Here we go with another round of power rankings after another topsy-turvy week in the always-tough MIAC:
1. UST
2. (tie) GAC & Bethel
3. SMU
4. Concordia
5. CSB
6. Augsburg
7. (tie) Hamline & St. Olaf
8. Carleton
9. St. Kate's
10. Macalester
Okay, so we all know that UST is still the leader of the pack by far but, after that, things are really beginning to get jumbled and uncertain. And, after this last week of action, I'm really being torn in different directions on which way to go with some of these teams.
Just when you THOUGHT it was safe to hop on the Gustie Express and enjoy a luxurious ride to a spot in the MIAC Championship Game - and a ticket to the Big Dance as well - this train ran into some unexpected rough track and red signals that are resulting in a very rough and uncomfortable ride (I had to use a bit of railroad analogy here as I only work for Canadian Pacific Railway :) ). The home loss at the hands of Bethel not only brought the joy ride to a crashing halt but now the Gusties find that Royals team alongside of them at the number two spot and you have to think that one of those two teams is going to push the other off the ledge. The Gusties were in the fight of their life yesterday and hung on for a thrilling OT win at St. Kate's to keep pace while Bethel dismantled St. Olaf in Northfield. Bethel has two home games coming up this next week - one with St. Kate's on Wednesday and then SMU on Saturday. GAC meanwhile must brace itself as the mighty Tommies will make the trek down U.S. Highway 169 and the Union Pacific's "Omaha Route" mainline for a Wednesday night date at Lund Center. Look, the realist inside of me (and I suppose others as well) will have to put an "L" on the Gustie ledger for this one which is why this last Wednesday night's home loss to Bethel was so costly on so many fronts. I'm not saying that they can't do it but it'll likely take a miracle of epic proportions for that to happen and even if they were to pull it off, the quirky scheduling in the MIAC this year could work against them anyway. After that, a roadie at Hamline is in the offing on Saturday. Doable - but dangerous as well.
I resisted the temptation to create a three-way logjam in my power rankings at the number two spot with SMU. They have an identical record as both GAC and Bethel have but the road ahead for the Cardinals is daunting to say the least. Without Pethke, they're still solid but just don't seem to have that explosiveness offensively that they might need in a battle with one of the other top teams. Concordia has recovered somewhat with wins at home this last week and they've got two more winnable games at home coming up this week where they'll again have to take care of business. CSB continues to limp along; benefitting from the misfortunes of those below them. Augsburg had a GOLDEN opportunity laid in front of them yesterday against SMU at home and failed to capitalize on it. That could come back to bite them.
Hamline? Hamline??!! Where art thou, Hamline??! A rough, rough week for the Pipers indeed that saw them drop a 52-49 heartbreaker to Augsburg at home on Wednesday night and then go up to Moorhead yesterday where they got dumped by the Corn in predictable fashion 72-64. Things don't get any easier either this next week as a trip down the River and the Canadian Pacific's River Sub mainline to Winona on Wednesday night and a home date with GAC on Saturday await. I'm not sure yet what to think about St. Olaf but they're still in the mix for that sixth spot and they'll have to take care of business on Wednesday night at home against Macalester and then make the run over to the other side of Northfield next Saturday to take on crosstown rival Carleton. And, what about the Knights anyway? Somehow, they still manage to stay in contention and, just like last week, I have to think that that won't last long.
Fire away with thoughts.
Los Angeles Rams
Sunday, January 25, 2015
GAC vs St. Kate's 1-24-15
After leaving Augsburg's Si Melby Hall, I made my way over to the St. Paul side of town and over to St. Kate's Butler Center for the 3:00 P.M. game between visiting GAC and host St. Kate's. I got settled in at the Butler Center with the Gusties holding an early 4-0 lead at the 18:10 mark.
GAC was off to a solid start in this one and, with that 4-0 advantage, they were able to expand that advantage to a touchdown lead on one freebie by sophomore guard/forward Hannah Howard and a short jumper off of an inbounds pass by willowy junior forward Lindsey Johnson made it a 9-0 game at the 14:12 mark. Senior guard Maddie Ehrich drove inside and finished at the 13:40 mark to complete an 11-0 opening burst and this one had the makings of a rout written all over it by this point. St. Kate's Head Coach Sean Pinkerton apparently was in agreement as he called a timeout right after freshman guard Audra Clark finally got the 'Cats on the board with a lay-up at the 13:27 mark. That timeout had a positive effect on the Wildcats as they followed up on that score with three more unanswered scores to complete a 10-0 burst of their own; highlighted by treys from Audra Clark and senior reserve forward Mary Neumann to get to within a single point trailing 11-10 by the 11:01 mark. Gustie sophomore reserve post Cara Christiansen knocked down two free throws after getting fouled with 9:50 left for a 13-10 GAC lead but Audra Clark had the hot hand at the moment for St. Kate's as she nailed a "3" from the left top area with 9:40 left to deadlock things at 13 a piece.
The Gusties would manage to forge a small lead but they were doing it for the most part without their freshman point guard Mikayla Miller who picked up two early fouls in this contest and had to sit a good spell of the first half on the bench. After Howard was able to connect with a jumper with 9:18 left to give GAC a 15-13 lead, Miller was able to come back in and got one free throw to go down when she was fouled with 8:48 left. Johnson, en route to a huge performance on this day, drained a "3" from the left wing with 7:29 left that upped the lead to 19-13 but again the Wildcats were able to get right back into the thick of things and chop away at the Gustie lead. Freshman guard Meg Clark knocked down a "3" from the top of the key with 7:10 left and then freshman reserve guard Emily Neumann connected with a lay-up with 5:22 left. A score in the paint by sophomore sensation guard LaShay Holt with 5:13 left drew St. Kate's to within one again trailing 21-20. But GAC was able to find another burst down the home stretch of the first half that gave them some more breathing room. Sophomore forward Miranda Rice connected with a short jumper with 3:34 left and pairs of free throws by Ehrich and Miller not only had GAC up 29-22 with 2:06 left but had the Gusties in the double-bonus as well. Two more charity stripe shots by Ehrich with 1:13 left and a score in the paint by sophomore reserve forward Morgan Iverson gave the Gusties a 35-24 advantage at the half. The funny thing was though that, for some reason, it didn't feel like an eleven point lead and from all my years of watching basketball this one just did not seem safe for the Gusties. Little did I realize how true that thinking would be later on.
Early scores in the second half by both Ehrich and Johnson gave GAC its largest lead at thirteen at 39-26 by the 18:54 mark but a re-energized Wildcat team would skillfully and slyly whittle away at the Gustie advantage and get their shooters good looks. One of those shooters - junior guard Shauna Horsch - who had a relatively quiet first half, came alive in the second half. Two free throws at the 16:50 mark were the precursor for a huge day for the Simley standout. Horsch uncorked a trey from the right top area at the 15:34 mark and after knocking down two more free throws after getting fouled at the 15:10 mark, she unleashed another patented high-arcing three-point bomb at the 14:32 mark that not only found its mark but also brought St. Kate's back to within three trailing 43-40. This forced GAC to awake from its late afternoon siesta and take notice. One score by freshman reserve post Stephanie Klockmann and two scores by Johnson helped to re-establish a five-point 49-44 advantage by the 11:24 mark but two free throws by Audra Clark at the 11:00 mark and a score in the paint by sophomore forward Mari Lee with 9:59 lead brought the 'Cats back to within one trailing 49-48 and suddenly this looked like a very dangerous game for the Gusties.
GAC was able to slightly extend their tenuous lead to four points on freebies by Rice with 8:34 left and a short shot off the glass by Ehrich with 7:29 left for a 54-50 advantage but pairs of free throws by Holt finally brought St. Kate's even at 54 with 6:49 left and, even worse for the Gusties, Miller was now saddled with four fouls as well. With 6:26 left, Holt connected on a pull-up jumper in transition that gave the 'Cats their first lead of the afternoon at 56-54. A score in the paint by Christiansen with 6:04 left brought GAC even at 56-all but it was here that St. Kate's embarked on a 12-2 run; lighted by a lay-up in transition by senior reserve forward Sarah Manning and treys by both Horsch and Holt that incredibly gave the Wildcats a 68-58 lead with only 3:11 left. But this Gustie team; which could have faltered and collapsed like a house of cards at this juncture, found a way to dig in its collective heels and mount a comeback of its own. And it would be the two upperclassmen - Ehrich and Johnson - putting the team on their collective backs when things looked the most perilous for the black and gold. Ice-cold back-to-back "3's" by Johnson - one from the left top area with 2:55 left and one from the top of the key with 2:18 left - pulled GAC back to within four trailing 68-64. Two free throws by Rice drew the Gusties to within a single possession trailing 68-66 and, even worse for St. Kate's, sent Holt to the bench for the day with her fifth foul. With exactly 1:00 left, Ehrich used her athleticism to get into the lane for a score to tie the issue at 68-all. The Wildcats had two chances of their own to try and win it but turnovers doomed those opportunities. With :25.3 left, GAC Head Coach Laurie Kelly called a timeout to try and set-up a play to win it in regulation. But solid defense by St. Kate's forced Johnson to put up an off-balance shot that harmlessly fell short of its mark and off we went to overtime tied at 68.
A score in the paint by Ehrich with 3:57 left in the overtime period gave the Gusties their first lead since the 6:26 mark of the second half but this two-point advantage was short-lived as Horsch got free behind the arc from the left wing area and let loose with another three-point heave that swished through that gave the Wildcats the lead back at 71-70 with 3:46 left. On the ensuing GAC possession, Ehrich worked her magic again and got into the lane for a scoring attempt and was fouled by Audra Clark that sent one half of the Clark duo to the bench with her fifth foul. Ehrich knocked down both freebies that gave the Gusties a 72-71 lead. One free throw by Meg Clark tied the issue at 72-all. On GAC's ensuing possession, Ehrich was rebuffed twice trying to score in the lane but the Gusties were able to secure the offensive rebound and, with the shot clock winding down, Rice connected with a jumper with 2:30 left for a 74-72 GAC lead. Two free throws by Horsch after she was fouled with 2:21 left tied things up one last time for the Wildcats at 74 a piece. It was at this point that both Johnson and Ehrich came up with their most important scores of the game - a Johnson jumper with the shot clock expiring with 1:52 left and an Ehrich score in the lane with 1:07 left - that gave GAC a two-possession advantage at 78-74. Meg Clark was able to maneuver into the paint for a score with :50 left that drew St. Kate's to within two. Pinkerton called a timeout to try and draw up plans for a stop for his Wildcats but there was seemingly no plan that would stop Ehrich on this day. She was able to connect again on a jumper in the lane with :24 left that once again gave the Gusties a two-possession advantage at 80-76. St. Kate's quickly got back downcourt and Horsch took the rock to the rack where she was fouled and got two free throws to go down with :14.3 left that once again had the 'Cats back to within one possession trailing 80-78. Another Pinkerton timeout to try and figure out a way to get a stop and get the ball back. On the ensuing GAC possession, it was Johnson coming to the Gusties rescue as she got fouled with :13.1 left and sank both of the obligatory free throws that once again had GAC up two possessions. Desperation time for St. Kate's as they wanted to find someone out behind the arc for a "3" but the Gusties were able to lock down on defense and eliminate that option. Meg Clark had to make a foray into the lane for a lay-up attempt with :07 left that missed its mark and Miller, the freshman with those four fouls, was there to grab the defensive rebound for GAC and was immediately fouled. She got the front end to go down and though she missed the back end, Rice was there to grab the offensive rebound. Johnson put the finishing touches on her amazing 28-point scoring performance with an insurance jumper off of an inbounds pass with just :00.9 left that gave the Gusties a breath-taking 85-78 overtime victory.
A jubilant GAC contingent was heaving a huge sigh of relief after this one and relishing in the comeback effort that gave them this hard-earned victory on this day. I asked Ehrich afterward what was going through her and her teammates minds when they found themselves down by ten late in regulation. She talked about having "that will to win" which has seemingly become a theme for the Gusties these days. It seems amazing and so special to see Ehrich having a chance to do this considering how she was cast aside by a short-sighted St. Olaf coaching staff that subsequently sent her packing for greener pastures in St. Peter. Johnson talked about how she and her teammates "flipped the switch" when they had to and to see the former Edina standout developing into the kind of scoring threat that the Gusties needed her to be is great to watch. I had a very nice talk with Kelly afterward as well and we discussed some of the various aspects of this team that, so far anyway, has them in very good shape. This last stretch of five games has been an exhausting one for GAC and things may have caught up with them this last Wednesday night when they dropped that 65-52 home decision to Bethel. "We just didn't show up that night" she lamented. The immediate plan is to take Sunday off for a very well-deserved day of rest and a chance to re-charge the batteries before preparing for the unenviable task of taking on #4 UST on Wednesday night back in St. Peter. The task looks daunting indeed but Kelly seems to take it all in stride as she says that her squad has nothing to lose. Meanwhile, for St. Kate's, another bitter pill to swallow. So incredibly close and even tougher to accept considering Horsch's equally impressive 28 point performance. Pinkerton admitted that he disagreed with the fouls on both Holt and Audra Clark that sent them to the bench with their fifth fouls but is all too aware of the fact that those things don't always go your way and that "life isn't always fair" either. Still, for St. Kate's, you have to take this as a positive development. They're getting closer all the time and one of these times they're going to get that win over somebody big.
GAC was off to a solid start in this one and, with that 4-0 advantage, they were able to expand that advantage to a touchdown lead on one freebie by sophomore guard/forward Hannah Howard and a short jumper off of an inbounds pass by willowy junior forward Lindsey Johnson made it a 9-0 game at the 14:12 mark. Senior guard Maddie Ehrich drove inside and finished at the 13:40 mark to complete an 11-0 opening burst and this one had the makings of a rout written all over it by this point. St. Kate's Head Coach Sean Pinkerton apparently was in agreement as he called a timeout right after freshman guard Audra Clark finally got the 'Cats on the board with a lay-up at the 13:27 mark. That timeout had a positive effect on the Wildcats as they followed up on that score with three more unanswered scores to complete a 10-0 burst of their own; highlighted by treys from Audra Clark and senior reserve forward Mary Neumann to get to within a single point trailing 11-10 by the 11:01 mark. Gustie sophomore reserve post Cara Christiansen knocked down two free throws after getting fouled with 9:50 left for a 13-10 GAC lead but Audra Clark had the hot hand at the moment for St. Kate's as she nailed a "3" from the left top area with 9:40 left to deadlock things at 13 a piece.
The Gusties would manage to forge a small lead but they were doing it for the most part without their freshman point guard Mikayla Miller who picked up two early fouls in this contest and had to sit a good spell of the first half on the bench. After Howard was able to connect with a jumper with 9:18 left to give GAC a 15-13 lead, Miller was able to come back in and got one free throw to go down when she was fouled with 8:48 left. Johnson, en route to a huge performance on this day, drained a "3" from the left wing with 7:29 left that upped the lead to 19-13 but again the Wildcats were able to get right back into the thick of things and chop away at the Gustie lead. Freshman guard Meg Clark knocked down a "3" from the top of the key with 7:10 left and then freshman reserve guard Emily Neumann connected with a lay-up with 5:22 left. A score in the paint by sophomore sensation guard LaShay Holt with 5:13 left drew St. Kate's to within one again trailing 21-20. But GAC was able to find another burst down the home stretch of the first half that gave them some more breathing room. Sophomore forward Miranda Rice connected with a short jumper with 3:34 left and pairs of free throws by Ehrich and Miller not only had GAC up 29-22 with 2:06 left but had the Gusties in the double-bonus as well. Two more charity stripe shots by Ehrich with 1:13 left and a score in the paint by sophomore reserve forward Morgan Iverson gave the Gusties a 35-24 advantage at the half. The funny thing was though that, for some reason, it didn't feel like an eleven point lead and from all my years of watching basketball this one just did not seem safe for the Gusties. Little did I realize how true that thinking would be later on.
Early scores in the second half by both Ehrich and Johnson gave GAC its largest lead at thirteen at 39-26 by the 18:54 mark but a re-energized Wildcat team would skillfully and slyly whittle away at the Gustie advantage and get their shooters good looks. One of those shooters - junior guard Shauna Horsch - who had a relatively quiet first half, came alive in the second half. Two free throws at the 16:50 mark were the precursor for a huge day for the Simley standout. Horsch uncorked a trey from the right top area at the 15:34 mark and after knocking down two more free throws after getting fouled at the 15:10 mark, she unleashed another patented high-arcing three-point bomb at the 14:32 mark that not only found its mark but also brought St. Kate's back to within three trailing 43-40. This forced GAC to awake from its late afternoon siesta and take notice. One score by freshman reserve post Stephanie Klockmann and two scores by Johnson helped to re-establish a five-point 49-44 advantage by the 11:24 mark but two free throws by Audra Clark at the 11:00 mark and a score in the paint by sophomore forward Mari Lee with 9:59 lead brought the 'Cats back to within one trailing 49-48 and suddenly this looked like a very dangerous game for the Gusties.
GAC was able to slightly extend their tenuous lead to four points on freebies by Rice with 8:34 left and a short shot off the glass by Ehrich with 7:29 left for a 54-50 advantage but pairs of free throws by Holt finally brought St. Kate's even at 54 with 6:49 left and, even worse for the Gusties, Miller was now saddled with four fouls as well. With 6:26 left, Holt connected on a pull-up jumper in transition that gave the 'Cats their first lead of the afternoon at 56-54. A score in the paint by Christiansen with 6:04 left brought GAC even at 56-all but it was here that St. Kate's embarked on a 12-2 run; lighted by a lay-up in transition by senior reserve forward Sarah Manning and treys by both Horsch and Holt that incredibly gave the Wildcats a 68-58 lead with only 3:11 left. But this Gustie team; which could have faltered and collapsed like a house of cards at this juncture, found a way to dig in its collective heels and mount a comeback of its own. And it would be the two upperclassmen - Ehrich and Johnson - putting the team on their collective backs when things looked the most perilous for the black and gold. Ice-cold back-to-back "3's" by Johnson - one from the left top area with 2:55 left and one from the top of the key with 2:18 left - pulled GAC back to within four trailing 68-64. Two free throws by Rice drew the Gusties to within a single possession trailing 68-66 and, even worse for St. Kate's, sent Holt to the bench for the day with her fifth foul. With exactly 1:00 left, Ehrich used her athleticism to get into the lane for a score to tie the issue at 68-all. The Wildcats had two chances of their own to try and win it but turnovers doomed those opportunities. With :25.3 left, GAC Head Coach Laurie Kelly called a timeout to try and set-up a play to win it in regulation. But solid defense by St. Kate's forced Johnson to put up an off-balance shot that harmlessly fell short of its mark and off we went to overtime tied at 68.
