Los Angeles Rams
Monday, December 24, 2012
Odds & Ends 12-24-12
So, here we are; December 24 - Christmas Eve. I hope everyone who has been taking a peek at my blog so far this season has been nice so Santa can reward you accordingly. With everything at a relative standstill for the next few days, I thought this might be an incredibly opportune time to take a look at where we've been at and where we're going once the holidays are over and January rolls around. Oh, and maybe I might vent on a couple of things as well in the process.......
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I have to admit I really had high hopes for St. Olaf this season. They had everyone back from last year's team and this season appeared to be the moment for the Oles where they were ready to take that proverbial "next step"; i.e., be consistent and be one of the top two or three teams in the MIAC; challenging UST for the league crown. After winning their opening contest against Colorado College, the Oles have been walking on a virtual minefield ever since; going 2-5 and having all those lofty hopes and expectations seemingly dashed even before the first of the year rolled around. What makes it even more difficult to accept is that this St. Olaf team not only HAD all the pieces from last year's squad but now that core has been solidified with an up-and-coming group of young talent which appears to be ready to fill in the gaps. Instead, this group has looked as confused and out of sorts as they ever have; dropping a roadie at Macalester (again) and losing hard-fought road games at SMU, GAC, and UST that have effectively put the Oles behind the 8-ball before the confetti and noise-makers were brought out to ring in 2013. Even worse, one of the seniors on the squad decided to quit the team; supposedly because of the issue of playing time with the newcomers on the block (more on that later). Now maybe this team can turn things around when January rolls around. After all, they have 8 of their 11 games during the month of January at the Skoglund Center and they've always been tough to beat there. But they'll have to hold serve at home and try and find a way to steal two out of those three roadies during that month - not impossible as two of those road games are against Bethel and St. Kate's. They've simply got to come out with a sense of urgency each and every game if they want to have a chance. Their margin for error is, well, I don't want to do any Karen Carpenter jokes on Christmas Eve.
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Incredible how UST has been able to weather the storm they've been enduring every since both Taylor Young and Maggie Weiers went down early. Young SHOULD be back after the first of the year sometime but not so Weiers. They just keep rolling right along and just inserting new parts at the critical points which, so far anyway, has worked out pretty well. Question is, can they keep this up and make another run to the Final 4?
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Okay, so most of you by now are either familiar with or have heard about the latest thing to hit the womens basketball scene here in the great state of Minnesota - the (God forbid) Minnesota Mist; founded by former Minneapolis North and Wisconsin standout and WNBA journeywoman Tamara "Tee" Moore. Now, under normal circumstances, the addition of a new team (semi-pro or whatever; such as the Minnesota Jags from last year) would be a great thing for womens and girls basketball. However, in this particular case there's a hitch - it's BIKINI basketball. Yep, you read that right. The "participants" (I can't bring myself to call them "players") will be wearing bikinis in lieu of normal basketball gear. In other words, it's basically the basketball equivalent of lingerie football. Now, let's all take 30 seconds for a collective face palm.....
Thank you.
Look, I'm going to come right out and say this: This is SO incredibly bad. This is NOT how to promote womens and girls H.S. basketball in the state or anywhere for that matter. My knee-jerk reaction to when I first became aware of all this was "No!" and then, "Why?" Good question. Now, don't get me wrong. BELIEVE ME, I appreciate a woman's true beauty as much as anything and I absolutely have NO problem whatsoever if a former college or current WNBA player wants to pose nude for Playboy magazine or whatever. Not that I'd necessarily advocate it but I've always wondered if that's one of the things that might be holding the WNBA back. Look, let's be honest here. For the most part, women are known for their looks and men are known for their accomplishments. Of course, women can expand on that notion (and have, BTW) with their athletic prowess as many of them have (see the WTA Tour) and the WNBA could take a few lessons from the WTA, IMHO. That said, bikini basketball is NOT the way to go about this. It not only cheapens the participants and it is not the way to go about promoting womens basketball. It actually gives womens hoops a black eye if anything. On a broader front, exactly what kind of message is this supposed to send to young girls in high school/junior high? That, if you play in a bikini you'll be more accepted and attractive to the opposite sex? This whole thing is just so bad on so many fronts I could spend a whole day writing about this. I hope that, in the end, the plug gets mercifully pulled on this thing and that the participants have second thoughts about this and pull out before they go down with the ship. Just, just, don't do this "T".
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I simply have to start giving some more love to the WIAC and I haven't been very good on this front at all. Granted, while I focus primarily on the MIAC (and it's always the conference I'll defend before any other) I've gotta start doing more WIAC coverage. Luckily for me, I've had a bit of a jump start this season since I've been able to catch both UW-Stevens Point and UW-Superior. While Point was ranked #1 at the time when they lost to UST, they're still most definitely a team to be reckoned with and almost undoubtedly will be among those handed invitations when the Dance rolls around. But one team I've especially been impressed with is UW-Superior. Don Mulhern's squad is arguably one of the big up-and-comers and their 8-2 record is no fluke; they're that good. And they've got a solid, solid core group led by sophomore Sally Linzmeier who has simply wowed audiences so far - yours truly included. While I would expect that the road ahead may not be without some bumps along the way once they delve back fully into WIAC action after the first of they year, this is definitely a team you'll want to keep your eye on and I'd be shocked if they didn't make some serious noise coming down the stretch of the regular season - AND in the WIAC playoffs as well. Another team I can't help but like across the River is UW-River Falls. Granted, they lost some great players from last year to graduation but they've still got a pretty solid starting five that can take a team a long way. And one of the Gregorich Sisters is still around - Brittany - who can be a terror on defense and strike fear in the heart of opponents with her scoring ability. Another player on the Falcons to keep your eye on is junior Tess Lueders who had a big game against CSB back in late November.
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This is really nothing new and I'm sure it won't be the last time we ever see it - particularly at the DIII level. But I really, really have a huge problem with players quitting in the early part or middle of the season. It just really bugs the (expletive deleted) out of me. I mean, what, you spend so much of your young life working so hard on something you love; trying everything you can to improve and be a better player but when things suddenly turn tough for you or a particular set of circumstances arise that you don't like you just up and say "f**k it", right? Wow. I'm so glad that we have that escape mechanism for our young people today (Damn, wish I could have had that available to me when I was that age). What makes this even worse is that we've had more than one example of seniors bolting when things got tough. Just in the MIAC alone I've seen this happen at Macalester (2002), Hamline (2009), UST (2009), and now just recently at both GAC and St. Olaf just to cite a few examples. If there's any players out there reading this by chance and they've got "pulling the pin" on their mind I'm going to let you in on a little secret: Playing college sports; whether it's basketball, softball, tennis, soccer or whatever is a privilege - not a right. You may THINK that, because you were a star in H.S. or were some sort of all-conference B.S. or that, since you've started the last couple of years, or because you have some talent that's being overlooked or that younger players are getting more playing time you can just up and quit but, in reality, you're not guaranteed shit (sorry about that) and your not entitled to shit either. Now, when you get into the real world where it's about money and you perhaps ultimately get yourself into a bad situation with an employer that's obviously not giving you your just due then that's different. I get that and understand that (believe me, I really do). But in college you're doing it for the love of the game and (hopefully) the love of your school. Now, that doesn't mean I don't understand transferring to a different school. We've seen countless instances where that's happened at all levels of college athletics and I'm sure most of those were prudent decisions in the long run. But, in the final analysis, coaches coach, players play and administrators administrate. As Carmine Lupertazzi would say, "End of f****n story."
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So who IS the biggest surprise in the MIAC so far this season? My guess would have to be either SMU or GAC. Of those two, I think SMU (believe it or not) is the best bet to do some big things in the second half of the season. I have not seen them play yet (guess that'll have to change, huh?) but their 7-1 record so far appears to be for real. They just seem to have it all together and all the important pieces in the right places (read seniors Jamie Stefely and Jessica Thone and junior post Courtney Euerle who just might be the best post player in the conference right now with Maggie Weiers out with her injury. Some may point at their lone loss; a roadie at UST not long ago and say "I told you so!!" but I tend to look at their recent road win at CSB as the true identity of this squad. I don't think they have enough to overtake UST but it wouldn't shock me at all if they get to the MIAC Championship Game and get a bid to the Dance.
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Oh, finally I just want to wish all of you out there an incredibly VERY Merry Christmas. Let's take the time to enjoy this holiday with family and loved ones and cherish and celebrate the truly important things in life.
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Saturday, December 15, 2012
Cornell vs Augsburg 12-15-12
Was back over at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall on this gloomy, dreary December Saturday to take in a very intriguing inter-conference clash between visiting Cornell out of the IIAC and host Augsburg of the MIAC. Cornell so far this year has got off to a blazing start; undefeated so far including a win over WIAC powerhouse UW-Eau Claire and a thumping of arch-rival Coe late in November so I was curious about this up-and-coming IIAC party-crasher.
The purple-clad Rams, however, looked like they were suffering from a long trip up from Mt. Vernon and they were ICE cold in the first few minutes of the game as the host Auggies took advantage. Senior forward Brittany Zins got the Auggies on the board at the 18:33 mark and fellow senior guard Anne Skriba made a sweet move inside and finished with a short jumper at the 17:28 mark. Then it was silky-smooth shooting junior forward Jill Tichy connecting with a "3" from the right wing at the 15:59 mark and then Skriba scored on a jumper at the 13:23 mark for a 9-2 lead before Cornell finally took the lid off the basket - at least for a bit anyway. Sophomore Rikki Mulloy out of Phoenix, Arizona made a tough, off-balance shot at the 12:52 mark and after a lay-up by Auggie freshman Jessica Lillquist the Rams were able to get scores from freshman Kellie Kuzmanic as she scored inside at the 11:22 mark and then senior post Camille Marie knocked down two freebies at the charity stripe after being fouled to cut the deficit to 11-8 by the 10:51 mark.
But the Auggies would not be denied; at least in the first half anyway and they turned up the heat again on this dreary winter day in Minneapolis. After willowy junior guard Jolene Blood sank one from the charity stripe at the 9:59 mark, it was surprising senior reserve guard Katie Ahlstrom who stuck an early dagger into Cornell as she drained a "3" from the left corner at the 9:01 mark and then it was a jumper in the lane by Zins at the 8:17 mark that upped the Auggie advantage to 17-10. The Rams, however, would respond as they went on a mini-run of 5-0 over nearly three minutes that cut the Augsburg lead down to 17-15. But the Auggies would come right back with a 7-0 run of their own. First, Skriba made a sweet move inside and finished with a short jumper and got fouled in the process and made the obligatory free throw. Then it was Blood with a steal and lay-up the other way with 4:18 left and then Lillquist scored inside in transition that got the Auggie lead to 24-15 and Cornell Head Coach Brent Brase had to call a time-out to get his squad reorganized to stop the massive bleeding. Tichy's turnaround jumper down low with 3:24 left upped the Auggie lead to 26-15 but Augsburg arguably left some points off the board coming down the stretch as they had two turnovers on consecutive possessions, a travel by Luger on the next possession, and then Tichy couldn't connect down low just before the buzzer went off. Still, taking a nine-point 26-17 lead into the locker room at the half had to have Augsburg Head Coach Bill McKee feeling good.
But the second half cruelly turned on Augsburg and their hopes of upsetting this new IIAC front-runner. Sophomore post Taylor Dicus got a lay-up in the paint at the 19:51 mark to get things going and then after Tichy was able to get two charity stripe shots, it was Dicus again making her presence felt down low at the 19:05 mark as she snared a rebound and putback. Still, the Auggies had reason to believe after Skriba connected with a short jumper at the 18:04 mark and Luger made two freebies at the 17:38 mark that once again gave the Auggies a double-digit lead at 32-21. Now they just had to find a way to keep that momentum going.....
But Cornell had vastly different ideas and it became readily apparent that their undefeated (so far anyway) record was not a fluke and they looked clearly more focused and rejuvenated after the halftime break. Moroever, they were finally taking advantage of the size they had down low on Augsburg with Dicus and Marie. And they had also long-since snapped that icy cold stretch that had plagued them early on in this contest. First, Augsburg made the mistake of leaving junior guard Chelsea Harris all alone in the left corner as she drained a "3" from that spot at the 17:13 mark and then it was lanky freshman reserve post Larissa Brewer who scored inside at the 16:11 mark that cut the Auggie lead down to 32-26. The big momentum-changer, though, came when Augsburg freshman Marie Fitzgerald apparently took a nasty blow from a screen set by Cornell at the 15:46 mark (naturally, I was writing in my notebook when this occurred and I really didn't get to see it myself). Fitzgerald was down for a while as the referees called a foul on the Cornell player who set it; much to the consternation of Brase and the Cornell parents and fans in attendance. Augsburg got the ball back but that ray of hope was short-lived when freshman reserve forward Maggie Hogen was able to snare a steal and get in transition for a lay-up. Although the shot itself failed, she was fouled in the process by Lillquist and knocked down two freebies that cut the lead to 32-28. Senior guard Kathryn Schilling made a drive inside and finished at the 14:02 mark. Tichy tried to stem the Ram tide with one of her patented "3's" from the left top at the 13:33 mark but Cornell refused to fold. They still were down two possessions at 37-33 when Luger made a drive and finished with a lay-up with 9:49 left.
Sadly for Augsburg, though, that would be their last FG of the second half until the 3:55 mark when Skriba scored inside. And Cornell made their final assault in what would lead to ultimate victory. First it was Schilling who made two freebies after being fouled when she stole the ball. Then it was sophomore reserve India Pearce out of San Francisco who gave the lead to Cornell for the first time in the contest (and for good, too) as she connected with a "3" from the left wing at the 8:51 mark. It was a start of a decisive 14-2 run that was fueled by not only smart possessions by the Rams but also a stifling defensive effort that completely took Augsburg out of their rythm and game. What few looks Blood, Luger, and Tichy got from behind the arc when things started going steadily downhill they couldn't connect and Zins was completely bottled up down low by a taller Cornell front line; all of which doomed the Auggies on this Saturday. After the aforementioned score by Skriba at the 3:55 mark, the Rams were able to build up their newfound lead with numerous trips to the charity stripe. Schilling also snared another steal and got a lay-up the other way with 2:44 left and then it was Marie putting the icing on the cake at the 1:36 mark when she scored inside and got fouled in the process that put the game out of reach for the Auggies as Cornell came back in convincing fashion to claim a 60-43 win as the Auggies now head into the holiday break with their collective tails between their legs at the moment. The box score reveals the horror show of the second half for Augsburg as they shot an incredibly icy 16% from FG range and were even worse from behind the arc; going 1 of 9 for an Arctic-like 11.11% - OUCH. It had to be painful for former Auggie greats Kristina Lurken, Brietta Schluender, and Rosinta Stromquist watching the carnage from the stands. Clearly this Auggie team has potential but they've GOT to find a way to put things together once the first of the year rolls around and they delve head-first into MIAC action.
The purple-clad Rams, however, looked like they were suffering from a long trip up from Mt. Vernon and they were ICE cold in the first few minutes of the game as the host Auggies took advantage. Senior forward Brittany Zins got the Auggies on the board at the 18:33 mark and fellow senior guard Anne Skriba made a sweet move inside and finished with a short jumper at the 17:28 mark. Then it was silky-smooth shooting junior forward Jill Tichy connecting with a "3" from the right wing at the 15:59 mark and then Skriba scored on a jumper at the 13:23 mark for a 9-2 lead before Cornell finally took the lid off the basket - at least for a bit anyway. Sophomore Rikki Mulloy out of Phoenix, Arizona made a tough, off-balance shot at the 12:52 mark and after a lay-up by Auggie freshman Jessica Lillquist the Rams were able to get scores from freshman Kellie Kuzmanic as she scored inside at the 11:22 mark and then senior post Camille Marie knocked down two freebies at the charity stripe after being fouled to cut the deficit to 11-8 by the 10:51 mark.
But the Auggies would not be denied; at least in the first half anyway and they turned up the heat again on this dreary winter day in Minneapolis. After willowy junior guard Jolene Blood sank one from the charity stripe at the 9:59 mark, it was surprising senior reserve guard Katie Ahlstrom who stuck an early dagger into Cornell as she drained a "3" from the left corner at the 9:01 mark and then it was a jumper in the lane by Zins at the 8:17 mark that upped the Auggie advantage to 17-10. The Rams, however, would respond as they went on a mini-run of 5-0 over nearly three minutes that cut the Augsburg lead down to 17-15. But the Auggies would come right back with a 7-0 run of their own. First, Skriba made a sweet move inside and finished with a short jumper and got fouled in the process and made the obligatory free throw. Then it was Blood with a steal and lay-up the other way with 4:18 left and then Lillquist scored inside in transition that got the Auggie lead to 24-15 and Cornell Head Coach Brent Brase had to call a time-out to get his squad reorganized to stop the massive bleeding. Tichy's turnaround jumper down low with 3:24 left upped the Auggie lead to 26-15 but Augsburg arguably left some points off the board coming down the stretch as they had two turnovers on consecutive possessions, a travel by Luger on the next possession, and then Tichy couldn't connect down low just before the buzzer went off. Still, taking a nine-point 26-17 lead into the locker room at the half had to have Augsburg Head Coach Bill McKee feeling good.
But the second half cruelly turned on Augsburg and their hopes of upsetting this new IIAC front-runner. Sophomore post Taylor Dicus got a lay-up in the paint at the 19:51 mark to get things going and then after Tichy was able to get two charity stripe shots, it was Dicus again making her presence felt down low at the 19:05 mark as she snared a rebound and putback. Still, the Auggies had reason to believe after Skriba connected with a short jumper at the 18:04 mark and Luger made two freebies at the 17:38 mark that once again gave the Auggies a double-digit lead at 32-21. Now they just had to find a way to keep that momentum going.....
But Cornell had vastly different ideas and it became readily apparent that their undefeated (so far anyway) record was not a fluke and they looked clearly more focused and rejuvenated after the halftime break. Moroever, they were finally taking advantage of the size they had down low on Augsburg with Dicus and Marie. And they had also long-since snapped that icy cold stretch that had plagued them early on in this contest. First, Augsburg made the mistake of leaving junior guard Chelsea Harris all alone in the left corner as she drained a "3" from that spot at the 17:13 mark and then it was lanky freshman reserve post Larissa Brewer who scored inside at the 16:11 mark that cut the Auggie lead down to 32-26. The big momentum-changer, though, came when Augsburg freshman Marie Fitzgerald apparently took a nasty blow from a screen set by Cornell at the 15:46 mark (naturally, I was writing in my notebook when this occurred and I really didn't get to see it myself). Fitzgerald was down for a while as the referees called a foul on the Cornell player who set it; much to the consternation of Brase and the Cornell parents and fans in attendance. Augsburg got the ball back but that ray of hope was short-lived when freshman reserve forward Maggie Hogen was able to snare a steal and get in transition for a lay-up. Although the shot itself failed, she was fouled in the process by Lillquist and knocked down two freebies that cut the lead to 32-28. Senior guard Kathryn Schilling made a drive inside and finished at the 14:02 mark. Tichy tried to stem the Ram tide with one of her patented "3's" from the left top at the 13:33 mark but Cornell refused to fold. They still were down two possessions at 37-33 when Luger made a drive and finished with a lay-up with 9:49 left.
