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Thursday, June 29, 2017

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 6-28-17


Here are the results from a fun night of action at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League last night:


5:00 P.M. Games

GAC Gold - 46
NIACC - 34

Bethel - 61
UST #2 - 57


5:55 P.M. Games

UW-River Falls #2 - 50
St. Kate's - 47

UW-River Falls #1 - 71
Luther - 41


6:50 P.M. Games

UST Alumni - 39
St. Olaf - 22

B Ballers - 55
GAC Black - 29


7:45 P.M. Games

Retirees - 57
UST #1 - 55

SMU - 51
Lady Hawks - 32


8:40 P.M. Games

Concordia St. Paul - 62
Southwest Minnesota State - 39

Augsburg - 57
Hamline - 39


In the 5:00 P.M. slot over on Court 1, things were tight early on between the NIACC team and the GAC Gold team and the NIACC team; using its speed and three-point shooting, held a 9-6 lead by the end of the first period.  But the GAC Gold team slowly regained the advantage and held a 12-11 lead midway through the second period and a big "3" by junior-to-be Justine Lee helped propel the GAC Gold team to a 17-11 lead late in the second period before the NIACC team was able to gain some ground closing to four points at 22-18 by the half.  The GAC Gold team's size eventually wore down the NIACC team when the third period got underway as they lengthened their lead to 32-23 by the end of the third period enroute to the win.  Over on Court 2, a white-hot Bethel team got up by a shocking 13-4 count on the UST #2 team and the Bethel team stretched that lead to 21-9 by the end of the first period.  That lead increased to 30-15 midway through the second period but a resourceful UST #2 team went on a 9-4 run to close the gap to a more manageable ten points at 34-24 by the halftime break.  The Bethel team sought to pad that advantage once the third period got underway and things looked relatively safe for them as they were up 43-29 midway through the third period but you knew that the UST #2 team had another run left in them and they got back to within single digits trailing 46-37 going into the fourth period.  The UST #2 team; led by senior-to-be Maddie Wolkow, scratched and clawed its way back to within striking distance trailing 53-47 late in regulation but never could quite find that one big shot that might have drawn them even closer as the Bethel team hung on for a tough win over a MIAC rival.

The two UW-River Falls teams were in action in the 5:55 P.M. slot as the UW-River Falls #2 team took on the St. Kate's team on Court 1 in a WIAC-MIAC clash and things were very tight in the early going with the game knotted at 10-10 midway through the first period and the UW-River Falls team clinging to a 14-12 lead to start the second period.  The St. Kate's team; led by senior-to-be Alexis Garcia, was able to battle back and regain the advantage with a 23-20 lead by the halftime break.  But the UW-River Falls #2 team turned the tables in the third period as the regained the lead at 31-27 midway through the third period and upped that lead to 41-31 by the start of the fourth period.  The St. Kate's team managed to close within a single possession at 48-45 late in regulation but could not get closer than three points in the end.  Meanwhile over on Court 2, the lights continued to shine brightly for Head Coach Cindy Holbrook's squad as the UW-River Falls #1 team jumped out to an early 11-4 lead on the Luther team in a WIAC-IIAC battle and that lead increased to ten points at 15-5 by the end of the first period.  The roof caved in for the Luther team once the second period got underway as they found themselves staring at a 51-21 deficit as the UW-River Falls team cruised to an easy win.

In the 6:50 P.M. slot, the St. Olaf team; which has struggled for the most part in the summer league, finally found some offensive spark as they found themselves up on a very good UST Alumni team by an 11-8 count by the end of the first period.  The UST Alumni team managed to even things up at 18 a piece by the halftime break and things were still tight by the midway point of the third period with the UST Alumni team clinging to 21-20 lead.  But just when you thought the St. Olaf team might be on the verge of a big upset win, they hit an incredibly dry stretch where they simply could not find the bottom of the basket from inside or out on the perimeter as the UST Alumni team went on a tear from then on.  Former Lakeville North HS (and former UW-Whitewater player) Jaya Perkins connected on a transition lay-up and followed that up with a big three-point bomb to help propel the UST Alumni to a 31-20 lead midway through the fourth period and they held the St. Olaf team to a scant FG enroute to the victory.  Over on Court 2, the big and physical B Ballers team; made up of mostly former Southwest Minnesota State players, had its way with the GAC Black team as they jumped out to an early 9-2 lead and were up 16-7 early in the second period.  Former Carleton standout Annie Isler's buzzer-beating lay-up upped the B Ballers lead to 28-11 by the halftime break and that lead increased to 36-13 midway through the third period as the B Ballers team breezed to an easy win.

