Midtown YWCA Womens College Summer League Playoff Results For Wednesday 7-30-14

Here are the results of the playoff games tonight at the Midtown YWCA Womens College Summer League:

6:00 P.M. Quarterfinal Games

MN Black Ice - 57
Big Pipes - 52

Phatties - 37
Golden Eagles - 31


6:55 P.M. Quarterfinal Games

Winona State - 45
CSB - 38

Concordia St. Paul - 51
Royals - 44


7:50 P.M. Semifinal Games

MN Black Ice - 51
Phatties - 43

Concordia St. Paul - 52
Winona State - 39


Four very good quarterfinal games in this session tonight.  In the 6:00 P.M. slot, the Big Pipes squad had a terrific first half behind the wheeling and dealing of senior-to-be Jordan Sammons of Hamline as they were able to forge a 32-26 halftime advantage over the heavily-favored Minnesota Black Ice team.  In the second half though, the Minnesota Black Ice squad began to find the range from behind the arc and, coming down the stretch, they grabbed a lead they would never relinquish.  The Big Pipes team squandered several easy fast-break and short shots that killed their chances.  The other 6:00 P.M. quarterfinal playoff game pitted the Phatties squad against a very talented Golden Eagles team.  The first half would be very close and very tight with the Phatties holding a slim 18-16 lead at the half.  In the second half, the Phatties were able to build just enough of a cushion to get through to the semifinals as the Golden Eagles; just like the Big Pipes on the nearby court had done, squandered several opportunities at the most critical times that brought an end to their summer league season.  In the 6:55 P.M. slot, a young, gamey and spunky CSB team took on a bigger and physically stronger Winona State squad but that didn't seem to faze this CSB group as they grabbed a shocking 23-20 halftime lead behind some very spirited play.  In the second half, however, Winona State's Connor Nagle's heroics helped hold off a strong challenge from the CSB team as Winona State claimed a tough 45-38 victory.  On the other court in the 6:55 P.M. slot, the Royals team (Bethel) was involved in a very physical and tough game against another NSIC opponent - Concordia St. Paul.  Still, the Royals hung tough in this one and were right in the thick of things at the half trailing only 24-21.  In the second half, Concordia St. Paul senior-to-be Anika Whiting was very tough in the paint and the Concordia St. Paul team had to hold on for a very tough 51-44 victory.

In the semifinal games in the 7:50 P.M. slot, the Minnesota Black Ice team appeared to be firmly in control grabbing a ten-point 31-21 halftime lead behind some tough inside play by former St. Paul Central and Minnesota standout Ashley Ellis-Milan.  But the Phatties; led by former Concordia St. Paul standouts Rachel Hansen and Carissa Wolyniec, managed to battle their way back into the thick of things in the second half; getting to within one possession on two occasions.  But the Phatties could never seem to find that one big basket that might have turned the tide fully in their favor as the Minnesota Black Ice held on for a 51-43 victory.  The other semifinal game was the much-anticipated match-up between NSIC rivals Concordia St. Paul and Winona State.  As you can imagine, this was a physical one and the Concordia St. Paul team managed to grab a 23-18 halftime lead.  Winona State would hang tough in the second half, staying within striking distance behind the acrobatic Connor Nagle but the Concordia St. Paul squad got critical stops when they needed them and a few key three-pointers as well to claim a 52-39 victory.

So that sets up next week Thursday's championship game between the Minnesota Black Ice and Concordia St. Paul.  This game will take place at Target Center at approximately 3:30 P.M.

