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.
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