I had to take some time to gather my thoughts after I found out about the passing of Augsburg Head Coach Bill McKee after a courageous battle with kidney cancer. Having lost my mother to leukemia and an older brother to brain cancer, I can certainly relate to the grief and sorrow that the McKee family bears at this time. But I wanted to focus on how I knew him and what a great person and coach that he was.
Sadly, I don't think I knew Bill as well as I should have and certainly wanted to. Still, there was something about Bill that I couldn't help but notice. He was a remarkable professional both on and off the court but, even more than that, what caught my eye about Bill early on was his demeanor on the bench. You simply didn't see Bill get that upset on the floor during a game simply because that wasn't his way. I can only recall one occasion where I saw Bill upset with a call and all you got was a sour look and a wave of hands.
When Bill took over a struggling Augsburg program back in 2011, I knew it would only be a matter of time before he righted the ship and had the Auggies going in the right direction in an incredibly competitive MIAC. After falling just short of the playoffs the last few seasons, Augsburg broke through this last season and snared the sixth spot in the MIAC playoffs and pulled off the shocker of the season when they defeated a very good Concordia squad up in Moorhead before falling to eventual MIAC playoff champion UST (which, oh, by the way, made another great run in the NCAA Tournament this last March).
My heart goes out to all the current and former players who were lucky enough to not only have him as a coach but a mentor as well. Women's basketball and the MIAC have lost a great coach and an even better person. I was lucky enough to be able to talk to Bill a few times during the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League when the Augsburg teams were competing and he was keeping a sharp eye on his squads. I also had the pleasure of talking to him after games whether his team won or lost. He genuinely cared about his players not only on the court but off the court as well. He will be dearly missed.
Los Angeles Rams
Monday, August 31, 2015
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Playoff Results For Wednesday 8-5-15
Here are the results of the playoff games I was able to catch last night at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League:
5:00 P.M. Games
Hoops, I Did It Again - 48
Royals - 40
Phatties - 46
CSB - 33
5:55 P.M. Games
Dream Team - 42
Augsburg #1 - 29
Warriors - 49
Winona State - 45 OT
6:50 P.M. Games
Hoops, I Did It Again - 55
Phatties - 42
Dream Team - 51
Warriors - 40
7:45 P.M. Games
B Ballers - 46
Concordia St. Paul - 42
UST Purple - 51
Northern State - 40
8:40 P.M. Games
Hoops, I Did It Again - 55
Northern State - 50
Concordia St. Paul - 43
Dream Team - 37
Not a lot of drama in the 5:00 P.M. slot as the Hoops, I Did It Again squad used their speed and quickness to dismantle the Royals (Bethel) team while the Phatties dismissed the CSB Blazers from the loser's bracket with a 46-33 win. Things started to get really interesting, however, in the 5:55 P.M. slot. First, the Dream Team was able to open up some distance on the Augsburg #1 team right before the half on a "3" by former Northwestern standout Mollie Sir and although the Auggies would make a bit of a run at the Dream Team in the second half, the seasoned vets of the Dream Team got the "W" to advance. The real doozy of the evening was the other game in this time slot between Winona State and the Warriors team. Winona State looked to have things pretty much wrapped up late in the contest with a seemingly "safe" 42-35 lead but a late 7-0 burst by a Warriors team which seems to have more lives than a cat knotted the issue at 42 at the end of regulation. In the two-minute overtime period, the Warriors made all the right moves while Winona State could muster only a "3" by senior-to-be Connor Nagle as the Warriors advanced. The Warriors magic carpet ride came to a screeching halt in the 6:50 P.M. slot as they were bounced by a rested Dream Team while the Hoops, I Did It Again squad dismantled the Phatties by a 55-42 count despite the Phatties making a nice comeback in the second half to get things close......A couple of wild games in the 7:45 P.M. slot as the B Ballers had to overcome an early 21-6 deficit against a very good Concordia St. Paul squad just to get close again. The B Ballers got a couple of key shots late and stifled late attempts by the Golden Bears to pull off an unlikely 46-42 win. In the other game in this time slot, Northern State built a sizable lead early on a small but very quick UST Purple team but that cushion was slowly eaten up by a determined Tommie squad that sliced Northern State's lead down to 24-19 at the half. The UST Purple team came out with a vengeance in the second half and used their quickness, speed, and half-court trapping defense that completely frustrated a bigger Northern State squad and the UST Purple team scored a 51-40 upset. In the 8:40 P.M. slot, Concordia St. Paul got some redemption from its disappointment in the earlier time slot to end the dreams of the Dream Team in a very close and hard-fought contest. Meanwhile, Northern State's incredible run of bad luck continued as they once AGAIN forged a sizable lead on the Hoops, I Did It Again squad only to see the speed and athleticism of former Hamline standout Jordan Sammons cut them to smithereens in the second half as Hoops, I Did It Again recorded a 59-50 victory and, considering the loss Northern State suffered to the GAC Black team on Monday night over at the JCC Women's College Summer League, this is a week that the Wolves would probably just as soon like to forget ever happened.
