Looking Ahead To Wednesday Night - A Closer Look At UST vs GAC

In all the years that I've watched and covered MIAC women's hoops, I just can't ever recall a bigger game with so many implications that Wednesday night's game between visiting #3 UST and host #17 GAC has.  What makes this game so incredibly super cool is that not only are both teams unbeaten and capable of making big runs come March, but you can also make an argument for both teams on why they should be favored in this titanic match-up at Lund Arena.  So what I want to try and do here is break things down a little bit, look at each position and look at some numbers and trends as well. First, let's look at each position:

Point Guard:

Gabby Zehrer - UST

Mikayla Miller - GAC

This might be the best match-up of all the spots.  Both are incredibly good players.  They both can handle the ball well and both can light it up from behind the arc if they have to.  Zehrer averages 13.1 ppg and is also pretty reliable from the charity stripe shooting 86.8% for the season so far.  The Gusties rely heavily upon Miller for offensive production as her 17.6 ppg so far this season would suggest.  What a lot of people forget is that Miller can also get down into the paint and do the dirty work that many other guards prefer not to do and she so far has been averaging 4.2 rebounds per game which isn't bad.


Off-Guard Spots:

Maddie Wolkow - UST
Paige Gernes - UST

Justine Lee - GAC
Taylor Anderson - GAC

Wolkow, who was battling some injury problems early in the season, is a true warrior and although she isn't necessarily a prolific scorer as her 4.6 ppg this season would suggest, she can be deadly if she gets an open look behind the arc.  Gernes is a seasoned vet who has paid her dues at UST and is an incredibly good ballhandler and although she isn't necessarily a prolific scorer either as her 4.2 ppg would suggest, she is incredibly good in driving into the paint and drawing a foul and is also someone you would want leading a transition opportunity as well.  For the Gusties, Lee is a sophomore who is slowly carving an idendity for herself averaging 8.3 ppg per game.  Anderson; another sophomore, is a long 5'7" player and though not a prolific scorer at 3.6 ppg can play solid defense out on the perimeter.


Small Forward:

Lauren Fischer - UST

Hannah Howard - GAC

Fischer may easily be the most under-appreciated player on this UST team if not the entire MIAC. She averages 9.5 ppg and can be absolutely lethal from behind the arc, averaging 44.9% from three-point land.  She's also the one person you do not want to foul either late in a game as she will make you pay from the charity stripe where she shoots 93.3%.  And she's not a bad rebounder either averaging 5.4 rebounds per game.  Howard's stat line is equally impressive as she averages 9.4 ppg and can be an absolute monster on the boards and on defense (her specialty).  Like Fischer, she averages 5.4 rebounds a game and she was clutch in the late going against Bethel earlier in the season.


Post:

Kaitlin Langer - UST

Miranda Rice - GAC

Not sure how many more accolades there are when it comes to Langer, who was a First Team All-American, West Region Player of the Year, First Team All West Region and MIAC POY.  And that was just last year.  She averages 19.3 ppg and is an absolute terror on the boards as her 8.5 rebounding average per game would suggest.  She really took her game to a new level last season and you can double-team or triple-team her and she'll STILL find a way to make things happen.  But Rice is no slouch in the post and anyone who underestimates her ability down low is sadly mistaken.  She averages 17.1 ppg and also snares an average of 5.5 rebounds per game.  She's very physical as well and knows how to use her body to initiate contact.  In other words, she's the one person you don't want to have wind up guarding down low one-on-one.


Off The Bench:

Lucia Renikoff - UST
Sarah Krynski - UST
MacKenzie Denk - UST
Hannah Spaulding - UST

Brooke Lemke - GAC
Kelsey Carpenter - GAC
Kendall Thompson - GAC
Emee Udo - GAC

The Tommies took a hit when sophomore Bobbi Brendefur was lost for the season with a knee injury but they still have a very capable squadron coming off the bench that can give quality minutes. Renikoff is a long and athletic guard who averages 7.8 ppg and is very good at the line where she shoots 91.7%.  Krynski; the freshman out of Lakeville North, is learning the ropes but is slowly improving on both sides of the ball.  Denk, another Lakeville North product, is a capable back-up down low to give Langer some breathing time and Spaulding has been able to do the same as well. For the Gusties, Lemke is probably the most dynamic play-maker off the pine.  She averages 5.5 ppg and is a solid defender and very quick to boot.  Carpenter seems to be the forgotten element on this Gustie team but you'd better not forget about her when she's on the floor; particularly behind the arc where she can make you pay in spades.  Thompson is slowly starting to come into her own as a sophomore and she'll only get better as time goes on.  Udo; the former Eastview standout, can use her long 5'9" frame to grab rebounds and be a menace on defense.


Numbers and Trends:

The Tommies mantra has always been defense and the fact that they normally limit opponents to 34.6% from FG range alone will help you win a lot of games.  They normally average 41 total rebounds a game and almost 11 more than opponents so far this season.  That's tough to beat.  But if there's one thing that UST Head Coach Ruth Sinn is deathly afraid of, it's opponent's ability to hit the "3".  For the most part this season, the Tommies have been pretty decent on that front; limiting opponents to 29% from behind the arc. But there have been a few games this season where opponents had some good luck behind the arc and Sinn no doubt remembers all too well how Wartburg sank the Tommies last season in the NCAA Tournament with all those three-point bombs.  Fouls are another item that's been something of an Achilles' heel for UST in recent seasons and they can ill-afford to get into foul trouble early in this game Wednesday night.  The Gusties are pretty tough on the boards as well, averaging 37.7 boards a game; 7.8 more rebounds than opponents do.  I think that's one area that the Gusties - without question - have to win on Wednesday night.  GAC averages about 16.1 turnovers a game and that's a number that'll have to come down a bit on Wednesday night.  The Gusties without question have made tremendous strides this season defensively as they average 12.6 steals per game that's helped them get into transition opportunities much more easily this year.  And that has to be something that makes GAC Head Coach Laurie Kelly feel good about going into this game on Wednesday night.  A couple of other stats that often get overlooked - second-chance points and points in the paint.  UST had their way with Macalester a week ago with a 15-4 edge in second-chance points and a 34-14 dominance in points in the paint.  The game with CSB this last Saturday, however, was a much different story.  In that game where the Tommies still won convincingly enough, their second-chance points was only a 10-6 advantage and CSB actually had the edge in points in the paint by a 20-16 count.  For the Gusties this last Wednesday night up in Moorhead against Concordia, it was something of a mixed bag as Concordia held an 18-14 edge in points in the paint but GAC won the second-chance point category by a 9-2 margin.  This last Saturday it was a much different story as the Gusties dominated the points in the paint category by an overwhelming 38-10 count and had a 12-7 edge in second-chance points.  So it shows that while neither side has been perfect here, they can be good in both of these categories when they have to be.

Finally, I want to look at how these teams won games and how many close games they've been involved in so far this season.  For UST, they have so far received three fairly stern challenges - one by UW-Stevens Point back in November, a nine-point win at Augsburg in December and a ten-point win at St. Olaf back in early January.  The Gusties path to this point has been somewhat tougher as they won a tough four-point game at SMU back in early December, won another tough four-point game at UW-River Falls during the holiday break, had a four-point thriller at Bethel in early January and then had the two-point escape job up in Moorhead against Concordia last week Wednesday.  I'm not sure how much one should draw from that but you have to give the Gusties a lot of credit for managing to hang on to beat some tough opponents on the road and, save for a bit of a tussle with St. Kate's in mid-January, they really have been taking it to opponents in the friendly confines of Lund Arena.


Summary:

So who wins here?  That's an incredibly tough question to answer and as I said earlier, what's really cool about this contest is that you can make strong arguments for both teams.  The numbers that I've looked at and tried to lay out here might give UST a bit of an edge but, then again, when you've got two very good teams on the floor with emotions running high as I expect they will on Wednesday night, you can probably throw a lot of those numbers out the window.  The real beauty of this game, IMHO, is that, the sun will still come up the following morning for the team that comes out on the short end of the stick in this game.  It's far from the end of the world for the team that loses this game. The only thing I would point out here is that this game, from a UST angle anyway, is really just the beginning of what could be a very taxing week for the Tommies.  After this game, they get a very dangerous St. Kate's team in Schoenecker Arena on Saturday then have to hit the road first thing Sunday morning for a trip down to Decorah, Iowa to face IIAC powerhouse Luther; a game that was rescheduled from December after it was snowed out.  So if the Tommies wind up going two out of three this week, that's not a bad proposition.  GAC's remaining road down the home stretch of the regular season is much less stressful.  UST has obviously had more exposure to these big game settings than GAC has had and you can argue that this may very well be the biggest game in GAC women's hoops history; save for the 2002-03 MIAC Championship Game at Carleton.

All I know for sure is this.  You'd better buckle up once you hit Lund Arena tomorrow night for this heavyweight bout because it should be a dandy.  And I sure hope GAC students are there to rock Lund Arena the way it should be rocking for a game like this.  Get your popcorn and hotdogs and let this battle begin!    

MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 1-29-17

A bit more reshuffling of the deck on this Sunday after yet another interesting week of action:


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


Well, it's finally here.  The showdown we have all been waiting for this season.  The Gusties had to hang on for dear life up in Moorhead on Wednesday night but found a way to get the job done and then promptly destroyed SMU yesterday back in the friendly confines of Lund Arena to move to 19-0 on the season.  I just want to say here that I have to give a lot of props to GAC Head Coach Laurie Kelly on getting her program to this point.  I look back a few years ago and realize that I was hard on her and her program for the struggles early on but she's done things her way and they've been improving ever since and now here they are getting ready for perhaps the biggest game the Gusties have ever played and you have to respect how she's been able to get the program back to elite status - her way.  UST meanwhile keeps methodically rolling along with a big home win over Macalester on Wednesday night and then a stomping of CSB up at Claire Lynch yesterday.  All I'm going to say right now is that this upcoming game Wednesday night down in St. Peter may be one of the most titanic match-ups in MIAC Women's Hoops EVER and if you can get down there, I strongly suggest you doing so.  I know damn well that I'll be there and I'll likely have more to say about this game before Wednesday night.

Bethel meanwhile recorded two routine wins this last week as expected; crushing both St. Olaf on Wednesday night down in Northfield and then Macalester yesterday at home in Robertson Center.  But this next week could be a tricky one for the Royals as they have to make a return trip on Wednesday night back down to Northfield to take on a surging Carleton team which is on a roll with a five-game win streak before hosting an unpredictable CSB team back home in Robertson Center on Saturday.  Meanwhile for the Blazers, a mixed bag this last week as they stole one on the road at St. Kate's in a thriller at Butler Center on Wednesday night and then promptly got punched in the mouth at home against fourth-ranked UST yesterday.  Ditto for St. Kate's with the aforementioned game this last Wednesday but then rebounding yesterday to get a tough win at Augsburg to sweep the series for this season.  As such, I feel compelled to have the Blazers and 'Cats together in the third spot in my power rankings.  Don't be surprised to see these two squads together again on Super Bowl Sunday as CSB has St. Olaf at home on Wednesday night before making the trip to Bethel on Saturday while St. Kate's has Macalester at home on Wednesday night but then goes up Cleveland Avenue on Saturday to play at UST.

