CSB vs Hamline Recap 1-29-14

Was back over at one of my favorite venues last night; venerable Hutton Arena on the campus of Hamline University to take in this Wednesday night clash between visiting CSB and host Hamline.  The Pipers were coming off a victory over at St. Kate's on Monday night while the Blazers were looking to make amends on the home loss they suffered this last Saturday against SMU - and to bolster their playoff aspirations as well.  I just had the feeling that this was going to be a wild, fun and unpredictable game to watch and, well, I was pretty much spot on.

In fact, the opening five minutes of the first half revealed what kind of a fast-paced and free-wheeling game you usually get from Hamline as they were neck-and-neck with the Blazers.  Sophomore guard Emily Behrman had a big part in the Pipers early fortunes; making good on a drive and finish at the 17:44 mark and then knocking down a "3" from the left wing at the 16:14 mark for a 7-3 Hamline lead.  CSB would strike right back behind a "3" from the left corner by freshman guard Annie Dittberner and a "3" from sophomore sharpshooting forward Mattie Lueck for a 9-7 Blazer lead by the 15:23 mark.  Hamline would get the game tied twice at 9-all and 11-all so it looked like anyone's game with a little under 14:00 to go in the first half. 

CSB, however, would make a move just before the midway point of the first half and get some distance between themselves and the host Pipers.  A score in the paint by senior forward Morgan Dale at the 13:37 mark got CSB going and then Mattie Lueck got into the groove as well.  A drive along the right baseline for a finish at the 12:19 mark upped the lead to 15-11.  A short jumper off the glass by senior guard Brianna Barrett with 8:51 left kept the margin at four and then Mattie Lueck nailed a "3" from the right top area with 7:54 left and also sank two free throws to boot with 6:07 left.  Big sis Emily Lueck got in on the act with a "3" from the top of the key with 4:29 left and then it was little sis Mattie Lueck getting into the paint for a score with 4:01 left for a 27-17 Blazer lead.  Hamline Head Coach Kerri Stockwell immediately called a timeout to try and halt this Blazer blitzkrieg but complicating the problem for the Pipers was that they were squandering several scoring opportunities during this Blazer run; missed jump shots and missed lay-ups that, at the very least, could have shrunk the deficit somewhat.  To their credit, the Pipers made some amends for their earlier sins as they closed the gap before the half.  Trailing 29-20 after a "3" from CSB's Barrett, speedy senior reserve guard Je'Naya Brown got a steal in the backcourt for an easy putback with :51 left and then freshman reserve guard Chelsey Bonsante gave the fans a glimpse of what to expect in the second half:  she sunk two freebies after being fouled with :31 left and then took a long pass after a steal by Brown to get a lay-up in transition with just :10 left on the clock for intermission that trimmed the CSB lead down to a much more manageable count of 29-25.

CSB looked to be in business in the opening minutes of the second half as the Pipers reverted back to their old bad habits of blowing easy scoring opportunities.  Both Barrett and senior guard Tish Alexander got lay-ups in transition and then Mattie Lueck connected with a jumper along the right baseline with 16:21 left for a 37-26 Blazer advantage.  Big sister Emily Lueck got a lay-up in transition as well at the 13:54 mark that had CSB up 39-26 and left Hamline in a big hole.  Stockwell burned a timeout at this point; hoping to get some kind of spark to light things up.  And this is where Bonsante almost single-handedly stole the show on this night.  First, she connected with a lay-up in transition at the 12:58 mark and followed that up some twenty seconds later with a foray into the paint for a score that slimmed the CSB lead back to single digits at 39-30.  Another "3" from CSB's Mattie Lueck upped that lead to 42-30 at the 12:12 mark but then Bonsante; looking like she was on a mission, connected with a short jumper at the 12:01 mark and then found the mark again along the left baseline at the 11:41 mark that had the Hamline faithful going wild and reduced the Blazers lead to 42-34.  CSB Head Coach Mike Durbin, sensing immediate trouble, called a timeout but it did little to cool off Bonsante and her Piper teammates as they now sensed blood.  Sammons connected with a jumper with 9:44 left and then Bonsante again got a lay-up in transition with 9:24 left.  CSB tried valiantly to slow this Hamline drive as Dale connected with a big "3" and Mattie Lueck got an offensive rebound and putback but freshman reserve guard Erika Moede made a drive into the lane for a finish with 8:10 left and then "Flash" Sammons got a steal and streaked down the court for an easy lay-up the other way with 7:16 left.  Still trailing by eight at 50-42, freshman reserve forward Brooke Degelau was able to maneuver inside for a score with 6:45 left and then Sammons got a short jumper to go with 6:20 left that now had the CSB advantage at a tenuous 50-46 with plenty of time left. 

But, just as quickly as Hamline came alive, they faded almost the same way and CSB was quick and decisive to get the lead back up to a safe margin - and keep it there.  Emily Lueck connected with a short jumper in the lane with 5:55 left and then it was Alexander draining two big-time "3's" - one from the right top area with 5:29 left that expanded the lead to nine at 55-46 and then again from the right wing with 4:07 left for a 60-50 Blazer lead that the Pipers could never recover from.  Despite some late heroics by both Sammons and Bonsante, the Blazers would make the big score or snare the big rebound or get the steal that snuffed out any remaining hope Hamline had.  Sammons finally fouled out of the game with 1:15 left and the issue already decided and CSB booked an all-important 68-58 win to move to 7-6 in the MIAC and 10-6 overall and gave Head Coach Mike Durbin and his long-time assistant Denny Johnson their 600th win together.

A very happy and humble Durbin afterward pointed out that, without Johnson on the bench with him, "I'd have probably gone 4-22!"  Durbin may have been saying that in jest but both Johnson and Steve Howe-Veenstra have been dedicated assistants for Durbin and have played a big role in CSB's success over the years.  As for the game itself, Durbin had to give a lot of credit to the team's defensive play.  "I thought we played very well defensively" Durbin said; pointing out to getting big stops or steals although he was quick to admit that Hamline had more than their share of missed opportunities.  But, at the same time, he couldn't help but praise his opponent on this night.  "They're WAY better than their record" Durbin said matter of factly about Hamline.  On the other side, the disappointment and frustration was plain to see on the faces of Head Coach Kerri Stockwell and her assistants.  I know you can make the excuse about what a young team this is but, in reality, it's likely the biggest reason as to why they can be so wildly inconsistent at times.  They're arguably the most athletic team in the conference (even Durbin called Sammons "the best athlete in the conference without a doubt" which I agree with 110%) and they have tremendous potential.  It's just about being able to put forth a consistent performance night in and night out and with one senior, three juniors, and a bevy of freshman and sophomores that can be a lot easier said than done.  Still, I think the future is going to be very bright for this program.

Hamline vs St. Kate's Recap 1-27-14

Was over at Butler Center on the St. Kate's campus on this freezing Monday evening to take in the contest between visiting Hamline and host St. Kate's.  Both teams have had their share of struggles this season but these match-ups between the Pipers and the Wildcats are always fun to take in and a lot of wild, weird and unpredictable things always seem to happen when these two teams meet up.

It would be the Pipers getting out to a quick 5-0 lead by the 17:42 mark behind a pull-up jumper from freshman guard Chloe Graves out of Denver, Colorado and a "3" from junior guard Mackenzie Lee that had St. Kate's Head Coach Sean Pinkerton calling a quick time-out to reassemble his troops.  The Wildcats would slowly gather themselves and get a 7-5 lead by the 14:36 mark on a "3" from the left top area by senior guard/forward Kristen Lee.  The Pipers would get a four-point 13-9 lead by the 11:14 mark when junior guard Jordan "Flash" Sammons snared a steal and streaked the other way for an easy lay-up but the 'Cats would come right back at knot the issue at 13-all with 7:23 left. 

Hamline would go on another push over the course of the next three minutes to build a bit of a cushion but it wouldn't last long.  Freshman reserve guard Erika Moede connected on a pull-up jumper in transition with 6:44 left and then it was speedy senior reserve guard Je'Naya Brown knocking down a "3" from the left wing area with 6:13 left that gave the Pipers a 19-13 lead. After the Wildcats freshman reserve guard Liz Ellens got an offensive rebound for a putback, Sammons got the lead back to six at 22-16 by drilling a "3" from the right wing area with 4:50 left.  The lead would grow to seven at 25-18 on another Sammons "3"; this one from the top of the key with 4:02 left but the Wildcats battled back again.  Ellens; the Sauk Centre native, banged home a "3" from the right wing with 2:43 left and then it was sophomore reserve guard Shauna Horsch with one of her patented high-arcing "3's"; this one from the same right wing spot that sliced the Hamline lead down to one at 25-24 with 1:56 left.  Junior forward Rachel Usgaard knocked down two free throws after being fouled with 1:08 left and Sammons added two more points to her first half total on a foray into the paint for a finish with :36 left but St. Kate's was definitely in this one trailing only 29-25 going into the locker room at the half. 

The beginning of the second half followed much of the same pattern as the first half; with Hamline flirting with taking an advantage and St. Kate's battling back.  The Pipers built the lead to 31-25 on two free throws by sophomore guard Emily Behrman but the Wildcats would embark on a 6-0 push to tie things up at 31-all by the 16:18 mark.  This time, however, St. Kate's would make a move and build an advantage.  With the score tied at 34, freshman phenom LaShay Holt got a defensive rebound and promptly went coast to coast and finished down the lane at the 14:36 mark and followed that up with a "3" from the right wing at the 12:23 mark for a 41-34 Wildcat advantage.  Hamline would counter with a Behrman lay-up in transition that cut the lead to three at 41-38 at the 11:13 mark but another cloud-scraping "3" from St. Kate's Horsch from the left top area put the 'Cats back up 44-38 at the 10:43 mark and a chance to possibly seize control. 

Now it would be the Pipers turn to cool down the pressure-cooker and they set out to do just that.  Trailing 45-40, Sammons connected with a short one-handed jumper with 9:54 left and then it was Mackenzie Lee draining a "3" from the left corner that tied things up at 45 a piece.  Hamline would get a three-point 48-45 lead on a lay-up in transition by Brown  that got her fouled and allowed her to sink the obligatory freebie.  St. Kate's still had enough fight left in them that enabled them to grab one more small lead; thanks to a "3" from freshman guard Abby Torgerson and a score in the paint by Holt but then then a "3" by the Pipers Mackenzie Lee from the left wing with 5:41 left not only put Hamline back up for good at 53-52 but it also seemed to suck any real hope the Wildcats had of pulling this one off.  A "3" by Moede from the left corner validated that notion and had the Pipers up by a count of 58-52 with 4:18 left.  Moreover, the Wildcats struggled mightily from the charity stripe; squandering several attempts that without a doubt would have changed the complexion of this one down the stretch.  The 'Cats could get no closer than four in the final minutes and Hamline headed back to the north side of St. Paul with a 66-58 victory in their back pocket.