The game of the night took place over on Court 1 in the 7:45 P.M. slot as the Retirees team; made up of mostly former Northwestern players, were trying to bounce back from last week's debacle against said B Ballers team by taking on a very, very good UST #1 team and the Retirees team showed last night that they were very much up to the task as they forged an early 9-5 lead and then went on an absolute tear thanks to some incredibly hot three-point shooting to grab a 31-14 lead at the end of the first period.  The Retirees team still held a comfortable fourteen-point cushion at 35-21 midway through the second period but you knew that the UST #1 team was too good to be down for long and they battled their way back to within single-digit range trailing 39-30 by the halftime break.  The Retirees team got their lead back to double-digit range at 46-35 midway through the third period but that margin was hardly safe as the UST #1 team closed the gap to six points at 48-42 a bit later and were down by only seven points at 51-44 to start the fourth period.  Skillfully and in sly fashion, the UST #1 team again made a charge late in regulation to close to within a single possession at 55-52 and finally found themselves tied at 55 with just 1:43 left.  But the Retirees team would have the answer in the end as they carefully worked the ball around the perimeter with time running down and, with scant seconds left, they finally got the ball inside to former Northwestern standout Jessica (Fife) Smith who powered her way into the paint for the winning score as the buzzer sounded.  No such drama over on Court 2 as the SMU team got out to an early 7-2 lead on the Lady Hawks team and the group from Winona was up 14-8 by the end of the first period.  The SMU team's size in the paint was a distinct advantage as the Lady Hawks team was simply unable to do much inside and the SMU team found itself up 23-11 midway through the second period and was up 27-17 by the halftime break.  The SMU team grew that cushion by the end of the third period by a 38-24 count as they got a comfortable victory on this night.

Finally in the 8:40 P.M. slot, two NSIC rivals were going at it on Court 1 as the Concordia St. Paul team had its way against the Southwest Minnesota State team; jumping out to a 12-5 lead midway through the first period and up 23-6 to start the second period.  By the halftime break, the Concordia St. Paul team was up 39-10 and although the Southwest Minnesota State team was able to regain some of its touch from behind the arc in the third period, they simply were not going to catch the Concordia St. Paul team on this night.  Over on Court 2, two MIAC rivals were going at it as the Augsburg team; led by tough inside play by sophomore-to-be Tamira McLemore and the rebounding ability of senior-to-be Bridget Bednar, got out to an early 7-2 lead on the Hamline team and were up 16-10 by the end of the first period.  The Augsburg team slowly grew that lead during the second period; gaining a 29-20 advantage by the halftime break and had the lead up to double-digits at 32-20 midway through the third period.  The Augsburg team got even more separation as the fourth period got underway as they were up 40-24 and they had things in cruise control the rest of the way.

The Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League takes next week off for the 4th of July holiday but action resumes again on Wednesday, July 12 as pool play gets underway so come on down to take in the action.      

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 6-21-17


Here are the results from last night's action at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League.  First, I want to apologize for not being able to get the action from the previous Wednesday night (6-14) as I had a good buddy of mine who was experiencing sciatic nerve issues in his back and had to take him to the hospital.  He's doing much better now.  :)


5:00 P.M. Games

Winona State - 63
Southwest Minnesota State - 37

Luther - 58
NIACC - 55


5:55 P.M. Games

Winona State - 57
GAC Black - 33

Bethel - 69
UW-River Falls #2 - 45


6:50 P.M. Games

Hamline - 33
St. Olaf - 28

UW-River Falls #1 - 50
SMU - 47  OT


7:45 P.M. Games

UST Alumni - 35
St. Kate's - 31

GAC Gold - 39
Lady Hawks - 17


8:40 P.M. Games

Concordia St. Paul - 42
Augsburg - 31

B Ballers - 62
Retirees - 32


In the 5:00 P.M. slot over on Court 1, a battle between two NSIC rivals was raging as the Winona State team was able to build a 16-10 advantage by the end of the first period and although the Southwest Minnesota State team briefly closed within a single possession at 19-17 midway through the second period, things quickly snowballed from there as the Winona State team closed out the second period on a 19-2 blitz for a 33-19 lead by the half and they cruised from then on.  Over on Court 2, the two teams from Iowa were going at it as the NIACC team was able to get a 16-12 lead by the end of the first period on the Luther team.  The NIACC team was able to forge a 19-14 advantage midway through the second period but the Luther team was able to close the gap down to a single point trailing 28-27 at the half.  The Luther team tied the contest at 34 a piece midway through the third period and held a 37-35 advantage shortly thereafter but the NIACC team recovered just enough to regain the lead at 39-37 going into the fourth period.  This back-and-forth affair went Luther's way in the fourth period as they held a 46-44 edge midway through the fourth period and they increased that lead to 51-44 a bit later but some fabulous three-point shooting brought the NIACC team back to within a single possession trailing 58-55 late in the game but the Luther team was able to run out the clock.