A score in the paint by Ehrich with 3:57 left in the overtime period gave the Gusties their first lead since the 6:26 mark of the second half but this two-point advantage was short-lived as Horsch got free behind the arc from the left wing area and let loose with another three-point heave that swished through that gave the Wildcats the lead back at 71-70 with 3:46 left. On the ensuing GAC possession, Ehrich worked her magic again and got into the lane for a scoring attempt and was fouled by Audra Clark that sent one half of the Clark duo to the bench with her fifth foul. Ehrich knocked down both freebies that gave the Gusties a 72-71 lead. One free throw by Meg Clark tied the issue at 72-all. On GAC's ensuing possession, Ehrich was rebuffed twice trying to score in the lane but the Gusties were able to secure the offensive rebound and, with the shot clock winding down, Rice connected with a jumper with 2:30 left for a 74-72 GAC lead. Two free throws by Horsch after she was fouled with 2:21 left tied things up one last time for the Wildcats at 74 a piece. It was at this point that both Johnson and Ehrich came up with their most important scores of the game - a Johnson jumper with the shot clock expiring with 1:52 left and an Ehrich score in the lane with 1:07 left - that gave GAC a two-possession advantage at 78-74. Meg Clark was able to maneuver into the paint for a score with :50 left that drew St. Kate's to within two. Pinkerton called a timeout to try and draw up plans for a stop for his Wildcats but there was seemingly no plan that would stop Ehrich on this day. She was able to connect again on a jumper in the lane with :24 left that once again gave the Gusties a two-possession advantage at 80-76. St. Kate's quickly got back downcourt and Horsch took the rock to the rack where she was fouled and got two free throws to go down with :14.3 left that once again had the 'Cats back to within one possession trailing 80-78. Another Pinkerton timeout to try and figure out a way to get a stop and get the ball back. On the ensuing GAC possession, it was Johnson coming to the Gusties rescue as she got fouled with :13.1 left and sank both of the obligatory free throws that once again had GAC up two possessions. Desperation time for St. Kate's as they wanted to find someone out behind the arc for a "3" but the Gusties were able to lock down on defense and eliminate that option. Meg Clark had to make a foray into the lane for a lay-up attempt with :07 left that missed its mark and Miller, the freshman with those four fouls, was there to grab the defensive rebound for GAC and was immediately fouled. She got the front end to go down and though she missed the back end, Rice was there to grab the offensive rebound. Johnson put the finishing touches on her amazing 28-point scoring performance with an insurance jumper off of an inbounds pass with just :00.9 left that gave the Gusties a breath-taking 85-78 overtime victory.
A jubilant GAC contingent was heaving a huge sigh of relief after this one and relishing in the comeback effort that gave them this hard-earned victory on this day. I asked Ehrich afterward what was going through her and her teammates minds when they found themselves down by ten late in regulation. She talked about having "that will to win" which has seemingly become a theme for the Gusties these days. It seems amazing and so special to see Ehrich having a chance to do this considering how she was cast aside by a short-sighted St. Olaf coaching staff that subsequently sent her packing for greener pastures in St. Peter. Johnson talked about how she and her teammates "flipped the switch" when they had to and to see the former Edina standout developing into the kind of scoring threat that the Gusties needed her to be is great to watch. I had a very nice talk with Kelly afterward as well and we discussed some of the various aspects of this team that, so far anyway, has them in very good shape. This last stretch of five games has been an exhausting one for GAC and things may have caught up with them this last Wednesday night when they dropped that 65-52 home decision to Bethel. "We just didn't show up that night" she lamented. The immediate plan is to take Sunday off for a very well-deserved day of rest and a chance to re-charge the batteries before preparing for the unenviable task of taking on #4 UST on Wednesday night back in St. Peter. The task looks daunting indeed but Kelly seems to take it all in stride as she says that her squad has nothing to lose. Meanwhile, for St. Kate's, another bitter pill to swallow. So incredibly close and even tougher to accept considering Horsch's equally impressive 28 point performance. Pinkerton admitted that he disagreed with the fouls on both Holt and Audra Clark that sent them to the bench with their fifth fouls but is all too aware of the fact that those things don't always go your way and that "life isn't always fair" either. Still, for St. Kate's, you have to take this as a positive development. They're getting closer all the time and one of these times they're going to get that win over somebody big.
SMU vs Augsburg 1-24-15
Made my way over to Augsburg's Si Melby Hall on this early Saturday afternoon to take in the 1:00 P.M. contest between visiting SMU which had made its way up U.S. Highway 61 and the Canadian Pacific Railway's River Sub mainline to the Twin Cities to take on host Augsburg. This would be my first look at the Cardinals this season and I was particularly interested in how they would look without their junior starting point guard Bridget Pethke; relegated to an unofficial player/coach role after suffering an ACL injury against GAC earlier in the month. The Auggies, meanwhile, were coming off two straight wins; most recently against Hamline this last Wednesday night and were looking to keep the positive vibe - and their playoff hopes as well - going.
Augsburg freshman Bridget Bednar's offensive rebound for a putback gave the home team a 2-0 advantage at the 19:11 mark but that lead was short-lived as the red-clad Cardinals embarked on a 9-0 run over the next six minutes. Strong senior guard Sara Schoenthaler banged home a "3" from the right top area at the 18:19 mark and freshman sensation forward/post Molly O'Toole connected with a jumper along the right baseline at the 17:51 mark for a 5-2 SMU lead. Despite the fact that both teams were plagued by turnovers in the early stages of this ballgame, the Cardinals were finding ways to get something out of a not so good situation. Another jumper along the right baseline by O'Toole at the 14:51 mark and a score in the paint by junior forward Shelby Auseth completed the run and Auggie Head Coach Bill McKee; seeing a situation where he was going to have to play catch-up again, called a thirty-second timeout to discuss things with his squad. Augsburg would slowly cut into the SMU cushion as they made a concerted effort to get the ball inside to their "bigs" as they had on Wednesday night against Hamline. Freshman forward Hannah Steinhaus was able to get a turnaround jumper to go in at the 11:15 mark that got the Auggies to within four trailing 9-5 but the missed opportunities that Augsburg let slip through their fingers early on in this contest could have easily tied the score or had them ahead at this point.
SMU was able to momentarily take advantage of those missed opportunities that the Auggies had and they built their lead back up to eight. Sophomore point guard Emma Schaefer; starting in place of the injured Pethke, connected on a lay-up with 9:22 left and O'Toole was able to get another short jumper from the right side to go down with 7:57 left that gave the Cardinals a 13-5 advantage. But here the Auggies were able to finally get something going offensively as they went on a 6-0 run that tightened things up. Junior forward Jessica Lillquist knocked down two freebies after getting fouled with 7:39 left and then Bednar got into the lane and put up a pretty hook shot that went down with 6:56 left. Junior reserve guard Marie Fitzgerald connected with a jumper from the right elbow area with 6:18 left that sliced SMU's lead down to 13-11 and Cardinal Head Coach Mandy Pearson; not liking the recent developments, called a thirty-second timeout of her own to get her forces reorganized. SMU looked like they might be primed to open up some distance again after that short stoppage in play as Schoenthaler; the former White Bear Lake standout, drained her second trey of the game; this one from the right corner with 4:52 left that gave the Cardinals at 16-11 lead. But Augsburg seemed determined to stay right in the thick of things and they were able to stay close down the stretch. Senior point guard Abbey Luger, who had struggled with her shooting touch for a good portion of the first half, finally shook off the cobwebs and knocked down a jumper from the left wing with 4:27 left that brought the Auggies to within three trailing 16-13. With the Cardinals holding a 17-14 advantage with under a minute left, Schaefer drilled a three-point bomb from the left wing with :48 left but Augsburg junior guard Jenna Orth got her squad more points with :26 left on a lay-up that made it a 20-16 game once the buzzer sounded ending the first half. Both sides; considering the turnovers that were committed in the first half (ten for SMU alone) and the frigid shooting for Augsburg (6-27 for 22.2%) could make the case for a glass half-full proposition.
Things would continue to stay close once the second half got underway and, for Augsburg anyway, Luger's play was a primary reason. A drive into the lane for a finish at the 18:33 mark and a lay-up at the 17:38 mark kept the Auggies right within that 2-4 point range. Steinhaus got a lay-up in transition after a Luger steal at the 17:12 mark and then Luger was able to connect with a jumper from the left elbow at the 16:01 mark that had Augsburg trailing by two at 26-24. At the 13:20 mark, junior reserve post Bridget Kopp; who had been relegated to wearing civies on the sideline because of concussion issues and who had been finally given clearance to play, got into the paint for a score that kept the Auggies within two trailing 28-26. SMU's Pearson; probably frustrated by this point that her team had been unable to shake Augsburg by this time, called a timeout to talk about things with her squad. That little talk seemed to spur the Cardinals as Auseth got into the paint for a score at the 13:09 mark to make it a 30-26 game and then junior reserve guard Micaela Meredith uncorcked a "3" from the right corner that gave SMU a seven-point 33-26 advantage at the 12:28 mark. The Auggies would once again battle back and then get to within a single possession when Orth connected from three-point land at the top of the key with 8:43 left that cut the Cardinal lead down to 37-35 but then Auseth drained a "3" from the top of the key with 8:25 left and then it was Schaefer doing her thing from three-point land from the left wing with 7:48 left that gave SMU a 43-35 lead and Augsburg's McKee knew a timeout was needed by this point.
The Auggies could have folded the tent and gone home by this point but, once again, they showed resolve and got themselves right back into the thick of things. Luger scored on a sweet give-and-go play with 6:52 left and then Bednar knocked down two shots from the charity stripe after getting fouled with 5:53 left and was also able to get a score in the paint with 5:01 left that once again brought Augsburg back to within a single possession trailing 43-41. But, just like a bad dream where you seemingly can't run no matter how hard you try, the Auggie effort finally hit a wall and an experienced SMU squad was quick to take advantage of the situation; much to the delight of former Cardinal Darcey Rice who was sitting in the stands cheering on her old teammates. Meredith connected on a drive and finish with 4:37 left and lanky sophomore reserve forward Sam Jones got into the paint for a score with 3:13 left for a 49-41 SMU lead. The Auggies tried to find one last flicker of hope when Luger connected with a lay-up with 2:48 left but O'Toole was able to apply the finishing touches for the Cardinals on a score in the paint off of an inbounds pass with :52 left that gave SMU a 51-45 victory.
After watching this game today and the ebb and flow that went with it, I couldn't help but come away with the feeling that, if there was ever a set-up where the Auggies were going to steal one from one of the upper-echelon teams, this one was laid out there for them to do just that yet they failed to take advantage of the opportunities when they arose. Augsburg Assistant Coach Josh Hersch was in full agreement with that assessment when I spoke with him afterward. While this was a game that they didn't necessarily need to have, this would have been a huge win had they been able to steal it. He spoke of some of the finer details of the game that his squad needs to work on; boxing out, sealing better, making better decisions with the ball. He emphasized that this is a program that still has a goal of trying to get better with each passing day and making the playoffs as well. But their margin for error is small and the Auggies absolutely have to make the most out of a relatively favorable schedule save for world-beater UST. Meanwhile, SMU is certainly a solid playoff team; no question about it. They've been able to make the best out of a bad situation with the loss of Pethke and they're winning the games that they're supposed to win thus far although you can bet that Pearson would love to have that roadie at St. Olaf back again. Are they capable of more? Possibly, but this team seems to lack the explosiveness and pizzazz they had a year ago when they won the regular season title and hosted the MIAC Championship Game and to the Big Dance as well. Still, they've been able to handle the cards that they've been dealt and are keeping themselves right in the thick of things.
Augsburg freshman Bridget Bednar's offensive rebound for a putback gave the home team a 2-0 advantage at the 19:11 mark but that lead was short-lived as the red-clad Cardinals embarked on a 9-0 run over the next six minutes. Strong senior guard Sara Schoenthaler banged home a "3" from the right top area at the 18:19 mark and freshman sensation forward/post Molly O'Toole connected with a jumper along the right baseline at the 17:51 mark for a 5-2 SMU lead. Despite the fact that both teams were plagued by turnovers in the early stages of this ballgame, the Cardinals were finding ways to get something out of a not so good situation. Another jumper along the right baseline by O'Toole at the 14:51 mark and a score in the paint by junior forward Shelby Auseth completed the run and Auggie Head Coach Bill McKee; seeing a situation where he was going to have to play catch-up again, called a thirty-second timeout to discuss things with his squad. Augsburg would slowly cut into the SMU cushion as they made a concerted effort to get the ball inside to their "bigs" as they had on Wednesday night against Hamline. Freshman forward Hannah Steinhaus was able to get a turnaround jumper to go in at the 11:15 mark that got the Auggies to within four trailing 9-5 but the missed opportunities that Augsburg let slip through their fingers early on in this contest could have easily tied the score or had them ahead at this point.
SMU was able to momentarily take advantage of those missed opportunities that the Auggies had and they built their lead back up to eight. Sophomore point guard Emma Schaefer; starting in place of the injured Pethke, connected on a lay-up with 9:22 left and O'Toole was able to get another short jumper from the right side to go down with 7:57 left that gave the Cardinals a 13-5 advantage. But here the Auggies were able to finally get something going offensively as they went on a 6-0 run that tightened things up. Junior forward Jessica Lillquist knocked down two freebies after getting fouled with 7:39 left and then Bednar got into the lane and put up a pretty hook shot that went down with 6:56 left. Junior reserve guard Marie Fitzgerald connected with a jumper from the right elbow area with 6:18 left that sliced SMU's lead down to 13-11 and Cardinal Head Coach Mandy Pearson; not liking the recent developments, called a thirty-second timeout of her own to get her forces reorganized. SMU looked like they might be primed to open up some distance again after that short stoppage in play as Schoenthaler; the former White Bear Lake standout, drained her second trey of the game; this one from the right corner with 4:52 left that gave the Cardinals at 16-11 lead. But Augsburg seemed determined to stay right in the thick of things and they were able to stay close down the stretch. Senior point guard Abbey Luger, who had struggled with her shooting touch for a good portion of the first half, finally shook off the cobwebs and knocked down a jumper from the left wing with 4:27 left that brought the Auggies to within three trailing 16-13. With the Cardinals holding a 17-14 advantage with under a minute left, Schaefer drilled a three-point bomb from the left wing with :48 left but Augsburg junior guard Jenna Orth got her squad more points with :26 left on a lay-up that made it a 20-16 game once the buzzer sounded ending the first half. Both sides; considering the turnovers that were committed in the first half (ten for SMU alone) and the frigid shooting for Augsburg (6-27 for 22.2%) could make the case for a glass half-full proposition.
Things would continue to stay close once the second half got underway and, for Augsburg anyway, Luger's play was a primary reason. A drive into the lane for a finish at the 18:33 mark and a lay-up at the 17:38 mark kept the Auggies right within that 2-4 point range. Steinhaus got a lay-up in transition after a Luger steal at the 17:12 mark and then Luger was able to connect with a jumper from the left elbow at the 16:01 mark that had Augsburg trailing by two at 26-24. At the 13:20 mark, junior reserve post Bridget Kopp; who had been relegated to wearing civies on the sideline because of concussion issues and who had been finally given clearance to play, got into the paint for a score that kept the Auggies within two trailing 28-26. SMU's Pearson; probably frustrated by this point that her team had been unable to shake Augsburg by this time, called a timeout to talk about things with her squad. That little talk seemed to spur the Cardinals as Auseth got into the paint for a score at the 13:09 mark to make it a 30-26 game and then junior reserve guard Micaela Meredith uncorcked a "3" from the right corner that gave SMU a seven-point 33-26 advantage at the 12:28 mark. The Auggies would once again battle back and then get to within a single possession when Orth connected from three-point land at the top of the key with 8:43 left that cut the Cardinal lead down to 37-35 but then Auseth drained a "3" from the top of the key with 8:25 left and then it was Schaefer doing her thing from three-point land from the left wing with 7:48 left that gave SMU a 43-35 lead and Augsburg's McKee knew a timeout was needed by this point.
The Auggies could have folded the tent and gone home by this point but, once again, they showed resolve and got themselves right back into the thick of things. Luger scored on a sweet give-and-go play with 6:52 left and then Bednar knocked down two shots from the charity stripe after getting fouled with 5:53 left and was also able to get a score in the paint with 5:01 left that once again brought Augsburg back to within a single possession trailing 43-41. But, just like a bad dream where you seemingly can't run no matter how hard you try, the Auggie effort finally hit a wall and an experienced SMU squad was quick to take advantage of the situation; much to the delight of former Cardinal Darcey Rice who was sitting in the stands cheering on her old teammates. Meredith connected on a drive and finish with 4:37 left and lanky sophomore reserve forward Sam Jones got into the paint for a score with 3:13 left for a 49-41 SMU lead. The Auggies tried to find one last flicker of hope when Luger connected with a lay-up with 2:48 left but O'Toole was able to apply the finishing touches for the Cardinals on a score in the paint off of an inbounds pass with :52 left that gave SMU a 51-45 victory.
After watching this game today and the ebb and flow that went with it, I couldn't help but come away with the feeling that, if there was ever a set-up where the Auggies were going to steal one from one of the upper-echelon teams, this one was laid out there for them to do just that yet they failed to take advantage of the opportunities when they arose. Augsburg Assistant Coach Josh Hersch was in full agreement with that assessment when I spoke with him afterward. While this was a game that they didn't necessarily need to have, this would have been a huge win had they been able to steal it. He spoke of some of the finer details of the game that his squad needs to work on; boxing out, sealing better, making better decisions with the ball. He emphasized that this is a program that still has a goal of trying to get better with each passing day and making the playoffs as well. But their margin for error is small and the Auggies absolutely have to make the most out of a relatively favorable schedule save for world-beater UST. Meanwhile, SMU is certainly a solid playoff team; no question about it. They've been able to make the best out of a bad situation with the loss of Pethke and they're winning the games that they're supposed to win thus far although you can bet that Pearson would love to have that roadie at St. Olaf back again. Are they capable of more? Possibly, but this team seems to lack the explosiveness and pizzazz they had a year ago when they won the regular season title and hosted the MIAC Championship Game and to the Big Dance as well. Still, they've been able to handle the cards that they've been dealt and are keeping themselves right in the thick of things.
Orono vs Waconia 1-23-15
On this Friday evening, I decided to venture out of my normal comfort zone which is the Northwest Suburban Conference and make the trek over to Waconia to take in the highly-anticipated matchup between host Waconia and visiting #2-ranked Orono in this huge Wright County Conference showdown. I had watched Waconia play twice earlier this season so I had a pretty good idea what I might be getting from them but Orono was a team I was not familiar with at all and I was anxious to get a look at them. It only took a few minutes of watching to understand why the Spartans are currently ranked second in the state in Class AAA.
Orono seized momentum right off the bat when willowy sophomore guard Tori Andrew was able to snare the opening tip and race to the rack for an easy lay-up at the 17:58 mark and that lead quickly grew to 4-0 when 6'4" junior post Meghan Mandel got into the paint for a score at the 17:44 mark. The host Wildcats got on the board at the 17:35 mark when senior guard Kelsey Eder connected with a short shot at the 17:35 mark but Orono extended their lead to 8-2 by the 16:45 mark on scores in the paint by both junior guard Danielle Jorgenson and Mandel. Waconia was able to cut the deficit to 8-4 when super senior guard Anna Schmitt maneuvered into the paint for a score at the 16:32 mark but it became readily apparent that the Wildcats had no answers - at least for the moment anyway - with Orono's Mandel as one offensive rebound of her own miss and putback at the 15:56 mark and a rebound and putback of a teammates' miss at the 14:47 mark made it a 12-4 game and Waconia Head Coach Carl Pierson had no choice but to at least call a thirty-second timeout to try and find some answers. The Wildcats momentarily looked re-energized as Schmitt was able to put on a show and go coast-to-coast for a lay-up at the 13:59 mark but Orono senior point guard Kiera Nelson helped spark a push that had the Spartans up 19-8 by the 11:49 mark and by this point it looked as if Waconia would have a long night ahead of themselves trying to play catch-up.