For the second straight week, the big mover in my power rankings are those tricky Carleton Knights who are riding a five-game win streak.  They went over to Winona this last Wednesday night and dough-popped SMU by a 65-48 count and then held off a late challenge by always-dangerous Hamline at Hutton Arena yesterday.  Anne Hamilton's return to the floor has really helped make everyone on this team better and it's showing in all aspects of the game.  The Knights begin a three-game homestand this next week but the first of the visitors to West Gym this coming Wednesday night will be Bethel and we'll find out if this little run by the Knights is a mirage or something more.  Meanwhile, a rough, rough week for SMU with the aforementioned game with Carleton at home on Wednesday night and then yesterday's disaster at GAC.  Needless to say, a lot of feathers got ruffled for sure but the Cardinals may (or may not) have it a bit easier this coming week with a trip to Hamline on Wednesday night before getting St. Olaf at home on Saturday.

Nobody expected to get Macalester to get through a gauntlet which included the likes of GAC, UST and Bethel in their last three games without getting roughed up and this next week could be just as bad with a short hop over to St. Kate's on Wednesday night before hosting Concordia on Saturday.  The Auggies came away with a split this last week and they have to find some sort of consistency down the home stretch and it won't be easy this next week as they make the long roadie up U.S. Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline up to Moorhead to take on Concordia on Wednesday night and then down to play surging Carleton in Northfield on Saturday.  Hamline is always dangerous and they're competitive in most games and they gave Carleton all they could handle yesterday.  They just can't seem to win games as their seven-game skid suggests.  Concordia gave GAC a real scare on Wednesday night at home before falling and then finally managed to get out of the basement as they knocked off St. Olaf yesterday down in Northfield.  The Corn has a chance to make a few amends on this incredibly disappointing season with a home date against Augsburg on Wednesday night before a trip back down to the Cities on Saturday to take on Macalester.  Slumping St. Olaf has now lost four straight and their prospects look dim at best as roadies against CSB on Wednesday night and SMU on Saturday are in the offing.

St. Kate's vs Augsburg Recap 1-28-17

After leaving Hamline's Hutton Arena, I made the trip back over to the Minneapolis side of town over to Si Melby Hall on the campus of Augsburg College to catch what I could of the 3:00 P.M. game between visiting St. Kate's and host Augsburg.  I got settled in late in the second period just before halftime with the Auggies up 25-23.

Considering how Augsburg took the Wildcats to the wire before falling in a tough one back in December, I fully expected that the Auggies would be in high gear and fired up for the rematch at Si Melby Hall and freshman guard Aiza Wilson's drive and lay-up with just :00.8 left before the halftime buzzer extended the Augsburg lead to 27-23 at the half.  The Auggies increased that lead to eight points early on in the third period as freshman forward Camryn Speese connected with a jumper in the lane at the 9:40 mark and freshman guard Tamira McLemore made good on a drive and finish at the 8:59 mark that made it a 31-23 ballgame.  St. Kate's finally shook off some of the cobwebs on its basket as senior forward Mari Lee got into the paint for one score at the 8:30 mark and a lay-up in transition by junior guard Audra Clark at the 7:53 mark cut the deficit down to a much more manageable four points at 31-27.  The Auggies would get the lead to five points on one free throw by freshman guard K'Aezha Wubben at the 7:38 mark and one free throw by junior reserve forward Bridget Bednar at the 7:07 mark and one more by Wubben at the 5:51 mark maintained that five-point edge at 34-29.  A Lee score in the paint at the 5:40 mark got the 'Cats back within a single possession trailing 34-31 but Wubben got the lead back to five points for Augsburg with her steal and lay-up the other way with 4:47 left for a 36-31 game and St. Kate's looked like they could be in some serious trouble on the road.  But a 13-2 Wildcat run over the course of a three-minute span totally turned things around in this game.  Freshman reserve guard Jackie Radford started this run with her "3" from the right top area with 4:24 left and then Audra Clark finished in a transition opportunity with 3:26 left that drew a foul as well.  The former Kenyon-Wannamingo standout couldn't get the "and one" to fall but flashy senior reserve guard/forward LaShay Holt was there for the offensive rebound and putback that suddenly put St. Kate's out in front 38-36 with 3:23 left.  The Auggies tied the game on Wilson's jumper from the right wing area with 3:09 left and Augsburg Head Coach Ted Riverso called a timeout to try and get his young squadron energized again but the Wildcats weren't finished just yet.  One Holt free throw with 2:57 left and one of those patented Holt two-handed high-arcing three-point bombs from the left top area gave St. Kate's a four-point lead at 42-38.  Senior forward Kennedy Jennings helped extend that lead to six points with her lay-up with 1:47 left for a 44-38 lead before the Auggies could recover somewhat with a 4-0 push.  Bednar was able to connect with a short jumper in the lane with 1:30 left and two freebies by Speese with 1:04 left got Augsburg back to within a single possession trailing 44-42 but the Wildcats would put an exclamation point on this third period when Holt was able to unleash another three-point dagger - this one coming from the right top area with just :01 left as St. Kate's went up 47-42 going into the fourth period.

A Jennings lay-up at the 9:26 mark of the fourth and final period helped the Wildcats maintain that five-point edge at 49-44 but Augsburg would slowly but surely scratch and claw its way back.  Wilson uncorked a "3" from the left wing area at the 8:35 mark that cut the deficit down to two points at 49-47 and then a drive and finish by Speese at the 7:13 mark that also drew a foul and sent the former DeLaSalle standout to the line for the "and one" cut the deficit down to a scant point at 51-50.  A Speese lay-up at the 5:55 mark gave the Auggies their first lead at 52-51 since late in the third period.  The two teams then went back and forth with small leads over the next three minutes that set up this nail-biting finish.  Holt was able to find more magic from behind the arc for St. Kate's as she let loose with a "3" from the top of the key at the 5:29 mark but that was matched by the Auggies Wilson who uncorked a bomb from the left wing area at the 5:13 mark as Augsburg recaptured the lead at 55-54.  The Wildcats took it right back on two Audra Clark freebies with 4:39 left and the Auggies promptly reclaimed it again when Bednar got into the paint for a score on the ensuing Augsburg possession with 4:26 left.  Then a pretty drive along the right baseline and finish by Audra Clark with 3:43 left allowed St. Kate's to take the lead back yet again at 58-57.  But the Auggies would respond with a 5-0 spurt that threatened to snuff out any chance for a sweep by the 'Cats.  Wilson let loose with another three-point bomb - this one from the top of the key with 3:14 left that had Augsburg back up 60-58 and after a foiled St. Kate's possession, Speese was fouled in a transition opportunity with 2:36 left and she promptly sank two free throws for a 62-58 Auggie lead and it looked as if the Wildcats might suffer the same fate as they had on Wednesday night when they lost a heartbreaker at home to CSB.  This time around, however, St. Kate's found the answers late when they needed them the most.  Holt would be fouled on the ensuing Wildcat possession with 2:25 left and she got two charity stripe shots out of it to get the 'Cats back to within a single possession trailing 62-60.  Lee had an open look behind the arc on the ensuing St. Kate's possession and although the former Dawson-Boyd standout couldn't get the bomb to fall, newcomer sophomore guard Kanani Asuncion was there for the offensive rebound and she was able to get into the lane for a short jumper that now leveled things at 62-all.  On the ensuing Auggie possession, Wilson perhaps pulled the trigger too quickly from behind the arc when she had a look and her shot was errant and Holt was there for the rebound for St. Kate's.  Holt would get fouled with 1:03 left and the former St. Paul Humboldt standout sank a pair of freebies that now had the Wildcats back out in front 64-62. Audra Clark then came up with a huge defensive play on Augsburg's ensuing possession as she snared a steal with :50 left and the 'Cats quickly got the ball upcourt in hopes of milking as much clock as possible.  St. Kate's Head Coach Sean Pinkerton; with the shot clock winding down, decided to call a timeout with :36.6 left to try and set up a play to get the ball to Holt.  The plan worked to perfection as Holt was able to make a move and get a lay-up with :33 left that now made it a 66-62 game and now the Auggies were in desperation mode with a short time to get there.  Wubben was able to make a drive along the right baseline for a finish with :19.7 left that narrowed the deficit to two points at 66-64.  After an Augsburg timeout, the Wildcats made sure that they got the ball to their best player - Holt - who was fouled with :14.7 left.  Holt couldn't get the front-end to go down but did sink the back-end free throw attempt that had St. Kate's up 67-64.  In an effort to prevent the three-point shot, the 'Cats opted to foul Auggie freshman reserve forward Abby Jordan and take their chances with her at the charity stripe.  Jordan sank the two free throw attempts that again narrowed the gap to two points with :12.8 left.  Pinkerton again used a timeout to ensure that the Wildcats got the ball to Holt so she could work her magic.  An agonizing six seconds went by before Holt was finally fouled by the Auggies and this time around, Holt got both ends of the two-shot situation to go down that gave St. Kate's the safety net they needed with a four-point lead.  Wubben couldn't get a desperation three-point shot attempt to go down for Augsburg in the final seconds and the Wildcats hung on for a huge 69-65 win.

Pinkerton along with assistants Tim Kjar and Tim Peper all heaved huge sighs of relief afterward.  "Just a huge win for us" Pinkerton said afterward.  Kjar noted following Wednesday night's disappointing finish that CSB made one more great play than the 'Cats did but on this afternoon it was St. Kate's that came up with one more big play when they had to and that seems to be the current life in the incredibly tough MIAC that I personally feel is the best damn conference out there.  For the short-term, the win has St. Kate's in a tie for fifth place in the conference with SMU at 6-6 and with a resurgent Carleton nipping at their heels, this win was big indeed.  A check of the final box score reveals some interesting numbers for this contest.  Augsburg actually shot better in the second half than they did the first and wound up shooting 24-51 in FG range for 47.1% which isn't terrible by any stretch.  Then again, St. Kate's shot considerably better in the second half as well and wound up going 24-61 for 39.3% from FG range (second half was 16-32 for 50%).  The Wildcats had the edge on the boards in this one by a 38-31 count which helped obviously and also shot 75% from the charity stripe.  Holt was just fantastic on this day as she led all scorers with 26 points and, perhaps even more important, grabbed 18 rebounds as well for a "double-double".  Audra Clark had a solid day as well with her 16 points and the versatile Jennings finished with 11 points.  Wilson, who did most of her damage from behind the arc, led the Auggies on this day with her 16 points while Speese chipped in with 13 points and Wubben added 10 points.        

Carleton vs Hamline 1-28-17

After enjoying a great brunch with my good friend Sam Weber of Canadian Pacific Railway over at El Burrito Mercado in South St. Paul in the late A.M., I headed over to Hutton Arena on the campus of Hamline University for an important MIAC match-up between visiting Carleton and host Hamline. The Knights were coming into this contest as arguably one of the hottest teams in the MIAC with a four-game win streak under their belt and suddenly found themselves thrust into the MIAC playoff mix.  The Pipers meanwhile were coming into the game on the throes of a six-game losing streak but had been competitive in most of these games; including a tough 83-71 decision at home to Augsburg this last Wednesday so Hamline was by no means a pushover.

