-20.
In the first scrimmage, both teams were quite even from a scoring standpoint as St. Olaf took a while to get untracked offensively. Erin Haglund got the Oles on the board first with a shot off the glass at the 18:38 mark but Northwestern's Mollie Sir came right back on the ensuing possession to tie things up at 2-all. Things would would stay very tight until the 15"43 mark when the Eagles were able to make a bit of a move. Senior Kristin Sczublewski put the Eagles up by one with a free throw and a 10-9 lead. Sir then connected with a jumper at the 14:23 mark. Freshman Chanel Madson hit a jumper at the 13:45 mark for a 14-11 lead then then hit one free throw a bit later to up the lead by one. The Eagles then banged home a "3" at the 12:32 mark for an 18-11 lead before the Oles finally woke up. Haglund hit a short jumper at the 12:19 mark and then junior PG Mackenzie Wolter then drove in for a lay-up and got fouled in the process and her obligatory free throw shot cut Northwestern's lead to 18-16. Junior Ashley Menzel tied the issue at 18 with her jumper along the left baseline at the 11:14 mark and then fellow junior Eileen O'Donoghue got a rebound and putback at the 10:44 mark for a 20-18 lead that the Oles would never relinquish. St. Olaf would have their way down low against an inexperienced Northwestern front line that enabled the Oles to go on a 23-9 run the rest of the way for the final margin of 43-29.
The second scrimmage was simply all St. Olaf as they continued their domination in the paint against a young Northwestern front line. Haglund and Menzel quickly got the Oles to a 4-0 lead in this one and O'Donoghue nailed a "3" at the 16:12 mark to help set the tone. The Oles were up 10-0 before Sczublewski finally connected for the Eagles at the 15:11 mark. Wolter than craftily split the Northwestern 2-3 zone defense with a drive and finish and got the freebie as well. Sophomore Addy Bates and junior Kirstee Rotty each connected with "3's" to balloon the lead to 19-4. But the person who stood out to me in this one was St. Olaf freshman Sheridan Blanford out of Aurora, Colorado. She showed what a monster she can be on the boards and she used her 5'11" frame to eat a ton of glass in this one. Sczublewski would never let her Eagle teammates quit but the Oles cruised to a 44-22 victory in this second 20-minute stanza.
The third scrimmage, also 20 minutes, differed from the first two as this featured running time to help speed things along. And, unlike the second scrimmage, this one would be a nail-biter. St. Olaf would build a 10-5 lead by the 14:49 mark but Northwestern sophomore Becca Kendrick showed what a slayer she can be behind the arc as she nailed a "3" with 13:42 left that cut the Oles lead to 10-8. The Oles would be able to build the lead back up to 17-10 when Menzel connected with a hook shot at the 8:41 mark but the Eagles then made their run fueled by a "3" from freshman Ashley Arneson at the 3:46 mark. With St. Olaf clinging to a 20-17 lead late, Arneson then drilled a "3" from the left wing with just 1:06 left to tie things up at 20-all. With just :09 left on the clock, the Oles, on their last possession got a layup for the final margin of 22-20.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Anoka-Ramsey vs ARCC Alumni 11-5-11 11:00 A.M.
Made the trek up to Coon Rapids to take in the yearly alumni game between the current Anoka-Ramsey team and the alumni players from years past. When you think about some of the great teams this program has been able to produce over the years you wonder sometimes "what if" certain teams from certain years could somehow square off against one another in a sort of "dream team" match-up. It's always fun to speculate how such a match-up(s) might go and, in reality, this is probably as close as you could get.
Interestingly enough, it was the Alumni team that had the edge for a good portion of the first half. Despite the fact that Anoka-Ramsey drew first blood at the 17:58 mark, the Alumni got the lead at the 17:14 mark when former All-American and St. Kate's standout Sonja Ellingson drained a "3" from the top of the key. Both teams then struggled offensively over the next couple of minutes. Amanda Reh then upped the Alumni's lead to 4-2 with a shot from the charity strip at the 14:29 mark but then Anoka-Ramsey's Allison Ballstadt buried a "3" from the left wing at the 14:11 mark for a 5-4 Anoka-Ramsey lead. The Alumni's Marie Hanson, one of the starters from last year's Anoka-Ramsey National Championship team, put in a short jumper at the 12:06 mark as the Alumni regained the lead at 6-5. Then, at the 8:23 mark, Hanson swished one of her patented three-pointers from the right corner for an 11-8 Alumni lead. With the game still close, Hanson again showed why she should be playing basketball somewhere as she buried another "3" from the right corner at the 5:15 mark and a 16-13 lead. But Anoka-Ramsey came right back with a "3" of their own at the 4:25 mark to tie things up at 16-all. The Alumni's Carrie Roline had a chance to give the Alumni the lead again at the 4:07 mark but missed two freebies at the charity stripe. Then, at the 3:21 mark, Anoka-Ramsey would take the lead for good on a short jumper and allowed only one other Alumni field goal down the rest of the first half stretch as Anoka-Ramsey held a 25-19 lead.
Anoka-Ramsey stretched the lead to 27-19 early on in the second half on a transition basket but the Alumni made something of a charge behind Roline two baskets at the 19:02 and 18:23 mark to whittle Anoka-Ramsey's lead down to 27-23. But just when you thought that maybe the Alumni team had a run in them, Anoka-Ramsey proceeded to go on a 14-5 run that enabled the young ones to hold a 43-28 cushion by the 10:28 mark. While they never quit, the Alumni was never able to cut the Anoka-Ramsey lead down to single digits though both Ellingson and Reh had some good moments in the second half. Anoka-Ramsey would come out in front in this fun battle by a very respectable score of 60-44.
After watching one practice and one "game", you have to think that this current version of Anoka-Ramsey has the goods to be a conference title contender certainly. Even Head Coach David DeWitt admitted that this is the best team he's ever had - at least from a purely athletic standpoint. And he's got some new players on the team that can just wow you with their athleticism. Still, on some fronts, I think it's something of a work in progress for this group; i.e., getting everybody on the same page chemistry-wise and getting the new freshmen to buy into DeWitt's tough defensive philosophy. From a pure shooting standpoint, they don't have someone like Stephanie Pilgrim (now with Hamline) or Hanson that can really be a consistent threat from behind the arc. They'll have their share of easy victories against lesser opponents but I will be curious to see how they fare against a team with some true height down low.
Interestingly enough, it was the Alumni team that had the edge for a good portion of the first half. Despite the fact that Anoka-Ramsey drew first blood at the 17:58 mark, the Alumni got the lead at the 17:14 mark when former All-American and St. Kate's standout Sonja Ellingson drained a "3" from the top of the key. Both teams then struggled offensively over the next couple of minutes. Amanda Reh then upped the Alumni's lead to 4-2 with a shot from the charity strip at the 14:29 mark but then Anoka-Ramsey's Allison Ballstadt buried a "3" from the left wing at the 14:11 mark for a 5-4 Anoka-Ramsey lead. The Alumni's Marie Hanson, one of the starters from last year's Anoka-Ramsey National Championship team, put in a short jumper at the 12:06 mark as the Alumni regained the lead at 6-5. Then, at the 8:23 mark, Hanson swished one of her patented three-pointers from the right corner for an 11-8 Alumni lead. With the game still close, Hanson again showed why she should be playing basketball somewhere as she buried another "3" from the right corner at the 5:15 mark and a 16-13 lead. But Anoka-Ramsey came right back with a "3" of their own at the 4:25 mark to tie things up at 16-all. The Alumni's Carrie Roline had a chance to give the Alumni the lead again at the 4:07 mark but missed two freebies at the charity stripe. Then, at the 3:21 mark, Anoka-Ramsey would take the lead for good on a short jumper and allowed only one other Alumni field goal down the rest of the first half stretch as Anoka-Ramsey held a 25-19 lead.
Anoka-Ramsey stretched the lead to 27-19 early on in the second half on a transition basket but the Alumni made something of a charge behind Roline two baskets at the 19:02 and 18:23 mark to whittle Anoka-Ramsey's lead down to 27-23. But just when you thought that maybe the Alumni team had a run in them, Anoka-Ramsey proceeded to go on a 14-5 run that enabled the young ones to hold a 43-28 cushion by the 10:28 mark. While they never quit, the Alumni was never able to cut the Anoka-Ramsey lead down to single digits though both Ellingson and Reh had some good moments in the second half. Anoka-Ramsey would come out in front in this fun battle by a very respectable score of 60-44.
