Raise Your Glasses For A Toast - A GREAT Day For MIAC Women's Basketball!!!

After watching the mock selection show last night on D3Hoops.com, I felt very good about the chances for both GAC and CSB and those and my predictions from late last week and over the weekend came true as both the Gusties and the Blazers joined UST in getting bids to the NCAA Tournament.  Both the Gusties and the Blazers had a very strong SOS (strength of schedule) and both had wins over regionally-ranked teams during either the regular season or the MIAC Playoffs and that's what got them on the table and ultimately got them both in.  There were some surprises as well.  UW-Oshkosh out of the WIAC getting snubbed was a bit of a shock (when was the last time the WIAC was a one-team?) and Whitman out of the NWC getting in was perhaps an even bigger shock.  Remember, the Blues lost a late regular season game at home to Willamette and then followed that up by losing to said Willamette team in the NWC semifinals again at home in Walla Walla which, in my mind, left the Blues dead in the water and opened the door for GAC to move up in the West Region rankings at the very least and possibly leave the door open for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps out of the SCIAC.  As it was, Whitman's SOS likely got them over despite their late-season slump and the Athenas likely never made it to the table for discussion.

So now that the pairings for the NCAA Tournament have been announced, let's look at it from a MIAC angle.  Not surprisingly, UST gets to host a first- and second-round pod this coming Friday and Saturday night as Chicago out of the UAA will take on Wisconsin Lutheran out of the NACC in the first game on Friday night while UST will face off with SCIAC champ Chapman.  Chicago is the one team in this pod I would definitely not take lightly and they gave the Tommies all they could handle when they were up here last year.  Chapman had to go to double-overtime to stave off said Claremont-Mudd-Scripps team in the SCIAC Championship Game on Saturday night so it'll be interesting to see how much the Panthers have in the tank once they make the trip from the Motherland to the Twin Cities.

When I saw that GAC had been sent to the UW-Whitewater pod, I couldn't help but smile just a bit.  First, because of the fact that they got in after I was sure that they were in :) but also because I think that this could be setting up very well for the Gusties.  They'll take on Rose-Hulman out of the HCAC and the Engineers had a very good year; going 24-3 overall.  But I like how the Gusties came on down the stretch; beating CSB in the semifinals and I really felt that the MIAC Championship Game with UST could have turned out differently if they would have been able to clean some things up.  But now they get a second chance and I'm hoping that they make the most of it.  And I know that I've talked about the Gusties' seeming inability to win the Big One.  This is also their chance for them to bury forever that infamous legacy.  The other game in the UW-Whitewater pod has the Warhawks taking on UMAC champ UW-Superior.  While on paper this should be favorable for UW-Whitewater, they'd better not underestimate the Yellowjackets and they've got nothing to lose here.

Interestingly, it was CSB getting sent down to my home state of Iowa (not GAC) in the Wartburg pod and the Blazers have what could be the most-anticipated first round games of the NCAA Tournament as they'll go up against NWC champ and perennial powerhouse George Fox.  The Bruins finished the year with another very, very good record at 24-3 although two of those losses came to MIAC teams over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend - Bethel and UST.  The only other loss they had was to NWC arch-rival Whitman in Walla Walla.  This one just could be a war.  The nightcap in Waverly will pit host and nationally number two-ranked IIAC champ Wartburg; undefeated at 27-0 against SLIAC champ Webster.  While I see Wartburg taking care of business in their first round game, getting past either CSB or George Fox - even on their home floor - is not an easy proposition.

I'll have more to say about all this as we get later on in the week.  For now, let's raise our glasses and give a toast to UST, CSB and GAC.  Way to go MIAC Women's Basketball!!!!

Looking Ahead To Selection Monday - Things Looking Good For The MIAC!!!

