Monday Selection Show Aftermath 2-27-12

Well, wanted to take some time today to let my thoughts pour out about the injustice (ONCE AGAIN) done to the MIAC after watching the NCAA Women's Selection Show earlier this afternoon.  Yes, UST did get the automatic berth from Saturday's victory and will host a sub regional (pod) this weekend as expected.  BUT, as I feared earlier today, GAC got the mother of all snubs from the selection committee when it was left out of the field of 64 (in retrospect, I KNEW I should have made that quick run to Walgreens earlier this A.M. to get that little bottle of Vaseline that I just knew I'd need when the Selection Show came on).  Yes, despite going 20-6 on the year AND being ranked in the West Regional rankings - AND making it to the MIAC Championship game where they fell to UST after making a valiant second half comeback bid.  You'll notice, of course, that the neighboring WIAC and IIAC conferences got their requisite four (the WIAC gets FOUR!) and two teams in, respectively.  But, for some reason, the NCAA just doesn't think the MIAC is good enough to warrant this kind of consideration.  Well, gee, NCAA....thanks for all the consideration.  Hopefully, you'll have a somewhat better explanation for the four seniors on the GAC team (Molly Geske, Colleen Ruane, Ava Perry, and Liz Shay) who worked so hard this year and DESERVED an NCAA Tournament bid.  This is the THIRD YEAR IN A ROW that the MIAC has suffered this kind of fate and, quite frankly, it's getting old.  This is the time - NOW - when the conference, it's administrators, athletic directors, and coaches have to take DECISIVE action or else they'll be in the same predicament year after year after year.  Just utterly ridiculous.

MIAC Championship Game - Gustavus vs UST 2-25-12

Was at UST's "new" Schoenecker Arena at the Anderson Athletic and Recreation Center on this Saturday afternoon for the MIAC Championship Game.  I simply couldn't help but be fired up for this one as this is what it's all about - winning the conference championship and getting that automatic bid to the Dance.  For the Gusties, this was a chance for redemption after taking two beatings by UST during the regular season; the last one at home a few mere weeks ago.  And perhaps, even more important, to erase their reputation as a team with no heart and to bury forever their infamous legacy of choking in championship games.

But it was the home team that started off fast in this one and had the Gusties on their heels right away.  Willowy senior forward Ali Johnson, the three-point shooting Queen of the conference, drew first blood for the Tommies when she drained a "3" from the right wing at the 18:10 mark.  Strong sophomore post Maggie Weiers expanded that lead to 6-0 by the 17:43 mark when she muscled her way inside to finish and you could tell that the Gusties might be in some real trouble - again.  The Tommies were overpowering on the boards early on - Weiers especially - as she grabbed a rebound and putback at the 16:51 mark for an 8-1 UST lead before Gustavus finally scored again on junior post Abby Rothenbuehler's jumper at the 16:27 mark.

The Gusties cut the Tommie lead to 8-5 on junior Kelsey Florian's drive and finish at the 15:37 mark but the Tommies responded with another burst that put Gustavus in a serious hole.  Senior post Sarah Smith was able to score inside at both the 15:14 and 14:23 marks and then sophomore sensation Taylor Young knocked down a "3" at the 13:37 mark..  The Gusties momentarily stopped the bleeding by scores from senior Molly Geske and Florian but the Tommies were just getting on a roll.  Sophomore Kelly Brandenburg got a lay-up off a teammate's steal and then Johnson struck again from behind the arc at the 8:45 mark for a 22-12 Tommie lead.  Senior PG Carolyn Dienhart drained a "3" as well; this one from the top of the key at the 6:09 mark.  Brandenburg shred the Gustie defense at the 5:33 mark with a drive and finish and Sarah Smith did the same again at the 5:13 mark.  Then, less than a minute later, Weiers was able to grab a rebound in the air and put the ball off the glass for a 33-14 lead and Gustavus Head Coach Mickey Haller had seen enough and quickly called a timeout to try and get her team settled down.  The Tommies were able to get the lead to 38-18 when junior guard Kellie Ring made a sweet drive and finish and got fouled in the process.  Gustavus did go on a mini 5-0 run before the half to cut it to 38-23 at intermission but the box score numbers for the Gusties were U-G-L-Y to say the least - 26.9% FG shooting; only 12.5% from behind the arc while the Tommies were 46.9% from FG-range and an even more impressive 57.1% from behind the arc.  Surely this onslaught which had been a Tommie trademark for most of the regular season, would finally brush off and make the visiting Gusties just pack it in and give the title meekly to UST.  It did not.

I'm not sure what was said in the locker room at halftime but whatever it was, it must have been damned good as the Gusties summoned up the heart that probably no one (including your's truly) thought they had and came out on fire in the second half.  And, even more surprising, a lot of the damage wrought by Gustavus came at the hands of their senior PG Colleen Ruane who, while perhaps a bit shy off the court, has the heart and fight of a lion while on it.  She started the rally at the 19:49 mark with a drive and finish inside and got fouled in the process.  Then, senior guard Ava Perry suddenly came to life at the 18:06 mark with one of her patented flat three-point bombs from the top of the key that cut the Tommie lead to ten points.  A Weiers score inside at the 17:41 mark allowed the Tommies to catch their breath a bit but Ruane put the fear of God into the Tommies again with a steal and lay-up at the 17:05 mark and then made another fearless drive and finish at the 15:05 mark.  Up-and-coming sophomore Julia Dysthie mimicked her mentor Ruane at the 14:27 mark and then Ruane AGAIN struck with a lay-up at the 13:54 mark.  Weiers again tried to stem the Gustie tide when she connected with a turnaround jumper off the glass at the 12:37 mark but the Gusties were causing all sorts of problems for the home team with their relentless full-court pressure defense.  Florian made a lay-up and got fouled in the process at the 11:41 mark and her ensuing freebie cut the Tommie lead to 44-39.  Another Gustie steal allowed Florian to get fouled again in the act of shooting where she was able to can one shot from the charity stripe.  Ruane was able to do the same at the 10:37 mark and suddenly Gustavus had cut the once-bulging Tommie lead to a scant two points at 44-42. 

But, as the late, long-time voice of NFL Films, John Facenda once said, "Great teams aren't always great, they're just great when they have to be."  And the Tommies were able to be great when the Gusties had fought back so valiantly and appeared to have the Tommies on the rope.  Johnson was able to beat the Gustavus press for an easy lay-up at the 10:28 mark and then Weiers got another rebound and putback at the 9:44 mark.  A "3" by Geske at the 9:19 mark did cut the UST lead back to three at 48-45 but the Gusties, who arguably expended a lot of energy in their dramatic comeback bid, could never get closer than three points the rest of the way.  Sarah Smith was able to cash in on a lay-up at the 9:04 mark and again at the 6:14 mark which sandwiched points from the charity stripe by Weiers and Ring.  The Gusties refused to quit, however, as "3's" by both Florian and junior Steph Comer kept Gustavus close.  But each time the Tommies had an answer.  Johnson, appropriately clad in purple Nike socks as was Weiers on this day, drained a "3" from the left corner at the 4:48 mark and then Sarah Smith and Weiers were able to make clutch freebies coming down the home stretch.  By the 2:08 mark, Gustavus was back down by ten points again and couldn't get either Geske or Perry open for any much-needed three-point attempts.  Trying to stretch the clock, Gustavus was forced to foul which allowed Sarah Smith and Brandenburg to help make the final margin somewhat deceiving by a count of 66-54 as the Tommies captured their second MIAC Championship Game and automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament in three years.

Centennial vs Osseo 2-24-12

Was over at Osseo High School on this Friday evening to take in the last regular season game that featured the visiting Centennial Cougars and the host Osseo Orioles.  This would be the last home game for the seniors on the Osseo team so this was a very special evening, indeed.  As I found out, not only is Osseo one of the top teams in the state, they can also sing pretty well, too, as the team sang the National Anthem at the beginning.  I thought that was pretty cool.