Sadly for Augsburg, though, that would be their last FG of the second half until the 3:55 mark when Skriba scored inside. And Cornell made their final assault in what would lead to ultimate victory. First it was Schilling who made two freebies after being fouled when she stole the ball. Then it was sophomore reserve India Pearce out of San Francisco who gave the lead to Cornell for the first time in the contest (and for good, too) as she connected with a "3" from the left wing at the 8:51 mark. It was a start of a decisive 14-2 run that was fueled by not only smart possessions by the Rams but also a stifling defensive effort that completely took Augsburg out of their rythm and game. What few looks Blood, Luger, and Tichy got from behind the arc when things started going steadily downhill they couldn't connect and Zins was completely bottled up down low by a taller Cornell front line; all of which doomed the Auggies on this Saturday. After the aforementioned score by Skriba at the 3:55 mark, the Rams were able to build up their newfound lead with numerous trips to the charity stripe. Schilling also snared another steal and got a lay-up the other way with 2:44 left and then it was Marie putting the icing on the cake at the 1:36 mark when she scored inside and got fouled in the process that put the game out of reach for the Auggies as Cornell came back in convincing fashion to claim a 60-43 win as the Auggies now head into the holiday break with their collective tails between their legs at the moment. The box score reveals the horror show of the second half for Augsburg as they shot an incredibly icy 16% from FG range and were even worse from behind the arc; going 1 of 9 for an Arctic-like 11.11% - OUCH. It had to be painful for former Auggie greats Kristina Lurken, Brietta Schluender, and Rosinta Stromquist watching the carnage from the stands. Clearly this Auggie team has potential but they've GOT to find a way to put things together once the first of the year rolls around and they delve head-first into MIAC action.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Hamline vs Northwestern 12-14-12
Had to hurry my butt over to Roseville after I got back from work and changed into something a bit more comfortable to catch this 5 P.M. inter-conference clash between Snelling Avenue tenants Hamline from the MIAC and host Northwestern of the UMAC. After fighting off traffic on I-94 I finally made my way into the Northwestern campus and got into the Ericksen Center and settled in at the 15:36 mark with Northwestern up 10-6. Just love those 5 P.M. starts.
It looked as if the Pipers were going to be right in the thick of things from what I first observed; especially when senior forward Cassidy Vogt drained a long "2" from the right corner at the 15:28 mark that brought the Pipers to within 10-8. Unfortunately for Hamline, it was also at this point where the wheels started to fall off as well as Northwestern simply went on a tear; a 13-0 run over nearly five minutes where it seemed like they simply could not miss. First, junior guard Mollie Sir drained one of her patented "3's" at the 15:12 mark and then freshman reserve Kim Campbell made a steal of cross-court pass by Hamline and went the other way for a lay-up at the 14:10 mark. After a jumper by freshman forward Ellie Werlein at the 13:01 mark, Sir again terrorized the Pipers with a "3" from the right top at the 12:21 mark and then sophomore backcourt compatriot Chanel Madson did the same from the same exact spot at the 11:50 mark that had the Pipers reeling.
After Hamline Head Coach Kerri Stockwell allowed her players to catch their collective breaths a bit the Pipers were able to make a bit of an inroad into the Northwestern advantage. Senior sharpshooter Steph Pilgrim drained one of her patented "3's" from the right corner at the 10:31 mark and then freshman reserve guard Emily Behrman banged home a "3" from the top of the key at the 9:25 mark that cut the Eagle lead down to 27-15 but a resurgent Northwestern team stepped on the gas again. Junior forward Jessica Fife muscled her way inside to score at the 9:05 mark and then snared an offensive rebound and got a putback at the 8:07 mark. Fife, on her way to a huge evening on this night, snuck inside again on the porous Piper "D" and finished at the 7:33 mark that upped the Eagle lead to seventeen at 33-16 and then it was Sir again striking fear into the hearts of the Pipers as she scored on a lay-up in transition with 6:38 left. After Hamline's Behrman was able to stop the bleeding somewhat with her jumper at the 6:20 mark, both teams then went into something of a drought before the Pipers were able to make some late dents before the halftime break: Speedy junior guard JeNaya Brown scored on a lay-up with 1:25 left and then it was sophomore Ms. Everything Jordan Sammons FINALLY getting untracked before the break with a jumper with :47 left and Pilgrim canned two free throws with just :02.1 left that once again brought the deficit back to twelve at 36-24 but Hamline was arguably doing it the hard way with seemingly little cohesiveness on offense and, worse yet, they were losing the battle on the boards as well. Something had to change if the Pipers were going to get back into this one.
After a VERY nice chat with former Piper greats Nikki Klinck and Steph Rice during the halftime break, the Pipers appeared to come out re-energized and re-focused as the second half got underway. And a big reason for that was that Sammons was becoming much more involved from a scoring standpoint. She started off the second half with a jumper at the 19:10 mark and then showcased her vast athleticism scoring off a steal at the 18:36 mark. Withstanding a "3" by Madson at the 18:15 mark and Fife scoring off an inbounds pass at the 16:51 mark, Vogt connected with a jumper at the 16:31 mark and then it was the Jordan Sammons show again as the drained a "3" from the right corner at the 16:08 mark and then finished a transition opportunity that suddenly cut the Northwestern lead down to 41-37 with 15:41 left; plenty of time to complete this comeback and Northwestern Head Coach Aaron Kahl had to call a time out to get his troops calmed down.
But the frustrating thing for Hamline on this night was that as quickly as they came alive, they died the same way. Just when it looked like they had finally put it together, they fizzled out in incredibly puzzling fashion. The Eagles began to right the ship as Fife was able to score in transition at the 14:55 mark and got fouled in the process and the ensuing charity stripe shot got the lead back up to seven. Madson was able to manuever inside for a score a bit later and, after withstanding Sammons' lay-up in transition at the 13:41 mark, Sir then drained another one of her "3's" at the 13:24 mark that got the lead back up to double digits at 49-39. Hamline would make another charge to try and get close again as sophomore reserve guard Rachel Usgaard connected with a jumper at the 11:45 mark and then it was Sammons again with a jumper in the lane at the 10:23 mark that cut the lead to 49-43. But again, they simply could not quite bring it back all the way and the chances at easy "bunny" shots that they blew had both Klinck and Rice doing collective face palms in the stands next to me. Northwestern, on the other hand, looked poised and confident; looking ready to close the deal on this one and that's exactly what they did coming down the stretch. And it was Fife and Madson offering up a 1-2 punch that was the difference-maker in the late stages that extinguished any hope Hamline may have had. Fife connected with a jumper at the 7:42 mark and sank two freebies after being fouled at the 6:21 mark. Madson gracefully went in for a lay-up at the 4:08 mark and then Fife was able to do the same with 3:23 left. Withstanding some last-gasp "3's" by both Pilgrim and senior guard Kara Poirier, Madson was able to maintain a safe cushion for the Eagles as she made a sweet drive and finish with 2:06 left and the final nail in the coffin for Hamline came with just under a minute left as Madson connected with a jumper as the shot clock was winding down that allowed the Eagles to come away with a well-earned 71-61 win over their MIAC opponents. Both teams now head into some downtime; getting ready for finals and the upcoming X-mas break before delving back into action.
It looked as if the Pipers were going to be right in the thick of things from what I first observed; especially when senior forward Cassidy Vogt drained a long "2" from the right corner at the 15:28 mark that brought the Pipers to within 10-8. Unfortunately for Hamline, it was also at this point where the wheels started to fall off as well as Northwestern simply went on a tear; a 13-0 run over nearly five minutes where it seemed like they simply could not miss. First, junior guard Mollie Sir drained one of her patented "3's" at the 15:12 mark and then freshman reserve Kim Campbell made a steal of cross-court pass by Hamline and went the other way for a lay-up at the 14:10 mark. After a jumper by freshman forward Ellie Werlein at the 13:01 mark, Sir again terrorized the Pipers with a "3" from the right top at the 12:21 mark and then sophomore backcourt compatriot Chanel Madson did the same from the same exact spot at the 11:50 mark that had the Pipers reeling.
After Hamline Head Coach Kerri Stockwell allowed her players to catch their collective breaths a bit the Pipers were able to make a bit of an inroad into the Northwestern advantage. Senior sharpshooter Steph Pilgrim drained one of her patented "3's" from the right corner at the 10:31 mark and then freshman reserve guard Emily Behrman banged home a "3" from the top of the key at the 9:25 mark that cut the Eagle lead down to 27-15 but a resurgent Northwestern team stepped on the gas again. Junior forward Jessica Fife muscled her way inside to score at the 9:05 mark and then snared an offensive rebound and got a putback at the 8:07 mark. Fife, on her way to a huge evening on this night, snuck inside again on the porous Piper "D" and finished at the 7:33 mark that upped the Eagle lead to seventeen at 33-16 and then it was Sir again striking fear into the hearts of the Pipers as she scored on a lay-up in transition with 6:38 left. After Hamline's Behrman was able to stop the bleeding somewhat with her jumper at the 6:20 mark, both teams then went into something of a drought before the Pipers were able to make some late dents before the halftime break: Speedy junior guard JeNaya Brown scored on a lay-up with 1:25 left and then it was sophomore Ms. Everything Jordan Sammons FINALLY getting untracked before the break with a jumper with :47 left and Pilgrim canned two free throws with just :02.1 left that once again brought the deficit back to twelve at 36-24 but Hamline was arguably doing it the hard way with seemingly little cohesiveness on offense and, worse yet, they were losing the battle on the boards as well. Something had to change if the Pipers were going to get back into this one.
After a VERY nice chat with former Piper greats Nikki Klinck and Steph Rice during the halftime break, the Pipers appeared to come out re-energized and re-focused as the second half got underway. And a big reason for that was that Sammons was becoming much more involved from a scoring standpoint. She started off the second half with a jumper at the 19:10 mark and then showcased her vast athleticism scoring off a steal at the 18:36 mark. Withstanding a "3" by Madson at the 18:15 mark and Fife scoring off an inbounds pass at the 16:51 mark, Vogt connected with a jumper at the 16:31 mark and then it was the Jordan Sammons show again as the drained a "3" from the right corner at the 16:08 mark and then finished a transition opportunity that suddenly cut the Northwestern lead down to 41-37 with 15:41 left; plenty of time to complete this comeback and Northwestern Head Coach Aaron Kahl had to call a time out to get his troops calmed down.
But the frustrating thing for Hamline on this night was that as quickly as they came alive, they died the same way. Just when it looked like they had finally put it together, they fizzled out in incredibly puzzling fashion. The Eagles began to right the ship as Fife was able to score in transition at the 14:55 mark and got fouled in the process and the ensuing charity stripe shot got the lead back up to seven. Madson was able to manuever inside for a score a bit later and, after withstanding Sammons' lay-up in transition at the 13:41 mark, Sir then drained another one of her "3's" at the 13:24 mark that got the lead back up to double digits at 49-39. Hamline would make another charge to try and get close again as sophomore reserve guard Rachel Usgaard connected with a jumper at the 11:45 mark and then it was Sammons again with a jumper in the lane at the 10:23 mark that cut the lead to 49-43. But again, they simply could not quite bring it back all the way and the chances at easy "bunny" shots that they blew had both Klinck and Rice doing collective face palms in the stands next to me. Northwestern, on the other hand, looked poised and confident; looking ready to close the deal on this one and that's exactly what they did coming down the stretch. And it was Fife and Madson offering up a 1-2 punch that was the difference-maker in the late stages that extinguished any hope Hamline may have had. Fife connected with a jumper at the 7:42 mark and sank two freebies after being fouled at the 6:21 mark. Madson gracefully went in for a lay-up at the 4:08 mark and then Fife was able to do the same with 3:23 left. Withstanding some last-gasp "3's" by both Pilgrim and senior guard Kara Poirier, Madson was able to maintain a safe cushion for the Eagles as she made a sweet drive and finish with 2:06 left and the final nail in the coffin for Hamline came with just under a minute left as Madson connected with a jumper as the shot clock was winding down that allowed the Eagles to come away with a well-earned 71-61 win over their MIAC opponents. Both teams now head into some downtime; getting ready for finals and the upcoming X-mas break before delving back into action.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
CSB vs Augsburg 12-12-12
Was over at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall on this Wednesday evening to catch this in-conference clash between visiting St. Ben's and host Augsburg; the last MIAC clash before the holiday break. I was very curious about this St. Ben's team and, from the looks of it, the future is definitely bright up in St. Joe.
It was the Blazers who got off to a good start in this one; jumping out to a quick 5-0 lead when senior guard Whitney Canton drained a "3" from the left wing at the 18:46 mark. After Auggie sophomore guard Abbey Luger was able to trim the Blazer lead to 7-5 with her score inside at the 15:07 mark, CSB then went on a 7-0 run fueled by a "3" from freshman reserve guard Mattie Lueck and freebies at the charity stripe by senior Hannah Hylla, junior Tish Alexander, plus a pair by Lueck as well. The Auggies were arguably ice cold from the perimeter in the first half (their 26.67% FG shooting reflected that) and it took a patented rainbow sky-scraping "3" from junior guard Jolene Blood at the 10:30 mark from the left wing to shake some of the cobwebs off of this group. The Blazers upped their lead to 23-14 after a jumper by Hylla at the 9:43 mark and a "3" by junior guard Brianna Barrett from the left wing at the 4:59 mark before the Auggies finally got untracked. Luger, seemingly everywhere on the court on this night, grabbed a rebound and got a putback at the 4:41 mark and freebies by freshman post Bridget Kopp and freshman forward Jessica Lillquist cut the lead to 23-20 by the 2:54 mark and the Auggies actually climbed to within one at 23-22 when Luger connected with a running jumper with 1:54 left before CSB finally salvaged what appeared to be a blown cushion when Alexander connected with a long "2" from the left corner with 1:22 left as the Blazers went into the locker room at the half leading only 25-22. Augsburg had to feel a little bit better about themselves despite being Frosty the Snowman from a shooting perspective as they out-rebounded and, from my perspective, out-physiced CSB in the first half.
I wasn't the only one who felt that way at the half and, as CSB Head Coach Mike Durbin explained to me after the game, he told his team at the break that they had to stop shying away from contact and had to get active on the boards. However he explained it to this young group, it worked. Despite both teams being plagued by turnovers in the early part of the second half, it was the Blazers who were able to keep their cool and respond. While junior Jill Tichy's turnaround jumper at the 17:31 mark enabled the Auggies to stay close, Augsburg's fortunes shifted when senior forward Brittany Zins was tagged with her fourth foul at the 16:58 forcing Augsburg Head Coach Bill McKee to bench his senior star early that really opened up things for the Blazers.
You couldn't help but notice the subtle change in the Blazers as they began their game-changing run. It started at the 13:44 mark when Canton made a strong drive along the right baseline and finished and got fouled in the process. Then it was Alexander, the junior who made that unbelievable Hail Mary shot with a scant second left on the clock under incredible duress that beat the UW-River Falls Black team in the summer league who shined again as the made a sweet reverse shot under the basket at the 12:32 mark. Withstanding a "3" from the Auggies Tichy at the 11:42 mark, Alexander stole the spotlight again with a steal and lay-up the other way at the 11:18 mark and Lueck was able to score a lay-up as well at the 10:50 mark. Barrett grabbed her own rebound and got a putback in transition at the 9:19 mark and then it was senior reserve Morgan Dale's "3" from the left wing at the 8:54 mark. Charity stripe work by Dale and Alexander helped complete what turned out to be a 21-4 run by the Blazers that upped their lead to 52-31 by the 6:54 mark which, for all intents and purposes, was the ball game.
That decisive run, however, didn't deter the host Auggies from making one last run. McKee, by this time, had no choice but to re-insert Zins back onto the floor and she responded in typical senior fashion by scoring inside on consecutive possessions at the 6:09 and 5:29 marks. A "3" by the sharp-shooting Tichy at the 4:59 mark and another one of those rainbow "3's" from Blood at the 4:12 mark plus a rebound and putback by Tichy at the 3:32 mark suddenly cut the Blazer lead down to eleven at 58-47 but that's as close as the Blazers would get. CSB played smart basketball in the home stretch; taking care of the rock and it allowed Canton, Barrett, and sophomore Jessica Fischer to consolidate the Blazer advantage at the charity stripe as CSB earned a huge road win; beating Augsburg by a final score of 64-49.
It was the Blazers who got off to a good start in this one; jumping out to a quick 5-0 lead when senior guard Whitney Canton drained a "3" from the left wing at the 18:46 mark. After Auggie sophomore guard Abbey Luger was able to trim the Blazer lead to 7-5 with her score inside at the 15:07 mark, CSB then went on a 7-0 run fueled by a "3" from freshman reserve guard Mattie Lueck and freebies at the charity stripe by senior Hannah Hylla, junior Tish Alexander, plus a pair by Lueck as well. The Auggies were arguably ice cold from the perimeter in the first half (their 26.67% FG shooting reflected that) and it took a patented rainbow sky-scraping "3" from junior guard Jolene Blood at the 10:30 mark from the left wing to shake some of the cobwebs off of this group. The Blazers upped their lead to 23-14 after a jumper by Hylla at the 9:43 mark and a "3" by junior guard Brianna Barrett from the left wing at the 4:59 mark before the Auggies finally got untracked. Luger, seemingly everywhere on the court on this night, grabbed a rebound and got a putback at the 4:41 mark and freebies by freshman post Bridget Kopp and freshman forward Jessica Lillquist cut the lead to 23-20 by the 2:54 mark and the Auggies actually climbed to within one at 23-22 when Luger connected with a running jumper with 1:54 left before CSB finally salvaged what appeared to be a blown cushion when Alexander connected with a long "2" from the left corner with 1:22 left as the Blazers went into the locker room at the half leading only 25-22. Augsburg had to feel a little bit better about themselves despite being Frosty the Snowman from a shooting perspective as they out-rebounded and, from my perspective, out-physiced CSB in the first half.