Hamline Head Coach Kerri Stockwell thought her team stepped up defensively when they had to; getting a turnover here; a turnover there at critical points in the second half.  She also heaped a ton of praise  on her junior guard Mackenzie Lee who hit some huge three-pointers in the second half and finished with 14 points on the evening (Sammons 24 points led all scorers) .  For the Pipers, it may have been only one win in a long season as they improve to 3-10 in the MIAC and 4-12 overall.  On the other side of the coin, a disappointed Pinkerton and his assistant Tim Kjar pointed to one glaring stat:  7-21 from the free throw line.  That simply won't get it done and won't win you ballgames and both freely admitted it.  Such is the struggle with this young, scrappy St. Kate's team that has found its share of rough patches in the road this year.  Despite the disappointment and frustration, Pinkerton and Kjar are working diligently on bringing this program up and I'm confident that they'll have the Wildcats on a new level in the not too distant future.

MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 1-26-14

This Sunday's power rankings don't deviate much from the actual standings but there's definitely some interesting things going on out there.

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

The Cardinals strengthened their grip on the top spot after thumping Bethel on Wednesday night and then going up to St. Joe yesterday and knocking off the Blazers in Claire Lynch.  But this coming week will pose another yet another big challenge again - surging St. Olaf on Wednesday night and then Concordia on Saturday - both at home in Winona.  If they somehow get through these two games unscathed, the only other daunting aspect of their schedule would then be the return game in St. Paul against UST.  The bottom line is that they're finding ways to win games, even on the road, and there just might be no stopping this train now.  Meanwhile, the Cobbers had to go to overtime yesterday to hold off pesky GAC but got the job done and UST still looks very strong; very solid after convincing victories this last week.  Bethel's fortunes, however, took a tumble after road stumblings at both St. Olaf and SMU this last week.  They still look solid, though, after yesterday's blowout of Macalester but the way things are shaping up now they most likely are locked into the fourth spot and there probably won't be much they can do about it, IMHO.

Don't look now but St. Olaf has quietly reeled off five straight wins and, at the moment anyway, appears to be in pretty good shape wrt getting that fifth spot.  But this week will be a challenging one for them as they go to Winona on Wednesday night to take on SMU and then have to travel over to St. Peter on Saturday to take on GAC; a place where they haven't had much success.  CSB LOOKS to be the one team that has the best shot of getting that sixth and final playoff spot.  The bottom may have fallen out on Augsburg's playoff hopes after absorbing a thumping at home against UST and then taking it on the chin yesterday at St. Olaf.  On paper anyway, the Auggies can only realistically count on four more wins so, somewhere along the line, they're going to HAVE to find a way to steal a game or two (or three) against some teams that they normally wouldn't beat in order to have a shot.  GAC's faltering hopes fell further after an overtime loss to Concordia up in Moorhead yesterday and I simply don't see any way out of the canyon they've dug for themselves.  It really seems hard to believe that since the MIAC playoff formula was started back in 2001 that this most likely will be the first time that the Gusties won't be a part of it.  After looking good in December, Carleton now finds themselves in the all too familiar position of playing out the string and hoping to spring an upset or two and it surprises me from what I saw of them back in December.  I just somehow expected more from them. 

Stay warm out there.  :)

Crown vs Northwestern 1-25-14

Because of the 5:00 P.M. start, I had some extra time on my hand after the St. Kate's - UST game that allowed me to make a couple of stops before I made my way over to the Ericksen Center to catch this UMAC clash between visiting Crown College and host Northwestern.  This would be my first look at Crown since their early season game at St. Kate's and, of course, the Crown program was rocked shortly after the first of the year with the arrest of then-Head Coach Ryan Chmielewski.  Since then, the Storm has been coached by Luke Hebert.  Northwestern, meanwhile, claimed a huge 81-74 home win the night before against Minnesota-Morris that created a 4-way logjam for first place in the UMAC so it would be important for the Eagles to keep the beat going and come out and play with intensity in a game were they were heavily favored to win.

Northwestern senior guard Mollie Sir and junior guard Chanel Madson did another great rendition of the National Anthem at the beginning. Crown, though, managed to stay close early on and actually led at the start on a drive and finish in the lane by freshman guard Taylor Dubberke at the 19:00 mark.  Northwestern would come right back and stake a 5-2 lead on a "3" by sophomore forward Courtney Cunard out of Missouri Valley, Iowa at the 17:00 mark but a "3" by sophomore guard Michelle Hyde of Crown at the 16:53 mark tied the issue at 5 a piece.  The Storm would keep things tight and trailed only 11-10 at the 15:24 mark after a lay-up by freshman Desiree Davis that got her fouled in the process and allowed her to sink the obligatory free throw.  Slowly but surely, the Eagles would open things up offensively and they were able to do it in a variety of ways.  Sir got the attack going with a jumper from the left baseline at the 15:10 mark and followed that up shortly with a "3" from the left corner for a 16-10 lead at the 14:44 mark.  The lead expanded to 19-10 by the 14:06 mark when sophomore reserve forward Kim Campbell connected with a lay-up in transition and a Campbell "3" from the left corner at the 13:34 mark kept the margin at nine with Northwestern up 22-13. 

The pace picked up on both sides from a scoring standpoint; so much so that yours truly had trouble keeping up with everything :) .  Madson put on a clinic with "3's" at the 11:21 mark and again with 9:16 left that sandwiched a drive into the lane and finish before that.  Dubberke knocked down two treys herself for Crown - one with 8:57 left from the right top and again with 8:34 left that had the Storm still with a lot of fighting spirit but unable to slow the drive of the Eagles as they continued to bombard Crown with an array of three-point shooting.  With Northwestern up 34-23, junior forward Hannah Holm upped it to 36-23 with 5:37 left on a lay-up and the Charlotte, North Carolina native then drilled a "3" from the right top area with 5:04 left that put the Eagles up by fifteen at 39-24.  Freshman reserve guard Tiffany Stubbs also decided to get in on the act as she drained a "3" from the right wing area with 4:17 left for a 43-24 Northwestern lead.  Campbell went off down the stretch again; nailing "3's" with 2:50 and 1:34 left and she also added one free throw with :59.6 left.  Madson knocked down two more charity stripe shots with :29.4 left and the Eagles had exploded to a 52-33 halftime lead.

Northwestern came out with both barrels a blazin' once the second half got underway as well.  And it was Sir, the Cresco, Iowa native, who did the firing early on.  She drained a "3" from the left corner at the 19:20 mark for a 55-33 and then the gunslinger wearing #40 in white did repeat performances at the 18:45 and 17:47 marks that had the cotton in the Northwestern basket smokin'.  Seemingly overshadowed in this downtown bombing display by the Eagles was senior post Jessica Fife; normally relied upon when Northwestern needs that inside presence but she didn't disappoint either as points in the paint by the former Osseo standout at the 17:01 and 15:53 marks had the Eagles up comfortably 67-40.  Another three-point bomb by Holm increased the margin to thirty at 70-40 at the 14:53 mark before Crown reserve freshman guard Avanel Smithe was able to make a couple of punches for the Storm; a score in the paint at the 14:21 mark and a "3" from the right wing at the 14:18 mark but Northwestern had long ago ran away with a cushion and then some.

The big lead for Northwestern allowed Head Coach Aaron Kahl to experiment with his reserves to give them an opportunity to shine as well and they did.  Stubbs drove into the lane for a drive and finish at the 12:26 mark and freshman reserve forward Emily VanLith was able to snare an offensive rebound for a putback at the 11:26 mark for a 74-49 lead.  The Eagles were able to maintain that thirty-point cushion coming down the stretch despite occasional Crown scores from both Dubberke and Davis; as the Storm was still working hard to capitalize on any scoring opportunities they could get.  With the outcome all but decided, Campbell connected on a lay-up in transition with 5:08 left that got Northwestern a 90-57 lead as the Eagles flirted with hitting the century mark.  Freshman reserve post Rachel Hart got into the books with a score in the paint with 3:20 left for a 93-62 Eagle lead and then Jadyn Holm (not listed on the Northwestern roster) connected with a jumper from the right elbow area with 1:55 left for a 95-66 lead.  Another Eagle player not listed on the roster (Lily Grothe) also maneuvered into the paint for a score with :39 left to make the final margin 97-68.

A very pleased and happy Kahl soaked in the big wins gained this weekend with this victory.  Sir led the way with 17 points while both Campbell and Madson poured in 16 and Holm added 14.  I made the point to Kahl that the team not only did the job from behind the arc but the found other ways to score and, perhaps even more important, dominated in one category on this day that has been something of a sore spot for them at times - rebounding.  Kahl was agreeable but was quick to point out one area that still needs work - defense.  "Still a weakness" he said.  Nevertheless, I still have to think the Eagles are well-positioned at this point and still the odds-on favorite to come out on top of the UMAC when the dust settles.  With this one under the belt, Kahl was now pointing ahead to the big game next Friday night up at Duluth against St. Scholastica.  "A huge game for us" Kahl pointed out. 

St. Kate's vs UST 1-25-14

Had to fight a few traffic problems on I-94 on the way over but got into UST's Anderson Athletic Center on this cold Saturday afternoon to take in the 1:00 P.M. clash between visiting St. Kate's which made the short hop over to host UST.  The Tommies were in the beginning stages of making amends for that upset loss at home last weekend to Concordia while the Wildcats were attempting to do the near-impossible - steal a victory at nationally-ranked UST. 