After watching one practice and one "game", you have to think that this current version of Anoka-Ramsey has the goods to be a conference title contender certainly. Even Head Coach David DeWitt admitted that this is the best team he's ever had - at least from a purely athletic standpoint. And he's got some new players on the team that can just wow you with their athleticism. Still, on some fronts, I think it's something of a work in progress for this group; i.e., getting everybody on the same page chemistry-wise and getting the new freshmen to buy into DeWitt's tough defensive philosophy. From a pure shooting standpoint, they don't have someone like Stephanie Pilgrim (now with Hamline) or Hanson that can really be a consistent threat from behind the arc. They'll have their share of easy victories against lesser opponents but I will be curious to see how they fare against a team with some true height down low.
Monday, October 31, 2011
GAC Intrasquad Black-Gold Scrimmage 10-30-11
Was down in St. Peter on this Sunday afternoon for the Gustavus Adolphus Black-Gold Intrasquad Scrimmage this Sunday afternoon. And even though my always and forever Los Angeles Rams were pulling off an improbable upset of the New Orleans Saints, I was glad to get a first-hand look at the Gusties before the upcoming season.
The afternoon's event was broken down into three separate 20-minute scrimmages; each with its own interesting flavor and twists.
1st Scrimmage
Black Team Starters
Eli Benz
Molly Geske
Julia Dysthie
Steph Comer
Amanda Iverson
Gold Team Starters
Abby Rothenbuehler
Liz Shay
Kelsey Florian
Abbey Arends
Colleen Ruane
Early on in this scrimmage, Arends was looking good for the Gold Team as she helped to propel them to an early 6-2 lead. The lead shortly ballooned to 12-2 before the Black Team finally got something going. Geske nailed a "3" at the 14:40 mark to cut the Gold Team's lead to 14-9 and then hit another at the 12:14 mark that cut the Gold Team's lead to 18-12. But the Gold Team would not let the Black Team get much closer than that. Gold Team reserve Britta Rinke knocked down a short jumper at the 11:20 mark. Consecutive buckets by Arends and a Rothenbuehler rebound at putback at the 5:40 mark pushed the Gold Team's lead to 29-20. Arends then finished inside at the 4:09 mark that gave the Gold Team a 35-24 lead and Ruane finished off the glass at the 3:44 mark for a 37-24 lead. Gold Team reserve Mia Sandstrom was able to finish off the glass with just :22 left to give the Gold Team its final margin of victory at 43-26.
2nd Scrimmage
Black Team Starters
Ruane
Dysthie
Rothenbuehler
Geske
Benz
Gold Team Starters
Iverson
Florian
Shay
Arends
Comer
In this scrimmage, the Black Team was able to get off to a quick 6-0 lead but the Gold Team was able to climb right back at the 17:25 mark to cut the Black Team's lead to 6-4. Benz then connected with a turnaround jumper at the 16:30 mark and then Rothenbuehler got a tough rebound and finish at the 15:45 mark and the Black Team was on its way. However, the Gold Team would not let this one go without a fight as Iverson made a sweet move inside and finished off the glass at the 14:11 mark and also knocked down a pair of free throws at the 13:43 mark. But the Black Team would continue its assault. Benz finished inside at the 12:53 mark and did likewise at the 10:18 mark. Then with 9:36 left Benz scored inside and was fouled in the process. Rothenbuehler also showed her stuff in this one as well with a finish in transition at the 8:09 mark and a "3" from the right corner with 2:48 left that got the Black Team to a 37-23 lead. Dysthie would do some late heroics in this one as well with a "3" at the 1:33 mark and a steal and layup the other way with :41 left that left the Black Team with a 45-28 win.
3rd Scrimmage
Black Team Starters
Shay
Geske
Rothenbuehler
Benz
Dysthie
Gold Team Starters
Freshmen Newcomers
The third and final scrimmage of the day had the Black Team going against the Gold Team that was comprised of the Freshmen newcomers; none of which I knew the names of yet save for FY player Emily Fitzsimmons from Maple River. Surprisingly, this one stayed scoreless until the 16:51 mark when Dysthie finished inside. The Gold Team was able to tie it up at 2-all before Benz scored on a lay-up at the 16:11 mark. But, very predictably, the dam then soon broke as the Black Team went on its much-anticipated tear enroute to an easy 26-9 win
So, what should we take from these three scrimmages? Well, I think you have to surmise that the Gusties have the potential to be very, very good this year. In fact, I will go as far to say that they SHOULD be right there with their arch-rival UST even though I give the Tommies a slight edge in the MIAC race. The Gusties are simply LOADED with talent. They have one of the top two or three PGs in the conference in senior Colleen Ruane; a very, very smart player who knows how to run the offense and get everyone involved. Perhaps even more important, they now have a post player who has the potential to be great in Abby Rothenbuehler. You can just tell how Rothenbuehler has improved so much over last year. She looks confident, poised and calm out there; ready to be one of the leaders for this squad. Oh, and we shouldn't forget senior Molly Geske who has the ability to do it all. Sophomore Eli Benz is ready to be a force inside as well for the Gusties as she looks very strong. Coming off the bench will likely be senior Ava Perry who can be deadly behind the arc and sophomore sensation Abbey Arends who will wow crowds (and opponents) with her play. The big question mark for the Gusties seems to be toughness - both mentally and physically - that may have cost them a shot at the MIAC title last year. Can they FINALLY get over that hump that has stopped them in years past and WIN the BIG ONE? UST would appear to be the only team standing in their way at the moment.
The afternoon's event was broken down into three separate 20-minute scrimmages; each with its own interesting flavor and twists.
1st Scrimmage
Black Team Starters
Eli Benz
Molly Geske
Julia Dysthie
Steph Comer
Amanda Iverson
Gold Team Starters
Abby Rothenbuehler
Liz Shay
Kelsey Florian
Abbey Arends
Colleen Ruane
Early on in this scrimmage, Arends was looking good for the Gold Team as she helped to propel them to an early 6-2 lead. The lead shortly ballooned to 12-2 before the Black Team finally got something going. Geske nailed a "3" at the 14:40 mark to cut the Gold Team's lead to 14-9 and then hit another at the 12:14 mark that cut the Gold Team's lead to 18-12. But the Gold Team would not let the Black Team get much closer than that. Gold Team reserve Britta Rinke knocked down a short jumper at the 11:20 mark. Consecutive buckets by Arends and a Rothenbuehler rebound at putback at the 5:40 mark pushed the Gold Team's lead to 29-20. Arends then finished inside at the 4:09 mark that gave the Gold Team a 35-24 lead and Ruane finished off the glass at the 3:44 mark for a 37-24 lead. Gold Team reserve Mia Sandstrom was able to finish off the glass with just :22 left to give the Gold Team its final margin of victory at 43-26.
2nd Scrimmage
Black Team Starters
Ruane
Dysthie
Rothenbuehler
Geske
Benz
Gold Team Starters
Iverson
Florian
Shay
Arends
Comer
In this scrimmage, the Black Team was able to get off to a quick 6-0 lead but the Gold Team was able to climb right back at the 17:25 mark to cut the Black Team's lead to 6-4. Benz then connected with a turnaround jumper at the 16:30 mark and then Rothenbuehler got a tough rebound and finish at the 15:45 mark and the Black Team was on its way. However, the Gold Team would not let this one go without a fight as Iverson made a sweet move inside and finished off the glass at the 14:11 mark and also knocked down a pair of free throws at the 13:43 mark. But the Black Team would continue its assault. Benz finished inside at the 12:53 mark and did likewise at the 10:18 mark. Then with 9:36 left Benz scored inside and was fouled in the process. Rothenbuehler also showed her stuff in this one as well with a finish in transition at the 8:09 mark and a "3" from the right corner with 2:48 left that got the Black Team to a 37-23 lead. Dysthie would do some late heroics in this one as well with a "3" at the 1:33 mark and a steal and layup the other way with :41 left that left the Black Team with a 45-28 win.