The purple-clad Wildcats, however, showed signs of resourcefulness as they were able to go back to work and cut into the deficit. Senior guard Kendall Eder was snare an offensive rebound of her own miss and get a lay-up out of it at the 10:56 mark and two free throws by junior guard Madelin Dammann at the 10:10 mark brought Waconia back to within five trailing 19-14. Then it was the explosive and acrobatic Schmitt wowing the home crowd with a reverse lay-up with 9:39 left and snaring an offensive rebound for a putback with 8:35 mark that cut Orono's lead down to 21-18. The
Spartans would find a way to navigate these momentary rough waters and steady the ship. Free throws by Mandel and Nelson upped the Spartan lead to six at 26-20 with 5:14 left and a drive and finish by senior guard Rachel Heussner with 4:50 left made it an eight-point 28-20 advantage. A score in the paint by junior reserve post Hannah Striggow with 4:14 left maintained the eight-point margin at 30-22. Sophomore guard Tori Andrew helped the Spartans extend the lead back to double-digits as two free throws with 2:31 left and a lay-up with 2:00 left made it a 35-24 ballgame. But Waconia would once again find a way to muster a late push and get the deficit back into more manageable means. Junior reserve guard Megan Kirsch was sent to the line after getting fouled with 1:50 left and knocked down two freebies. Schmitt added one free throw with 1:26 left and then an unusual call and foul against Orono that left many of the Spartan faithful up in arms allowed Schmitt to sink three more freebies that brought the Wildcats back to within five trailing 35-30. After Andrew score in the paint for Orono with just under a minute left, Schmitt dazzled the home crowd one last time before the half with another coast-to-coat dash and lay-up with just :13 left on the clock as the Spartans took an uncertain and small 37-32 lead into the locker room at the half.
Schmitt left a blazing mark at the end of the first half and she started off the second half in the same fashion when she drained a "3" from the top of the key - the first one for the Wildcats on this night - at the 17:00 mark that cut Orono's lead down to a scant two points at 37-35 and had the Waconia faithful full of hope. But once again the Spartans were able to brace the rough seas and keep the ship on track. Mandel snared yet another offensive rebound for a putback at the 16:24 mark for 39-35 advantage but the lanky junior; who had picked up two fouls in the first half that forced her to sit a spell, picked up her third foul at the 15:44 mark and Orono Head Coach Ellen Wiese was forced to sit her star post player. Still, the Spartans refused to be fazed from that turn of events and they steadily built the lead back up. A score in the paint by Jorgensen at the 15:09 mark made it a two-possession game at 41-37. Then Nelson; a future University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldog, took over. One free throw at the 14:31 mark and a short jumper off the glass at the 14:09 mark upped the lead to 44-37. Two more Nelson freebies at the 13:44 mark made it a 46-37 game. One score in the paint by Striggow at the 12:16 mark and two Nelson scores in the paint gave the Spartans a 52-40 lead at the 11:20 mark and then a one-handed floater in the lane by Nelson at the 11:14 mark expanded the lead to 54-40 and it looked as if Waconia would have to go back to the drawing board if they were somehow going to get close again in this one.
Somehow, Waconia would again mount a comeback and, not surprisingly, it would be Schmitt who would at least make life uncomfortable for the visitors down the stretch. Schmitt would get into the paint for a score at the 11:04 mark and get fouled in the process and the obligatory free throw would cut the deficit back to eleven at 54-43. Two pairs of free throws by Dammann helped the Wildcats get back to within single digits trailing 56-47 with 9:31 left. Two more charity stripe shots by Schmitt after she was fouled making a steal drew Waconia even closer trailing 56-49 and had the Wildcats in the bonus as well with 9:06 left. Orono had even more reason for concern when Mandel got nabbed with her fourth foul with 8:02 left with the Wildcats seemingly within striking distance. Just as they had earlier in the contest, though, the Spartans navigated the rough waters with skill. A jumper by Heussner along the left baseline with 7:37 left and a free throw from Striggow pushed the lead back to double-digits at 61-50 with 6:09 left. Scores in the paint by Jorgenson with 5:29 left and by Nelson with 4:03 left helped offset consecutive scores by Waconia's Schmitt and allowed Orono to maintain the double-digit advantage at 65-55 and Pierson; with time becoming a factor, had no choice but to call a timeout. This time there would be no push for the Wildcats to offer up to try and put one last scare into the Spartans. Nelson put down one free throw after getting fouled with 3:01 left that put Orono in the bonus as well. Mandrel; riding those four fouls in the last few minutes of the contest, helped put the finishing touches on this Spartan win with two late lay-ups and a score in the paint with 1:26 left for a 74-62 Orono lead. Two more Mandrell scores with 1:07 and :48.6 left bloated the final count a bit for the Spartans as they took this important road win 82-66.
A disappointed Pierson afterward admitted that his team got off to a horrible start with turnovers that allowed Orono to put them in an early hole. Even more disconcerting from his standpoint was the miserable night of shooting from behind the arc (8%) and getting out-rebounded 36-20. "We didn't come into this game thinking we had to win the rebounding aspect necessarily but we ideally had to keep it under ten that would have given us a chance." Pierson also spoke of the meat-grinder schedule his squad has been playing lately and will run into again this next week. Still, when sections roll around, this team should be battle-tested and will be a tough one to beat.
Orono seized momentum right off the bat when willowy sophomore guard Tori Andrew was able to snare the opening tip and race to the rack for an easy lay-up at the 17:58 mark and that lead quickly grew to 4-0 when 6'4" junior post Meghan Mandel got into the paint for a score at the 17:44 mark. The host Wildcats got on the board at the 17:35 mark when senior guard Kelsey Eder connected with a short shot at the 17:35 mark but Orono extended their lead to 8-2 by the 16:45 mark on scores in the paint by both junior guard Danielle Jorgenson and Mandel. Waconia was able to cut the deficit to 8-4 when super senior guard Anna Schmitt maneuvered into the paint for a score at the 16:32 mark but it became readily apparent that the Wildcats had no answers - at least for the moment anyway - with Orono's Mandel as one offensive rebound of her own miss and putback at the 15:56 mark and a rebound and putback of a teammates' miss at the 14:47 mark made it a 12-4 game and Waconia Head Coach Carl Pierson had no choice but to at least call a thirty-second timeout to try and find some answers. The Wildcats momentarily looked re-energized as Schmitt was able to put on a show and go coast-to-coast for a lay-up at the 13:59 mark but Orono senior point guard Kiera Nelson helped spark a push that had the Spartans up 19-8 by the 11:49 mark and by this point it looked as if Waconia would have a long night ahead of themselves trying to play catch-up.
The purple-clad Wildcats, however, showed signs of resourcefulness as they were able to go back to work and cut into the deficit. Senior guard Kendall Eder was snare an offensive rebound of her own miss and get a lay-up out of it at the 10:56 mark and two free throws by junior guard Madelin Dammann at the 10:10 mark brought Waconia back to within five trailing 19-14. Then it was the explosive and acrobatic Schmitt wowing the home crowd with a reverse lay-up with 9:39 left and snaring an offensive rebound for a putback with 8:35 mark that cut Orono's lead down to 21-18. The
Spartans would find a way to navigate these momentary rough waters and steady the ship. Free throws by Mandel and Nelson upped the Spartan lead to six at 26-20 with 5:14 left and a drive and finish by senior guard Rachel Heussner with 4:50 left made it an eight-point 28-20 advantage. A score in the paint by junior reserve post Hannah Striggow with 4:14 left maintained the eight-point margin at 30-22. Sophomore guard Tori Andrew helped the Spartans extend the lead back to double-digits as two free throws with 2:31 left and a lay-up with 2:00 left made it a 35-24 ballgame. But Waconia would once again find a way to muster a late push and get the deficit back into more manageable means. Junior reserve guard Megan Kirsch was sent to the line after getting fouled with 1:50 left and knocked down two freebies. Schmitt added one free throw with 1:26 left and then an unusual call and foul against Orono that left many of the Spartan faithful up in arms allowed Schmitt to sink three more freebies that brought the Wildcats back to within five trailing 35-30. After Andrew score in the paint for Orono with just under a minute left, Schmitt dazzled the home crowd one last time before the half with another coast-to-coat dash and lay-up with just :13 left on the clock as the Spartans took an uncertain and small 37-32 lead into the locker room at the half.
Schmitt left a blazing mark at the end of the first half and she started off the second half in the same fashion when she drained a "3" from the top of the key - the first one for the Wildcats on this night - at the 17:00 mark that cut Orono's lead down to a scant two points at 37-35 and had the Waconia faithful full of hope. But once again the Spartans were able to brace the rough seas and keep the ship on track. Mandel snared yet another offensive rebound for a putback at the 16:24 mark for 39-35 advantage but the lanky junior; who had picked up two fouls in the first half that forced her to sit a spell, picked up her third foul at the 15:44 mark and Orono Head Coach Ellen Wiese was forced to sit her star post player. Still, the Spartans refused to be fazed from that turn of events and they steadily built the lead back up. A score in the paint by Jorgensen at the 15:09 mark made it a two-possession game at 41-37. Then Nelson; a future University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldog, took over. One free throw at the 14:31 mark and a short jumper off the glass at the 14:09 mark upped the lead to 44-37. Two more Nelson freebies at the 13:44 mark made it a 46-37 game. One score in the paint by Striggow at the 12:16 mark and two Nelson scores in the paint gave the Spartans a 52-40 lead at the 11:20 mark and then a one-handed floater in the lane by Nelson at the 11:14 mark expanded the lead to 54-40 and it looked as if Waconia would have to go back to the drawing board if they were somehow going to get close again in this one.
Somehow, Waconia would again mount a comeback and, not surprisingly, it would be Schmitt who would at least make life uncomfortable for the visitors down the stretch. Schmitt would get into the paint for a score at the 11:04 mark and get fouled in the process and the obligatory free throw would cut the deficit back to eleven at 54-43. Two pairs of free throws by Dammann helped the Wildcats get back to within single digits trailing 56-47 with 9:31 left. Two more charity stripe shots by Schmitt after she was fouled making a steal drew Waconia even closer trailing 56-49 and had the Wildcats in the bonus as well with 9:06 left. Orono had even more reason for concern when Mandel got nabbed with her fourth foul with 8:02 left with the Wildcats seemingly within striking distance. Just as they had earlier in the contest, though, the Spartans navigated the rough waters with skill. A jumper by Heussner along the left baseline with 7:37 left and a free throw from Striggow pushed the lead back to double-digits at 61-50 with 6:09 left. Scores in the paint by Jorgenson with 5:29 left and by Nelson with 4:03 left helped offset consecutive scores by Waconia's Schmitt and allowed Orono to maintain the double-digit advantage at 65-55 and Pierson; with time becoming a factor, had no choice but to call a timeout. This time there would be no push for the Wildcats to offer up to try and put one last scare into the Spartans. Nelson put down one free throw after getting fouled with 3:01 left that put Orono in the bonus as well. Mandrel; riding those four fouls in the last few minutes of the contest, helped put the finishing touches on this Spartan win with two late lay-ups and a score in the paint with 1:26 left for a 74-62 Orono lead. Two more Mandrell scores with 1:07 and :48.6 left bloated the final count a bit for the Spartans as they took this important road win 82-66.
A disappointed Pierson afterward admitted that his team got off to a horrible start with turnovers that allowed Orono to put them in an early hole. Even more disconcerting from his standpoint was the miserable night of shooting from behind the arc (8%) and getting out-rebounded 36-20. "We didn't come into this game thinking we had to win the rebounding aspect necessarily but we ideally had to keep it under ten that would have given us a chance." Pierson also spoke of the meat-grinder schedule his squad has been playing lately and will run into again this next week. Still, when sections roll around, this team should be battle-tested and will be a tough one to beat.
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Augsburg vs Hamline 1-21-15
Made my way over to venerable Hutton Arena again on this Wednesday night to take in this important mid-season clash between visiting Augsburg and host Hamline. The Auggies; fresh off their upset win over Concordia this last weekend were looking to keep the positive vibe going and not only improve on their 3-5 conference record but, more importantly, were also looking to keep their flickering playoff hopes alive. The Pipers were coming off the thumping they received at the hands of UST last Saturday and looking for a turnaround of events on their home floor. With the logjam of teams in the middle of the pack in the MIAC, this game was crucial for both sides because every "W" keeps your playoff hopes alive while every "L" sends you further into the abyss.
The Piper's sophomore guard Chloe Graves and Augsburg senior point guard Abbey Luger traded three-point bombs to start things off and, with the score tied at 5-all by the 18:09 mark, Luger was able to snare a steal and dash the other way for a lay-up that gave the Auggies a 7-5 advantage at the 17:57 mark. Graves, however, would strike again at the 17:45 mark with another trey from the right wing for an 8-7 Hamline lead and it appeared then that the Pipers might be in store for a hot night of shooting. But it was here that Augsburg was able to start controlling the tempo of the game with their slower, half-court offensive sets that allows them to get the ball into their "bigs" while at the same time, taking away the transition opportunities that Hamline thrives on. Beginning with freshman Bridget Bednar's score in the paint at the 17:19 mark, the Auggies embarked on a 16-6 run over the next nine minutes that changed the course of the first half. A score in the paint by junior forward Jessica Lillquist and two scores by senior point guard Abbey Luger at the 15:26 and 14:36 mark had Hamline up 15-10. Piper senior guard Jordan "Flash" Sammons tried to halt the run with her drive and floater off the glass at the 14:13 mark but a Luger jumper from the left elbow at the 13:49 mark and two free throws by junior guard Jenna Orth at the 11:22 mark re-established the five-point edge at 19-14. Lillquist finished off the run with a short shot off the glass at the 10:45 mark and got another score in the paint with 8:49 left to make it a 23-14 lead and Hamline Head Coach Kerri Stockwell; not liking the developments of this one at all, called a timeout to try and find a healing.
The Pipers came out of the timeout and started applying more defensive pressure near mid-court in the hopes of creating turnovers that would lead to easy points in transition. Sammons scored on a drive and finish with 7:56 left but the Pipers were having a tough time in half-court offensive sets and were not only struggling with their shooting but they seemingly had no answers to stopping either Bednar or Lillquist down in the paint which also opened up other scoring opportunities for Augsburg as well as the Auggies did a good job in controlling the tempo. Junior reserve guard Marie Fitzgerald drained a "3" from the top of the key with 5:50 left for a 26-17 Auggie lead and scores by both Bednar and Lillquist helped maintain that 7-9 point cushion. Augsburg was in the bonus with 1:39 left and two Bednar freebies made it a 32-23 ballgame although Hamline sophomore guard Chelsey Bonsante was able to connect with a jumper from the free throw line with 1:21 left to cut the Auggie lead down to 32-25. Luger was able to add one more point to the Augsburg first half total with a free throw with :04.4 left for a 33-25 game at the halftime break. A glance at the first half box revealed some not so good numbers for the Pipers: 10-30 from FG range for a cold 33.3% and an even icier 2-10 for 20% from three-point land. The rebounding was actually close in the first half although from watching the first half it didn't seem like it.
The Auggies appeared to be off and running again at the beginning of the second half when Bednar was able to score in the paint off of an inbounds pass that gave Augsburg its biggest lead of the evening at 35-25 but Hamline was able to find new resolve and was able to finally get their vaunted up-tempo game going. Junior guard Emily Behrman uncorked a "3" from the left corner at the 18:37 mark to start a 13-0 Piper run. Sammons finally found the range from behind the arc with her "3" from the left top area at the 17:18 mark that brought Hamline back to within four trailing 35-31. Despite the fact that freshman forward Alex Peterson got nabbed with her fourth foul at the 16:58 mark and had to sit, the Piper fun bunch kept right on running. Graves juked her Auggie opponent and then made a hard drive on the left baseline for a finish at the 16:17 mark and then Behrman was able to connect with a short jumper off the glass at the 15:32 mark that tied the score at 35-all. Two free throws by Graves and one by Sammons completed the thirteen-point odyssey to give Hamline a 38-35 lead by the 13:57 mark and it looked as if Hamline had usurped control of this one. But Augsburg avoided the urge to panic and slowly but surely righted the ship. A jumper from the top of the key just inside the arc by freshman forward Hannah Steinhaus cut the Piper lead down to 38-37 at the 12:23 mark and a free throw from Fitzgerald at the 11:49 mark tied the issue at 38 a piece. Orth was able to snare an offensive rebound for a putback at the 11:27 mark to put the Auggies back out in front 40-38 and although Hamline's Bonsante gave her team the lead back at 41-40 with her "3" from the left wing area with 9:24 left, Augsburg had to feel considerably better after withstanding that 13-0 Piper run early on in the second half.
The Auggies were able to forge a three-point 44-41 advantage with 8:12 left on scores from both Lillquist and Bednar but pairs of charity stripe shots by both Sammons and senior reserve guard Makenzie Lee gave the Pipers the lead back at 45-44 and despite the fact that Augsburg got into the bonus with 5:35 left, it looked as if Hamline might be able to find a way to grab victory from the jaws of defeat. Peterson, back on the floor with those four fouls, knocked down two freebies after getting fouled with 4:43 left to give the Pipers a 47-45 lead and a pretty floater in the lane by Sammons with 2:49 left had Hamline up again 49-47. But, unlike last year's game at Hutton Arena between these two teams where the Auggies faltered late, Augsburg found new determination - and a way to get it into their bigs to help close the deal. A score in the paint by Lillquist with 2:22 left tied the score at 49-all and two free throws by Bednar put the Auggies back out in front for good at 51-49 with 1:37 left. Augsburg got one stop on the Pipers when Luger stole the ball from Sammons' grasp with 1:24 left but the Auggies promptly turned the ball right back over to Hamline. Sammons was unable to connect on a jumper with :48 left and Lillquist was able to snare the rebound. Luger was fouled with :38 left but was only able to get the back end freebie to go down so the Pipers still had life trailing 52-49. On Hamline's ensuing possession, Graves got a look behind the arc with :23 left but her shot was short and Lillquist was there to grab the rebound and got the ball to Fitzgerald who was immediately fouled. Fitzgerald could have iced the game right then and there for Augsburg but she missed both of her free throw attempts and, once again, the Pipers had life. Hamline worked the ball carefully around the perimeter looking for someone - anyone - who might be able to get an open look. Finally, with just over a second left, Bonsante got the ball and the look she wanted behind the arc and fired away. Although her shot was off the mark, the Auggies committed a cardinal sin as Bednar caught Bonsante on the arm when she shot and the foul was called. So now; with :01 left, here was the sophomore; Bonsante, with a chance to tie it up and force overtime from the charity stripe. After a timeout, Bonsante got her first crack. No good. Still, not the end of the world and Stockwell called another timeout to adjust her team's strategy. Bonsante's second attempt - no good. Now the Pipers were seemingly out of all options save for a deliberate miss and a sliver of a hope to get an offensive rebound and putback and get fouled in the process - all within the time frame of one solitary second. After another timeout to try and prevent the inevitable, Bonsante put up a deliberate errant shot but the effort was doomed when the Pipers committed a lane violation. Augsburg was able to run the last second off the clock and snuck out of Hutton Arena with a cherished 52-49 road win.
A relieved but happy Augsburg Assistant Coach Josh Hersch didn't gloat; giving the impression that this is just a way of surviving in one of the toughest conferences in the nation in DIII. Still, the victory has to be a shot of confidence in the arm for the Auggies; winners of two straight as they set their sights on Concordia on Saturday up in Moorhead. Meanwhile, a case of the worst of scenarios for Hamline which really could have used a win on this night after coming off the loss to UST last weekend. Stockwell struggled to find words to express the disappointment of coming up just short on this night and, when I asked her how this team rebounds from this bitter pill to swallow, Assistant Coach Naomi Stohlmann said "Rebound - literally!!" as the Pipers were outrebounded on this night 42-33. And, at the same time, you couldn't help but feel badly for Bonsante who was in tears when this one ended. She had a chance to tie the game up from the free throw line and wasn't able to deliver. And hey, I've always said that if you choke, you choke and you move on. Hell, I can't count the number of times when I've dumped an easy volley into the net in late in the third set or got tight and conservative and lost a match that I should have won. It happens. She's not the first person to have that happen to her and she won't be the last one either. More importantly for Hamline, how do they recover and move forward? The road ahead is brutal with a roadie at Concordia on Saturday and a trip down the River to Winona next week Wednesday to play SMU before hosting GAC the following Saturday.