Was watching the D3Hoops.com mock selection show last night and their wonks have both CSB and GAC safely in the Big Dance which is definitely good to hear.  What was interesting to me was that they had GAC leapfrogging both Claremont-Mudd-Scripps out of the SCIAC and Whitman out of the NWC which, I think given the Gusties' last few games plus the win over CSB in the MIAC semifinals, makes sense.  Whitman, as you may recall, lost to Willamette in the NWC semifinals at home in Walla Walla (in fact, had lost to them at home in the next-to-last regular season game as well).  And Claremont-Mudd-Scripps lost to Chapman at home in the SCIAC Championship Game on Saturday night.  The latter really worried me I must admit as the Athenas had leapfrogged GAC in the Regional Rankings from last week Wednesday.  The wonks at D3Hoops.com, however, felt that GAC had a stronger SOS (strength of schedule) than did Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and thus shoved the Gusties ahead in the selection process.  Again, we'll see what the NCAA Selection Committee does here after lunch.  With Whitman, it may have been a case of what have you done for me lately wrt the mock selection show last night and it wouldn't surprise me if the Blues are on the outside looking in come this afternoon.  Right now, George Fox appears to be the only entrant coming out of the NWC which had both the Bruins and Whitman in last year.  Elsewhere, the IIAC appears to be a one-bid league with unbeaten and number-two Wartburg and UW-Superior won the UMAC Championship Game on Saturday night so CSB and GAC shouldn't have to worry about any other teams from either the IIAC or the UMAC. 

Assuming that the MIAC gets three teams in (which I definitely think they will now), where do CSB and GAC wind up getting sent?  The D3Hoops.com wonks have the Blazers getting sent over to the UW-Whitewater pod to face Wheaton of the CCIW while the Gusties would get sent down to my home state of Iowa in Waverly where they would face Rose-Hulman out of the HCAC.  Closer to home, UST, according to the projections anyway, would face off with Cornell out of the MWC.  While I don't think these projections are that far off base, I wonder if it's possible if they might decide to slide one of the two MIAC teams into the UST pod.  I don't know.  I think if I were either CSB or GAC, I would just as soon prefer to get sent down to either Waverly or Whitewater and roll the dice there as opposed to possibly facing UST again. 

You can view the D3Hoops.com projections.  http://www.d3hoops.com/playoffs/women/2018/projected-womens-bracket


Don't forget that the Women's Selection Show will begin at 1:30 P.M. (Central time) this afternoon and you can watch it live on D3Hoops.com so we'll find out how everything shakes out here in just a few hours.  Till then, hang on tight! 

MIAC Championship Game - GAC vs UST 2-24-18

Made a relatively quick trip on I-94 over to the St. Paul side of town on this early afternoon (much quicker than it would be coming back with the snow) to get a good parking spot and get settled into Schoenecker Arena on the campus of UST for the MIAC Championship Game between visiting GAC which made its way to town on U.S. Highway 169 and the Mankato Sub portion of Union Pacific's "Omaha Route" mainline to face host UST.  The Gusties advanced to this championship game by virtue of their quarterfinal win over St. Kate's and a big upset on the road of second-seeded CSB on Thursday night while the top-seeded Tommies got here by virtue of their semifinal win over SMU on Thursday night.  You could feel the anticipation in the air for this game as this would be a rematch of the 2017 MIAC Championship Game and although UST has had its way with GAC for the last eight seasons, anything can happen and the Gusties came into this contest with the hope that they could spring another upset and steal the AQ for the MIAC.