The championship game for the Midtown YWCA will be at approximately 2:45 P.M. on this coming Saturday afternoon at Target Center co-inciding with the Minnesota Lynx's game Sunday night against the Los Angeles Sparks.
5:00 P.M. Games
Hoops, I Did It Again - 48
Royals - 40
Phatties - 46
CSB - 33
5:55 P.M. Games
Dream Team - 42
Augsburg #1 - 29
Warriors - 49
Winona State - 45 OT
6:50 P.M. Games
Hoops, I Did It Again - 55
Phatties - 42
Dream Team - 51
Warriors - 40
7:45 P.M. Games
B Ballers - 46
Concordia St. Paul - 42
UST Purple - 51
Northern State - 40
8:40 P.M. Games
Hoops, I Did It Again - 55
Northern State - 50
Concordia St. Paul - 43
Dream Team - 37
Not a lot of drama in the 5:00 P.M. slot as the Hoops, I Did It Again squad used their speed and quickness to dismantle the Royals (Bethel) team while the Phatties dismissed the CSB Blazers from the loser's bracket with a 46-33 win. Things started to get really interesting, however, in the 5:55 P.M. slot. First, the Dream Team was able to open up some distance on the Augsburg #1 team right before the half on a "3" by former Northwestern standout Mollie Sir and although the Auggies would make a bit of a run at the Dream Team in the second half, the seasoned vets of the Dream Team got the "W" to advance. The real doozy of the evening was the other game in this time slot between Winona State and the Warriors team. Winona State looked to have things pretty much wrapped up late in the contest with a seemingly "safe" 42-35 lead but a late 7-0 burst by a Warriors team which seems to have more lives than a cat knotted the issue at 42 at the end of regulation. In the two-minute overtime period, the Warriors made all the right moves while Winona State could muster only a "3" by senior-to-be Connor Nagle as the Warriors advanced. The Warriors magic carpet ride came to a screeching halt in the 6:50 P.M. slot as they were bounced by a rested Dream Team while the Hoops, I Did It Again squad dismantled the Phatties by a 55-42 count despite the Phatties making a nice comeback in the second half to get things close......A couple of wild games in the 7:45 P.M. slot as the B Ballers had to overcome an early 21-6 deficit against a very good Concordia St. Paul squad just to get close again. The B Ballers got a couple of key shots late and stifled late attempts by the Golden Bears to pull off an unlikely 46-42 win. In the other game in this time slot, Northern State built a sizable lead early on a small but very quick UST Purple team but that cushion was slowly eaten up by a determined Tommie squad that sliced Northern State's lead down to 24-19 at the half. The UST Purple team came out with a vengeance in the second half and used their quickness, speed, and half-court trapping defense that completely frustrated a bigger Northern State squad and the UST Purple team scored a 51-40 upset. In the 8:40 P.M. slot, Concordia St. Paul got some redemption from its disappointment in the earlier time slot to end the dreams of the Dream Team in a very close and hard-fought contest. Meanwhile, Northern State's incredible run of bad luck continued as they once AGAIN forged a sizable lead on the Hoops, I Did It Again squad only to see the speed and athleticism of former Hamline standout Jordan Sammons cut them to smithereens in the second half as Hoops, I Did It Again recorded a 59-50 victory and, considering the loss Northern State suffered to the GAC Black team on Monday night over at the JCC Women's College Summer League, this is a week that the Wolves would probably just as soon like to forget ever happened.