JCC Womens College Summer League Results For Monday 7-28-14

Here are the results of the games at tonight's JCC Womens College Summer League:

6:00 P.M. Game

SDSM&T - 52
Anoka-Ramsey - 40


6:55 P.M. Game

St. Kate's Purple - 43
Augsburg #1 - 37


7:50 P.M. Game

St. Kate's Yellow - 62
Augsburg #2 - 43


In the 6:00 P.M. slot, the SDSM&T squad got off to a fast start; cashing in on several fast break opportunities that allowed them to grab an 18-6 lead at the 10:08 mark of the first half.  Anoka-Ramsey would recover, however, and go on a 12-5 run to close out the first half and cut the SDSM&T  lead down to 23-18.  But just when it looked like the Anoka-Ramsey squad might be primed to steal the spotlight on this Monday night they inexplicably deflated in the second half as the SDSM&T squad cruised in the second half behind more fast breaks and some smart three-point shooting as well to earn a 52-40 victory.  The 6:55 P.M. game pitting the St. Kate's Purple team against the Augsburg #1 team was probably the best game and certainly the most-anticipated match-up on this night as both teams came into this one riding a two-game win streak.  The St. Kate's Purple team would hold a slight edge in the first half as things stayed relatively close with the St. Kate's Purple squad holding a somewhat tenuous 22-17 lead at the half.  Some smart "heads up" play by the Clark twins; Meg and Audra and a couple of huge "3's" by junior-to-be Shauna Horsch frustrated the Augsburg #1 team in the second half as they could never seem to make the big play when they needed it most.  The St. Kate's Purple squad won this one 43-37 to finish out the regular season on a three-game win streak.  In the 7:50 P.M. slot, the St. Kate's Yellow team took its cue from the St. Kate's Purple squad as they methodically took apart the Augsburg #2 team.  The St. Kate's Yellow squad was able to get a 35-22 lead at the halftime break as senior-to-be Sarah Manning helped pace the way with some pretty drives into the paint for finishes.  In the second half, sophomore-to-be Alexis Garcia's sister Ana Garcia was almost unstoppable from behind the arc as she lit up the Augsburg #2 team to help pave the way for a convincing 62-43 victory. 

Playoff action begins next week Monday (8-4-14) and concludes the following Monday (8-11-14).   

Midtown YWCA Womens College Summer League Playoff Results For Wednesday 7-23-14

Playoff action got underway tonight at the Midtown YWCA Womens College Summer League and here are the results of the games that took place tonight:


5:00 P.M. Games

Golden Eagles - 50
GAC Alum + 1 - 44

Bemidji State - 35
GAC Gold - 23


5:55 P.M. Games

SMU - 55
Macalester - 40

CSB - 44
Northern State - 41


6:50 P.M. Games

MN Black Ice - 74
Bemidji State - 66

Winona State - 58
SMU - 35


7:45 P.M. Games

Phatties - 61
AR Alumni - 38

Royals - 48
Mayville State - 42


8:40 P.M. Games

Big Pipes - 52
GAC Black - 42

Concordia St. Paul - 61
St. Olaf - 40


In the 5:00 P.M. slot, the Golden Eagles team held off a spirited comeback attempt by the Gustavus Alumni team to notch a six-point victory while the Bemidji State squad controlled the tempo in their win over the Gustavus Gold squad.  The game of the night was easily in the 5:55 P.M. slot where the CSB team pulled off a remarkable upset of the Northern State squad.  Northern State appeared firmly in control of this one through the first half as they enjoyed a 28-16 lead at the halftime break but the second half saw the gamey CSB squad chip away at the Northern State advantage.  Things would get very tight in this one from about the 14:00 mark of the second half all the way down to the end.  With just :04 left on the clock and the game tied at 41-all, the CSB team was able to score off of an inbounds pass and the shooter (new player; don't know her name) was fouled in the process and she made the obligatory freebie.  Northern State had one last gasp attempt but Paige Waytashek's Hail Mary three-point attempt bounced harmlessly off the glass and CSB secured the victory.  In the 6:50 P.M. slot, the SMU team; victorious over Macalester in the aforementioned 5:55 P.M. slot, fell to cross-town rival Winona State while the Minnesota Black Ice team had to hold off a gallant comeback effort by the Bemidji State squad which never quit despite being down early.  In the 7:45 P.M. slot, the Phatties team led by recent Concordia St. Paul grads Rachel Hansen and Carissa Wolyniec easily took care of business against the Anoka-Ramsey Alumni squad which could never seem to get going offensively.  Meanwhile, the Royals team (Bethel) had a scare put into them late in their win over Mayville State as the Royals team saw a cozy 20-point halftime lead almost evaporate.  The Mayville State team got to within three on two occasions late but could never find that one key basket when they needed it the most.  Not a lot of drama in the 8:40 P.M. slot as the Big Pipes team got great scoring performances from current Hamline standout Jordan Sammons and former Hamline standout Cassidy "Lightning" Vogt.  Meanwhile, the Concordia St. Paul squad moved on with a convincing 21-point victory over the St. Olaf squad.