The Winona State team was doing double-duty on this night as they took on the GAC Black team over on Court 1 in the 5:55 P.M. slot.  Here, the GAC Black team jumped out to an early 6-0 lead but the Winona State team was able to reduce that deficit to a single point at 8-7 by the end of the first period.  Superior size and a big rebounding edge allowed the Winona State team to go on a 10-0 run to open the second period for an 18-7 lead and they held a 20-10 advantage midway through the second period and they held a comfortable 32-17 lead by the half.  The GAC Black team was able to reduce the deficit back down to ten points at 36-26 midway through the third period but the Winona State team wasted little time building the cushion back up to fourteen points at 42-28 by the end of the third period and had things in cruise control the rest of the way.  Over on Court 2, the Bethel team jumped out to a 9-2 lead on some hot three-point shooting against the UW-River Falls #2 team in a MIAC-WIAC clash but the UW-River Falls #2 team was able to bring things back down to a single solitary point trailing 13-12 and they were still within a single possession trailing 17-14 by the end of the first period.  An 11-2 run by the Bethel team to begin the second period changed things for good in this one as they held a 28-16 lead midway through the second period and followed that up with a 12-0 blitz to hold a commanding 40-16 lead by the half.  The UW-River Falls #2 team could never really recover from that as the Bethel team was up 52-28 by the end of the third period and they rolled from there.

An all MIAC-clash was underway over on Court 1 in the 6:50 P.M. slot as the Hamline team jumped out to an 8-1 lead on a cold-shooting St. Olaf team by the end of the first period and a swarming and pesky trapping defense led by junior-to-be Alaina Quaranta made life miserable for the St. Olaf team as they struggled through much of the second period trying to find their shooting touch.  Quaranta drained a "3" midway through the second period that had the Hamline team up 11-6 but the St. Olaf team finally found some offense late in the second period to close the gap to two points at 13-11 and the Hamline team held a somewhat tenuous 17-13 advantage by the halftime break.  The Hamline team maintained that four-point edge at 23-19 by the end of the third period and although the St. Olaf team had numerous opportunities to close the gap in the fourth period, they were again doomed with cold shooting as the Hamline team gradually built the lead up to eight points at 29-21 in the final period to get the win.  Meanwhile over on Court 2, one of the better games of the night was taking place as the UW-River Falls #1 team jumped out to a 7-2 lead on the SMU team but the SMU team recovered from that as they closed the gap to two points by the end of the first period trailing 10-8. The UW-River Falls #1 team stepped on the accelerator again in the second period to forge a 21-16 advantage and held a 27-20 lead by the halftime break.  But the SMU team was again able to stave off seeming disaster as they embarked on an 8-0 run to begin the third period to grab a 28-27 lead before the UW-River Falls #1 team could recover just enough to hold a slim 39-36 lead going into the fourth period.  The SMU team opened up the fourth period with a 7-0 run to claim a 43-39 lead but the UW-River Falls #1 team was able to knot the contest at 47 a piece late in the fourth quarter and both squads missed out on late opportunities to win the contest in regulation.  In the extra two-minute overtime session, a three-point shot by the UW-River Falls #1 team was the difference as they escaped with a narrow victory.

In the 7:45 P.M. slot, I was joined by St. Kate's Assistant Coach Tim Kjar as we watched the St. Kate's team battle an experienced UST Alumni team on Court 1 but that didn't seem to deter the St. Kate's team as they were deadlocked at 5-all midway through the first period and were right in the thick of things trailing 14-10 going into the second period.  Things would stay tight in the second period as the St. Kate's team was able to tie the contest at 14 a piece midway through the second period and only a late free throw by recently graduated All-American post Kaitlin Langer allowed the UST Alumni team to hold a 19-18 lead by the halftime break.  The St. Kate's team was able to grab their first lead of the contest at 20-19 on a jumper by senior-to-be Alexis Garcia and a Garcia "3" had this game knotted at 27 a piece going into the fourth period.  But, just as she did during her UST career, Langer took over this game in the fourth period when the UST Alumni team needed her the most as they escaped with a tough four-point win.  Over on Court 2, the GAC Gold team took on the Lady Hawks team and the GAC Gold team led by juniors-to-be Brooke Lemke and Justine Lee shut down the Lady Hawks team as they got out to a 10-4 lead by the end of the first period and methodically increased the lead to eight points at 14-6 midway through the second period and 20-12 by the half.  The GAC Gold team got the lead 27-14 at the end of the third period and held the Lady Hawks team to just three points in the fourth and final period.

In the 8:40 P.M. slot, the Concordia St. Paul team was battling the Augsburg team on Court one in a NSIC-MIAC clash and the Concordia St. Paul team was able to use its size and rebounding advantage to hold a 10-5 lead by the end of the first period.  A 10-1 run by the Concordia St. Paul team pushed that lead to 20-6 late in the second period and they looked to be firmly in control of things up 24-9 by the halftime break.  The Augsburg team was able to trim the deficit down to eleven points at 27-16 midway through the third period and still was within distance trailing 30-18 going into the fourth period.  The Augsburg team with its free-wheeling and up-tempo style had things down to ten points trailing 35-25 late in the contest but they could never find that one burst that may have changed the complexion of things as the Concordia St. Paul team held on for the win.  Meanwhile over on Court 2, the B Ballers team; made up mostly of former Southwest Minnesota State players, was making quick work on the Retirees team which is made up of mostly former Northwestern players as the B Ballers used their size and rebounding advantage to take an 8-3 lead midway through the first period and held a 17-6 lead going into the second period.  The B Ballers team's led ballooned to 27-9 late in the second period and although the Retirees team was able to cut into that deficit somewhat, the B Ballers team still held a 33-19 lead by the half and were up 50-20 by the end of the third period as they waltzed to an easy win.