I wasn't the only one who felt that way at the half and, as CSB Head Coach Mike Durbin explained to me after the game, he told his team at the break that they had to stop shying away from contact and had to get active on the boards. However he explained it to this young group, it worked. Despite both teams being plagued by turnovers in the early part of the second half, it was the Blazers who were able to keep their cool and respond. While junior Jill Tichy's turnaround jumper at the 17:31 mark enabled the Auggies to stay close, Augsburg's fortunes shifted when senior forward Brittany Zins was tagged with her fourth foul at the 16:58 forcing Augsburg Head Coach Bill McKee to bench his senior star early that really opened up things for the Blazers.
You couldn't help but notice the subtle change in the Blazers as they began their game-changing run. It started at the 13:44 mark when Canton made a strong drive along the right baseline and finished and got fouled in the process. Then it was Alexander, the junior who made that unbelievable Hail Mary shot with a scant second left on the clock under incredible duress that beat the UW-River Falls Black team in the summer league who shined again as the made a sweet reverse shot under the basket at the 12:32 mark. Withstanding a "3" from the Auggies Tichy at the 11:42 mark, Alexander stole the spotlight again with a steal and lay-up the other way at the 11:18 mark and Lueck was able to score a lay-up as well at the 10:50 mark. Barrett grabbed her own rebound and got a putback in transition at the 9:19 mark and then it was senior reserve Morgan Dale's "3" from the left wing at the 8:54 mark. Charity stripe work by Dale and Alexander helped complete what turned out to be a 21-4 run by the Blazers that upped their lead to 52-31 by the 6:54 mark which, for all intents and purposes, was the ball game.
That decisive run, however, didn't deter the host Auggies from making one last run. McKee, by this time, had no choice but to re-insert Zins back onto the floor and she responded in typical senior fashion by scoring inside on consecutive possessions at the 6:09 and 5:29 marks. A "3" by the sharp-shooting Tichy at the 4:59 mark and another one of those rainbow "3's" from Blood at the 4:12 mark plus a rebound and putback by Tichy at the 3:32 mark suddenly cut the Blazer lead down to eleven at 58-47 but that's as close as the Blazers would get. CSB played smart basketball in the home stretch; taking care of the rock and it allowed Canton, Barrett, and sophomore Jessica Fischer to consolidate the Blazer advantage at the charity stripe as CSB earned a huge road win; beating Augsburg by a final score of 64-49.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
St. Olaf vs UST 12-11-12
Made my way over to the St. Paul side of town last night despite an incredibly clogged I-94 and St. Paul streets that were designed for horse and buggy traffic in the 19th century that are only worse with snow. I did manage to get in to UST's Anderson Athletic Complex with two minutes to spare so I didn't have much time to lolligag.
After a very nice rendition of the National Anthem by the Air Force ROTC members, it was time to get this show on the road. UST would be forced to juggle its line-up AGAIN as not only was Weiers out but now Taylor Young was out - again, and she was wearing some sort of protective brace around her leg and ankle so I have no idea as to what's going on with her. St. Olaf, on the other hand, looked to be healthy but then again, looks can be deceiving.
But the Tommies just seem to keep the beat going despite the somewhat makeshift line-up that saw sophomore Carley Emery shoved into the starting line-up. Emery wasted no time in showing that she was up to the task as she calmly drained a "3" on the Tommies first possession from the right corner. UST Head Coach Ruth Sinn, well aware of the vulnerability of the Ole backcourt, had her squad employ a full-court press right off the bat which caused a heap of problems for senior guard Mackenzie Wolter and freshman point guard Lauren Gutierrez as Tommie senior point guard Kellie Ring was able to snare a steal off of the press and get a lay-up out of it for a quick 5-0 Tommie lead. The Oles were able to get untracked for a bit when senior post Erin Haglund scored inside at the 18:48 mark and then sophomore forward Nikki Frogner was able to do the same at the 17:35 mark. Then it was sophomore post Anna Smith's turn to shine for the Tommies as she showed her versatility by draining three-point bombs at the 16:38 mark and again at the 15:42 mark that upped the Tommie lead to 12-4. Ring drained a "3" from the left top at the 14:47 mark for a 15-6 UST lead and already some of St. Olaf's worst nightmares were coming true in this struggle of a season so far.
Ole freshman sharpshooter Kim Cerjan, who would wow the crowd on this night with her three-point shooting ability, tried to stem the tide with a "3" from the right wing at the 13:38 mark but the Tommies would respond with a 9-2 run over the next six minutes; fueled by yet another Ring "3" and a lay-up in transition by sophomore reserve Alyssa Favilla. The Oles were able to cut the deficit back down to eleven when Haglund was able to grab a rebound and get a putback - and get fouled in the process. The ensuing freebie cut the Tommie lead to 27-16 at the 5:28 mark but once again UST responded as sophomore reserve guard Hannah Hughes connected in the lane with a jumper at the 5:08 mark and then the Tommies upped the lead to 30-16 when Smith connected with a freebie after Haglund committed her third foul with 4:43 left; compounding the Oles troubles on this night. Coming down the stretch, sophomore reserve forward Elaine Warner got a rebound and putback at the 3:02 mark and then Ring made a sweet drive and finish with just :50 left in the first half as the Tommies went into the locker room at the half with a cozy 36-20 advantage.
I'm not sure what was said in the St. Olaf locker room at the half but I'm sure Head Coach Dave Stromme did not mince words - he had to have his team come out with renewed intensity and aggressiveness in the second half. And the Oles did just that. Sophomore forward Maddie Ehrich; fully recovered from a knee injury a year ago, connected with a jumper in transition at the 19:42 mark and then Wolter finally got untracked at the 18:01 mark when she made a sweet drive and finish although the ball seemed to roll around forever on the rim before finally deciding to drop through; indicative of the rough night she had. Lanky junior post Elise Raney was able to connect with one freebie after being fouled at the 16:42 mark that cut the Tommie lead down to 36-25. Smith would temporarily halt the Ole Express with her "3" from the top at the 16:28 mark but then it was Cerjan again with one of her three-point bombs at the 15:53 mark- this one from the right corner and then Raney was able to manuever inside at the 15:16 mark that finally cut the Tommie lead down to single digits at 39-30 and prompted Sinn to call a time-out to re-organize her troops.
But, true to Tommie fashion, each time they found themselves challenged, they were able to respond with a calmness and resolve. After Wolter made another drive and finish and a shot from the charity stripe after being fouled at the 14:44 mark that cut the lead down to a scant six points AND after Smith picked up her fourth foul at the 13:18 mark, it appeared that the Tommies themselves could be in a HEAP of trouble. No worries. Ring responded like the seasoned veteran senior that she is with another "3" at the 12:10 mark from the left corner and after an Ehrich score at the 11:31 mark, it was Warner's turn to turn up the heat from behind the arc as she banged home a "3" from the top at the 10:56 mark that upped the UST lead to 47-35. Cerjan AGAIN tried to start another Ole comeback with yet another three-point bomb from right corner land at the 8:19 mark. Frogner made consecutive trips to the charity stripe at the 5:42 and 5:14 marks and Wolter did the same at the 4:18 mark that cut the Tommie lead down to a scant 51-46 but once again the Tommies responded when the pressure-cooker appeared. Junior guard Kellie Brandenburg was able to snare a steal and get a jumper on the other end with 3:26 left that helped point the way to ultimate victory for the home team. Ring and Smith did their job from the charity stripe that once again upped the Tommie lead to double-digits - and helped it stay there as the Tommies claimed a hard-fought 59-48 win over a slumping St. Olaf team.
After a very nice rendition of the National Anthem by the Air Force ROTC members, it was time to get this show on the road. UST would be forced to juggle its line-up AGAIN as not only was Weiers out but now Taylor Young was out - again, and she was wearing some sort of protective brace around her leg and ankle so I have no idea as to what's going on with her. St. Olaf, on the other hand, looked to be healthy but then again, looks can be deceiving.
But the Tommies just seem to keep the beat going despite the somewhat makeshift line-up that saw sophomore Carley Emery shoved into the starting line-up. Emery wasted no time in showing that she was up to the task as she calmly drained a "3" on the Tommies first possession from the right corner. UST Head Coach Ruth Sinn, well aware of the vulnerability of the Ole backcourt, had her squad employ a full-court press right off the bat which caused a heap of problems for senior guard Mackenzie Wolter and freshman point guard Lauren Gutierrez as Tommie senior point guard Kellie Ring was able to snare a steal off of the press and get a lay-up out of it for a quick 5-0 Tommie lead. The Oles were able to get untracked for a bit when senior post Erin Haglund scored inside at the 18:48 mark and then sophomore forward Nikki Frogner was able to do the same at the 17:35 mark. Then it was sophomore post Anna Smith's turn to shine for the Tommies as she showed her versatility by draining three-point bombs at the 16:38 mark and again at the 15:42 mark that upped the Tommie lead to 12-4. Ring drained a "3" from the left top at the 14:47 mark for a 15-6 UST lead and already some of St. Olaf's worst nightmares were coming true in this struggle of a season so far.
Ole freshman sharpshooter Kim Cerjan, who would wow the crowd on this night with her three-point shooting ability, tried to stem the tide with a "3" from the right wing at the 13:38 mark but the Tommies would respond with a 9-2 run over the next six minutes; fueled by yet another Ring "3" and a lay-up in transition by sophomore reserve Alyssa Favilla. The Oles were able to cut the deficit back down to eleven when Haglund was able to grab a rebound and get a putback - and get fouled in the process. The ensuing freebie cut the Tommie lead to 27-16 at the 5:28 mark but once again UST responded as sophomore reserve guard Hannah Hughes connected in the lane with a jumper at the 5:08 mark and then the Tommies upped the lead to 30-16 when Smith connected with a freebie after Haglund committed her third foul with 4:43 left; compounding the Oles troubles on this night. Coming down the stretch, sophomore reserve forward Elaine Warner got a rebound and putback at the 3:02 mark and then Ring made a sweet drive and finish with just :50 left in the first half as the Tommies went into the locker room at the half with a cozy 36-20 advantage.
I'm not sure what was said in the St. Olaf locker room at the half but I'm sure Head Coach Dave Stromme did not mince words - he had to have his team come out with renewed intensity and aggressiveness in the second half. And the Oles did just that. Sophomore forward Maddie Ehrich; fully recovered from a knee injury a year ago, connected with a jumper in transition at the 19:42 mark and then Wolter finally got untracked at the 18:01 mark when she made a sweet drive and finish although the ball seemed to roll around forever on the rim before finally deciding to drop through; indicative of the rough night she had. Lanky junior post Elise Raney was able to connect with one freebie after being fouled at the 16:42 mark that cut the Tommie lead down to 36-25. Smith would temporarily halt the Ole Express with her "3" from the top at the 16:28 mark but then it was Cerjan again with one of her three-point bombs at the 15:53 mark- this one from the right corner and then Raney was able to manuever inside at the 15:16 mark that finally cut the Tommie lead down to single digits at 39-30 and prompted Sinn to call a time-out to re-organize her troops.
But, true to Tommie fashion, each time they found themselves challenged, they were able to respond with a calmness and resolve. After Wolter made another drive and finish and a shot from the charity stripe after being fouled at the 14:44 mark that cut the lead down to a scant six points AND after Smith picked up her fourth foul at the 13:18 mark, it appeared that the Tommies themselves could be in a HEAP of trouble. No worries. Ring responded like the seasoned veteran senior that she is with another "3" at the 12:10 mark from the left corner and after an Ehrich score at the 11:31 mark, it was Warner's turn to turn up the heat from behind the arc as she banged home a "3" from the top at the 10:56 mark that upped the UST lead to 47-35. Cerjan AGAIN tried to start another Ole comeback with yet another three-point bomb from right corner land at the 8:19 mark. Frogner made consecutive trips to the charity stripe at the 5:42 and 5:14 marks and Wolter did the same at the 4:18 mark that cut the Tommie lead down to a scant 51-46 but once again the Tommies responded when the pressure-cooker appeared. Junior guard Kellie Brandenburg was able to snare a steal and get a jumper on the other end with 3:26 left that helped point the way to ultimate victory for the home team. Ring and Smith did their job from the charity stripe that once again upped the Tommie lead to double-digits - and helped it stay there as the Tommies claimed a hard-fought 59-48 win over a slumping St. Olaf team.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Concordia vs St. Kate's Synopsis 12-8-12
After doing the color commentary with Tony Geer for the early afternoon clash between Hamline and Bethel, I hurried my way down Snelling Avenue and over towards St. Kate's for the 3 P.M. game between the Wildcats and the visiting Cobbers from Concordia. Obviously, it's a long-haul coming down from Moorhead whether you go on U.S. Highway 10 (my preferred way) or on I-94 (the boring way) but whichever way the Cobbers did go it didn't seem to affect them too much judging from the rather comfortable 38-26 lead they held at the half when I got myself there and settled in at the Butler Center arena. On the contrary, the Cobbers were just getting warmed up.
Indeed, it only took ten seconds into the second half to see that the Cobbers had it in full gear as senior forward Tricia Sorensen was able to manuever inside to get a score which was followed on the next possession by a "3" from sophomore guard Alley Fisher from the right corner that upped the lead to 43-26. St. Kate's sophomore forward Sarina Baker tried to halt the Cobber momentum with a "3" of her own from the right wing at the 18:48 mark but Fisher again struck into the heart of the Wildcat defense at the 17:25 mark with a drive and lay-up and then it was senior guard Emily Thesing with a jumper off the glass in transition at the 17:08 mark followed by a score inside by lanky 6'4" junior post Alexandra Lippert that effectively erased any hopes the Wildcats may have had at the half about getting back into this one as they now found themselves down by twenty at 49-29 at the 16:36 mark.
The Wildcats would brieftly cut into the bulge a bit as junior guard Kristen Lee knocked down two freebies after being fouled at the 16:19 mark and then connected with a jumper at the 15:26 mark. Then sophomore guard Amanda Padilla followed with a lay-up at the 14:31 mark but the Wildcats could never sustain anything substantive that would greatly cut into the Concordia advantage. Junior reserve post Kelsey Walloch was able to muscle inside for a score at the 14:21 mark and then Sorensen snared a rebound and got a putback at the 13:08 mark that upped the lead to twenty again at 54-34. After Walloch penetrated the Wildcat defense for another score inside at the 11:55 mark it was then time for the Tricia Sorensen Show (again) as she picked the pocket of a Wildcat for a steal and lay-up the other way at the 10:48 mark and then banged home a "3" from the right top at the 9:56 mark as the Concordia lead bulged to 61-34. But the Cobbers were far from satisfied. Fisher's jumper from the right wing at the 8:17 mark got the lead to thirty at 65-35 and got it to as much as 70-37 by the 6:22 mark after a Lippert score. By this time, Concordia Head Coach Jessica Rahman called off the dogs and began substituting liberally. The Wildcats never quit; they just ran into a superior team with great talent and depth. And they have some youngsters who figure to play prominent roles as this team moves forward and gets more and more experience. The Cobbers claimed an easy 82-49 win and have an extra day to prepare for their home clash against Carleton this next Tuesday before taking a break for the holidays.
When I asked Rahman about her team's chances of competing for a MIAC title this year, she craftily dodged the question to make the point that while some teams are struggling at the moment (a la St. Kate's, Bethel, St. Olaf) things could very well be much different come mid-January as she thinks the conference will be a mighty struggle for even the top teams. And I would have to concur with that notion. It's just too early to crown someone right now. Still, I like this Concordia team and I like how things are shaping up for them now after they dropped two decisions early in the season. This team has everyone back from last year and two great leaders in seniors Sorensen and Thesing (very similar to two years ago when they had Erica Nord and Lindsey Schultz - and it was Sorensen and Thesing who were learning from these two Cobber greats). A presence like what Lippert provides never hurts and she is definitely more experienced and less prone to get into early foul trouble as she did during her salad days wearing the maroon and gold. So we'll see. But you have to like where they're at right now.
Indeed, it only took ten seconds into the second half to see that the Cobbers had it in full gear as senior forward Tricia Sorensen was able to manuever inside to get a score which was followed on the next possession by a "3" from sophomore guard Alley Fisher from the right corner that upped the lead to 43-26. St. Kate's sophomore forward Sarina Baker tried to halt the Cobber momentum with a "3" of her own from the right wing at the 18:48 mark but Fisher again struck into the heart of the Wildcat defense at the 17:25 mark with a drive and lay-up and then it was senior guard Emily Thesing with a jumper off the glass in transition at the 17:08 mark followed by a score inside by lanky 6'4" junior post Alexandra Lippert that effectively erased any hopes the Wildcats may have had at the half about getting back into this one as they now found themselves down by twenty at 49-29 at the 16:36 mark.
The Wildcats would brieftly cut into the bulge a bit as junior guard Kristen Lee knocked down two freebies after being fouled at the 16:19 mark and then connected with a jumper at the 15:26 mark. Then sophomore guard Amanda Padilla followed with a lay-up at the 14:31 mark but the Wildcats could never sustain anything substantive that would greatly cut into the Concordia advantage. Junior reserve post Kelsey Walloch was able to muscle inside for a score at the 14:21 mark and then Sorensen snared a rebound and got a putback at the 13:08 mark that upped the lead to twenty again at 54-34. After Walloch penetrated the Wildcat defense for another score inside at the 11:55 mark it was then time for the Tricia Sorensen Show (again) as she picked the pocket of a Wildcat for a steal and lay-up the other way at the 10:48 mark and then banged home a "3" from the right top at the 9:56 mark as the Concordia lead bulged to 61-34. But the Cobbers were far from satisfied. Fisher's jumper from the right wing at the 8:17 mark got the lead to thirty at 65-35 and got it to as much as 70-37 by the 6:22 mark after a Lippert score. By this time, Concordia Head Coach Jessica Rahman called off the dogs and began substituting liberally. The Wildcats never quit; they just ran into a superior team with great talent and depth. And they have some youngsters who figure to play prominent roles as this team moves forward and gets more and more experience. The Cobbers claimed an easy 82-49 win and have an extra day to prepare for their home clash against Carleton this next Tuesday before taking a break for the holidays.
When I asked Rahman about her team's chances of competing for a MIAC title this year, she craftily dodged the question to make the point that while some teams are struggling at the moment (a la St. Kate's, Bethel, St. Olaf) things could very well be much different come mid-January as she thinks the conference will be a mighty struggle for even the top teams. And I would have to concur with that notion. It's just too early to crown someone right now. Still, I like this Concordia team and I like how things are shaping up for them now after they dropped two decisions early in the season. This team has everyone back from last year and two great leaders in seniors Sorensen and Thesing (very similar to two years ago when they had Erica Nord and Lindsey Schultz - and it was Sorensen and Thesing who were learning from these two Cobber greats). A presence like what Lippert provides never hurts and she is definitely more experienced and less prone to get into early foul trouble as she did during her salad days wearing the maroon and gold. So we'll see. But you have to like where they're at right now.