Next week Wednesday are the quarterfinal and semifinal games and the championship game will be played at Target Center on August 7 at 3:30 P.M.

JCC Womens College Summer League Results For Monday 7-21-14

Here are the results of the games I was able to catch tonight over at the JCC Womens College Summer League:

6:00 P.M. Game

St. Kate's Purple - 66
SMSU - 33


6:55 P.M. Game

Anoka-Ramsey - 39
St. Kate's - 37


7:50 P.M. Game

Augsburg #1 - 71
Augsburg #2 - 48


A total shocker in the 6:00 P.M. slot as the St. Kate's Purple team raced out to a quick 14-6 lead on the SMSU squad and never looked back.  The St. Kate's Purple team held a 28-15 halftime lead and the SMSU team simply looked frustrated and befuddled all game long.  The St. Kate's Purple team stretched their lead to 48-27 midway through the second half and rolled to an easy 66-33 romp.  Sophomore-to-be LaShay Holt stole the show in the second half for the St. Kate's Purple team but she also got plenty of help with timely "3's" from junior-to-be Shauna Horsch and spunky and smart play from newcomers Meg and Audra Clark.  The 6:55 P.M. game pitting the St. Kate's Yellow squad against the Anoka-Ramsey team made up for the lopsided affair in the early game as this one was a low-scoring, tight see-saw battle all the way.  Both teams could only manage a 5-all tie midway through the first half before the lids came off the basket somewhat as the St. Kate's Yellow squad clung to a 16-15 advantage at the half.  Neither side could gain any headway on the other as both squads traded small leads coming down the stretch of the second half.  The score was deadlocked at 33-all with roughly 4:00 left and with under a minute left, the St. Kate's Yellow team was hanging on for dear life; leading 37-36 but Anoka-Ramsey newcomer Alondra Brown-Cox was able to score and get fouled in the process and her FT put Anoka-Ramsey up 39-37.  The St. Kate's Yellow team had one last chance as senior-to-be Jenna Mistler had an opportunity to send the game into OT as she got fouled and got sent to the charity stripe with scant seconds left on the clock.  But her front-end attempt bounced off the rim and Anoka-Ramsey got the rebound and ran out the clock.  Great game.  The nightcap featured the two Augsburg teams going up against each other; the #1 and #2 teams.  The #2 team hung tough against the more experienced #1 team in the first half and trailed by only seven points at the halftime break 30-23.  But the #1 team gradually pulled away in the second half to earn a 71-48 victory.  Junior-to-be Shaena Swanson was simply outstanding in this one as she dominated in the paint and got several easy baskets down low.  Sophomore-to-be Laykn Bauer was impressive again as was junior-to-be Alison Ranum.as she knocked down several "3" point attempts in the victory.

Midtown YWCA Womens College Summer League Results For Wednesday 7-16-14

Here are the results of the games I was able to catch tonight over at the Midtown YWCA Womens College Summer League:

5:00 P.M. Games

Winona State - 55
Mayville State - 39

Northern State - 68
Macalester - 44


5:55 P.M. Games

GAC Gold - 50
SMU - 46

Winona State - 57
GAC Black - 34


6:50 P.M. Games

GAC Alum + 1 = 49
CSB - 34

Phatties - 57
Royals - 46


7:45 P.M. Game

Golden Eagles - 46
CSB - 39


In the 5:00 P.M. slot, NSIC teams Winona State and Northern State made relatively easy work of their opponents as both cruised to victories.  Winona State showed no after-effects of having one game already under their belt as they easily dispatched the GAC Black team with junior-to-be Connor Nagle making some great plays on both ends of the floor.  The other game in the 5:55 P.M. slot, however, was a hotly contested affair between the GAC Gold team and the SMU team.  The first half was very close with neither side gaining a decided advantage but once the second half got underway, the SMU team was able to open up a bit of a cushion and gain control.  But the GAC Gold team hung tough in this one coming down the stretch and gradually closed the gap.  The GAC Gold team took a precarious two-point lead with just under two minutes to play and the clincher for the GAC Gold team was an offensive rebound and putback of a missed free throw that made it a two-possession game and the SMU team was unable to recover.  In the 6:50 P.M. slot, the Phatties team knocked off a very talented Royals (Bethel) squad that had both former Bethel standout Taylor Sheley and Bethel sophomore-to-be Kalli Zimmerman on the floor at the same time which was cool to see.  The GAC Alum + 1 team was involved in a tight first half with a young CSB team but just before the halftime break, the Gustie Alums snared control.  A sweet reverse lay-up by Bri Radtke and a "3" by recent grad Julia Dysthe allowed the GAC Alum + 1 squad to open up a 22-14 halftime lead.  The second half belonged to the Gustie alums as the GAC Alum + 1 squad notched a 49-34 win over a young and gamey CSB team.  In the 7:45 P.M. slot, the slated game between Bemidji State and the Minnesota Black Ice was called off as the Bemidji State players were unable to make it over tonight.  But the CSB team was up for double-duty on this night as well as they squared off against the Golden Eagle squad made up mostly of Minnesota-Crookston alums.  The Zelinsky sisters (Jamie and Jill) were both on the floor tonight and both looked as good as ever although the Golden Eagle team had to work hard to hold off a determined effort by the CSB team.  It was a hard-fought, well-played game but both squads enjoyed the battle.

JCC Womens College Summer League Results For Monday 7-14-14

Here are the results of the games I was able to catch tonight over at the JCC Womens College Summer League:

6:00 P.M. Game

Augsburg #1 - 44
St. Kate's Yellow - 37


6:50 P.M. Game

St. Kate's Purple - 60
Anoka-Ramsey - 46


In the 6:00 P.M. game, the Augsburg #1 team threatened to pull away early from the St. Kate's Yellow squad but the resourceful Wildcats refused to fold and they somehow found a way to battle right back into the thick of things as the first half wound down and got themselves to within two points of the Augsburg #1 team trailing 22-20 at the halftime break.  The St. Kate's Yellow team managed to stay close throughout the second half and stayed within striking distance but could never quite get themselves into position to finally catch their opponent.  The Augsburg #1 team was guided by the crafty and skilled senior-to-be Abbey Luger on both ends of the floor in their seven-point victory.

In the 6:50 P.M. game, the St. Kate's Purple team got some redemption for Wildcat pride as they raced to a 38-14 halftime lead on a very talented Anoka-Ramsey squad.  To their credit, Anoka-Ramsey found a way to battle back and whittle the deficit down but they had dug themselves into too big of a hole early on to climb all the way out.  The St. Kate's Purple squad got solid contributions from junior-to-be Mary Neumann, senior-to-be Sarah Manning, and sophomore-to-be LaShay Holt.

I didn't get to stick around for the 7:50 P.M. game between Southwest Minnesota State and SDSM&T as I went out with St. Kate's Head Coach Sean Pinkerton for a very good meal over at The Yardhouse.  :)  However, I will be back next week Monday night to catch all three games.