The championship game for the Midtown YWCA will be at approximately 2:45 P.M. on this coming Saturday afternoon at Target Center co-inciding with the Minnesota Lynx's game Sunday night against the Los Angeles Sparks.
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
JCC Women's College Summer League Playoff Results For Monday 8-3-15
Here are the playoff results on the final night of the JCC Women's College Summer League:
5:30 P.M. Game
GAC Alumni + A Few - 62
GAC Gold - 45
Despite the fact that I arrived late on this night thanks to some untimely errands I had to run after I got off the bus from work, I could tell that the young GAC Gold squad had their work cut out for them against the bigger, more experienced GAC Alumni + A Few squad which forged a 35-24 halftime lead. Still, the gamey GAC Gold squad tried to get right back into the thick of things once the second half got underway as they managed to whittle the deficit down to single digits in the early going of the second half but their efforts soon faltered. The GAC Alumni + A Few squad rebuilt their lead to double digits and had a thirteen point cushion by the 11:50 mark at 47-34 that would soon grow to seventeen points at 53-36 with 9:25 left and the GAC Alumni + A Few team was able to cruise into Monday night's championship game with a relatively easy 62-45 victory.
6:20 P.M. Game
GAC Black - 54
Northern State - 45
The other semifinal on this night pitted the other young Gustie squad; the GAC Black team up against the team that most projected into the other slot of the championship game on this evening - Northern State. The young GAC Black team managed to keep things close in the early going but late in the second half Northern State was able to make a move. A jumper by freshman-to-be Jaycie Gerding out of Centennial with 4:35 left upped the Wolves lead to 19-14 and a 6-2 Northern State run shortly thereafter increased their lead to 25-16 with 2:00 minutes left in the first half. Northern State appeared to stick an early dagger into the heart of the GAC Black team right before the half when freshman-to-be Taylor Kane (who hit a huge game winner over at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League recently) drilled a jumper from along the right baseline that gave the Wolves a 27-19 halftime lead. But this tricky underdog GAC Black squad slowly chipped and clawed their way right back into the game while a bigger and more athletic Northern State squad suddenly saw things go totally awry for them. With their lead cut down to a scant point at 40-39, the GAC Black squad suddenly took a 41-40 lead with 7:35 left and still held that one-point edge at 42-41 with 5:48 left. Northern State tried desperately to stem the GAC Black tide but they couldn't find a way to stop freshman-to-be Brooke Lemke out of Delano who was simply sensational down the stretch; hitting "3's" and masterfully running the offense and making things happen on defense as well. With time ticking away, Northern State's situation became more and more desperate as the GAC Black team built a four-point lead at 47-43 with 3:15 left which grew to a seven-point 52-45 lead with just 2:02 left. GAC Black pulled off the big upset on this night; claiming a 54-45 win over a shell-shocked Northern State team to advance to the championship game.
7:30 P.M. Championship Game
GAC Alumni + A Few - 53
GAC Black - 43
You had to wonder if the GAC Black team had anything left in the tank after their big upset win over Northern State. Still, the young, scrappy GAC Black team hung in there in the opening minutes; staying close with their older, bigger opponent. Down the stretch of the first half, however, the inevitable happened as the GAC Alumni + A Few team made a bit of a run fueled by former Gustie PG Bri Radtke and former Augsburg player Anne Skriba (the "A Few" part) that gave them a 20-14 lead with 8:15 left and they maintained that cushion for the rest of the first half as they built a 30-22 halftime lead. But this time there would be no spirited comeback for the GAC Black squad as their rested opponent seized control. Radtke played as though she could hold the point guard spot for her old school for the next ten years while Skriba was simply unstoppable at times. The GAC Black squad wasn't willing to fly the white flag as they made a late flurry to keep things reasonably close but the GAC Alumni + A Few team were the champions at the end with a 53-43 victory.