The Piper's sophomore guard Chloe Graves and Augsburg senior point guard Abbey Luger traded three-point bombs to start things off and, with the score tied at 5-all by the 18:09 mark, Luger was able to snare a steal and dash the other way for a lay-up that gave the Auggies a 7-5 advantage at the 17:57 mark. Graves, however, would strike again at the 17:45 mark with another trey from the right wing for an 8-7 Hamline lead and it appeared then that the Pipers might be in store for a hot night of shooting. But it was here that Augsburg was able to start controlling the tempo of the game with their slower, half-court offensive sets that allows them to get the ball into their "bigs" while at the same time, taking away the transition opportunities that Hamline thrives on. Beginning with freshman Bridget Bednar's score in the paint at the 17:19 mark, the Auggies embarked on a 16-6 run over the next nine minutes that changed the course of the first half. A score in the paint by junior forward Jessica Lillquist and two scores by senior point guard Abbey Luger at the 15:26 and 14:36 mark had Hamline up 15-10. Piper senior guard Jordan "Flash" Sammons tried to halt the run with her drive and floater off the glass at the 14:13 mark but a Luger jumper from the left elbow at the 13:49 mark and two free throws by junior guard Jenna Orth at the 11:22 mark re-established the five-point edge at 19-14. Lillquist finished off the run with a short shot off the glass at the 10:45 mark and got another score in the paint with 8:49 left to make it a 23-14 lead and Hamline Head Coach Kerri Stockwell; not liking the developments of this one at all, called a timeout to try and find a healing.
The Pipers came out of the timeout and started applying more defensive pressure near mid-court in the hopes of creating turnovers that would lead to easy points in transition. Sammons scored on a drive and finish with 7:56 left but the Pipers were having a tough time in half-court offensive sets and were not only struggling with their shooting but they seemingly had no answers to stopping either Bednar or Lillquist down in the paint which also opened up other scoring opportunities for Augsburg as well as the Auggies did a good job in controlling the tempo. Junior reserve guard Marie Fitzgerald drained a "3" from the top of the key with 5:50 left for a 26-17 Auggie lead and scores by both Bednar and Lillquist helped maintain that 7-9 point cushion. Augsburg was in the bonus with 1:39 left and two Bednar freebies made it a 32-23 ballgame although Hamline sophomore guard Chelsey Bonsante was able to connect with a jumper from the free throw line with 1:21 left to cut the Auggie lead down to 32-25. Luger was able to add one more point to the Augsburg first half total with a free throw with :04.4 left for a 33-25 game at the halftime break. A glance at the first half box revealed some not so good numbers for the Pipers: 10-30 from FG range for a cold 33.3% and an even icier 2-10 for 20% from three-point land. The rebounding was actually close in the first half although from watching the first half it didn't seem like it.
The Auggies appeared to be off and running again at the beginning of the second half when Bednar was able to score in the paint off of an inbounds pass that gave Augsburg its biggest lead of the evening at 35-25 but Hamline was able to find new resolve and was able to finally get their vaunted up-tempo game going. Junior guard Emily Behrman uncorked a "3" from the left corner at the 18:37 mark to start a 13-0 Piper run. Sammons finally found the range from behind the arc with her "3" from the left top area at the 17:18 mark that brought Hamline back to within four trailing 35-31. Despite the fact that freshman forward Alex Peterson got nabbed with her fourth foul at the 16:58 mark and had to sit, the Piper fun bunch kept right on running. Graves juked her Auggie opponent and then made a hard drive on the left baseline for a finish at the 16:17 mark and then Behrman was able to connect with a short jumper off the glass at the 15:32 mark that tied the score at 35-all. Two free throws by Graves and one by Sammons completed the thirteen-point odyssey to give Hamline a 38-35 lead by the 13:57 mark and it looked as if Hamline had usurped control of this one. But Augsburg avoided the urge to panic and slowly but surely righted the ship. A jumper from the top of the key just inside the arc by freshman forward Hannah Steinhaus cut the Piper lead down to 38-37 at the 12:23 mark and a free throw from Fitzgerald at the 11:49 mark tied the issue at 38 a piece. Orth was able to snare an offensive rebound for a putback at the 11:27 mark to put the Auggies back out in front 40-38 and although Hamline's Bonsante gave her team the lead back at 41-40 with her "3" from the left wing area with 9:24 left, Augsburg had to feel considerably better after withstanding that 13-0 Piper run early on in the second half.
The Auggies were able to forge a three-point 44-41 advantage with 8:12 left on scores from both Lillquist and Bednar but pairs of charity stripe shots by both Sammons and senior reserve guard Makenzie Lee gave the Pipers the lead back at 45-44 and despite the fact that Augsburg got into the bonus with 5:35 left, it looked as if Hamline might be able to find a way to grab victory from the jaws of defeat. Peterson, back on the floor with those four fouls, knocked down two freebies after getting fouled with 4:43 left to give the Pipers a 47-45 lead and a pretty floater in the lane by Sammons with 2:49 left had Hamline up again 49-47. But, unlike last year's game at Hutton Arena between these two teams where the Auggies faltered late, Augsburg found new determination - and a way to get it into their bigs to help close the deal. A score in the paint by Lillquist with 2:22 left tied the score at 49-all and two free throws by Bednar put the Auggies back out in front for good at 51-49 with 1:37 left. Augsburg got one stop on the Pipers when Luger stole the ball from Sammons' grasp with 1:24 left but the Auggies promptly turned the ball right back over to Hamline. Sammons was unable to connect on a jumper with :48 left and Lillquist was able to snare the rebound. Luger was fouled with :38 left but was only able to get the back end freebie to go down so the Pipers still had life trailing 52-49. On Hamline's ensuing possession, Graves got a look behind the arc with :23 left but her shot was short and Lillquist was there to grab the rebound and got the ball to Fitzgerald who was immediately fouled. Fitzgerald could have iced the game right then and there for Augsburg but she missed both of her free throw attempts and, once again, the Pipers had life. Hamline worked the ball carefully around the perimeter looking for someone - anyone - who might be able to get an open look. Finally, with just over a second left, Bonsante got the ball and the look she wanted behind the arc and fired away. Although her shot was off the mark, the Auggies committed a cardinal sin as Bednar caught Bonsante on the arm when she shot and the foul was called. So now; with :01 left, here was the sophomore; Bonsante, with a chance to tie it up and force overtime from the charity stripe. After a timeout, Bonsante got her first crack. No good. Still, not the end of the world and Stockwell called another timeout to adjust her team's strategy. Bonsante's second attempt - no good. Now the Pipers were seemingly out of all options save for a deliberate miss and a sliver of a hope to get an offensive rebound and putback and get fouled in the process - all within the time frame of one solitary second. After another timeout to try and prevent the inevitable, Bonsante put up a deliberate errant shot but the effort was doomed when the Pipers committed a lane violation. Augsburg was able to run the last second off the clock and snuck out of Hutton Arena with a cherished 52-49 road win.
A relieved but happy Augsburg Assistant Coach Josh Hersch didn't gloat; giving the impression that this is just a way of surviving in one of the toughest conferences in the nation in DIII. Still, the victory has to be a shot of confidence in the arm for the Auggies; winners of two straight as they set their sights on Concordia on Saturday up in Moorhead. Meanwhile, a case of the worst of scenarios for Hamline which really could have used a win on this night after coming off the loss to UST last weekend. Stockwell struggled to find words to express the disappointment of coming up just short on this night and, when I asked her how this team rebounds from this bitter pill to swallow, Assistant Coach Naomi Stohlmann said "Rebound - literally!!" as the Pipers were outrebounded on this night 42-33. And, at the same time, you couldn't help but feel badly for Bonsante who was in tears when this one ended. She had a chance to tie the game up from the free throw line and wasn't able to deliver. And hey, I've always said that if you choke, you choke and you move on. Hell, I can't count the number of times when I've dumped an easy volley into the net in late in the third set or got tight and conservative and lost a match that I should have won. It happens. She's not the first person to have that happen to her and she won't be the last one either. More importantly for Hamline, how do they recover and move forward? The road ahead is brutal with a roadie at Concordia on Saturday and a trip down the River to Winona next week Wednesday to play SMU before hosting GAC the following Saturday.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 1-18-15
Another wild week in conference play has shaken up today's power rankings.
1. UST
2. GAC
3. Bethel
4. SMU
5. Hamline
6. CSB
7. Concordia
8. St. Olaf
9. Augsburg
10. Carleton
11. St. Kate's
12. Macalester
The Tommies maintain their stranglehold at the top spot. Despite a less than stellar performance this last Wednesday night at St. Kate's, UST came back on Saturday and performed their usual demolition job with Hamline being the victim. So, while there's no doubt at the top spot, don't look now, but here come the Gusties. Here come the Gusties. Victorious in two huge games this last week, including yesterday's thriller at CSB, GAC has a firm hold on the second spot and I'm beginning to think more and more that they can hold it and make big things happen for them the rest of the way and their remaining schedule - at least to me anyway - seems to suggest just that. They're finding ways to win most of those close games and that confidence will be huge for them going into the home stretch.
After this, it gets very tricky again because, if you look at the conference standings there is a logjam for fourth place in the conference and it is a little deceiving, IMHO. Bethel gets the nod at the third spot after taking my advice from last Sunday - and getting their act together although a huge game awaits them on Wednesday night against the aforementioned GAC team that may very well be the hottest thing in the MIAC right now. SMU appears to be in good shape despite the loss of Pethke as they were able to take care of business this last week and the Cardinals follow up in the fourth spot. I can forgive the blowout loss the Pipers suffered at the hands of mighty UST but Hamline has to be careful to not let that bad taste linger too long as big roadies at both Concordia and SMU await. I'll give CSB the sixth spot despite two heartbreaking losses this last week. They're close. They're just not getting over right now. Meanwhile, up in Moorhead, Tom Petty's "Free Fallin" must be the popular tune right now as the Cobbers have gone into an utter tailspin; dropping three straight. While I can forgive the road losses at both UST and GAC, yesterday's debacle at Augsburg was a head-scratcher to say the least. And although I was laid-up with the flu this weekend; relegated to watching games online, it was evident that the Cobbers looked flat and lethargic; unable to ignite much of a spark offensively and making mistakes on defense that would make former Cobber greats roll their eyes with disgust. If Concordia is going to make a stand, they have to figure things out NOW. They have a four-game homestand over the next two weeks and they'd bloody well better make the most of it if they want to avoid being on the outside looking in.
With wins at both Augsburg and St. Kate's, the Oles have got themselves back into contention for the playoffs although a roadie to the Purple Empire awaits Wednesday night. Augsburg is still hanging in there with that win over Concordia but the road ahead is difficult to say the least: At Hamline on Wednesday night and then a home date next week Saturday with SMU.
UST vs St. Kate's Synopsis 1-14-15
Was back over at Butler Center on this Wednesday night to take in the neighborhood rivalry between UST which made the quick hop down Cleveland Avenue to take on host St. Kate's. The Tommies; coming into this contest with an unblemished 13-0 (6-0 MIAC) record were rolling right along and would be prohibitive favorites in this one against the Wildcats at 7-6 (2-4 MIAC). I have to admit I had some apprehensions coming into this game; wondering how hard it would be to write about if this indeed turned into a bloodbath that many (including me) anticipated. But, as I was to find out, this one would turn into being a much more interesting contest than anyone would have thought.
As expected, UST established an early 5-0 lead on scores by junior guard Katie Stone and senior guard Jen Dockter that had Wildcat Head Coach Sean Pinkerton shedding his sportcoat by the 17:35 mark. Junior guard Shauna Horsch got St. Kate's on the board with her lay-up at the 16:15 mark but the Tommies were able to extend their lead to 9-2 at the 14:37 mark thanks in large part to the trapping and pressing that UST employs to suffocate their opponents. Still, the 'Cats were able to find some loopholes in that seemingly infallible Tommie "D" and were also able to force some turnovers by the Tommies as well. Freshman guard Audra Clark banged home a "3" from the right top area at the 13:58 mark that shrunk the UST lead down to 9-5 and after Dockter threw an errant pass out of bounds Tommie Head Coach Ruth Sinn knew full and well that something wasn't right and called a timeout in hopes of quickly correcting the situation. But St. Kate's was intent on making life not so pleasant for the fifth-ranked team in the nation. Another Audra Clark "3"; this one from the left top area at the 12:28 mark got the 'Cats to within one trailing 9-8 before UST was able to recover somewhat as they were able to expand their lead to 13-8 by the 10:52 mark on scores in the paint by senior post Maggie Weiers and fellow senior forward Anna Smith.
St. Kate's would continue to hang around like a pesky mosquito while the Tommies were still looking for some sort of spark that might trigger a big run. Two scores from senior reserve forward Mary Neumann twice got the Wildcats to within three. Smith got one charity stripe shot for UST with 8:47 left for a 16-12 UST advantage but a lay-up by Mary Neumann with 7:29 left brought St. Kate's to wihin two trailing 16-14 and then sophomore sensation LaShay Holt, who has a knack for playing big in big games, got a lay-up in transition at the 7:07 mark that tied the issue at 16 a piece and had the Wildcat faithful full of hope. But the Tommies were in no mood for any upset loss on this night and quickly went to work to rectify the situation. Stone knocked down a "3" from the top of the key with 6:31 left and two scores by senior reserve forward Alyssa (Nothing Vanilla) Favilla - a lay-up with 6:04 left and a score in the paint with 5:24 left - made it a 23-16 ballgame. Smith got a lay-up in transition after a steal with 3:38 left and Dockter did the same with 3:11 left to complete a decisive 11-0 burst for a 27-16 lead. A jumper from the right elbow by Holt finally ended the St. Kate's drought with 2:39 left but a one-handed jumper off the glass by Dockter with 1:59 left along with a lay-up by senior guard Laura Margarit with :47.8 left and a "3" from Smith from the right wing gave UST a somewhat cozy 36-20 lead at the half.
St. Kate's; determined to not let this thing get away from them early, sought to get out on the right track once the second half got underway. Two scores by sophomore forward Mari Lee trimmed the Tommie lead down to 37-24 at the 18:01 mark and a jumper from the top by Horsch at the 16:45 mark had the 'Cats back to within eleven trailing 37-26 and Sinn, ever fearful of a letdown by her squad, called another timeout to talk about things with her team. That stoppage in play seemed to do the trick as the Tommies proceeded to go on a 7-0 burst on two scores in the paint by senior reserve forward Elaine Warner and a "3" from Dockter from the right wing area that made it a 44-26 game. At the 10:31 mark, Dockter struck again with a drive along the left baseline and finish to make it 46-27 and UST appeared to be on their way.
St. Kate's however, was not going to simply roll over and go away. An offensive rebound and putback of her own miss by freshman reserve guard Emily Neumann with 9:32 mark and a long offensive rebound and lay-up by Audra Clark with 8:17 left helped to spark some life in the 'Cats mojo. But two three-point bombs by freshman reserve point Maddie Wolkow and a drive along the left baseline and finish by Stone allowed the Tommies to maintain a relatively safe cushion at 54-32 with 7:06 left. UST would hold that twenty-plush cushion before the Wildcats were able to make some inroads late. The Clark Sisters (Audra and Meg) got scores with 4:02 and 3:31 left and then Audra connected with a lay-up with 3:01 left. Holt, still full of flair, went coast-to-coast for an easy lay-up with 2:23 left to cut the UST lead down to nineteen at 62-43. Free throws by Holt and Horsch further cut the Tommie lead down to 62-45 with 1:28 left and then Lee was able to get a lay-up with :43 left. One last coast-to-coast and lay-up dash by Holt with :04 left completed a 10-0 tear that helped cut the final margin to 62-49 and left Sinn less than pleased afterward.
I had to ask Sinn afterward if her team may have had a bit of a letdown after the big win over Concordia last Saturday at home. She wouldn't go either way on that one but was quick to agree when I said that her team simply didn't look as sharp as they had the previous weekend. She pointed out the turnovers her squad committed on this night; noting that the normal rate is ten but on this night they were guilty of sixteen boo-boos and you can bet that they'll be working hard in practice after this one. Pinkerton was quick to agree as well; adding that it was a game where both sides made a lot of mistakes. He was pleased with the effort that his team gave that helped forge a 16-16 tie with 7:07 left but admitted that they made several mistakes afterward that cost them. From a UST perspective, I suppose that one could argue that the Tommies may have come into this one with a mindset that this would be an easy win; that maybe they took St. Kate's lightly. And I wouldn't necessarily disagree with that argument. I think that, more than likely, they just had an off night and didn't come into this one with the full intensity and sense or urgency that they normally show. And that's not any slap to St. Kate's either. It's just reality. Even the best teams in the nation can have an "off" night every now and then and if you're UST, maybe this was the night to have it. Nevertheless, you can bet that Sinn will be doing a lot of talking in practice in the coming days; talking about intensity and finishing. Somewhere along the line, St. Kate's will get that lucky break and get that big win as well.
As expected, UST established an early 5-0 lead on scores by junior guard Katie Stone and senior guard Jen Dockter that had Wildcat Head Coach Sean Pinkerton shedding his sportcoat by the 17:35 mark. Junior guard Shauna Horsch got St. Kate's on the board with her lay-up at the 16:15 mark but the Tommies were able to extend their lead to 9-2 at the 14:37 mark thanks in large part to the trapping and pressing that UST employs to suffocate their opponents. Still, the 'Cats were able to find some loopholes in that seemingly infallible Tommie "D" and were also able to force some turnovers by the Tommies as well. Freshman guard Audra Clark banged home a "3" from the right top area at the 13:58 mark that shrunk the UST lead down to 9-5 and after Dockter threw an errant pass out of bounds Tommie Head Coach Ruth Sinn knew full and well that something wasn't right and called a timeout in hopes of quickly correcting the situation. But St. Kate's was intent on making life not so pleasant for the fifth-ranked team in the nation. Another Audra Clark "3"; this one from the left top area at the 12:28 mark got the 'Cats to within one trailing 9-8 before UST was able to recover somewhat as they were able to expand their lead to 13-8 by the 10:52 mark on scores in the paint by senior post Maggie Weiers and fellow senior forward Anna Smith.
St. Kate's would continue to hang around like a pesky mosquito while the Tommies were still looking for some sort of spark that might trigger a big run. Two scores from senior reserve forward Mary Neumann twice got the Wildcats to within three. Smith got one charity stripe shot for UST with 8:47 left for a 16-12 UST advantage but a lay-up by Mary Neumann with 7:29 left brought St. Kate's to wihin two trailing 16-14 and then sophomore sensation LaShay Holt, who has a knack for playing big in big games, got a lay-up in transition at the 7:07 mark that tied the issue at 16 a piece and had the Wildcat faithful full of hope. But the Tommies were in no mood for any upset loss on this night and quickly went to work to rectify the situation. Stone knocked down a "3" from the top of the key with 6:31 left and two scores by senior reserve forward Alyssa (Nothing Vanilla) Favilla - a lay-up with 6:04 left and a score in the paint with 5:24 left - made it a 23-16 ballgame. Smith got a lay-up in transition after a steal with 3:38 left and Dockter did the same with 3:11 left to complete a decisive 11-0 burst for a 27-16 lead. A jumper from the right elbow by Holt finally ended the St. Kate's drought with 2:39 left but a one-handed jumper off the glass by Dockter with 1:59 left along with a lay-up by senior guard Laura Margarit with :47.8 left and a "3" from Smith from the right wing gave UST a somewhat cozy 36-20 lead at the half.