Don't forget that another full night of action awaits next week Wednesday night (6-28) at the Midtown YWCA so do plan to come on down if you can.  

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Tuesday 6-13-17


Here are the results from last night's action at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League:


5:00 P.M. Games

NIACC - 76
UW-River Falls #1 - 50

SMU - 41
Lady Hawks - 20


5:55 P.M. Games

UST #2 - 57
St. Kate's - 47

Bethel - 52
St. Olaf - 26


6:50 P.M. Games

UST #1 - 55
Southwest Minnesota State - 45

Augsburg - 51
Hamline - 45


7:45 P.M. Games

GAC Gold - 45
Luther - 41

UST Alumni - 35
UW-River Falls #2 - 30


8:40 P.M. Games

B Ballers - 67
Southwest Minnesota State - 28

GAC Black - 41
Retirees - 37


Not much drama in the 5:00 P.M. slot as a speedy NIACC team built a 25-10 lead on a short-handed UW-River Falls team over on Court 1 early in the second period and that lead ballooned to 41-19 by the half as the youngsters from Mason City, Iowa rolled to an easy win.  Scoring came at something of a premium over on Court 2 as the SMU team built a 13-3 lead on the Lady Hawks team at the end of the first period and expanded that advantage to 18-5 by the half.  The SMU team would grow the lead even more to 25-7 by the end of the third period before the Lady Hawks team finally shook off the cobwebs in the final period to get into double-digits.

In the 5:55 P.M. slot, the UST #2 team wasted little time in building a cushion on the St. Kate's team over on Court 1 as they established an 18-6 advantage by the end of the first period and grew that lead to 30-14 late in the second period and enjoyed a 33-19 lead by the halftime break.  The UST #2 team still enjoyed a double-digit 47-33 lead at the end of the third period before the St. Kate's team finally woke up in the fourth period to whittle the deficit back into single-digit range at 53-45 late in the contest but could never get any closer.  Meanwhile, over on Court 2, the Bethel team was having its way with the St. Olaf team as they used their size and rebounding prowess to jump out to an early 8-0 lead that grew to 17-6 by the end of the first period.  The St. Olaf team was unable to make up any ground in the second period and was soon staring at a 24-12 deficit by the half and the Bethel team saw that lead bulge to 38-16 by the end of the third period enroute to an easy victory.

A couple of interesting games in the 6:50 P.M. slot as the UST #1 team battled the Southwest Minnesota State team over on Court 1.  Things would be close in this contest as the UST #1 team clung to a 15-12 advantage by the end of the first period and things would be deadlocked at 23-all midway through the second period.  The UST #1 team; propelled by a three-point bomb by senior-to-be Maddie Wolkow, went on a 11-4 run down the stretch of the second period to grab a 34-27 lead by the half.  The Southwest Minnesota State team was able to scratch and claw its way back to within a single possession at 40-37 early on in the third period but the UST #1 team was able to achieve a bit more breathing space at 45-39 going into the fourth period.  The UST #1 team got a ten-point cushion established at 51-41 midway through the fourth period and held onto that cushion the rest of the way. Meanwhile over on Court 2, the Augsburg team was embroiled in a tight one with the Hamline team and the Augsburg team was clinging to a 14-11 lead by the end of the first quarter.  The Augsburg team managed to increase that lead to five points at 21-16 midway through the second period but the Hamline team then proceeded to go on a 5-0 run to to the contest at 21 a piece.  Incredibly, however, the Augsburg team responded with an 11-0 burst down the stretch of the second period to grab a 32-21 lead by the halftime break.  The Augsburg team held onto that double-digit cushion throughout the third period and still led 40-28 going into the fourth period before the Hamline team was able to make a late run to get back into single-digit range but alas, could not bring it all the way back.