3rd Scrimmage
Black Team Starters
Shay
Geske
Rothenbuehler
Benz
Dysthie
Gold Team Starters
Freshmen Newcomers
The third and final scrimmage of the day had the Black Team going against the Gold Team that was comprised of the Freshmen newcomers; none of which I knew the names of yet save for FY player Emily Fitzsimmons from Maple River. Surprisingly, this one stayed scoreless until the 16:51 mark when Dysthie finished inside. The Gold Team was able to tie it up at 2-all before Benz scored on a lay-up at the 16:11 mark. But, very predictably, the dam then soon broke as the Black Team went on its much-anticipated tear enroute to an easy 26-9 win
So, what should we take from these three scrimmages? Well, I think you have to surmise that the Gusties have the potential to be very, very good this year. In fact, I will go as far to say that they SHOULD be right there with their arch-rival UST even though I give the Tommies a slight edge in the MIAC race. The Gusties are simply LOADED with talent. They have one of the top two or three PGs in the conference in senior Colleen Ruane; a very, very smart player who knows how to run the offense and get everyone involved. Perhaps even more important, they now have a post player who has the potential to be great in Abby Rothenbuehler. You can just tell how Rothenbuehler has improved so much over last year. She looks confident, poised and calm out there; ready to be one of the leaders for this squad. Oh, and we shouldn't forget senior Molly Geske who has the ability to do it all. Sophomore Eli Benz is ready to be a force inside as well for the Gusties as she looks very strong. Coming off the bench will likely be senior Ava Perry who can be deadly behind the arc and sophomore sensation Abbey Arends who will wow crowds (and opponents) with her play. The big question mark for the Gusties seems to be toughness - both mentally and physically - that may have cost them a shot at the MIAC title last year. Can they FINALLY get over that hump that has stopped them in years past and WIN the BIG ONE? UST would appear to be the only team standing in their way at the moment.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Northwestern Practice 10-22-11
Was over at Northwestern in Roseville on Saturday morning to catch the Eagles practice that day. On this particular day, Head Coach Aaron Kahl had a special guest to help with the day's work - Tom Young who was lending his expertise on team defense. And this was the emphasis of the day as the Eagles were working diligently on a 2-3 zone defense while Young was explaining the finer points of how to utilize it at its utmost potential. Several repetitions were done with Young always adding encouragement and "Good job!" to the players. Young also had the team work on trapping defense as well which, when used correctly, can pose a lot of problems for opposing teams. The team then also worked on half-court trapping defense before winding things down for the day.
As far as the outlook for this team, Kahl is very uncertain how his team will fare this year. He has only one senior on his squad this season - Kristin Sczublewski - that he can count on heavily for experience and leadership. Beyond that, another player to keep your eye on this year may very well be sophomore Becca Kendrick whole older sister, Kaylee, was a key player for the program just a couple of years ago. Otherwise, there are a lot of freshman and sophomores that Kahl is going to have to work with and bring along. But Kahl insists that his team is working hard and is going to be competitive. As far as the UMAC is concerned, Kahl seems even more uncertain about how this topsy-turvy conference will shake out although Minnesota-Morris would appear to be the favorite at first glance. The Eagles do have a couple of scrimmages coming up next month: one at St. Olaf on November 9 at 6:00 P.M. and another one with nearby Bethel on Saturday 11-12 scheduled at 10:00 A.M. before things begin for real with a trip down Snelling Avenue to Hamline on Tuesday 11-15.
As far as the outlook for this team, Kahl is very uncertain how his team will fare this year. He has only one senior on his squad this season - Kristin Sczublewski - that he can count on heavily for experience and leadership. Beyond that, another player to keep your eye on this year may very well be sophomore Becca Kendrick whole older sister, Kaylee, was a key player for the program just a couple of years ago. Otherwise, there are a lot of freshman and sophomores that Kahl is going to have to work with and bring along. But Kahl insists that his team is working hard and is going to be competitive. As far as the UMAC is concerned, Kahl seems even more uncertain about how this topsy-turvy conference will shake out although Minnesota-Morris would appear to be the favorite at first glance. The Eagles do have a couple of scrimmages coming up next month: one at St. Olaf on November 9 at 6:00 P.M. and another one with nearby Bethel on Saturday 11-12 scheduled at 10:00 A.M. before things begin for real with a trip down Snelling Avenue to Hamline on Tuesday 11-15.
Friday, October 21, 2011
UST Practice - 10-21-11
Was over at UST's McCarthy Gymnasium this afternoon for their 4:00 P.M. practice. I was greeted in the lobby by Head Coach Ruth Sinn who was a most gracious host. She truly is one of the class acts of the MIAC. She provided me with a practice itinerary which was quite detailed with information and what the emphasis and focus would be with today's workout. I talked to Sinn before things got underway about this coming season and the disappointment of last year's finish in the MIAC Championship game where they basically got (deleted)-slapped by Concordia-Moorhead right there in Schoenecker Arena this last February. While the Tommies won the MIAC regular-season title, Sinn felt they weren't consistent enough during the season. "Consistency is the key for us. We are going to be consistent."
Today's emphasis on offense was "Win the 'slow' battle, posts-own the mid-line, and be strong with the ball on the perimeter" while defensively it was "Wall and TALL" with a message of "Be Present". The first order of practice had the team perform some incredibly tough dribbling drills that involved using two balls at once for each player (every possible manuever you could think of was done). Then it was time for the players to incorporate passing skills with the dribbling which is very hard. Shortly thereafter, the team broke into groups of three to do some short lay-up drills.
Then it was time for a Toughness Series Drill. And, yes, this is a tough one all right. This is where one player has to tap the ball off the glass three times, then pass the ball to the player near the "elbow", then come out to beyond the top of the key, come back and get the pass back from the second player at the "elbow" and then passes the ball back to the player who was at the elbow who finishes with a lay-up. Another fun one involved "perfection shooting"; where you have one shooter, one rebounder and one passer.
Then the team moved to an "O" Quick Strike Drill where four players go full court from out of bounds off a made basket. The goal of this drill per Coach Sinn is to get the post players to run the floor quickly. Also done was a half-court 3-on-2 drill that starts at the baseline and goes up to half court to start the 3-on-2 routine. The real fun one to watch, however, was a drill called "Oklahoma Shooting". Sinn would come over frequently to where I and two other guests were sitting to explain what was being done during practice and I was curious about this one. Basically what it incorporates is twenty layups, fifteen bank shots, ten free throws, and five "3" point shots. You have four to five players at a basket doing this. The losing groups have to do push-ups at the end of each set.
Some more drills were done before the grand finale - an "End Of Shot Clock Drill" where the emphasis is to be as efficient as possible with the shot clock winding down. Also "TM Perfection Shooting" where you have three players at a basket and the groups rotate at different baskets. When a team gets three in a row they'll yell "Got it!" and then they'll rotate to different baskets. The first set of this saw not enough baskets made by any of the groups which resulted in obligatory push-ups for everyone. The second set saw a group get enough baskets while the losing groups were treated to some more push-ups. Then it was finally time for a ten minute scrimmage between the black and purple squads. Coach Sinn would interrupt the scrimmage a couple of times with her whistle to explain some finer points that needed to be understood and done by her team but it was a fun scrimmage to watch with the black team coming out on top 12-8. The encore by the team was free throws before closing up shop for the day.
As far as the outlook for this team, well, what can you say? Most everyone has UST winning the conference and yours truly thinks that they should be the favorite as well. You've got three of the best players in the conference coming back in Taylor Young, Maggie Weiers, and MIAC 3-point shooting Queen Ali Johnson for her senior season plus a capable guard duo of Carolyn Dienhart and Kellie Ring. Oh, and a bench that is simply loaded won't hurt either. I posed the question of whether prognosticators such as myself should simply annoint the Tommies as MIAC Champs now to Coach Sinn who quickly poo-pooed the notion; sayng that they have to be ready to go for EVERY game. In reality, while the Tommies no doubt will have the inside track to the title, they showed last year that they're not totally infalliable, either. So, as Coach Sinn said, consistency will be the key for this team. The guess here is that they'll be the last ones standing when the MIAC Championship Game ends. The real question perhaps is can UST make a dent on the national scene as their counterparts on the men's side have already done and conquered.
Today's emphasis on offense was "Win the 'slow' battle, posts-own the mid-line, and be strong with the ball on the perimeter" while defensively it was "Wall and TALL" with a message of "Be Present". The first order of practice had the team perform some incredibly tough dribbling drills that involved using two balls at once for each player (every possible manuever you could think of was done). Then it was time for the players to incorporate passing skills with the dribbling which is very hard. Shortly thereafter, the team broke into groups of three to do some short lay-up drills.