Vermillion vs Anoka-Ramsey 12-7-12
Was up in Coon Rapids on this slightly snowy Friday evening to catch my first Anoka-Ramsey home game of the season; this one being against Vermillion Community College located up in Ely. From what I had seen of the Golden Rams during their scrimmages in the first few weeks of the season I knew this team had a lot of work ahead of it but I also knew that Head Coach David DeWitt would eventually work out the kinks and have his team rolling in the right direction before long.
But it was actually Anoka-Ramsey that got off to a somewhat auspicious start on this night - and it happened even before the ball was tipped. Sophomore Kelli Schramm, the transfer from UW-Eau Claire, rolled her ankle in warm-ups doing a lay-up and coming down on one foot. Fortunately for the Golden Rams, the injury wasn't too serious and the trainers had her left ankle taped up that allowed her to play. Nonetheless, it was the Ironwomen who bolted off to a quick 6-0 lead as freshman Mariah McDonald scored led the way with scores at the 18:58 and 17:48 marks. However, Anoka-Ramsey did get jostled out of their early sleepwalk enough to respond with an elongated 22-4 run that went over a period of over ten minutes. First, freshman sharpshooter Nicole Schaub knocked down a "3" from the left wing at the 16:58 mark and then diminutive freshman Kendra Norman got one of her own from that very same spot at the 14:36 mark. Anoka-Ramsey tied the score at 8-all by the 11:58 mark and then freshman guard Natasha Ambrose gave the Golden Rams the lead for good at the 11:10 mark with her "3" from the right wing. Sophomore Tacita Gonzalez scored on a lay-up in transition at the 8:47 mark. Freshman Paris Finklea scored inside at the 6:37 mark and then it was Ambrose's turn from behind the arc once again as she drained a "3" from the right corner with 5:12 left and Schramm knocked down two "freebies" at the 5:12 mark after being fouled. Then with time running down in the first half, it was another three-point bomb from the left wing from the sweet-shooting Schaub that upped the Golden Rams lead to 29-13 before Vermillion's McDonald got two more points on the board for the Ironwomen with :28 left with a jumper as Anoka-Ramsey took a 29-15 lead into the locker room at halftime. Despite leading by 14, you just felt that Anoka-Ramsey didn't quite bring their "A" game into this one - at least in the first half anyway. The intensity didn't quite seem to be there; certainly from a defensive standpoint and they arguably left a lot of points off the board.
But as the willowy blonde Schaub who hails from Park Center H.S. (and whose younger sister Hannah is part of a young core of players that is helping make the Pirates a force to contend with in the Northwest Suburban Conference) explained to me afterward, DeWitt emphasized rebounding and filling in the gaps on defense as recipes for success in the second half and it was quite evident as the second half began that the Golden Rams came out with a newfound sense of urgency and intensity. Despite Vermillion freshman Tyesha Wright's lay-up to get things started in the second half, the Golden Rams went on a 10-0 run to up their lead to 39-17 by the 16:15 mark; fueled by "3's" from Schaub and sophomore Cami Bauer and a jumper along the left baseline by Schramm before Wright's "3" from the right top at the 16:27 mark temporarily stopped the bleeding for the Ironwomen. Vermillion tried to match the shooting prowess of their opponent as freshman Teneisha Brooks connected with a lay-up at the 14:41 mark and also banged home a long jumper just inside the three-point line at the 14:02 mark and McDonald swished a "3"from the left top at the 13:22 mark.
But each one of these punches by the Ironwomen was met and beat by the Golden Rams. Bauer was just getting warmed up when she connected again behind the arc from the left corner spot at the 15:55 mark and then it was Norman with her own "3" from the right top at the 13:37 mark as the Golden Rams were able to maintain that 20-point cushion past the midway point of the second half. Anoka-Ramsey was not content, however, as they gradually upped the lead to thirty coming down the stretch. Freshman Shelby Zimmel out of Coon Rapids connected behind the arc with 4:48 left and then Gonzalez made two hard drives and finishes at the 4:03 and 3:35 marks, respectively and then it was Bauer who put the finishing touches on this victory with her three-point bombs at the 3:06 and 2:20 marks that ballooned the Anoka-Ramsey lead as the Golden Rams waltzed to a resounding 77-43 win.
But it was actually Anoka-Ramsey that got off to a somewhat auspicious start on this night - and it happened even before the ball was tipped. Sophomore Kelli Schramm, the transfer from UW-Eau Claire, rolled her ankle in warm-ups doing a lay-up and coming down on one foot. Fortunately for the Golden Rams, the injury wasn't too serious and the trainers had her left ankle taped up that allowed her to play. Nonetheless, it was the Ironwomen who bolted off to a quick 6-0 lead as freshman Mariah McDonald scored led the way with scores at the 18:58 and 17:48 marks. However, Anoka-Ramsey did get jostled out of their early sleepwalk enough to respond with an elongated 22-4 run that went over a period of over ten minutes. First, freshman sharpshooter Nicole Schaub knocked down a "3" from the left wing at the 16:58 mark and then diminutive freshman Kendra Norman got one of her own from that very same spot at the 14:36 mark. Anoka-Ramsey tied the score at 8-all by the 11:58 mark and then freshman guard Natasha Ambrose gave the Golden Rams the lead for good at the 11:10 mark with her "3" from the right wing. Sophomore Tacita Gonzalez scored on a lay-up in transition at the 8:47 mark. Freshman Paris Finklea scored inside at the 6:37 mark and then it was Ambrose's turn from behind the arc once again as she drained a "3" from the right corner with 5:12 left and Schramm knocked down two "freebies" at the 5:12 mark after being fouled. Then with time running down in the first half, it was another three-point bomb from the left wing from the sweet-shooting Schaub that upped the Golden Rams lead to 29-13 before Vermillion's McDonald got two more points on the board for the Ironwomen with :28 left with a jumper as Anoka-Ramsey took a 29-15 lead into the locker room at halftime. Despite leading by 14, you just felt that Anoka-Ramsey didn't quite bring their "A" game into this one - at least in the first half anyway. The intensity didn't quite seem to be there; certainly from a defensive standpoint and they arguably left a lot of points off the board.
But as the willowy blonde Schaub who hails from Park Center H.S. (and whose younger sister Hannah is part of a young core of players that is helping make the Pirates a force to contend with in the Northwest Suburban Conference) explained to me afterward, DeWitt emphasized rebounding and filling in the gaps on defense as recipes for success in the second half and it was quite evident as the second half began that the Golden Rams came out with a newfound sense of urgency and intensity. Despite Vermillion freshman Tyesha Wright's lay-up to get things started in the second half, the Golden Rams went on a 10-0 run to up their lead to 39-17 by the 16:15 mark; fueled by "3's" from Schaub and sophomore Cami Bauer and a jumper along the left baseline by Schramm before Wright's "3" from the right top at the 16:27 mark temporarily stopped the bleeding for the Ironwomen. Vermillion tried to match the shooting prowess of their opponent as freshman Teneisha Brooks connected with a lay-up at the 14:41 mark and also banged home a long jumper just inside the three-point line at the 14:02 mark and McDonald swished a "3"from the left top at the 13:22 mark.
But each one of these punches by the Ironwomen was met and beat by the Golden Rams. Bauer was just getting warmed up when she connected again behind the arc from the left corner spot at the 15:55 mark and then it was Norman with her own "3" from the right top at the 13:37 mark as the Golden Rams were able to maintain that 20-point cushion past the midway point of the second half. Anoka-Ramsey was not content, however, as they gradually upped the lead to thirty coming down the stretch. Freshman Shelby Zimmel out of Coon Rapids connected behind the arc with 4:48 left and then Gonzalez made two hard drives and finishes at the 4:03 and 3:35 marks, respectively and then it was Bauer who put the finishing touches on this victory with her three-point bombs at the 3:06 and 2:20 marks that ballooned the Anoka-Ramsey lead as the Golden Rams waltzed to a resounding 77-43 win.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Concordia vs UST 12-3-12
Was over at the Anderson Athletic Complex for last night's early evening clash between visiting Concordia and host St. Thomas. Historically, the Cobbers have been the ultimate pain in the rear for the Tommies; at least in the last few years anyway and I expected Jessica Rahman's squad to be fired up for this early season tilt.
It became quite evident early on that this game was going to be the typical defensive slugfest that I had anticipated between these two squads who pride themselves for their defensive prowess as scoring came at a premium in the first half. Senior guard Emily Thesing's "3" from the top of the key gave the Cobbers a 3-1 lead by the 18:07 mark but the Tommies quickly came back and tied the issue at 3-all behind senior guard Kellie Ring's drive along the left baseline and finish at the 17:31 mark. Concordia would slowly build a slight advantage as the first half progressed. Senior guard Tricia Sorensen's "3" from the left top at the 14:31 mark gave Concordia an 8-5 lead then the lanky blonde from Bismarck, who also excels at juggling acts with her dad during the summer months, struck again at the 9:13 mark with a drive and short jumper in the lane that tied things up at 15 and two freebies a bit later at the 8:06 mark gave Concordia a 17-15 lead. The Cobbers were able to expand this lead to as many as five points at 22-17 by the 5:30 mark fueled by two charity stripe shots by Thesing and strong work inside by freshman Olivia Johnson with a rebound and putback at the 5:42 mark.
Glaringly for the Cobbers, however, was the fact that their towering 6'4" junior center Alexandra Lippert had been held scoreless save for two freebies early on in the first half as the Tommies effectively had shut her down and the Tommies were able to erase that small cushion Concordia had coming down the stretch. Ring made a sweet drive and finish at the 4:07 mark and junior Ms. Everything Taylor Young's turnaround jumper with just under two minutes remaining pulled the Tommies to withing one at 26-25. Sophomore reserve gaurd Laura Margarit gave the Tommies the lead again with just :23 left in the first half with a rebound and putback and fellow sophomore reserve Elaine Warner connected on a lay-up with just :03 left to give the Tommies a 29-26 edge at the break. Still, in my mind, the tempo of this game favored Concordia and I wondered what adjustments UST Head Coach Ruth Sinn would make at halftime to counter that.
Concordia wasted no time getting Lippert involved in the offense as the second half began as she scored inside at the 19:48 mark to cut UST's lead to one and a Sorensen jumper for the right wing at the 17:40 mark tied things at 32-all and you had that feeling that the Cobbers had the Tommies right where they wanted them. However, this talent-laden and experienced UST squad with its run to the Final Four last year knows how to respond in these types of pressure-packed situations and they've proved it already this year when they had to fight off a double-digit deficit to then-#1 ranked UW-Stevens Point in the second half. And the Tommies knew what buttons to press on this night as well. Junior guard Kelly Brandenburg's rebound and putback at the 17:04 mark was the start of a 7-0 run that really made the difference in this game as Concordia never could quite get it going again. Sophomore sensation Jen Dockter finished the 7-0 run at the 14:17 mark and then Ring, proving how dangerous she really is, picked the pocket of Concordia sophomore Alley Fisher for a steal and lay-up and a 41-33 UST lead.
The Tommie lead expanded to as many as eleven at 46-35 by the 9:02 mark when Warner put down two freebies from the charity stripe before the Cobbers were able to make inroads on the Tommie advantage. Sorensen banged home a "3" from the left wing at the 8:46 mark and Lippert was able to cut the Tommie lead down to just five at 48-43 when she scored inside at the 6:58 mark. But as Rahman told me later, the Cobbers left a lot of points off the board with missed easy opportunities inside and a relatively poor shooting percentage overall (30.6%) doomed the Corn on this night and they never could quite find that momentum builder that would allow them to get even. Of course, the other reason was that the Tommie's had the weapons that would keep the Cobbers at bay on this night. Young made a sweet turnaround jumper at the 6:23 mark and then Ring swished home a "3" from the left wing at the 3:44 mark that upped the Tommie lead to 56-47. The real dagger came when Young was left alone at the top of the key at the 2:25 mark as she pulled up and calmly drained a "3" for a 59-50 UST lead that was, for all intents and purposes, the ball game as UST was able to salt things away from the charity stripe in the home stretch to claim a tough 65-53 win.
It became quite evident early on that this game was going to be the typical defensive slugfest that I had anticipated between these two squads who pride themselves for their defensive prowess as scoring came at a premium in the first half. Senior guard Emily Thesing's "3" from the top of the key gave the Cobbers a 3-1 lead by the 18:07 mark but the Tommies quickly came back and tied the issue at 3-all behind senior guard Kellie Ring's drive along the left baseline and finish at the 17:31 mark. Concordia would slowly build a slight advantage as the first half progressed. Senior guard Tricia Sorensen's "3" from the left top at the 14:31 mark gave Concordia an 8-5 lead then the lanky blonde from Bismarck, who also excels at juggling acts with her dad during the summer months, struck again at the 9:13 mark with a drive and short jumper in the lane that tied things up at 15 and two freebies a bit later at the 8:06 mark gave Concordia a 17-15 lead. The Cobbers were able to expand this lead to as many as five points at 22-17 by the 5:30 mark fueled by two charity stripe shots by Thesing and strong work inside by freshman Olivia Johnson with a rebound and putback at the 5:42 mark.
Glaringly for the Cobbers, however, was the fact that their towering 6'4" junior center Alexandra Lippert had been held scoreless save for two freebies early on in the first half as the Tommies effectively had shut her down and the Tommies were able to erase that small cushion Concordia had coming down the stretch. Ring made a sweet drive and finish at the 4:07 mark and junior Ms. Everything Taylor Young's turnaround jumper with just under two minutes remaining pulled the Tommies to withing one at 26-25. Sophomore reserve gaurd Laura Margarit gave the Tommies the lead again with just :23 left in the first half with a rebound and putback and fellow sophomore reserve Elaine Warner connected on a lay-up with just :03 left to give the Tommies a 29-26 edge at the break. Still, in my mind, the tempo of this game favored Concordia and I wondered what adjustments UST Head Coach Ruth Sinn would make at halftime to counter that.
Concordia wasted no time getting Lippert involved in the offense as the second half began as she scored inside at the 19:48 mark to cut UST's lead to one and a Sorensen jumper for the right wing at the 17:40 mark tied things at 32-all and you had that feeling that the Cobbers had the Tommies right where they wanted them. However, this talent-laden and experienced UST squad with its run to the Final Four last year knows how to respond in these types of pressure-packed situations and they've proved it already this year when they had to fight off a double-digit deficit to then-#1 ranked UW-Stevens Point in the second half. And the Tommies knew what buttons to press on this night as well. Junior guard Kelly Brandenburg's rebound and putback at the 17:04 mark was the start of a 7-0 run that really made the difference in this game as Concordia never could quite get it going again. Sophomore sensation Jen Dockter finished the 7-0 run at the 14:17 mark and then Ring, proving how dangerous she really is, picked the pocket of Concordia sophomore Alley Fisher for a steal and lay-up and a 41-33 UST lead.
The Tommie lead expanded to as many as eleven at 46-35 by the 9:02 mark when Warner put down two freebies from the charity stripe before the Cobbers were able to make inroads on the Tommie advantage. Sorensen banged home a "3" from the left wing at the 8:46 mark and Lippert was able to cut the Tommie lead down to just five at 48-43 when she scored inside at the 6:58 mark. But as Rahman told me later, the Cobbers left a lot of points off the board with missed easy opportunities inside and a relatively poor shooting percentage overall (30.6%) doomed the Corn on this night and they never could quite find that momentum builder that would allow them to get even. Of course, the other reason was that the Tommie's had the weapons that would keep the Cobbers at bay on this night. Young made a sweet turnaround jumper at the 6:23 mark and then Ring swished home a "3" from the left wing at the 3:44 mark that upped the Tommie lead to 56-47. The real dagger came when Young was left alone at the top of the key at the 2:25 mark as she pulled up and calmly drained a "3" for a 59-50 UST lead that was, for all intents and purposes, the ball game as UST was able to salt things away from the charity stripe in the home stretch to claim a tough 65-53 win.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Gustavus vs Augsburg Synopsis 11-28-12
After finishing up with the UW-Superior-Northwestern game, I hurried over to Augsburg's Si Melby Hall to catch the opening night of MIAC action and the Gustavus - Augsburg clash. I got seated and settled in at halftime with Augsburg holding a 25-23 lead.
The Auggies looked as if they might have the upper hand at home as the second half got underway. And it was junior guard Jolene Blood who was doing much of the damage for Augsburg as she scored inside at the 19:50 mark and then connected with one of her patented rainbow "3's" at the 17:26 mark; this one from the left wing that upped the Auggie advantage to 30-25. But the Gusties countered behind senior forward Abby Rothenbuehler and surprising freshman post Karina Schroeder and senior Kelsey Florian as they helped Gustavus close to within 31-30 by the 16:02 mark. Then it was Rothenbuehler that brought the Gusties even at 33-all by the 15:17 mark with her score inside and then it was junior reserve Britta Rinke who gave the Gusties the lead for good at 35-33 with her jumper at the 14:49 mark. Gustavus upped that lead to 38-33 by the 13:45 mark when Rothenbuehler connected with a "3" from the left top and then went on a 7-2 run over the next two minutes that really was the difference-maker in this contest. Though the Auggies would briefly make a surge that would close the gap to a scant four points by the midway point of the second half, the Gusties had effectively shut down Auggie senior Brittany Zins in the second half and forced Augsburg to flail away from behind the arc. It was a "pick your poison" type of proposition but it seemed to work out okay for the Gusties on this night anyway as they had built up a 17 point cushion at 57-40 by the 6:09 mark when Florian connected on a short jumper. Blood did her best to give the Auggies some life in the waning moments with two of her cloud-scraping three-point shots but the Gusties would prevail in this one by a final count of 63-52 giving new Gustavus Head Coach Laurie Kelly her first MIAC win and making recent Gustie greats Bri Radtke, Colleen Ruane, Molly Geske, and Liz Shay very happy as they were all in attendance on this night.