But, for a good chunk of the first half, the visiting Cougars showed they were up for this contest.  After strong senior post Olivia Antilla got the home team on the board first with her jumper along the baseline at the 17:20 mark, sophomore Destinee Williams knocked down a "3" from the right top at the 16:43 mark and then senior forward Kristen Nordby did the same at the 16:03 mark for a 6-4 Centennial lead.  Seniors Mikayla Bailey and Anuli Okonkwo enabled Osseo to get the lead back at 8-6 but that was countered by Centennial's willowy junior forward Paige Waytashek (following in the footsteps of her older sisters Joelle and Megan who starred at Centennial as well) as she tied things up at 8-all with her score inside at the 12:32 mark.  Osseo made a little push beginning at the 10:17 mark that featured "3's" by both junior forward Phyllis Webb and Bailey that got Osseo out to a 16-10 lead and  the Orioles were able to maintain a cushion of 3-5 points over the next few minutes.  After a pull-up jumper by Oriole junior Janay Morton at the 4:52 mark that pushed the Osseo lead to 22-17, Waytashek had her team right back on the fringe of getting even again as she drained a "3" at the 4:26 mark that cut the Oriole lead to 22-20.  But this juncture is where Osseo made the decisive push that had Centennial on its heels the rest of the way.  Oriole sophomore Ayo Porte made a drive along the baseline and finished inside at the 2:42 mark and then Morton made a drive and finish in transition at the 1:55 mark.  Bailey; not necessarily known for her prowess behind the arc, nonetheless knocked one down at the 1:42 mark and then Antilla finished another transition opportunity for the Orioles as they were suddenly up 31-20 with 1:12 left in the first half.  A "3" by the Cougars Nordby momentarily stopped the bleeding but Osseo's Porte was able to get another score with just :40 before the half as Osseo had a 33-23 lead at the halftime break.

Nordby again tried to get her team untracked as the second half began; knocking down a "3" at the 17:43 mark but the Orioles simply would not let their last home game slip away from them as they were able to build the lead up to 40-26 by the 15:58 mark.  This relatively young Centennial squad would never quit, though, as sophomore post Jill Conrad suddenly came alive in the second half.  She cashed in on one freebie attempt from the charity stripe at the 15:24 mark and then scored inside at the 14:54 mark.  Osseo would never let Centennial sniff a chance to really get back into this one; Bailey finished in transition and was fouled in the process and made her obligatory freebie and then Webb made an unbelievably explosive drive inside and finish at the 11:11 mark but Centennial's Conrad was more than willing to put her team on her shoulders.  Scores inside at the 10:42 and 7:49 marks helped keep the score respectable as did scores from Waytashek who hit a jumper at the 5:22 mark and then drained a "3" at the 5:07 mark.  Conrad had two more scores at both the 3:50 and 3:23 marks but any hopes of catching Osseo on this night had long since vanished.  Webb finished inside at the 2:21 mark and then made one freebie at the 1:37 mark.  This is where there was a rather odd technical foul called on Osseo (and I never did find out exactly what happened; I can only surmise that someone must have said something that the officials didn't like).  By this time, both Osseo Head Coach Joey Waters and Centennial Head Coach Greg Amundson decided to empty their benches and Osseo would close this one out by a final count of 67-52 as they looked primed and ready for sectional play that begins March 1st.

MIAC SF Playoff Game - Concordia vs Gustavus 2-23-12

Was down in St. Peter on this Thursday night to take in the MIAC semifinal playoff clash between the visiting Concordia-Moorhead Cobbers (the #3 seed) and host Gustavus Adolphus (the #2 seed).  Concordia had been enjoying a good streak coming down the stretch of the regular season; winning ten of their last twelve games - and knocking off Bethel at home in the Quarterfinals Tuesday night.  The Gusties faltered somewhat coming down the stretch of the regular season but were able to right the ship against Bethel in the last regular-season home game and had long since locked up the number two seed but the Cobbers would be a tough test. 

It was the Gusties who were able to hold the edge in the opening minutes of the first half.  Sophomore Eli Benz finished in transition at the 18:56 mark and then scored inside at the 18:24 mark for a 4-0 Gustavus lead.  Lanky sophomore post Abby Rothenbuehler upped the Gustie lead to 6-2 by the 16:42 mark with her jumper as the shot clock expired.  The Gusties would keep the Cobbers at bay over the next few minutes before Concordia was finally able to tie things up at 14-all on junior Tricia Sorensen's two freebies.  The Gusties again responded; creating a four-point cushion as senior PG Colleen Ruane made one of her trademark steals and made a lay-up and senior Molly Geske was able to connect with a jumper in the lane at the 7:25 mark.  But right back came this up-and-coming Concordia squad.  Sophomore guard Erika Jossart (younger sister of former Cobber Brittany Jossart) knocked down a "3" from the right wing at the 6:57 mark and then reserve senior post Andrea Benjamin put the Cobbers into the lead at 19-18 as she scored inside at the 5:48 mark.  The Gustie offense had temporarily slowed and Concordia was able to take advantage somewhat as starting sophomore post, 6'4" Alexandra Lippert connected with a turnaround jumper in the lane at the 3:45 mark for a 21-18 Cobber lead.  But the Gusties would not need to hit the panic button.  They showed experience and resolve as they slowly clawed their way back into the lead.  After a Benz free throw Geske knocked down a "3" from the left wing at the 2:46 mark for a 22-21 Gustavus lead and then Rothenbuehler made a nice drive and finish at the 1:53 mark.  After withstanding a Lippert score at the 1:09 mark, Rothenbuehler scored again on the next possession and Geske was able to connect with a shot from the charity stripe with just :13.5 left that enabled the Gusties to take a 27-23 advantage into the locker room at the break.

Whatever reservations or fears that Gustavus may have had offensively in the first half vanished as the second half began.  They responded with a 15-2 run in the first six minutes of the second half that sarted with senior guard Ava Perry's drive along the baseline and finish inside at the 19:13 mark and was punctuated by Rothenbuehler's "3" from the right corner at the 14:19 mark for a 40-25 Gustie lead that proved to be the difference-maker in this contest.  The Gusties were able to push the lead to as much as 17 when sophomore Julia Dysthie made a lay-up at the 13:14 mark.  The Cobbers, however, refused to quit and this is where freshman Alley Fisher came into play.  She connected with a "3" from the right wing at the 12:10 mark and banged home another "3" from the left corner at the 10:16 mark.  Lippert was able to work her way inside at the 9:24 mark for a score and a lay-up at the 8:32 mark.  Another three-point bomb by Fisher at the 7:19 mark - this time from the right wing - cut the Gustie lead to 51-40 before the home team finally woke up again.  A Rothenbuehler "3" from the top of the key with 6:16 left and a sweet turnaround jumper at the 4:51 mark as the shot clock was about to expire pushed the lead back up to 56-42.  Junior guard Steph Comer connected with a lay-up with 3:04 left that made it 59-42 Gustavus.  The Cobbers had one last hurrah - yet another three-point bomb from Fisher from the left corner at the 1:41 mark but the Gusties would do what they needed to do to secure a 61-49 win that sends them to the MIAC Championship game against UST which defeated St. Mary's at home. 

With the win and berth in the MIAC Championship Game, I think the Gusties have all but cemented a ticket to the Big Dance come this next Monday; regardless of what happens Saturday at UST.  Sure, a win over UST would be fantastic and it would get the Gusties not only their first outright MIAC title and an automatic bid, it would give them a better chance at staying closer to home.  UST is going to host an NCAA "pod" no matter what happens Saturday although I certainly don't think this diminishes their desire to make up for the disappointment of last season's loss at home to a senior-laden Concordia squad.  That one loss cost UST a ticket to the dance (which was BS in itself as the MIAC got [expletive deleted] again by the NCAA).  If Gusties should lose a tough one to UST on Saturday, then the most likely scenario is that they'll get shipped to either Wisconsin or, worse yet, out to George Fox where it'll likely be a "one and done" deal.  

Ridgewater College vs Anoka-Ramsey 2-22-12

Was up in Coon Rapids on this Wednesday night to take in the clash between Ridgewater College out of Willmar and defending national champion Anoka-Ramsey.  I had the day off from work that enabled me to practice and work out that afternoon which, unfortunately, caused me to be a little late getting over there as I got settled in at the 17:29 mark with Ridgewater surprisingly up 4-0. 