Then it was time for a Toughness Series Drill. And, yes, this is a tough one all right. This is where one player has to tap the ball off the glass three times, then pass the ball to the player near the "elbow", then come out to beyond the top of the key, come back and get the pass back from the second player at the "elbow" and then passes the ball back to the player who was at the elbow who finishes with a lay-up. Another fun one involved "perfection shooting"; where you have one shooter, one rebounder and one passer.
Then the team moved to an "O" Quick Strike Drill where four players go full court from out of bounds off a made basket. The goal of this drill per Coach Sinn is to get the post players to run the floor quickly. Also done was a half-court 3-on-2 drill that starts at the baseline and goes up to half court to start the 3-on-2 routine. The real fun one to watch, however, was a drill called "Oklahoma Shooting". Sinn would come over frequently to where I and two other guests were sitting to explain what was being done during practice and I was curious about this one. Basically what it incorporates is twenty layups, fifteen bank shots, ten free throws, and five "3" point shots. You have four to five players at a basket doing this. The losing groups have to do push-ups at the end of each set.
Some more drills were done before the grand finale - an "End Of Shot Clock Drill" where the emphasis is to be as efficient as possible with the shot clock winding down. Also "TM Perfection Shooting" where you have three players at a basket and the groups rotate at different baskets. When a team gets three in a row they'll yell "Got it!" and then they'll rotate to different baskets. The first set of this saw not enough baskets made by any of the groups which resulted in obligatory push-ups for everyone. The second set saw a group get enough baskets while the losing groups were treated to some more push-ups. Then it was finally time for a ten minute scrimmage between the black and purple squads. Coach Sinn would interrupt the scrimmage a couple of times with her whistle to explain some finer points that needed to be understood and done by her team but it was a fun scrimmage to watch with the black team coming out on top 12-8. The encore by the team was free throws before closing up shop for the day.
As far as the outlook for this team, well, what can you say? Most everyone has UST winning the conference and yours truly thinks that they should be the favorite as well. You've got three of the best players in the conference coming back in Taylor Young, Maggie Weiers, and MIAC 3-point shooting Queen Ali Johnson for her senior season plus a capable guard duo of Carolyn Dienhart and Kellie Ring. Oh, and a bench that is simply loaded won't hurt either. I posed the question of whether prognosticators such as myself should simply annoint the Tommies as MIAC Champs now to Coach Sinn who quickly poo-pooed the notion; sayng that they have to be ready to go for EVERY game. In reality, while the Tommies no doubt will have the inside track to the title, they showed last year that they're not totally infalliable, either. So, as Coach Sinn said, consistency will be the key for this team. The guess here is that they'll be the last ones standing when the MIAC Championship Game ends. The real question perhaps is can UST make a dent on the national scene as their counterparts on the men's side have already done and conquered.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
St. Olaf Practice 10-19-11
Made the trek down I-35 to Northfield to catch this afternoon's practice at St. Olaf. Head Coach Dave Stromme was their to greet me at Skoglund Center and was an incredibly gracious host. In addition to getting a sheet showing what the team would be working on today - and a chair to sit, I would also get to learn a lot about how he teaches the game of basketball to his players. But even before practice began, I had a chance to talk to one of the leaders on the St. Olaf team; junior PG Mackenzie Wolter who, IMHO, is one of the top two or three PGs in the MIAC and is a definite candidate for conference POY; a very smart player who knows how to make her teammates better and one of the reasons why this St. Olaf program is on the rise. The team goal this year, according to Wolter, is to compete for the conference crown and secure a home conference playoff berth.
Stromme had his team start off with some challenging dribbling drills that really tests a players ability to do different things with the ball. Also done was a very tough passing drill where two players have two balls. One player does an overhead pass while the other one does a bounce pass at the same time. Needless to say, this has to be done just right or balls will be going all over the place. Also done is jumping rope and some stretching.
The team then delves into the main course of practice which begins with layup drills (both reverse and off the glass). Another fun drill to watch that Stromme has his team do is what is called "5-spot shooting" with two groups of five players making shots around the perimeter with the 35-second shot clock being used (the squad that lost got to do push-ups). Next was a 2-on-1 "set up" full-court drill, which, needless to say, makes the single defender work very, very hard against two players coming down the court at full speed. Also done was a 4-on-4 "shell" drill that incorporated a variety of finer items; i.e., dribbling, active hands, and communication. Also done was a complicated 5-oon-0 drill that featured two passers with baseline shots on both sides (this drill had cutter and post, post to post w/"flash", hi-lo, under & over/stop & read, and point flare).
After a round of free throws, the team then headed over to the south end of the gymnasium area as the mens team moved onto the main gymnasium floor to incorporate their drills. Stromme then had his team work on defense which included 3-on-3 defend line/defend cutter. Another 5-on-0 drill was done plus an interesting 1-on-1 drill with two passers and post defense being emphasized. Still another drill had three players going full court with one player having to go lower and wider on their treks down the court. Finally, the players had a free throw drill whereby, if a FT was missed, the team then had to do sprints (up the floor and back).
The thing I really, really enjoyed about this practice is that Coach Stromme constantly talks to his players in a very encouraging way. He won't yell at a player unless they really, really deserve it. Perhaps even more importantly, he TEACHES the finer points of the game to his squad and demonstrates how it should be done (FWIW, if they allowed it, Stromme could suit up and still probably play pretty well with the men's team). Even I was able to learn some things from what he was telling his players and it will help me watch the game and analyze the game better. Also cool was how he quoted Coach (that's what we UCLA people call the great one - John Wooden) during practice when he said, "Be quick, but don't hurry." You just have to like that.
Okay, so what is the outlook for this St. Olaf team this season? I think last year was something of a learning experience for this team that fell just short of making the MIAC playoffs after a promising start. They now have that year of experience under their belt and have developed the necessary team chemistry and have meshed quite nicely. They have a very, very good blend of size and athleticism that perhaps can only be topped by UST. With that experience, chemistry, and physical make-up, this squad SHOULD be ready to make a move into the upper-echelon of the MIAC. There are a couple of injury issues at the moment: sophomore Maddie Ehrich suffered an ACL injury late in the summer league and, although she is making some excellent progress, it's unlikely she'd be available until late in the season, if then. Also, sophomore post Elise Raney suffered a minor knee injury about four weeks ago but she is recovering nicely and although her participation in practice has been limited to non-contact drills, she hopes to be able to go full-bore next week. Although St. Olaf's margin for error is significantly larger than Macalester's, their chances of success will hinge upon staying healthy; they can ill-afford a season-ending injury to a key component on the team. Towards that end, the squad will be bolstered by the return of junior Kirstee Rotty after volleyball finishes up. Stromme feels his team has to prove itself yet when the opportunity presents itself. I feel that this team, led by Wolter, is primed and ready to make that big jump.
Stromme had his team start off with some challenging dribbling drills that really tests a players ability to do different things with the ball. Also done was a very tough passing drill where two players have two balls. One player does an overhead pass while the other one does a bounce pass at the same time. Needless to say, this has to be done just right or balls will be going all over the place. Also done is jumping rope and some stretching.
The team then delves into the main course of practice which begins with layup drills (both reverse and off the glass). Another fun drill to watch that Stromme has his team do is what is called "5-spot shooting" with two groups of five players making shots around the perimeter with the 35-second shot clock being used (the squad that lost got to do push-ups). Next was a 2-on-1 "set up" full-court drill, which, needless to say, makes the single defender work very, very hard against two players coming down the court at full speed. Also done was a 4-on-4 "shell" drill that incorporated a variety of finer items; i.e., dribbling, active hands, and communication. Also done was a complicated 5-oon-0 drill that featured two passers with baseline shots on both sides (this drill had cutter and post, post to post w/"flash", hi-lo, under & over/stop & read, and point flare).
After a round of free throws, the team then headed over to the south end of the gymnasium area as the mens team moved onto the main gymnasium floor to incorporate their drills. Stromme then had his team work on defense which included 3-on-3 defend line/defend cutter. Another 5-on-0 drill was done plus an interesting 1-on-1 drill with two passers and post defense being emphasized. Still another drill had three players going full court with one player having to go lower and wider on their treks down the court. Finally, the players had a free throw drill whereby, if a FT was missed, the team then had to do sprints (up the floor and back).