The Auggies looked as if they might have the upper hand at home as the second half got underway. And it was junior guard Jolene Blood who was doing much of the damage for Augsburg as she scored inside at the 19:50 mark and then connected with one of her patented rainbow "3's" at the 17:26 mark; this one from the left wing that upped the Auggie advantage to 30-25. But the Gusties countered behind senior forward Abby Rothenbuehler and surprising freshman post Karina Schroeder and senior Kelsey Florian as they helped Gustavus close to within 31-30 by the 16:02 mark. Then it was Rothenbuehler that brought the Gusties even at 33-all by the 15:17 mark with her score inside and then it was junior reserve Britta Rinke who gave the Gusties the lead for good at 35-33 with her jumper at the 14:49 mark. Gustavus upped that lead to 38-33 by the 13:45 mark when Rothenbuehler connected with a "3" from the left top and then went on a 7-2 run over the next two minutes that really was the difference-maker in this contest. Though the Auggies would briefly make a surge that would close the gap to a scant four points by the midway point of the second half, the Gusties had effectively shut down Auggie senior Brittany Zins in the second half and forced Augsburg to flail away from behind the arc. It was a "pick your poison" type of proposition but it seemed to work out okay for the Gusties on this night anyway as they had built up a 17 point cushion at 57-40 by the 6:09 mark when Florian connected on a short jumper. Blood did her best to give the Auggies some life in the waning moments with two of her cloud-scraping three-point shots but the Gusties would prevail in this one by a final count of 63-52 giving new Gustavus Head Coach Laurie Kelly her first MIAC win and making recent Gustie greats Bri Radtke, Colleen Ruane, Molly Geske, and Liz Shay very happy as they were all in attendance on this night.
UW-Superior vs Northwestern 11-28-12
Was over at Northwestern's Ericksen Center last night to take in the 5:30 P.M. non-conference clash between up-and-coming UW-Superior out of the WIAC and host Northwestern from the UMAC. This was my very first look at the UW-Superior squad outside of the summer league and at the end of the night I would come away VERY impressed.
The night started out on a bright note for the host Eagles as junior guard Mollie Sir and sophomore guard Chanel Madson performed an incredibly sweet-sounding duet for the National Anthem that rocked the house. Unfortunately for Northwestern, the shooting touch on this night wasn't quite as solid as the singing was. Still, the Eagles and Yellowjackets were neck-and-neck for the first 8-9 minutes. Sir got the Eagles going first with her jumper in transition at the 18:28 mark and Northwestern increased the lead to 5-2 when Madson was able to score inside and got fouled in the process and made the obligatory freebie at the 17:40 mark. UW-Superior countered with senior forward Hillary Peterson's move inside and a shot the beat the shot clock at the 17:10 mark and a jumper by sophomore sensation Sally Linzmeier (just a hint of things to come from her) at the 16:42 mark. Senior guard Connie Urmanski's "3" at the 16:03 mark gave the Yellowjackets a 9-7 lead but the Eagles came right back when junior forward/post Jessica Fife made a strong move inside at the 15:32 mark to finish. Linzmeier scored on a lay-up in transition at the 14:32 mark and then freshman forward Courtney Cunard connected with a jumper along the right baseline at the 11:50 mark to tie things at 11-all. It LOOKED as if we might have a heckuva battle on our hands at that point.
But, as we all know, looks can be incredibly deceiving sometimes and it was on this night. Junior reserve guard Britnee Blake scored at the 11:30 mark to give the Yellowjackets a 13-11 lead and UW-Superior never looked back as they Yellowjackets proceeded to go on a 15-0 run over the next four minutes that changed the course of the game for good. The run was highlighted by some incredible play by Linzmeier who scored off of one steal at the 10:32 mark and then again was a thief in the night with another steal and lay-up at the 10:26 mark along with a score inside at the 10:12 mark. The only fly in the ointment at the time for UW-Superior was that senior guard Kailee McDonald had picked up three quick (and questionable) fouls during this period although that didn't seem to faze her too much as she calmly banged home a "3" at the 7:51 mark from the top of the key. Linzmeier increased the Yellowjacket lead to 32-13 by the 4:17 mark with yet ANOTHER steal and lay-up before Northwestern finally caught their collective breaths and made a dent into the UW-Superior bulge. Sir connected with another running jumper at the 3:23 mark and then Cunard also connected with a "3" at the 2:32 mark that helped the Eagles slice into the UW-Superior advantage at halftime; down 34-21.
The Sally Linzmeier show made an encore second half performance as well as she helped the Yellowjackets get off to a roaring start after the halftime break. She made a steal and lay-up at the 18:47 mark and grabbed a rebound and got a putback at the 17:18 mark that sandwiched two freebies from the charity stripe at the 18:09 mark.. Down 45-23 at this point, Northwestern tried to respond with a lights out downtown shooting display as Sir, Madson, and Cunard all displayed their three-point prowess within a span of two minutes but each time the Yellowjackets had an answer as they were able to maintain that 16-20 cushion and upped the lead to as much as 25 points by the 5:25 mark. UW-Superior did the damage with a fantastic defensive effort that put a lot of pressure on the Northwestern guards in the half court that really took the Eagles out of their rythm which was really the game in a nutshell. The final 76-55 score really wasn't even that close to be honest. This Yellowjacket team is not your typical WIAC team that beats you down with brute physical brutality a la UW-Stevens Point, UW-Whitewater, UW-River Falls. Rather, this is a speedy, athletic team that can not only get up and down the floor but also wreaks havoc with their defense led by Linzmeier who is an absolute terror on the defensive side. They're not that big either (nobody over 6'0") which actually meshes well with their style of play. They're going to be a force to contend with on the other side of the River and it wouldn't surprise me at all if they make a LOT of noise in the WIAC playoffs come February.
The night started out on a bright note for the host Eagles as junior guard Mollie Sir and sophomore guard Chanel Madson performed an incredibly sweet-sounding duet for the National Anthem that rocked the house. Unfortunately for Northwestern, the shooting touch on this night wasn't quite as solid as the singing was. Still, the Eagles and Yellowjackets were neck-and-neck for the first 8-9 minutes. Sir got the Eagles going first with her jumper in transition at the 18:28 mark and Northwestern increased the lead to 5-2 when Madson was able to score inside and got fouled in the process and made the obligatory freebie at the 17:40 mark. UW-Superior countered with senior forward Hillary Peterson's move inside and a shot the beat the shot clock at the 17:10 mark and a jumper by sophomore sensation Sally Linzmeier (just a hint of things to come from her) at the 16:42 mark. Senior guard Connie Urmanski's "3" at the 16:03 mark gave the Yellowjackets a 9-7 lead but the Eagles came right back when junior forward/post Jessica Fife made a strong move inside at the 15:32 mark to finish. Linzmeier scored on a lay-up in transition at the 14:32 mark and then freshman forward Courtney Cunard connected with a jumper along the right baseline at the 11:50 mark to tie things at 11-all. It LOOKED as if we might have a heckuva battle on our hands at that point.
But, as we all know, looks can be incredibly deceiving sometimes and it was on this night. Junior reserve guard Britnee Blake scored at the 11:30 mark to give the Yellowjackets a 13-11 lead and UW-Superior never looked back as they Yellowjackets proceeded to go on a 15-0 run over the next four minutes that changed the course of the game for good. The run was highlighted by some incredible play by Linzmeier who scored off of one steal at the 10:32 mark and then again was a thief in the night with another steal and lay-up at the 10:26 mark along with a score inside at the 10:12 mark. The only fly in the ointment at the time for UW-Superior was that senior guard Kailee McDonald had picked up three quick (and questionable) fouls during this period although that didn't seem to faze her too much as she calmly banged home a "3" at the 7:51 mark from the top of the key. Linzmeier increased the Yellowjacket lead to 32-13 by the 4:17 mark with yet ANOTHER steal and lay-up before Northwestern finally caught their collective breaths and made a dent into the UW-Superior bulge. Sir connected with another running jumper at the 3:23 mark and then Cunard also connected with a "3" at the 2:32 mark that helped the Eagles slice into the UW-Superior advantage at halftime; down 34-21.
The Sally Linzmeier show made an encore second half performance as well as she helped the Yellowjackets get off to a roaring start after the halftime break. She made a steal and lay-up at the 18:47 mark and grabbed a rebound and got a putback at the 17:18 mark that sandwiched two freebies from the charity stripe at the 18:09 mark.. Down 45-23 at this point, Northwestern tried to respond with a lights out downtown shooting display as Sir, Madson, and Cunard all displayed their three-point prowess within a span of two minutes but each time the Yellowjackets had an answer as they were able to maintain that 16-20 cushion and upped the lead to as much as 25 points by the 5:25 mark. UW-Superior did the damage with a fantastic defensive effort that put a lot of pressure on the Northwestern guards in the half court that really took the Eagles out of their rythm which was really the game in a nutshell. The final 76-55 score really wasn't even that close to be honest. This Yellowjacket team is not your typical WIAC team that beats you down with brute physical brutality a la UW-Stevens Point, UW-Whitewater, UW-River Falls. Rather, this is a speedy, athletic team that can not only get up and down the floor but also wreaks havoc with their defense led by Linzmeier who is an absolute terror on the defensive side. They're not that big either (nobody over 6'0") which actually meshes well with their style of play. They're going to be a force to contend with on the other side of the River and it wouldn't surprise me at all if they make a LOT of noise in the WIAC playoffs come February.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Northwestern vs Augsburg 11-26-12
Was over at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall for this Monday evening non-conference clash between Northwestern out of the UMAC and host Augsburg. I got myself settled in right before the tip-off as the Augsburg site had listed a 7:30 P.M. starting time but they were obviously off by a half hour.
The Auggies, with several new faces on the roster, got off to a good start in this one. Junior Anne Skriba, who transferred to Augsburg from Concordia St. Paul drew first blood when she scored inside at the 19:03 mark and another score at the 18:38 mark pushed that lead to 4-0 before Northwestern junior forward/post Jessica Fife got the Eagles on the board with her jumper from the left baseline area a bit later. Stll, the Auggies were able to increase their advantage to as much as 11-3 by the 15:01 mark when lanky Auggie junior Jill Tichy connected with a jumper.
Gradually, the Eagles would chip into that Auggie lead. Sophomore guard Chanel Madson scored on a jumper at the 14:42 mark and then both Fife and Madson would add points from the charity stripe that cut the Auggie lead down to a much more manageable 12-9. The Eagles would tie things up at 14-all when freshman reserve forward Kim Campell connected with a "3" along the right baseline at the 11:05 mark and then Northwestern took a 16-14 lead when freshman forward Courtney Cunard made a nice drive and finish at the 10:15 mark. But just when the Auggies appeared vulnerable they bounced right back. Tichy connected with a "3" from the right wing that helped Augsburg reclaim the lead at 17-16 and then Tichy was able to manuever inside to score with 6:43 left for a 19-16 Auggie lead. Then it was sophomore Abbey Luger's turn to steal the spotlight as she snared a steal and went the other way for a lay-up with 6:10 left and then made a strong drive along the left baseline and finished and got fouled in the process. That, along with the obligatory freebie got the Auggies back up to a 24-16 lead and they controlled the tempo throughout the rest of the first half to hold a 33-27 lead at the halftime break.
Just as they did against Macalester a week ago, Northwestern got off to a quick start as the second half got underway. Junior forward Hannah Holm calmly sank two freebies at the 19:50 mark after being fouled and then Fife connected with a jumper at the 19:25 mark. Holm then swished home a "3" at the 18:53 mark and suddenly the Eagles were within one at 35-34. Junior sharpshooting guard Mollie Sir, who is dangerous behind the arc, tied the issue at 39-all when she banged home one of her patented three-point bombs at the 17:09 mark. Alas, that would be as close as Northwestern would get to sniffing victory as the Auggies once again responded. Senior forward Brittany Zins, doing her dirty work down low (as usual) made two freebies at the 15:57 mark and then was able to score inside at the 15:22 mark. Then it was the southpaw Luger who connected from behind the arc at the 13:39 mark that helped fuel a 12-2 Auggie run over nearly an 8-minute span that was the difference-maker. The Eagles would threaten and get to within four thanks to 3's from Cunard and Madson but Skriba connected with her own "3" from the left wing with 5:02 left and another jumper at the 4:00 mark for a 62-52 mark seemed to seal Northwestern's fate on this night as the Eagles would not get closer than ten the rest of the way. Augsburg came out on top this night by a final tally of 70-56 and as Northwestern Head Coach Aaron Kahl told me afterward turnovers played a key role in the Eagles demise in this contest and that's something they've got to address as the prepare for UMAC play.
The Auggies, with several new faces on the roster, got off to a good start in this one. Junior Anne Skriba, who transferred to Augsburg from Concordia St. Paul drew first blood when she scored inside at the 19:03 mark and another score at the 18:38 mark pushed that lead to 4-0 before Northwestern junior forward/post Jessica Fife got the Eagles on the board with her jumper from the left baseline area a bit later. Stll, the Auggies were able to increase their advantage to as much as 11-3 by the 15:01 mark when lanky Auggie junior Jill Tichy connected with a jumper.
Gradually, the Eagles would chip into that Auggie lead. Sophomore guard Chanel Madson scored on a jumper at the 14:42 mark and then both Fife and Madson would add points from the charity stripe that cut the Auggie lead down to a much more manageable 12-9. The Eagles would tie things up at 14-all when freshman reserve forward Kim Campell connected with a "3" along the right baseline at the 11:05 mark and then Northwestern took a 16-14 lead when freshman forward Courtney Cunard made a nice drive and finish at the 10:15 mark. But just when the Auggies appeared vulnerable they bounced right back. Tichy connected with a "3" from the right wing that helped Augsburg reclaim the lead at 17-16 and then Tichy was able to manuever inside to score with 6:43 left for a 19-16 Auggie lead. Then it was sophomore Abbey Luger's turn to steal the spotlight as she snared a steal and went the other way for a lay-up with 6:10 left and then made a strong drive along the left baseline and finished and got fouled in the process. That, along with the obligatory freebie got the Auggies back up to a 24-16 lead and they controlled the tempo throughout the rest of the first half to hold a 33-27 lead at the halftime break.
Just as they did against Macalester a week ago, Northwestern got off to a quick start as the second half got underway. Junior forward Hannah Holm calmly sank two freebies at the 19:50 mark after being fouled and then Fife connected with a jumper at the 19:25 mark. Holm then swished home a "3" at the 18:53 mark and suddenly the Eagles were within one at 35-34. Junior sharpshooting guard Mollie Sir, who is dangerous behind the arc, tied the issue at 39-all when she banged home one of her patented three-point bombs at the 17:09 mark. Alas, that would be as close as Northwestern would get to sniffing victory as the Auggies once again responded. Senior forward Brittany Zins, doing her dirty work down low (as usual) made two freebies at the 15:57 mark and then was able to score inside at the 15:22 mark. Then it was the southpaw Luger who connected from behind the arc at the 13:39 mark that helped fuel a 12-2 Auggie run over nearly an 8-minute span that was the difference-maker. The Eagles would threaten and get to within four thanks to 3's from Cunard and Madson but Skriba connected with her own "3" from the left wing with 5:02 left and another jumper at the 4:00 mark for a 62-52 mark seemed to seal Northwestern's fate on this night as the Eagles would not get closer than ten the rest of the way. Augsburg came out on top this night by a final tally of 70-56 and as Northwestern Head Coach Aaron Kahl told me afterward turnovers played a key role in the Eagles demise in this contest and that's something they've got to address as the prepare for UMAC play.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
UW-Stevens Point vs UST 11-25-12
Was over at the "new" Schoenecker Arena in the Anderson Athletic Complex earlier today for this rare Sunday afternoon titanic non-conference clash between WIAC powerhouse (and current #1) UW-Stevens Point and host St. Thomas. Upon my arrival, I found out that the Tommies were without BOTH All-Americans Taylor Young and Maggie Weiers for this game with ankle injuries. While Young is hopeful that she can return to action by the first of the year (perhaps sooner), Weiers is out for the year with ligament damage; a huge blow to this UST squad with such high hopes.
Nonetheless, things were relatively tight over the first few minutes as senior point guard Kelly Ring got the Tommies on the board first with a jumper from the elbow at the 19:39 mark that was quickly matched by Pointer standout senior guard Sam Barber's jumper at the 17:35 mark. With UW-Stevens Point holding a 5-4 lead at the 16:20 mark, the Pointers went on a 9-2 run over a nearly five minute stretch; highlighted by junior guard Jenna Pitt's "3" from the left top at the 11:46 mark. Despite a mini-push by the Tommies that consisted of a sweet drive and finish by sophomore guard Jen Dockter and a "3" sophomore reserve guard Carley Emery, the Pointers increased the lead back to eight points by the 8:32 mark when senior guard Liz Althoff made an unbelievable rebound and putback under the basket and got fouled in the process as well. At that point, it lookes as if the Tommies would be fighting an uphill battle the rest of the way.
But this UST squad, fresh off of its Final Four appearance this last season, is a resilient group - even without its two All-Americans in action. Junior "do it all" guard Kelly Brandenburg scored at the 8:19 mark but then it was the solid senior Ring's turn to stand out. Not once, but TWICE she made incredible steals and went for lay-ups the other way that fueled a 12-2 Tommie run that had the Pointer lead whittled down to 23-21 by the 6:06 mark. The Tommies would pull even at 26-all when sophomore reserve forward Elaine Warner nailed a "3" from the left corner at the 3:24 mark and the Tommies would pull even again at the 2:35 mark when sophomore forward/post Anna Smith out of Bloomington Jefferson was able to manuever inside and score. The Pointers, however, countered with a short jumper by sophomore Taylor Atkinson at the 1:45 mark and a score inside by lanky 6'2" post Myranda Tyler that allowed UW-Stevens Point to take a slim 33-30 lead into the locker room at the half.
The Pointers wasted no time in trying to put distance between themselves and their MIAC opponent as they opened up the second half on a very efficient 13-3 run highlighted by a Barber "3" from the right top that put the Tommies in a hole; down 46-33 by the 16:11 mark and had a lot of spectators in attendance - including your's truly - wondering if this depleted Tommie team could possibly respond once again. But whatever doubts I may have had were quickly erased as this incredibly resilient team responded once again; highlighted by some suffocating defense and incredibly solid play from both Ring and Dockter who were both nails on this day not to mention a rebounding machine in Smith who refused to be fazed by this daunting situation. And it must have made recent Tommie greats such as Jen Gillard, Anna Swanson, Carolyn Dienhart, Haley Loesch, and Ali Johnson - all in attendance - very proud of the current group that keeps the tradition going at UST.
After a freebie by Ring at the 15:28 mark, Smith was able to convert in transition at the 14:39 mark and then a "3" by reserve sophomore guard Carley Emery at the 14:09 mark finally gave this team some confidence that it was needing - and it proved to be contagious. Dockter made a hard drive and finish at the 12:57 mark and Smith did the same at the 10:36 mark. Junior reserve guard Anessa Hicks sank two shots from the charity stripe at the 10:26 mark and then Brandenburg banged home a "3" from the right wing at the 9:46 mark; completing an astonishing 15-3 run that tied the issue at 48-all. The Tommies then retook the lead at the 9:10 mark when sophomore reserve guard Hannah Hughes swished a "3" from the left corner.