Two more interesting games followed in the 7:45 P.M. slot as the GAC Gold team battled the Luther team over on Court 1 and this one was back and forth in the early going before the GAC Gold team could get a bit of a push late in the opening period to establish a 12-8 lead.  The Luther team wasted little time in whittling that deficit down to a scant point at 12-11 early in the second period and they established a 13-12 lead midway through the second period.  A tough play by senior-to-be Emee Udo helped the GAC Gold team take the lead back and they held a slim 18-16 lead by the halftime break. The Luther team would knot things up at 27-all midway through the third period but the GAC Gold team would manage to step on the accelerator again and held a 36-30 lead by the end of the third period.  The Luther team would threaten again in the fourth and final period as they cut the deficit back down to a single possession at 38-36 and a "3" with just over four minutes left propelled the Luther team back out in front by a 39-38 count but the GAC Gold team managed to get the game tied at 41-all late and two late scores by junior-to-be Kendall Thompson helped seal the deal for the GAC Gold team.  Over on Court 2, you didn't exactly need an abacus to keep track of the score between the UW-River Falls #2 team and the UST Alumni team as the latter found themselves up only 4-2 by the end of the first period in a miserable shooting performance by both squads.  Still, the UST Alumni team shook off enough cobwebs to increase that lead to 10-4 late in the second period and they held a 12-7 lead by the halftime break.  An experienced and polished UST Alumni team proceeded to go on a 15-5 run in the third period for a 27-12 advantage but the UW-River Falls team finally found itself in the fourth period; getting the deficit cut down to six points at 29-23 midway through the fourth period but never had enough to get over the hump.

In the 8:40 P.M. slot, the younger members of the Southwest Minnesota State team took on the B Ballers team which is made up mostly of Southwest Minnesota State alumni.  The B Ballers team; with its size and rebounding, quickly built up a lead of 12-6 and upped that to 18-6 by the end of the first period.  An 8-0 burst by the B Ballers team in the second period built that lead to 26-6 and they enjoyed a comfy 35-10 lead by halftime break  and held a prohibitive 53-18 lead by the end of the third period as they cruised to an easy win.  Meanwhile over on Court 2, a much closer battle was ensuing between the GAC Black team and the Retirees team; a squad made up largely of former Northwestern players.  The Retirees team hardly looked like their name as they jumped out to a 9-0 lead and were seemingly in command of things up 12-2 by the end of the first period.  Not much changed as the second period got underway as the Retirees team still held a ten-point cushion at 19-9 midway through the second period and a three-point bomb by former Northwestern standout Chanel Madson had the Retirees team in good shape up 27-13 at the half.  But the GAC Black team came out in the third period fresh and a renewed determination as they embarked on a 6-0 run to get back into single-digit range trailing 27-19 and a "3" from the top of the key by senior-to-be Miranda Rice just before the end of the third period suddenly had the GAC Black team right back in the thick of things trailing 32-27.  The GAC Black team soon got to within a single possession trailing 32-30 and, with 4:10 left, Rice uncorked yet another three-point dagger that suddenly thrust the GAC Black team out in front by a 34-32 count.  The Retirees team tried to counter on a "3" by lanky former Northwestern standout Jacki Smith that had the Retirees team within a single possession trailing 38-35 with under two minutes left but the GAC Black team was able to close the door down the stretch to get the hard-earned victory.

Don't forget that another big night of action awaits at the Midtown YWCA tonight so do plan to come on down if you can.

Thursday, June 8, 2017

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 6-7-17


Here are the results for last night's action on the second night of the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League:


5:00 P.M. Games

Concordia St. Paul - 46
Winona State - 44

SMU - 56
Luther - 53


5:55 P.M. Games

Winona State - 43
UST #1 - 40

Lady Hawks - 56
NIACC - 55  OT


6:50 P.M. Games

GAC Black - 53
Southwest Minnesota State - 49

UW-River Falls - 68
NIACC - 60


7:45 P.M. Games

UST #2 - 65
St. Olaf - 42

GAC Gold -46
Bethel - 29


8:40 P.M. Games

Augsburg - 36
B Ballers - 35

Hamline - 61
St. Kate's - 34


9:35 P.M. Game

UST Alumni - 52
Augsburg - 40


There were definitely some nail-biters in last night's action; particularly in the 5:00 P.M. slot that had a couple of fun ones to watch.  The traffic and construction work on I-94 slowed my trip and I didn't get in until after the third periods were going on but it was plain to see that both of these were very good games.  Over on Court 1, the Winona State team was clinging to a 31-27 lead but a resourceful Concordia St. Paul team knotted things up at 36 a piece by the end of the third period.  The Winona State team managed to poke its nose out in front again at 42-39 with 6:00 left but the Concordia St. Paul team had all the answers down the stretch and eeked out a tough win against a bitter NSIC rival.  Court 2 was an IIAC-MIAC matchup as the Luther team managed to grab a 38-37 lead in a see-saw affair with the SMU team and going into the fourth and final period, it was the SMU team that had a slight 45-44 edge.  The SMU team would hold a one-possession advantage a 55-53 with :20 left in regulation but the Luther team had one last chance.  With scant seconds remaining, one of the players on the Luther team launched a desperation "3" but it wouldn't fall and the SMU team hung on for a thrilling win.