The odds were stacked against St. Kate's in this one and it became apparent early on that this simply was not to be the Wildcats day.  After 2 free throws be senior forward Taylor Young at the 19:50 mark, junior post Maggie Weiers muscled into the paint for an easy score at the 17:09 mark.  Then, sophomore guard Katie Stone canned a "3" from the right corner at the 16:00 mark for a 7-0 Tommie advantage.  A short jumper by senior guard Kelly Brandenburg at the 15:30 mark had St. Kate's Head Coach Sean Pinkerton looking for a way to stop the bleeding with a thirty-second timeout but it was to no avail.  Weiers made good on a lay-up in transition at the 12:53 mark and then it was Young drilling a "3" from the right corner at the 12:00 mark that had UST up two touchdowns on the Wildcats.  The 'Cats finally got on the scoreboard less than two minutes later when junior reserve guard Jenna Mistler was able to connect on a lay-up with 9:11 left but the Tommies had set the tone in this one from the get-go.

And the Tommies had no intentions of letting go of the vice-grip hold they had on this one anytime soon.  Wildcat score by freshman reserve forward Kennedy Jennings and fellow freshman reserve guard Liz Ellens  made a bit of a snippit on the Tommie advantage but UST would respond with another run.  Leading 18-6 with 6:58 left, a score in the paint by Weiers with 6:40 left coupled with a steal by freshman reserve guard Paige Gernes who dashed the other way for an easy lay-up with 6:21 left made it a 22-6 game.  Then it was Stone unleashing a "3" from the right wing area with 4:06 left that gave the Tommies a commanding 27-8 lead with 4:06 left.  The lead ballooned to 30-8 with 1:43 left after another score in the paint by Weiers and a free throw from junior reserve forward Elaine Warner before St. Kate's made a bit of a flurry late:  A jumper from senior guard/forward Kristen Lee from the right top area with :48.3 left and a pretty drive along the left baseline for a finish by junior forward Sarah Manning with just :12 left.  But Young put the exclamation point on this grand first half for the Tommies by nailing a "3" from the left wing with just :01.9 left that gave UST an insurmountable 36-12 halftime lead.

A "3" from Stone from the left top area at the 19:36 mark bulged the Tommie lead to 39-12 and St. Kate's Pinkerton shed the sport coat again but nothing was going to derail the Tommie Express on this day.  A Weiers score in the paint at the 18:00 mark and a lay-up in transition by Stone at the 17;23 mark upped the lead to 43-12.  Then Brandenburg decided it was time to get in on the act as she drained a "3" from the right top area at the 15:29 mark and then connected on a lay-up in transition at the 11:52 mark that made it a 48-15 game.  Another foray into the paint and finish by Weiers with 9:32 left made it 50-18 in favor of the Tommies.  The Wildcats also had to pay dearly for leaving Young out all alone by her lonesome at the right top area where she banged home a "3" with 8:07 left that kept the margin at thirty at 53-23.  Another brief flurry by St. Kate's - an offensive rebound and putback by freshman LaShay Holt with 7:32 left and a jumper from the left elbow a minute later plus two treys from sohpmore reserve guard/forward Shauna Horsch helped keep things respectable but UST Head Coach Ruth Sinn had already begin to clear her bench for the final few minutes that allowed freshman reserve Kelsey Frey to record a couple of scores as did fellow freshman reserve guard Shaylan Reardon.  The final result was a resounding 61-32 Tommie victory when the final buzzer sounded.

A seemingly satisfied Sinn talked candidly about what her squad has been doing to keep things positive after the shocking loss to Concordia last weekend.  "Tightening up our defense has been key.....We're getting better at that but we gave up way too many easy points last weekend.  It's a learning process."  Given that the Tommies are still very much in play for another MIAC regular season title, I couldn't resist in asking Sinn about the big picture; even though the team and coaches are taking things one game at a time.  "We've been there before; we know what it takes" Sinn said.  At the same time, she's keenly aware about how not having either Jenn Dockter or Anna Smith available due to injuries factors in to the whole equation.  "Our margin for error is smaller without those two" she added.  This win today; coupled with the road win at Augsburg on Wednesday, is definitely what the doctor ordered from a Tommie perspective.  They needed two convincing wins to get their mojo back and it would look to me as if they definitely have their mojo back after a hiccup last weekend.

Centennial vs Park Center 1-24-14

Was over at Park Center High School again on this snowy Friday evening to take in arguably the premier girls high school game of the night in the Twin Cities - the much-anticipated clash between visiting Class AAAA #3-ranked Centennial and host Class AAA #2-ranked Park Center.  These two squads would be battling not only for first place in the Northwest Suburban Conference but would also be trying to make statements as to why they should be seeded #1 in their respective sections for section play.  You just knew it was on once you got settled in the bleachers and watched the teams go through their warm-ups as the energy and intensity levels were high. 

In my own mind, I felt that it was imperative that Park Center come out from the opening tip as the aggressor and set the tone early; something they didn't do when they lost at Centennial earlier in the season.  In this rematch, the Pirates did exactly that and it was flashy senior forward Cayla McMorris stealing the spotlight early on with a "3" from the left wing at the 17:54 mark to get things going; an offensive rebound and putback at the 17:32 mark; and scores in the paint at both the 16:51 and 16:02 marks that helped spur Park Center to an early 10-2 lead before the Cougars knew what hit them.  Centennial would counter with scores from the Morris Sisters - seniors Destinee and Daizjah that helped trim the Park Center lead down to 12-7 but a lay-up by lanky freshman post Mikayla Hayes and an offensive rebound by reserve sophomore forward Olivia Peterson had the Pirates up 16-7 and Centennial Head Coach Greg Amundson tried to pull the plug on this Park Center offensive with a thirty second timeout but the Pirates had no intention of cooling their heels just yet.  Two more scores by McMorris propelled Park Center to a 22-13 lead with 8:41 left and, for the moment anyway, the Pirates were in firm control.

Despite the shaky start, Centennial refused to panic and they slowly chipped away at the Park Center advantage; mainly by making a concerted effort to get the ball down low to their 5'11" senior post Jill Conrad; not the tallest post player out there perhaps but certainly one of the strongest for sure.  Back to back Conrad scores with 8:01 and 7:17 left pulled the Cougars back to within five at 22-17.  Sophomore reserve guard Nan Glinsek's jumper from the right baseline with 5:20 left drew Centennial even closer; trailing 24-20.  Park Center would make another push; a lay-up by speedy junior guard McKenna DuBois that got her fouled and allowed her to sink the ensuing freebie put the Pirates back up by seven at 27-20.  A score in the paint by Hayes with 4:31 left and a DuBois "3" from the right wing that caromed perfectly off the glass and into the cylinder seemingly had Park Center back in firm control again up 32-24 but back to back scores by Centennials Daizjah Morris - a score in the paint with 3:15 left and a jumper from the left wing with 2:07 left trimmed the Pirate lead down to 32-28 and then twin sister Destinee Morris connected with a short jumper off the glass with 1:47 left that brought the Cougars to within a single possession trailing 32-30.  Peterson would make one charity stripe shot for Park Center with 1:27 left but given the rough start the Cougars endured in the opening minutes they could handle being down 33-30 on the road in a game as important as this at the half.

Centennial looked to open things up a bit offensively once the second half got underway and to do that they were going to have to get the Morris twins - Destinee and Daizjah - more involved in the offense.  Trouble was, Park Center's McMorris was matching everything the Centennial duo was trying to do to edge closer.  A drive and finish by Daizjah was sandwiched by McMorris scores at the 16:51 and 15:13 marks.  A score in the paint by Centennial's Conrad at the 14:59 mark was countered by a short jumper by Park Center's Hayes some twenty seconds later.  Daizjah Morris wheeled and dealed into the paint for a score for the Cougars at the 14:29 mark but that was quickly matched by a McMorris lay-up at the 14:16 mark that prevented Centennial from ever threatening to usurp control of this game. 

Moreover, Centennial struggled mightily from the perimeter all night long as they never could find that one big shot when they were close that might have changed the complexion of the game at least.  And that allowed the Pirates to keep their grips on control and momentum.  A McMorris lay-up at the 12:20 mark expanded the lead to 45-38 and an encore performance in transition by the future Wisconsin Badger pushed the lead to 49-40 at the 10:51 mark.  Then it was DuBois lighting up the scoreboard again with a "3" from the top of the key with 10:06 left that had the Pirates up 52-40.  Centennial would counter briefly with a Conrad score in the paint with 9:13 left and two charity stripe shots after getting fouled.  Glinsek would play a thief in the night by stealing a Pirate inbound pass and getting a shot off the glass to go with 8:34 left that whittled the Park Center advantage down to 52-46 and a lay-up by reserve junior forward Jaycie Gerding drew the Cougars even closer with 8:07 left.  But again the Pirates never panicked.  Junior point guard Hannah Schaub calmly drove in for a lay-up with 7:45 left that spurted another Park Center push that would be decisive.  Hayes connected with a jumper in transition with 7:06 left and then a "3" by freshman guard Ann Simonet from the right corner with 6:02 left nearly brought the house down and had Park Center up by double digits again at 60-50.  Centennial would once more try to fight their way back into things with two Conrad scores but a "3" from the top of the key by DuBois with 3:21 left seemed to seal the deal for the Pirates on this Friday night.  McMorris would get another lay-up with 2:50 left and late Centennial scores - a "3" by senior guard Katie Werth with 2:30 left and a steal and lay-up the other way by senior forward Jasmin Bretoi with :49 left - would not be enough as Park Center celebrated a huge 72-62 win over their conference rival.

An elated Park Center Head Coach Chris VanderHyde was incredibly proud of his team's effort on this night as you can imagine and offered up what he though was key in his team's win:  "We had to take them off the spot on defense; we couldn't just let them spot up and take the shots they wanted."  And when Centennial made runs at the Pirates?  "Keeping our composure on offense was critical" VanderHyde said.  The only fly in the ointment for Park Center on this night was the rather dismal free throw shooting - only 10-25 - something that undoubtedly will be worked on when VanderHyde nodded his head in acknowledgement.  Still, the Pirates have proven on multiple occasions this year that they are more than ready to answer the bell in big games against top-flight competition and with McMorris leading the way, the Pirates may very well have more to celebrate than just a Northwest Suburban Conference title.

CSB vs St. Kate's Recap 1-22-14

Made my way on those treacherous St. Paul streets on this frigid Wednesday evening over to the Butler Center to take in this mid-week game between visiting CSB and host St. Kate's.  The Blazers; who have been up and down all season long, were hoping to gain some semblance of consistency to bolster their flickering MIAC playoff hopes while the Wildcats were simply looking for a way to gain a win.  Ironically, it was their trip up to St. Joe in early December where the Wildcats garnered their last win over this very same CSB team so it would remain to be seen if St. Kate's could somehow pull off a sweep of mighty CSB.