The visiting Warriors were able to push the lead to 6-0 when sophomore Alicia Koenen connected with a jumper in the lane at the 16:36 mark before Anoka-Ramsey finally got untracked at the 16:22 mark when athletic sophomore Tamarra Shorter scored inside.  Still, Anoka-Ramsey looked quite sluggish and out of synch on offense as slow starts are nothing new for this year's squad and this allowed Ridgewater to up the lead even more.  After two freebies by freshman Maria Loughlin, Koenen again connected with a jumper for an 11-4 Ridgewater lead and Anoka-Ramsey Head Coach David DeWitt had seen enough.  He called a time-out, slammed a folding chair into position, and gave his team a rather vociferous chewing out.  It must have worked as the Rams were able to slowly take control of the contest if not build up a sizable lead.  First, the Rams chipped away at the free throw line on three consecutive possesions.  At the 10:01 mark, strong sophomore center Tracy McGregor muscled her way inside and finished that cut the Ridgewater lead to 11-10.  Then Shorter connected with a jumper at the 9:17 mark that gave Anoka-Ramsey their first lead at 12-11.

McGregor was able to increase Anoka-Ramsey's lead to 14-11 at the 8:16 mark with a shot off the glass but Ridgewater freshman sharpshooter Annie Winter knotted things up at 14 a piece with her "3" from the right corner at the 7:17 mark.  Anoka-Ramsey took the lead for good at the 5:49 mark when Jenessa Tesch made one freebie and the Rams upped that lead to 20-14 by the 4:38 mark when sophomore PG Allison Ballstadt connected with a "3" from the right wing.  Ridgewater freshman Shantel Kelly helped keep her team close, though, as she scored inside at the 2:52 mark and then connected off the glass at the 1:17 mark as the Rams took a rather shaky 24-18 lead into the locker room at intermission.

You almost have to figure that DeWitt gave his team another "woodshed"-type treatment during halftime as the Rams made no mistake as to who was going to control this game the rest of the way.  Shorter started it off with a steal and a lay-up the other way at the 19:44 mark and then Ballstadt finished in transition at the 19:16 mark.  Shorter scored inside at the 18:21 mark for a 30-20 Anoka-Ramsey lead and then the Rams decided not to let the visitors have a lot of breathing room as they applied a full-court press that caused a mountain of problems for the Warriors.  While they still had life in the opening minutes of the second half, they had to work awfully hard just to keep the deficit manageable.  Worse yet, the foul situation was becoming quite noticeable as Ridgewater had racked up 7 fouls to Anoka-Ramsey's 1 by the 12:00 mark.  Just after the midway point of the second half the dam finally broke.  Shorter snared a rebound and got a putback of her own shot at the 8:18 mark freshman guard Cami Bauer finally connected behind the arc at the 7:23 mark that pushed the lead to 49-35.  Winter tried desperately to get her team back into it as she connected with a "3" at the 5:34 mark but that was quickly answered by Loughlin's "3" at the 4:46 mark from the left top which pushed the Anoka-Ramsey lead to 56-40.  Shorter made an unbelievably explosive drive and finish at the 3:20 mark and Loughlin followed that with a lay-up at the 3:00 mark.  Another steal by Shorter and lay-up the other way at the 2:43 mark sealed the deal for the home team as Anoka-Ramsey was able to come out on top by a final score of 65-45.  

MIAC QF Playoff Game - St. Mary's vs St. Olaf

Made the trek down to Northfield on this Tuesday evening to catch one of the MIAC Quarterfinal playoff games going on this night - the clash between #5 seed St. Mary's and host St. Olaf.  I have seen the Oles on several occasions this season but did not have the chance to catch St. Mary's until this night so I was anxious to see this team in action for the first time in a long time.

Despite their overall youth and inexperience, it was the Cardinals who got off to a hot start in this one as the Oles looked not only out of synch offensively but a bit shell-shocked and frustrated as well; particulary junior PG Mackenzie Wolter who was being hounded on defense by St. Mary's freshman Octavia Brown; an extremely quick guard out of the greater Chicago area.  After things were tied at 4-all by the 17:38 mark, Cardinal senior Brittany Begrowicz made her presence known by canning a "3" from the left wing at the 17:08 mark.  Begrowicz was able to follow that act with a lay-up less than two minutes later for a 9-4 St. Mary's lead.  Ole junior forward Erin Haglund's work inside cut the deficit to a scant point a bit later with her work inside but the Cardinals were able to once again grab the edge and momentum.  After two freebies by strong sophomore post Courtney Euerle, lanky junior Jamie Stefely connected on a turnaround jumper at the 11:38 mark and the Begrowicz banged home another "3" from the left top this time at the 11:04 mark.  Another Stefely basket at the 10:22 mark made it 18-10 St. Mary's and then the Cardinals main scoring weapon, junior guard Jessica Thone, decided it was time for her to get into the act as she buried a "3" at the 9:27 mark for a 21-12 lead. 

St. Olaf, though, slowly collected themselves as a team and found a way to gradually creep their way back into it - and a lot of the credit for them being able to make a charge coming down the stretch of the first half has to go to equally-lanky sophomore post Elise Raney who would score 14 points on this night.  She scored inside at the 9:06 mark and followed that with a pretty turnaround jumper at the 7:43 mark.  After withstanding another three-point bomb by Thone at the 7:14 mark, Raney again was able to manuever inside and finish at the 6:46 mark that cut the Cardinal lead to 24-18.   Finally, Wolter was able to get untracked from a scoring standpoint as she cashed in with a long two-pointer from the top at the 6:07 mark.  Cardinal freshman Sara Schoenthaler briefly built the lead back up to nine with her three-point bomb at the 5:06 mark but the Oles would climb right back as freshman Nikki Frogner out of Providence Academy scored inside at the 3:15 mark.  Then it was Ole sophomore Addy Bates out of Nevada, Iowa (where the UP "Overland Route" and "Spine Line" mainlines instersect) who lit the house up with three-point bombs - one from the right wing at the 2:41 mark and another from the top of the key at the 1:59 mark - that slashed the St. Mary's lead to 29-28.  St. Olaf Head Coach Dave Stromme had been working the officials hard all first half long and was incredibly lucky not to get "T'd-up"; he was warned - twice - by the officials at the 1:18 mark.  He kept his cool - for the most part - after that.  On the last Ole possession of the first half, Wolter was fouled trying to score and she cashed in with two shots from the charity stripe with just 29.6 left before halftime that allowed the Oles to take a 30-29 lead into the locker room.  Certainly things were looking better now for them than what they were early on.......

The Oles would maintain the advantage for a good chunk of the second half as well; upping their lead while St. Mary's was cold.  After junior Kirstee Rotty made a hard drive and finish to start things off at the 19:15 mark, Raney was then able to score inside on a pretty give and go pass at the 18:23 mark for a 34-29 Ole lead.   Both Raney and Frogner made baskets in the paint at the 17:19 and 16:45 marks that upped the St. Olaf lead to 38-31.  Schoenthaler cut the Ole lead to five points when she finished in transition at the 16:00 mark but then both teams went on a drought that lasted nearly three minutes and, in the end, this may have been what did St. Olaf in.  They had the lead; they had the momentum, they were in control.....and yet they never could quite put St. Mary's in the rear-view mirror.  And with St. Mary's being such a strong second-half team all season long that has seen their share of staring at halftime deficits would spell disaster for the Oles in crunch time.