The thing I really, really enjoyed about this practice is that Coach Stromme constantly talks to his players in a very encouraging way. He won't yell at a player unless they really, really deserve it. Perhaps even more importantly, he TEACHES the finer points of the game to his squad and demonstrates how it should be done (FWIW, if they allowed it, Stromme could suit up and still probably play pretty well with the men's team). Even I was able to learn some things from what he was telling his players and it will help me watch the game and analyze the game better. Also cool was how he quoted Coach (that's what we UCLA people call the great one - John Wooden) during practice when he said, "Be quick, but don't hurry." You just have to like that.
Okay, so what is the outlook for this St. Olaf team this season? I think last year was something of a learning experience for this team that fell just short of making the MIAC playoffs after a promising start. They now have that year of experience under their belt and have developed the necessary team chemistry and have meshed quite nicely. They have a very, very good blend of size and athleticism that perhaps can only be topped by UST. With that experience, chemistry, and physical make-up, this squad SHOULD be ready to make a move into the upper-echelon of the MIAC. There are a couple of injury issues at the moment: sophomore Maddie Ehrich suffered an ACL injury late in the summer league and, although she is making some excellent progress, it's unlikely she'd be available until late in the season, if then. Also, sophomore post Elise Raney suffered a minor knee injury about four weeks ago but she is recovering nicely and although her participation in practice has been limited to non-contact drills, she hopes to be able to go full-bore next week. Although St. Olaf's margin for error is significantly larger than Macalester's, their chances of success will hinge upon staying healthy; they can ill-afford a season-ending injury to a key component on the team. Towards that end, the squad will be bolstered by the return of junior Kirstee Rotty after volleyball finishes up. Stromme feels his team has to prove itself yet when the opportunity presents itself. I feel that this team, led by Wolter, is primed and ready to make that big jump.
Concordia St. Paul Practice 10-18-11
Made the short hop from Macalester after catching a good chunk of their practice over to Concordia St. Paul to catch their practice on this Tuesday night which began promptly at 6:30 P.M. After working on some jump shots to get things going, Head Coach Paul Fessler then had his squad do a variety of stretching drills to get them loosened up for the main course.
The first part of practice saw the team divide into two groups - one group of eight players worked on dribbling and another group of five players worked on screens and proper movement without the ball. Both groups saw their drills get enhanced - the group of eight then had to deal with chairs being placed on the floor to test their dribbling skills. Then this same group did layups with assistant coach Gillian Bjerke-Letsche using a pad to try and "muscle" the players with the ball out of the lane. Then, they do push-ups!
After a 4-on-4 half-court drill where they objective appeared to be making it a priority to get the ball into the post player, there was also a 5-on-0 "shell" drill where the focus was on ball movement and how players should be moving without the ball. This same drill was slightly altered to involve setting screens as well. Additionally, a 5-on-5 half court drill involving plays with inbounds passes where some mistakes were made; much to the chagrin of Coach Fessler who, um, can make his displeasure known when he wants.
Another drill involved having players in three lines; with three defenders and three offensive players. The shot clock is utilized on this full-court drill where the emphasis is on defensive work and communication. Another drill was a 4-on-4 half-court where the emphasis was defensive/ball pressure. Finally, the real McCoy came late in practice: 5-on-5 full court which proved to be a very spirited scrimmage between the blue and gold groups. The Blue squad would wind up winning 30-29 in a very tight one.
In talking with Coach Fessler and his assistants, you get the feeling that the NSIC is really going to be something of a free-for-all this season; certainly a wide-open race. Wayne State may be the vote-getter among most of the prognosticators, but Fessler believes that this could be a year where you could possibly have as many as six or seven teams in the mix for the conference title and he definitely feels his Golden Bears will be one of those teams in the mix; hopefully/presumably right there at the end. This is a relatively young team with only two seniors on hand. Still, you have to like what Fessler has coming up with his young players. He has a nice blend of size and athleticism and his roster with be bolstered with the return of 5'10 junior Mandy Poke who is recovering from a concussion. Considering all the success Fessler has had at Concordia St. Paul and his ability to win big games when the chips are down I think it would be a huge mistake to overlook this team's chances at winning the NSIC.
The first part of practice saw the team divide into two groups - one group of eight players worked on dribbling and another group of five players worked on screens and proper movement without the ball. Both groups saw their drills get enhanced - the group of eight then had to deal with chairs being placed on the floor to test their dribbling skills. Then this same group did layups with assistant coach Gillian Bjerke-Letsche using a pad to try and "muscle" the players with the ball out of the lane. Then, they do push-ups!
After a 4-on-4 half-court drill where they objective appeared to be making it a priority to get the ball into the post player, there was also a 5-on-0 "shell" drill where the focus was on ball movement and how players should be moving without the ball. This same drill was slightly altered to involve setting screens as well. Additionally, a 5-on-5 half court drill involving plays with inbounds passes where some mistakes were made; much to the chagrin of Coach Fessler who, um, can make his displeasure known when he wants.
Another drill involved having players in three lines; with three defenders and three offensive players. The shot clock is utilized on this full-court drill where the emphasis is on defensive work and communication. Another drill was a 4-on-4 half-court where the emphasis was defensive/ball pressure. Finally, the real McCoy came late in practice: 5-on-5 full court which proved to be a very spirited scrimmage between the blue and gold groups. The Blue squad would wind up winning 30-29 in a very tight one.
In talking with Coach Fessler and his assistants, you get the feeling that the NSIC is really going to be something of a free-for-all this season; certainly a wide-open race. Wayne State may be the vote-getter among most of the prognosticators, but Fessler believes that this could be a year where you could possibly have as many as six or seven teams in the mix for the conference title and he definitely feels his Golden Bears will be one of those teams in the mix; hopefully/presumably right there at the end. This is a relatively young team with only two seniors on hand. Still, you have to like what Fessler has coming up with his young players. He has a nice blend of size and athleticism and his roster with be bolstered with the return of 5'10 junior Mandy Poke who is recovering from a concussion. Considering all the success Fessler has had at Concordia St. Paul and his ability to win big games when the chips are down I think it would be a huge mistake to overlook this team's chances at winning the NSIC.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Macalester Practice 10-18-11
Was over at Macalester and the Leonard Center to take in Tuesday afternoon's practice. Because the volleyball team was using the main gym, the team started off their practice in the Fieldhouse Area which is not a bad place at all by any stretch (would LOVE to play a match on that surface). After the players did the usual stretching/flexing exercises the assistant coaches had the team work on dribbling drills involving going up and down the floor with two balls (tough!).
While all this was going on, I had the pleasure of having a great conversation with Head Coach Ellen Thompson who I feel without question is one of the top coaches in the MIAC. What she has done at Macalester in the time she has been there is nothing short of amazing. She took a program that had been left in shambles and a mere four or five years later had the Scots at the top of the MIAC for a period of time; indeed they have been in the conference playoffs the last two seasons. She may not get the best or most athletic or "gifted" players but she makes the best of what she has and the results speak for themselves. In short, Thompson can flat-out coach - period.
While we were talking, she would from time to time bark out instructions to her players to improve their passing and to communicate better. When the team went into their weave drill, Thompson became quite displeased the the quality (or lack thereof) of the passing by the team and quickly aborted the drill as she then had the team focus of chest passes which is only one indication of the attention to detail she has.
Because this practice started up in the fieldhouse area, Thompson wanted to focus on breakdown work; i.e., focusing on the little things that need improvement. Some of the different drills the team did included:
1. free throws
2. sprints
3. bunny shots off the glass
4. perimeter shooting
5. baseline jump shots (two players on each side; not as easy as it looks)
6. 10-12 foot jumpers
7. more free throws!
Additionally, the team did a 5-person "shell" drill where the focus is on proper movement and setting good screens. There was also some 5-on-5 half court work plus a snappy 4-on-1 drill where the emphasis is on boxing-out and rebounding.