The Blazers appeared prime to gain an early advantage; getting out to a 6-1 lead by the 17:18 mark thanks to treys from both senior forward Morgan Dale and fellow senior guard Brianna Barrett.  However, St. Kate's came right back and showed, early on at least, that they were going to be very much in this game.  Freshman guard Abby Torgerson connected with a lay-up at the 16:06 mark and then senior guard/forward Kristen Lee tied the game at 6-all with a "3" from the left top at the 15:19 mark.  Another Torgerson lay-up at the 14:53 mark gave the 'Cats the lead at 8-6 and St. Kate's flirted with an advantage of 12-9 before CSB senior guard Tish Alexander brought the 'Cats back to earth with her "3" from the right wing at the 12:27 mark that knotted the issue at 12-all.  Things would stay relatively tight over the course of the next five minutes with neither side being able to gain more than a two-point advantage.  With the score tied at 18, CSB  sophomore forward Mattie Lueck knocked down a jumper from the right baseline with 6:45 left and then Dale unleashed another "3"; this one from the right wing area with 5:48 left that suddenly had the Blazers up 23-18 and seemingly primed to seize control.  But this young, scrappy St. Kate's team was not so ready to cooperate.  Freshman phenom forward LaShay Holt banged home a "3" from the left wing with 5:27 left that sliced the Blazer advantage down to 23-21 and although CSB's Barrett upped the lead to five again with her drive along the left baseline and finish that got her fouled and allowed her to sink the obligatory freebie, Kristen Lee's second trey of the game; this one from the top of the key with 1:59 left, made it a one possession game again as St. Kate's went into the locker room in great shape at the half; down only 26-24.

But unlike the last time when the Wildcats were able to sneak up and sting the Blazers on their home floor on that snowy night in early December, CSB was in no mood to do a repeat performance and they quickly set out to silence any hopes St. Kate's might have had about bringing the broom out afterward for a sweep.  Barrett made good on a lay-up in transition at the 19:36 mark and then Dale got positioned perfectly on the ensuing Blazer possession to snare an offensive rebound for a putback underneath the basket at the 18:50 mark.  Barrett then had a drive along the right baseline for a finish at the 18:09 mark and then another "3" from Alexander; this one from the right corner at the 17:28 mark, offset an earlier Wildcat score by Torgerson.  Sensing the dam about ready to break, St. Kate's Head Coach Sean Pinkerton immediately called a timeout but the Blazers - and Alexander - were far from finished.   A jumper by the former Benilde-St. Margaret's standout from the right baseline at the 16:17 mark prompted Pinkerton to burn another timeout - and shed the sport coat - to no avail.  Now up double-digits at 37-26, Alexander snared an offensive rebound for a putback at the 14:30 mark to expand the lead to 39-26.  Free throws by Mattie Lueck and Dale plus a score in the paint by Barrett, an encore "3" from Alexander in the right corner and the final dagger; a "3" from the right wing by Mattie Lueck's older sister, junior guard Emily, completed a 24-5 run that now had CSB up 50-29 with 9:36 mark.  The Blazers upped the advantage to as much as 57-31 on a jumper along the right baseline by junior reserve forward Elena Koch with 4:56 left.  Shortly thereafter, with the outcome all but certain, CSB Head Coach Mike Durbin put in his reserves for mop-up duty.  St. Kate's was able to make a few jabs toward the end; a lay-up in transition by Holt and a "3" from junior reserve guard Brittany Ward along with a score in the paint by fellow junior reserve guard Jenna Mistler but the damage had been done and the Blazers secured an important 63-41 road win to improve to 6-5 in the MIAC and 9-5 overall.

Afterward, Durbin was very pleased with his team's effort in the second half.  "Actually, I thought we played well defensively all game" he stated.  Durbin also offered up thought on what the key was to the big second-half run:  "Extending the floor in the second half and getting turnovers was huge".  Another sore spot addressed during halftime was rebounding.  The Blazers were outrebounded by St. Kate's by 10 in the first half.  "We talked about that" Durbin said.  Evidently whatever was said worked because the Blazers outrebounded St. Kate's by 16 in the second half.  As far as the big picture and playoff positioning, Durbin said, "We think we're a lot better than our record but we've got to go out there and prove it."  Certainly the win on this night improves their standing in the conference but they will have to find a way to win a game or two against the upper-echelon teams to solidify a playoff spot.  On the other side, a disappointed Pinkerton and his Assistant Coach Tim Kjar talked about a "lack of focus and energy".  I think there's a lot of truth to that as well.  The reality is that this is a very young St. Kate's team and they're going to have some outings like this every once in a while before they really know and understand what it takes to win consistently.

SMU vs Augsburg 1-20-14

Made my way over to Augsburg's Si Melby Hall on this cold January Monday night (my birthday no less:)  ) for this important MIAC clash between visiting first-place SMU and host Augsburg.  The Cardinals have been on a roll lately; mowing down everything in sight.  The Auggies meanwhile got off to a good start after a rough finish to 2013 but they dropped their latest contest over at Bethel on Saturday.  This would be the second test against one of the upper-echelon teams in the conference and one they would want very dearly to come out on top.

SMU would jump out to a 6-2 lead by the 16:38 mark thanks to a "3" from junior guard Sara Schoenthaler and a score in the paint by senior post Courtney Euerle plus a free throw from sophomore point guard Bridget Pethke but the Auggies would eventually pull even.  A jumper by senior guard/forward Jill Tichy from the left corner at the 16:14 mark and a pretty drive along the left baseline and finish underneath by sophomore forward Jessica Lillquist tied the issue at six by the 15:30 mark.  Augsburg grabbed a brief lead shortly thereafter when Lillquist connected with a lay-up and got fouled in the process but a score in the paint by freshman reserve forward Mariam Awoniyi and a Schoenthaler free throw had the Cardinals back up by the slimmest of margins at 9-8 by the 12:33 mark. 

SMU finally got a flow going offensively and it would be Euerle; the Litchfield native, doing a lot of the damage.  Back to back lay-ups at the 12:02 and 10:52 marks expanded the Cardinal advantage to 13-8 but Euerle was just getting started.  She followed that up with back to back scores in the paint with 9:47 and 7:46 left that doubled up the Auggies at 20-10.  Reserve freshman guard Emma Schaefer got into the paint with her 5'6" frame to tally a basket and then she showed that she's even more comfortable from behind the arc as she drilled a "3" from the left wing with 4:30 left for a 23-12 SMU lead.  Augsburg sophomore guard Marie Fitzgerald temporarily stopped the bleeding with her "3" with 4:17 left but a drive and finish by Schaefer with 3:20 left and a lay-up by Pethke with 2:44 left had the Cardinals up 27-16 and momentum clearly on their side.  Euerle added two shots from the charity stripe with 1:28 left and a Schoenthaler score in the paint with :56 left enabled SMU to take a firm - if not commanding - grip on this one at the half by a count of 31-20.  A quick check of the first half box score revealed a couple of telling numbers - a 17-11 edge by SMU in total rebounds and a chilly 30% shooting from the field by the Auggies.  Certainly those two numbers would have to change if the Auggies were still going to entertain hopes of pulling off a gigantic upset.

A score in the paint by Lillquist at the 19:35 mark got the Auggies off on the right foot but they were still struggling mightily from behind the three-point line.  Senior guard Jolene Blood had an open look early on and sophomore guard Jenna Orth missed an easy lay-up as well adding to the Auggie frustrations.  SMU, meanwhile, was able to keep Augsburg at bay as senior guard Darcey Rice got into the paint for a score at the 16:41 mark and junior reserve guard Octavia Brown connected with a jumper from the left side of the basket at the 13:57 mark.  Schaefer, on her way to a solid night scoring-wise, knocked down a "3" from the right top area at the 13:52 mark that kept the cushion in double digits at 38-26. 

Augsburg finally started showing signs of life offensively just before the midway point of the second half thanks to Fitzgerald as she banged home back to back treys - at the 13:26 and 12:52 marks that whittled the SMU advantage down to 38-31.  SMU Head Coach Mandy Pearson; perhaps hoping to nip any Augsburg attempt at a comeback in the bud, called a thirty second timeout to talk about things with her team but the Cardinals came out of that surprisingly lackadaisical.  Both Pethke and Schaefer committed careless turnovers off the bat and the Auggies seemed ready to pounce on the opportunity.  Orth connected with a short jumper in the lane at the 11:18 mark.  Tichy then banged home a "3" from the top of the key at the 10:08 mark that cut into the SMU lead further at 41-36.  Sophomore reserve post Bridget Kopp then made her presence felt - a score in the paint with 8:09 left plus a jumper from the left elbow area with 7:07 left cut the Cardinal advantage to a scant point at 41-40.  SMU would counter with a lay-up by Euerle but two free throws by Tichy with 5:52 left and a Lillquist score in the paint with 5:00 left tied things up at 44-all.  Augsburg then completed this little magical 20-6 carpet ride-run when a short jumper off the glass by Lillquist put the Auggies ahead 46-44 with 4:22 left.

I don't know what it is about this SMU team but they seemingly have one uncanny knack for doing whatever it is they have to do when the chips are down and things look bleak.  And it would be the senior post; Euerle, coming through in the clutch for the Cardinals down the stretch.  She dropped two free throws after getting fouled with 3:18 left that tied things at 46-all and followed that up with two scores down low - one with 1:51 left and another on a sweet give-and-go pass from Awoniyi that put SMU back up for good at 50-48 with 1:04 left .  Augsburg had one more golden opportunity to try and tie the game again but a Schoenthaler steal of an errant Auggie pass helped seal the deal for the Cardinals.  She was immediately fouled and knocked down both free throws for a 52-48 lead with :36.3 left.  Rice and Schaefer were each able to knock down one charity stripe shot.  With hope all but gone with the last few final ticks, Augsburg's Fitzgerald let loose with a heave from the half-court area that banged home but this one, despite the heroics, would be too little too late and SMU was able to heave a sigh of relief with the 54-51 victory.