Still, the Oles would maintain that 6 - 7 point advantage throughout much of the midway portion of the second half. Rotty made it an eight-point game with her drive along the baseline and a one-handed finish at the 11:04 mark but ever so slowly the Ole lead began to dwindle.  Stefely scored off the glass at the 8:26 mark and then reserve freshman guard Adrianna Stephens helped the Cardinals cut the deficit even more with a lay-up at the 6:52 mark and then finishing after collecting a sweet back-door pass at the 5:55 mark.  As St. Olaf squandered several scoring opportunities the Cardinals kept right on clawing.  Euerle banged home a long "2" from the right corner at the 4:56 mark.  Freebies at the charity stripe wouldn't from Bates and Rotty wouldn't be enough.  Thone again grabbed the spotlight by canning two free throws at the 3:02 mark and then a three-point bomb from the top at the 2:08 mark that cut the St. Olaf lead down to a measely 52-51 count.  Then Saint Mary's grabbed the lead for good after yet another squandered scoring opportunity by the Oles as Thone was fouled trying to score and her two obligatory freebies made it 53-52.  The highlight of the night (and what won it for St. Mary's) were the heroics of Stefely as she calmly sank a jumper from near the right elbow JUST as the shot clock was expiring with :32.6 left - much to the chagrin of Stromme and assistant coach Mike Ludwig who both immediately jumped off the bench and vehemently argued with the officials that the shot didn't beat the shot clock.  But the officials gave the basket to St. Mary's and with that, drastically changed the complexion of the game.  Now, instead of needing just perhaps a score inside from Raney or Haglund to re-take the lead,  St. Olaf needed a three and St. Mary's Head Coach Mandy Pearson knew how to adjust her defense to not let them get a clean look.  A missed "3" by Rotty with just :19 left and then a last-gasp three-point attempt by Wolter with just two ticks left on the clock doomed the Oles as St. Mary's escaped back to Winona with a prized 55-52 playoff road win and the right to take on UST on Thursday night.      

Handicapping The MIAC Playoffs

Well, let's try handicapping the MIAC Playoff field once again.....


6.  Bethel - After a great start to the season that saw them rip off eight straight W's they were on a roller-coaster ride, at best, once they got into the meat of the MIAC season.  They at least avoided a full-scale meltdown but could never recapture the magic they were able to find in December.  Granted, this is a team that had to overcome the loss of Scotti Moats at the beginning of the year that significantly changed the overall dynamics of this squad.  Still, they are fortunate enough to have the likely conference MVP in Taylor Sheley and, in order for them to do the unlikely, she will have to be on fire and score - a LOT.  Ditto for their other three-point bomber Alicia Montbriand who will need to get a lot of looks as well.  The post play has been adequately covered by Kia Dahlquist and Lindy Parker and the guard play overall has been solid enough.  I think Kelly Swenson needs to have a breakout game from an offensive standpoint if the Royals are to do the improbable but it's certainly within the realm of possibility.

Sure sign of trouble - If Sheley isn't dropping her usual requisite of 3's they're in big trouble.  It's as simple as that.


5.  SMU - I didn't get a chance to see this team in action this season and honestly don't know a lot about them but they've been able to defy logic and crash the post-season party.  This team has been riding high on Jessica Thone's scoring and I've always felt that Courtney Euerle has had the ability to be one of the top post players in the conference and she's beginning to make a name for herself - certainly from a rebounding standpoint anyway.  But these are unchartered waters for this squad and I just don't think they're ready to be prime time players yet.

Sure sign of trouble - If this team gets down early in tonight's game with St. Olaf it could be over quickly for this inexperienced group.


4.  St. Olaf - Dave Stromme finally has his program in the post-season party and you knew it was only going to be a matter of time before he did that.  He's finally got the type of team I think he's always wanted - the "bigs" in Erin Haglund and Elise Raney plus solid enough guard play - especially from one of the best PGs in the conference in Mackenzie Wolter.  Still, this team didn't do quite as well as I had expected from a W-L standpoint but that may be the experience factor coming into play here.  I would think that, if they're ever going to take this league by storm, next year HAS to be the year or they're never going to do it.

Sure sign of trouble - If Raney's knee goes out on her again and Addy Bates, Kirstee Rottee, and (C'mon) Eileen O'Donoghue are rendered ineffective from behind the arc.


3.  Concordia - As I mentioned in yesterday's post, this just may be the ONE team to keep your eye on - again.  They've quietly won 10 out of their last twelve games and have managed to stay off the radar which is how Head Coach Jessica Rahman likes it.  They struggled early on in the season; battling inexperience and youthful mistakes but they've slowly come along and have been able to do quite well without what you would call a star-studded line-up.  Yes, they do have 6'4" post Alexandra Lippert but it's been more than that.  Last year's reserves, Emily Thesing and Tricia Sorenson, have been the glue that has made this team better as the season progressed.  I don't think they have enough to overcome UST in the MIAC Championship game - IF they're able to get there - but they will have to be one of the favorites next year for sure.

Sure sign of trouble - Just like last year, they CANNOT afford to have Lippert get into early foul trouble which would put a lot of pressure on reserve posts Walloch and Benjamin.


2.  GAC - (Sigh).....Okay, okay.  I know I came down awfully hard on this group - rightfully so or not - a mere week ago.  I'm not going to rehash the reasons why because that would take me a good part of the A.M. to do and I've already been over that stuff ad nauseum.  I just expected A LOT out of this team this year; even if they weren't able to overtake UST for the top spot.  This squad DOES have the tools to do this - they have the best PG in the conference in Colleen Ruane and always-dangerous Molly Geske plus a three-point bomber in Ava Perry and solid enough front line play from Eli Benz and a rebounding machine in post Abby Rothenbuehler.  But, for some reason, this team just has a certain fragility about it that scares the (expletive deleted) out of me and I can't quite put my finger on it and say what it is exactly.  I hope this squad can get an invite to the Big Dance but they may have played their way out of it with some of the late-season stumbles they've had and just getting to the MIAC Championship Game may not be enough.

Sure sign of trouble - If Geske gets bottled up inside consistently and Rothenbuehler tries to do too much which sometimes gets her into early foul problems.


1.  UST - Well, what more can you say about this squad that wiped the slate clean with the rest of the conference?  The one thing that Head Coach Ruth Sinn emphasized to me at the beginning of the year was being consistent and they've arguably been just that - incredibly consistent.  They did survive a couple of close calls but, aside from that, pretty much beat up the rest of the conference.  I honestly do not see any weaknesses at all with this squad.  The backcourt duo of Kellie Ring and Carolyn Dienhart has been solid, they've got the MIAC's three-point shooting Queen in Ali Johnson, they have a great post player in Maggie Weiers, an unbelievable player in Taylor Young, plus a bench that goes deeper than most nuclear submarines.  The question here is not whether or not UST will win this (they will) but how far can they go in the Big Dance.  I think this team is more than ready to go very deep.....I don't know if they can win the whole ball of wax but after last year's disappointing finish you have to think they're hungry and have a lot of unfinished business to tend to.

Sure sign of trouble - If the earth suddenly stops spinning and tsunamis suddenly hit both the East and West coasts.  That's about what it would take to stop this team.

MIAC Power Rankings For Monday 2-20-12

Time for the final MIAC Power Rankings as the regular season comes to a close......

1.  UST
2.  GAC
3.  Concordia
4.  St. Olaf
5.  SMU
6.  Bethel
7.  Macalester
8.  Augsburg
9.  CSB
10.  Hamline
11.  Carleton
12.  St. Kate's

Guess it's kind of hard to deviate from the actual standings amongst the first six teams who are playoff bound.  I realize I came down on GAC pretty hard this last week; guess I needed to get some frustrations off my chest.  They did lose (somewhat predictably) up in Moorhead to Concordia but were able to right the ship against Bethel and get some much-needed momentum heading into the playoffs.  Speaking of Concordia, they have quietly won ten of their last twelve games and have conveniently been able to stay off the radar; probably just how Head Coach Jessica Rahman wants it.  They are arguably the team to keep your eye on (once again) as we get into the playoffs.  St. Olaf had a tougher time than expected in holding off their cross-town rival, Carleton, on Saturday and they need to ratchet up the intensity - NOW.  Augsburg was able to salvage something of a disappointing home-run stretch with a home victory on Saturday against St. Kate's but it had to be a bummer for them knowing that they had that sixth spot within reach and couldn't finish the deal.  I can agree with Blazer Brat that it is simply.....just weird.....to see CSB finish where they did.  But this was an incredibly young team this year; beset with injuries and inexperience.  If there is ANYONE who can get CSB back up to the elite level it's Durbin.  He's been around too long and has had way too much success to let the Blazers wallow in mediocrity.  An incredibly tough year for St. Kate's which went winless in conference play but they have a VERY underrated coach in Gary Rufsvold.  He needs to bolster his squad with some prize recruits but if he gets a solid package the 'Cats can be dangerous once again.

Coming up tomorrow, I'll handicap the MIAC playoffs.