So what is the outlook for the Scots this coming season? The big thing, according to Thompson, is that they've GOT to stay healthy. They simply can't afford to have key players go down with injuries. On that front alone the Scots already have some red crosses. Audrey Mills, who would have been a senior on the squad this year, is out due to concussion issues. Erika Weimann, a sophomore, is out for the moment due to a heart condition but she's hopeful (and so is Thompson) that she'll be back in action in the first part of November. On the plus side, the Rene Sisters - Jessica and Shannon (I have a tough time telling those two apart) - are back for their senior seasons and they will certainly terrorize MIAC opponents from behind the arc as they have done for the past two seasons. Also back is a seasoned Holly Schiedermayer who is definitely more experienced and is primed for a good junior season. Maggie Wood is also back for her senior year and has the ability to make things happen. The other item that Thompson mentioned is that she's got to have one of her freshmen or sophomores to step up to take the place of Mills in the line-up. I'm not sure but my best guess is that sophomore Carmen Whitehead may fall into that spot. Whether the Scots can make another conference playoff run is tough to guess at the moment. The void left with Majra Mucic's graduation and Mills absence may be too much to overcome for this squad. Then again, I learned last year that you can never count this team out when they made a late run to get in. They will certainly be dangerous and with a coach like Thompson leading the way they will always be competitive.
While all this was going on, I had the pleasure of having a great conversation with Head Coach Ellen Thompson who I feel without question is one of the top coaches in the MIAC. What she has done at Macalester in the time she has been there is nothing short of amazing. She took a program that had been left in shambles and a mere four or five years later had the Scots at the top of the MIAC for a period of time; indeed they have been in the conference playoffs the last two seasons. She may not get the best or most athletic or "gifted" players but she makes the best of what she has and the results speak for themselves. In short, Thompson can flat-out coach - period.
While we were talking, she would from time to time bark out instructions to her players to improve their passing and to communicate better. When the team went into their weave drill, Thompson became quite displeased the the quality (or lack thereof) of the passing by the team and quickly aborted the drill as she then had the team focus of chest passes which is only one indication of the attention to detail she has.
Because this practice started up in the fieldhouse area, Thompson wanted to focus on breakdown work; i.e., focusing on the little things that need improvement. Some of the different drills the team did included:
1. free throws
2. sprints
3. bunny shots off the glass
4. perimeter shooting
5. baseline jump shots (two players on each side; not as easy as it looks)
6. 10-12 foot jumpers
7. more free throws!
Additionally, the team did a 5-person "shell" drill where the focus is on proper movement and setting good screens. There was also some 5-on-5 half court work plus a snappy 4-on-1 drill where the emphasis is on boxing-out and rebounding.
So what is the outlook for the Scots this coming season? The big thing, according to Thompson, is that they've GOT to stay healthy. They simply can't afford to have key players go down with injuries. On that front alone the Scots already have some red crosses. Audrey Mills, who would have been a senior on the squad this year, is out due to concussion issues. Erika Weimann, a sophomore, is out for the moment due to a heart condition but she's hopeful (and so is Thompson) that she'll be back in action in the first part of November. On the plus side, the Rene Sisters - Jessica and Shannon (I have a tough time telling those two apart) - are back for their senior seasons and they will certainly terrorize MIAC opponents from behind the arc as they have done for the past two seasons. Also back is a seasoned Holly Schiedermayer who is definitely more experienced and is primed for a good junior season. Maggie Wood is also back for her senior year and has the ability to make things happen. The other item that Thompson mentioned is that she's got to have one of her freshmen or sophomores to step up to take the place of Mills in the line-up. I'm not sure but my best guess is that sophomore Carmen Whitehead may fall into that spot. Whether the Scots can make another conference playoff run is tough to guess at the moment. The void left with Majra Mucic's graduation and Mills absence may be too much to overcome for this squad. Then again, I learned last year that you can never count this team out when they made a late run to get in. They will certainly be dangerous and with a coach like Thompson leading the way they will always be competitive.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Anoka-Ramsey Practice 10-17-11
Was up in Coon Rapids this afternoon to catch today's practice for Anoka-Ramsey Community College. This is a program that has had more than its share of success over the last several years and is coming off yet another National Championship from this last season. But, as you can imagine, Head Coach David DeWitt is not a man to let his team rest on its laurels. He demands the best from his team - and he usually gets it.
In any event, I arrived right on the dot at 4:00 P.M.; just as players were finishing up some pre-practice development work. The first few sets of drills the team underwent involved work on setting proper screens; something that is vitally important when running a motion offense that ARCC runs. After some defensive drills that include 4-on-2 work, the team then went into some old familiar drills that I remember from my days at good ol' Ed-Co; running the weave and 3 line "push". Still another interesting drill that was done was the 3-on-2 continuous drill where the full court is used that is incredibly challenging for the two defensive players.
After some positioning work and shooting drills, the emphasis then switched to the defense - something that the Anoka-Ramsey program has taken pride in under DeWitt's tenure there. Unfortunately, this is also where DeWitt's frustrations became apparent as more 5-on-5 work was being done. Whether the team was just not mentally "into it" on this day is possible but DeWitt had more than a few choice words for his team at various times today when mental lapses became glaringly apparent. At 6:00 P.M. when the men's team came into the gym to prepare for their practice, DeWitt sent his minions upstairs to the classroom with notebooks in tow. I have a feeling that he got his word across in that session.
Despite the lack of sharpness of today's practice, there's still a lot to like about this team. While the lack of true height may be a factor for this squad there is still a lot of speed and athleticism to help make up for it. The one thing I did notice in this practice is that sophomore Allison Ballstadt has stepped up into the leadership role for this team which is a very good thing, IMHO. She's a very good player in her own right and she's got a year of experience under her belt and knows something of the sacrifices it takes to win. Undoubtedly, this team will have a much bigger target on its back this year coming off a National Championship and it will be interesting to see how it handles that; particularly the new freshmen. It's a little early for me to make any bold predictions on how this team will fare this season. I think a repeat of last year is likely to be a bridge too far but you have to figure that they will at least be one of the top teams in the conference. It will likely come down to how well (and how quickly) they mesh and how good the competition is as well.
In any event, I arrived right on the dot at 4:00 P.M.; just as players were finishing up some pre-practice development work. The first few sets of drills the team underwent involved work on setting proper screens; something that is vitally important when running a motion offense that ARCC runs. After some defensive drills that include 4-on-2 work, the team then went into some old familiar drills that I remember from my days at good ol' Ed-Co; running the weave and 3 line "push". Still another interesting drill that was done was the 3-on-2 continuous drill where the full court is used that is incredibly challenging for the two defensive players.
After some positioning work and shooting drills, the emphasis then switched to the defense - something that the Anoka-Ramsey program has taken pride in under DeWitt's tenure there. Unfortunately, this is also where DeWitt's frustrations became apparent as more 5-on-5 work was being done. Whether the team was just not mentally "into it" on this day is possible but DeWitt had more than a few choice words for his team at various times today when mental lapses became glaringly apparent. At 6:00 P.M. when the men's team came into the gym to prepare for their practice, DeWitt sent his minions upstairs to the classroom with notebooks in tow. I have a feeling that he got his word across in that session.
Despite the lack of sharpness of today's practice, there's still a lot to like about this team. While the lack of true height may be a factor for this squad there is still a lot of speed and athleticism to help make up for it. The one thing I did notice in this practice is that sophomore Allison Ballstadt has stepped up into the leadership role for this team which is a very good thing, IMHO. She's a very good player in her own right and she's got a year of experience under her belt and knows something of the sacrifices it takes to win. Undoubtedly, this team will have a much bigger target on its back this year coming off a National Championship and it will be interesting to see how it handles that; particularly the new freshmen. It's a little early for me to make any bold predictions on how this team will fare this season. I think a repeat of last year is likely to be a bridge too far but you have to figure that they will at least be one of the top teams in the conference. It will likely come down to how well (and how quickly) they mesh and how good the competition is as well.
St. Kate's Practice 10-16-11
Wow. Here we go! Was at St. Kate's last night to catch their second practice of the season. And, right off the bat, I was struck with what an incredibly different team this is this year. Laura Kalbfell and Sonja Ellingson have moved on and only four players from last year's team return - senior Megan Zillmer, junior Adele Simerson-Wallfred, and sophomores Madison Pertler and Kristen Lee. The rest of the bunch - ALL newcomers but some of these newcomers have and show a LOT of promise and there's reason for hope and optimism at St. Kate's in the coming years. Also, Head Coach Gary Rufsvold has two new assistant coaches as well - John Motherwell who came to St. Kate's from UND where he was the recruiting coordinator there and former Wildcat standout post player Molly Peterson who finished her career at St. Kate's in 2010 - both excellent additions, IMHO.