A disappointed Augsburg Assistant Coach Joshua Hersch tried to cast as much positive light on a downer of a situation as he could.  "We were flat and didn't have much energy in the first half" he lamented afterward.  Both he and Head Coach Bill McKee challenged the squad to show up in the second half with energy, fight and passion.  "I think we did that", he said.  Arguably, there were some missed opportunities for the Auggies in this one; opportunities that could have, at the very least, changed the complexion of things down the stretch.  But Hersch refused to be pessimistic about the big picture.  "We're still very much in this thing and we know it."  Certainly the long-term is clouded somewhat with junior point guard Abbey Luger being out with an injury and the target for her return uncertain.  But with GAC seemingly faltering at the moment and St. Olaf being unpredictable at best certainly the Auggies have a shot.  But, at the same time, they'll have to make the most of their opportunities as well.

MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 1-19-14

Major, major shake-up in the power rankings for this Sunday evening in lieu of the events that unfolded this past week and yesterday:

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

The Cardinals remain perched atop of the power rankings on this night as they overcame a double-digit deficit at Hamline to get a "W" and then took care of business at home against faltering GAC.  But this coming week will be a challenging one - a road trip to always-tricky Augsburg tomorrow night and then the big home game back in Winona against Bethel.  I had to shove both Bethel and Concordia into the second spot.  Bethel took care of business this last week but, like SMU, this coming week will prove to be a challenging one:  St. Olaf at home tomorrow night and then that aforementioned game in Winona on Wednesday night.  And how about those Concordia Cobbers?!  They went into Anderson Athletic Center and shut down an explosive UST team in the Tommies own crib.  You simply can't say enough about how Concordia Head Coach Jessica Rahman always seems to have her teams prepared for these huge statement games.  And they definitely made a statement yesterday.  While dreams of another Final Four and National Championship were being bandied about in Tommie Land before the start of the season, UST is suddenly reeling as they've been handed two setbacks in the course of a week.  I still think that UST has the potential to be not only regular season but tournament champ as well but let's be honest here.  This is simply not the same team with BOTH Jen Dockter and Anna Smith being out with season-ending injuries.  "Relentless" is the team's motto this season but that might have to change to "Survival" now.  The bottom line here is that this appears to be a four-horse race the rest of the way.

St. Olaf was able to escape Hutton Arena yesterday with a two-point victory over Hamline; never an easy thing to do so I'll give them the nod for the fourth spot here.  Likewise, CSB scored an important road win yesterday at Carleton that may have saved their season from completely going down the tubes.  I wasn't expecting Augsburg to beat Bethel at Bethel yesterday but this coming week is daunting:  home dates against SMU on Monday night and UST on Wednesday night before a huge contest at St. Olaf next week Saturday.  In short, this could be the week that makes or breaks the Auggies season.  It's incredibly sad to see how GAC has completely come apart at the seams with the 27-point beatdown at home by UST and then dropping a decision at SMU yesterday.  The bad thing is that I simply don't see a way out of this funk for them this season when I see the teams that are in front of them now.  For a program that flirted with elite status for the last decade, it's difficult to accept.  Carleton still has an outside shot of getting back into the thick of things and this coming week and weekend is a big opportunity for them and they'll simply have to make the most of it if they're going to.   

Macalester vs St. Kate's Synopsis 1-18-14

After Concordia's big upset win over UST, I made the short run down those God-forsaken St. Paul streets over to St. Kate's Butler Center for the 3:00 P.M. contest with Macalester.  I got settled in at the Butler Center with Macalester holding a 14-9 lead at the 10:50 mark.

The Scots were able to take advantage of the flat start by host St. Kate's and soon upped that lead to ten as senior reserve guard Erika Weimann drilled a "3" with 9:56 left and junior reserve forward Annie Drabot made a drive into the lane for a finish with 9:21 left.  St. Kate's Head Coach Sean Pinkerton had already shed that sport coat by the time I arrived; most likely in hopes that his squad would start feeling some warmth as well.  The Wildcats finally started heating up when reserve sophomore guard/forward Shauna Horsch knocked down back to back "3's" with 7:27 and 6:48 left that quickly had St. Kate's to within four at 19-15.  Macalester would try to keep the 'Cats at bay as senior guard Emma Leyden connected with a jumper from the top just inside the arc with 6:28 left and fellow senior guard Taylor Pike found the range from behind the arc from the right top area with 5:36 left that had the blue-clad Scots back up by a count of 24-17.  But St. Kate's would come right back behind a "3' from senior guard/forward Kristen Lee and three charity stripe shots by freshman phenom guard/forward LaShay Holt after she got fouled on a shot attempt behind the arc with 3:54 left.  Kristen Lee; the Dawson native, drained another "3" with 3:29 left; this one from the left wing area that put St. Kate's into the lead at 26-24.  More freebies by Holt upped that lead to 29-24 with 2:50 left but the Scots had one last push in the first half as both sophomore guard Erin Murray and senior reserve forward Kathryn Medinger were able to get points in the paint as was senior post Veronika Jakubovie with 1:21 left that knotted the issue at 30-all.  Junior guard Jenna Mistler put St. Kate's back in front with two free throws with 1:07 left but Macalester's sophomore reserve guard Katelyn Kack was able to connect with a short jumper along the right side of the basket with :53 left and, as a result, both teams went into the locker room at the half with things deadlocked at 32-all.

The 'Cats and Scots would trade one-point leads in the opening minutes of the second half before St. Kate's finally was able to open up a bit of distance on their opponent.  Holding that precarious one-point advantage at 38-37, Holt knocked down a "3" from the left wing at the 13:27 mark for a 41-37 'Cat lead.  Freshman guard Abby Torgerson made two free throws after getting fouled at the 11:02 mark.  Macalester's Murray hit a "3" from the right top area at the 10:37 mark that trimmed the St. Kate's advantage but Horsch made good on a lay-up at the 10:13 mark and then it was Kristen Lee again draining a "3" from the left wing area for a 48-40 Wildcat advantage with 9:31 left.  Macalester tried to counter with scores from both Jakubovie and Leyden but St. Kate's clearly had the momentum in their favor by this point and, more importantly, their athleticism was beginning to take its toll on the Scots.

Just as she had earlier in the week against Bethel, Mistler was seemingly all over the court on both ends of the floor trying to make things happen for her team.  Besides playing lights out defense, the Austin, Texas native also has a knack for scoring as well as she banged home a "3' from the right top area with 6:21 left to make it a nine-point game at 53-44.  Horsch was also able to connect with a medium-range jumper from the right baseline with 4:52 left four a 55-44 St. Kate's advantage.  Mistler also connected with a tough lay-up in transition to maintain that double-digit advantage at 57-46 with 3:44 left.  Macalester Head Coach Ellen Thompson called a timeout shortly thereafter in vain hopes of overcoming this deficit although her team didn't think it was quite so far-fetched.  Holt did connect with a lay-up for the 'Cats with 2:55 left but a short jumper in the lane by Murray and a jumper from the right elbow by Kack along with two "3's" by Murray - one with 1:16 left that cut the deficit to six at 61-55 and an encore performance from the top of the key with :58.9 left that had the St. Kate's lead cut to a single possession at 61-58 still allowed Macalester to have a wisp of hope.  But two critical free throws by Mistler and a steal and lay-up the other way by Torgerson provided insurance for the Wildcats as they claimed a 65-59 win. 

Concordia vs UST 1-18-14

Was back over at UST's Anderson Athletic Center on this sunny January Saturday afternoon for this all-important MIAC clash between first place UST and visiting Concordia which was right on the heels of the three teams (UST, SMU & Bethel) just in front of them.  The Cobbers had earned a hard-fought six point win up at CSB on Wednesday night and another long roadie down to the Twin Cities to take on the mighty Tommies would certainly be a stern test.

Both teams traded jabs early on with UST sophomore guard Katie Stone and Concordia senior guard Erika both knocking down three-point shots early on that had the two teams tied at 5-all by the 17:58 mark.  The Tommies were then able to open up a bit of a lead after scores in the paint by senior guard Kelly Brandenburg and senior All-American forward Taylor Young and a running jumper in the lane by Stone that had the Tommies up 11-5 by the 16:12 mark.  Concordia junior guard Alley Fisher answered with a "3" from the left wing at the 15:50 mark but the Tommies were able to rebuild the lead and extend it to as much as seven at 15-8 after Stone snared a steal from the Cobbers and dashed the other way for an easy lay-up at the 13:31 mark.

But this resourceful Concordia team could not be kept down for very long and they slowly but surely clawed their way right back into the thick of things.  Another "3" by Jossart; this one from the top of the key at the 12:49 mark coupled with a lay-up in transition freshman reserve guard Emma Peterson brought the Cobbers to within two at 15-13 by the 12:26 mark.  UST senior post Maggie Weiers connected with a lay-up just before the midway point to up the Tommie lead to four at 19-15 but the Cobbers would get it back to a one possession game shortly thereafter and keep it in that range for the most part over the next six minutes; thanks to timely three-point shooting by sophomore reserve guard Olivia Johnson and Fisher plus the presence of both senior post Alexandra Lippert and fellow senior reserve post Kelsey Walloch.  UST would twice earn five-point leads in the home stretch of the first half - once when Stone knocked down a jumper from the left top area with 4:28 left and then again at the 4:08 mark when Stone; the Eau Claire, Wisconsin native, connected with a lay-up for a 31-26 Tommie lead.  But again, the Cobbers were able to get it to a one possession game again with 3:01 left when lanky junior forward Erin Januschka maneuvered into the paint for a score that cut the Tommie lead to 31-29.  UST would counter one more time when Brandenburg was able to get inside for a score with 1:21 left so the Cobbers had to settle for being down four at 33-29 by halftime.

The good vibes that the Cobbers were feeling during the first half quickly evaporated once the second half got underway.  Lippert; reverting momentarily back to her salad days at Concordia, promptly picked up her third foul and, to make matters worse, Jossart followed suit shortly thereafter.  UST responded with a 7-0 spurt as Brandenburg knocked down a short jumper at the 18:58 mark and followed that up with a steal and lay-up the other way at the 18:12 mark for a 37-29 Tommie lead.  Stone then drilled a "3" from the right wing at the 17:35 mark for a 40-29 UST advantage and Concordia Head Coach Jessica Rahman; sensing that things could suddenly go kablooey for her squad, quickly called a thirty-second timeout to assess the damage and have her squad regroup.