Carleton came out swinging from the opening tip as a "3" from the top of the key by willowy sophomore forward Cece Leone at the 8:13 mark and a jumper along the right baseline by freshman reserve post Erica Ellefson at the 6:19 mark had the Knights up 5-1.  Hamline would close the gap to one point on a "3" from the right wing area by savvy senior guard Chloe Graves at the 5:04 mark and two free throws by fellow senior guard Tia Diggins with 4:01 left had the Pipers in that one-point range trailing 7-6.  Carleton, however, would get the lead to six as junior forward Anne Hamilton connected with a lay-up with 3:37 left and then Leone was able to snare an offensive rebound for a putback with 3:07 left that also drew a foul and the "and one" by the Fairfax, Virginia native made it a 12-6 game.  The Pipers would again close to within a single possession on a "3" from the top of the key by freshman forward Reilly Geistfeld with 2:20 left but again the Knights would step on the gas. Junior reserve forward Katherine Miles got into the paint for a score with 1:53 left and a jumper from the right elbow area with :45 left by Leone extended the lead to seven points at 16-9.  Carleton would close out this period-ending 6-0 push on an offensive rebound and putback junior forward Sarah Waldfogel with :10 left as the Knights sucked out some of the air in Hutton Arena with an 18-9 lead going into the second period.

Hamline would spend a good chunk of the second period trying to keep pace with the deliberate and smart play that the Knights were using in this game and the up-tempo transition offense that the Pipers rely on heavily was a stark contrast to the slower-paced half-court game that Carleton seems to prefer.  Diggins' score in the paint at the 9:13 mark narrowed the gap to seven points at 18-11 but that was quickly answered by the Knights as freshman guard Katie Chavez drained a "3" from the left wing area at the 8:50 mark for the first double-digit lead of the afternoon for Carleton at 21-11 and Piper Head Coach Kerri Stockwell called a thirty-second timeout for a quick defensive fix.  Hamline answered with a "3" from Geistfeld from the top of the key at the 8:33 mark that cut the deficit to seven at 21-14 and a short shot off the glass by junior forward Ivannie Robertson at the 6:54 mark kept the Pipers in that seven-point range trailing 23-16.  But simply trading baskets with its opponent was not getting the job done for Hamline and going colder than a rock from the field down the stretch of the period didn't help the Piper's cause either as Carleton finished up the second period on a 9-0 run.  Freshman post Samantha Cooke started this push with a short jumper at the 6:11 mark and an offensive rebound and putback by Hamilton at the 5:26 mark got the lead back up to double-digits at 27-16.  Then it was Hamilton; the former Minnetonka standout, draining a "3" from the right top area with 4:10 left for a 30-16 lead and Cooke book-ended this run with two free throws with :14.8 left as the Knights trotted into the locker room with a cozy 32-16 lead at the half.  A check of the first half box score reveals that Carleton didn't shoot exceptionally well; going 13-35 for 37.1% from FG range and 3-9 from behind the arc for 33.3%.  Rather, the big stat that stood out (at least for me anyway) was the 33-18 advantage the Knights had on the boards which included 11 offensive rebounds which resulted in points more often than not.  And a tough Knight defense limited Hamline to an incredibly cold 5-33 from FG range for 15.2% and an equally-icy 3-13 from behind the arc for 23.1%.

The Pipers needed a recharge and it would be sophomore guard Alaina Quaranta who would provide some spark in the early moments of the third period.  The Eau Claire, Wisconsin native; quiet in the first half, got into the books with a lay-up at the 9:52 mark and followed that up a bit later with a lay-up in transition at the 7:51 mark that cut the deficit down to fourteen at 34-20.  Two Diggins freebies at the 6:53 mark and a short jumper from the left side by Quaranta at the 6:19 mark provided some hope for Hamline trailing 38-24.  But the Knights would push the lead to nineteen on a drive into the lane and jumper by Waldfogel with 4:41 left and a short shot by Leone that drew a foul and sent her to the line for the obligatory free throw that made it a 43-24 game with 3:26 left and things looked bleak indeed for Hamline at this point.  But just when everything appeared lost for the Pipers, they suddenly somehow caught fire down the stretch of the third period.  Freshman reserve forward Aly Sartain got into the paint for a score with 2:57 left and then it was Geistfeld unleashing terror from behind the arc with her "3" from the right top area with 2:29 left that cut Carleton's lead down to 43-29.  Then it was the Texan on the Hamline team; freshman reserve guard Kaeli Stayer, draining a "3" from the right wing area with 1:58 left that slimmed the deficit down to eleven points at 43-32 and Knight Head Coach Cassie Kosiba felt compelled to call for a thirty-second timeout to get her troops shored up defensively.  Carleton appeared to make the recovery they were seeking when Hamilton got into the paint for a score with 1:40 left that also drew a foul and her "and one" pushed the lead back up to fourteen points and 46-32.  But the Pipers were by no means going away anytime soon and they served notice that the last full period would be a battle.  Graves was able to sneak into the paint off of an inbounds pass for a score that drew a foul and allowed the Denver, Colorado native to sink the ensuing freebie with :57 left and two more free throws by Geistfeld with :24.2 suddenly had Hamline back within single-digit range going into the fourth and final period trailing 46-37.

The Pipers made further inroads in the early moments of the fourth period.  Stayer found her touch from behind the arc again at the 9:21 mark and promptly drilled a "3" from the same right wing area that pulled Hamline tantalizingly close trailing 46-40.  A jumper by Geistfeld from the right elbow area at the 8:37 mark and a drive and finish by the wily Graves at the 8:08 mark kept the Pipers in that six-point range trailing 50-44.  But this Carleton team that could have easily panicked at the most crucial moment instead hunkered down and showed resiliency when they needed it.  Hamilton drained a "3" from the left corner at the 7:46 mark and a short jumper off the glass by Waldfogel at the 6:54 mark got the lead back up to double-digits at 55-44.  Knight fans had cause for concern with 4:19 left when Leone; coming down on a shot attempt, accidentally stepped on the foot of a Piper and rolled her ankle slightly that forced her to the bench for a spell.  Hamline would still not concede anything and attempted another push.  Graves scored on a drive and finish with 3:37 left and a Quaranta "3" from the left corner with :59 left cut the deficit down to five points at 56-51.  Again, however, the Knights showed incredible resolve and poise when they needed it.  Carleton got into the bonus with :40.6 left when Chavez was fouled and her two free throws got the lead back up to seven points at 58-51 and one more Chavez freebie with :28.5 left made it a 59-52 game.  Quaranta would throw one last scare into the Knights with her "3" from the left top area with :17.3 left that cut the Carleton lead down to four points at 59-55 but one Waldfogel free throw with :14.8 left and two more by Chavez with just :06.7 left iced this one as the Knights recorded their fifth straight win with a 62-55 victory.

I managed to catch up with both Kosiba and Assistant Coach Chris Dahled afterward to congratulate them on extending the win streak to five.  Both were astonished at the number of offensive rebounds the Knights had in the first half (11).  "Normally it would be around five or six" Kosiba said but she wasn't complaining.  Indeed, the Knights owned the boards on this day by a total count of 55-38 and that disparity alone will more often than not help you win ballgames.  Another big factor in Carleton's win today was solid free throw shooting; 14-17 for 82.4%.  Again, the Knights didn't shoot exceptionally well from either FG range or from three-point land but the rebounding factor helped negate some of that.  The other thing that I saw in this game (for me anyway) is that I began to see some of the characteristics in this squad that I used to see on a regular basis of the great Carleton teams from 2001-2008.  A solid front line that can get physical when it has to and smart, discipline play in the backcourt.  But even Kosiba admitted afterward that she isn't worried about the winning aspect right now.  Rather, it's simply about trying to get better every day and it's clear that the Knights are definitely on the right track.  Moreover, having Hamilton back on the floor seems to just make everybody better and if they can continue this, they will be tough to beat in the second half of the regular season.  Three Carleton players on this day recorded "double-doubles".  Leone with 15 points and 11 rebounds, Hamilton's 14 points and 10 rebounds and Waldfogel's 13 points and 10 rebounds.  The Pipers also had three players in double figures scoring wise.  Geistfeld led the way with 14 points while Quaranta added 12 points and Graves added 10 points.  Obviously, Hamline picked up the pace offensively in the second half, shooting much better as they were 14-34 for 41.8% from FG range and 5-15 for 33.3% from behind the arc.  It has to be frustrating for Stockwell and her staff to get close in the fourth period only to have things go awry at the crucial moment.  

Maple Grove vs Park Center 1-27-17

Made the short hop over to Park Center High School on this Friday evening to take in the match-up between visiting Maple Grove and host Park Center.  This would be my first look at the Crimson this season and it's arguably been a bit of a rebuilding year for Head Coach Mark Cook and his staff as Maple Grove came into this contest with a 7-10 record overall and with an interesting mix of youth and veteran leadership.  The Pirates meanwhile were coming off an important win over nearby arch-rival Champlin Park on Tuesday night and with the team getting over the flu bug that hit them late last week, Head Coach Chris VanderHyde and his staff were hoping to see their squad turn it up a notch or two.

Park Center drew first blood in this contest as speedy junior guard Sommer Blakemore drained a "3" from the right wing area on the Pirates first possession at the 17:25 mark but Maple Grove would answer that with an 8-0 run; highlighted by a lay-ups in transition by junior forward Autumn Mlinar at the 16:55 mark and by junior forward Katrina Theis at the 16:09 mark that helped give the Crimson a 6-3 advantage.  Two free throws by senior forward Sarah Liimatta at the 15:45 mark capped this early run by Maple Grove before the Pirates could narrow the gap to two points on a three-point bomb by slender junior guard Meghan DuBois at the 15:25 mark.  Still, the Crimson seemed to have the upper hand as they employed a mixture of 2-3 and 2-1-2 zone defenses that seemed to throw Park Center for a bit of a loop.  A drive and finish by senior guard Abbey Rostamo at the 15:15 mark extended the lead to four points at 10-6 and a Rostamo jumper from the left wing area at the 14:34 mark maintained that four-point edge at 12-8.  A score in the paint by Theis at the 13:38 mark and two free throws by Theis at the 12:03 mark stretched the lead to seven at 16-9 before the Pirates could break out of their early doldrums.  Senior sharp-shooting guard Ann Simonet took some of the cobwebs off the Park Center basket with her lay-up that drew a foul and sent the future UM-Duluth Bulldog to the line for the "and one" which cut the deficit to a slightly more manageable four points at 16-12 but the Crimson again responded.  Junior reserve forward Sydni Schulte blasted through a gap to connect with a lay-up at the 11:40 mark and two freebies by senior reserve forward Kendall First at the 10:22 mark got the lead to eight points at 20-12.  First was able to muscle into the paint for a score at the 10:00 mark that now had Maple Grove up by double digits at 22-12 and several fans in the Park Center stands were feeling a bit uneasy at this point as many thought that this game would be a rather routine win for the home team.

Slowly but surely, the Pirates would whittle away at the deficit in front of them.  Blakemore dropped her second three-point bomb of the evening - this one coming from the left top area at the 9:10 mark and an offensive rebound and putback by lanky 6'3" senior post Mikayla Hayes with 7:05 left trimmed the Maple Grove lead down to seven at 24-17.  Two free throws by Hayes; the future Florida Gator with 6:37 left and another Blakemore "3" - this one from the right top area with 5:08 left - suddenly cut that nice little Crimson cushion down to two points at 24-22 and Maple Grove's Cook had no choice but to call a timeout to survey the damage done.  The Crimson appeared to recover somewhat after that stoppage in play as Rostamo dropped two free throws after getting fouled with 4:25 left and one more by First with 3:55 left upped the Maple Grove lead to five points at 27-22. Blakemore's drive and finish off the glass with 2:05 left had the Pirates back to within a single possession trailing 27-24 but Crimson junior reserve forward Rebekah Tyler nailed a "3" from the right top area with 1:50 left to make it 30-24 and a Mlinar lay-up with 1:06 left pushed the lead to eight points at 32-24.  Park Center would make one last swipe right before the halftime intermission with Simonet's steal and lay-up the other way with :04 left that cut the deficit down to six points at 32-26 but the Pirate's VanderHyde knew full and well that his squad had a lot of work in front of it if they wanted to come away with the "W" on this night.