Midtown YWCA Womens College Summer League Results For Wednesday 7-9-14

Here are the results of the games I was able to catch tonight over at the Midtown YWCA Womens College Summer League:

5:00 P.M. Games

CSB - 63
SMU - 42

GAC Black - 55
Bemidji State - 48


5:55 P.M. Games

Big Pipes - 47
Bemidji State - 43

Golden Eagles - 45
GAC Black - 42


6:50 P.M. Games

Royals - 70
Mayville State - 50

MN Black Ice - 49
Concordia St. Paul - 38


7:45 P.M. Games

Northern State - 35
St. Olaf - 26

GAC Alum + 1 - 50
Macalester - 36


In the 5:00 P.M. slot, the CSB team rolled to an easy win over the SMU team but the bigger surprise here was the GAC Black's somewhat unexpected win over Bemidji State.  Things didn't get any better or easier for the Bemidji State squad in the 5:55 P.M. slot either as they dropped a tough 47-43 decision to a Big Pipes team that is composed of mostly former or current Hamline players.  Another entertaining game in this time slot was the Golden Eagles narrow 45-42 win over the GAC Black team in a game that was close all the way.  The 6:50 P.M. games were noteworthy as well as the Royals (Bethel) team, down to their Mayville State opponents for most of the first half, righted the ship down the stretch before the halftime break and knotted the score at 32 just before the halftime buzzer when sophomore-to-be Kalli Zimmerman connected on an off-balance shot.  From then on, the Royals team could do nothing wrong as they opened up a lead and never looked back.  The tilt between the Minnesota Black Ice team and Concordia St. Paul was a physical affair as you can well imagine and, although the Concordia St. Paul squad hung tough throughout, the Minnesota Black Ice team was able to pull away towards the end for a 49-38 victory.  In the 7:45 P.M. slot, Northern State looked like they might blow away St. Olaf early on but the Oles managed to make things interesting as the game progressed and stayed within striking distance throughout much of the second half but could never quite get over the hump when it counted.  The GAC Alum + 1 squad; composed of former Gustavus players (Bri Radtke, Mollie Geske, Ava Perry, Colleen Ruane, Steph Comer, Mia Sandstrom, Liz Shay) plus 1 post player that I'm not familiar with, looked terrific at times in their relatively easy 50-36 win over Macalester. 

JCC Womens College Summer League Results For Monday 7-7-14

Here are the results of the games from tonight's action at the Sabes JCC Womens College Summer League:

6:00 P.M. Game

SDSMT&T - 60
St. Kate's Yellow - 28


6:55 P.M. Game

SMSU - 77
Augsburg #2 - 51


7:50 P.M. Game

Augsburg #1 - 52
Anoka-Ramsey - 50


In the 6:00 P.M. slot, the SDSMT&T squad methodically pulled away from a sluggish St. Kate's Yellow squad that struggled all game long to find any sort of rhythm offensively.  Just as she had last week, Laura Kolander; who actually plays her college ball at Concordia (Wisconsin), looked very impressive and notched several easy points in the paint.  The SDSMT&T squad opened up a 30-18 advantage at the half and cruised from then on.  In the 6:55 P.M. slot, the Augsburg #2 team was able to stay relatively close to the Southwest Minnesota State squad; trailing only 36-28 at the half.  In the second half, however, the floodgates opened up as the Southwest Minnesota State squad buried a boatload of "3's" and waltzed to an easy win.  The best game of the night was easily the nightcap featuring the Augsburg #1 team going up against a very good and athletic Anoka-Ramsey team.  Anoka-Ramsey jumped out in front early but the Augsburg #1 team gradually battled their way back into the thick of things and managed to get to within two points at the halftime break; trailing 26-24.  Anoka-Ramsey looked to have an edge in the early going of the second half but strong performances by senior-to-be point guard Abbey Luger and sophomore-to-be teammate Laykn Bauer kept the Augsburg #1 squad right in the thick of things.  Both Luger and Bauer hit key "3's" in the home stretch that allowed the Augsburg #1 team to grab the lead.  Trailing 52-48 with seconds left in the game, Anoka-Ramsey had two last-ditch chances to either tie the game or go ahead as the Augsburg #1 squad was unable to convert opportunities at the charity stripe.  Anoka-Ramsey was able to get within two points but a last-gasp opportunity came up empty and the Augsburg #1 team held on for an exiciting 52-50 victory.