St. Kate's; determined to not let this thing get away from them early, sought to get out on the right track once the second half got underway. Two scores by sophomore forward Mari Lee trimmed the Tommie lead down to 37-24 at the 18:01 mark and a jumper from the top by Horsch at the 16:45 mark had the 'Cats back to within eleven trailing 37-26 and Sinn, ever fearful of a letdown by her squad, called another timeout to talk about things with her team. That stoppage in play seemed to do the trick as the Tommies proceeded to go on a 7-0 burst on two scores in the paint by senior reserve forward Elaine Warner and a "3" from Dockter from the right wing area that made it a 44-26 game. At the 10:31 mark, Dockter struck again with a drive along the left baseline and finish to make it 46-27 and UST appeared to be on their way.
St. Kate's however, was not going to simply roll over and go away. An offensive rebound and putback of her own miss by freshman reserve guard Emily Neumann with 9:32 mark and a long offensive rebound and lay-up by Audra Clark with 8:17 left helped to spark some life in the 'Cats mojo. But two three-point bombs by freshman reserve point Maddie Wolkow and a drive along the left baseline and finish by Stone allowed the Tommies to maintain a relatively safe cushion at 54-32 with 7:06 left. UST would hold that twenty-plush cushion before the Wildcats were able to make some inroads late. The Clark Sisters (Audra and Meg) got scores with 4:02 and 3:31 left and then Audra connected with a lay-up with 3:01 left. Holt, still full of flair, went coast-to-coast for an easy lay-up with 2:23 left to cut the UST lead down to nineteen at 62-43. Free throws by Holt and Horsch further cut the Tommie lead down to 62-45 with 1:28 left and then Lee was able to get a lay-up with :43 left. One last coast-to-coast and lay-up dash by Holt with :04 left completed a 10-0 tear that helped cut the final margin to 62-49 and left Sinn less than pleased afterward.
I had to ask Sinn afterward if her team may have had a bit of a letdown after the big win over Concordia last Saturday at home. She wouldn't go either way on that one but was quick to agree when I said that her team simply didn't look as sharp as they had the previous weekend. She pointed out the turnovers her squad committed on this night; noting that the normal rate is ten but on this night they were guilty of sixteen boo-boos and you can bet that they'll be working hard in practice after this one. Pinkerton was quick to agree as well; adding that it was a game where both sides made a lot of mistakes. He was pleased with the effort that his team gave that helped forge a 16-16 tie with 7:07 left but admitted that they made several mistakes afterward that cost them. From a UST perspective, I suppose that one could argue that the Tommies may have come into this one with a mindset that this would be an easy win; that maybe they took St. Kate's lightly. And I wouldn't necessarily disagree with that argument. I think that, more than likely, they just had an off night and didn't come into this one with the full intensity and sense or urgency that they normally show. And that's not any slap to St. Kate's either. It's just reality. Even the best teams in the nation can have an "off" night every now and then and if you're UST, maybe this was the night to have it. Nevertheless, you can bet that Sinn will be doing a lot of talking in practice in the coming days; talking about intensity and finishing. Somewhere along the line, St. Kate's will get that lucky break and get that big win as well.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 1-11-15
Okay, someone - ANYONE - help me here. The MIAC has to be one of the craziest conferences out there and I've been struggling all morning long in deciding how things should shake out today. Everything just seems to be going kablooey all of a sudden.
1. UST
2. GAC
3. Concordia
4. SMU
5. CSB
6. (tie) Bethel & Hamline
7. Carleton
8. Augsburg
9. St. Kate's
10. St. Olaf
11. Macalester
Except at the top spot, of course, which safely belongs in the hands of mighty UST which is simply mowing down anything and everything that gets in their way and I fully expect that trend to continue. Despite the loss to SMU yesterday, I'm perfectly fine at keeping the Gusties in the number two slot but again, as I said last week, it's not a given that they'll keep it and it's going to be up to them to stay there. Despite the rough day at the office yesterday over at Anderson Athletic Center, I have to have the Cobbers in the number three position as they easily took care of Macalester on the road and dumped Bethel back home in Moorhead.
After those three, though, it gets very tricky. I put the Cardinals into the number four spot by virtue of their big win at home over GAC yesterday. SMU needed that win badly after having been upset on the road earlier in the week at St. Olaf. Now the question becomes can the Cardinals sustain that momentum given the injury to starting point guard Bridget Pethke yesterday? We won't know that for sure just yet but I am keeping my fingers crossed for a full and swift recovery for Pethke. In addition to the win over Bethel at home last Saturday, CSB went into Hutton Arena on Wednesday night and shocked everybody by thumping a very good Hamline team and followed that up with a home win over Carleton yesterday. They travel to Winona this coming Wednesday night for a HUGE game with said SMU team. Bethel had bloody well better get their act together - like ahora. After the long ride back this last Wednesday from Moorhead after getting thumped by the Cobbers, they had to scratch and claw to get by Augsburg yesterday. For a team that had so many high hopes and so many things going for them; including a favorable schedule, this is not a positive development. I still have faith in the Pipers despite the loss to CSB and yesterday's demolition of St. Olaf down in Northfield reaffirms that faith. They go down to Northfield again this coming Wednesday night for a huge game at Carleton. And, speaking of the Knights, are they for real or not? I'm not sure what to think here at the moment but I'm guessing that they'll falter sooner rather than later. And now, I'm having huge concerns about Augsburg as they seem to be faltering as well and the road ahead looks rough at best for them. Finally, is there a more baffling team than St. Olaf? Lose a heartbreaker to GAC in overtime at home last Saturday. Then somehow pull off a Houdini act on Betsey Daly's last-second lay-up to upset SMU at home on Wednesday night. Then just get pummeled by Hamline in the comfortable confines of Skoglund Center yesterday?
Well, there you have it. Fire away with any thoughts if you have them.
1. UST
2. GAC
3. Concordia
4. SMU
5. CSB
6. (tie) Bethel & Hamline
7. Carleton
8. Augsburg
9. St. Kate's
10. St. Olaf
11. Macalester
Except at the top spot, of course, which safely belongs in the hands of mighty UST which is simply mowing down anything and everything that gets in their way and I fully expect that trend to continue. Despite the loss to SMU yesterday, I'm perfectly fine at keeping the Gusties in the number two slot but again, as I said last week, it's not a given that they'll keep it and it's going to be up to them to stay there. Despite the rough day at the office yesterday over at Anderson Athletic Center, I have to have the Cobbers in the number three position as they easily took care of Macalester on the road and dumped Bethel back home in Moorhead.
After those three, though, it gets very tricky. I put the Cardinals into the number four spot by virtue of their big win at home over GAC yesterday. SMU needed that win badly after having been upset on the road earlier in the week at St. Olaf. Now the question becomes can the Cardinals sustain that momentum given the injury to starting point guard Bridget Pethke yesterday? We won't know that for sure just yet but I am keeping my fingers crossed for a full and swift recovery for Pethke. In addition to the win over Bethel at home last Saturday, CSB went into Hutton Arena on Wednesday night and shocked everybody by thumping a very good Hamline team and followed that up with a home win over Carleton yesterday. They travel to Winona this coming Wednesday night for a HUGE game with said SMU team. Bethel had bloody well better get their act together - like ahora. After the long ride back this last Wednesday from Moorhead after getting thumped by the Cobbers, they had to scratch and claw to get by Augsburg yesterday. For a team that had so many high hopes and so many things going for them; including a favorable schedule, this is not a positive development. I still have faith in the Pipers despite the loss to CSB and yesterday's demolition of St. Olaf down in Northfield reaffirms that faith. They go down to Northfield again this coming Wednesday night for a huge game at Carleton. And, speaking of the Knights, are they for real or not? I'm not sure what to think here at the moment but I'm guessing that they'll falter sooner rather than later. And now, I'm having huge concerns about Augsburg as they seem to be faltering as well and the road ahead looks rough at best for them. Finally, is there a more baffling team than St. Olaf? Lose a heartbreaker to GAC in overtime at home last Saturday. Then somehow pull off a Houdini act on Betsey Daly's last-second lay-up to upset SMU at home on Wednesday night. Then just get pummeled by Hamline in the comfortable confines of Skoglund Center yesterday?
Well, there you have it. Fire away with any thoughts if you have them.
Macalester vs St. Kate's Synopsis 1-10-15
After getting out of UST's Anderson Athletic Center, I got onto Cleveland Avenue and made the quick run down to St. Kate's Butler Center and got settled in at the 14:16 mark of the first half with St. Kate's up on Macalester by a score of 14-11.
When I got settled in it appeared as if the Wildcats were getting the upper hand in this one but looks can be deceiving; especially early on in a contest as Macalester proceeded to go on a 9-0 tear that completely changed the complexion of this one. Two free throws by freshman reserve post Regan Fruh at the 13:43 mark and a score in the paint by sophomore forward Park Masterson at the 13:03 mark put the Scots out in front 15-14. Junior guard Erin Murray uncorked a "3" from the left top area at the 11:05 mark and freshman guard Vivi Gregorich connected with a lay-up at the 10:19 mark as Macalester established a 20-14 advantage.
St. Kate's Head Coach Sean Pinkerton; who had shed his familiar sportcoat by the time I had arrived, could have been inclined to hit the panic button right then and there but decided to stay the course and let his squad battle through it. Wildcat freshman guard Audra Clark put down two free throws with 9:52 left and then junior guard Shauna Horsch; enroute to a big performance on this day, knocked down a "3" from the left corner with 8:36 left that brought St. Kate's back to within three trailing 22-19 and a free throw by sophomore sensation guard/forward LaShay Holt got the 'Cats to within two trailing 22-20 with 8:21 left. The Scots would maintain that slim two-point advantage until Horsch snared a steal and dashed the other way for a lay-up with 6:56 left that tied the issue at 24-all. But Macalester was in no mood to panic either and they were able to re-establish the lead. A short jumper by sophomore reserve post Karen Rathjens with 6:43 left and a "3" from the top of the key by junior guard Katelyn Kack had Macalester up by five at 29-24 and a steal by Murray and lay-up the other way by the Sparta, Wisconsin product maintained the five-point cushion at 31-26 with 5:08 left. Now it was St. Kate's turn to battle back. Audra Clark connected with a lay-up with 4:47 left to trim the deficit to three and two charity stripe shots by Horsch brought the Wildcats to within one with 4:34 left. Audra Clark then connected with a lay-up and got fouled in the process and the ensuing freebie put St. Kate's back out in front 33-31with 3:58 left. Macalester would regain the lead again as sophomore reserve guard Lauren Clamage knocked down a "3" from the right top area with 3:29 left and added a free throw with 1:52 left to make it a 35-33 game in favor of the Scots. The Wildcats would tie the game at 35-all on senior reserve forward Mary Neumann's score in the paint with 1:32 left and get one last lead in the first half at 37-36 on a jumper from the right wing by Horsch but an offensive rebound and putback by Fruh with :23 left allowed the Scots to take a 38-37 lead into the locker room at the half.
Things would stay tight in the opening minutes of the second half as neither side could immediately gain any noticeable advantage. A score in the paint by Fruh at the 18:20 mark and a lay-up in transition by Clamage at the 16:56 mark had Macalester up 42-39 but Wildcat sophomore forward Mari Lee was able muscle into the paint for a score and got fouled in the process to tie the issue again at 42 a piece. Holt connected on one of her patented two-handed trey attempts at the 15:46 mark to put St. Kate's up 45-44 but Horsch got tagged with her third foul a short time later so there was no reason for the Wildcat faithful to feel too confident about anything yet. Scot sophomore reserve guard Grace Dickman gave her team one last lead at 46-45 at the 14:35 mark when she connected with a jumper from the free throw line so, at least for the moment anyway, things were still very much up in the air.
But, as much as St. Kate's had been struggling over the last four games and the fact that they were looking for their first win in the new year, the Wildcats finally were able to find some spark and found a way to will themselves to victory. And it would be Horsch who would be leading the way. First, however, it was Mary Neumann lighting the fire as she drained a "3" from the left top area at the 13:42 mark and connected with a lay-up at the 12:13 mark to put St. Kate's up 50-46. Another Mary Neumann trey - this one from the top of the key at the 11:38 mark - made it a 53-46 game. Masterson's jumper from the right elbow at the 11:06 mark briefly brought Macalester back to within five but then Horsch connected with a lay-up that re-established the seven-point lead and then the former Simley High product let loose with another "3"; this one from the right top area with 9:46 left made it a 58-48 ballgame and Scot Head Coach Kelly Roysland had seen enough to know that a timeout was warranted. That stoppage initially appeared to benefit Macalester as the clawed their way back to within six on scores by both Masterson and Dickman but Horsch was intent on setting the St. Kate's net on fire with her fabulous performance as she drained another "3" from the top of the key with 8:34 left for a nine-point 61-52 lead. Holt would add a lay-up with 7:07 left and then Horsch reigned terror again from behind the arc as she dropped yet another "3" - this one from the right wing area with 5:30 left that established a 67-52 lead that was, for all intents and purposes, the ball game. Two lay-ups by Holt gave the Wildcats a 71-52 lead with 4:01 left and Macalester could only make small dents into the cushion from then on. Holt was able to snare an offensive rebound for a putback with 1:43 left and Audra Clark made one free throw for icing on the cake and a 74-59 St. Kate's victory.
Pinkerton wasn't willing to say afterward that this was necessarily a "breakout" performance by Horsch who finished with 24 points which included five three-pointers. In my mind, though, this performance should be a shot of confidence in the arm to the Wildcats who normally have to rely on
Holt's heroics in most games. Now opponents will have more to focus on in preparing for St. Kate's which, presumably anyway, will open up more opportunities for Holt to shine as well. For a program that has struggled as of late, this is definitely good to see. Meanwhile, the struggles continue for the Scots who are riding an 8-game losing skid. But that won't deter Roysland and her staff from continuing to work hard and improve each day. They may not be the most talented team out there but they certainly don't beat themselves and they are very well-coached. It's only a matter of time before Roysland has this squad on an upward swing and don't be surprised if they beat somebody down the road that they're not supposed to beat.
When I got settled in it appeared as if the Wildcats were getting the upper hand in this one but looks can be deceiving; especially early on in a contest as Macalester proceeded to go on a 9-0 tear that completely changed the complexion of this one. Two free throws by freshman reserve post Regan Fruh at the 13:43 mark and a score in the paint by sophomore forward Park Masterson at the 13:03 mark put the Scots out in front 15-14. Junior guard Erin Murray uncorked a "3" from the left top area at the 11:05 mark and freshman guard Vivi Gregorich connected with a lay-up at the 10:19 mark as Macalester established a 20-14 advantage.
St. Kate's Head Coach Sean Pinkerton; who had shed his familiar sportcoat by the time I had arrived, could have been inclined to hit the panic button right then and there but decided to stay the course and let his squad battle through it. Wildcat freshman guard Audra Clark put down two free throws with 9:52 left and then junior guard Shauna Horsch; enroute to a big performance on this day, knocked down a "3" from the left corner with 8:36 left that brought St. Kate's back to within three trailing 22-19 and a free throw by sophomore sensation guard/forward LaShay Holt got the 'Cats to within two trailing 22-20 with 8:21 left. The Scots would maintain that slim two-point advantage until Horsch snared a steal and dashed the other way for a lay-up with 6:56 left that tied the issue at 24-all. But Macalester was in no mood to panic either and they were able to re-establish the lead. A short jumper by sophomore reserve post Karen Rathjens with 6:43 left and a "3" from the top of the key by junior guard Katelyn Kack had Macalester up by five at 29-24 and a steal by Murray and lay-up the other way by the Sparta, Wisconsin product maintained the five-point cushion at 31-26 with 5:08 left. Now it was St. Kate's turn to battle back. Audra Clark connected with a lay-up with 4:47 left to trim the deficit to three and two charity stripe shots by Horsch brought the Wildcats to within one with 4:34 left. Audra Clark then connected with a lay-up and got fouled in the process and the ensuing freebie put St. Kate's back out in front 33-31with 3:58 left. Macalester would regain the lead again as sophomore reserve guard Lauren Clamage knocked down a "3" from the right top area with 3:29 left and added a free throw with 1:52 left to make it a 35-33 game in favor of the Scots. The Wildcats would tie the game at 35-all on senior reserve forward Mary Neumann's score in the paint with 1:32 left and get one last lead in the first half at 37-36 on a jumper from the right wing by Horsch but an offensive rebound and putback by Fruh with :23 left allowed the Scots to take a 38-37 lead into the locker room at the half.
Things would stay tight in the opening minutes of the second half as neither side could immediately gain any noticeable advantage. A score in the paint by Fruh at the 18:20 mark and a lay-up in transition by Clamage at the 16:56 mark had Macalester up 42-39 but Wildcat sophomore forward Mari Lee was able muscle into the paint for a score and got fouled in the process to tie the issue again at 42 a piece. Holt connected on one of her patented two-handed trey attempts at the 15:46 mark to put St. Kate's up 45-44 but Horsch got tagged with her third foul a short time later so there was no reason for the Wildcat faithful to feel too confident about anything yet. Scot sophomore reserve guard Grace Dickman gave her team one last lead at 46-45 at the 14:35 mark when she connected with a jumper from the free throw line so, at least for the moment anyway, things were still very much up in the air.
But, as much as St. Kate's had been struggling over the last four games and the fact that they were looking for their first win in the new year, the Wildcats finally were able to find some spark and found a way to will themselves to victory. And it would be Horsch who would be leading the way. First, however, it was Mary Neumann lighting the fire as she drained a "3" from the left top area at the 13:42 mark and connected with a lay-up at the 12:13 mark to put St. Kate's up 50-46. Another Mary Neumann trey - this one from the top of the key at the 11:38 mark - made it a 53-46 game. Masterson's jumper from the right elbow at the 11:06 mark briefly brought Macalester back to within five but then Horsch connected with a lay-up that re-established the seven-point lead and then the former Simley High product let loose with another "3"; this one from the right top area with 9:46 left made it a 58-48 ballgame and Scot Head Coach Kelly Roysland had seen enough to know that a timeout was warranted. That stoppage initially appeared to benefit Macalester as the clawed their way back to within six on scores by both Masterson and Dickman but Horsch was intent on setting the St. Kate's net on fire with her fabulous performance as she drained another "3" from the top of the key with 8:34 left for a nine-point 61-52 lead. Holt would add a lay-up with 7:07 left and then Horsch reigned terror again from behind the arc as she dropped yet another "3" - this one from the right wing area with 5:30 left that established a 67-52 lead that was, for all intents and purposes, the ball game. Two lay-ups by Holt gave the Wildcats a 71-52 lead with 4:01 left and Macalester could only make small dents into the cushion from then on. Holt was able to snare an offensive rebound for a putback with 1:43 left and Audra Clark made one free throw for icing on the cake and a 74-59 St. Kate's victory.
Pinkerton wasn't willing to say afterward that this was necessarily a "breakout" performance by Horsch who finished with 24 points which included five three-pointers. In my mind, though, this performance should be a shot of confidence in the arm to the Wildcats who normally have to rely on
Holt's heroics in most games. Now opponents will have more to focus on in preparing for St. Kate's which, presumably anyway, will open up more opportunities for Holt to shine as well. For a program that has struggled as of late, this is definitely good to see. Meanwhile, the struggles continue for the Scots who are riding an 8-game losing skid. But that won't deter Roysland and her staff from continuing to work hard and improve each day. They may not be the most talented team out there but they certainly don't beat themselves and they are very well-coached. It's only a matter of time before Roysland has this squad on an upward swing and don't be surprised if they beat somebody down the road that they're not supposed to beat.