Whatever VanderHyde said in the locker room at the half sure seemed to work as Park Center came out in the second half with a renewed vigor and intensity.  Two scores to start this second half - a "3" by senior point guard Danielle Schaub from the right corner at the 17:39 mark and a score in the paint by Hayes at the 16:27 mark - trimmed the deficit down to a scant point at 32-31.  The Crimson tried to recover as a short jumper from the left side by Liimatta at the 15:44 mark got the lead back up to three at 34-31 but another Hayes score in the paint at the 15:27 mark and two Schaub free throws after the future Concordia St. Paul Golden Bear was fouled in a transition opportunity at the 14:56 mark pushed the Pirates ahead 35-34 for the first time since the opening moments of the ballgame.  Again Maple Grove tried to recover.  A "3" from the top of the key by senior guard Skyler Dodge at the 14:20 mark pushed the Crimson back out in front again at 37-35 and a Mlinar score in the paint at the 14:02 mark got Maple Grove's lead up to four points at 39-35.  The Pirates would respond with a 6-0 push, however, that allowed them to recapture the lead - this time for good.  Schaub unleashed another "3" - this one from the right corner again - at the 13:32 mark and one free throw by DuBois who was fouled on a drive to the basket at the 12:43 mark tied the game at 39-all.  Then it was the freewheeling DuBois with a pretty lay-up in transition at the 12:11 mark that gave Park Center the lead at 41-39.  Freshman reserve guard Lauren Frost lit up the gym with her "3" from the right top area at the 11:20 mark for a 44-40 Pirate advantage and even though Maple Grove would close the gap to a single point a bit later on one free throw by junior reserve guard Lauryn Moline at the 10:53 mark and a score in the paint by Theis at the 10:15 mark, Park Center had grabbed the bull by the horns so to speak that had momentum clearly in their favor.

Oddly enough, it would be the young ones who would give the Pirates a lift after the Crimson got close again.  Junior reserve forward Charo Nickens snuck into the paint for one score at the 9:55 mark and then it would be Frost reigning terror from three-point land again - this one from the left corner at the 9:12 mark that seemed to do a wicked dance on the rim before falling through - that upped the Park Center lead to 49-43.  A short jumper in the lane by Simonet with 8:28 left maintained the six-point edge at 51-45 but a stubborn Maple Grove team refused to fly the white flag.  Sydni Schulte uncorked a "3" from the top of the key with 7:55 left and two Dodge freebies with 7:04 left had the Crimson back within a single possession trailing 53-50.  Frost and Charo Nickens would come through again to save Park Center.  Frost sank one charity stripe shot with 6:46 left and Charo Nickens snuck into the paint again for a score with 6:01 left that gave the Pirates a bit more of a safety net up 56-50.  Hayes got into the paint for a score with 4:01 left and two Frost free throws with 3:09 left now had Park Center up 60-51.  The Crimson would still make one last try to upset the apple cart on the road.  Theis was able snare an offensive rebound of her own miss for a putback with 2:50 left and then connected with a lay-up in transition a little less than a minute later with 1:56 left that trimmed the deficit down to five points at 60-55.  Maple Grove's Cook called a timeout to set up strategy to try and forge an unlikely comeback.  But the Crimson were also now forced to foul in an effort to preserve as much time on the clock as possible and it was here that Park Center was finally able to ice the game.  Schaub; the Pirates ever-reliable point guard, calmly dropped two freebies after getting fouled with 1:29 left that made it a 62-55 game and after a foiled Maple Grove possession, Hayes was subsequently fouled on the defensive rebound and her two freebies with 1:19 left pushed the lead to nine at 64-55.  That nine point edge would be too much to overcome in such a short time frame although the Crimson would get two last scores in a vain effort to do that.  Theis dropped two free throws after getting fouled with :47.6 left and Sydni Schulte connected with a lay-up cutting the deficit to five but Park Center was able to run the clock out and pocketed a key 64-59 Northwest Suburban Conference win.

One of the keys to the Pirates victory on this night was an incredibly balanced scoring attack with four players in double figures scoring-wise.  It was a fantastic outing for the youngster, Frost, with her 13 points and Hayes also had 13 points as well.  Schaub had 12 points while Blakemore chipped in with 11 points.  Maple Grove relied heavily, on the other hand, on Theis as she led all scorers with 19 points.  Another big factor for the Pirates was Hayes' rebounding efforts as her 14 boards helped her get a "double-double" on this night.  And, while I rarely comment on the officiating of any games, I feel compelled to comment on the officials on this night.  They were simply atrocious as a group and one of the officiating members was in way over his head with several mistakes being made during the game on free throws and other matters.  At the same time, we forget that, as fans, coaches and players, that officials are human beings as well and even the best ones make mistakes at times.  I get that and totally understand that.  And this is coming from someone who has garnered his share of code violations on the tennis court over the years and likely still will.  But I think that the governing body that handles officials has to do a better job to insure quality officiating and if it's more training and video work they have to do, then so be it.  Park Center's VanderHyde couldn't contain his frustration about the officiating either.  "Horrible.  Just horrible" he said.  Yet, the Pirates were able to overcome those obstacles and get a key win that helps solidify their case for a number-one seed in Section 5AAAA and hold their first place status in the Southern Division of the Northwest Suburban Conference as well.      

CSB vs St. Kate's 1-25-17

Made my way over to Butler Center on the campus of St. Kate's on this Wednesday evening to take in a crucial mid-season contest between visiting CSB and host St. Kate's.  The Blazers were one game up on the Wildcats in the standings so this would be a big chance for St. Kate's to move up and the perfect set-up was there for them with this game in the friendly confines of Butler Center.  The Blazers were looking to rebound from a heartbreaker at Carleton this last weekend and were hoping to maintain their fourth place slot in the MIAC standings coming down the home stretch.

Things would be tight in the early going although the Wildcats would have a slight edge.  Senior forward Kennedy Jennings connected with a lay-up at the 9:42 mark to get things going for this normally high-octane St. Kate's team and after Blazer junior forward/post Nikki Fokken tied the game at 2-all with her jumper along the left baseline at the 8:45 mark, Wildcat newcomer sophomore guard Kanani Asuncion connected with a lay-up at the 8:21 mark for a 4-2 St. Kate's lead.  The Wildcats would achieve another two-point advantage on an offensive rebound and putback by senior reserve guard/forward LaShay Holt at the 5:22 mark for a 6-4 ballgame but CSB senior guard Annie Dittberner would tie the game on her lay-up at the 5:09 mark.  The Wildcats appeared to make their first decisive move of the game with 4:11 left in the opening period as Jennings was able to maneuver into the paint for a score and then freshman guard Danica Cambrice connected with a lay-up in transition with 1:11 left that drew a foul and the ensuing "and one" pushed St. Kate's lead to 11-6.  The Blazers, however, were able to get back to within a single possession when junior reserve guard Morgan Merritt connected with a lay-up in transition of her own with :38 left that narrowed the Wildcat lead down to 11-8 going into the second period.

CSB looked to grab some early momentum in the second period as a score by junior post Kate Banovetz in the paint at the 8:30 mark cut the deficit to a scant point at 11-10 and a jumper along the left baseline by the lanky Fokken as the shot clock was expiring at the 7:26 mark gave the Blazers their first lead of the evening at 12-11.  But St. Kate's snared that momentum away with a 7-0 push. Senior forward Mari Lee dropped two free throws after getting fouled at the 6:52 mark and then Jennings connected on a pretty reverse lay-up at the 6:22 mark.  Asuncion capped this run with a "3" from the right wing area at the 5:39 mark for an 18-12 Wildcat lead.  While the lead was hardly insurmountable from a CSB standpoint, less than stellar free throw shooting hampered the Blazers down the stretch before the halftime buzzer.  After Fokken connected with a jumper along the right baseline with 4:30 left that cut the deficit to four at 18-14, the Oronoco native missed a pair of charity stripe shots with 3:56 left and so did Banovetz with 2:52 left.  Fokken finally broke the spell when she sank two freebies after getting fouled with 2:26 left to get the Blazers back to within a single possession trailing 18-16.  Freshman reserve post Alex Johnson was able to get into the paint for a score with 1:14 left to keep the deficit at two points at 20-18 and after St. Kate's pushed the lead to four on a short jumper by freshman reserve guard Jackie Radford with :52 left, Johnson again got CSB back to a single possession with her short shot off the glass with just :11.9 left before both teams headed to the locker room for the halftime recess with the Wildcats up 22-20.  A check of the first half box score shows that neither team was shooting the lights out.  St. Kate's shot only 8-29 from FG range for 27.6% and the Blazers were only marginally better at 9-26 for 34.6%.  CSB did indeed own the glass with a 24-17 edge in rebounding but what had to be bothering Blazer Head Coach Mike Durbin and his staff in the locker room was the team's abysmal free throw shooting; going only 2-8 from the line for 25%.

A Cambrice score in the paint at the 9:36 mark pushed the Wildcat lead back to four points at 24-20 but getting in down low for any score was proving to be a chore for this free-wheeling St. Kate's team as the Blazers had gone to a 2-3 zone defense early on in this contest; something of a rarity for Durbin who in years past, often relied on tough man-to-man defense.  But with a long and athletic team such as CSB, they were making the most of Durbin's philosophical change of heart and that likely helped recharge the Blazers as they proceeded to go on an 11-0 blitz that definitely changed the complexion of this contest.  Banovetz connected with a short shot off the glass at the 9:05 mark to get this run going and one Fokken free throw at the 7:41 mark cut the deficit down to one point at 24-23. Back-to-back scores by Banovetz - one in the paint at the 7:15 mark that gave CSB the lead at 25-24 and a lay-up in transition at the 6:28 mark - made it a 27-24 ballgame.  Junior forward Chelsey Guetter connected with a lay-up in transition as well at the 5:52 mark and a pretty move in the paint and finish by Fokken at the 5:09 mark suddenly had the Blazers up 31-24 and St. Kate's Head Coach Sean Pinkerton had to take a match to a timeout to try and stem this tidal wave that CSB was riding. That stoppage in play helped the 'Cats catch their breath and they slowly battled their way back. Cambrice was able to knock down a jumper from the right elbow area off the glass with 4:20 left and the flashy Holt was able to get to the charity stripe for two shots after getting fouled with 3:43 left that narrowed the deficit down to a single possession at 31-28.  A Holt drive and finish with 1:37 left kept the deficit at three points at 33-30 and two more free throws by the former St. Paul Humboldt standout with :29.5 left at least had St. Kate's right back in the thick of things again trailing by one at 33-32 going into the fourth period.