Bethel vs Gustavus 2-18-12

After pondering over the slate of games on this final regular season Saturday I decided that the best option was the Bethel - Gustavus clash down in St. Peter.  There were obviously three more games that I would have liked to have been at on this day as well to catch some of the seniors in their very last game.  I also knew that I would likely catch some flak from some of the Gustavus faithful after my rant this last Monday when I had to get some things off my chest.  But as the Rolling Stones sang in that one song, "But that's all over now..."

Actually, I did want to catch the Gustie seniors on this day (Ava Perry, Liz Shay, Colleen Ruane, and Molly Geske) as Gustavus Head Coach Mickey Haller gave the seniors a very nice introduction - and almost teared up in the process which gives you an idea of how much she truly cares and loves her players.  But Gustavus also had some matters to tend to as well; i.e., getting back on the winning track after losing two straight - the most recent being the loss up in Moorhead to always-dangerous Concordia.  And they would be doing it against a Bethel team that had already clinched a playoff spot and had nothing to lose on this day.

It was the Royals who were able to get off to a good start in this one.  Junior forward (and up and coming 3-point bomber) Alicia Montbriand banged home a "3" at the 19:08 mark for a 5-2 Bethel lead and then fellow junior Kelly Swenson extended that lead to 8-2 at the 17:55 mark with her drive and finish inside and obligatory freebie after she was fouled in the process.  The Royals were able to maintain the edge over the next few minutes as sophomore Nicole Berscheid  scored at the 14:04 and 13:09 marks.  Swenson was able to work her way inside again and finish at the 12:08 mark for a 13-10 Royal lead before the Gusties were able to make their decisive move.  Junior Steph Comer nailed a "3" from the left wing at the 11:55 mark and then Perry scored inside at the 9:20 mark to give the Gusties their first lead at 15-14; a lead that they would never relinquish.  Perry banged home one of her patented flat three-point bombs from the right wing at the 7:54 mark to extend the lead to 18-14.  Bethel senior Taylor Sheley; arguably the MIAC MVP for this season tried her best to keep her team close; finishing a sweet drive along the baseline that kept the deficit manageable at 21-16 and up-and-coming sophomore Katelyn Thomsen nailed a "3" at the 5:19 mark that cut the Gustie lead to 23-19 but Gustavus was able to make yet another push before the half.  Junior post Abby Rothenbuehler grabbed a rebound and got a putback in transition at the 3:53 mark and then Comer swished home another "3" at the 2:59 mark and Gustavus was up 29-19.  Rothenbuehler connected on a jumper from the right side at the 2:28 mark and then Geske connected on a short jumper in the lane with just :04.2 left on the clock before the intermission that saw the Gusties up handily 37-21.

Bethel would make something of a response early in the second half that had the home crowd worried - at least for a little while anyway.  Montbriand started it off with a "3" from the right wing at the 19:41 mark and then also got a rebound and putback at the 17:08 mark.  Then it was Sheley's turn to shine which, in some ways, was reminiscent of her outstanding performance in the Quarterfinal playoff game here a year ago.  She made a drive and finish at the 16:09 mark and then a free throw after being fouled a bit later.  A short jumper at the 13:12 mark and then one of her patented "3's" from the left wing at the 12:31 mark gave the Royals new life.  A short jumper by sophomore reserve guard Micaella Petrich at the 11:59 mark suddenly cut the Gustavus lead down to 42-36 and Haller quickly called a timeout to get her squad reorganized.

But, unlike last week Saturday when the Gusties seemingly hit the panic button late at Macalester, they were cool, calm and collected and righted the ship quickly.  Geske made a sweet turnaround jumper at the 11:29 mark and then sophomore Eli Benz was able to score inside and got fouled in the process.  That, along with the obligatory freebie pushed the Gustie lead to double digits again and then Benz finished in transition at the 9:51 mark for a 49-36 Gustavus lead.  Swenson was able to score at the 6:48 and 6:07 marks in an effort to get the Royals back into it but they never could get the deficit back to single digits again.  A "3" by left junior Kelsey Florian pushed the Gustie lead to 19 by the 3:49 mark which pretty much sealed the deal for the home team.  Haller was able to take her seniors out late and the Gusties were able to cement a convincing 70-53 victory to give them some much needed momentum heading into the playoffs.

Bethel vs UST Synopsis 2-15-12

Was over at UST's Anderson Athletic and Recreation Center to take in this Wednesday evening clash between the host Tommies and visiting Bethel.  While Bethel had already clinched a playoff spot in this one it was an opportunity for the Royals to perhaps improve their seeding and early on, they looked good, particularly senior Taylor Sheley as she was red hot from behind the arc as the lead bobbed back and forth for most of the first half.  But, as is a UST trademark, they made that "push" right before the halftime break that proved to be the difference maker.  With Bethel leading 27-26, senior post Sarah Smith scored with 1:06 left as did reserve senior Haley Loesch with :48 left.  Two freebies by junior guard Kellie Ring got the lead to 32-27 for the Tommies. 

The early minutes of the second half saw things stay relatively close as Sheley connected on another "3" that cut the Tommie lead to 40-37 by the 14:19 mark.  But, from then on, it was all UST.  Freshman reserve post Anna Smith connected with a "3" from the left wing at the 13:18 mark that began the onslaught.  Sophomore sensation Taylor Young then scored on a drive and got fouled in the process.  Her free throw pushed the lead to 47-37 and then junior guard Kellie Ring's "3" from the top of the key made it 50-37 UST which, for all intents and purposes, was the ball game.  UST steadily increased its lead coming down the stretch and recorded a 71-56 win; keeping their perfect MIAC record intact.   

Gustavus vs Macalester

After doing color commentary for the Hamline vs Bethel game over at Bethel, I hurried down Snelling Avenue to catch the 3 P.M. game between Gustavus and host Macalester over at the Leonard Center.  This was a game the Gusties really needed to improve on their West Regional ranking - and to help secure a ticket for the Big Dance only a few mere weeks away.  But, just as Augsburg had recently found out the hard way, you don't want to rely on luck when you're going up against an Ellen Thompson-coached Macalester squad.

I got over to Macalester and settled in at the 12:38 mark.  The Gusties were up 13-8 and appeared to have things in control; up 20-12 when sophomore Eli Benz scored inside at the 7:40 mark.  But the Scots cut the Gustie lead to a scant point by the 5:48 mark before Gustavus was able to step on the gas again somewhat and consolidate when ever-improving junior Steph Comer nailed a "3" from the right top and then lanky junior post Abby Rothenbuehler did the same from the left top with just :03 left before the intermission and it looked as if the Gusties hand things in control, at least, up 32-26.

The Gusties would be able to keep this cushion for first six or so minutes of the second half but could never really pull away.  And that's all this Macalester squad needed to pull off an upset - just keep it halfway close.  The Rene Sister - Jessica and Shannon - must have given the Gusties nightmares of that one game back in 2010 down in St. Peter when the dynamic twin sister act hit "3;s" at the 14:06 and 13:18 mark that suddenly tied things at 39-all.  The Gusties would recover somewhat and grab a small lead but the Scots were simply more resilient coming down the stretch while the Gusties strangely (and frustratingly) failed to show the heart and desire (not to mention a sense of urgency) they needed to have in this one.  Rothenbuehler nailed another "3" at the 7:34 mark that gave Gustavus a 49-47 lead but she was also getting into some serious foul trouble coming down the stretch.  Senior post Holly Schiedermayer decided to do something about that when she was fouled down low by Rothenbuehler that sent the Gustie junior to the bench and spelled impending doom for the black-clad Gusties.  Senior Molly Geske did hit a "3" at the 2:46 mark that tied things up once more at 56-all.  But Schiedermayer was nails again on the charity stripe and two more freebies put the Scots back up for good at the 2:20 mark.  The nail in the coffin for Gustavus came with just 1:37 left when junior guard Kyanna Jones, one of the quickest players in the conference, caught the Gusties flat-footed on defense and drove inside and finished and got fouled in the process.  Her obligatory freebie pushed Macalester's lead to 62-56 and the Gusties were in deep doo-doo and were not able to get out of it as the Scots pulled off a huge upset by a count of 65-56.   