Ironically, as some of the players were just arriving for practice, I spent about 15-20 minutes rebounding for one of the newcomers - FY player Sarina Baker who hails from suburban Plymouth and was an integral part of the Minnehaha Academy program in their last two state tournmemt appearances - which was fun. Once practice got underway, there were the usual running drills that the team started out with to help get loosened up. Then there were some of the basic drills performed that included doing layups and short jumpers. Also, there was an interesting drill that consisted of short, compact passing that included and emphasis on bounce passes - something that would make former Iowa Head Basketball Coach Tom Davis proud!
Then, things moved into a one-on-one type of drill where a player or players are at the top of the key or arc where the emphasis is good positioning for the defender. Then the team broke into different groups where each group did something different (dribbling between legs, around legs [very tough], dribbling across the floor while the defender had to stay with her with hands behind her back). Another neat little drill the team did was where they have four players positioned around the perimeter to promote awareness with the ball. The drill was then enhanced with defenders where the emphasis was to encourage good clean passes. Then the team broke into groups again where each group had one shooter and rebounder - plus a spare to feed the ball to the shooter which was neat to watch; it's interesting to see how efficient they can be to give each shooter several opportunites to put up the rock.
Then things evolved into having five players in a mock full-court drill with cones set up (two on each side of the court) that forces one player coming up the court to go very wide which encourages crisp, accurate passing. This same drill was then enhanced with clock usage to see how many points could be scored by each group in a 45-second span. The last drill was the real McCoy - 5-on-5 with each group getting a four-minute span to see what they could do.
So, what will this team be like this next season? While Rufsvold concedes that this is by all accounts a very young, inexperienced team, I think this is a squad that will be very competitive once they gain some confidence and get some practical game experience. The biggest challenge facing Rufsvold and his two assistants is getting everybody on the same page and developing some real team chemistry which is obviously a challenge when you have so many newcomers. IMHO, senior Megan Zillmer is going to have to grab the reins that were left by Kalbfell and Ellingson and become a true leader of this team - on and off the court and Rufsvold (and yours truly as well) thinks she has more than the ability to do so. Adele Simerson-Wallfred is really going to have to step it up a few notches this season as well and show what she's capable of . Kristen Lee has already shown what a deadly outside shooter she can be and presumably Madison Pertler is going to get more and more into the mix as well.
But these newcomers that Rufsvold has brought in are exciting to say the least. The one that REALLY caught my attention was Jule Muegge out of Carmel, CA (originally from suburban Hopkins) who is the real deal. She was on the German National team this last summer and her ability, skills and natural athleticism were apparent from the get go. Without question she is only going to get better as her career at St. Kate's progresses and she can be a potential MIAC MVP down the road as well - she's THAT good. Also grabbing my attention was Tiffani Pak who hails from San Francisco, CA and this girl; only 5'2", is just fast and quick and trying to guard her will be a lot like trying to guard smoke. Don't be fooled be her diminutive size; she can sneak in there and mix it up with the bigger girls as well. There's some others that I'll be interested in watching come along as well - 6'0" Sarah Mong from Page Arizona and 6'2" Kerrick Sarbacker (who is actually a sophomore as she spent one year at MCTC before that spineless institution unmercifully and wrongly trashed its two basketball programs). All in all, this group is going to be on that you'll want to keep a keen eye on.
Ironically, as some of the players were just arriving for practice, I spent about 15-20 minutes rebounding for one of the newcomers - FY player Sarina Baker who hails from suburban Plymouth and was an integral part of the Minnehaha Academy program in their last two state tournmemt appearances - which was fun. Once practice got underway, there were the usual running drills that the team started out with to help get loosened up. Then there were some of the basic drills performed that included doing layups and short jumpers. Also, there was an interesting drill that consisted of short, compact passing that included and emphasis on bounce passes - something that would make former Iowa Head Basketball Coach Tom Davis proud!
Then, things moved into a one-on-one type of drill where a player or players are at the top of the key or arc where the emphasis is good positioning for the defender. Then the team broke into different groups where each group did something different (dribbling between legs, around legs [very tough], dribbling across the floor while the defender had to stay with her with hands behind her back). Another neat little drill the team did was where they have four players positioned around the perimeter to promote awareness with the ball. The drill was then enhanced with defenders where the emphasis was to encourage good clean passes. Then the team broke into groups again where each group had one shooter and rebounder - plus a spare to feed the ball to the shooter which was neat to watch; it's interesting to see how efficient they can be to give each shooter several opportunites to put up the rock.
Then things evolved into having five players in a mock full-court drill with cones set up (two on each side of the court) that forces one player coming up the court to go very wide which encourages crisp, accurate passing. This same drill was then enhanced with clock usage to see how many points could be scored by each group in a 45-second span. The last drill was the real McCoy - 5-on-5 with each group getting a four-minute span to see what they could do.
So, what will this team be like this next season? While Rufsvold concedes that this is by all accounts a very young, inexperienced team, I think this is a squad that will be very competitive once they gain some confidence and get some practical game experience. The biggest challenge facing Rufsvold and his two assistants is getting everybody on the same page and developing some real team chemistry which is obviously a challenge when you have so many newcomers. IMHO, senior Megan Zillmer is going to have to grab the reins that were left by Kalbfell and Ellingson and become a true leader of this team - on and off the court and Rufsvold (and yours truly as well) thinks she has more than the ability to do so. Adele Simerson-Wallfred is really going to have to step it up a few notches this season as well and show what she's capable of . Kristen Lee has already shown what a deadly outside shooter she can be and presumably Madison Pertler is going to get more and more into the mix as well.
But these newcomers that Rufsvold has brought in are exciting to say the least. The one that REALLY caught my attention was Jule Muegge out of Carmel, CA (originally from suburban Hopkins) who is the real deal. She was on the German National team this last summer and her ability, skills and natural athleticism were apparent from the get go. Without question she is only going to get better as her career at St. Kate's progresses and she can be a potential MIAC MVP down the road as well - she's THAT good. Also grabbing my attention was Tiffani Pak who hails from San Francisco, CA and this girl; only 5'2", is just fast and quick and trying to guard her will be a lot like trying to guard smoke. Don't be fooled be her diminutive size; she can sneak in there and mix it up with the bigger girls as well. There's some others that I'll be interested in watching come along as well - 6'0" Sarah Mong from Page Arizona and 6'2" Kerrick Sarbacker (who is actually a sophomore as she spent one year at MCTC before that spineless institution unmercifully and wrongly trashed its two basketball programs). All in all, this group is going to be on that you'll want to keep a keen eye on.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Getting It Going Again....
Wow. Hard to believe it's been just a little over two months since I've done anything in here. Definitely time to get in here and dust off the cobwebs....
I have to apologize for not being on here a little more in the last couple of months. Doing the tennis still and then when football season rolls around makes my life a lot more hectic. Of course, with my Rams quickly going down the toilet and UCLA not doing much better (will be surprised if Neuheisel is back next year; he has to at least beat 'SC to have a chance at saving his job) I'm getting that much more antsy for hoops practice to start.
But before I do anything, I have to send out a HUGE congratulations to our very own Minnesota Lynx on winning their very first WNBA title. I have to be honest with you - after watching the Lynx flounder for so many seasons when there was reason for hope I was truly convinced that this franchise was cursed and would never win a damn thing. But owner Glen Taylor finally got it right when he brought in Cheryl Reeve as new head coach and drafted players like Seimone Augustus and Maya Moore plus the trade that brought Minnesota's own Lindsay Whalen home. Throw in some good role players like Rebecca Brunson and Taj McWilliams-Franklin and have some good players coming off the bench like Candice Wiggins and you had all the pieces of the puzzle to make it work. At the beginning of the year when many were already crowning the Lynx as league champs, I was a little more cautious and would have been happy to see them win A playoff series - then shoot for the moon the following year. But this team had vastly different ideas and once they secured the #1 seed in the Western Conference, nothing was going to stop this train. Fantastic job! Hope they can make a similar run next year.
Okay, so here we are; just a few mere days away from when practice starts for D2 and D3 schools (the D1 teams are ALREADY at it which is a good thing). Lucky for me, I'm on vacation the week of October 16 (YEEEE HAAAAA!!!) which will enable me to make some rounds on some of the MIAC schools as their practices get underway. I'm not going to divulge right now what my schedule is (you'll find that out all soon enough next week) but I want to get a feel for each team I visit before I go out and make predictions on the year.