One Cambrice free throw at the 9:28 mark of the fourth and final period knotted things up at 33 a piece but some warning signs were starting to rear their ugly heads for St. Kate's.  Asuncion had already been tagged with her third foul of the evening late in the third period and then Cambrice herself picked up her fourth foul of the night at the 8:02 mark and two Guetter free throws - one at the 8:42 mark and then the one at the 8:02 mark - had the Blazers up 35-33.  A Radford "3" from the right wing area pushed St. Kate's back out in front 36-35 but that didn't last long.  Senior point guard Allison Newton's jumper in the lane at the 6:14 mark and a score in the paint by Banovetz at the 5:21 mark re-established a three-point edge by CSB at 39-36.  A Fokken score in the paint with 4:31 left helped maintain that three-point lead at 41-38 but the 'Cats appeared to once again steal the show and the momentum when Jennings made one of her patented hard drives for a finish that also drew a foul and allowed the former Dallas Center-Grimes (IA) standout to sink the obligatory free throw that knotted the game at 41 a piece.  One Holt free throw with 3:15 left kept things tied up at 42 a piece and then Lee; the former Dawson-Boyd standout, buried a "3" from from the left wing area with 2:23 left that allowed St. Kate's to push its nose out in front again at 45-44.  The tension was real in the last two minutes as both teams traded small one-point leads.  Fokken connected with a jumper from the free throw line with 1:58 left to push the Blazers back out in front at 46-45.  Holt put the Wildcats out in front one last time with her drive and finish with 1:16 left for a 47-46 game.  The ensuing CSB possession was telling for the outcome and how the Blazers used their length for rebounding to gain the edge when it counted.  Dittberner let loose with a three-point shot attempt with just under a minute left and although it missed its intended mark, her backcourt partner, Newton was there to grab the long rebound.  Newton herself tried launching a three-point attempt but Lee was able to get a hand on the ball that sent the shot attempt awry.  Banovetz, however, was in the right place at the right time and she snared the loose ball and was able to get into the paint for a score with :38 left that pushed CSB back into the lead at 48-47.  Still plenty of time for St. Kate's to try and respond and as the 'Cats worked the ball carefully around the perimeter, Asuncion spotted just the tiniest crack in that 2-3 zone defense the Blazers were in and took her chances on a drive.  Her shot attempt, however, was off the mark with :10 left and Fokken was right there for the rebound.  St. Kate's still had a foul to give and they used that up right away and Durbin called a timeout with :07.1 left to set up strategy. On CSB's ensuing inbounds pass, freshman reserve guard Sidney Schiffler was fouled with :03.7 left and the former Albany standout calmly stepped to the charity stripe on the other end and sank two shots that upped the Blazer lead to 50-47.  Still one last chance for St. Kate's as Pinkerton drew up a play for a final three-point attempt to try and send the game into overtime.  Lee was near the half-court line to inbound the ball but a stingy CSB defense had Pinkerton clamoring for another timeout to avoid risking a five-second call.  The second time around, Lee got the ball inbounds pass to Holt who was guarded tightly and with :01.3 left, she launched up an off-balance shot from near the top of the key that missed its mark.  There appeared to be some possible contact as she put the shot attempt up and Pinkerton pleaded with the officials on the no-call but to no avail as the Blazers took a precious 50-47 road victory back to St. Joe.

A mightily relieved Durbin was heaving several sighs of relief after this hard-fought battle.  I asked him first about the 2-3 zone defense he employed for most of this contest which seemed to be in stark contrast to normal operating practices with CSB's normal reliance on man-to-man defense.  Durbin admitted that it is something indeed different for him and his team but when you have a long, athletic team like the Blazers do what with Fokken, Banovetz and Guetter along with two athletic and quick guards like Dittberner and Newton, it works.  Moreover, as Durbin alluded to, it can really hamper shot vision and selection not to mention stop other teams from getting into the lane for easy shots.  Of course, Durbin could not help but wince at his squad's abysmal free throw shooting for the night which saw them go only 8-18 for the night for 44.4%.  "Atrocious.  Just absolutely atrocious" he said; noting that he wishes he could have a sports psychologist for every player on this squad when it comes to free throws.  Yet, the Blazers got away with it on this night and part of that can be attributed to CSB's dominance on the boards on this night by a 47-32 count.  Durbin couldn't help but sing praises for Banovetz on this night.  "Kate was just a monster on the glass" he said.  Meanwhile, it really came down to CSB making one more great play than the Wildcats did on this night as a disappointed St. Kate's Assistant Head Coach Tim Kjar alluded to afterward.  Banovetz and Fokken were the only players in double figures scoring-wise on this night for the Blazers as both finished with 17 points a piece.  Guetter only had four points but, more importantly, grabbed 10 rebounds.  St. Kate's had only two double-figure scorers as well as Holt led the way with 13 points while Jennings had 11.  It was a tough night from behind the arc for the 'Cats on this night as they went only 3-21 for a paltry 14.3% and for a team that normally can reign terror from three-point land, this had to be a tough one for Pinkerton and his staff to absorb.  That 2-3 zone defense that CSB employed also hampered normal FG shooting as well as the 'Cats shot only 16-58 for 27.6% for the game.  

Champlin Park vs Park Center 1-24-17

Made the short run over to Park Center High School on this Tuesday evening to take in this incredibly huge Northwest Suburban Conference showdown between visiting Champlin Park which made its way down Zane Avenue to take on host Park Center.  The Rebels gave second-ranked Elk River all they could handle and then some a week ago in an overtime loss and the Pirates were coming off a split from late last week; losing to Wayzata on Thursday night and then trouncing Irondale on Friday night.  Moreover, the dreaded flu bug had been making its rounds on the Park Center squad as of late that forced a few players to lay low over the weekend so you had to wonder if the Pirates would be at full-strength for this important contest.

Things would be tight as expected in the early going.  Park Center senior sharp-shooting guard Ann Simonet's "3" from the right corner at the 16:55 mark gave the Pirates a 3-2 advantage and one free throw by lanky senior post Mikayla Hayes at the 16:37 mark pushed the lead to 4-2.  Champlin Park came right back on a pretty one-handed jumper in the lane by junior forward Gabby Mocchi at the 16:20 mark that tied the score but speedy junior guard Sommer Blakemore helped Park Center re-establish a two-point advantage with her lay-up at the 15:01 mark.  The Rebels would come right back again and tie the score at 6 a piece on free throws by 6'2" sophomore post Makayla Johnson at the 14:38 mark and another one at the 13:58 mark.  The back-end attempt that missed its mark, however, fell into the hands of Mocchi who avoided the box-out and her subsequent lay-up at the 13:55 mark not only gave Champlin Park the lead at 8-6 but also seemed to fuel a bit of energy into the upset-minded Rebels.  Johnson; who would be fouled in a transition opportunity at the 13:08 mark, sank two free throws to maintain the two-point edge at 10-8.  Junior guard Erica Hicks; who had a fantastic night against Elk River a week ago, connected on a lay-up in transition at the 12:48 mark that got the lead to 12-8.  Park Center momentarily stalled this drive on another Simonet three-point bomb from the right corner at the 12:09 mark that cut the Rebel lead down to a point at 12-11 and a score in the paint by freshman reserve forward Charo Nickens kept the Pirates in that scant point range trailing 14-13.  Champlin Park, however, was able to make another push as senior forward Allison Gerads connected with a lay-up at the 11:19 mark that also drew a foul and the ensuing "and one" got the lead to 17-13.  Mocchi's lay-up in transition at the 10:50 mark now made it a 19-13 game and Pirate Head Coach Chris VanderHyde; concerned about how things were going, decided to take a time-out to discuss things with his squad.

Park Center seemed to come out of that short stoppage in play with a renewed effort as they narrowed the gap to a single possession.  Senior point guard Danielle Schaub knocked down a short jumper at the 10:32 mark and Charo Nickens was able to sneak into the paint for another score at the 9:35 mark that cut the Rebel lead down to two points at 19-17.  But the Pirates were still having problems trying to figure out exactly how to attack that long Champlin Park 2-3 match-up zone they were employing and the Rebels were able to mount another march.  Gerads was able to drain a "3" from the top of the key at the 9:20 mark and two Hicks freebies with 7:55 mark gave Champlin Park their biggest lead of the evening at seven at 24-17.  The Pirates could have arguably been in a lot of trouble right then and there but this experienced squad hunkered down and embarked on a 10-0 run that really swung a lot of momentum back towards Park Center.  Two Schaub free throws with 7:20 left cut the deficit to five points and then the trademark pressure defense that the Pirates are so famous for kicked in. Simonet snared a steal in the backcourt and got a lay-up out of it with 6:30 left and then Schaub drilled a "3" from the left corner with 4:58 left that knotted things up at 24-all.  A "3" from the left corner by Blakemore with 3:06 left capped this run before a somewhat shell-shocked Champlin Park team could recover to grab a one-point lead.  Johnson connected with a lay-up with 2:52 left and a short shot by junior guard Amanda Pollard with 1:58 lead had the Rebels up 28-27.  Park Center would come right back and reclaim the lead as a score in the paint by Hayes with 1:41 left and a "3" from the left wing area by Schaub with 1:15 left gave the Pirates a four-point edge at 32-28.  Two Schaub free throws with :18.1 left maintained that four-point cushion at 34-30 and it looked as if Park Center had some real momentum going into the locker room at the half.  But there was an air of uncertaintly right before the halftime buzzer as the Rebels' Johnson connected with a lay-up with :05.8 left that also drew a foul and the obligatory free throw had Champlin Park down only by one at 34-33 as both teams trotted into the locker room for the halftime break.

Whatever uncertainty or lack of energy the Pirates lacked in the first half, they more than made up for that in the second half.  Right off the bat, Park Center came out swinging.  Slender sophomore guard Meghan DuBois snared a steal and dashed the other way for a lay-up at the 17:39 mark and a Blakemore "3" from the left corner at the 16:51 mark suddenly pushed the Pirate lead to 39-33 and Champlin Park Head Coach Josh Steck wasted no time in calling a halt to the action to get his squad calmed down.  The Rebels momentarily slowed the tide against them as Hicks buried a "3" from the left top area at the 15:01 mark that had Champlin Park back to within a single possession trailing 39-36.  The Pirates slowly increased their lead back up to five points as a score in the paint by Hayes at the 14:40 mark and one DuBois freebie at the 14:02 mark made it a 42-37 game and a short jumper in the lane off the glass by Hayes at the 13:22 mark pushed the lead to seven at 44-37.  The Rebels would still hang around, however, thanks to Hicks.  She connected with a short running jumper at the 13:00 mark and dropped two free throws after getting fouled at the 12:38 mark that again had Champlin Park back in striking distance range trailing 44-41.  The Pirates slowly rebuilt the cushion as two charity stripe shots by Simonet at the 12:25 mark and one by junior reserve guard Azsha Michael at the 10:20 mark made it a 47-41 game and a Schaub score in the paint at the 9:45 mark maintained that six-point edge at 49-43.

Park Center would increase the lead to nine when Simonet connected with a short jumper off of a drive and drew a foul in the process and the future Minnesota-Duluth Bulldog's ensuing free throw made it a 52-43 ballgame but the Rebels would go on a 5-0 push that allowed them to dangerously hang around again.  Two Hicks free throws at the 9:00 mark and a pretty score in the paint off of an inbounds pass by Gerads with 8:27 left cut the deficit down to five at 52-47.  Hicks followed that up with one free throw with 7:49 left that had Champlin Park right in the thick of things trailing 52-48. But when the Rebels needed to make that next move, missed free throws and other little mistakes did them in on this night.  Pollard missed a free throw attempt with 7:15 left and Johnson missed two free throws with 6:32 left that, at the very least, could have changed the complexion of things.  As such, Park Center gradually began to pull away.  One Simonet free throw with 7:07 left and two more by Blakemore who was fouled in a transition opportunity with 6:49 left made it a 55-48 game and a Schaub lay-up in transition with 6:25 left increased the lead to 57-48.  The Pirates grabbed their first double-digit lead of the evening on a lay-up in transition by Blakemore with 5:41 left and a score in the paint by Hayes with 4:27 left got the lead to twelve at 61-49.  Hicks tried to bring her Champlin Park team back into the fray with her drive and finish that also drew a foul and, along with the "and one", briefly had the Rebels back within single digit range trailing 61-52.  But Park Center shut the door for good on any comeback attempt by their visitors up the road as they got into the double-bonus with 3:58 left.  Hayes knocked down one free throw attempt at that point and a Simonet lay-up with 3:32 left had the lead back up to double-digits for good at 64-52.  Hayes would also knock down a short shot off the glass with 3:10 left and connect with a lay-up with 1:29 left for a 68-52 Pirate lead.  Both VanderHyde and Steck sent in their reserves for mop-up duty and Park Center was able to get an important 69-56 win under their belt to move to 12-5 on the year.