5:30 P.M. Game
GAC Alumni + A Few - 62
GAC Gold - 45
Despite the fact that I arrived late on this night thanks to some untimely errands I had to run after I got off the bus from work, I could tell that the young GAC Gold squad had their work cut out for them against the bigger, more experienced GAC Alumni + A Few squad which forged a 35-24 halftime lead. Still, the gamey GAC Gold squad tried to get right back into the thick of things once the second half got underway as they managed to whittle the deficit down to single digits in the early going of the second half but their efforts soon faltered. The GAC Alumni + A Few squad rebuilt their lead to double digits and had a thirteen point cushion by the 11:50 mark at 47-34 that would soon grow to seventeen points at 53-36 with 9:25 left and the GAC Alumni + A Few team was able to cruise into Monday night's championship game with a relatively easy 62-45 victory.
6:20 P.M. Game
GAC Black - 54
Northern State - 45
The other semifinal on this night pitted the other young Gustie squad; the GAC Black team up against the team that most projected into the other slot of the championship game on this evening - Northern State. The young GAC Black team managed to keep things close in the early going but late in the second half Northern State was able to make a move. A jumper by freshman-to-be Jaycie Gerding out of Centennial with 4:35 left upped the Wolves lead to 19-14 and a 6-2 Northern State run shortly thereafter increased their lead to 25-16 with 2:00 minutes left in the first half. Northern State appeared to stick an early dagger into the heart of the GAC Black team right before the half when freshman-to-be Taylor Kane (who hit a huge game winner over at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League recently) drilled a jumper from along the right baseline that gave the Wolves a 27-19 halftime lead. But this tricky underdog GAC Black squad slowly chipped and clawed their way right back into the game while a bigger and more athletic Northern State squad suddenly saw things go totally awry for them. With their lead cut down to a scant point at 40-39, the GAC Black squad suddenly took a 41-40 lead with 7:35 left and still held that one-point edge at 42-41 with 5:48 left. Northern State tried desperately to stem the GAC Black tide but they couldn't find a way to stop freshman-to-be Brooke Lemke out of Delano who was simply sensational down the stretch; hitting "3's" and masterfully running the offense and making things happen on defense as well. With time ticking away, Northern State's situation became more and more desperate as the GAC Black team built a four-point lead at 47-43 with 3:15 left which grew to a seven-point 52-45 lead with just 2:02 left. GAC Black pulled off the big upset on this night; claiming a 54-45 win over a shell-shocked Northern State team to advance to the championship game.
7:30 P.M. Championship Game
GAC Alumni + A Few - 53
GAC Black - 43
You had to wonder if the GAC Black team had anything left in the tank after their big upset win over Northern State. Still, the young, scrappy GAC Black team hung in there in the opening minutes; staying close with their older, bigger opponent. Down the stretch of the first half, however, the inevitable happened as the GAC Alumni + A Few team made a bit of a run fueled by former Gustie PG Bri Radtke and former Augsburg player Anne Skriba (the "A Few" part) that gave them a 20-14 lead with 8:15 left and they maintained that cushion for the rest of the first half as they built a 30-22 halftime lead. But this time there would be no spirited comeback for the GAC Black squad as their rested opponent seized control. Radtke played as though she could hold the point guard spot for her old school for the next ten years while Skriba was simply unstoppable at times. The GAC Black squad wasn't willing to fly the white flag as they made a late flurry to keep things reasonably close but the GAC Alumni + A Few team were the champions at the end with a 53-43 victory.