Concordia vs UST 1-10-15
Made my way over to UST's Anderson Athletic Center on this cold, overcast January Saturday to take in the highly-anticipated contest between visiting Concordia and host UST. The Cobbers were coming into this game on a bit of a roll; with three straight wins including big home wins over both SMU and Bethel while the Tommies have been in the process of setting the world ablaze with an unblemished record and, save for a late November contest against UW-Stevens Point, haven't really been seriously challenged in any game so far. Still, Concordia has always managed to play UST tough, particularly in the Tommies own crib and you had to think that if a sliver of a chance existed for the Cobbers, today might be it.
That typically stingy Tommie defense made life absolutely miserable for Concordia in the games first six minutes; completely stuffing the Cobbers with any offensive foray they dared to try and forcing several turnovers that led to easy UST points. After the Tommies had established a 5-0 lead on a score in the paint by senior guard Laura Margarit plus a short shot off the glass by senior post Maggie Weiers and one Weiers free throw by the 17:15 mark, senior forward Anna Smith came out of nowhere like a thief in the night to steal a Concordia inbounds pass and dash the other way for a lay-up at the 16:45 mark. Weiers connected with a short shot off the glass at the 16:18 mark and then junior guard Katie Stone connected with a lay-up at the 15:27 mark and then drained a "3" from the left corner at the 14:38 mark for a 14-2 UST lead and Cobber Head Coach Jessica Rahman knew full and well that she needed a timeout for her team to get them settled down. Concordia was finally able to settle down a bit as senior forward Erin Januschka was able to get into the paint for a score but they still could make any inroads on the deficit just yet as Tommie senior point guard Jen (Is there a doctor in the house?) Dockter drained a "3" from the top of the key at the 12:35 mark for a 17-4 UST lead.
The Tommies looked as if they were in prime position to blow out yet another opponent from the get-go but one thing you must remember about Concordia is that they are incredibly well-coached thanks to Rahman and they can be very resourceful when the chips are down. And the Cobbers proceeded to right the ship when things looked bleak. Senior guard Alley Fisher connected with a jumper in the lane at the 10:42 mark and then knocked down two freebies with 8:51 left to get the deficit back into single-digit range trailing 17-8. A score in the paint by Tommie senior reserve forward Elaine Warner with 8:17 left and a "3" from the top of the key by Stone with 7:42 left upped the lead to double-digits again at 22-8 but Concordia went right back to work. Sophomore guard Greta Walsh drilled a "3" from the right corner with 6:58 left and junior forward Olivia Johnson; wearing that makeshift cast on her left wrist, banged home a "3" from the left top area with 6:12 left that got the Cobbers back to within single digits trailing 22-14. Two Johnson free throws with 5:32 left and a "3" by sophomore reserve guard Emma Peterson from the right top area with 4:37 left suddenly brought Concordia to within five trailing 24-19. Much to the chagrin of UST Head Coach Ruth Sinn, the Cobbers got into the bonus with just over four minutes left and then sophomore reserve forward Mikayla Forness connected with a lay-up and got fouled in the process and the obligatory free throw now brought Concordia to within two trailing 25-23. With 2:23 left, junior guard Hannah Jeske tied the score at 25-all with her offensive rebound and putback and Sinn had seen enough to know she needed to burn a timeout to talk to her squad. That break in the action helped offset that 17-3 Cobber burst as the Tommies went on a 6-0 run to end the first half. Dockter got into the paint for a score with 1:55 left and then lanky sophomore reserve post Kaitlin Langer scored in the paint as well with :56 left. With :23.9 left, Warner connected with a lay-up that gave UST their 31-25 lead at the half but, all things considered, Concordia was in far better shape at this point than what they were in in the first few minutes. Now the question would be if they could stay close and pull off the upset as they had a year ago.
The Cobbers definitely got off on a high note once the second half got underway as Jeske; not necessarily known for her three-point prowess, drained one from the left corner after UST made the mistake of leaving her wide open at the 18:26 mark that brought Concordia back to within three trailing 31-28. A score in the paint by Erin Januschka at the 16:43 mark kept the Cobbers within that three-point range trailing 33-30 but just when you thought that maybe things might start go going Concordia's way in this one, the wheels suddenly came off and the Tommies were more than happy to pounce on the opportunity. Weiers scored in the paint and got fouled in the process and her freebie pushed the lead back to six at 36-30 at the 16:31 mark. Lefty senior reserve guard Hannah Hughes uncorked a "3" from the left corner at the 14:41 mark and a lay-up by Weiers at the 13:40 mark now had UST back up by nine and Rahman, sensing things were suddenly slipping away for her Cobbers, called a timeout to try and stop this Tommie onslaught. But UST showed no signs of slowing down. Two quick scores in the paint by Weiers at the 12:03 and 11:45 marks along with another "3" from the southpaw Hughes at the 10:57 mark now had the Tommies up by fourteen at 48-34 and, to make matters worse for Concordia, Erin Januschka got saddled with her third foul at the 10:21 mark and Rahman had no choice but to burn yet another timeout to try and keep the Cobber ark from sinking.
But things just seemed to go from bad to worse for Concordia as UST was starting to cruise. Langer connected with a lay-up with 8:42 left and then Smith drained a "3" from the right corner with 7:22 left for a 53-34 Tommie advantage. With 6:08 left, the Cobbers let Smith have another look from behind the arc at the right wing area and she took full advantage of the situation to drill another one for a twenty-point cushion at 56-36. The Tommies would maintain this cushion down the stretch and extinguish any hope Concordia may have had of a miracle comeback on this day. Stone connected with a jumper along the left baseline with 3:52 left and another Weiers score in the paint with 3:20 left and a Dockter lay-up with 2:38 left had UST safely up 66-45. Lay-ups by Hughes and Dockter with 1:18 and :34.3 left respectively put the finishing touches on as the Tommies exorcised last year's demons at home against the Cobbers and recorded an easy 74-48 victory.
A disappointed Rahman afterward had to praise the adjustments that UST made at halftime that seemed to shut down her squad offensively for much of the second half. At the same time, she wasn't willing to let this one keep her or her squad from going back to work and fixing things that need to get fixed. "We had some stretches where we played very well defensively and had some stretches where we didn't" she lamented. Sinn meanwhile was very pleased with the victory although as expected, she had to make that halftime speech to her squad about the fouling issue. "We still foul too much!" she said and you can bet the Tommies will be hearing about that in practice this next week. I asked her what this win means in terms of going forward. "We just have to keep getting better and stay healthy" she quickly replied. She really emphasized the "staying healthy" issue and rightfully so as injuries likely played a big part in UST's eventual demise in the NCAA Tournament the last couple of seasons. You have to think that, with the way they're playing now that the sky is the limit for this squad and if they stay healthy, they very well might be the best team out there in DIII.
That typically stingy Tommie defense made life absolutely miserable for Concordia in the games first six minutes; completely stuffing the Cobbers with any offensive foray they dared to try and forcing several turnovers that led to easy UST points. After the Tommies had established a 5-0 lead on a score in the paint by senior guard Laura Margarit plus a short shot off the glass by senior post Maggie Weiers and one Weiers free throw by the 17:15 mark, senior forward Anna Smith came out of nowhere like a thief in the night to steal a Concordia inbounds pass and dash the other way for a lay-up at the 16:45 mark. Weiers connected with a short shot off the glass at the 16:18 mark and then junior guard Katie Stone connected with a lay-up at the 15:27 mark and then drained a "3" from the left corner at the 14:38 mark for a 14-2 UST lead and Cobber Head Coach Jessica Rahman knew full and well that she needed a timeout for her team to get them settled down. Concordia was finally able to settle down a bit as senior forward Erin Januschka was able to get into the paint for a score but they still could make any inroads on the deficit just yet as Tommie senior point guard Jen (Is there a doctor in the house?) Dockter drained a "3" from the top of the key at the 12:35 mark for a 17-4 UST lead.
The Tommies looked as if they were in prime position to blow out yet another opponent from the get-go but one thing you must remember about Concordia is that they are incredibly well-coached thanks to Rahman and they can be very resourceful when the chips are down. And the Cobbers proceeded to right the ship when things looked bleak. Senior guard Alley Fisher connected with a jumper in the lane at the 10:42 mark and then knocked down two freebies with 8:51 left to get the deficit back into single-digit range trailing 17-8. A score in the paint by Tommie senior reserve forward Elaine Warner with 8:17 left and a "3" from the top of the key by Stone with 7:42 left upped the lead to double-digits again at 22-8 but Concordia went right back to work. Sophomore guard Greta Walsh drilled a "3" from the right corner with 6:58 left and junior forward Olivia Johnson; wearing that makeshift cast on her left wrist, banged home a "3" from the left top area with 6:12 left that got the Cobbers back to within single digits trailing 22-14. Two Johnson free throws with 5:32 left and a "3" by sophomore reserve guard Emma Peterson from the right top area with 4:37 left suddenly brought Concordia to within five trailing 24-19. Much to the chagrin of UST Head Coach Ruth Sinn, the Cobbers got into the bonus with just over four minutes left and then sophomore reserve forward Mikayla Forness connected with a lay-up and got fouled in the process and the obligatory free throw now brought Concordia to within two trailing 25-23. With 2:23 left, junior guard Hannah Jeske tied the score at 25-all with her offensive rebound and putback and Sinn had seen enough to know she needed to burn a timeout to talk to her squad. That break in the action helped offset that 17-3 Cobber burst as the Tommies went on a 6-0 run to end the first half. Dockter got into the paint for a score with 1:55 left and then lanky sophomore reserve post Kaitlin Langer scored in the paint as well with :56 left. With :23.9 left, Warner connected with a lay-up that gave UST their 31-25 lead at the half but, all things considered, Concordia was in far better shape at this point than what they were in in the first few minutes. Now the question would be if they could stay close and pull off the upset as they had a year ago.
The Cobbers definitely got off on a high note once the second half got underway as Jeske; not necessarily known for her three-point prowess, drained one from the left corner after UST made the mistake of leaving her wide open at the 18:26 mark that brought Concordia back to within three trailing 31-28. A score in the paint by Erin Januschka at the 16:43 mark kept the Cobbers within that three-point range trailing 33-30 but just when you thought that maybe things might start go going Concordia's way in this one, the wheels suddenly came off and the Tommies were more than happy to pounce on the opportunity. Weiers scored in the paint and got fouled in the process and her freebie pushed the lead back to six at 36-30 at the 16:31 mark. Lefty senior reserve guard Hannah Hughes uncorked a "3" from the left corner at the 14:41 mark and a lay-up by Weiers at the 13:40 mark now had UST back up by nine and Rahman, sensing things were suddenly slipping away for her Cobbers, called a timeout to try and stop this Tommie onslaught. But UST showed no signs of slowing down. Two quick scores in the paint by Weiers at the 12:03 and 11:45 marks along with another "3" from the southpaw Hughes at the 10:57 mark now had the Tommies up by fourteen at 48-34 and, to make matters worse for Concordia, Erin Januschka got saddled with her third foul at the 10:21 mark and Rahman had no choice but to burn yet another timeout to try and keep the Cobber ark from sinking.
But things just seemed to go from bad to worse for Concordia as UST was starting to cruise. Langer connected with a lay-up with 8:42 left and then Smith drained a "3" from the right corner with 7:22 left for a 53-34 Tommie advantage. With 6:08 left, the Cobbers let Smith have another look from behind the arc at the right wing area and she took full advantage of the situation to drill another one for a twenty-point cushion at 56-36. The Tommies would maintain this cushion down the stretch and extinguish any hope Concordia may have had of a miracle comeback on this day. Stone connected with a jumper along the left baseline with 3:52 left and another Weiers score in the paint with 3:20 left and a Dockter lay-up with 2:38 left had UST safely up 66-45. Lay-ups by Hughes and Dockter with 1:18 and :34.3 left respectively put the finishing touches on as the Tommies exorcised last year's demons at home against the Cobbers and recorded an easy 74-48 victory.
A disappointed Rahman afterward had to praise the adjustments that UST made at halftime that seemed to shut down her squad offensively for much of the second half. At the same time, she wasn't willing to let this one keep her or her squad from going back to work and fixing things that need to get fixed. "We had some stretches where we played very well defensively and had some stretches where we didn't" she lamented. Sinn meanwhile was very pleased with the victory although as expected, she had to make that halftime speech to her squad about the fouling issue. "We still foul too much!" she said and you can bet the Tommies will be hearing about that in practice this next week. I asked her what this win means in terms of going forward. "We just have to keep getting better and stay healthy" she quickly replied. She really emphasized the "staying healthy" issue and rightfully so as injuries likely played a big part in UST's eventual demise in the NCAA Tournament the last couple of seasons. You have to think that, with the way they're playing now that the sky is the limit for this squad and if they stay healthy, they very well might be the best team out there in DIII.
GAC vs Augsburg Synopsis 1-7-15
Made my way over to Augsburg's Si Melby Hall on this frigid Wednesday evening to take in the contest between visiting Gustavus Adolphus and host Augsburg. The Auggies opened up 2015 on a positive note; thumping St. Kate's last Saturday at Butler Center while the Gusties were coming in on a five-game winning streak and were looking to keep that streak going as they had escaped a tricky St. Olaf team down in Northfield last Saturday in overtime.
With the score tied at 4-all at the 18:39 mark, the Gusties made their first big move of the night as freshman point guard Mikayla Miller connected on a lay-up at the 18:27 mark and freshman forward Miranda Rice maneuvered into the paint for a score at the 17:52 mark for an 8-4 GAC lead. The Auggies were able to cut the deficit to 8-6 at the 17:24 mark on a score in the paint by junior forward Jessica Lillquist but a short jumper off an inbounds pass by Miller at the 16:30 mark and a an offensive rebound and putback by sophomore guard/forward Hannah Howard of a missed Rice lay-up in transition made it a 12-6 game by the 16:11 mark and Augsburg Head Coach Bill McKee; not liking how things were developing, called a timeout to try and make adjustments. But the Gusties were just getting started and embarked on a 9-0 push over the next four minutes that had Augsburg behind the 8-ball much quicker than anyone in Si Melby Hall had anticipated. A "3" from lanky 6'0" junior forward Lindsay Johnson from the top of the key at the 15:29 mark and two scores in the paint by the young phenom Miller helped propel GAC to a 21-6 lead by the 12:07 mark. A score in the paint by Howard at the 10:19 mark and a jumper by Johnson from the right wing area with 9:37 left made it 25-8 and the Gustie Express was rolling.
Augsburg tried to make inroads on the deficit as freshman Bridget Bednar connected with a lay-up with 9:14 left and junior reserve guard Destiny Scott was able to knock down a jumper from the right elbow with 8:08 left but the Auggies could never seem to get a sustained threat going on this night. Up 26-12, GAC went on an 8-2 run highlighted by another Johnson jumper - this one from the left wing area with 7:48 left and a jumper along the left baseline by senior guard Maddie Ehrich with 6:37 left that had the Gusties up by twenty at 34-14. Auggie senior point guard Abbey Luger tried to counter with a "3" from the left wing area with 4:25 left and Bednar was able to add a score in the paint with 3:46 left but a 6-0 push by the Gusties gave them an even bigger cushion. Rice scored in the paint with 3:29 left and Ehrich connected with a running jumper from the left baseline with 2:21 left. One free throw by freshman guard Siri Sviggum with 2:01 left and a lay-up by sophomore reserve guard Kelsey Carpenter with :57.6 left completed this first half explosion by GAC as they took a commanding 43-20 lead into the locker room at the half.
Augsburg needed something - anything - to get a spark for some positive vibe and maybe grab some momentum once the second half got underway and a "3" from the left top area by Luger at the 19:43 mark and a lay-up in transition by the former North St. Paul standout at the 18:59 mark did give the home crowd some reason for optimism as the Gustie lead was trimmed to 43-25. Junior guard Jenna Orth made good on a lay-up in transition at the 16:32 mark and then Luger uncorked another three-point bomb from the left wing area at the 15:59 mark that had GAC's lead down to 49-30 and Gustie Head Coach Laurie Kelly; not at all pleased with her team's defensive effort early on in this second half, called a quick timeout to discuss things with her squad. Whatever her message was during that session resonated with the Gusties as they got quickly got their act together and once again assumed control of the game - this time for good. Free throws by Howard sandwiched a jumper from the right elbow area by Johnson that gave GAC a 53-30 advantage by the 14:07 mark. Ehrich knocked down a jumper along the left baseline at the 12:36 mark and then the wily freshman Miller snared an offensive rebound of her own miss at the 12:01 mark that upped the Gustie lead to 57-32. Reserve sophomore post Emmaline Crawford got into the paint for a score at the 11:10 mark and one freebie by Howard at the 10:47 mark made it a 60-34 game and the rout was officially on.
For the first time in Kelly's tenure in St. Peter, the Gusties were looking like an offensive powerhouse that also has the ability to play some defense as well and they put the clamps on Augsburg the rest of the way. Johnson connected with a jumper along the left baseline with 9:25 left to make it a 62-36 game and some of the frustrations that the Auggies had spilled over when Howard was sent to the line with 8:28 left on a flagrant foul where she knocked down both shots. The lead expanded to thirty at 68-38 with 8:02 left when Rice connected with a jumper from the right elbow. Kelly was able to gradually get her bench players into action with the cushion now in place and they were able to get their names into the book with scores as well. Sviggum knocked down two charity stripe shots with 4:50 left and freshman reserve post Stephanie Klockmann snared an offensive rebound for a putback with 3:50 left to make it 75-44. Junior reserve forward Julie Sohre knocked down a jumper from the left elbow with 3:15 left and sophomore reserve guard Anne Odegard scored on a jumper from the same area with 2:33 left. Junior reserve forward Kelle Nett dropped two shots from the charity stripe with 1:25 left and an Odegard lay-up with :21 left put the finishing touches on a resounding 83-49 Gustie triumph.
I couldn't resist asking GAC Assistant Coach Dan Wolfe afterward if he felt that this squad had finally "arrived". He responded with a resounding "No!" He spoke of the team's youth and the improvements that still need to be made and his number one hope was to ensure "that we're good enough to be a playoff team." I think the Gusties are well on their way to that goal but I can also understand a coach's desire to just see continual improvement and to never be satisfied. Kelly, too, was reluctant to feel too good about things. She stressed that there's still a lot of things that her squad needs to work on defensively wrt switching and helping out (hence, that early timeout in the second half). She talked about the game at home with Hamline back in December where they had a sizable lead at the half only to have to hold on for dear life in the second half to get the win. She wanted to see a better defensive effort in the second half with this game tonight and, for the most part, she got it. From the second time watching this team so far this season, I really like what I see and this team is much, much better than the first two teams Kelly fielded and, in her third year at the helm, she now has the players that fit into her system and this young core of players she has now has to make you think that the future is indeed very bright for GAC.
With the score tied at 4-all at the 18:39 mark, the Gusties made their first big move of the night as freshman point guard Mikayla Miller connected on a lay-up at the 18:27 mark and freshman forward Miranda Rice maneuvered into the paint for a score at the 17:52 mark for an 8-4 GAC lead. The Auggies were able to cut the deficit to 8-6 at the 17:24 mark on a score in the paint by junior forward Jessica Lillquist but a short jumper off an inbounds pass by Miller at the 16:30 mark and a an offensive rebound and putback by sophomore guard/forward Hannah Howard of a missed Rice lay-up in transition made it a 12-6 game by the 16:11 mark and Augsburg Head Coach Bill McKee; not liking how things were developing, called a timeout to try and make adjustments. But the Gusties were just getting started and embarked on a 9-0 push over the next four minutes that had Augsburg behind the 8-ball much quicker than anyone in Si Melby Hall had anticipated. A "3" from lanky 6'0" junior forward Lindsay Johnson from the top of the key at the 15:29 mark and two scores in the paint by the young phenom Miller helped propel GAC to a 21-6 lead by the 12:07 mark. A score in the paint by Howard at the 10:19 mark and a jumper by Johnson from the right wing area with 9:37 left made it 25-8 and the Gustie Express was rolling.