Both VanderHyde and Assistant Coach Luke Swedberg agreed that this was a big win for the squad; especially considering how a good chunk of the team had gone down with the flu bug over the last few days.  VanderHyde admitted that the Pirates didn't show the energy and intensity they needed to in the first half but they more than made up for that in the second half.  And it was a solid night indeed for the senior trio of Schaub, Simonet and Hayes with 16, 16 and 12 points, respectively.  I think VanderHyde has to be encouraged, too, by the quality minutes he's getting from his bench players such as the Nickens sisters (Charo and Chyanne) and freshmen Kayla Cox and Lauren Frost. Meanwhile, another good effort but disappointing finish for Steck's Rebels as they play tough but can't seem to find a way to finish out things sometimes.  This is a relatively young team that is dominated by juniors and sophomores and Hicks; who finished with 21 points on this night to lead all scorers, is definitely the go-to player on this team.  Still, this is the one team that you probably won't want to face come Sectional play and if they can shore up a few of their inefficiencies on offense, this team will definitely be tough to beat.  

MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 1-22-17

No changes in the top three spots this week but I had to make some shake-ups and changes in the middle and lower sections and some of these were incredibly tough to do.


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


No discussion on the current co-leaders as both UST and GAC routinely took care of business this last week although some eyebrows were raised at how St. Kate's gave the Gusties a bit of a tussle on Wednesday night down in St. Peter.  Still, everything seems to be right on track for the big February 1 showdown in St. Peter between these two teams and I'm unable to envision any scenario where either of these teams get into any trouble this week.  Bethel is routinely taking care of business as it should and, like both GAC and UST, should have an easy go of it this week on paper anyway.

SMU came away with a split this last week as I expected they would and they're fine staying in the third spot.  But this next week will be a challenge to say the least as a surprising Carleton team comes to town on Wednesday night and Saturday finds the Cards in St. Peter to take on the Gusties and I'm guessing that feathers will be flying there.  I moved St. Kate's up from the fifth spot last week back to the fourth spot simply because of how they did things this last week.  They played one of the top teams in the country in GAC tough down in St. Peter and then absolutely destroyed St. Olaf down in Northfield yesterday and, after getting pummeled by Bethel a mere week ago, they couldn't have responded any better.  Moreover, the Wildcats got a big boost with the addition of two new players on their roster in sophomore Kanani Asuncion from UND and freshman Nikki Lucas who comes in from Northern Michigan.  And this coming week looks very doable for the 'Cats as they get CSB at home and then make the short hop over to Augsburg on Saturday.  Meanwhile, CSB looked to be on the verge of getting a four-game win streak under their belt but a disastrous fourth period down in Northfield against Carleton cost them in more ways than one.  A win yesterday would have at least given them a head of steam going into a tough week with the aforementioned game against St. Kate's on Wednesday night.  They do get back in the friendly confines of Claire Lynch this next Saturday but there's a catch:  It's UST coming to town.  Gulp indeed.  The big mover this week is suddenly resurgent Carleton which jumped up all the way to the sixth spot.  And the way they did it too should be enough to turn a few heads anyway.  They knocked off crosstown rival St. Olaf on Wednesday night at home in West Gym and then were down double-digits yesterday against CSB but came alive in the fourth period to get a 59-57 come from behind thriller.  You have to give Head Coach Cassie Kosiba and her team a lot of credit for battling through a lot of injuries and setbacks along the way.  This next week looks a bit tougher though as the Knights go over to Winona on Wednesday night to play SMU and then make a run up to the Twin Cities next Saturday to take on a dangerous Hamline team.

Macalester had something of an opportunity in front of it when they went over to Minneapolis to play Augsburg this last Wednesday night but lost a tough one to the Auggies.  But no one was under any illusions when they had to make the trip down U.S. Highway 169 and the Union Pacific's "Omaha Route" mainline to play at GAC where they wound up on the wrong end of a 103-70 beatdown.  And that game yesterday is only the beginning of this incredibly rough gauntlet as they play at UST on Wednesday night and then at Bethel next Saturday.  Yikes indeed.  Augsburg at least came away with a split this last week and though they're on the road this next week at both Hamline and St. Kate's, they could be tough.  Hamline, though they've lost eight of their last nine games, has at least shown some life along the way and a three-game homestand which begins this coming Wednesday night could bolster their chances.  I had to pause for a moment when I put Concordia at the bottom of my power rankings.  It's simply incredulous when I stop and think about it.  This is a team; a program that has been accustomed to success over the years and to think it was a mere four years ago that they were in the MIAC Championship Game shows you how far and how hard this team has fallen in a relatively short period of time and it has to be tough for all the former Cobber greats to see their program fall on hard times like this.  Unfortunately, I don't have any answers either and if there's someone out there that does, I'm all ears.  Concordia's partner in the basement this week is St. Olaf and that, too, is a bit hard to believe considering the fact that the Oles had a golden opportunity to make up a lot of ground this last week.  Instead, they lost to crosstown rival Carleton on Wednesday night and, to follow up that disaster, they got absolutely and utterly destroyed by St. Kate's yesterday by 44 points (83-39) IN THEIR OWN CRIB no less.  I can almost forgive the loss to a pumped up crosstown rival but I cannot find any rhyme or reason that excuses that kind of a beatdown that happened at Skoglund Center yesterday.  It's just incredible when I stop and think about it.  This is not a bad team either and they've got a lot of talent.  How about showing up when gametime comes around?

Hamline vs Bethel 1-21-17

Made my way over to Robertson Center on the campus of Bethel University on this dreary Saturday afternoon to take in the match-up between visiting Hamline which made its way up Snelling Avenue to take on host Bethel.  I got settled into my usual seating area armed with a good lunch and a bottle of God's nectar (aka Pepsi) to go along with it.  The Royals were coming off a solid road win up at Concordia on Wednesday night while the Pipers were hoping to find a way to snap the funk that they've been in lately.

Bethel wasted little time getting out to an early 10-2 lead.  Two free throws by freshman phenom forward Taite Anderson at the 9:44 mark got things started and a jumper along the left baseline by junior guard Angie Kirchoff at the 8:19 mark made it 4-0.  After freshman forward Reilly Geistfeld got the Pipers on the board with her score in the paint at the 7:53 mark, the Royals then started showing off their three-point prowess.  Sparkplug junior guard Abby Miller drained one bomb from the left corner at the 7:39 mark and Kirchoff did likewise from the left top area at the 6:38 mark to cap this first march of the day for a 10-2 advantage.  Hamline, however, slyly worked its way back to within striking distance.  Senior guard Tia Diggins maneuvered into the paint for one score at the 6:16 mark and back-to-back scores by fellow senior guard Chloe Graves - a scoop shot with 3:43 left and a drive and finish with 3:06 left - narrowed the deficit down to four points at 12-8.  That Piper push seemed to awake Bethel as they closed out the opening period on a 5-2 push.  Sharp-shooting junior reserve guard Jasmin Bretoi buried her first three-point bomb of the afternoon from the top of the key with 2:37 left and two free throws by senior guard Shanni Moorse with 1:13 left gave the Royals a 17-10 advantage going into the second period.

A score in the paint by willowy sophomore post Hannah Johnson at the 9:06 mark maintained the seven-point edge for Bethel at 19-12 but again the Pipers found a way to at least make things a bit uncomfortable for their host.  Freshman forward Reilly Geistfeld banged home a "3" from the left top area at the 8:45 mark that trimmed the deficit down to four points again and a somewhat perturbed Royals Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer called a timeout to get his squad's defensive priorities straightened out.  But Hamline was still able to make inroads as a "3" from the left top area by sophomore guard Alaina Quaranta at the 7:20 mark and an offensive rebound and putback by Diggins at the 6:46 mark suddenly cut Bethel's lead down to a scant point at 21-20.  The Royals again awoke from their early afternoon slumber and decided to step on the gas pedal.  Johnson was able to get another score in the paint at the 6:02 mark off of an inbounds pass and a lay-up in transition by Anderson at the 5:40 mark gave Bethel a bit more breathing room up 25-20.  The former White Bear Lake standout struck again a little more than a minute later with 4:35 left with another lay-up in transition but this one drew a foul and the "and one" now pushed the Royals lead up to 28-20. Hamline tried to find a spark off of a Quaranta "3" from the left wing area with 4:13 left but that flame was quickly doused.  Two Abby Miller scores - a drive and finish with 3:59 left and a lay-up in transition with 3:38 left got the lead to nine at 32-23 and one Moorse freebie with 3:25 left and another from Abby Miller with 2:13 left got the lead to double-digits at 34-23 and a lay-up by sophomore reserve guard Hannah Simpson with 1:28 left helped Bethel to close out the first half on a 15-2 run to take a 36-23 lead into the locker room at the half.  A quick check of the first half box score shows that the Royals had a firm grip on this game.  They shot 41.9% from FG range and had a decided edge on the boards at 23-14 and only had four turnovers compared to nine for Hamline.

The Pipers managed to stay reasonably within range in the opening moments of the third period as a Geistfeld lay-up in transition at the 9:27 mark and a drive and finish by Graves at the 8:18 mark slimmed the deficit down to eleven at 38-27.  Geistfeld got into the paint for a score at the 7:20 mark that kept the deficit at eleven at 40-29 but then Bethel delivered two back-breaking treys - one by Bretoi from the right wing area at the 5:03 mark and another one by Abby Miller from the right corner off of an inbounds pass with 3:57 left that suddenly pushed the lead up to seventeen at 46-29 and Hamline Head Coach Kerri Stockwell had no choice but to take a match to a timeout.  The Pipers tried to turn the tide on one Quaranta free throws with 3:20 left and a score in the paint by Geistfeld with 3:09 left but then Kirchoff had the Royals off and running again with her three-point bomb from the right corner with 2:50 left and a 49-32 Bethel lead.  Anderson scored in the paint with :48 left and two free throws by freshman reserve guard Haylee Barker with :05.6 left in the third period had the Royals up by twenty at 53-33.

Hamline again tried to take the initiative in the early moments of the fourth quarter in a vain attempt to snare some of the momentum that the Royals had.  Graves was able to connect with a jumper from near the free throw line as the shot clock was winding down at the 9:07 mark.  Freshman reserve forward Aly Sartain dropped one free throw at the 8:32 mark and Graves was able to connect with another jumper from near the free throw line area that cut the deficit down to fifteen at 53-38.  But that would be as close as the Pipers would be able to get as Bethel did the necessary things down the stretch to preserve the cushion - and get the win as well.  Anderson dropped two free throws at the 7:31 mark and then got into the paint a bit later at the 6:57 mark for a score that got the lead up to 57-38.  Moorse would connect with a lay-up at the 5:43 mark and then Johnson; the former Duluth East standout, dropped a rare "3" - this one coming from the left corner with 4:31 left for a 62-42 Royal lead.  Johnson would add to her totals with a score in the paint with 4:02 left and Bethel then took care of things from the charity stripe down the stretch to finish things off.  Simpson dropped one free throw with 3:04 left and dropped two more with 2:39 left for a 67-49 Royals lead.  The New Richmond, Wisconsin native was able to get one more freebie to go down with 2:13 left and got a score in the paint to boot with 1:34 left.  Sophomore reserve guard Maria Vavra dropped pairs of free throws with :55.8 and :28.7 left for the finishing touches as Bethel stamped a convincing 74-51 into the books.

