CSB vs UST 12-10-16

After enjoying a late breakfast over at the Little Oven Restaurant on St. Paul's East side, my first stop on this Saturday was UST's Schoenecker Arena for the renewal of a long-standing rivalry - visiting CSB going up against host UST.  Making this game even more important was the fact that both teams came into this contest with unblemished records - the Blazers with a sparkling 7-0 record and the Tommies with an equally impressive 6-0 record with both teams being 3-0 in MIAC play.  Obviously something would have to give today and, with this being my first look at CSB this season, I was naturally curious to see if they were as good as their record suggested.  

While UST didn't necessarily come out of the gates fast in the opening period, they did manage to build up a 7-0 lead in the game's first six minutes.  A score in the paint by always-reliable senior post Kaitlin Langer at the 9:06 mark got the show started and then under-appreciated junior guard/forward Lauren Fischer drained a "3" from the right wing area at the 7:00 mark for a 5-0 Tommie advantage and an offensive rebound and putback by Langer at the 6:12 mark completed the burst before CSB finally shook off enough cobwebs and got on the board on an offensive rebound and putback by junior forward Chelsey Guetter at the 5:29 mark.  Two more Langer scores - two free throws with 4:11 left and a score in the paint with 3:37 left - increased the lead to 11-2 before junior post Kate Banovetz connected on a lay-up for the Blazers with 3:22 mark.  But UST was without question setting the tone in this game with their aggressive play and equally-stingy defense that completely befuddled CSB.  Sophomore reserve post Hannah Spaulding got into the paint for one score with 2:59 left and was also able to connect with a jumper from the left wing with 1:03 left that gave the Tommies a 15-5 lead going into the second period.

The Blazers finally started making a few dents in the UST cushion in the opening moments of the second period as a lay-up by lanky 6'3" junior post Nikki Fokken at the 7:51 mark and a three-point bomb by blonde bomber senior guard Annie Dittberner from the left top area at the 7:12 mark had CSB back within single digit range trailing 18-10.  A drive and finish by senior reserve guard Macy Kelly kept the Blazers within that single-digit range trailing 21-12 with 4:25 left.  But things quickly went south from there for CSB as the Tommies responded with a 15-3 blitz down the stretch before the half.  First, Fischer let loose with a "3" from the left corner with 3:33 left and junior guard Maddie Wolkow followed that up with a "3" of her own; this one coming from the right wing area with 2:49 left for a 27-12 lead.  Kelly responded for the Blazers with her own "3" from the right wing with 2:23 left but that paled in comparison to what UST was doing.  Lefty senior guard Paige Gernes uncorked a "3" from the top of the key with 1:57 left and two Fischer free throws with 1:03 left jacked the lead up to 32-15.  Gernes then foiled the ensuing CSB possession when she snared a steal and dashed the other way for a lay-up with :45 left and the icing on this late run was a score in the paint by freshman reserve guard Janelle Alba-Garner with just :00.5 left that gave the Tommies a commanding 36-15 advantage going into the locker room at the half.  It was one thing for CSB to be down by, say, ten to 12 points but to have the deficit suddenly balloon to 21 on the road at UST was Blazer Head Coach Mike Durbin's worst nightmare come true.  And a quick glance of the first half box score revealed some ugly, ugly numbers for CSB:  14 turnovers and 28.6% shooting from FG range while the Tommies were shooting and efficient 42.9% from FG range and 55.6% from three-point land.

Things gradually went from bad to worse for the Blazers once the third period got underway.  CSB tried desperately not to lose any more ground than what they already had as a Dittberner lay-up at the 9:07 mark and Banovetz' offensive rebound and putback of her own miss at the 7:16 mark had the deficit at 22 points at 41-19 but then UST unleashed a 17-0 run that effectively put the daisy on this game for good.  Fischer made a hard drive for a lay-up at the 7:06 mark and then Wolkow banged home a three-point bomb from the top of the key at the 5:06 mark for a 46-19 lead.  Sophomore reserve guard Kaylie Brazil got a "3" of her own from the left wing area with 2:46 left and then two Spaulding scores - two free throws with 1:35 left and a lay-up with 1:25 left - bulged the lead to 55-19.  Wolkow added the exclamation point to this run with her three-point bomb from the left wing area with :26 left for a 58-19 lead and although the Blazers finally stopped the massive bleeding on two free throws by freshman reserve guard Sidney Schiffler with :16 left in the third period, the damage was already done.

Although freshman reserve post Alex Johnson' short shot off the glass at the 9:38 mark of the fourth and final period and one Guetter freebie at the 8:38 mark provided a few extra points for CSB, the Blazers had long since been buried in an avalanche and UST had no concerns about adding layers of snow on their longtime arch-rival.  Wolkow unleashed yet another three-point bomb - this one from the right top area at the 8:30 mark - for a 61-24 Tommie lead.  Gernes connected on a pretty reverse lay-up in transition at the 8:05 mark and then senior guard Gabby Zehrer drained a "3" from the left wing area for a 66-24 lead.  Fischer's score in the paint at the 7:08 mark made it 68-24 and CSB's Durbin called a timeout; knowing full and well that his squad was overwhelmed.  Still, one Spaulding free throw at the 6:22 mark and two more by Alba-Garner at the 5:15 mark made it a 71-24 ballgame before UST Head Coach Ruth Sinn finally called off the dogs and let her bench players get some valuable playing time.  Freshman reserve post Elsa Anderson connected with a lay-up with 4:47 left and also got a score in the paint with 3:44 left.  Freshamn reserve guard/forward Rachel Esker connected with a turnaround jumper with 2:33 left while CSB reserve sophomore guard Courtney Nelson knocked down a "3" from the right wing area with 2:16 left.  Blazer freshman reserve guard Taylor Fields got the last points of the day with her score in the paint with :24 left but UST won this one in a rout 79-35.

I was able to catch up with Sinn afterward who told me that she was very pleased with her team's defensive effort on this day.  Indeed, it seems like most of the time the Tommies hardly even let you breathe when you have the ball.  Despite how this game went today, she still had concerns coming into this particular contest.  "We've GOT to defend better on the perimeter" she said; noting CSB's ability to hit the "3" and how St. Kate's hit ten treys on them in a game last season and how Wartburg did the same to them in the NCAA Tournament this last March.  Meanwhile for CSB, I guess you somehow have to find a way to go forward from this and try to put this one in the rear-view mirror. Still, it has to be a concern for Durbin and his staff getting blown out like this and how his players react from this latest disaster.  Was the Blazers 7-0 record coming into this contest a mirage?  Perhaps although I still think CSB is a solid enough team with more than enough weapons to have a shot at the MIAC playoffs.  But they've got to find a way to get tougher - both physically and mentally and the Blazers looked intimidated on this afternoon. Even worse, a scan of the final box score reveals some ugly numbers.  Senior point guard Alison Newton was simply shut down by the Tommies on this day; zero points and 0-3 from three-point land along with four turnovers.  Guetter; CSB's leading scorer, didn't fare much better with her three points.  If CSB is going to take it to the next level, they have to perform better in these big games.  It's that simple.  UST had a relatively balanced attack in the win with Langer leading the way with her 15 points and nine rebounds while both Wolkow and Fischer chipped in with their 12 points. Banovetz, Dittberner, Johnson and Kelly all had five points for CSB.  The Tommies pounded the Blazers on the boards by a 40-24 count and 20 CSB turnovers did not help their cause.