That trend continued into the 5:55 P.M. slot as the Winona State team was back at it again; this time taking on the UST #1 team in an interesting NSIC-MIAC clash.  The Winona State team bolted out to a 7-3 lead early on but the UST #1 team responded with a 17-2 blitz that gave them some breathing room at the end of the first period with a 20-9 lead.  A three-point bomb by junior-to-be McKenna DuBois to start the second period extended the UST #1 team's lead to 23-9 before the Winona State team recovered enough to trim the deficit down to ten points at 30-20 at the half.  While the Winona State team indeed appear buried during the first half, they weren't about to let the disappointment of the loss in the 5:00 P.M. slot do them in this time around.  They chipped away and managed to get back into single-digit range trailing 32-25 midway through the third period and managed to get back to within a single possession trailing 34-31 going into the fourth period.  The UST #1 team tried valiantly to stave off this comeback attempt but the Winona State team seemed to have all the momentum its way as the fourth period progressed as they cut the deficit down to one point early in the fourth period and then took a 37-36 lead with 6:30 left.  The UST #1 team managed to stay within a single possession down the stretch but could never get out in front again.  Another tough battle ensued over on Court 2 between the Lady Hawks team and the NIACC team.  Both squads battled to an 8-all deadlock early on but the Lady Hawks team managed a 4-0 push late in the opening period to hold a 12-8 advantage going into the second period.  That trend continued in the second period as the Lady Hawks team held a 19-17 lead midway through the second period and clung to a 27-25 lead at the half.  The NIACC team was able to turn the tables a bit in the third period as they assumed a 34-32 lead midway through the third period and held a 40-36 advantage going into the fourth period.  But the heat was only beginning to get turned up once the fourth period got underway.  The Lady Hawks team managed to regain the advantage at 47-44 midway through the fourth period and still held that three-point advantage at 51-48 with 1:30 left in regulation but the NIACC team managed a 5-0 push that suddenly thrust them out in front by a 53-51 count with only :35 left in regulation.  But the Lady Hawks team regained its composure and managed to tie the game on two free throws that sent this one into overtime.  In the extra two minute session, the NIACC team managed to grab a 55-53 lead on a pretty transition play but the Lady Hawks team managed to up the ante with a three-point bomb for a 56-55 lead.  The NIACC team had one last chance to steal victory from the jaws of defeat but a last-second desperation "3" wouldn't fall in what was arguably the game of the night.  Even recent Anoka-Ramsey grad Rashonna Thomas; a member of the victorious Lady Hawks team said to me afterward, "That was a rough one!"

The 6:50 P.M. slot wasn't without its share of drama either.  On Court 1, the GAC Black team jumped out to a 9-3 lead on the Southwest Minnesota State team in another one of those MIAC-NSIC clashes and the GAC Black team still held a relatively comfortable 20-11 lead going into the second period.  The Southwest Minnesota State team cut the deficit down to seven points briefly in the second period but the GAC Black team still managed to regain that nine-point cushion at 29-20 by the halftime break.  A three-point bomb by senior-to-be Miranda Rice early on in the third period got the GAC Black team's lead up to 37-22 and they appeared to have things well in hand by that point but the Southwest Minnesota State team was far from finished.  Trailing 42-31 going into the fourth period, the Southwest Minnesota State team embarked on a 10-3 run that cut the deficit down to four points at 45-41 but alas, they could never get closer as the GAC Black team hung on for the win.  Over on Court 2, the NIACC team, likely feeling a bit of a hangover effect from that OT loss in the previous time slot, did manage to play the UW-River Falls team tough early on as the game was deadlocked at 8-all midway through the first period.  But the UW-River Falls team then used its size and strength to go on a 10-3 push to grab an 18-11 lead going into the second period.  The NIACC team, however, somehow managed to find a second wind as they chopped the deficit down to a scant point at 25-24 and briefly held a one-point 29-28 lead before the UW-River Falls team could answer the challenge with a late score before the intermission to regain the lead at 30-29.  The NIACC team appeared to run out of gas once the third period got underway and the UW-River Falls team managed to extend its lead to 49-38 in the latter stages of the third period and still held a 56-47 lead once the fourth period got underway.  Incredibly, the NIACC team managed to trim the deficit down to six points at 66-60 late in regulation before the UW-River Falls team could ice this one away for good.

The 7:45 P.M. slot was an all-MIAC affair as over on Court 1 the UST #2 team took on the St. Olaf team.  Things were going the UST #2 team's way early on as they raced out to an early 8-0 lead and held a 17-8 advantage by the end of the first period.  But the St. Olaf team managed to hunker down and went on a 12-3 spurt to suddenly tie the contest at 20-all midway through the second period.  However, the UST #2 team responded with a 15-6 run to grab a seemingly safe 35-26 halftime lead.  The UST #2 team managed to maintain that fifteen point cushion at 46-31 by the end of the third period but the St. Olaf team managed to throw one more scare as they went on a 9-0 run early on in the fourth period to cut the deficit down to six points at 46-40.  It was here, however, that the UST #2 team put this one away for good as they responded with a 17-0 blitzkrieg to take a 63-40 lead that helped close things out.  Over on Court 2, the Bethel team was taking on the GAC Gold team and things were tight early on with the score deadlocked at 6-all but the GAC Gold team used a key 8-0 run to take a 14-6 lead going into the second period.  The Bethel team struggled offensively as the GAC Gold team; powered by Rice and junior-to-be Kendall Thompson and sophomore-to-be Lexi Weierke owned the glass in this one that allowed several second- and third-chances on the offensive end while the Bethel team was limited to a one-chance situation and, as such, the GAC team was able to increase its lead to 25-10 by the halftime break.  Not much changed once the second half got underway and despite the fact that the Bethel team managed to trim the deficit down to eleven points at 31-20 by the start of the fourth period, the GAC Gold team rolled in the fourth and final period for a comfortable win.