It may have seemed like a routine win for many of the Bethel faithful in the stands on this Saturday but for Herbrechtsmeyer and his staff, it's just one small step toward getting themselves into very good position towards the end of the regular season.  Herbrechtsmeyer is hoping to stretch out more and more playing time to his key reserves coming off the bench; noting that his five top players are currently averaging more than 30 minutes a game.  Herbrechtsmeyer feels that that's a bit much coming down the home stretch of the regular season and, especially now with senior forward Kalli Zimmerman no longer a part of the equation with her ACL injury, some of these young ones are going to have to step up more and more and I think we're beginning to see that with the emergence of both Simpson and Barker; the former Maple Grove standout, getting quality minutes and contributing on both ends of the floor.  Sophomore reserve forward Miranda Robinson out of Robbinsdale Armstrong also saw some time on this afternoon as well and her 5'11" frame certainly adds a presence for the rebounding duties.  The good news for Bethel on this afternoon is that they had an incredibly balanced scoring attack in this game with four players in double figures.  Anderson led the way with her 15 points while Abby Miller was right behind with her 13 points.  Johnson recorded a "double-double" with 11 points and ten rebounds while Kirchoff had 10 points.  Hamline had three players in double figures for this game as Graves had 14 points while both Geistfeld and Quaranta added 13 points.  The Pipers simply did not have a good day shooting the rock and a 35.2% from FG range along with 36.4% from behind the arc reflects that.  But more worrisome for Stockwell and her staff is that Bethel simply owned the boards on this day by a commanding 45-27 count and you will not win many games when you get outrebounded like that.  Obviously, Hamline has had their share of injuries as well and Stockwell could use both junior Allison Bartak and sophomore Mariah Ortega-Flowers to help bolster its rebounding woes.

Macalester vs Augsburg 1-18-17

Made the run over to Si Melby Hall on the campus of Augsburg College on this Wednesday night to take in an important clash of two teams hoping to get things turned around so they can be factors in the MIAC playoff race as Macalester made the short hop over from St. Paul to take on host Augsburg.  The Scots were coming off a big home win over Hamline that improved their record to 9-6 overall and 3-5 in the MIAC while the Auggies were looking to snap a four-game losing streak.

Things were tight in the early going as each side traded one-point leads in the opening minutes but Macalester was first in opening up a bit of a cushion.  Leading 5-4 after a short shot from the left side by senior guard Lauren Clamage at the 6:57 mark, junior post Regan Fruh was able to connect with a short shot off the glass at the 6:35 mark and, after a foiled Auggie possession, the Scots went to Fruh again on their next possession and she responded with a score in the paint that made it 9-4 and Augsburg Head Coach Ted Riverso promptly called a thirty-second timeout to figure out a way to have his team deny that inside presence Fruh was getting.  Still, another Fruh score; a lay-up at the 5:08 mark maintained that five-point edge at 11-6 before Augsburg could get things rolling a bit.  One free throw by freshman reserve forward Camryn Speese with 4:50 left and two more by fellow freshman guard K'Aezha Wubben with 4:13 left had the Auggies back to within a single possession trailing 11-9 and a Wubben lay-up in transition with 3:23 left knotted the score at 11-all.  Then it was Wubben completing this 7-0 push with a jumper from the top of the key with 2:52 left that gave Augsburg a 13-11 lead before the Scots could recover enough to tie the game at 13 a piece on a pretty drive along the left baseline and finish by freshman reserve guard Tyana Loiselle with 2:31 left.  But the Auggies would go on a 6-0 push to end the first period.  A "3" from the right wing area by freshman reserve forward Abby Jordan with 2:07 left and a lay-up by strong freshman guard Tamira McLemore with 1:38 left made it an 18-13 game and a McLemore freebie with :58.5 left in the period capped this push that allowed Augsburg to take a 19-13 advantage going into the second period.

The Auggies initially maintained that six-point edge in the early moments of the second period as a score in the paint by McLemore at the 8:21 mark had Augsburg up 21-15.  But the Scots craftily put together a 7-0 run that allowed them to poke their nose out in front.  One free throw by senior forward Park Masterson at the 8:05 mark and a lay-up in transition by Clamage at the 7:38 mark got Macalester back to within a single possession trailing 21-18.  A jumper from the right elbow area by freshman reserve guard Holly Hull at the 6:57 mark and a Clamage lay-up at the 6:28 mark now put the Scots up 22-21 and Augsburg's Riverso was clamoring for another thirty-second timeout.  That short stoppage in play seemed to re-energize the Auggies as they turned things around with an 11-0 run.  Freshman guard Ari Jones drained a "3" from the right top area at the 6:06 mark got Augsburg back out in front 24-22 and a McLemore drive and finish off of an inbounds pass with 4:36 left expanded the lead to 26-22.  McLemore would score on another hard drive and finish with 3:41 left and a lay-up in transition by Wubben with 3:24 left got the lead to eight at 30-22.  Then it was McLemore muscling into the paint to snare an offensive rebound of her own miss with 2:10 left for a putback that gave the Auggies their first double-digit advantage at 32-22 and now Macalester Head Coach Kelly Roysland was calling a thirty-second timeout of her own in hopes of reversing this trend just before the half.  To their credit, the Scots embarked on a 6-3 push down the home stretch that at least got the deficit manageable again.  Clamage knocked down a short jumper with 1:55 left and a short jumper off the glass by junior guard Vivi Gregorich with 1:23 left cut the deficit down to six at 32-26.  Augsburg momentarily stopped this momentum as Jordan uncorked her second trey of the evening - this one from the left wing area with 1:04 left - but Fruh helped Macalester tally the last points of this unpredictable first half with her offensive rebound and putback with :18 left that at least kept things manageable for the Scots going into the locker room down 35-28.  While having the lead going into the halftime had to be pleasing for Augsburg's Riverso, there were some troubling numbers looking at the first half box score.  The one item that stood out like a sore thumb for the Auggies was that they shot only 4-13 from the charity stripe for only 30.8% and left countless other short shots and "bunnies" on the table that would have easily expanded their lead.  Then again, Macalester wasn't much better from the line as they shot only 2-6 for 33.3% and their FG shooting wasn't much to write home about either as they went 13-36 for 36.1%.  The Scots did, however, hold a 26-21 edge on the boards thanks in large part to Fruh with her nine rebounds alone in the first half.

Augsburg managed to maintain a six-to-eight point edge in the early moments of the third period as one Wubben freebie at the 9:20 mark and an offensive rebound and putback of her own miss by McLemore at the 7:40 mark had the Auggies up 38-30 and two more Wubben free throws at the 7:07 mark helped maintain the status quo with a 40-32 advantage.  Once again, however, Macalester slyly whittled away at the cushion and was able to poke its nose out in front again.  Masterson got into the paint for one score at the 6:49 mark and then Gregorich; the Scots primary weapon from behind the arc, finally found her touch from the right top area at the 6:01 mark that got Macalester back to within a single possession trailing 40-37.  Then it was Gregorich striking again with a pull-up jumper in transition at the 5:36 mark that cut the deficit down to a scant point at 40-39 and a Clamage jumper from the left corner just inside the arc at the 5:04 mark capped this unlikely 9-0 push that thrust the Scots out in front 41-40.  Augsburg woke up a bit at that point as freshman reserve guard Aiza Wilson got a lay-up after a steal with 3:17 left and one free throw by junior forward Hannah Steinhaus with 2:20 left had the Auggies back up 43-41 but Macalester was able to steal the lead one more time on a 4-0 push as a Gregorich lay-up with 2:09 left and two Fruh free throws with 1:27 left gave the Scots a 45-43 advantage.  But the Auggies were able to go on a 6-1 venture to end the third period.  Dialing up some defensive pressure, McLemore snared a steal and dashed the other way for a lay-up with 1:00 left and two free throws by Wubben who was fouled in a transition opportunity with :28.8 left had Augsburg back out in front 47-45.  Just before the buzzer, Steinhaus grabbed a long offensive rebound and put up a delicate shot that found its mark with just :00.7 left that had the Auggies up 49-46 going into the fourth period.

Macalester looked as if it was ready to sneak back out in front again in the early moments of the fourth and final period.  One Fruh score in the paint at the 9:39 mark kept the Scots within a single possession trailing 51-48 as did a Clamage jumper along the left baseline at the 8:57 mark that had Macalester trailing 53-50.  After a foiled Auggie possession, Fruh was able to get down low for one more score that now had the Scots down a tantalizing single point at 53-52 and a Loiselle score in the paint at the 7:49 mark had Macalester right there trailing 55-54.  But much to Roysland's dismay, this is where Augsburg shut the door for good on any Scot comeback attempt.  Junior forward Bridget Bednar snared an offensive rebound and putback at the 6:28 mark and then Steinhaus got into the paint for a score at the 5:13 mark that also drew a foul and the "and one" now gave the Auggies a bit of a safety net with a 60-54 lead.  A McLemore "3" from the right wing area with 4:31 left added more breathing room with a 63-54 lead and although Clamage finally stopped some of the bleeding for Macalester with her jumper from the top of the key with 4:18 left, Roysland knew her squad was in trouble and called a timeout to try and find some way out of this mess.  Another McLemore "3" - this one from the right wing area with 3:25 left - now gave the Auggies a ten-point cushion at 66-56. Macalester would make one more foray into single-digit range as a Fruh lay-up with 3:12 left and a Gregorich "3" from the right top area reduced the Auggie lead down to 68-61 and a "3" from the right wing area by freshman reserve guard Holly Hull with 2:00 left provided perhaps a sliver of hope trailing 70-64 but McLemore was able to add insurance to Augsburg's lead with her drive and finish with 1:41 left that also drew a foul and sent the former Eagan standout to the line for the obligatory free throw and a 73-64 lead.  McLemore, Speese and Steinhaus all added free throws in the last 1:25 seconds that gave the Auggies there first win of 2017 by a count of 76-64.

A disappointed Roysland attributed the downfall of her squad on this night to "mental mistakes" and although they had their moments on this night it definitely appeared that they high-pressure Auggie defense took its toll down the stretch.  Augsburg's Riverso; while happy with the win, was guarded in his outlook for the rest of the season.  He noted that, during this skid, they played some very good teams with the likes of GAC, Bethel and SMU and called the loss to St. Olaf last Saturday a hiccup for his squad.  He admits that his team is still a work in progress with all the youth and inexperience but at the same time is hopeful that the things that helped Augsburg on this night will pay dividends in the future.  "Our defense is going to be our calling card" he said.  And no doubt they could use more big nights from McLemore who led all scorers on this night with her monstrous 31 points.  Wubben added 15 points on this night and Steinhaus came up big in the second half when they needed her and she added 13 points.  Macalester was paced by Fruh's "double-double" of 19 points and 11 boards while the ever-improving Clamage chipped in with 14 points and Gregorich added 12 points.  That half- and full-court pressure that the Auggies employ had to be a sore spot for Roysland as her squad was guilty of 22 turnovers although Macalester did have a slight 45-42 edge on the boards for this game thanks largely in part to Fruh.