Macalester vs Augsburg 2-8-12

Was back again at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall on this Wednesday night as the Auggies prepared to take on visiting Macalester.  This was a game the Auggies absolutely had to have to keep their dying playoff hopes on a respirator.  But the one thing you don't want to do if you're in this situation is play an Ellen Thompson-coached squad with absolutely nothing to lose - which is what the Auggies found themselves with - and what ultimately killed their playoff chances. 

The Scots were able to quickly overcome a 4-0 deficit early on and were actually able to build a 10-8 lead by the 11:27 mark when senior post Holly Schiedermayer scored off the glass.  But Augsburg appeared to have regained control in this one when lefty freshman reserve Abbey Luger jacked up a "3" from the right wing and connected at the 10:24 mark and another Luger score a bit later made it 13-10 Augsburg.  Senior Jessica Rene's "3" from the top of the key at the 9:10 mark tied things up once again at 13-all.  The Auggies would be able to build a bit of momentum coming down the stretch; withstanding yet another Jessica Rene bomb at the 3:23 mark.  Reserve senior guard Kandice Bostick scored with 2:52 left and then senior PG Serenae Levine drove inside and scored and got fouled in the process.  That, along with the obligatory freebie from the charity stripe gave the Auggies a 22-19 lead and then sophomore Kendra Ware's long "2" from the top gave the Auggies a 24-19 lead at the half and perhaps gave them a reason to feel good about themselves again. 

But it was Macalester that would stay steady and put a dagger in the playoff hopes of the Auggies.  After a rare "3" by junior Brittany Zins that gave the Auggies a 30-26 lead by the 17:34 mark, the Scots slowly scratched and clawed their way back.  Schiedermayer scored inside at the 14:03 mark and two free throws by Jessica Rene at the 13:27 mark tied things at 32-all.  Things would stay nip and tuck over the next 8-9 minutes with neither side able to get a definite advantage.  After yet another RARE "3" by Zins that gave the Auggies a 45-42 lead the Scots then made their move that paved the way to victory.  Schiedermayer scored inside at the 4:30 mark and then Jessica Rene decided to terrorize the home crowd (and Auggies) with a "3" from the top at the 3:18 mark and a 47-45 lead.  The Auggies were able to tie it up on two more occasions but could never get their nose in front again.  Macalester was incredibly patient on offense in the waning minutes making all the right choices while the Auggies were desperate and trying to make the big score that simply wasn't there.  Schiedermayer and Jessica Rene were nails at the charity stripe when Augsburg was forced to fould and it was Macalester that came away with a 56-49 win.  

Gustavus vs St. Kate's 2-4-12

After leaving the carnage left behind by UST's convincing win at Augsburg, I then quickly made the trek over to St. Kate's Butler Center where the Wildcats were playing host to second-place Gustavus.  The Wildcats were winless in the conference and have been beset by injuries and inexperience and there was no doubt as to the outcome in this one.  Gustavus was already up 23-6 by the time I got there and settled in at the 8:42 mark.

Gustavus Head Coach Mickey Haller was already substituting liberally by this point; trying to giver her starters ample rest time.  But by the time and caught their breath and got back in they only added to the romp over the hapless 'Cats.  Sophomore Eli Benz got a steal and lay-up the other way at the 8:01 mark and then connected on a turnaround jumper with 6:36 left.  Senior Molly Geske scored at the 6:11 mark.  A pair of scores by junior Kelsey Florian and one of those patented flat three-point bombs by senior Ava Perry plus a steal and lay-up the other way by senior PG Colleen Ruane enabled the Gusties to take a whopping 40-10 lead into the locker room at the half. 

But one of the things that has baffled me about the Gusties is how they seemingly lose their intensity and lack that killer instinct - even in this case when they were already up 40-10.  Granted, Mickey Haller could have dropped a "C-note" and then some on St. Kate's if she really wanted to but that's not her style.  Still, there's that fine line between between keeping the score respectable and losing your intensity at the same time and the Gusties were treading that fine line in the second half that saw the 'Cats actually outscore the Gusties 39-31 and shot nearly 60% of their shots while the Gusties had cooled off to 36% from the field.  No doubt that Gustavus was going to win this game easily enough and they did by a final count of 71-49.  It's just that the Gusties didn't look as focused as they needed to in the second half and, in fact, looked downright sloppy at times.  Freshman Sarina Baker had a very nice second half for the 'Cats as she was able to do some damage inside coming down the stretch.  Of course, the Gusties were able to let the reserves do most of the work toward the end as victory had been pretty much assured early on in this contest.  But it's fair to say that Gustavus had come out with only their "B-" game after the break. 

UST vs Augsburg Synopsis 2-14-12

Was back again at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall on this early Saturday afternoon to catch this late-season clash between league-leading St. Thomas and host Augsburg that was trying desperately to keep their fading post-season hopes alive.  The task in this one was daunting - yet doable for the Auggies IF they played up to their potential.  But if they were going to pull off the monumental upset of the day, things would have to go just right for them. 

Things would be close in the opening minutes.  Senior Nikki Borkhuis gave the Auggies some hope with a drive and finish at the 17:42 mark for a 3-1 Augsburg lead but willowy senior MIAC 3-point shooting Queen Ali Johnson connected with a long "2" a bit later that tied things up.  The Tommies were a bit sluggish early on offensively but finally began to find their groove just before the midway point of the first half.  Junior guard Kellie Ring connected with a jumper at the 12:02 mark and then ever-improving sophomore Kelly Brandenburg connected on a short jumper at the 10:09 mark and a 13-8 lead.  UST would maintain this slight cushion over the next several minutes before they made their trademark "push" right before the half.  Brandenburg connected with a jumper for a 21-16 UST lead at exactly the 2:00 mark.  Then Johnson swished a "3" from the right wing at the 1:26 mark.  Senior reserve post Sarah Smith scored inside with just under a minute left and then freshman reserve forward/post Anna Smith made a nice move along the baseline and finished that bulged the Tommie lead to 28-16 going into the locker room at half; a 9-0 run that effectively killed off any hopes (and momentum) the Auggies might have had.    

The Auggies knew they had to respond once the second half got underway and they tried to do just that.  Junior Brittany Zins was able to score inside on that big Tommie front line at the 19:45 mark (one of the few times she was able to do that all day) and then senior Lexi Thompson scored in transition at the 18:15 mark.  Borkhuis was able to do the same a bit later after an errant Tommie possession and the Auggies had whittled the Tommie advantage to just 28-22 that once again brought some life back to this Augsburg team.  But those wisps of hope were quickly dashed as the Tommies caught their breath and resumed the choke-hold they once had.  Senior Haley Loesch (very underrated player IMHO who has never got the recognition she deserves) scored inside at the 16:15 mark and then sophomore sensation Taylor Young made a strong drive inside and finished and got fouled in the process.  The ensuing free throw made it 34-22 in favor of the Tommies and really set the tone for the rest of the way.  The Auggies could never get close again as UST steadily increased their lead the rest of the way.  Johnson knocked down another "3" at the 6:45 mark and an Anna Smith freebie made it 50-35 Tommies.  The Tommies then padded their advantage in the final minutes from the charity stripe as they cruised to a 63-41 win; keeping their MIAC record unblemished and putting the Auggies behind the 8-ball as far as their playoff hopes were concerned.   

Hamline vs Augsburg Synopsis 2-1-12

Was over at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall on this Wednesday evening to catch their big home tilt against always-dangerous Hamline as the Auggies were trying desperately to keep their fading playoff hopes alive. 

The Auggies got off to a good start in this one; as seniors Lexi Thompson and Nikki Borkhuis propelled them to a quick 6-0 lead by the 18:39 mark.  Thompson would get the Auggies to a 10-2 lead by the 17:00 minute mark with her drive and finish inside (never could figure out just how she can do that) before Hamline finally gut untracked.  Junior Steph Pilgrim, a standout at Anoka-Ramsey, nailed a "3" from the right wing and then senior Stephanie Rice scored inside at the 15:14 mark that helped breathe life into the Pipers hopes.  After Pilgrim was able to score inside at the 13:47 mark, it was then time for freshman phenom Jordan Sammons to strut her stuff.  She scored on a lay-up with 13:18 left and after a Pilgrim free throw Sammons then nailed a "3" from the left corner at the 12:19 mark that cut the once big Auggie lead down to only 16-15.  The Auggies would then wake up and increase that advantage somewhat coming down the stretch of the first half  but Hamline did grab a brief 28-26 lead when sophomore Je'Naya Brown connected with a long "2" from the top with just under a minute remaing but sophomore Kendra Ware's free throw and a clutch "3" by freshman Abbey Luger from the left wing just before the buzzer enabled the Auggies to take a slim 30-28 lead into the locker room at the half.

