Los Angeles Rams

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.

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.

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.   

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.

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.

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.

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.