Augsburg tried to make inroads on the deficit as freshman Bridget Bednar connected with a lay-up with 9:14 left and junior reserve guard Destiny Scott was able to knock down a jumper from the right elbow with 8:08 left but the Auggies could never seem to get a sustained threat going on this night. Up 26-12, GAC went on an 8-2 run highlighted by another Johnson jumper - this one from the left wing area with 7:48 left and a jumper along the left baseline by senior guard Maddie Ehrich with 6:37 left that had the Gusties up by twenty at 34-14. Auggie senior point guard Abbey Luger tried to counter with a "3" from the left wing area with 4:25 left and Bednar was able to add a score in the paint with 3:46 left but a 6-0 push by the Gusties gave them an even bigger cushion. Rice scored in the paint with 3:29 left and Ehrich connected with a running jumper from the left baseline with 2:21 left. One free throw by freshman guard Siri Sviggum with 2:01 left and a lay-up by sophomore reserve guard Kelsey Carpenter with :57.6 left completed this first half explosion by GAC as they took a commanding 43-20 lead into the locker room at the half.
Augsburg needed something - anything - to get a spark for some positive vibe and maybe grab some momentum once the second half got underway and a "3" from the left top area by Luger at the 19:43 mark and a lay-up in transition by the former North St. Paul standout at the 18:59 mark did give the home crowd some reason for optimism as the Gustie lead was trimmed to 43-25. Junior guard Jenna Orth made good on a lay-up in transition at the 16:32 mark and then Luger uncorked another three-point bomb from the left wing area at the 15:59 mark that had GAC's lead down to 49-30 and Gustie Head Coach Laurie Kelly; not at all pleased with her team's defensive effort early on in this second half, called a quick timeout to discuss things with her squad. Whatever her message was during that session resonated with the Gusties as they got quickly got their act together and once again assumed control of the game - this time for good. Free throws by Howard sandwiched a jumper from the right elbow area by Johnson that gave GAC a 53-30 advantage by the 14:07 mark. Ehrich knocked down a jumper along the left baseline at the 12:36 mark and then the wily freshman Miller snared an offensive rebound of her own miss at the 12:01 mark that upped the Gustie lead to 57-32. Reserve sophomore post Emmaline Crawford got into the paint for a score at the 11:10 mark and one freebie by Howard at the 10:47 mark made it a 60-34 game and the rout was officially on.
For the first time in Kelly's tenure in St. Peter, the Gusties were looking like an offensive powerhouse that also has the ability to play some defense as well and they put the clamps on Augsburg the rest of the way. Johnson connected with a jumper along the left baseline with 9:25 left to make it a 62-36 game and some of the frustrations that the Auggies had spilled over when Howard was sent to the line with 8:28 left on a flagrant foul where she knocked down both shots. The lead expanded to thirty at 68-38 with 8:02 left when Rice connected with a jumper from the right elbow. Kelly was able to gradually get her bench players into action with the cushion now in place and they were able to get their names into the book with scores as well. Sviggum knocked down two charity stripe shots with 4:50 left and freshman reserve post Stephanie Klockmann snared an offensive rebound for a putback with 3:50 left to make it 75-44. Junior reserve forward Julie Sohre knocked down a jumper from the left elbow with 3:15 left and sophomore reserve guard Anne Odegard scored on a jumper from the same area with 2:33 left. Junior reserve forward Kelle Nett dropped two shots from the charity stripe with 1:25 left and an Odegard lay-up with :21 left put the finishing touches on a resounding 83-49 Gustie triumph.
I couldn't resist asking GAC Assistant Coach Dan Wolfe afterward if he felt that this squad had finally "arrived". He responded with a resounding "No!" He spoke of the team's youth and the improvements that still need to be made and his number one hope was to ensure "that we're good enough to be a playoff team." I think the Gusties are well on their way to that goal but I can also understand a coach's desire to just see continual improvement and to never be satisfied. Kelly, too, was reluctant to feel too good about things. She stressed that there's still a lot of things that her squad needs to work on defensively wrt switching and helping out (hence, that early timeout in the second half). She talked about the game at home with Hamline back in December where they had a sizable lead at the half only to have to hold on for dear life in the second half to get the win. She wanted to see a better defensive effort in the second half with this game tonight and, for the most part, she got it. From the second time watching this team so far this season, I really like what I see and this team is much, much better than the first two teams Kelly fielded and, in her third year at the helm, she now has the players that fit into her system and this young core of players she has now has to make you think that the future is indeed very bright for GAC.
Friday, January 9, 2015
Concordia vs Macalester 1-5-15
Had to battle the heavy traffic on I-94 and Snelling Avenues and the snow as well on this Monday evening on my way over to Macalester's Leonard Center for this battle between visiting Concordia and host Macalester. I got settled into Leonard Center at the 16:35 mark with the Scots holding an early 7-3 lead.
Macalester's early lead quickly vanished as Cobber senior point guard Alley Fisher hit a jumper from the free throw line at the 16:13 mark and reserve sophomore forward Megan Forness put down two free throws at the 15:51 mark to tie the issue at 7-all. Each side would trade small leads over the next minute and a half and, with the Scots holding a 12-10 lead, a lay-up by Concordia sophomore reserve forward Jenna Januschka at the 13:28 mark tied the score at 12-all and a "3" by sophomore reserve guard Emma Peterson put the Cobbers up 15-12. Macalester Head Coach Kelly Roysland; not liking this development, called a thirty-second timeout to discuss things with her squad and the Scots seemed to respond as sophomore guard Grace Dickman connected with a lay-up in transition at the 12:43 mark and repeated the feat with 9:06 left that helped bring Macalester back to within one trailing 19-16.
At some point, however, you had to figure that Concordia's size advantage would gradually begin to wear down the Scots and this became more and more apparent as the first half wore on. Senior forward Erin Januschka snared an offensive rebound for a putback with 8:50 left and a drive and finish along the right baseline by Fisher upped the Cobber lead to 21-16 with 7:45 left. A jumper from the left wing area by Macalester junior guard Katelyn Kack brought the home team back to within three but a "3" from the left wing by Peterson with 6:09 left upped the Concordia lead to 24-16. Free throws by Fisher and Jenna Januschka had Concordia up 27-22 with 3:27 left and Jenna's big sis Erin increased that lead to seven with her offensive rebound and putback of Jenna's back-end miss with 3:23 left. A "3" by sophomore point guard Greta Walsh from the right top area with 2:04 left made it a 32-24 ballgame and the Scot's Roysland did not waste any time in calling another halt to the action to try and make adjustments before the halftime break. Again, Macalester seemed ready to rise to the occasion as a scores in the paint by senior reserve forward Annie Drabot with 1:45 left and by freshman reserve post Regan Fruh with 1:13 left along with one free throw by junior guard Erin Murray completed a 5-0 burst that had the Scots right back in the thick of things trailing 32-29 at halftime.
Macalester may have had hope during the halftime break but the Cobbers went right to work at the beginning of the second half to try and dash those hopes. A score in the paint by strong junior forward Olivia Johnson at the 19:41 mark and an offensive rebound and putback by junior guard Hannah Jeske at the 19:02 mark upped Concordia's back to seven at 36-29. At the 18:20 mark, Fisher got an open look from the left top area and drilled a "3" to give the Cobbers their first double-digit advantage at 39-29. The Scot's Murray, enroute to a solid second half, single-handedly cut the Concordia lead back down to five points with a "3" from the left top area at the 18:01 mark and a steal and lay-up the other way at the 16:52 mark. But Fisher came right back with two free throws at the 16:34 mark and another trey from the top of the key at the 15:59 mark to push the lead back to ten at 44-34 and Roysland felt compelled to burn a thirty-second timeout to try and stop the bleeding. That short stoppage led to another round of heroics by Murray as she exploded with a "3" from the right wing area at the 15:37 mark and then connected with a running jumper from the right side of the basket at the 14:15 mark. Another short running jumper at the 12:55 mark cut the Cobber lead down to 46-41 and now it was Concordia Head Coach Jessica Rahman's turn to call a thirty-second timeout.
Macalester would throw one last scare at the Cobbers; getting to within two points twice in the span of a minute but, with Concordia clinging to a precarious 48-46 lead, the Cobbers finally shook off the effects of their long drive down from Moorhead - and the Scots as well. A score in the paint by Jenna Januschka at the 10:13 mark and another three-point bomb by Fisher - this one from the left wing area with 9:39 left, upped the lead back to seven at 53-46. Macalester would manage to get to within three points on a pair of charity stripe shots by Fruh but a score in the paint by Erin Januschka with 6:28 left and a hard drive along the right baseline and finish by the acrobatic Walsh made it a seven-point 57-52 lead and Concordia would not look back. Pairs of charity stripe shots by Fisher and a dagger "3" by Walsh from the left wing area gave the Cobbers an insurmountable 66-52 lead with 2:47 left and another timeout by Macalester's Roysland would prove to be in vain. Johnson; playing with a foam cast on her left wrist, took an assist from Erin Januschka to score in the paint with 1:29 left and a Peterson "3" from the right wing area with :45.6 left was added insurance. Macalester's Kack would get a "3" from the right wing area with 29.9 left but Concordia would emerge victorious from this one by a final count of 73-56.
One can look at the box score for this one and point out the Scots inability to knock down shots as a team (8-24 in the second half for a paltry 33.3%) as Murray seemed to be the only sparkplug for Macalester in this one. Roysland pointed out the youth factor of this squad afterward although she did point out that the squad was definitely much more focused and determined in this game tonight as compared to the recent debacle over at Hamline last weekend. For the Cobbers, definitely a step in the right direction and definitely a momentum-builder going into Saturday's showdown at UST where they won last year. "We're still figuring some things out" admitted Rahman afterward as she pointed out how hard it really has been to replace three great seniors from last year; most notably Alex Lippert. Yet, this team has begun to take steps in the right direction after a rough start and the other thing you can't help but notice about this team is the great chemistry that exists between the players; particularly when you consider that Rahman uses a pretty steady rotation of players in and out. The one thing about the Cobbers is that they may not always start fast but they almost always finish with a head of steam. And they need to have some positive vibes going for them going into Saturday's contest at UST.
Macalester's early lead quickly vanished as Cobber senior point guard Alley Fisher hit a jumper from the free throw line at the 16:13 mark and reserve sophomore forward Megan Forness put down two free throws at the 15:51 mark to tie the issue at 7-all. Each side would trade small leads over the next minute and a half and, with the Scots holding a 12-10 lead, a lay-up by Concordia sophomore reserve forward Jenna Januschka at the 13:28 mark tied the score at 12-all and a "3" by sophomore reserve guard Emma Peterson put the Cobbers up 15-12. Macalester Head Coach Kelly Roysland; not liking this development, called a thirty-second timeout to discuss things with her squad and the Scots seemed to respond as sophomore guard Grace Dickman connected with a lay-up in transition at the 12:43 mark and repeated the feat with 9:06 left that helped bring Macalester back to within one trailing 19-16.
At some point, however, you had to figure that Concordia's size advantage would gradually begin to wear down the Scots and this became more and more apparent as the first half wore on. Senior forward Erin Januschka snared an offensive rebound for a putback with 8:50 left and a drive and finish along the right baseline by Fisher upped the Cobber lead to 21-16 with 7:45 left. A jumper from the left wing area by Macalester junior guard Katelyn Kack brought the home team back to within three but a "3" from the left wing by Peterson with 6:09 left upped the Concordia lead to 24-16. Free throws by Fisher and Jenna Januschka had Concordia up 27-22 with 3:27 left and Jenna's big sis Erin increased that lead to seven with her offensive rebound and putback of Jenna's back-end miss with 3:23 left. A "3" by sophomore point guard Greta Walsh from the right top area with 2:04 left made it a 32-24 ballgame and the Scot's Roysland did not waste any time in calling another halt to the action to try and make adjustments before the halftime break. Again, Macalester seemed ready to rise to the occasion as a scores in the paint by senior reserve forward Annie Drabot with 1:45 left and by freshman reserve post Regan Fruh with 1:13 left along with one free throw by junior guard Erin Murray completed a 5-0 burst that had the Scots right back in the thick of things trailing 32-29 at halftime.
Macalester may have had hope during the halftime break but the Cobbers went right to work at the beginning of the second half to try and dash those hopes. A score in the paint by strong junior forward Olivia Johnson at the 19:41 mark and an offensive rebound and putback by junior guard Hannah Jeske at the 19:02 mark upped Concordia's back to seven at 36-29. At the 18:20 mark, Fisher got an open look from the left top area and drilled a "3" to give the Cobbers their first double-digit advantage at 39-29. The Scot's Murray, enroute to a solid second half, single-handedly cut the Concordia lead back down to five points with a "3" from the left top area at the 18:01 mark and a steal and lay-up the other way at the 16:52 mark. But Fisher came right back with two free throws at the 16:34 mark and another trey from the top of the key at the 15:59 mark to push the lead back to ten at 44-34 and Roysland felt compelled to burn a thirty-second timeout to try and stop the bleeding. That short stoppage led to another round of heroics by Murray as she exploded with a "3" from the right wing area at the 15:37 mark and then connected with a running jumper from the right side of the basket at the 14:15 mark. Another short running jumper at the 12:55 mark cut the Cobber lead down to 46-41 and now it was Concordia Head Coach Jessica Rahman's turn to call a thirty-second timeout.
Macalester would throw one last scare at the Cobbers; getting to within two points twice in the span of a minute but, with Concordia clinging to a precarious 48-46 lead, the Cobbers finally shook off the effects of their long drive down from Moorhead - and the Scots as well. A score in the paint by Jenna Januschka at the 10:13 mark and another three-point bomb by Fisher - this one from the left wing area with 9:39 left, upped the lead back to seven at 53-46. Macalester would manage to get to within three points on a pair of charity stripe shots by Fruh but a score in the paint by Erin Januschka with 6:28 left and a hard drive along the right baseline and finish by the acrobatic Walsh made it a seven-point 57-52 lead and Concordia would not look back. Pairs of charity stripe shots by Fisher and a dagger "3" by Walsh from the left wing area gave the Cobbers an insurmountable 66-52 lead with 2:47 left and another timeout by Macalester's Roysland would prove to be in vain. Johnson; playing with a foam cast on her left wrist, took an assist from Erin Januschka to score in the paint with 1:29 left and a Peterson "3" from the right wing area with :45.6 left was added insurance. Macalester's Kack would get a "3" from the right wing area with 29.9 left but Concordia would emerge victorious from this one by a final count of 73-56.
One can look at the box score for this one and point out the Scots inability to knock down shots as a team (8-24 in the second half for a paltry 33.3%) as Murray seemed to be the only sparkplug for Macalester in this one. Roysland pointed out the youth factor of this squad afterward although she did point out that the squad was definitely much more focused and determined in this game tonight as compared to the recent debacle over at Hamline last weekend. For the Cobbers, definitely a step in the right direction and definitely a momentum-builder going into Saturday's showdown at UST where they won last year. "We're still figuring some things out" admitted Rahman afterward as she pointed out how hard it really has been to replace three great seniors from last year; most notably Alex Lippert. Yet, this team has begun to take steps in the right direction after a rough start and the other thing you can't help but notice about this team is the great chemistry that exists between the players; particularly when you consider that Rahman uses a pretty steady rotation of players in and out. The one thing about the Cobbers is that they may not always start fast but they almost always finish with a head of steam. And they need to have some positive vibes going for them going into Saturday's contest at UST.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 1-4-15
Well, here we go with the first MIAC Power Rankings for this season:
1. UST
2. GAC
3. Bethel
4. SMU
5. Concordia
6. Hamline
7. Augsburg
8. CSB
9. St. Kate's
10. (tie) Carleton & St. Olaf
11. Macalester
Not much of a question as to the top spot but I struggled mightily with the next four spots; changing my mind about two or three times before finally settling on placing the Gusties into the second spot. I've only seen them once so far this season but definitely liked what I saw and they found a way to win a tough one yesterday at St. Olaf. I think they're definitely headed in the right direction although it's certainly not a given that they'll stay in that second spot. The big disappointments from this last weekend were road losses suffered by both Bethel and SMU. They may be able to recover from these losses okay, but they could be costly in the big scheme of things. While I give Concordia major props for knocking off the Cardinals yesterday and while they may have finally figured a few things out in the AL (After Lippert)-era, they're still saddled with an unimpressive 6-4 overall record and I've got to see more from them before I'm sold.
Hamline, meanwhile, rolled to an easy win at home against Macalester yesterday and they may be poised to make a move should a team or two above them falter. Augsburg, too, looked good in their win against St. Kate's yesterday. For these two teams, it's ultimately going to boil down to whether (1) they can play defense and (2) can they be consistent enough to steal a win on the road where they're least expected to do it. CSB still has way too many question marks hovering over it at this time despite the win against Bethel yesterday to make me thing that they're a legitimate playoff contender and St. Kate's simply can't seem to get over the hump yet. Looks like it's going to be a LONG season for the two crosstown rivals down in Northfield and Macalester is just very young and inexperienced at this time.
1. UST
2. GAC
3. Bethel
4. SMU
5. Concordia
6. Hamline
7. Augsburg
8. CSB
9. St. Kate's
10. (tie) Carleton & St. Olaf
11. Macalester
Not much of a question as to the top spot but I struggled mightily with the next four spots; changing my mind about two or three times before finally settling on placing the Gusties into the second spot. I've only seen them once so far this season but definitely liked what I saw and they found a way to win a tough one yesterday at St. Olaf. I think they're definitely headed in the right direction although it's certainly not a given that they'll stay in that second spot. The big disappointments from this last weekend were road losses suffered by both Bethel and SMU. They may be able to recover from these losses okay, but they could be costly in the big scheme of things. While I give Concordia major props for knocking off the Cardinals yesterday and while they may have finally figured a few things out in the AL (After Lippert)-era, they're still saddled with an unimpressive 6-4 overall record and I've got to see more from them before I'm sold.
Hamline, meanwhile, rolled to an easy win at home against Macalester yesterday and they may be poised to make a move should a team or two above them falter. Augsburg, too, looked good in their win against St. Kate's yesterday. For these two teams, it's ultimately going to boil down to whether (1) they can play defense and (2) can they be consistent enough to steal a win on the road where they're least expected to do it. CSB still has way too many question marks hovering over it at this time despite the win against Bethel yesterday to make me thing that they're a legitimate playoff contender and St. Kate's simply can't seem to get over the hump yet. Looks like it's going to be a LONG season for the two crosstown rivals down in Northfield and Macalester is just very young and inexperienced at this time.
Augsburg vs St. Kate's Synopsis 1-3-15
After leaving Hutton Arena, I hustled down Snelling and Fairview Avenues and over to St. Kate's for their 3:00 P.M. game with visiting Augsburg. I got settled in at Butler Center at the 16:05 mark of the first half with the score tied at 7-all.
The Auggies momentarily grabbed the upper hand as a lay-up by freshman forward Bridget Bednar at the 15:41 mark and two free throws by junior forward Jessica Lillquist gave Augsburg an 11-7 lead by the 15:09 mark. St. Kate's sophomore phenom guard LaShay Holt's "3" from the right top area drew the 'Cats to within one at the 14:50 mark but Auggie senior point guard Abbey Luger's lay-up in transition at the 14:08 mark gave Augsburg a 13-10 lead. The Wildcats scratched and clawed right back and went on an 8-0 spurt. A Holt drive and finish at the 13:50 mark along with two three-point bombs by senior reserve forward Mary Neumann - one from the left top area at the 13:15 mark and another one from the right top area at the 12:23 mark - gave St. Kate's an 18-13 lead and had Auggie Head Coach Bill McKee calling a timeout to discuss things with his squad.