Just a few short days away. I can tell you that everybody I know is just itching to get it going again!
I have to apologize for not being on here a little more in the last couple of months. Doing the tennis still and then when football season rolls around makes my life a lot more hectic. Of course, with my Rams quickly going down the toilet and UCLA not doing much better (will be surprised if Neuheisel is back next year; he has to at least beat 'SC to have a chance at saving his job) I'm getting that much more antsy for hoops practice to start.
But before I do anything, I have to send out a HUGE congratulations to our very own Minnesota Lynx on winning their very first WNBA title. I have to be honest with you - after watching the Lynx flounder for so many seasons when there was reason for hope I was truly convinced that this franchise was cursed and would never win a damn thing. But owner Glen Taylor finally got it right when he brought in Cheryl Reeve as new head coach and drafted players like Seimone Augustus and Maya Moore plus the trade that brought Minnesota's own Lindsay Whalen home. Throw in some good role players like Rebecca Brunson and Taj McWilliams-Franklin and have some good players coming off the bench like Candice Wiggins and you had all the pieces of the puzzle to make it work. At the beginning of the year when many were already crowning the Lynx as league champs, I was a little more cautious and would have been happy to see them win A playoff series - then shoot for the moon the following year. But this team had vastly different ideas and once they secured the #1 seed in the Western Conference, nothing was going to stop this train. Fantastic job! Hope they can make a similar run next year.
Okay, so here we are; just a few mere days away from when practice starts for D2 and D3 schools (the D1 teams are ALREADY at it which is a good thing). Lucky for me, I'm on vacation the week of October 16 (YEEEE HAAAAA!!!) which will enable me to make some rounds on some of the MIAC schools as their practices get underway. I'm not going to divulge right now what my schedule is (you'll find that out all soon enough next week) but I want to get a feel for each team I visit before I go out and make predictions on the year.
Just a few short days away. I can tell you that everybody I know is just itching to get it going again!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Mid-town YWCA Women's College Basketball Summer League Results For Wednesday 8-3-11 - Playoffs
5:00 P.M. Games
Minnesota St. - 43
St. Olaf - 35
UM-Crookston - 61
Anoka-Ramsey Gold - 53
5:55 P.M. Games
UST - 68
Team Bundle - 27
Winona St. - 42
Team Gray - 37
6:50 P.M. Games
St. Cloud St. - 51
Concordia St. Paul - 43
UW-River Falls - 55
Northern St. - 48
7:45 P.M. Games
Sweet Sensation - 59
Old Tymers - 55
UW-Eau Claire def MN Jaguars
Some very, very good games last night in another round of heated playoff action. Unfortunately, I did not get the final on the UW-Eau Claire - Minnesota Jaguars game as I was having a conversation and they turned the scoreboard off before I could get it. But the Jags hung tough despite starting with only four players (they got a fifth player in the second half) and hung close and nearly pulled it off. UST was simply sensational in their first game of the evening against Team Bundle as Ali Johnson was on fire and simply unstoppable. Also very impressed with Winona State and I can see why they're the favorites to win the NSIC this next season.
Had to leave shortly after the 8:40 games started up. Wish I could have hung around to watch UST and Winona State play against each other.
Minnesota St. - 43
St. Olaf - 35
UM-Crookston - 61
Anoka-Ramsey Gold - 53
5:55 P.M. Games
UST - 68
Team Bundle - 27
Winona St. - 42
Team Gray - 37
6:50 P.M. Games
St. Cloud St. - 51
Concordia St. Paul - 43
UW-River Falls - 55
Northern St. - 48
7:45 P.M. Games
Sweet Sensation - 59
Old Tymers - 55
UW-Eau Claire def MN Jaguars
Some very, very good games last night in another round of heated playoff action. Unfortunately, I did not get the final on the UW-Eau Claire - Minnesota Jaguars game as I was having a conversation and they turned the scoreboard off before I could get it. But the Jags hung tough despite starting with only four players (they got a fifth player in the second half) and hung close and nearly pulled it off. UST was simply sensational in their first game of the evening against Team Bundle as Ali Johnson was on fire and simply unstoppable. Also very impressed with Winona State and I can see why they're the favorites to win the NSIC this next season.
Had to leave shortly after the 8:40 games started up. Wish I could have hung around to watch UST and Winona State play against each other.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Mid-Town YWCA Women's College Basketball Summer League Results For Wednesday 7-27-11
The Mid-Town YWCA Women's College Basketball Summer League for 2011 had the first round of the playoffs begin last night and here's what I was able to catch:
5:00 P.M. Games
Rams - 56
Augsburg - 36
UW-Eau Claire - 59
Hamline/St. Kate's/Bethany - 32
Anoka-Ramsey - 44
Northwestern - 39
5:55 P.M. Games
GAC Black - 52
CSB - 49
GAC Gold - 52
UST Freshmen - 46
GAC Alumni - 35
UW-Superior - 30
6:50 P.M. Games
UW-River Falls #1 - 32
Knight Train - 27
Northern St. - 57
Rams - 46
UW- Eau Claire - 61
SMU - 53 OT
7:45 P.M. Games
Anoka-Ramsey Gold - 50
GAC Black - 45 OT
Did not get the scores of the other two 7:45 games but Team Gray advanced with a victory over the GAC Gold squad and Sweet Sensation did likewise with a victory over Anoka-Ramsey. The 8:40 games had the Team Bundle, Minnesota State, and and Concordia St. Paul teams with sizable halftime leads over their opponents.
Some excellent games last night to be sure; the UW-Eau Claire team staved off defeat as they had to go to an extra OT session to hold off a stubborn SMU team. The 5:55 games were a Gustavus sweep but the GAC Black and GAC Alumni teams had to hold on for dear life coming down the stretch. The GAC Alumni team started out hot; leading by as much as 19-2 in the early going and held a seemingly safe lead in the second half. But the UW-Superior team to their credit made a furious late comeback that fell just short in the end. The game of the night, though, had to be the clash in the 7:45 slot between the GAC Black squad and the Anoka-Ramsey Gold team. WHAT a game this was to watch. Some great individual match-ups that you don't otherwise get to see and late game drama as well. The Anoka-Ramsey Gold team looked to have the game wrapped up late but GAC's Molly Geske buried a long "3" to force the extra session where the Anoka-Ramsey Gold squad led by Marie Hanson and Mallory Cramer was finally able to pull out the win.
5:00 P.M. Games
Rams - 56
Augsburg - 36
UW-Eau Claire - 59
Hamline/St. Kate's/Bethany - 32
Anoka-Ramsey - 44
Northwestern - 39
5:55 P.M. Games
GAC Black - 52
CSB - 49
GAC Gold - 52
UST Freshmen - 46
GAC Alumni - 35
UW-Superior - 30
6:50 P.M. Games
UW-River Falls #1 - 32
Knight Train - 27
Northern St. - 57
Rams - 46
UW- Eau Claire - 61
SMU - 53 OT
7:45 P.M. Games
Anoka-Ramsey Gold - 50
GAC Black - 45 OT
Did not get the scores of the other two 7:45 games but Team Gray advanced with a victory over the GAC Gold squad and Sweet Sensation did likewise with a victory over Anoka-Ramsey. The 8:40 games had the Team Bundle, Minnesota State, and and Concordia St. Paul teams with sizable halftime leads over their opponents.
Some excellent games last night to be sure; the UW-Eau Claire team staved off defeat as they had to go to an extra OT session to hold off a stubborn SMU team. The 5:55 games were a Gustavus sweep but the GAC Black and GAC Alumni teams had to hold on for dear life coming down the stretch. The GAC Alumni team started out hot; leading by as much as 19-2 in the early going and held a seemingly safe lead in the second half. But the UW-Superior team to their credit made a furious late comeback that fell just short in the end. The game of the night, though, had to be the clash in the 7:45 slot between the GAC Black squad and the Anoka-Ramsey Gold team. WHAT a game this was to watch. Some great individual match-ups that you don't otherwise get to see and late game drama as well. The Anoka-Ramsey Gold team looked to have the game wrapped up late but GAC's Molly Geske buried a long "3" to force the extra session where the Anoka-Ramsey Gold squad led by Marie Hanson and Mallory Cramer was finally able to pull out the win.
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