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Playoff Results For Wednesday 7-29-15
Here are the results of the playoff action I was able to catch on Wednesday night at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League:
5:00 P.M. Games
Anoka-Ramsey - 46
St. Olaf - 34
Hamline - 52
ARCC Alumni - 31
5:55 P.M. Game
Warriors - 67
Augsburg #2 - 41
6:50 P.M. Games
Royals - 46
Hamline - 31
CSB - 68
Anoka-Ramsey - 50
7:45 P.M. Games
Augsburg #1 - 50
UST Black - 47
Warriors - 45
Golden Eagle Alumni - 43
8:40 P.M. Games
UST Purple - 42
Dream Team - 30
Northern State - 45
Winona State - 38
While a young and daring Anoka-Ramsey team used its speed and quickness to befuddle St. Olaf in the 5:00 P.M. slot, the Anoka-Ramsey Alumni squad was not nearly as fortunate as Hamline's athleticism was simply too much.....Only one game in the 5:55 P.M. slot as Bethany forfeited its game with the Augsburg #1 squad so sister team Augsburg #2 was flying the flag in their game against the Warriors. But the Warriors had the right combination of size and shooting to easily defeat the Augsburg #2 squad. In the 6:40 P.M. slot, the Royals team methodically wore down MIAC and Snelling Avenue rival Hamline while fellow MIAC competitor CSB put on a nice display with their young group and got a relatively easy win against Anoka-Ramsey........The 7:45 P.M. slot easily had the best games of the night. In one contest, the Augsburg #1 team pulled off what was probably the biggest shocker so far in knocking off the UST Black team but the Auggies had to hold on for dear life toward the end as the Tommies Katie Stone brought her squad back to within one possession late on a dagger "3" from way downtown. In the other contest, the Golden Eagle Alumni; which had such a solid regular season in this league, ran into some more bad luck in the playoffs; this time falling to the Warriors on a last-second basket in a game that was tight from start to finish. In the 8:40 P.M. slot, the UST Purple squad was simply too much for the shooting guns of the Dream Team as they garnered a 42-30 win while two NSIC rivals - Northern State and Winona State - battled it out on the other court. This one was very close for the most part as well but the Winona State team hit a dry patch in the second half and Northern State did all the right things in a very tough, very physical 45-38 win......Had to head for home after the 8:40 P.M. games and missed out on two very likely good games in the 9:35 P.M. slot between Concordia St. Paul and Hoops, I Did It Again and the other contest between B Ballers and Phatties.
Still some good action coming up next week at Midtown YWCA with games starting at 5:00 P.M. again so head on down and take it all in!
5:00 P.M. Games
Anoka-Ramsey - 46
St. Olaf - 34
Hamline - 52
ARCC Alumni - 31
5:55 P.M. Game
Warriors - 67
Augsburg #2 - 41
6:50 P.M. Games
Royals - 46
Hamline - 31
CSB - 68
Anoka-Ramsey - 50
7:45 P.M. Games
Augsburg #1 - 50
UST Black - 47
Warriors - 45
Golden Eagle Alumni - 43
8:40 P.M. Games
UST Purple - 42
Dream Team - 30
Northern State - 45
Winona State - 38
While a young and daring Anoka-Ramsey team used its speed and quickness to befuddle St. Olaf in the 5:00 P.M. slot, the Anoka-Ramsey Alumni squad was not nearly as fortunate as Hamline's athleticism was simply too much.....Only one game in the 5:55 P.M. slot as Bethany forfeited its game with the Augsburg #1 squad so sister team Augsburg #2 was flying the flag in their game against the Warriors. But the Warriors had the right combination of size and shooting to easily defeat the Augsburg #2 squad. In the 6:40 P.M. slot, the Royals team methodically wore down MIAC and Snelling Avenue rival Hamline while fellow MIAC competitor CSB put on a nice display with their young group and got a relatively easy win against Anoka-Ramsey........The 7:45 P.M. slot easily had the best games of the night. In one contest, the Augsburg #1 team pulled off what was probably the biggest shocker so far in knocking off the UST Black team but the Auggies had to hold on for dear life toward the end as the Tommies Katie Stone brought her squad back to within one possession late on a dagger "3" from way downtown. In the other contest, the Golden Eagle Alumni; which had such a solid regular season in this league, ran into some more bad luck in the playoffs; this time falling to the Warriors on a last-second basket in a game that was tight from start to finish. In the 8:40 P.M. slot, the UST Purple squad was simply too much for the shooting guns of the Dream Team as they garnered a 42-30 win while two NSIC rivals - Northern State and Winona State - battled it out on the other court. This one was very close for the most part as well but the Winona State team hit a dry patch in the second half and Northern State did all the right things in a very tough, very physical 45-38 win......Had to head for home after the 8:40 P.M. games and missed out on two very likely good games in the 9:35 P.M. slot between Concordia St. Paul and Hoops, I Did It Again and the other contest between B Ballers and Phatties.
Still some good action coming up next week at Midtown YWCA with games starting at 5:00 P.M. again so head on down and take it all in!
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