The evening crowd was treated to another dandy game over on Court 1 in the 8:40 P.M. slot that saw the B Ballers team; an alumni squad of mostly Southwest Minnesota State players, taking on the Augsburg team.  The fast and athletic Augsburg team held a 13-10 lead by the end of the first period and saw that lead increase to 18-12 midway through the second period and seemed to be in full control a short time later with a ten-point 24-14 lead a short time later but an experienced B Baller squad with a lot of size to boot seemed to regain confidence going into the third period down 30-21.  They used their size on the glass and slowly chipped away as they managed to trim the deficit down to five points at 33-28 by the end of the third period.  The B Ballers team; twice in the fourth period, got tantalizingly close as they cut the deficit down to a single point and trailed 36-35 with under a minute left.  But just when you thought that the B Ballers squad might find a way to steal the win, the Augsburg team with its trademark pesky defense, managed to force a late turnover and avoid disaster in the final seconds.  No such drama over on Court 2 as the Hamline team jumped all over the St. Kate's team which was without its normal chain-gang of players (Audra Clark, Meg Clark, Alexis Garcia, Kanani Asuncion) and instead had to rely mostly on its younger group.  The Hamline team got out to a 16-9 lead by the end of the first period and although the St. Kate's team had the deficit down to five points briefly in the second period, the Hamline team stretched its advantage to 28-19 by the half and then ballooned its lead to 41-22 by the end of the third period enroute to an easy win.

Finally, in the 9:35 P.M. slot, the Augsburg team; fresh off its exciting win over the B Ballers, had to take on another experienced and very good alumni squad - the UST Alumni team.  The Augsburg team managed to have the upper hand early on building a 12-8 lead but this UST Alumni squad with players such as Jen Dockter, Kellie Brandenberg, Anna Smith and Laura Margarit used their size and experience to knot the contest at 12-all going into the second period.  Looking every bit as good as they were in their college days, the UST Alumni team then proceeded to go on a 19-0 blitz for a 31-12 advantage limiting the Augsburg team to a single three-pointer for a 31-15 halftime advantage.  Just as they did at times during the regular season, the Augsburg team managed to respond once the third period got underway with a 7-0 burst that helped close the gap to single digits at 31-22 but the UST Alumni squad quickly countered and managed to build its cushion back up to double-digits at 42-26 by the end of the third period.  The UST Alumni squad manged to get the lead to as many as twenty points at 50-30 midway through the fourth and final period before Augsburg could manage a 10-2 run to close the gap to twelve points at 52-40 but they simply would not have enough in the end to catch the UST Alumni squad on this night.

Don't forget that this next week the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League will again run on both Tuesday and Wednesday evenings (6-13 and 6-14) and a lot of good games will be on tap so do plan to come on down if you can.

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Tuesday 6-6-17


Here are the results for the opening night of the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League:


5:00 P.M. Games

GAC Black - 49
Concordia St. Paul - 37

Augsburg - 65
NIACC - 55


5:55 P.M. Games

Concordia St. Paul - 61
Luther - 57

Augsburg - 57
Southwest Minnesota State - 55  OT


6:50 P.M. Games

GAC Gold - 58
SMU - 36

UW-River Falls - 49
Lady Hawks - 31


7:45 P.M. Games

UST #2 - 72
Hamline - 48

Bethel - 54
St. Kate's - 42


8:40 P.M. Game

UST Alumni - 45
St. Olaf - 29


In the 5:00 P.M. slot, the GAC Black team was engaged in a reasonably tight battle with Concordia St. Paul out of the NSIC and things figured to stay tight despite the fact that the GAC Black team used a late second period push to grab a 27-21 halftime advantage.  But the Concordia St. Paul team faltered offensively after the halftime break and that allowed the GAC Black team to build a double-digit advantage of 37-23 in the latter stages of the third period and the Concordia St. Paul team never really could recover.  Augsburg meanwhile used transition and a 1-2 punch of sophomores-to-be Tamira McLemore and Camryn Speese to build a 32-19 on young and undersized NIACC team and although the NIACC team briefly got the deficit down to ten points at 42-32 in the later stages of the third period, Augsburg quickly regained control getting its lead back up to fifteen points at 52-37 going into the fourth quarter and was able to put things in cruise control from there.