One of the big questions for UST coming into this game was the availability of junior post Hannah Spaulding who suffered a concussion in the regular season finale against CSB.  Understudy sophomore post Elsa Anderson was shoved into the starting role on Thursday night against SMU and came through with flying colors; scoring 15 points to lead the way and snared 10 rebounds to record a "double-double" and Tommie Head Coach Ruth Sinn had every bit of confidence with her going into this game.  Yet the Gusties showed a lot of confidence against CSB and owned the boards on that night and were hoping to do the same on this day.  Both teams would be foiled on their initial two possessions but GAC finally broke the ice on a score in the paint by senior forward Miranda Rice at the 7:33 mark.  UST would knot the score in a short jumper in the lane by junior guard Lucia Renikoff at the 7:17 mark but a 4-0 Gustie push thanks to surprising freshman point guard Ava Gonsorowski gave GAC a bit of an edge.  The former Esko standout made a drive for a finish at the 5:55 mark and connected with a lay-up at the 5:25 mark to make it a 6-2 game.  The Tommies would close the gap to one point when freshman reserve guard Kaia Porter muscled into the paint for a score and drew a foul in the process and made good on the ensuing "and one" at the 5:08 mark.  A Porter lay-up with 3:51 left kept UST in that one-point range down 8-7 but the Gusties would respond with a 5-0 push to get some breathing space.  Senior reserve forward Emee Udo snared an offensive rebound for a putback with 3:32 left and a three-point bomb from the left wing by junior reserve guard Taylor Anderson with 1:25 left gave GAC a 13-7 lead and things definitely appeared to be going the Gusties way in getting a good start just as they had against CSB.  But the Tommies would manage to crawl back to within a single possession before the end of the opening period.  Junior guard Kaylie Brazil dropped one free throw after getting fouled with 1:11 left and a score in the paint by Elsa Anderson with :32.7 left cut GAC's lead down to two points at 13-11.  Throw in the fact that the Gusties' Rice was tagged with her second foul with :46.7 left and suddenly things weren't looking quite so rosy.

UST junior guard Lucia Renikoff's "3" from the right top area at the 9:25 mark of the second period propelled the Tommies out in front for the first time on this afternoon but it looked as if the Gusties had quickly righted the ship when junior forward Kendall Thompson connected with a lay-up at the 8:07 mark that drew a foul in the process and sank the obligatory free throw to shove GAC back out in front by a 16-14 count.  It was here, however, where the Tommies made their first decisive move of the day with a 7-0 run.  Freshman reserve guard Madi Radtke connected with a short one-handed shot as the shot clock was expiring at the 7:36 mark to tie the game and a three-point bomb by senior forward Lauren Fischer from the left corner at the 7:06 mark had UST in front 19-16.  That lead expanded to 21-16 when Elsa Anderson got into a paint for a score at the 6:05 mark and Gustie Head Coach Laurie Kelly called a timeout in hopes of cooling off the Tommies.  GAC managed to get back to within a single possession when Taylor Anderson drilled her second trey of the game - this one coming from the left wing as well that tightened things up at 21-19.  But the Gusties had to absorb some more bad luck when Udo was slapped with her second foul with 4:34 left.  Then Tommie senior guard Maddie Wolkow banged home a "3" from the right top area with 4:24 left and twenty seconds later, GAC's Udo picked up her third foul of the afternoon.  UST's Elsa Anderson; showing her versatility, drained a "3" from the right wing area with 3:52 left to expand the lead to eight points at 27-19 before the Gusties could cut into things a bit.  Thompson dropped two free throws after getting fouled with 3:41 left and a steal and short jumper in transition by senior guard Mikayla Miller with 3:14 left cut the deficit down to four points at 27-23.  UST would get the lead stretched back to seven points as Wolkow drained her second trey of the afternoon from the left top area with 2:49 left and a lay-up by Radtke with 1:09 left maintained the seven-point edge at 32-25.  GAC would cut into that cushion again as Thompson drilled a "3" from the left wing area with :55 left but the Tommies increased their safety net when Porter knocked down a jumper from the left elbow off of an inbounds pass with :32 seconds and both teams shuffled off to their respective locker rooms with UST holding a 34-28 edge at the halftime buzzer.  It was something of a good news/bad news proposition for the Gusties as yes, they got off to a good start and were still very much in this thing down by only six and they had a definite edge on the boards after the first period at 9-4.  The bad news?  They missed several lay-ups and "bunny" shots in the first two periods and they also could not stop the Tommies from knocking down three-point bombs courtesy of Wolkow, Renikoff and Anderson.  In fact, GAC shot only 4-14 from FG range in the second period alone for 28.6% which gives you an idea of how much they struggled after getting an early lead.