Whatever was said in that Augsburg huddle during the timeout seemed to have the desired effect as the Auggies quickly righted the ship and erased that five-point deficit. A score in the paint by Bednar at the 11:50 mark and a jumper along the right baseline by Luger at the 10:50 mark brought Augsburg back to within one trailing 18-17. A score in the paint by Bednar at the 10:18 mark gave the Auggies the lead again at 19-18 before a "3" from junior guard Shauna Horsch from the left wing right at the 10:00 mark gave the lead back to the Wildcats at 21-19. Augsburg would get the lead back again on a "3" from junior guard Destiny Scott from the top of the key with 9:44 left gave it right back to the Auggies. Now it was St. Kate's turn to re-take the lead as freshman guard Audra Clark nailed a "3" from the right top area with 8:48 left and then added two charity stripe shots for a 26-22 Wildcat lead with 7:43 left. Augsburg refused to panic, however, and two scores by Lillquist - one in the paint with 7:13 left and a lay-up after a steal with 6:38 left - tied things up at 26 a piece. St. Kate's would take one more single digit lead but then the Auggies re-claimed the lead - this time for good - on a Luger lay-up that got her fouled and allowed her to sink the obligatory freebie with 5:39 left for a 29-27 Augsburg advantage. This was the start of a crucial 10-0 run for the Auggies that seemed to suck a lot of the energy that the 'Cats had and suddenly had Augsburg up 36-27. Holt tried to revive the suddenly moribund St. Kate's offense with her lay-up in transition but Augsburg was able to maintain the ten-point cushion down the stretch thanks to free throws by freshman reserve guard Cassidy Sarazine, Bednar, and junior guard Jenna Orth for a 42-32 halftime lead.
St. Kate's tried to make inroads on the Augsburg advantage in the early going of the second half but could only seem to tread water at best. An Orth lay-up at the 19:45 mark and a score in the paint by Luger at the 17:01 offset two Wildcat scores by sophomore forward Mari Lee. Orth was able to maneuver into the paint for a score at the 16:13 mark and then sophomore reserve guard Laykn Bauer drained a "3" from the right wing at the 15:53 mark for a 51-38 Auggie advantage. St. Kate's frustration was growing by this point as they suddenly could not seem to take the lid off the basket to get any points to whittle away at the deficit. Things seemed to reach a boiling point when Wildcat Head Coach Sean Pinkerton; who had long since shed the sport coat in this contest, drew a technical foul for being a bit too vociferous with his arguments on the officiating. Unfortunately for St. Kate's, things seemed to only get worse from there. After Bauer got one of the obligatory freebies to go down, Lillquist was able to add to the lead with her score in the paint at the 14:33 mark and a Luger three-point bomb from the left corner at the 11:41 mark stretched the lead to twenty at 58-38.
The Wildcats continued to struggle with their shooting woes until senior reserve forward Sarah Manning's drive into the lane and finish off the glass with 9:14 left. To make matters even worse, Audra Clark went down hard on the floor on a drive into the lane at the 6:15 mark and suffered a bruised shoulder. Still, St. Kate's was able to dig down deep and make a bit of a run. Freshman guard Meg Clark connected with a lay-up with 6:02 left and free throws by both Horsch and Lee trimmed the Augsburg lead down to fourteen at 60-46 and an offensive rebound and putback of her own missed lay-up in transition by Manning had the 'Cats back to within twelve with 4:35 left and Augsburg's McKee wasted no time in calling a halt to the action. The Auggies were able to collect themselves during the timeout and finished off their host. An offensive rebound and putback by Lillquist with 3:33 left and a lay-up in transition by Bednar with 3:12 left rebuilt the lead back to sixteen at 64-48 and Bednar repeated the feat shortly thereafter on another errant St. Kate's possession with 2:55 left for 66-48 lead. Two more free throws by Orth with 2:35 left and another Bednar lay-up with 2:12 left made it a 70-48 game and late scores by both Lillquist and Luger sealed the deal for a 74-54 victory.
Always-congenial Augsburg assistant coach Josh Hersch offered some interesting insight afterward. He stressed that the team's goal right now is to simply improve and get better with each game. Despite the lopsided home loss back in December to powerhouse UST, the Auggies appear to be doing just that. They are definitely ahead of where they were a year ago and their 7-4 (2-2 MIAC) record reflects that. Can they stay healthy? Can they be somewhat consistent? Those are challenges that Hersch is quick to acknowledge. They have a huge contest at home this coming Wednesday night against GAC and that will be an opportunity for the Auggies to make a statement - and improve on their record as well.
The Auggies momentarily grabbed the upper hand as a lay-up by freshman forward Bridget Bednar at the 15:41 mark and two free throws by junior forward Jessica Lillquist gave Augsburg an 11-7 lead by the 15:09 mark. St. Kate's sophomore phenom guard LaShay Holt's "3" from the right top area drew the 'Cats to within one at the 14:50 mark but Auggie senior point guard Abbey Luger's lay-up in transition at the 14:08 mark gave Augsburg a 13-10 lead. The Wildcats scratched and clawed right back and went on an 8-0 spurt. A Holt drive and finish at the 13:50 mark along with two three-point bombs by senior reserve forward Mary Neumann - one from the left top area at the 13:15 mark and another one from the right top area at the 12:23 mark - gave St. Kate's an 18-13 lead and had Auggie Head Coach Bill McKee calling a timeout to discuss things with his squad.
Whatever was said in that Augsburg huddle during the timeout seemed to have the desired effect as the Auggies quickly righted the ship and erased that five-point deficit. A score in the paint by Bednar at the 11:50 mark and a jumper along the right baseline by Luger at the 10:50 mark brought Augsburg back to within one trailing 18-17. A score in the paint by Bednar at the 10:18 mark gave the Auggies the lead again at 19-18 before a "3" from junior guard Shauna Horsch from the left wing right at the 10:00 mark gave the lead back to the Wildcats at 21-19. Augsburg would get the lead back again on a "3" from junior guard Destiny Scott from the top of the key with 9:44 left gave it right back to the Auggies. Now it was St. Kate's turn to re-take the lead as freshman guard Audra Clark nailed a "3" from the right top area with 8:48 left and then added two charity stripe shots for a 26-22 Wildcat lead with 7:43 left. Augsburg refused to panic, however, and two scores by Lillquist - one in the paint with 7:13 left and a lay-up after a steal with 6:38 left - tied things up at 26 a piece. St. Kate's would take one more single digit lead but then the Auggies re-claimed the lead - this time for good - on a Luger lay-up that got her fouled and allowed her to sink the obligatory freebie with 5:39 left for a 29-27 Augsburg advantage. This was the start of a crucial 10-0 run for the Auggies that seemed to suck a lot of the energy that the 'Cats had and suddenly had Augsburg up 36-27. Holt tried to revive the suddenly moribund St. Kate's offense with her lay-up in transition but Augsburg was able to maintain the ten-point cushion down the stretch thanks to free throws by freshman reserve guard Cassidy Sarazine, Bednar, and junior guard Jenna Orth for a 42-32 halftime lead.
St. Kate's tried to make inroads on the Augsburg advantage in the early going of the second half but could only seem to tread water at best. An Orth lay-up at the 19:45 mark and a score in the paint by Luger at the 17:01 offset two Wildcat scores by sophomore forward Mari Lee. Orth was able to maneuver into the paint for a score at the 16:13 mark and then sophomore reserve guard Laykn Bauer drained a "3" from the right wing at the 15:53 mark for a 51-38 Auggie advantage. St. Kate's frustration was growing by this point as they suddenly could not seem to take the lid off the basket to get any points to whittle away at the deficit. Things seemed to reach a boiling point when Wildcat Head Coach Sean Pinkerton; who had long since shed the sport coat in this contest, drew a technical foul for being a bit too vociferous with his arguments on the officiating. Unfortunately for St. Kate's, things seemed to only get worse from there. After Bauer got one of the obligatory freebies to go down, Lillquist was able to add to the lead with her score in the paint at the 14:33 mark and a Luger three-point bomb from the left corner at the 11:41 mark stretched the lead to twenty at 58-38.
The Wildcats continued to struggle with their shooting woes until senior reserve forward Sarah Manning's drive into the lane and finish off the glass with 9:14 left. To make matters even worse, Audra Clark went down hard on the floor on a drive into the lane at the 6:15 mark and suffered a bruised shoulder. Still, St. Kate's was able to dig down deep and make a bit of a run. Freshman guard Meg Clark connected with a lay-up with 6:02 left and free throws by both Horsch and Lee trimmed the Augsburg lead down to fourteen at 60-46 and an offensive rebound and putback of her own missed lay-up in transition by Manning had the 'Cats back to within twelve with 4:35 left and Augsburg's McKee wasted no time in calling a halt to the action. The Auggies were able to collect themselves during the timeout and finished off their host. An offensive rebound and putback by Lillquist with 3:33 left and a lay-up in transition by Bednar with 3:12 left rebuilt the lead back to sixteen at 64-48 and Bednar repeated the feat shortly thereafter on another errant St. Kate's possession with 2:55 left for 66-48 lead. Two more free throws by Orth with 2:35 left and another Bednar lay-up with 2:12 left made it a 70-48 game and late scores by both Lillquist and Luger sealed the deal for a 74-54 victory.
Always-congenial Augsburg assistant coach Josh Hersch offered some interesting insight afterward. He stressed that the team's goal right now is to simply improve and get better with each game. Despite the lopsided home loss back in December to powerhouse UST, the Auggies appear to be doing just that. They are definitely ahead of where they were a year ago and their 7-4 (2-2 MIAC) record reflects that. Can they stay healthy? Can they be somewhat consistent? Those are challenges that Hersch is quick to acknowledge. They have a huge contest at home this coming Wednesday night against GAC and that will be an opportunity for the Auggies to make a statement - and improve on their record as well.
Macalester vs Hamline Synopsis 1-3-15
Made my way over to venerable Hutton Arena on this Saturday afternoon armed with a Subway lunch to take in this early January contest between visiting Macalester; making its way up Snelling Avenue to take on host Hamline. With the first weekend in January upon us and the MIAC season now in full swing, there would no longer be any safety net of non-conference cream puffs to devour. For Hamline, this game would be particularly important as the Pipers were sitting at 6-4 (1-2 in the MIAC) and they needed to get off to a good start in 2015.
Apparently, the Pipers were in agreement as they came out of the gate with a sense of urgency and bolted out to a 6-0 lead; using their speed and quickness to offset the 2-3 zone that Macalester was employing to try and clog up the middle with. Senior guard Jordan "Flash" Sammons was doing much of the damage early on; connecting with a jumper from the left wing at the 19:50 mark and getting a lay-up in transition after a steal at the 18:08 mark. A jumper from Scot junior guard Erin Murray from the left top area got Macalester on the board at the 17:46 mark but Sammons struck again with another easy lay-up in transition at the 16:38 mark for an 8-2 Hamline lead and new Scot Head Coach and former Golden Gopher standout Kelly Roysland had seen enough to know that a timeout was warranted. Macalester would briefly recover after the stoppage in play as Murray connected with a jumper in the lane at the 13:56 mark and sophomore reserve guard Grace Dickman got a lay-up at the 13:22 mark to get the Scots to within four trailing 11-7. But the speed and athleticism of the Pipers slowly began taking its toll on Macalester as the home team embarked on another 6-0 push. A score in the paint by sophomore reserve forward Mattie Shelton at the 13:04 mark and an offensive rebound and putback by Sammons at the 12:26 mark made it a 15-7 game. A drive and finish by the former Apple Valley standout at the 11:56 mark gave Hamline a ten-point cushion at 17-7 by the 11:56 mark.
A "3" by sophomore guard Chloe Graves from the right wing area at the 10:38 mark increased the Piper lead to 22-9 but, to their credit, Macalester would chop some of the fat off of the deficit to at least stay within reasonable distance. A "3" from the left top area by sophomore guard Lauren Clamage got the Scots back to within ten trailing 22-12 with 9:58 left. Hamline would maintain a 10-12 point cushion over the next four minutes but the continuous pressing and trapping that the Pipers were doing were forcing several Macalester miscues and eventually those mistakes would come back to haunt them. After a Scot timeout with 5:43 left, Hamline went on a decisive run to end the first half. A short shot in transition by sophomore guard Chelsey Bonsante with 4:55 left and another Sammons lay-up in transition after a steal upped the Piper lead to 31-16 with 4:28 left. A score in the paint by the Scots freshman post Regan Fruh with 3:11 left temporarily halted the Hamline Express but a freebie by Sammons with 2:28 left and a three-point bomb by Bonsante from the left wing area with 1:55 left gave the Pipers a commanding 35-18 advantage at the half and Macalester was arguably sitting behind the 8-ball at this point.
Things only got worse for the Scots once the second half got underway as Hamline embarked on a 9-2 spurt; highlighted by a "3" from junior forward Makenzie Lee from the right wing area that had Macalester's Roysland clamoring for a timeout at the 16:54 mark with the Pipers up 44-20. But Hamline showed no signs of cooling off anytime soon as they proceeded to go on 14-2 tear over the next 5 1/2 minutes that ballooned the lead to 58-22 at the 11:17 mark and effectively ended any doubt as to the out come. Scores in the paint by both Shelton and freshman reserve forward Alison Bartak had the Pipers up 62-24 with 9:57 left.
The Scots certainly weren't giving up by any means but they were just outmatched on this day. Bonsante uncorked another trey from the left wing area with 9:04 left and Sammons connected with yet another lay-up in transition with 8:35 left for a 67-26 lead. Macalester was getting to the charity stripe to make points as the Scots got into the bonus with 8:11 left but free throws alone simply wouldn't be near enough. A lay-up by freshman forward Alex Peterson with 6:26 left; a drive and finish by Sammons with 4:11 left and a lay-up by sophomore reserve guard Monica Herzog with 3:41 left gave Hamline its largest lead of the day at 73-32 and Piper Head Coach Kerri Stockwell unloaded her bench for the home stretch. Sophomore reserve guard Kelly Stacken got one free throw with 3:20 left and then connected with a "3" from the left wing with just :11.7 left as Hamline recorded a resounding 77-38 triumph.
A very pleased Stockwell was quick to admit that this was a very good performance by her squad on this afternoon at home but she also knows full and well that her squad can't rest their laurels on just one good game. She noted that her squad needs to get better defensively and offered that "we're not very big". Still, you have to like what you see when they're at their best and when they have their transition game clicking. It can be devastating. On the other side, I also asked Macalester's Roysland what her squad has to do to get better. "A LOT" she said emphatically. She did note that this is a very young squad with only one senior (Annie Drabot) that hasn't had a game in nearly a month. Roysland no doubt had to cringe when she looked at some of the ugly numbers from the box score: 12-46 26.1% FG shooting and an equally woeful 2-10 for 20% from three-point land. And the task doesn't get any easier for the Scots as Concordia will be making the trip along the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline down to the Twin Cities for an early evening date at Leonard Center on Monday night.
Apparently, the Pipers were in agreement as they came out of the gate with a sense of urgency and bolted out to a 6-0 lead; using their speed and quickness to offset the 2-3 zone that Macalester was employing to try and clog up the middle with. Senior guard Jordan "Flash" Sammons was doing much of the damage early on; connecting with a jumper from the left wing at the 19:50 mark and getting a lay-up in transition after a steal at the 18:08 mark. A jumper from Scot junior guard Erin Murray from the left top area got Macalester on the board at the 17:46 mark but Sammons struck again with another easy lay-up in transition at the 16:38 mark for an 8-2 Hamline lead and new Scot Head Coach and former Golden Gopher standout Kelly Roysland had seen enough to know that a timeout was warranted. Macalester would briefly recover after the stoppage in play as Murray connected with a jumper in the lane at the 13:56 mark and sophomore reserve guard Grace Dickman got a lay-up at the 13:22 mark to get the Scots to within four trailing 11-7. But the speed and athleticism of the Pipers slowly began taking its toll on Macalester as the home team embarked on another 6-0 push. A score in the paint by sophomore reserve forward Mattie Shelton at the 13:04 mark and an offensive rebound and putback by Sammons at the 12:26 mark made it a 15-7 game. A drive and finish by the former Apple Valley standout at the 11:56 mark gave Hamline a ten-point cushion at 17-7 by the 11:56 mark.
A "3" by sophomore guard Chloe Graves from the right wing area at the 10:38 mark increased the Piper lead to 22-9 but, to their credit, Macalester would chop some of the fat off of the deficit to at least stay within reasonable distance. A "3" from the left top area by sophomore guard Lauren Clamage got the Scots back to within ten trailing 22-12 with 9:58 left. Hamline would maintain a 10-12 point cushion over the next four minutes but the continuous pressing and trapping that the Pipers were doing were forcing several Macalester miscues and eventually those mistakes would come back to haunt them. After a Scot timeout with 5:43 left, Hamline went on a decisive run to end the first half. A short shot in transition by sophomore guard Chelsey Bonsante with 4:55 left and another Sammons lay-up in transition after a steal upped the Piper lead to 31-16 with 4:28 left. A score in the paint by the Scots freshman post Regan Fruh with 3:11 left temporarily halted the Hamline Express but a freebie by Sammons with 2:28 left and a three-point bomb by Bonsante from the left wing area with 1:55 left gave the Pipers a commanding 35-18 advantage at the half and Macalester was arguably sitting behind the 8-ball at this point.
Things only got worse for the Scots once the second half got underway as Hamline embarked on a 9-2 spurt; highlighted by a "3" from junior forward Makenzie Lee from the right wing area that had Macalester's Roysland clamoring for a timeout at the 16:54 mark with the Pipers up 44-20. But Hamline showed no signs of cooling off anytime soon as they proceeded to go on 14-2 tear over the next 5 1/2 minutes that ballooned the lead to 58-22 at the 11:17 mark and effectively ended any doubt as to the out come. Scores in the paint by both Shelton and freshman reserve forward Alison Bartak had the Pipers up 62-24 with 9:57 left.
The Scots certainly weren't giving up by any means but they were just outmatched on this day. Bonsante uncorked another trey from the left wing area with 9:04 left and Sammons connected with yet another lay-up in transition with 8:35 left for a 67-26 lead. Macalester was getting to the charity stripe to make points as the Scots got into the bonus with 8:11 left but free throws alone simply wouldn't be near enough. A lay-up by freshman forward Alex Peterson with 6:26 left; a drive and finish by Sammons with 4:11 left and a lay-up by sophomore reserve guard Monica Herzog with 3:41 left gave Hamline its largest lead of the day at 73-32 and Piper Head Coach Kerri Stockwell unloaded her bench for the home stretch. Sophomore reserve guard Kelly Stacken got one free throw with 3:20 left and then connected with a "3" from the left wing with just :11.7 left as Hamline recorded a resounding 77-38 triumph.
A very pleased Stockwell was quick to admit that this was a very good performance by her squad on this afternoon at home but she also knows full and well that her squad can't rest their laurels on just one good game. She noted that her squad needs to get better defensively and offered that "we're not very big". Still, you have to like what you see when they're at their best and when they have their transition game clicking. It can be devastating. On the other side, I also asked Macalester's Roysland what her squad has to do to get better. "A LOT" she said emphatically. She did note that this is a very young squad with only one senior (Annie Drabot) that hasn't had a game in nearly a month. Roysland no doubt had to cringe when she looked at some of the ugly numbers from the box score: 12-46 26.1% FG shooting and an equally woeful 2-10 for 20% from three-point land. And the task doesn't get any easier for the Scots as Concordia will be making the trip along the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline down to the Twin Cities for an early evening date at Leonard Center on Monday night.
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