The opening minutes of the second half saw things remain close.  Junior Brittany Zins was getting some opportunites doing her usual dirty work inside but Hamline responded when freshman Rachel Usgaard hit a jumper at the 14:59 mark that cut the Auggie advantage to 34-33.  But it was at this point as well where Augsburg was able to make its decisive run.  Zins scored inside and got fouled in the process at the 14:36 mark and the ensuing freebie made it 37-33 Auggies.  Senior forward Brittany Dyshaw also made one freebie after being fouled a bit later and then used her lanky body to score inside at the 8:41 mark  for a 43-35 Auggie lead.  Another dagger from behind the arc by Luger at the 7:27 mark gave the Auggies a double-digit lead that they would never relinquish.    Senior PG Serenae Levine then finished in transition with 4:44 left and gave Augsburg a 48-35 advantage.  At this stage of the game, Hamline was frustrated and a questionable call on a ball that went out of bounds drew Hamline Head Coach Kerri Stockwell's ire as she was "T'd up" with 3:34 left that pretty much sealed the Piper's fate.  The Auggies would go on to win this one by a final count of 57-42 that helped keep their slim playoff hopes alive. 

MIAC Power Rankings For Monday 2-13-12

Time to do those MIAC Power Rankings again....

1.  UST
2.  Concordia
3.  GAC
4.  Bethel
5.  St. Olaf
6.  SMU
7.  Macalester
8.  Augsburg
9.  CSB
10.  Hamline
11.  Carleton
12.  St. Kate's

I should have figured that I would have to start out this week with YET another rant on GAC.  To start off with, "Hey GAC - What the HELL was THAT???"  Anyone who may have been over at Macalester's Leonard Center on Saturday to witness that utter abomination of heart and fight from this team would have to be asking the same thing.  That was simply unacceptable and inexcusable for a team with this kind of talent and ability to commit a choke job like this late in the regular season.  An epic FAIL of monumental proportions.  IF, if GAC wants to be considered an "elite" program in my mind then what they have to do the rest of the way is quite simple:  (1) Win out the rest of the regular season.  (2) Win the MIAC playoffs (and that includes a CONVINCING win over UST at their place in the MIAC Championship Game).  And (3) - make a DEEP run in the NCAA Tournament.  It's as simple as that.  I'm tired of the old, worn out excuses about how close they get and how things just don't go right for them when they need them to.  Won't work this time.

Elsewhere, the playoff TEAMS have been set.  Now it's just a matter of where to place everybody.  We all know the two top spots have been pre-determined (although the #2 spot should arguably go to a more deserving team) but there's a lot up for grab below that.  St. Olaf would APPEAR to have the easiest route to getting the 3-4 spot with games against St. Kate's and Carleton this week.  We know that GAC will get pummelled up in Moorhead on Wednesday night and then the Corn have CSB at home as well so that's definitely doable.  SMU has a trickier road with a game at Hamline and then a brutal roadie on Saturday at UST.  Bethel, with two road games at UST and GAC (although GAC is obviously beatable now) has a hard row to hoe this week for sure.  Has to be incredibly disappointing for Augsburg, which was looking so good early on in the season, to collapse as it did; losing key games down the stretch that were more than winnable.  Still, this program has made some great strides under new head coach Bill McKee and I think good things are in store for them down the road.

UST vs Gustavus Synopsis 1-28-12

Was down at St. Peter for this monumental clash between first place St. Thomas and nipping-on-their-heels second place Gustavus Adolphus.  This was a tough day for me as I had received word at 7:30 in the A.M. while I was getting ready that my father who was 93 and had been in the nursing home back in my hometown of Edgewood, Iowa had passed away peacefully in his sleep around 1:00 A.M.  There was no question that I was going to go down to the game; I wasn't going to miss this game and my Dad would have never wanted me to sit at home and mope.  He would have wanted me to be there (and probably would have wanted to be there himself if he would have been of sound mind).

In my mind, this was an absolute "must" game for the Gusties.  This was a chance for them to make a real statement - that they are indeed title contenders and that they weren't going to let themselves get pushed around by the Tommies anymore.  But predictably, it was the Tommies who hit first and hit hard as the purple-clad UST gals bolted out to a 16-5 lead by the 11:10 mark with Sarah Smith, Anna Smith, Kelly Brandenburg, and Maggie Weiers doing much of the damage.  To make matters worse for GAC, starting junior post Abby Rothenbuehler picked up two quick fouls in the process; both of them committed in more frustration than anything else.  Still, the Gusties would find a way to claw back into this one - momentarily anyway.  Senior PG Colleen Ruane (who has easily established herself as the best PG in the conference, hands down) sneaked inside to score at the 10:41 mark and after two freebies by sophomore forward Eli Benz, Ruane craftily snared the ball away on a steal from the Tommies and raced the other way for an uncontested lay-up that cut the deficit to a scant 16-13 margin.

But just when the home crowd (and the Gusties themselves) THOUGHT they were right back in it, the Tommies put the pedal to the metal once again.  Willowy blonde senior sharpshooter Ali Johnson (who is simply deadly when "on") cashed in on a "3" from the left corner at the 9:20 mark.  Then Weiers, after sinking two free throws, made a pretty shot off the glass a bit later and then sophomore sensation Taylor Young (my pick for MIAC MVP) knocked down a "3" from the right wing at the 5:12 mark.  Less than a minute later, Young hit a jumper as the shot clock expired.  The Gusties still managed to keep things relatively close; not letting the Tommies expand things beyond ten points and had the UST lead whittled down to five points when Rothenbuehler scored off the glass with just over a minute remaining in the first half.  But those last sixty seconds before the halftime break were just enough to kill any chances the Gusties may have had.  Sarah Smith scored inside and was fouled in the process and cashed in on the obligatory freebie with :44.1 left.  Then Weiers was fouled in transition and cashed in on her two free throws with just :18.7 left.  The dagger came JUST before the buzzer when Brandenburg nailed a jumper in transition as the Tommies went into the locker room whooping and hollering and holding a 37-26 lead while the Gusties were left in a daze wondering what the hell just hit them. 

Gustavus Head Coach Mickey Haller had to have implore to her team that they needed to get out fast in the second half and senior off-guard Ava Perry tried to light the spark to do that as she banged home one of her patented flat "3's" to start off the second half.  Rothenbuehler was able to score inside at the 16:40 mark and then Ruane scored on a drive and finish at the 14:41 mark.  Junior Kelsey (Flo) Florian scored inside at the 12:21 mark that cut the UST lead down to 45-40.  The margin stayed right around the 5-to-7 point range for the next few minutes and had it down to five points again at the 7:13 mark when Benz put down two freebies after being fouled.  Reserve sophomore Julia Dysthie out of White Bear Lake gave the Black and Gold one last wisp of supreme hope when she hit a "3" from the right top with 5:58 left that cut the Tommie lead to 51-47.  But that was as close as the Gusties would get.  Junior guard Kellie Ring responded with a "3" of her own from the exact same spot as Dysthie's that pushed the Tommie lead to 54-47.  Coming down the stretch, it was simply too much Young and Weiers doing their stuff inside that got them numerous trips to the charity stripe as they knew GAC had to foul.  The Tommies were able to pad an eleven point lead into twenty in the waning minutes from the charity stripe and scored a convincing 72-52 win that left no doubt in the minds of onlookers as to who the best team in the MIAC is - and who's second best.