The Gusties frustrations continued in the opening moments of the third period as they were unable to cash in on their first two possessions.  Gonsorowski was finally able to snare a steal with just over 8:00 left and she dashed the other way for a lay-up attempt only to rush the attempt a bit much.  Fortunately for GAC, Miller was right behind to bail out the youngster and her putback at the 7:58 mark trimmed the deficit to four points at 34-30.  At the 6:04 mark, Rice was able to snare a tough offensive rebound and get a putback out of it that now had the Gusties right where they wanted to be - down by only two and almost two full quarters to play.  But UST; not willing to let its opponent sniff an opportunity, went on a key 8-2 run.  Renikoff drained one of her patented three-point bombs from the left corner at the 5:50 mark and a short jumper from the right side by Brazil with 3:51 left got the Tommie lead to 39-32.  Then it was Brazil; the former Norwood-Young America standout showing her prowess from behind the arc as her bomb from the left top area with 3:03 left had UST up by eight at 42-34.  Dazed perhaps but not fazed, the Gusties made another attempt to close the gap.  Rice drained a "3" from the top of the key with 2:30 left and another three-point bomb by junior guard Justine Lee from the right wing area with 1:37 left had GAC right back in the thick of things down by only two again at 42-40.  Maddie Wolkow to the rescue for the Tommies as she knocked down a jumper from the right elbow area with 1:20 left and then banged home a "3" from the right top area with :30 left to increase UST's safety net to seven points at 47-40.  Lee would get one free throw to go down with :09.6 left in the third period but it seemed like the Gusties didn't have a lot to show for their efforts after twice getting back to within a single possession. 

Two Rice free throws at the 8:16 mark of the fourth period pulled GAC a bit closer down four at 47-43 but the Tommies again set out to stretch their lead.  Brazil drilled a "3" from the right corner at the 8:01 mark and one Brazil freebie at the 5:52 mark had the UST lead back up to eight points at 51-43.  Undaunted, the Gusties would make another run.  Thompson connected with a lay-up at the 5:15 mark and a "3" by Taylor Anderson from the right wing area with 3:43 left had the deficit down to five points at 53-48.  Less than a minute later with 3:19 left Taylor Anderson struck again with a lay-up in transition that again had GAC in great position down by only two points at 53-51 and the Tommies' Sinn called a thirty-second timeout to re-evaluate things.  That short stoppage in play seemed to not only allow UST to catch their collective breaths but also gave their leaders a chance to save their team.  Wolkow got an open look from behind the arc at the right top area and she brazenly drained a cold-blooded "3" with 2:52 left that pushed the Tommie lead to six points at 56-50.  The Gusties would make another bid and although Miller couldn't connect on either free throw attempt when she was sent to the charity stripe with 2:39 left, Rice was able to muscle out her defender and she snared the back end attempt and got a putback out of it with 2:30 left to reduce the deficit to four points at 56-52.  Guess who came to the rescue for UST?  Why Wolkow, of course, and on the ensuing Tommie possession she got another free look from that same right top area and drained yet another routine three-point bomb to get the UST lead back to seven points at 59-52 with 2:03 left.  With time now becoming a factor, the Gusties attempted one more comeback bid.  Rice muscled into the paint for one score with 1:41 left and after a foiled UST possession, Gonsorowski got a jumper to go down from the left wing area with :57 left that now had GAC back to within single-possession range once again down 59-56.  The Gusties' Kelly called a thirty-second timeout to set up defensive strategy and now it was paramount for GAC to get a stop.  So on the ensuing Tommie possession, UST worked the ball carefully around the perimeter in hopes of not only burning as much time off the clock as possible but hoping to get a foul as well.  With :32.8 left, Renikoff got just enough room where she was able to make a drive and although she wasn't able to get her shot attempt to go down, she did draw a foul and now the Tommies were in the bonus as well.  She skillfully sank both free throw attempts to get UST's lead up to 61-56 and now the Gusties needed something good and something fast but unfortunately for them, they could never find the magic.  Gonsorowski couldn't connect on her lay-up attempt with :18 left and now GAC was forced to foul.  The Tommies' Renikoff got one free throw to go down with :12.8 left and the Gusties lifelines were all used up.  Miller's three-point attempt with :03 left missed its mark and UST won its seventh straight MIAC Championship Game by a final score of 62-56. 