Whatever was said in that timeout must have lit a fire under the Cobbers because they came out of that short pow-wow with a newfound determination that totally turned this game around.  Freshman guard Greta Walsh made a hard drive along the right baseline and finished underneath at the 16:20 mark and then Fisher reigned terror from behind the arc again at the 14:26 mark with one of her patented "3's"; this one from the left corner that cut the Tommie bulge to six points at 40-34.  UST Head Coach Ruth Sinn, now sensing possible trouble herself, called a thirty-second timeout to discuss the situation with her team but could not light the same fire for the Tommies.  Walloch was able to score inside at the 13:44 mark and then the 5'8" Peterson out of Benson somehow managed to tip-in a missed Cobber shot in a whole lot of traffic down low at the 11:49 mark that now had it back to a one possession game again at 40-38. 

But perhaps the biggest difference in this dramatic turnaround of events from a Concordia standpoint was the resolve by the 6'4" senior Lippert to come in and make the most of things even if she had a few fouls saddled on her.  She got into the paint for a score at the 11:23 mark that nullified two freebies by UST's Weiers a bit earlier.  Then it was Johnson draining a "3" from the right corner at the 10:43 mark that not only gave Concordia it's first lead since the very early stages of the ballgame at 43-42 but had the Concordia bench and fans roaring.  Another foray into the paint and finish by the fearless (and experienced) Lippert  and then yet another "3" from Fisher who was left open at the top of the key at the 9:03 mark upped the advantage to 48-44.  This amazing 21-4 run by the Cobbers was completed at the 8:14 mark when Fisher canned two free throws after getting fouled that had Concordia up 50-44.

But the Cobbers were far from finished on making their mark on this day.  They clamped down on defense as well and made life miserable for Weiers, Young and Brandenburg on every Tommie possession.  Weiers did connect with a short turnaround jumper in the lane for the Tommies with 5:17 left that trimmed the Concordia lead to 53-49 but the Cobbers simply slammed the door shut on any notion the Tommies may have had about usurping control of this contest.  Jossart made two freebies after getting fouled with 4:26 left that now had Concordia in the double-bonus the rest of the way.  A drive and finish by Walloch with 3:50 left upped the Cobber advantage to eight at 57-49 and then back to back scores in the paint by Lippert now had Concordia up by eleven at 61-49 with 2:36 left.  An exasperated Sinn called another timeout in hopes of pulling off a miracle with the sands of time draining down but it was not to be.  The Tommies did provide a few flickers of hope very late when Brandenburg was able to score inside with :56 left and the Tommies were able to snare a steal and get the rock to junior guard Laura Margarit who knocked down a "3' from the left wing with :46 left but both Johnson and Fisher were able to knock down insurance free throws when the Tommies had no choice but to foul and Concordia pulled off the shocker of the day in the MIAC claiming a 71-58 road win at UST.

An elated Rahman admitted afterward that she said nothing extraordinarily special during that critical thirty-second timeout early in the second half when the Cobbers were in big trouble.  "I just told the team that we needed great team effort and they responded."  She also felt that they had tremendous effort on defense and that obviously helped turned the tide in this one.  An equally happy and elated Lippert was basking in the moment afterward with family and friends and she admitted that she felt that she's come a long way since her early days at Concordia.  Despite getting that third foul early in the second half, she finished with just four fouls and was an integral part of this comeback today and it gives you an idea of how far she's come along from her early days as a Cobber.  "We just knew we had to come out with great effort" she stated about that early second half timeout.  Suddenly the Cobbers find themselves as part of a four-horse race for the conference crown along with UST, Bethel and SMU.  And I personally think it's a great thing because it just shows you how incredibly strong this conference really is and I hope that all four of these teams have a shot to get a ticket into that magical March Dance.

Maple Grove vs Park Center 1-17-13

Made the short run over to Park Center High School on this frigid Friday evening to take in this Northwest Suburban Conference clash between visiting Maple Grove and host Park Center; currently ranked second in Class AAA.  The Pirates had claimed a tough road win earlier in the week up the road at Champlin Park so now it was time to see if they could hold serve at home against the Crimson. 

Things would stay tight in the opening eight minutes of the first half with neither team being able to gain a decisive advantage.  After Park Center had assumed a 3-0 lead on a jumper from the left baseline by junior sharpshooting guard McKenna DuBois at the 15:18 mark, the Crimson came right back as junior guard Haylee Barker made good on a drive and finish in the lane at the 14:50 mark that was followed by an offensive rebound and putback by strong senior guard Kaela Jones at the 14:24 mark for a 4-3 Maple Grove lead.  Cayla McMorris, the flashy Park Center senior forward, had the Pirates back up briefly again with a lay-up in transition at the 12:52 mark but then Maple Grove junior reserve guard Mary Eckberg knocked down a "3" from the left corner at the 12:40 mark for a 7-5 Crimson lead but Park Center reserve sophomore forward Oliva Peterson was able to maneuver into the paint for a score at the 11:06 mark that left things deadlocked at 7-all.

But once Park Center started harassing the Crimson with both a full- and half-court press on defense the Pirates slowly started taking command of this game.  Worse for Maple Grove, they had a ton of trouble in their half court offense with a plethora of turnovers that helped fuel a decisive Park Center run.  Holding a 10-9 lead, a strong drive along the left baseline and finish by McMorris with 10:02 left followed by a jumper along the left baseline by freshman reserve forward Feyisayo Ayobamidele with 8:55 left expanded the Pirate lead to 14-9.  Maple Grove senior reserve forward Allie Winter temporarily halted the Park Center explosion with her jumper in the lane with 8:34 left but then the Pirates ripped off fourteen straight points after that; highlighted by a running jumper in transition by McMorris with 7:43 left and a "3" from the right corner by freshman guard Ann Simonet with 7:08 left.  Trailing 25-11 with 3:56 left, Maple Grove Head Coach Mark Cook knew it was time to call a time out to try and cool this hot Park Center squad but Simonet hit another "3" from the right top area off the glass to complete this 10-2 run that made it a 28-11 game with 3:09 left.  The Crimson would make a bit of a flurry before the halftime break; a score in the paint by sophomore forward Allie Schmidt with 2:29 left coupled with two free throws by sophomore reserve forward Maddie Tharp cut a few points off the deficit.  Sophomore guard Mackenzie Barta used her strong 5'9" frame to get into the paint for a score with :59.6 left and a foray into the paint and finish by Jones with :18 left had the Park Center advantage whittled down to a somewhat more manageable 30-19 count.  But Park Center's DuBois made one last impression in the first half; draining a "3" from the left corner - off the glass no less - with just :02.8 left that allowed Park Center to take a 33-19 lead into the locker room at the half.  

But whatever emotion or energy that Park Center had in that first half that allowed them to build a commanding lead seemed to evaporate when they came out for the second half and the Crimson took advantage of this seeming letdown by the Pirates and went to work.  Barta set the tone for Maple Grove early on with her "3' from the right wing at the 17:31 mark and then Jones was able to knock down a freebie after being fouled at the 16:27 mark and followed that up shortly thereafter with an offensive rebound for a putback that had the Crimson to within ten trailing 35-25.  Eckberg then drained a "3" from the right wing at the 11:38 mark and had an encore performance less than a minute later from the right corner that cut the Park Center lead down to 38-32.  Two more freebies by Barta withj 9:41 left had Maple Grove within four at 38-34.  DuBois finally brought Park Center back to life with a huge "3" from the left top area with 9:10 left and Park Center Head Coach Chris VanderHyde immediately called a timeout in hopes that DuBois "3" would re-energize his squad.  Jones would hit a "3" for the Crimson, however, that cut it down to a one-possession game with 7:55 left at 41-38 but Park Center junior point guard Hannah Schaub was able to slither into the paint to snare an offensive rebound for a putback and a 43-38 Pirate lead.

And that seemed to be the difference in this game the rest of the way.  Maple Grove squandered several opportunities to draw even closer or perhaps even tie the game but the Pirates were always able to find the escape entrance when things got just a little dangerous.  And it would be none other than McMorris who would help point the way to ultimate victory for the team in green and gold.  A sweet turnaround jumper in the lane with 6:39 left followed by two pairs of charity stripe shots pushed the Park Center lead back to eleven at 49-38 with 3:31 left.  Maple Grove would get the deficit back down to seven points after Schmidt connected on a lay-up in transition with 1:57 left but they could get no closer.  Free throws by Park Center's Schaub Sisters - junior Hannah and freshman reserve guard Danielle - in the closing minute provided the difference as the Pirates claimed this conference battle by a final count of 55-44. 

VanderHyde was quick to agree that the intensity simply wasn't there for the Pirates at the beginning of the second half.  "We were lethargic and stagnant on offense."  Presumably that's something that's going to be addressed in the coming days before Park Center's game this next Tuesday over at Armstrong.  On the other side, Cook admitted that his squad didn't do a very good job in the first half when Park Center began applying both full- and half-court pressure and trapping defense.  "We have to take better care of the ball".  At the same time, he felt that his team came out with a better focus in the second half.  "We started knocking some more shots down and made a run."  Alas, that run came up just short for the Crimson and they have to go back to work as well now.  Such is the life in the grueling Northwest Suburban Conference.

Bethel vs St. Kate's Recap 1-15-14

Was over at the Butler Center last night to take in this MIAC tilt between visiting Bethel and host St. Kate's.  This would be my second look at the Royals and I was particularly interested to see how they would bounce back after Monday night's disappointment at UST.  The Wildcats, meanwhile, had a few extra days to prepare for this contest and I couldn't help but wonder if the extra time they had to get ready for this one would improve their chances of pulling off an unlikely victory.

Early on, it looked as if Bethel had easily shaken off any bad vibes they may have had from two nights ago as they jumped out to a 9-4 lead that was fueled by a "3" from senior guard Katelyn Vavra from the right wing and had St. Kate's Head Coach Sean Pinkerton shedding the sport coat by the 16:08 mark.  The Wildcats, however, would claw right back into the thick of things as they went on a 5-0 push over the next two minutes; highlighted by a "3" from junior guard Jenna Mistler from the top of the key that tied the score at 9-all by the 11:16 mark.  Bethel would answer the challenge put forth by the 'Cats, however, and respond with a 13-4 run that was highlighted by a "3" from freshman sensation Kalli Zimmermann from the top of the key at the 10:07 mark; a coast-to-coast lay-up by fellow freshman guard Shanni Moorse with 7:43 left; and a score in the paint by super soph post Rachel Parupsky with 6:19 left.  Trailing 22-13, the Wildcats could have been in big trouble right then and there but again they managed to draw closer down the stretch of the first half.  A rebound and putback by sophomore guard/forward Shauna Horsch had the 'Cats back to within five at 22-17 and, despite a score down low by Zimmermann for the Royals, junior forward Sarah Manning connected with a jumper from the right baseline with 3:30 left and Mistler knocked down two charity stripe shots after getting fouled with 2:50 left that had St. Kate's close; trailing only 25-21.  Bethel extended that lead to a touchdown margin thanks to a "3" from sophomore guard Sydney "Bam Bam" Schultz from the left corner but a score in the paint by Mistler with 1:53 sliced some fat off of that deficit so going into the locker room trailing 28-23 actually had the Wildcats right where they wanted to be. 