Bethel vs Augsburg Synopsis 1-25-12

After leaving Macalester's Leonard Center I grabbed some chow from McDonald's along with a stop at Holiday for a large serving of God's nectar (Pepsi, of course), I hurried back over to the MPLS side of town and over to Si Melby Hall to catch what I could of the Bethel - Augsburg game.  This, of course, was huge for both teams with playoff positioning (or survival) on the line.  I got settled in at the 4:40 mark of the first half with Bethel up 19-15.  It didn't take the Auggies long to grab the advantage and they grabbed a 21-19 lead when reserve senior guard Kandice Bostick got to the charity stripe to convert.  But the Royals were resilient enough coming down the stretch of the first half as senior standout Taylor Sheley kissed home a jumper off the glass knotting things up at 21 and sophomore reserve guard Micaella Petrich did likewise with 1:43 left that tied things up at 23-all.  Then, freshman reserve guard Leslie Handzus put down two freebies from the charity stripe with 1:16 left and that allowed Bethel to take a slim 25-23 advantage going into the locker room at the half.

Augsburg responded in the opening minutes of the second half with a strong push fueled by junior forward Brittany Zins (like, you were expecting someone else???) doing her work along the baseline and on the perimeter.  Two free throws by senior Nikki Borkhuis got the Auggies to a 33-27 advantage by the 15:31 mark.  The Auggies would be able to maintain a four - to - six point cushion until just beyond the halfway mark of the second half.  Handzus connected with a "3" at the 8:33 mark and then junior Alicia Montbriand banged home a "3" from the right wing with 8:10 left that would be the beginning of a hot streak for her.  More importantly, it cut the Auggie lead to 40-39 with a ton of time remaining.  Willowy Auggie junior Brittany Dyshaw briefly halted the Royal surge with her steal and lay-up the other way but Montbriand was not to be denied.  She scored and was fouled in the process at the 7:02 mark and the obligatory free throw tied the issue at 42-all.  Then Montbriand struck again from behind the arc at the 6:42 mark from the left wing this time for a 45-42 Bethel lead.  Auggie sophomore Kendra Ware then showed off her shooting prowess from behind the arc at the 6:20 mark that tied things up at 45-all.

What likely saved Augsburg on this night was the work of Brittany Zins inside in the clutch.  And also a key "3" by sometimes-erratic southpaw freshman Abbey Luger; whose bomb from the right top at the 4:57 mark put Augsburg back into the lead at the 4:57 mark.  Zins got to the charity stripe again at the 4:27 mark and connected both times for a 50-49 Auggie lead but right back came Bethel and their blonde-haired bomber Montbriand whose "3" from the left wing at the 2:43 mark gave the Royals their last lead at 52-50 and you can bet that the home team (and fans) were sweating profusely.  But Augsburg is a much better team this year thanks to first-year Head Coach Bill McKee and their wily, strong junior Zins plus the experienced senior PG Serenae Levine.  Zins again worked along the baseline (her specialty) and scored inside at the 2:20 mark that tied things up again at 52-all.  A smart and patient Auggie team handled the ball masterfully that allowed both Zins and Levine to get to the charity stripe within the final minute.  The nail in the coffin for the Royals was a mishandling of the ball on an alternate jump ball possession with just :11.4 ticks left on the clock trailing only 54-52.  They had no choice but to foul and that put Zins on the line where she canned one with 10.6 left and a 55-52 lead that still gave the Royals one last chance.  But Augsburg never let the Royals get a clean look for Sheley who was the primary choice for Bethel Head Coach Jon Herbrectsmeyer.  Even more odd was that Montbriand was out there and she SHOULD have been the one they were trying to get open.  All Sheley could do as the buzzer was about to go off was to heave a desperation shot that was partially blocked and the Auggies got a HUGE home win to keep their playoff hopes alive. 

MIAC Power Rankings For Monday 2-6-12

Okay, after an unexpected week off last week I'm back at it and it's once again time for the weekly MIAC Power Rankings:

1.  UST
2.  GAC
3.  St. Olaf
4.  Concordia
5.  SMU
6.  (tie) Bethel & Augsburg
7.  CSB
8.  Macalester
9.  Hamline
10.  Carleton
11.  St. Kate's

No question as to who's at the top as UST continues to run roughshod over everybody in the conference despite a few close calls.  GAC remains numero dos as they've demonstrated time and time (and time and time) again that they're very happy and content at being the second-best team in the conference after getting punched in the mouth (again) by UST the weekend before.  The Gusties clearly had a big-time hangover from that embarrassment as they looked sloppy at beating Augsburg, getting punked at St. Olaf, and then bringing their B- game to St. Kate's this last Saturday.  Gusties are pretty much locked into the #2 spot when it comes to playoff time but they have to ratchet up the intensity level coming down the home stretch.  Perhaps, even more important, they HAVE to ditch the "We're nice so we're going to play nice" attitute and replace it with a take no prisoners approach if they ever want to entertain thoughts about knocking off UST and winning the MIAC Championship game.

St. Olaf remains in the third spot after hanging on at home against Bethel on Saturday but their comfort zone is diminishing rapidly as Concordia is nipping at their heels.  SMU manages to win games that they shouldn't be winning so they're at the 5 spot for the moment.  I'm just not sold on this group.  The sixth playoff spot is going to be a battle as Bethel and Augsburg are in a fight for their playoff lives and I'm not sure who I favor at the moment.  CSB managed to get a big win on the road at Hamline on Saturday but trying to get themselves into position for the sixth spot will likely be a bridge too far for them.  Speaking of that game, I'm hoping that Hamline's Stephanie Rice is making a full recovery after the inadvertent elbow she took to the head that required a trip to the hospital afterward.   

St. Olaf vs Macalester Synopsis 1-25-12

I have to apologize for the lateness in getting this one in.  I fell behind a little bit and then my father passed away last weekend so am slowly starting to get things back in order.  Bear with me...

Was at Macalester's Leonard Center on this Wednesday evening to watch the host Scots take on a much-improved St. Olaf team that has been all alone in third place in the MIAC this season and has high hopes for the post season as well.  But on this night I knew things didn't bode well for the Oles when I saw sophomore post Elise Raney wearing street clothes and sitting on the bench when I got there.

Sure enough, it was the host Scots that got off to a fast start in this one as senior Shannon Rene started the bloodshed with a "3" from the left corner for a quick 3-0 lead.  The lead ballooned to 11-2 by the 13:08 mark when sophomore reserve post Rebekah Keller scored inside.  It didn't help the Oles cause either that they were simply ice cold from the perimeter in the early minutes as well as junior PG Mackenzie Wolter struggled mightily with her long-range shooting.  St. Olaf sophomore reserve guard Addy Bates temporarily halted the Ole shooting woes with her "3" from the top at the 12:25 mark to cut the Macalester lead to a more manageable 11-5 score but the Scots were able to capitalize on Ole mistakes and were able to take a 22-8 advantage by the 7:28 mark when junior PG Kyana Jones nailed a jumper as the shot clock expired.  Wolter finally found a cure for her shooting slump when she drained a "3" from the right wing from the 5:53 mark but Shannon Rene and twin sister Jessica were able to do the same coming down the stretch and senior post Holly Schiedermayer didn't have a two-headed monster to deal with down low from St. Olaf (which made her job a LOT easier) that enabled Macalester to take a 35-22 lead going into the locker room at the half.

The carnage continued in the early part of the second half as Shannon Rene was left open behind the arc by another Ole defensive mistake and she made them pay dearly for it at the 17:19 mark and a 40-24 Scot lead.  But the Oles, who likely got a big-time chewing out from Head Coach Dave Stromme during the halftime break, finally got things going.  Freshman Sheridan Blanford got a rebound and putback at the 17:01 mark and freshman post Nicole Frogner made an impact at both the charity stripe and in the interior as well.  Wolter drilled a "3" from the left wing at the 13:30 mark and then Blanford scored inside at the 10:14 mark and all of a sudden the once-bulging Macalester lead had been cut to 46-41 with a ton of time left. 

But as quickly as the Ole surge came, it fizzled almost as fast.  Schiedermayer had three trips to the charity stripe in the span of less than three minutes and her defense neutralized Ole junior forward/post Erin Haglund when Stromme needed her to score the most.  The Scots got the lead back to ten points at the 3:42 mark when senior Maggie Wood finished on a pretty back-door pass given to her and the Scots were able to do the job from the charity stripe as they pulled off the 59-50 upset at home.