Reeling from this counter-attack by the Tommies, the Pointers had to fight, scratch and claw for everything they got coming down the stretch. Trailing 55-50, Barber banged home a "3" from the top of the key at the 6:01 mark and made it a one-possession game again. But each time the Pointers threatened, it was either Ring or Dockter who held UW-Stevens Point at bay. Ring sank a "3" from the right corner at the 5:40 mark and then Dockter did the same from the left top at the 4:36 mark that upped the Tommie lead to 61-53. Barber refused to let her teams hopes fade quietly into the late afternoon darkness as she snared a steal and went the other way for a lay-up with 3:36 left and was able to score inside with 2:58 left that at least had the Pointers within striking distance. Pointer sophomore Taylor Bahr got her team to within one at 65-64 with 1:35 left when she connected with a jumper off the glass. But again, it was fortunate for the Tommies that they had a "Dockter" in the house as the sophomore made yet another incredible hard drive and finish at the 1:08 mark that got her fouled in the process that once again made it a two-possesion game at 68-64. Smith increased that lead to 70-64 with her jumper from the left elbow and after another Barber "3" from the top of the key that whittled the Tommie lead to 70-67 sophomore reserve guard Hannah Hughes hauled in a baseball pass as the Pointers were putting a lot of pressure on the inbounds pass and got a lay-up out of it for a 72-67 Tommie lead. Bahr hit a "3" of her own with just 08.7 left to cut the Tommie lead to 72-70 but Dockter was able to get the back end of a 1-and-1 on the ensuing possesion to make it 73-70 with :06.4 left. The Pointers had one more chance; they quickly got it down the court and got a decent look from behind the arc but the shot banged off the rim and the Tommies claimed a HUGE 73-70 win over the current #1 ranked team in the country.
Afterward, assistant coach Chris Dalhed told me that they really didn't try to say too much to the team when they were down double digits early in the second half. They just had to take things possession by possession. Also, despite the fact that the Tommies shot relatively poorly in the first half (33.3%), the fact that they were getting decent looks forced some changes in the defensive schemes by UW-Stevens Point that opened things up on the floor and gave the Tommies some opportunites to drive the ball inside. Head Coach Ruth Sinn was quick to praise her young players who all were able to rise to the occasion in a big-time moment when there was a lot on the line early on in the season (Hicks, Emery, Hughes, Elaine Warner, Alyssa Favilla). Certainly a big win like this gives this young group a lot of confidence but they should be that much better once Young is able to return to action. Perhaps even more, important, this win will FINALLY give the MIAC some much-needed recognition by the rest of the country (particularly by the clueless Chianti Dan-type NCAA Tournament selection committee members who have screwed the MIAC over royally the last several years when it comes to handing out tourney bids) that this is indeed an incredibly tough conference from top to bottom that can play with anyone in the nation.
Nonetheless, things were relatively tight over the first few minutes as senior point guard Kelly Ring got the Tommies on the board first with a jumper from the elbow at the 19:39 mark that was quickly matched by Pointer standout senior guard Sam Barber's jumper at the 17:35 mark. With UW-Stevens Point holding a 5-4 lead at the 16:20 mark, the Pointers went on a 9-2 run over a nearly five minute stretch; highlighted by junior guard Jenna Pitt's "3" from the left top at the 11:46 mark. Despite a mini-push by the Tommies that consisted of a sweet drive and finish by sophomore guard Jen Dockter and a "3" sophomore reserve guard Carley Emery, the Pointers increased the lead back to eight points by the 8:32 mark when senior guard Liz Althoff made an unbelievable rebound and putback under the basket and got fouled in the process as well. At that point, it lookes as if the Tommies would be fighting an uphill battle the rest of the way.
But this UST squad, fresh off of its Final Four appearance this last season, is a resilient group - even without its two All-Americans in action. Junior "do it all" guard Kelly Brandenburg scored at the 8:19 mark but then it was the solid senior Ring's turn to stand out. Not once, but TWICE she made incredible steals and went for lay-ups the other way that fueled a 12-2 Tommie run that had the Pointer lead whittled down to 23-21 by the 6:06 mark. The Tommies would pull even at 26-all when sophomore reserve forward Elaine Warner nailed a "3" from the left corner at the 3:24 mark and the Tommies would pull even again at the 2:35 mark when sophomore forward/post Anna Smith out of Bloomington Jefferson was able to manuever inside and score. The Pointers, however, countered with a short jumper by sophomore Taylor Atkinson at the 1:45 mark and a score inside by lanky 6'2" post Myranda Tyler that allowed UW-Stevens Point to take a slim 33-30 lead into the locker room at the half.
The Pointers wasted no time in trying to put distance between themselves and their MIAC opponent as they opened up the second half on a very efficient 13-3 run highlighted by a Barber "3" from the right top that put the Tommies in a hole; down 46-33 by the 16:11 mark and had a lot of spectators in attendance - including your's truly - wondering if this depleted Tommie team could possibly respond once again. But whatever doubts I may have had were quickly erased as this incredibly resilient team responded once again; highlighted by some suffocating defense and incredibly solid play from both Ring and Dockter who were both nails on this day not to mention a rebounding machine in Smith who refused to be fazed by this daunting situation. And it must have made recent Tommie greats such as Jen Gillard, Anna Swanson, Carolyn Dienhart, Haley Loesch, and Ali Johnson - all in attendance - very proud of the current group that keeps the tradition going at UST.
After a freebie by Ring at the 15:28 mark, Smith was able to convert in transition at the 14:39 mark and then a "3" by reserve sophomore guard Carley Emery at the 14:09 mark finally gave this team some confidence that it was needing - and it proved to be contagious. Dockter made a hard drive and finish at the 12:57 mark and Smith did the same at the 10:36 mark. Junior reserve guard Anessa Hicks sank two shots from the charity stripe at the 10:26 mark and then Brandenburg banged home a "3" from the right wing at the 9:46 mark; completing an astonishing 15-3 run that tied the issue at 48-all. The Tommies then retook the lead at the 9:10 mark when sophomore reserve guard Hannah Hughes swished a "3" from the left corner.
Reeling from this counter-attack by the Tommies, the Pointers had to fight, scratch and claw for everything they got coming down the stretch. Trailing 55-50, Barber banged home a "3" from the top of the key at the 6:01 mark and made it a one-possession game again. But each time the Pointers threatened, it was either Ring or Dockter who held UW-Stevens Point at bay. Ring sank a "3" from the right corner at the 5:40 mark and then Dockter did the same from the left top at the 4:36 mark that upped the Tommie lead to 61-53. Barber refused to let her teams hopes fade quietly into the late afternoon darkness as she snared a steal and went the other way for a lay-up with 3:36 left and was able to score inside with 2:58 left that at least had the Pointers within striking distance. Pointer sophomore Taylor Bahr got her team to within one at 65-64 with 1:35 left when she connected with a jumper off the glass. But again, it was fortunate for the Tommies that they had a "Dockter" in the house as the sophomore made yet another incredible hard drive and finish at the 1:08 mark that got her fouled in the process that once again made it a two-possesion game at 68-64. Smith increased that lead to 70-64 with her jumper from the left elbow and after another Barber "3" from the top of the key that whittled the Tommie lead to 70-67 sophomore reserve guard Hannah Hughes hauled in a baseball pass as the Pointers were putting a lot of pressure on the inbounds pass and got a lay-up out of it for a 72-67 Tommie lead. Bahr hit a "3" of her own with just 08.7 left to cut the Tommie lead to 72-70 but Dockter was able to get the back end of a 1-and-1 on the ensuing possesion to make it 73-70 with :06.4 left. The Pointers had one more chance; they quickly got it down the court and got a decent look from behind the arc but the shot banged off the rim and the Tommies claimed a HUGE 73-70 win over the current #1 ranked team in the country.
Afterward, assistant coach Chris Dalhed told me that they really didn't try to say too much to the team when they were down double digits early in the second half. They just had to take things possession by possession. Also, despite the fact that the Tommies shot relatively poorly in the first half (33.3%), the fact that they were getting decent looks forced some changes in the defensive schemes by UW-Stevens Point that opened things up on the floor and gave the Tommies some opportunites to drive the ball inside. Head Coach Ruth Sinn was quick to praise her young players who all were able to rise to the occasion in a big-time moment when there was a lot on the line early on in the season (Hicks, Emery, Hughes, Elaine Warner, Alyssa Favilla). Certainly a big win like this gives this young group a lot of confidence but they should be that much better once Young is able to return to action. Perhaps even more, important, this win will FINALLY give the MIAC some much-needed recognition by the rest of the country (particularly by the clueless Chianti Dan-type NCAA Tournament selection committee members who have screwed the MIAC over royally the last several years when it comes to handing out tourney bids) that this is indeed an incredibly tough conference from top to bottom that can play with anyone in the nation.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Northwestern vs Macalester 11-20-12
Despite still feeling a bit worn down from my long trip back from the Motherland where I got to watch my UCLA Bruins take back the great city of Los Angeles from our crosstown rival USC, I was over at Macalester's Leonard Center to take in the non-conference clash between UMAC opponent Northwestern and the hosts Scots. I figured that, at the least anyway, this would be an entertaining game and I was not disappointed.
Sophomore guard Chanel Madson got the purple-clad Eagles on the board first with her lay-up at the 18:53 mark and junior sharpshooting guard Mollie Sir helped build the lead to 6-2 with scores at the 16:35 and 15:40 marks. Junior forward Kathryn Medinger knocked down a jumper at the 15:40 mark to pull the Scots to within two points but a "3" junior forward Hannah Holm and another bucket by Madson helped push the Eagle lead to 11-4 by the 14:46 mark as Macalester was having some problems getting untracked early on the first half.
Northwestern was holding a 20-13 lead by the 9:58 mark thanks to junior post/forward Jessica Fife's score inside at the 9:58 mark but the Scots finally began to make a move. Senior point guard Kyanna Jones made a hard drive and finish at the 8:37 mark and after withstanding a "3" by Madson and a rebound and putback by Fife, junior guard Emma Leyden made a sweet steal and lay-up the other way at the 3:49 mark and then sophomore Annie Drabot's score inside helped pull the Scots to within one at 25-24 at the 3:19 mark. Freshman reserve post Abby Purfeerst's two free throws at the 2:52 mark gave Macalester its first lead at 26-25 and Jones' jumper with 1:21 left and another freebie at the 1:04 mark gave the Scots a 30-27 lead although that was whittled down to a scant point when freshman reserve forward Kim Campbell knocked down a jumper with just :03 left on the clock for the Eagles. Still, Macalester seemingly had to be feeling better about itself at the halftime break after the rough go out of the gate.
But Northwestern had other ideas once the second half got underway and they made their decisive move after the second half tip. After Macalester junior post Veronika Jakubovie upped the Scot lead to 32-29 with her score inside at the 17:37 mark, Sir let everyone know her presence as she drilled a "3" from the right corner at the 16:27 mark to tie things at 32-all. The Eagles took the lead back for good at the 15:43 mark when freshman Courtney Cunard knocked down a jumper from the left elbow and then the Eagles proceeded with a 7-0 run over the next three minutes for a 41-33 lead by the 12:57 mark and Sir pushed that lead to double digits with another "3" from the left top with 11:51 left.
Macalester meanwhile had a horrible time from a shooting standpoint given all the opportunites they had and it allowed Northwestern to keep the Scots at bay coming down the home stretch. The Scots did creep back to within six points at the 6:28 mark when Medinger connected with a short jumper and were able to cut it to four when Jakubovie snared a rebound and got a putback with 4:50 left. But after a Fife free throw Sir again strutted her stuff and banged home another "3" from the left corner with 4:11 left that upped the Eagle lead to nine at 52-43. Leyden connected with a short jumper with 3:54 mark and junior guard Taylor Pike's "3" from the left corner once again pulled the Scots to within four at 52-48 but the Eagles were very disciplined with the ball in the last few minutes that forced the Scots to go into foul mode allowing Northwestern to ice this game from the charity stripe and claim a 59-50 victory.
Sophomore guard Chanel Madson got the purple-clad Eagles on the board first with her lay-up at the 18:53 mark and junior sharpshooting guard Mollie Sir helped build the lead to 6-2 with scores at the 16:35 and 15:40 marks. Junior forward Kathryn Medinger knocked down a jumper at the 15:40 mark to pull the Scots to within two points but a "3" junior forward Hannah Holm and another bucket by Madson helped push the Eagle lead to 11-4 by the 14:46 mark as Macalester was having some problems getting untracked early on the first half.
Northwestern was holding a 20-13 lead by the 9:58 mark thanks to junior post/forward Jessica Fife's score inside at the 9:58 mark but the Scots finally began to make a move. Senior point guard Kyanna Jones made a hard drive and finish at the 8:37 mark and after withstanding a "3" by Madson and a rebound and putback by Fife, junior guard Emma Leyden made a sweet steal and lay-up the other way at the 3:49 mark and then sophomore Annie Drabot's score inside helped pull the Scots to within one at 25-24 at the 3:19 mark. Freshman reserve post Abby Purfeerst's two free throws at the 2:52 mark gave Macalester its first lead at 26-25 and Jones' jumper with 1:21 left and another freebie at the 1:04 mark gave the Scots a 30-27 lead although that was whittled down to a scant point when freshman reserve forward Kim Campbell knocked down a jumper with just :03 left on the clock for the Eagles. Still, Macalester seemingly had to be feeling better about itself at the halftime break after the rough go out of the gate.
But Northwestern had other ideas once the second half got underway and they made their decisive move after the second half tip. After Macalester junior post Veronika Jakubovie upped the Scot lead to 32-29 with her score inside at the 17:37 mark, Sir let everyone know her presence as she drilled a "3" from the right corner at the 16:27 mark to tie things at 32-all. The Eagles took the lead back for good at the 15:43 mark when freshman Courtney Cunard knocked down a jumper from the left elbow and then the Eagles proceeded with a 7-0 run over the next three minutes for a 41-33 lead by the 12:57 mark and Sir pushed that lead to double digits with another "3" from the left top with 11:51 left.
Macalester meanwhile had a horrible time from a shooting standpoint given all the opportunites they had and it allowed Northwestern to keep the Scots at bay coming down the home stretch. The Scots did creep back to within six points at the 6:28 mark when Medinger connected with a short jumper and were able to cut it to four when Jakubovie snared a rebound and got a putback with 4:50 left. But after a Fife free throw Sir again strutted her stuff and banged home another "3" from the left corner with 4:11 left that upped the Eagle lead to nine at 52-43. Leyden connected with a short jumper with 3:54 mark and junior guard Taylor Pike's "3" from the left corner once again pulled the Scots to within four at 52-48 but the Eagles were very disciplined with the ball in the last few minutes that forced the Scots to go into foul mode allowing Northwestern to ice this game from the charity stripe and claim a 59-50 victory.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Bethel vs Concordia St. Paul 11-15-12
The 2012-13 season started for me as I was over at the Gangelhoff Center on the campus of Concordia St. Paul to catch this Thursday night clash between visiting Bethel and host Concordia St. Paul in this rare non-conference match-up. This game was originally scheduled for Saturday (11-17) but had to be moved due to the volleyball tournament there this weekend (and possibly also because I'm going to be heading out to Los Angeles tonight to attend tomorrow's UCLA-USC game as well; well, maybe anyway!).
The host Golden Bears quickly got on the board first as sophomore post Anika Whiting took a quick pass from junior teammate Rachel Hansen and then Hansen connected with a jumper along the left baseline at the 19:04 mark for a 4-0 lead. After Bethel senior point guard Kristi Nye-Studanski made a drive and finish at the 18:27 mark, the Golden Bears proceeded to go on a 9-0 run over the next four minutes before the bleeding was finally stopped by junior reserve guard Katelyn Vavra's two free throws at the 14:59 mark. Still the Golden Bears would take advantage of Bethel miscues and poor shooting as they opened up a seemingly prohibitve and safe lead at 21-6 by the 8:25 mark.
Somewhat ironically, though, BOTH teams went into a scoring funk over the next four minutes as neither side could capitalize on any opportunities. Finally, sophomore forward Amanda Barton took the cobwebs off the rims when she connected with a short jumper at the 4:36 mark to up the lead to 23-6. Bethel would score twice coming down the stretch: a transition finish by freshman forward Megan Brodeur and two more freebies by Vavra. Concordia St. Paul was able to get one more basket at the 1:33 mark when junior guard Carissa Wolyniec made a nice drive and finish for a 25-10 lead that the Golden Bears would take into the locker room at halftime. However, the stat sheet for both sides was on the Roseann Barr side - uh, rather U-G-L-Y. Bethel's FG percentage was an icy 11.1% including going 0-7 from three point range. For Concordia St. Paul, they shot only 36.4% from FG range and went 0-7 as well from behind the arc. You had to figure that Head Coach Paul Fessler gave his Golden Bears a good talking-to at the half.
The Golden Bears would get untracked somewhat in the opening minutes of the second half. After Nye-Studanski's bucket at the 19:42 mark cut the lead to 25-12, the Golden Bears utilized scores from both Whiting and Hansen over a three minute period to up the lead to 34-12 and it looked like Concordia St. Paul could put things in cruise control. However, I had the sensation throughout most of the second half that Bethel, if they just could have capitalized on opportunites they had, could have easily whittled the margin down to single points which would have dramatically changed the complexion of the game. In any event, with the Golden Bears up 38-15 at the 13:35 mark after a drive and finish by sophomore reserve guard Kika Greenlee, the Royals made a 5-0 push when junior forward Nicole Berscheid connected with a jumper at the 13:06 mark and Nye-Studanski banged home a "3" from the left top at the 12:12 mark and then Brodeur manuevered inside and finished at the 11:18 mark that whittled the Concordia St. Paul advantage down to 38-22.
But again, each time Bethel made a little push, they never could quite consolidate on opportunites given to them that allowed the Golden Bears to keep their MIAC opponents at bay. Whiting finished in transition at the 10:44 mark for a 40-22 lead and then Hansen connected with a short jumper in the lane at the 9:35 mark. Bethel senior forward Kelly Swenson, hounded by Hansen all night, had a rough night from a scoring standpoint but did get inside at the 7:10 mark for a score. Interestingly enough, it was Vavra who provided much of the offensive spark for Bethel in the second half as she nailed a "3" from the top of the key at the 5:53 mark and then connected with a jumper off the glass at the 4:35 mark. Vavra left her mark on this game with a steal and shot the other way with just twelve ticks on the clock but the Golden Bears would protect their home court on this night winning by a final score of 55-37.