Two quick scores by the Wildcats to open the second half - a score in the paint by freshman phenom LaShay Holt and a one-handed shot down low by freshman Abby Torgerson pulled St. Kate's to within one.  "Bam Bam" Schultz knocked down another trey for the Royals at the 17:22 mark but again the Cats were not quite ready to let their visitors take control of this thing.  Holt responded with a "3" of her own and then two scores by Mistler - who seemed to be all over the place on both sides of the floor on this night - cut it down to a one possession game again.  Twice St. Kate's would tie the Royals in the second half:  once at the 12:44 mark when senior guard/forward Kristen Lee knocked down a short one-handed jumper from the left side at the 12:44 mark and then again at the 11:41 mark when freshman Kennedy Jennings knocked down two free throws after getting fouled.  The critical juncture in the second half came at the 11:26 mark when the 'Cats made the mistake of letting Vavra get an open look behind the arc from the left wing area and she promptly drilled a "3" to break the tie.  Less than a minute afterward, Parupsky muscled her way into the paint for a score and got fouled in the process and she calmly knocked down the obligatory freebie.  Sensing trouble, Pinkerton immediately called a timeout to try and reverse the damage but this time the Wildcats would not be able to respond as they had earlier.  An encore "3" by Vavra from the right corner at the 10:06 mark along with a drive and finish by Zimmermann with 8:27 left now had the Royals up by nine at 50-41.  With 6:22 left, Vavra kissed a jumper off the glass that had the Royals up by double digits and they would keep that cushion the rest of the way.  Despite some late forays by the 'Cats - a driving lay-up down the middle of the lane by Torgerson and a "3" by Kristen Lee from the left wing, Bethel would maintain the cushion and book a key 68-53 victory that improves their record to 8-1 in the MIAC and 10-2 overall.

Bethel Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer seemed very pleased with his team's effort and grit after the tough loss down the street a couple nights against UST.  "I think we may have been a little tired after the game two nights ago" Herbrechtsmeyer admitted.  Still, they found a way to respond and meet the challenge from a gritty, gutty St. Kate's team that never quit in this one.  I also thought that Bethel did a good job on defense; particularly in the rebounding front.  They also switched from a man-to-man defense early on in the contest to a 2-3 zone late in the first half.  Herbrechtsmeyer:  "We like to change things up from time to time to give opponents a different look".  I was also impressed with the play of Zimmermann in this one and her decision to come to Bethel seems to be a good fit.  "I didn't come to Bethel with any expectations" she said afterward.  "Certainly not to start."  But started she has and she is one of the integral parts of this multi-faceted Bethel attack.  When I probed Herbrechtsmeyer about the potential pitfalls of looking ahead into the big picture and what it could mean he was quick in his response.  "We just tell the kids to go to class and do their homework and concentrate on one step at a time."  Certainly it has worked well to this point anyway and I would have to think that the Royals are going to have a chance to get the program to a level they haven't been to before in a very long time. 

Bethel vs UST Recap 1-13-14

Was over at UST's new Schoenecker Arena last night to take in this all-important MIAC clash between first-place Bethel and nationally-ranked UST.  The Tommies, still smarting from that heart-breaking loss this last Saturday down the River in Winona to SMU in the waning seconds, would no doubt be looking to make amends on this night but the task at hand was certainly not one they could overlook as this Bethel team was coming into this contest sporting an undefeated MIAC record and 9-1 overall.

Nevertheless, it would be the Tommies getting out to a fast start on their home floor; bursting out to a 12-2 lead by the 13:43 mark that was fueled by three turnaround jumpers in the lane by All-American senior forward Taylor Young (two of them out the outset of the game) along with scores from junior post Maggie Weiers and senior guard Kelly Brandenburg (arguably one of the unsung heroines of the conference).  Despite the Royals trying to make life difficult down low for the Tommies with the 2-3 zone they were employing on defense, crisp, sharp passes by the Tommies on offense created enough gaps that gave them plentiful opportunites to get points in the paint.  Bethel did manage to tighten things up a bit in the first half before the midway point; pulling to within three points after a jumper off the glass by sophomore reserve guard Lexi Friesen but the Tommies would close the door shut in a hurry.  A "3" from Young from the left wing area at the 11:16 mark and a "3" from junior guard Laura Margarit at the 10:00 mark upped the lead to 19-11.  Bethel also made a critical mistake at the 8:28 mark on a Tommie possession where they failed to box out Weiers after an errant Tommie shot and she easily snared the offensive rebound for a putback for a 21-11 lead.  Another "3" from Margarit with 5:44 left from the right corner increased the lead to 27-15.  Weiers would connect with a short jumper with 3:11 left and another picture-perfect turnaround jumper from Young with 1:37 left and a "3" from ever-improving sophomore guard Katie Stone allowed the Tommies to take a cozy 34-20 lead into the locker room at the break.

Bethel got off to a better start once the second half got underway.  Freshman sensation Kalli Zimmerman out of Champlin Park made a sweet drive and finish at the 19:49 mark that got her fouled and she made good on the ensuing freebie.  Sophomore Hannah Niewald knocked down two freebies after getting fouled in transition at the 19:27 mark and then sophomore post Rachel Parupsky; headed for great things at Bethel, finally started to get untracked after a frustrating first half.  She knocked down two freebies after being fouled at the 16:56 mark that saddled Weiers with three fouls and then got into the paint for a score at the 16:34 mark and was able to knock down a short shot off the glass at the 16:00 minute mark.  Parupsky also managed to get a score off of an inbounds pass at the 14:59 mark but the Royals never could quite find that one big "push" that would clip the deficit back into the single digit range.  Any hopes of a Royal comeback were put to rest for good on this night when Margarit drilled another "3" from the left wing at the 14:00 mark and then Young pulled off a graceful steal and lay-up the other way  that upped the UST advantage to 51-32 at the 13:47 mark.  The Tommies would maintain that double-digit advantage coming down the home stretch and breeze to a 69-52 win that moved the Tommies back into first place with an 8-1 MIAC record (10-2 overall) with both Bethel and SMU nipping at their heels in the logjam at the top.

UST Head Coach Ruth Sinn seemed pleased with the victory and the effort her team gave on this night.  I asked her specifically if this was a game of redemption specifically for them after the heartbreaker they suffered this last Saturday with SMU.  "We needed to recapture our energy and passion in our play."  Sinn was also pleased with the defensive effort her team gave on this night and also emphasized that "we needed to re-establish our identity as a great rebounding team."  They did that on this night as the Tommies owned the glass; particularly in the first half.  Maybe going undefeated in the conference like they did two years ago wasn't in the cards for them this year; a lot of people outside the conference simply don't know or understand how incredibly tough the MIAC truly is.  But you can bet your bottom dollar that, at the very least, the Tommies will have something to say about who ultimately does win the MIAC.

MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 1-12-14

After a wild, wooly, and weather-impacted week, here's how my Power Rankings look for this Sunday:

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

Simply no choice but to put the Cardinals atop this week's Power Rankings after yesterday's shocking and breathtaking victory over UST down the River in Winona.  I've already had a helping of crow (thank you very much) and have paid my dues here I think.  I just didn't think that this year's version of SMU could match-up to last year's team but they have proven me wrong - and then some.  Again, if you haven't seen this team play yet I urge you to get out there and catch this squad in action.  They are a fun group to watch for sure.  Can they keep this up?  We'll see.  I resisted the temptation to shove Bethel into a second place tie with the Tommies.  Just too many unanswered questions about this group yet despite the convincing home win over Hamline yesterday.  Concordia remains solidly at the fourth spot

CSB may have caught a bit of new life this last week with wins over both Macalester and St. Olaf just yesterday but am not sure how long that'll last before they're put on life support again as a home date with Concordia this Wednesday and a trip down to Carleton next Saturday are in the offing.  Suddenly-slumping St. Olaf has watched their stock drop dramatically after home court beatdowns by Concordia and UST on successive nights that left Skoglund Center looking more like Berlin circa April 1945 (and no, Ole fan, you were not the Russians here either).  After yesterday's somewhat predictable loss up at CSB, the Oles have a shot at righting the ship again with a home date against Macalester on Wednesday and a trip to Hamline next Saturday afternoon.  Augsburg has taken advantage thus far of a favorable schedule since the New Year and could keep things going along with Carleton coming to town on Wednesday night before the all-important game at Bethel next Saturday.

I really thought GAC was on the right track after that thumping of Augsburg right before the holiday break......I could even forgive the road loss to St. Olaf after the first of the year but the home loss to Macalester this last Monday night raised all sorts of red flags in my mind about this team.  Not to take anything away from Macalester but, from a GAC standpoint, that's just one game where you HAVE to take care of home court and they failed to do that.  The ensuing loss at Bethel followed two nights later and, though they did beat Carleton yesterday at home, they are saddled with a 3-5 record in the MIAC and only 6-5 overall.  I can't help but think about how things almost spiraled out of control for this group last year at about this same time and, even though I was wrong for saying what I said at the time, I just see this same scenario repeating itself this time around and it scares me quite frankly.  And now I look at their schedule and see both (gulp!) UST and SMU on the slate for this coming week.  Ruh roh!!!!

Despite the loss to GAC yesterday, don't count Carleton out just yet.  They are going to win some games this season that people don't think they can win.  Question for the Knights is can they hold up under a grueling conference schedule to get themselves into that sixth spot?  They have the ability to do it but can't completely count on the misfortunes of others to help them along.  Ditto for Hamline which has all kinds of potential but can't find a way to be consistent. 

Northwestern vs North Central 1-11-14

Made the short hop from Augsburg over to nearby North Central for my very first visit to Clark-Danielson Gymnasium for this important UMAC contest between crosstown Northwestern and host North Central.  I got in and settled shortly after tip-off with Northwestern holding a 2-0 advantage.