Jubilation was abundant on the UST side afterward as the team and coaches cut down the net on their end.  I caught up with Sinn with the net around her neck to congratulate her and her team on this latest victory.  I asked her about the availability of Spaulding going forward and she said that she'd be ready and cleared by tomorrow (Sunday 2-25); that she had to go through a five-day protocol to get cleared but everything appears to be okay which is definitely good news for her and the Tommies.  Sinn told me that she explained to the team earlier in the week that Spaulding likely wouldn't be available during MIAC Playoff week and that others needed to step up to the plate.  Not that they had to do something spectacular or anything like that but be able to contribute on both ends of the floor.  I think we saw that on this day.  Elsa Anderson held her own down low and Sinn also got contributions from more than just her normal chain gang.  Porter, Radtke and junior reserve guard McKenna DuBois were able to come in and provide valuable minutes on both ends of the floor.  I asked both Sinn and Assistant Coach Brian Silk about this next week wrt the first and second rounds of the upcoming NCAA Tournament and both feel confident that UST will get to host a pod beginning this next Friday evening and we'll get the details come Monday afternoon.  So while the Tommies were a "lock" anyway for the Dance regardless, the same cannot be said for GAC which now must play the excruciating waiting game for Monday's NCAA Tournament pairings.  I still personally feel that they're in given their record and their SOS (strength of schedule) but there's other things that come into play in this; particularly with how the other conference tournaments in the West Region go.  Assuming that things go to form without a lot of upsets here and there, the Gusties SHOULD be in decent shape.  I'll have a lot more to say about this on Sunday night/Monday morning when more information becomes available; particularly from the wonks at D3Hoops.com.  Meanwhile, as far as this game is concerned, it's another case of coulda/shoulda/woulda for GAC.  I really felt that this game was out there for them to take and they just couldn't quite get the important things done to get them over the top.  Just too many missed lay-ups or "bunnies" that you've got to convert on.  And they gave up WAY too many three-point shots - especially at important times when they managed to get within a single-possession.  And the Tommies did a good job in blanketing Miller who finished with only four points on this day.  Until GAC can change this, it's likely going to continue to be a frustrating experience for them in playing UST.  The Tommies' balanced attack was on of their keys to victory on this day.  Wolkow led the way with her 17 points and she was 5-8 from behind the arc as well.  Renikoff finished with 13 points and Brazil had a solid day with 11 points.  Rice led the way for GAC on this day with her 13 points and Thompson had a "double-double" of 12 points and 10 rebounds.  Gonsorowski was the only other player for the Gusties in double-figures with her 10 points.  Again, I point to the fact that GAC shot only 19-59 from FG range for 32.2% on this day and that's simply not going to get the job done against a great team like UST that will make you pay in spades for every misstep you make.  It just goes to show you how incredibly small your margin for error is when you play the Tommies.  On a positive note for Kelly and her staff, the Gusties owned the boards on this day by a 42-27 count but they also had more turnovers than the Tommies did at 15-11.  Interestingly enough, GAC did hold the edge in points in the paint by a 20-12 margin and they also held a decided edge in those all-important "second-chance" points by a 16-5 count. 

A Primer For Saturday's MIAC Championship Game: GAC vs UST

It's a rematch of last year's MIAC Championship Game as GAC heads back into the Twin Cities to take on six-time defending MIAC Playoff Champ UST over at Schoenecker Arena at 3:00 P.M. on Saturday.  Obviously, NCAA Tournament implications for this contest are heavy with the winner getting the AQ for the MIAC.  While the Tommies are a virtual "lock" for the NCAA Tournament should they come up on the short end of the stick on Saturday, uncertainties still abound for the Gusties although they definitely strengthened their chances by virtue of their semifinal victory over CSB in the semifinals on Thursday night.  But I don't want to spend too much time here speculating on what may or may not happen come Monday so, for the moment anyway, let's take a quick look at some of the numbers and how the regular season meetings between these two teams went.