The host Golden Bears quickly got on the board first as sophomore post Anika Whiting took a quick pass from junior teammate Rachel Hansen and then Hansen connected with a jumper along the left baseline at the 19:04 mark for a 4-0 lead. After Bethel senior point guard Kristi Nye-Studanski made a drive and finish at the 18:27 mark, the Golden Bears proceeded to go on a 9-0 run over the next four minutes before the bleeding was finally stopped by junior reserve guard Katelyn Vavra's two free throws at the 14:59 mark. Still the Golden Bears would take advantage of Bethel miscues and poor shooting as they opened up a seemingly prohibitve and safe lead at 21-6 by the 8:25 mark.
Somewhat ironically, though, BOTH teams went into a scoring funk over the next four minutes as neither side could capitalize on any opportunities. Finally, sophomore forward Amanda Barton took the cobwebs off the rims when she connected with a short jumper at the 4:36 mark to up the lead to 23-6. Bethel would score twice coming down the stretch: a transition finish by freshman forward Megan Brodeur and two more freebies by Vavra. Concordia St. Paul was able to get one more basket at the 1:33 mark when junior guard Carissa Wolyniec made a nice drive and finish for a 25-10 lead that the Golden Bears would take into the locker room at halftime. However, the stat sheet for both sides was on the Roseann Barr side - uh, rather U-G-L-Y. Bethel's FG percentage was an icy 11.1% including going 0-7 from three point range. For Concordia St. Paul, they shot only 36.4% from FG range and went 0-7 as well from behind the arc. You had to figure that Head Coach Paul Fessler gave his Golden Bears a good talking-to at the half.
The Golden Bears would get untracked somewhat in the opening minutes of the second half. After Nye-Studanski's bucket at the 19:42 mark cut the lead to 25-12, the Golden Bears utilized scores from both Whiting and Hansen over a three minute period to up the lead to 34-12 and it looked like Concordia St. Paul could put things in cruise control. However, I had the sensation throughout most of the second half that Bethel, if they just could have capitalized on opportunites they had, could have easily whittled the margin down to single points which would have dramatically changed the complexion of the game. In any event, with the Golden Bears up 38-15 at the 13:35 mark after a drive and finish by sophomore reserve guard Kika Greenlee, the Royals made a 5-0 push when junior forward Nicole Berscheid connected with a jumper at the 13:06 mark and Nye-Studanski banged home a "3" from the left top at the 12:12 mark and then Brodeur manuevered inside and finished at the 11:18 mark that whittled the Concordia St. Paul advantage down to 38-22.
But again, each time Bethel made a little push, they never could quite consolidate on opportunites given to them that allowed the Golden Bears to keep their MIAC opponents at bay. Whiting finished in transition at the 10:44 mark for a 40-22 lead and then Hansen connected with a short jumper in the lane at the 9:35 mark. Bethel senior forward Kelly Swenson, hounded by Hansen all night, had a rough night from a scoring standpoint but did get inside at the 7:10 mark for a score. Interestingly enough, it was Vavra who provided much of the offensive spark for Bethel in the second half as she nailed a "3" from the top of the key at the 5:53 mark and then connected with a jumper off the glass at the 4:35 mark. Vavra left her mark on this game with a steal and shot the other way with just twelve ticks on the clock but the Golden Bears would protect their home court on this night winning by a final score of 55-37.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
MIAC Predictions For 2012-13
Well, here we go. I've given this a lot of thought over the last several weeks and also wanted to see what some other thoughts were before I went and just put something out there. So here's my thoughts on how things will shake out this year.
Hands Down Favorite
1. UST - How can you NOT go with this squad? Other than losing the MIAC's 3-point shooting Queen in Ali Johnson and trusty guard Carolyn Dienhart along with do it all post Sarah Smith the Tommies have an abundance of talent coming back; notably all-world Taylor Young and the MIAC's premier post player in Maggie Weiers. And not only that, they have some great up and coming players in Kelly Brandenburg and former Eastview standout Jen Dockter. Perhaps the only thing different about this year's version is that they may not be infalliable as they were last year; asking them to go undefeated in the MIAC two years in a row may be a bridge too far. And let's also not forget that the Tommies get their mettle tested early - like this upcoming weekend - when they travel to Decatur, Illinois to take part in the Coaches vs Cancer Classic and take on preseason #1 Calvin on Friday night and then turn around and take on perennial powerhouse host Millikin. A week later, the Tommies then host WIAC favorite UW-Stevens Point. It's quite possible that a great team like UST could have a couple of dents in its record by the time they delve into MIAC play.
The Title Challengers
2. St. Olaf - Last year was something of a disappointment for the Oles as they showed potential from time to time but could turn around the next night and be wildly inconsistent and lose to the Detroit Lions of the hoops world. But the difference with this year's squad is that Head Coach Dave Stromme finally has depth at pretty much every position - a luxury he didn't enjoy last year. It's young depth but it's depth nonetheless. They've got a fantastic front line consisting of junior Elise Raney, senior Erin Haglund and sophomore Nikki Frogner who hails from Providence Academy. Sophomore Maddie Ehrich is now finally healthy again and senior Ashley Menzel and junior Brit Webber should be fully healthy soon. Stromme also has the best point guard in the conference, IMHO, in Mackenzie Wolter. Unfortunately, Wolter may be out for an undetermined amount of time with an injury and this may be where all that young depth has to step up in a hurry. Presumably freshman Lauren Gutierrez will fall into that spot. In any event, if there was ever a year where St. Olaf had a legitimate shot of winning the title, this year would have to be it.
3. Concordia - The Cobbers were probably one of the more under appreciated teams last year as they quietly went on a run late in the year before bowing to GAC in the MIAC playoff semifinals. Given how incredibly steady and consisten they are and with the returners they have coming back; not to mention one of the best coaches in the conference in Jessica Rahman, this squad will be that much better this year and have a shot to unseat UST as well. Seniors Tricia Sorensen and Emily Thesing have a knack for being in the right place at the right time (they learned well from their predecessors) and 6'4" post Alexandra Lippert is now a seasoned junior.
Solid Playoff Contenders
4. SMU - I have to admit that I really didn't know this team that well and only got to see them play once - when they upset St. Olaf in Northfield in the first round of the MIAC playoffs before bowing to UST. They have one of the top post players in the conference in junior Courtney Euerle and a very versatile player in senior Jamie Stefely along with solid guard play led by fellow senior Jessica Thone. They surprised a lot of people last year (including yours truly) in getting to the MIAC playoffs and now that they've done that they certainly have bigger and loftier goals for this season. I don't think that they're quite on the same level as either St. Olaf or Concordia; much less UST but they should be at least marginally better than what they were a year ago.
5. GAC - It's a new era in St. Peter as Laurie Kelly assumes the head coaching position that was held by Mickey Haller for 10+ seasons. This is a team that also lost the best point guard in the conference last year in Colleen Ruane along with Molly Geske and defensive specialist Ava Perry so there are some HUGE holes to fill here. The point guard spot will likely be inherited by senior Steph Comer who I felt slowly started coming into her own last season. There are plenty of other bright spots for the Gusties as well - senior post Abby Rothenbuehler and fellow senior Kelsey Florian along with junior three-point bomber Julia Dysthe and freshman sensation Lindsey Johnson. The big question for the Gusties is transitioning into a new system and how well they adapt. This should be a squad that is definitely good enough to at least get to the MIAC playoffs. Beyond that, I just don't know.
6. CSB - The Blazers are arguably one of the great unknowns to me and arguably to perhaps others as well. I simply don't know very much about this team other than they return seniors Whitney Canton, Morgan Dale and Jamie Wollin. This is a program that slipped badly a year ago and never could find any degree of consistency to get into that upper echelon where they normally find themselves. But, credit longtime Head Coach Mike Durbin for going out and hitting the recruiting trail HARD. Just looking at their roster has to make one salivate at what the future holds: 6'6" Sydney Hughes out of Olympia, Washington and 6'1" Sarah Berbos out of Fullerton, California; two lanky freshmen that highlight an impressive list of up and comers for the Blazers. This year may again be more of a learning year for this young team but they should be good enough to be in the playoff hunt and after that - LOOK OUT!!
Challenging For That Coveted Sixth Spot
7. Bethel - It's not easy to have to replace the MIAC's Player of The Year in Taylor Sheley but that's exactly what Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer has to do. Truth is, you can't really "replace" someone like Sheley who, in many ways, helped the Royals get back to back playoff berths single-handedly with her scoring ability. You just have to make the moving parts you do have work. And the Royals do have some very good moving parts beginning with senior Kelly Swenson who can be one of the dominant defensive players in the conference. She does have the ability to score as well and this year she needs to assert herself from an offensive standpoint. Also back is senior guard/forward Alicia Montbriand who has the ability to light things up from downtown along with capable junior Nicole Berscheid. Bethel's margin for error is much smaller than what it was last year and they have to avoid that Chicago Cub-like January swoon that could kill their chances.
8. Hamline - Granted, I've had some of my fantasy football teams go totally club med on me in years past but what happened at Hamline last year was utterly ridiculous as Head Coach Kerri Stockwell had to use bubble gum and baling wire just to keep her team intact through all the injuries they suffered last year. Despite losing post Steph Rice to graduation they still have a solid nucleus of returnees highlighted by senior three-point specialist Steph Pilgrim and senior forward Cassidy Vogt coming off an ACL injury back in January. Sophomore standout Jordan Sammons without question is one of the top athletes in the conference and can be a fantastic playmaker at any given moment. This is an incredibly athletic, fast squad although not one of the bigger squads in the conference. Needless to say, they have to keep their key cogs healthy at all times as depth could be an issue here as the season rolls along.
9. Macalester - I've learned over the years to never, NEVER underestimate an Ellen Thompson-coached squad. Even when she loses a great senior class from last season that included the three-point terrorist twin sister act of Jessica and Shannone Rene. Still, the Scots got a huge get from transfer post player Veronika Jakubovie that definitely filled a hole at that position. The roster at first glance may not look like much but one player to keep your eye on this year is junior Carmen Whitehead who has impressed yours truly in early season scrimmages. Also, senior point guard Kyanna Jones is one of the most dangerous backcourt players you'll find in the MIAC. They'll definitely have the ability to spoil some team's big dreams.
The Rest Of The Bunch
10. Augsburg - The Auggies were a big surprise last year as well and some key losses late in they year kept this squad out of the MIAC playoffs. Despite losing seniors Serenae Levine, Brittany Dyshaw and Lexi Thompson, Head Coach Bill McKee does have a solid enough group coming back highlighted by senior forward Brittany Zins. Last year at this time I had no idea what to think of this group and I find myself in the same quandry this time around as well.
11. Carleton - In some ways, I feel like I should have this squad higher than in the eleventh spot but, just like CSB, they are one of the great unknowns to me as I did not get to see this team play at all last year. When I got to visit with Head Coach Cassie Kosiba recently she seemed cautiously optimistic about her team's outlook for this season. And, why not? Despite struggling record-wise last year, this squad does have some players that make you stand up and take notice - particularly senior Akemi Arzouman and sophomore Skylar Tsutsui. I don't know if this squad is really ready to take the next step; i.e., contending for a MIAC playoff spot, but they should definitely be better this time around.
12. St. Kate's - The Wildcats also usher in a new era as well as new Head Coach Sean Pinkerton takes the reigns from Gary Rufsvold who stepped aside this last summer. This is still a very young team with not one senior on the roster. While not much may be expected of this year's edition of the Wildcats, they historically have not been the kind of team to simply go quietly in the night as they have been very scrappy at times and have given the best of teams fits. The 'Cats will be led by sophomore Sarina Baker and junior Kristen Lee who can light it up from downtown. A healthy Madison Pertler also returns as well and sophomore Sarah Mong looks to hold down the post spot this year.
Hands Down Favorite
1. UST - How can you NOT go with this squad? Other than losing the MIAC's 3-point shooting Queen in Ali Johnson and trusty guard Carolyn Dienhart along with do it all post Sarah Smith the Tommies have an abundance of talent coming back; notably all-world Taylor Young and the MIAC's premier post player in Maggie Weiers. And not only that, they have some great up and coming players in Kelly Brandenburg and former Eastview standout Jen Dockter. Perhaps the only thing different about this year's version is that they may not be infalliable as they were last year; asking them to go undefeated in the MIAC two years in a row may be a bridge too far. And let's also not forget that the Tommies get their mettle tested early - like this upcoming weekend - when they travel to Decatur, Illinois to take part in the Coaches vs Cancer Classic and take on preseason #1 Calvin on Friday night and then turn around and take on perennial powerhouse host Millikin. A week later, the Tommies then host WIAC favorite UW-Stevens Point. It's quite possible that a great team like UST could have a couple of dents in its record by the time they delve into MIAC play.
The Title Challengers
2. St. Olaf - Last year was something of a disappointment for the Oles as they showed potential from time to time but could turn around the next night and be wildly inconsistent and lose to the Detroit Lions of the hoops world. But the difference with this year's squad is that Head Coach Dave Stromme finally has depth at pretty much every position - a luxury he didn't enjoy last year. It's young depth but it's depth nonetheless. They've got a fantastic front line consisting of junior Elise Raney, senior Erin Haglund and sophomore Nikki Frogner who hails from Providence Academy. Sophomore Maddie Ehrich is now finally healthy again and senior Ashley Menzel and junior Brit Webber should be fully healthy soon. Stromme also has the best point guard in the conference, IMHO, in Mackenzie Wolter. Unfortunately, Wolter may be out for an undetermined amount of time with an injury and this may be where all that young depth has to step up in a hurry. Presumably freshman Lauren Gutierrez will fall into that spot. In any event, if there was ever a year where St. Olaf had a legitimate shot of winning the title, this year would have to be it.
3. Concordia - The Cobbers were probably one of the more under appreciated teams last year as they quietly went on a run late in the year before bowing to GAC in the MIAC playoff semifinals. Given how incredibly steady and consisten they are and with the returners they have coming back; not to mention one of the best coaches in the conference in Jessica Rahman, this squad will be that much better this year and have a shot to unseat UST as well. Seniors Tricia Sorensen and Emily Thesing have a knack for being in the right place at the right time (they learned well from their predecessors) and 6'4" post Alexandra Lippert is now a seasoned junior.
Solid Playoff Contenders
4. SMU - I have to admit that I really didn't know this team that well and only got to see them play once - when they upset St. Olaf in Northfield in the first round of the MIAC playoffs before bowing to UST. They have one of the top post players in the conference in junior Courtney Euerle and a very versatile player in senior Jamie Stefely along with solid guard play led by fellow senior Jessica Thone. They surprised a lot of people last year (including yours truly) in getting to the MIAC playoffs and now that they've done that they certainly have bigger and loftier goals for this season. I don't think that they're quite on the same level as either St. Olaf or Concordia; much less UST but they should be at least marginally better than what they were a year ago.
5. GAC - It's a new era in St. Peter as Laurie Kelly assumes the head coaching position that was held by Mickey Haller for 10+ seasons. This is a team that also lost the best point guard in the conference last year in Colleen Ruane along with Molly Geske and defensive specialist Ava Perry so there are some HUGE holes to fill here. The point guard spot will likely be inherited by senior Steph Comer who I felt slowly started coming into her own last season. There are plenty of other bright spots for the Gusties as well - senior post Abby Rothenbuehler and fellow senior Kelsey Florian along with junior three-point bomber Julia Dysthe and freshman sensation Lindsey Johnson. The big question for the Gusties is transitioning into a new system and how well they adapt. This should be a squad that is definitely good enough to at least get to the MIAC playoffs. Beyond that, I just don't know.
6. CSB - The Blazers are arguably one of the great unknowns to me and arguably to perhaps others as well. I simply don't know very much about this team other than they return seniors Whitney Canton, Morgan Dale and Jamie Wollin. This is a program that slipped badly a year ago and never could find any degree of consistency to get into that upper echelon where they normally find themselves. But, credit longtime Head Coach Mike Durbin for going out and hitting the recruiting trail HARD. Just looking at their roster has to make one salivate at what the future holds: 6'6" Sydney Hughes out of Olympia, Washington and 6'1" Sarah Berbos out of Fullerton, California; two lanky freshmen that highlight an impressive list of up and comers for the Blazers. This year may again be more of a learning year for this young team but they should be good enough to be in the playoff hunt and after that - LOOK OUT!!
Challenging For That Coveted Sixth Spot
7. Bethel - It's not easy to have to replace the MIAC's Player of The Year in Taylor Sheley but that's exactly what Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer has to do. Truth is, you can't really "replace" someone like Sheley who, in many ways, helped the Royals get back to back playoff berths single-handedly with her scoring ability. You just have to make the moving parts you do have work. And the Royals do have some very good moving parts beginning with senior Kelly Swenson who can be one of the dominant defensive players in the conference. She does have the ability to score as well and this year she needs to assert herself from an offensive standpoint. Also back is senior guard/forward Alicia Montbriand who has the ability to light things up from downtown along with capable junior Nicole Berscheid. Bethel's margin for error is much smaller than what it was last year and they have to avoid that Chicago Cub-like January swoon that could kill their chances.
8. Hamline - Granted, I've had some of my fantasy football teams go totally club med on me in years past but what happened at Hamline last year was utterly ridiculous as Head Coach Kerri Stockwell had to use bubble gum and baling wire just to keep her team intact through all the injuries they suffered last year. Despite losing post Steph Rice to graduation they still have a solid nucleus of returnees highlighted by senior three-point specialist Steph Pilgrim and senior forward Cassidy Vogt coming off an ACL injury back in January. Sophomore standout Jordan Sammons without question is one of the top athletes in the conference and can be a fantastic playmaker at any given moment. This is an incredibly athletic, fast squad although not one of the bigger squads in the conference. Needless to say, they have to keep their key cogs healthy at all times as depth could be an issue here as the season rolls along.
9. Macalester - I've learned over the years to never, NEVER underestimate an Ellen Thompson-coached squad. Even when she loses a great senior class from last season that included the three-point terrorist twin sister act of Jessica and Shannone Rene. Still, the Scots got a huge get from transfer post player Veronika Jakubovie that definitely filled a hole at that position. The roster at first glance may not look like much but one player to keep your eye on this year is junior Carmen Whitehead who has impressed yours truly in early season scrimmages. Also, senior point guard Kyanna Jones is one of the most dangerous backcourt players you'll find in the MIAC. They'll definitely have the ability to spoil some team's big dreams.