North Central would set the tempo in the first half and they had the Eagles reeling; looking for some sort of solution to the multi-faceted Ram attack.  Sophomore Shelby Norman got the home team going with a lay-up in transition at the 16:19 mark and then senior guard Julia Skeesick out of Chaska connected with a "3" from the top of the key at the 15:53 mark for a 5-2 Ram lead.  Sophomore forward Jamie High knocked down a jumper at the 15:25 mark to increase the lead to 7-2 and then Skeesick again drained a "3" from the left wing area for a 10-2 North Central lead.  Northwestern's shar-shooting senior guard Mollie Sir helped bring the Eagles to within three by the 12:36 mark with a "3" from the left corner at the 14:18 mark and then a jumper in the lane at the 12:36 mark but North Central sophomore guard Tara Jefferson hit a jumper in the lane with 12:19 left to get the Rams up by five at 12-7 and Northwestern Head Coach Aaron Kahl; not liking what he was seeing early on, called a timeout to discuss things with his squad.

The remainder of the first half seemed to resemble a three-point shooting contest to see who could hit the most treys.  Sir and sophomore teammate Courtney Cunard kept the Eagles close with their three-point bombs but they could never get their nose out in front in the first half as North Central was always able to counter any Eagle maneuver.  With the Rams holding a slim 16-14 advantage, senior guard Jorie Grenell drained a "3" from the left corner with 7:30 left and then Grenell connected with a jumper from the left wing with 6:22 left to maintain that five-point lead.  High then uncorked a "3" from the right top area are with 6:01 left to up the Ram lead to 25-19.  Again, Northwestern would edge closer behind a "3" from freshman Tiffany Stubbs from the left top area along with a sweet running jumper in transition from the left side by Sir that helped get the Eagles to within one trailing 25-24.  Grenell would drain yet another "3" for the Rams from the left corner with 3:51 mark that seemed to get North Central going again and she followed that with an encore performance at the 3:03 mark for a 31-27 Ram lead.  Two scores from the Eagles, though, tied the issue at 31 a piece but a score in the paint from High along with yet another Grenell "3"; this one from the left corner with 1:28 left gave North Central a five-point 36-31 advantage.  But two scores from Northwestern senior reserve forward Hannah Holm - a jumper with 1:15 left and a three-pointer from the left corner with :36 left knotted the issue at 36-all going into the locker room at the halftime break.

Whatever may have ailed the Eagles in the first half certainly were remedied during the halftime break and Northwestern quickly took control once the second half got underway.  Junior guard Chanel Madson connected on a lay-up at the 19:13 mark and, after a free throw by senior forward/post Jessica Fife who had unusually quiet from a scoring standpoint in the first half, Holm then knocked down a "3" from the left wing off of an inbounds pass at the 18:13 mark that suddenly had Northwestern up 42-36.  The Rams tried to answer behind a spectacular "3" from Norman off the glass that got her fouled and allowed her to sink the obligatory freebie but Northwestern would not be deterred.  Fife was beginning to establish herself in the paint and she scored inside at the 16:42 mark that got her fouled in the process and she made good on the ensuing charity stripe shot.  With the Eagles holding a five point 47-42 lead, sophomore reserve forward Courtney Cunard out of Missouri Valley, Iowa drilled a "3" from the left wing and she followed that up with two free throws after being fouled in a transition attempt that gave Northwestern a double-digit 52-42 lead that they would not relinquish.  Stubbs also nailed a "3" from the left top area at the 12:11 mark and a score in the paint by lanky 6'2" reserve junior post Jacki Smith made it a 57-43 game.  A "3" from Sir from the left top area with 10:58 left had Northwestern up 60-45 and North Central Head Coach Jeff Grenell had seen enough to know it was time to call a timeout.

Northwestern had not only found themselves again by this point but they were also slowly wearing down the North Central team as well.  Still, this North Central team is much, much better than the teams they have fielded in the past and they had no intention of going away quietly into the night.  A "3" from the left corner by Skeesick with 9:54 left along with a "3" from Grenell from the right top area along with Skeesicks's jumper from the right elbow with 6:39 left kept the Rams' spirit up but they would not catch Northwestern on this afternoon.  A lay-up from Grenell with 6:23 left along with a drive and finish from High with 5:10 left allowed North Central to whittle away at the Northwestern advantage but the Eagles would always have an answer.  A drive and finish by sophomore reserve forward Kim Campbell with 4:43 left and a score in the paint by the always-reliable Fife kept the margin safe for Northwestern.  Fife answered the call again with 2:40 left on a lay-up and both Holm and Madson put the finishing touches on this game with scores in the last minute as Northwestern secured an important 81-69 UMAC victory.

A relieved Kahl said afterward that they had to get Fife more involved from an offensive standpoint as she has so many different ways of making an impact.  Also important for them according to Kahl was getting into more transition opportunities.  With this victory, the Eagles now stand 9-3 overall and clearly look to be the best team in the UMAC at the moment.  Though still very early (and Kahl certainly won't allow his team to get comfortable or look ahead), you have to think that Northwestern would be the odds-on favorite to win the regular-season and UMAC Tournament championships that would give them a ticket to the Big Dance. 

Macalester vs Augsburg 1-11-14

Made the easy trip over to Augsburg’s Si Melby Hall on this pleasant (temperature-wise anyway) January Saturday afternoon to take in this key 1:00 P.M. clash between visiting Macalester and host Augsburg.  The Scots, which came limping into this game with a 1-6 record in the MIAC (2-8 overall) were hoping to recapture the magic that they found this last Monday night down in St. Peter when they knocked off GAC.  Augsburg, meanwhile, was hoping to build on the momentum that they’ve been able to establish with the new year to keep the beat going and, just as important, get themselves back into that MIAC playoff race. 

 

And the Auggies would waste little time in setting the tone in this one as they built a 6-2 lead behind sophomore forward Jessica Lillquist doing damage in the paint and fellow sophomore Jenna Orth’s sweet behind the head shot underneath the basket.  Two scores in the paint as well by reserve sophomore post Bridget Kopp – one at the 14:01 mark and then the second at the 12:27 mark – plus another score in the paint by Lillquist at the 11:35 mark that got her fouled in the process and allowed her to make the obligatory freebie made it a 13-2 game and had Macalester Head Coach Ellen Thompson quickly calling a timeout to assess this alarming situation for her squad.

 

Certainly this good showing by Augsburg early on had to be pleasing for the alums in the stands who were on hand on this day as they played in the Alumni game earlier – Rosinta Stromquist, Brietta Schluender, Kristina (Lurken) Anderson and her younger sister Marissa among others were all taking it in.  Macalester, on the other hand, was struggling mightily from the perimeter in the early going and it wasn’t until reserve senior guard Erika Weimann came into the contest at about the midway point of the first half that the Scots could find some sort of spark offensively.  The Bemidji native banged home a “3” from the top of the key off the glass with 10:10 left and then found the range again from the right wing area with 8:13 left that got the Scots closer trailing 15-8.  But the Auggies had no intention of letting this one get away from them and promptly responded.  Do-it-all junior guard Abbey Luger drilled a “3” of her own from the right corner after snaring a long offensive rebound with 7:35 left which was followed by a lay-up from senior guard/forward Jill Tichy with 7:03 left had Augsburg back up by double digits at 20-8.  Then Lillquist went back to work again to put the Scots further in the hole.  One score in the paint with 5:02 left followed by two free throws with 3:35 left had the Auggies up by fourteen at 24-10.  Two scores by Macalester freshman post Park Masterson would not deter Lillquist as she connected with a jumper from the left wing area with 2:56 left and then the Sebeka native would complete her fine first half with a lay-up with :49 left.  Senior reserve forward Carly Wolf’s jumper from the right corner with :14.2 left allowed Augsburg to take a 30-16 lead into the locker room at the half.

 

The Auggies looked to build on the results of a good first half and Lillquist’s score in the paint that got her fouled and allowed her to sink the resulting charity stripe right off the bat at the 18:38 mark upped the advantage to seventeen at 33-16.  A score inside by Tichy at the 16:21 mark and then two jumpers by Luger – a medium-range one from the right side at the 15:42 mark and a short jumper at the 15:11 mark – built the lead to 39-20.  Macalester would make jabs here and there – an offensive rebound and putback by reserve senior guard Carmen Whitehead and another “3” from Weimann from the right corner at the 12:37 mark – but they could never get on a big run that might have changed the complexion of the game.  Sophomore guard Jenna Orth knocked down a jumper from the right corner just inside the arc at the 12:02 mark and yet another strong move and finish in the paint by Lillquist with 9:18 left that was followed by a “3” from Tichy from the left corner with 8:26 left ballooned the Augsburg advantage to 51-29.

 

Scot sophomore guard Erin Murray, who had struggled with her shooting in this one, finally began to find the range that she had been seeking since the opening tip.  She connected with a jumper from the right elbow with 8:02 left and then drilled a “3’ from the right wing with 7:27 left.  Another jumper by the Sparta, Wisconsin native with 6:26 left helped Macalester edge a bit closer but they would not have the same magic that they had on Monday night down in St. Peter.  One free throw from Lillquist with 5:58 left and then two charity stripe shots from senior guard Jolene Blood who was arguably playing at about 85% on this day as she was not feeling well kept the margin safe at 57-38 with 5:23 left.  Reserve sophomore Ashley Anfinson then knocked down a “3” from the left wing area with 3:40 left that effectively ended any chance Macalester may have had as the Auggies were back up by twenty at 60-40.  Augsburg Head Coach Bill McKee was able to put his reserves on the floor in the final minutes and the Auggies booked a relatively easy 63-46 victory that upped their MIAC record to 3-4 and right back into the thick of things in the MIAC playoff race.

 

Augsburg Assistant Coach Joshua Hersch spoke of the favorable schedule coming into the New Year and how important it was for the team to be able to take advantage of it.  So far, they have and another big home game with Carleton this coming Wednesday night is now in their sights.  Lillquist finished this game with a career high 24 points which helped pave the way to victory but I personally feel that a lot of credit has to go to Luger as well.  She simply has a knack of being in the right place at the right time to make good things happen for her team.  She obviously can score (she had 9 on this day) but what often gets overlooked is that she can rebound as well and she had ten rebounds on this afternoon (3 offenseive and 7 defensive).  She plays lights out defense and knows how to get her teammates involved in the offense and helps make them better.  I guess what I’m saying here is that while she likely isn’t the favorite for MIAC MVP this season, you’ve simply GOT to include her in the discussion when that time rolls around.