Two interesting games in the 5:55 P.M. slot as said Concordia St. Paul team was back in action again - this time against Luther out of the IIAC and the Concordia St. Paul team got a 17-13 advantage at the end of the first period and a sweet move and lay-up by newcomer and former Park Center standout Danielle Schaub helped stretch that lead to eight points at 31-23 in the second period but Luther used a late 5-2 push to close the gap to five points at 33-28 at the half.  Luther knotted the contest at 42-all early in the third period and was able to poke its nose out in front at 42-40 going into the fourth period but Concordia St. Paul recovered and regained the lead coming down to stretch and held on for the tough win.  Meanwhile over on Court 2 was obviously the game of the night between said Augsburg team and the Southwest Minnesota State team also out of the NSIC.  Things would be tight early on with 6-6 tie but the Southwest Minnesota State team embarked on a 9-0 venture that gave them a 15-6 lead going into the second period.  The size of the Southwest Minnesota State team also was quite an adjustment for the Augsburg team and, as a result, the Southwest Minnesota State team was able to build its lead to 28-16 at the half and looked to be firmly in control of things.  But the Augsburg team's ability to get into transition and forcing steals on the other end allowed them to crawl back into single-digit range trailing 31-22.  Still, the Southwest Minnesota State team seemed to have the upper hand with an eight-point 43-35 edge going into the fourth period only to see things slowly but surely go down the drain in the final minutes of regulation thanks to a pesky defense by the Augsburg team that wreaked havoc on their NSIC opponent.  Senior-to-be Bridget Bednar knocked down the back-end of two free throw attempts that tied the contest at 50 a piece with scant seconds remaining in regulation and off to overtime we went.  The Southwest Minnesota State team seemed deflated despite grabbing an early lead and the Augsburg team seemed to have all the momentum and energy - and breaks - going their way as they stole a thrilling win.

The 6:50 P.M. slot didn't have that much drama, however.  On Court 1, the GAC Gold team broke open a tight game that was tied at 10-all and methodically wore down the SMU team; holding a 27-21 lead at the half.  The GAC Gold team wasted little time in increasing its advantage to double-digits and held a 36-24 lead late in the third period and increased the cushion down the stretch.  On Court 2, the UW-River Falls team raced out to an early 9-0 lead on the Lady Hawks team and stretched that advantage to double-digits at 26-13 by the half.  The Lady Hawks team simply could not get much going offensively on this night as the UW-River Falls team ballooned the lead to 43-19 by the end of the third period enroute to an easy win.

That pattern seemed to continue into the 7:45 P.M. slot as the UST #2 team built an early 11-4 lead on the Hamline team and stretched that advantage to double-digits at 21-9 midway through the second period and held a cozy 29-13 lead at the half.  The UST #2 team busted this one wide open in the third period getting the lead up to 57-32 enroute to a blowout win.  Two other MIAC squads were going at it over on Court 2 as the St. Kate's team built a somewhat surprising 9-0 lead on the Bethel team but, despite the slow start, the Bethel team quickly righted the ship as they whittled the St. Kate's team's lead down to 11-8 by the end of the first period and then went on a 15-0 blitz to assume a 23-11 advantage by the halftime break.  The St. Kate's team would attempt to cut into the deficit in the third period but they could never sustain a meaningful run that might have changed the complexion of this contest.

Just one game tonight in the 8:40 P.M. slot which saw the UST Alumni team build an early 6-2 lead on the St. Olaf team that quickly bulged to 13-2 by the end of the first period.  The UST Alumni team; looking every bit as good as they were during their college days, shut down the St. Olaf team for the most part and held a commanding 24-8 lead at the halftime break.  The St. Olaf team finally found a little bit of an offensive burst in the third period but they had a long way to go and a short time to get there and, as such, the UST Alumni team held a comfy 35-14 lead midway through the third period.  Still, the St. Olaf team was not ready to wave the white flag just yet and, to its credit, got the deficit down to fifteen points at 43-28 with just under six minutes left in the game on a "3" by recent grad Betsey Daly but that's as close as they could get as the UST Alumni team held on for the win.

Don't forget to come out tomorrow evening (Wednesday 6-7) as the schedule calls for a full slate of very interesting games which should be fun to watch.

Sunday, June 4, 2017

Upcoming Midtown YWCA Summer League About To Start Up!


Felt it was time to dust off the old blog and get back on here to let everyone know that the Midtown YWCA Summer League will be starting up again this coming Tuesday evening (6-6) and I'll be there covering the games as I have been in the past.  It's kind of nice to be talking basketball again instead of some of the sideshow stuff that surrounded the Girl's State Tournament back in March.

Just so you'll know, the first two weeks will be "doubled up"; i.e., games will be held on both Tuesday and Wednesday night this coming week (6-6 and 6-7) and the following week as well (6-13 and 6-14) with no games the week of the July 4th holiday.  Anyway, it's a chance to take in a variety of the MIAC/WIAC and NSIC college teams that will be participating and to catch some of the new faces as well so do try and make it down if you can.  Hope to see you there!