The Rest Of The Bunch
10. Augsburg - The Auggies were a big surprise last year as well and some key losses late in they year kept this squad out of the MIAC playoffs. Despite losing seniors Serenae Levine, Brittany Dyshaw and Lexi Thompson, Head Coach Bill McKee does have a solid enough group coming back highlighted by senior forward Brittany Zins. Last year at this time I had no idea what to think of this group and I find myself in the same quandry this time around as well.
11. Carleton - In some ways, I feel like I should have this squad higher than in the eleventh spot but, just like CSB, they are one of the great unknowns to me as I did not get to see this team play at all last year. When I got to visit with Head Coach Cassie Kosiba recently she seemed cautiously optimistic about her team's outlook for this season. And, why not? Despite struggling record-wise last year, this squad does have some players that make you stand up and take notice - particularly senior Akemi Arzouman and sophomore Skylar Tsutsui. I don't know if this squad is really ready to take the next step; i.e., contending for a MIAC playoff spot, but they should definitely be better this time around.
12. St. Kate's - The Wildcats also usher in a new era as well as new Head Coach Sean Pinkerton takes the reigns from Gary Rufsvold who stepped aside this last summer. This is still a very young team with not one senior on the roster. While not much may be expected of this year's edition of the Wildcats, they historically have not been the kind of team to simply go quietly in the night as they have been very scrappy at times and have given the best of teams fits. The 'Cats will be led by sophomore Sarina Baker and junior Kristen Lee who can light it up from downtown. A healthy Madison Pertler also returns as well and sophomore Sarah Mong looks to hold down the post spot this year.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
St. Olaf vs Northwestern Scrimmage 11-10-12
Was over in Roseville this A.M. to catch the Saturday scrimmage between visiting St. Olaf and host Northwestern; a neat MIAC - UMAC clash that I'd like to see more often. As the teams were warming up there were a few notable Oles in the walking wounded category: sophomore Sheridan Blanford, of course, still rehabbing from the ACL injury over the summer, junior Britt Weber in the final stages (hopefully, anyway) of her ACL rehab, senior Ashley Menzel; recovering from a quadriceps pull, but now also senior starting PG Mackenzie Wolter out with a herniated disc which could be a big blow for the Oles hopes of contending for the MIAC title. The Eagles were not without their injured players either; most notably sophomore post Jacki Smith recovering from a foot injury although Head Coach Aaron Kahl hopes that she'll be at full strength again sometime after the first of the year.
In the first twenty minute scrimmage, sophomore swing forward Maddie Ehrich got it going early for the Oles as she helped put her team up 4-0 with a short jumper at the 19:29 mark and a drive inside with a finish at the 19:00 mark. Junior forward/post Jessica Fife got the Eagles on the board at the 15:53 mark but St. Olaf was able to open up some breathing room thanks to sophomore post Nikki Frogner with free throws at the 15:06 mark and then scores at the 14:37 and 13:55 marks for an 11-2 St. Olaf lead. Freshman Ellie Werlein did get a couple of points for Northwestern in the form of free throws at the 13:55 and 13:15 marks but the Eagles were having a difficult time in coping with a tall St. Olaf front line that was really making life miserable for Fife and her ability to manuever with the ball after posting up.
But St. Olaf wasn't exactly error-free on offense in this first scrimmage either as they arguably looked all over the place and not on the same page although reserve freshman PG Lauren Gutierrez was doing her darndest to make things run as smoothly as possible. Still, the Oles were in a scoring drought for nearly five minutes from the 11:14 mark to the 6:26 mark when freshman Zoe Hansen finally dusted the cobwebs off the rim with her jumper that made it a 16-6 game. Freshman Courtney Cunard responded for Northwestern with a "3" from the right corner at the 5:24 mark to cut the deficit to seven points at 16-9 but junior post Elise Raney's rebound and putback at the 5:03 mark and freshman Kim Cerjan's steal and lay-up the other way stabilized the Ole advantage. Junior Mollie Sir's "3" from the top at the 2:53 mark and junior guard Kaia Larson's "3" from the right wing with 1:06 left threatened to bring the Eagles close again but St. Olaf was able to close out the first scrimmage with a rather unimpressive 22-17 win.
After regrouping in the intermission period (and some talking to by Head Coach Dave Stromme), the Oles made amends for the error-filled 1st scrimmage. With St. Olaf holding an 8-5 lead at the 17:33 mark, they proceeded to go on a 20-0 run over a period of roughly eleven minutes with Raney, Ehrich, and Frogner leading the way. Junior forward Hannah Holm finally stopped the bleeding for the Eagles with her "3" from the left top at the 7:59 mark but St. Olaf was firmly in control of this second scrimmage utlizing their size and ability to get into transition after turnovers as well. After another Sir "3" for Northwestern at the 6:46 mark, St. Olaf proceeded to go on a 12-0 run over the final minutes with seniors Erin Haglund, Kirstee Rotty, and (C'mon) Eileen O'Donoghue all contributing with scores to come out with a convincing 42-14 victory.
The third scrimmage of 20 minutes featured running time to speed things up but it didn't change St. Olaf's newfound confidence as they seemed to pick up right where they left off from the second scrimmage. After a back and forth tussle the first few minutes, Ole freshman Molly Dietrich banged home a "3" from the right top at the 13:06 mark that gave St. Olaf a 7-6 lead that they would never relinquish. An inside score by Raney at the 12:30 mark upped the Ole lead to 9-6 but the real show stealer of this third scrimmage for St. Olaf was Mackenzie Wolter's younger sister; freshman guard Afton Wolter who lit up the Ericksen Center with her three-point shooting prowess with bombs at the 6:53, 5:27, and 2:00 minute marks. Another "3" by freshman Katie Myhre plus a steal and lay-up the other way with :25 left and another Afton Wolter score just before the buzzer paced the Oles to a 30-13 win.
In the first twenty minute scrimmage, sophomore swing forward Maddie Ehrich got it going early for the Oles as she helped put her team up 4-0 with a short jumper at the 19:29 mark and a drive inside with a finish at the 19:00 mark. Junior forward/post Jessica Fife got the Eagles on the board at the 15:53 mark but St. Olaf was able to open up some breathing room thanks to sophomore post Nikki Frogner with free throws at the 15:06 mark and then scores at the 14:37 and 13:55 marks for an 11-2 St. Olaf lead. Freshman Ellie Werlein did get a couple of points for Northwestern in the form of free throws at the 13:55 and 13:15 marks but the Eagles were having a difficult time in coping with a tall St. Olaf front line that was really making life miserable for Fife and her ability to manuever with the ball after posting up.
But St. Olaf wasn't exactly error-free on offense in this first scrimmage either as they arguably looked all over the place and not on the same page although reserve freshman PG Lauren Gutierrez was doing her darndest to make things run as smoothly as possible. Still, the Oles were in a scoring drought for nearly five minutes from the 11:14 mark to the 6:26 mark when freshman Zoe Hansen finally dusted the cobwebs off the rim with her jumper that made it a 16-6 game. Freshman Courtney Cunard responded for Northwestern with a "3" from the right corner at the 5:24 mark to cut the deficit to seven points at 16-9 but junior post Elise Raney's rebound and putback at the 5:03 mark and freshman Kim Cerjan's steal and lay-up the other way stabilized the Ole advantage. Junior Mollie Sir's "3" from the top at the 2:53 mark and junior guard Kaia Larson's "3" from the right wing with 1:06 left threatened to bring the Eagles close again but St. Olaf was able to close out the first scrimmage with a rather unimpressive 22-17 win.
After regrouping in the intermission period (and some talking to by Head Coach Dave Stromme), the Oles made amends for the error-filled 1st scrimmage. With St. Olaf holding an 8-5 lead at the 17:33 mark, they proceeded to go on a 20-0 run over a period of roughly eleven minutes with Raney, Ehrich, and Frogner leading the way. Junior forward Hannah Holm finally stopped the bleeding for the Eagles with her "3" from the left top at the 7:59 mark but St. Olaf was firmly in control of this second scrimmage utlizing their size and ability to get into transition after turnovers as well. After another Sir "3" for Northwestern at the 6:46 mark, St. Olaf proceeded to go on a 12-0 run over the final minutes with seniors Erin Haglund, Kirstee Rotty, and (C'mon) Eileen O'Donoghue all contributing with scores to come out with a convincing 42-14 victory.
The third scrimmage of 20 minutes featured running time to speed things up but it didn't change St. Olaf's newfound confidence as they seemed to pick up right where they left off from the second scrimmage. After a back and forth tussle the first few minutes, Ole freshman Molly Dietrich banged home a "3" from the right top at the 13:06 mark that gave St. Olaf a 7-6 lead that they would never relinquish. An inside score by Raney at the 12:30 mark upped the Ole lead to 9-6 but the real show stealer of this third scrimmage for St. Olaf was Mackenzie Wolter's younger sister; freshman guard Afton Wolter who lit up the Ericksen Center with her three-point shooting prowess with bombs at the 6:53, 5:27, and 2:00 minute marks. Another "3" by freshman Katie Myhre plus a steal and lay-up the other way with :25 left and another Afton Wolter score just before the buzzer paced the Oles to a 30-13 win.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Anoka-Ramsey vs Macalester Scrimmage 1-7-12
Was over at Macalester's Leonard Center late Wednesday afternoon to catch the scrimmage between host Macalester and visiting Anoka-Ramsey; a match-up that you don't get to see on a regular basis. For the visiting Golden Rams - at least on this day anyway - it's probably just as well..
First off, it was quite obvious that Anoka-Ramsey was operating a bit short-handed again. While Maria Loughlin was there supporting her teammates with the left knee heavily wrapped and bandaged after suffering that ACL injury back in September on the first day of practice, Cami Bauer and Tasha Ambrose were also in street clothes and I don't know for sure if they were possibly injured or not. In any event, things did not start off well for the Golden Rams as Head Coach David DeWitt called a timeout at the 19:27 mark; obviously unhappy about something. The Scots, meanwhile, pounced early and often on their junior college opponents. Junior post Veronika Jakubovie connected with a short jumper in the lane at the 18:57 mark and senior point guard Kyanna Jones scored on a lay-up at the 18:09 mark. Junior guard Carmen Whitehead connected with a lay-up of her own in transition at the 17:52 mark and another Macalester score at the 17:00 mark ballooned the score to 8-0 before Anoka-Ramsey sophomore Kelli Schramm finally stopped the bleeding for a bit with her jumper along the left baseline at the 16:32 mark. Schramm would connect with a "3" from the top at the 14:28 mark but that was after Jones had made two steals for easy lay-ups the other way for Macalester. Sophomore Erika Weimann connected with a jumper at the 14:05 mark for a 14-5 Macalester lead.
It would only get worse for the Golden Rams and part of that reason was the emergence of Whitehead as a "go to" player for the Scots; something they desperately need with the graduated Rene twins (Jessica and Shannon who were both in attendance to root their old teammates on). She connected with a short jumper at the 10:55 mark and then knocked down another jumper at the 9:15 mark. A finish in transition by Whitehead at the 8:29 mark and then a score inside at the 6:18 mark helped to open up a big lead for the Scots at 27-9; a situation that Anoka-Ramsey does not find themselves in very often. Scores by freshman Erin Murray, sophomore Annie Drabot and freshman reserve post Abby Purfeerst made it 32-9 by the three minute intermission break.
Whitehead picked up right where she left off as the second half got underway as she made a steal and finished with a lay-up the other way at the 18:57 mark which resulted in another quick time-out by a VERY unhappy David DeWitt. Schramm tried to get her Anoka-Ramsey teammates going with her sweet turnaround move and shot at the 18:26 mark but another jumper by Whitehead at the 17:34 mark and a "3" by the junior who hails from Greeley, Colorado inflated the Macalester lead to 43-11 by the 16:37 mark. Schramm connected with a jumper at the 15:45 mark but she simply was not getting much help from a scoring standpoint from her teammates; particularly freshman Nicole Schaub, a three-point shooting machine who wreaked havoc during her high school days at Park Center. Schaub simply did not have a very good outing on this day as she would get open for three point tries but simply couldn't get much to go down although she did get a rebound and putback at the 12:49 mark. Macalester, however, simply couldn't miss on this day it seemed. Junior Taylor Pike drained a "3" from the top at the 9:32 mark and the Murray connected with a "3" from the right corner at the 6:58 mark. Junior Kathryn Medinger added her own "3" right before the final buzzer of the regular session for a 63-27 blowout win.
The Golden Rams and Scots also played an extra 20 minute session with running time after the 10:00 mark. Guess who got things started off for Macalester here? Whitehead, of course, as she banged down a "3" from the right wing at the 17:53 mark. A lay-up by Pike at the 17:04 mark and another one by Whitehead in transition at the 16:31 mark gave Macalester a touchdown lead at 7-0 before Schaub FINALLY connected from behind the arc at the 14:46 mark. But, like before, the Golden Rams simply could not get close enough to threaten the hosts. Two scores by Drabot - a jumper at the 10:21 mark and a steal and lay-up at the 10:08 mark quickly pushed the Macalester lead to 13-4. Schramm made a sweet reverse lay-up at the 7:46 mark but two more consecutive scores by Drabot coming down the stretch would give the Scots the cushion they needed. A late "3" by Anoka-Ramsey sophomore Tacita Gonzalez got the Golden Rams to double digits but Macalester won the extra session easily as well by a final score of 20-11.
I think it's probably a bit too early to make any assumptions about how Macalester might fare this year. Clearly they're not the same team they were last year without the Rene Sisters. It is nice to see how Whitehead is emerging as a real scoring threat for this squad and if she can be consistent the Scots can definitely be a dangerous team. I'm a little worried about Anoka-Ramsey at the moment, however. They still look horribly out of sorts on offense and they've simply GOT to find a way to all get on the same page. Moreover, they've GOT to find a way to stay healthy as well with Loughlin out for the season (she does plan to return next year). Right now, Schramm seems to be the only consistent scoring threat for this team and DeWitt needs others to step up. Hopefully they'll find the answers they need - soon - as they're slated to be in Milwaukee, Wisconsin this weekend for two games against Madison and Milwaukee Tech.
First off, it was quite obvious that Anoka-Ramsey was operating a bit short-handed again. While Maria Loughlin was there supporting her teammates with the left knee heavily wrapped and bandaged after suffering that ACL injury back in September on the first day of practice, Cami Bauer and Tasha Ambrose were also in street clothes and I don't know for sure if they were possibly injured or not. In any event, things did not start off well for the Golden Rams as Head Coach David DeWitt called a timeout at the 19:27 mark; obviously unhappy about something. The Scots, meanwhile, pounced early and often on their junior college opponents. Junior post Veronika Jakubovie connected with a short jumper in the lane at the 18:57 mark and senior point guard Kyanna Jones scored on a lay-up at the 18:09 mark. Junior guard Carmen Whitehead connected with a lay-up of her own in transition at the 17:52 mark and another Macalester score at the 17:00 mark ballooned the score to 8-0 before Anoka-Ramsey sophomore Kelli Schramm finally stopped the bleeding for a bit with her jumper along the left baseline at the 16:32 mark. Schramm would connect with a "3" from the top at the 14:28 mark but that was after Jones had made two steals for easy lay-ups the other way for Macalester. Sophomore Erika Weimann connected with a jumper at the 14:05 mark for a 14-5 Macalester lead.
It would only get worse for the Golden Rams and part of that reason was the emergence of Whitehead as a "go to" player for the Scots; something they desperately need with the graduated Rene twins (Jessica and Shannon who were both in attendance to root their old teammates on). She connected with a short jumper at the 10:55 mark and then knocked down another jumper at the 9:15 mark. A finish in transition by Whitehead at the 8:29 mark and then a score inside at the 6:18 mark helped to open up a big lead for the Scots at 27-9; a situation that Anoka-Ramsey does not find themselves in very often. Scores by freshman Erin Murray, sophomore Annie Drabot and freshman reserve post Abby Purfeerst made it 32-9 by the three minute intermission break.
Whitehead picked up right where she left off as the second half got underway as she made a steal and finished with a lay-up the other way at the 18:57 mark which resulted in another quick time-out by a VERY unhappy David DeWitt. Schramm tried to get her Anoka-Ramsey teammates going with her sweet turnaround move and shot at the 18:26 mark but another jumper by Whitehead at the 17:34 mark and a "3" by the junior who hails from Greeley, Colorado inflated the Macalester lead to 43-11 by the 16:37 mark. Schramm connected with a jumper at the 15:45 mark but she simply was not getting much help from a scoring standpoint from her teammates; particularly freshman Nicole Schaub, a three-point shooting machine who wreaked havoc during her high school days at Park Center. Schaub simply did not have a very good outing on this day as she would get open for three point tries but simply couldn't get much to go down although she did get a rebound and putback at the 12:49 mark. Macalester, however, simply couldn't miss on this day it seemed. Junior Taylor Pike drained a "3" from the top at the 9:32 mark and the Murray connected with a "3" from the right corner at the 6:58 mark. Junior Kathryn Medinger added her own "3" right before the final buzzer of the regular session for a 63-27 blowout win.
The Golden Rams and Scots also played an extra 20 minute session with running time after the 10:00 mark. Guess who got things started off for Macalester here? Whitehead, of course, as she banged down a "3" from the right wing at the 17:53 mark. A lay-up by Pike at the 17:04 mark and another one by Whitehead in transition at the 16:31 mark gave Macalester a touchdown lead at 7-0 before Schaub FINALLY connected from behind the arc at the 14:46 mark. But, like before, the Golden Rams simply could not get close enough to threaten the hosts. Two scores by Drabot - a jumper at the 10:21 mark and a steal and lay-up at the 10:08 mark quickly pushed the Macalester lead to 13-4. Schramm made a sweet reverse lay-up at the 7:46 mark but two more consecutive scores by Drabot coming down the stretch would give the Scots the cushion they needed. A late "3" by Anoka-Ramsey sophomore Tacita Gonzalez got the Golden Rams to double digits but Macalester won the extra session easily as well by a final score of 20-11.
I think it's probably a bit too early to make any assumptions about how Macalester might fare this year. Clearly they're not the same team they were last year without the Rene Sisters. It is nice to see how Whitehead is emerging as a real scoring threat for this squad and if she can be consistent the Scots can definitely be a dangerous team. I'm a little worried about Anoka-Ramsey at the moment, however. They still look horribly out of sorts on offense and they've simply GOT to find a way to all get on the same page. Moreover, they've GOT to find a way to stay healthy as well with Loughlin out for the season (she does plan to return next year). Right now, Schramm seems to be the only consistent scoring threat for this team and DeWitt needs others to step up. Hopefully they'll find the answers they need - soon - as they're slated to be in Milwaukee, Wisconsin this weekend for two games against Madison and Milwaukee Tech.
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