Champlin Park vs Elk River 1-17-17

Made the run on U.S. Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline out to Elk River on this unseasonably warm mid-January evening to take in an important Northwest Suburban Conference game between visiting Champlin Park and host Elk River.  The Elks; undefeated and ranked number two in the state endured two big challenges this last week in knocking off Centennial on the road last week Tuesday night and then knocking off arch-rival STMA at home on Friday night in a tight one. On this night, they would face yet another stiff test as the Rebels were coming into this game on an eight-game win streak and a lot of momentum to boot.  Needless to say, I got my money's worth on this night.

One of the reasons for the Elks success thus far this season has been an array of weapons on offense; notably senior guard Gabi Haack but for most of the first half, it was defense that took center stage for both teams.  With the game tied at 2-all, Champlin Park junior forward Gabby Mocchi dropped two free throws after getting fouled at the 13:42 mark for a 4-2 Rebel lead.  Elk River, which seemed to be struggling mightily on offense in the early going thanks to a pesky and long Rebel defense, finally shook off the cobwebs as one "3" from the left corner by senior guard Danielle Lachmiller and one by Gabi Haack from the right top area at the 11:04 mark propelled the Elks back into the lead at 8-4 and, presumably anyway, onto bigger and better things.  But Champlin Park came right back and tied the score at 8 a piece on a score by junior guard Erica Hicks at the 10:47 mark and a Mocchi lay-up at the 10:24 mark.  A lay-up at the 10:05 mark by Elk senior forward Sidney Wentland at the 10:05 mark had Elk River up 10-8 but that was matched by a jumper in the lane by Rebel junior guard Amanda Pollard at the 9:34 mark so Champlin Park was showing right from the get-go that they had every intention of hanging with the second-ranked team in the state and then some.

Another Pollard score; a lay-up at the 9:07 mark, put the Rebels up 12-10 but Elk River looked like it would get into position to snatch control of this game on the strength of back-to-back treys - both from the right wing - by (who else?) Gabi Haack.  One with 8:49 left and the second with 7:32 left had the Elks up 16-12 and the general thought of those in attendance last night thought that this outburst might finally convince Champlin Park to go away quietly into the night.  But a stubborn Rebel squad had vastly different ideas.  A lay-up by junior reserve forward Megan Munneke with 7:16 left and a "3" from the top of the key by Hicks with 6:13 left cut Elk River's lead down to a scant point at 18-17 and a Munneke jumper from the left elbow with 4:37 left and a tough drive and finish by Mocchi with 3:24 left knotted the game at 21 a piece.  Champlin Park took the lead with 1:32 left on a lay-up by Hicks that made it 23-21 before a somewhat shocked Elk team regained the advantage on a "3" from the right corner by diminutive freshman guard Lydia Haack with 1:16 left for a 24-23 Elk River lead but Rebel senior guard/forward Allison Gerads gave her squad the lead going into the locker room at the half with her jumper in the lane with exactly 1:00 left that made it 25-24.  And when the halftime buzzer did sound, nothing seemed right for the Elks as Champlin Park's long and athletic defense seemed to have thrown things out of sorts for the home squad and you could feel the uneasiness of the partisan Elk River crowd in the gym.

The other strange thing about the first half was that the Rebels had kept Elk River senior point guard Ava Kramer scoreless in the first half; eliminating an important piece of that explosive Elk offense but that changed at the beginning of the second half when she was camping out in the left corner and drained a "3" at the 17:42 mark that propelled Elk River back into the lead at 27-25.  But any hopes of that score being any sort of a dagger in the heart of the Rebels were soon dashed as back-to-back scores by Hicks - one in the paint at the 17:27 mark and a coast-to-coast lay-up at the 16:48 mark - shoved Champlin Park back out in front 29-27.  Gabi Haack would try and recapture the momentum for her Elk teammates as she connected with a lay-up at the 16:28 mark that also drew a foul and the "and one" by the future Bradley Brave got Elk River back out in front 30-29.  But that did nothing to deter the Rebels as they proceeded to go on a 6-1 push.  Hicks knocked down a jumper in the lane at the 16:17 mark and a drive and finish by Mocchi at the 13:08 mark had Champlin Park up 33-30. Two Mocchi freebies at the 14:11 mark pushed the Rebel lead to 35-31 and now there was some genuine worry among the Elk River contingent.  Just as it was in the beginning of this second half, it was Ava Kramer to the rescue again.  A short jumper at the 13:34 mark and a lay-up at the 13:12 mark tied the game at 35-all.  But just when the Elk River crowd was about to heave a sigh of relief, right back came the Rebels.  One Pollard free throw at the 12:54 mark and then a steal and lay-up the other way by Pollard on the ensuing Elk possession gave Champlin Park a 38-35 lead and a short jumper off of an inbounds pass by Gerads at the 11:45 mark maintained that three-point edge at 40-37.

Legendary NFL Films narrator; the late John Facenda, once said, "Great teams aren't always great. They're just great when they have to be."  So just when it looked like Elk River was most vulnerable and the Rebels seemingly setting the tone in this contest, the Elks responded.  Two Ava Kramer free throws at the 11:30 mark cut the Champlin Park lead down to one point at 40-39 and then Gabi Haack tried to single-handedly take the game over.  She snared a steal near mid-court and then dashed the other way for a lay-up that also drew a foul and the ensuing freebie got Elk River back in front 42-40.  Gabi Haack was sent to the line again at the 9:14 mark in a transition opportunity and sank the front-end of the two shot attempt for a 43-40 Elk advantage.  The back-end attempt rattled out but right there for the offensive rebound and putback was Wentland that suddenly had Elk River up 45-40.  The Rebels narrowed the deficit to one point on two free throws by Hicks at the 9:02 mark and a Gerads lay-up in transition with 8:45 left but the Elks proceeded to go on a 6-0 push.  Wentland connected with a lay-up with 8:19 left as did Lachmiller with 7:46 left for a 49-44 Elk River lead and when Gabi Haack connected with a lay-up in transition with 7:15 left, it seemed as if the air had been let out of the Champlin Park balloon and Head Coach Josh Steck called an immediate timeout to try and rectify the situation.  But just when the Elks looked to be in a position to loosen up with a 51-44 lead, the Rebels dug deep and responded.  Two Munneke free throws with 6:07 left and a Gerads "3" from the left wing area with 5:24 left had Champlin Park back to within a single possession trailing 51-49 and a Hicks "3" from the right wing area with 4:05 left trimmed the deficit to a scant point at 53-52.  Elk River was unable to immediately hold off this latest Rebel challenge so while the Elks were trying desperately to protect a one-point lead, Hicks struck again with 2:47 left with a drive and finish that suddenly had Champlin Park up by one at 54-53.  The Elks; specifically Gabi Haack, now found that sense of urgency and she responded with 1:52 left with a tough lay-up that had Elk River up 55-54 but on the ensuing Rebel possession, Pollard was fouled on a drive into traffic and was able to get the front end to go down for a 55-all deadlock.  Champlin Park was then able to get a stop on the other end and with just less than a minute left, they had the chance they were waiting for.  They carefully and patiently worked the ball around the perimeter; milking the clock; looking for an opening; just a crack in that vaunted Elk defense.  With time winding down, Pollard appeared to be on the verge of making a decisive move but the ball careened off of her leg and a host of Elks gave chase to the errant ball.  The ball went out of bounds and the Rebels maintained possession but with just :00.6 left and they were unable to get a quality good-look shot off on the inbounds pass so off to overtime we went tied at 55.

The Elk River contingent, now genuinely worried that the Elks unbeaten streak might come to an end on their home floor, had to have felt vastly better when a "3" by Lydia Haack from the right corner with 3:48 left in the extra session and one free throw by big sis Gabi Haack with 3:29 left put the Elks up 59-55.  Still, Champlin Park was unwilling to concede this incredibly tough battle.  Two Munneke free throws with 3:05 left and one more by Pollard after she was fouled in a transition opportunity after a steal cut the Elk lead down to a tenuous point at 59-58.  But when the Rebels needed to get that one big play; that one big basket, it just wasn't there and Elk River was there to take advantage. Wentland connected with a big lay-up with 1:54 left that got the lead back to three points and after the Elks got a stop on the other end, Elk River Head Coach Jeremy Digiovanni now wanted to protect that three-point edge.  They patiently worked the ball on the offensive end and each time the Rebels would try to make a move defensively to snare a steal, Digiovanni used timeouts with 1:14 and :47.9 left to ensure that his best ballhandlers were on the floor.  Finally, with :27.9 left, Lydia Haack was fouled and the youngster calmly sank two freebies that made it a two-possession game at 63-58. Champlin Park was unable to convert on its ensuing possession and Lachmiller was  able to snare the rebound and she was immediately fouled with :17.3 left and was able to get one of the two charity stripe shots to go down for a 64-58 Elk River lead.  The Rebels were at least able to throw one more small scare into the home team and its fans when Hicks connected with a lay-up with :11.9 left that drew a foul and her "and one" had Champlin Park back within a single possession trailing 64-61.  As you would expect, the Elks made sure that the ball got into Gabi Haack's hands on the inbounds pass and she was immediately fouled with :10.8 left and she made no mistake by sinking both free throw attempts for a 66-61 Elk River lead.  But a stubborn Rebel squad refused to fold as Hicks was able to connect with a lay-up with :03.5 left and Champlin Park's Steck called another timeout to see if he could dial up one more miracle for his team.  This time, however, the Elks politely but firmly closed the door on this gamey Champlin Park squad as they got the ball to Gabi Haack on the inbounds pass and she was fouled with just :00.8 left and her two free throws sealed the deal for a 68-63 Elk River win that finally had the home crowd heaving a collective sigh of relief.

You have to give Champlin Park a lot of credit for coming into Elk River and throwing a huge scare into the second-ranked team in the state.  And what's probably most disappointing to Steck and his team is that this one was out there for them to steal.  I think that, defensively anyway, they did what they set out to do.  Nobody is going to completely stop Gabi Haack from scoring and they probably had to "pick their poison" so to speak on how to at least neutralize her somewhat.  Rather, I think what did in the Rebels in the end was that they weren't always efficient on the offensive end when they needed to be.  A missed short jumper here.  A missed "bunny" there.  A ball careening off a leg or a foot when they were trying to drive inside.  Those little things caught up with them at the end, IMHO.  Meanwhile, one could probably argue as well that the Elks may have had a bit of the dreaded letdown phenomenon that that hits everybody now and then.  I got to speak with Gabi Haack a bit afterward and she admitted that maybe they weren't as focused as they needed to be.  Then again, it has to be something of a reassurance for the Elk faithful that their team can find a way to respond even when they're not clicking on all cylinders.  I spoke with Digiovanni afterward as well and while he said he didn't think there would be any letdown, he admitted that there probably was and he said that his squad didn't come out focused and energized initially as he hoped that they would.  But he also said that he spoke with his squad in the locker room after the game as said that he hopes it's not a habit that they don't bring their "A" game into every contest.  And in the always tough and competitive Northwest Suburban Conference, that's a dangerous proposition for sure and it almost cost them tonight.  Gabi Haack, as you would expect, led the way for Elk River on this night with her 25 points and surprisingly it was her younger sister, Lydia Haack following up with her 13 points while Wentland added 10 points.  On the Champlin Park side, it was a fantastic night scoring-wise for Hicks as she led all scorers with her 27 points while Mocchi was the only other player in double figures for the Rebels with her 10 points.