Northwestern vs Hamline 11-26-13

Was over at venerable Hutton Arena on this Tuesday night of Beat 'SC week to take in yet another UMAC-MIAC clash; the visiting Eagles from Northwestern which made the trip down Snelling Avenue to take on the host Pipers of Hamline.  I was very anxious to see this new-look Hamline team with the fresh new faces that are now a part of this team although it was somewhat odd to run into recent former Hamline great Kara "The Natural" Poirer when I first entered the building.  No doubt, the Pipers could have definitely benefited from her experience and wisdom coming down the stretch in this one.

 

Nonetheless it was the Pipers who had the hot hand at the outset of this one as they quickly grabbed a 6-0 advantage behind the exploits of junior guard Jordan Sammons; perhaps the best athlete in the MIAC.  Northwestern junior guard Chanel Madson temporarily stopped the bleeding with her “3” from the left wing at the 17:40 mark but then Sammons was able to slither inside the paint for a score at the 17:28 mark and then sophomore guard Emily Behrman drained a “3” from the right wing at the 16:33 mark for an 11-3 Hamline lead and Northwestern Head Coach Aaron Kahl wasted little time in burning a timeout to talk about things with his squad.  But the Pipers would continue with their full-fledged assault from behind the arc as Sammons nailed treys at the 15:49 and 14:27 marks and freshman guard Chloe Graves knocked down a “3” of her own at the 13:41 mark that bulged the Hamline lead by a count of 20-7.  Northwestern would counter with “3’s” from senior guard Mollie Sir at the 11:38 mark and another from reserve freshman guard Tiffany Stubbs but the Eagles could not get a sustained run going that would make a significant dent in the Hamline lead.  Moreover, they were having a very difficult time dealing with the overall speed and athleticism the Pipers possess and the up-tempo game they like to play as well. 

 

The Eagles would finally make some inroads on the Hamline advantage with under eight minutes left in the first half.  Sophomore forward Courtney Cunard out of Missouri Valley, Iowa connected with a jumper off the glass at the 7:47 mark that cut the deficit to single digits.  Senior post/forward Jessica Fife muscled inside for a score at the 6:59 mark and then Madson drilled another “3”; this one from the left top area with 5:52 left that whittled the Piper lead down to 29-23; a much more manageable situation for the purple-clad Eagles and had Hamline Head Coach Kerri Stockwell burning a timeout to assess the situation with her assistants and team.  The Pipers would respond as Sammons would drain another “3” from the right corner this time with 4:24 left that once again helped get the lead back up to a ten-point margin at 33-23.  But fouls were catching up with the Pipers and Northwestern was eager to take advantage as they got into the bonus with just over four minutes left and Sir, who was fouled twice in the span of less than a minute, made good on her trips to the charity stripe that once again cut the deficit to six points with 3:32 left.  Hamline, however, would make one last push to build their cushion once again back to double digits as Sammons connected with a short jumper in the lane with 1:39 left and then connected from behind the arc again with just :01.2 left on the clock before the half from the top of the key that gave the Pipers a 43-30 lead; her fourth trey of the first half alone!

 

The second half featured runs and momentum swings that were almost too numerous to count (and, at times, too fast for me to write!).  Northwestern made a quick 4-0 push coming out of the gates as Fife connected with a lay-up at the 19:18 mark and then Sir, after snaring a defensive rebound, went coast to coast the other way for a lay-up at the 18:40 mark and had Stockwell clamoring for a thirty-second timeout to get her team calmed down and regrouped.  A seemingly personal battle between Sammons of Hamline and Sir of Northwestern ensued as each would trade baskets over the next three minutes which was incredibly fun to watch.  The Pipers still enjoyed a 49-40 lead with 14:35 left after Sammons made good on a breakaway lay-up but, just as in the first half, the foul bugaboo was once-again rearing its ugly head for Hamline and, by the 14:24 mark, Northwestern was in the bonus and this is where things slowly, but surely started going downhill for the Pipers.