UST, coming into this game with a stellar 24-2 overall record, dispatched SMU on Thursday night in the other semifinal game.  The Tommies have simply owned the MIAC as of late and swept through the conference portion of their regular season with an unblemished 18-0 record; which, of course, includes two wins over said GAC team.  The first game took place back on December 13 down in St. Peter where the Tommies prevailed by a 74-66 count.  In that game, UST used their trademark defense in limiting GAC to 24-62 from FG range for 38.7% and 3-14 from behind the arc for 21.4%.  In the return game over at Schoenecker Arena, UST thumped the Gusties by a 61-45 count and in that game, cold shooting doomed GAC again as they went 16-55 for 29.1% from FG range and an even icier 4-17 from behind the arc for 23.5%.  Rebounds were nearly even with GAC holding a slight 35-33 edge but the big thing from that contest that stood out to me was that the Tommies held a sizable 28-18 edge in points in the paint.  And a majority of those points came from junior post Hannah Spaulding who finished that night with 22 points.

So from a UST standpoint, it would appear that the secret sauce would be using their trademark defense and getting the edge in the points in the paint as well.  But now some uncertainly swirls around this game for the Tommies wrt the availability of Spaulding who went down with a concussion this last Saturday against CSB.  UST Head Coach Ruth Sinn opted for starting sophomore reserve post Elsa Anderson on Thursday night against SMU and the former Des Moines (IA) Christian standout came through with flying colors to lead a balanced Tommie attack with a "double-double" of 15 points and 10 rebounds so if anyone thinks that UST is going to fall off precipitously with Spaulding on the bench had better think again.  You can't blame Sinn for taking the safe route when it comes to Spaulding as a concussion is simply something you don't want to mess around with and you've got to go through the necessary protocol before you can get cleared to play so we'll just see how things stand for Saturday.

The one encouraging thing for GAC coming into this game on Saturday is that they've had the decided edge on the boards in their wins over both St. Kate's on Tuesday night and CSB on Thursday night.  Against the Wildcats, the Gusties controlled the glass by a 46-36 count and against the Blazers, GAC held a 35-28 cont on the boards against a longer and taller CSB team so the Gusties know how to control the boards given the stats of the last two games.  I think the bigger challenge for GAC coming into this game on Saturday has to be from a mental perspective.  When you've lost to a team for umpteen times in a row as GAC has to UST, there's just a mental block that gets in your head to comes back to bite you when things start going wrong when you play them.  That in mind, here's what I see as the keys to this game from a GAC perspective:


1.  Keep dominating the boards the way you have.  That's a must and doable; particularly if Spaulding is unavailable for this game for UST.

2.  Execute your plays.  That means setting your screens and driving the (expletive deleted) ball into traffic where necessary.  Contact is a part of the game.  Don't be afraid to get physical with them.

3.  Keep your composure.  The one thing UST counts on is getting you into a hole early on and then watching you disintegrate into a pool of frustration. 

4.  Don't settle for "bad" shots.  If you get an open look, take it by all means but don't be jacking up shots that you know aren't reasonably good percentage shots. 


So that's how I see it.  Again, I don't think it's any secret here that the edge goes to UST in this game given their history and their recent performance.  But, as Chris Berman of ESPN always said, "That's why they play the game."   


   

MIAC Playoff Semifinal Game - GAC vs CSB 2-22-18

Made a leisurely journey up U.S. Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline to the St. Cloud area in the afternoon to get my fix of Mexican food at La Casita on the west side of town then made the short run over to nearby St. Joseph for the huge MIAC Playoff Semifinal Game between visiting GAC and host CSB with heavy NCAA Tournament implications for both teams.  The Gusties easily dispatched St. Kate's at home in Lund Arena on Tuesday night in one of the two Quarterfinal games so, presumably anyway, were coming into this game with a head of steam.  The Blazers were able to rest up a bit after losing a tough regular season finale at UST last Saturday so this game had all the makings of a good one despite the imminent snowstorm that was descending upon the area.  I got settled into Claire Lynch Hall early for this one and you could feel the anticipation in the air. 

Early on in the opening period, it looked to be both squads "bigs" battling it out.  CSB senior forward/post Niki Fokken started things off with her lay-up at the 9:47 mark but that was matched by Gustie senior forward Miranda Rice's short jumper from the right side at the 9:06 mark.  Rice would follow that up with a score in the paint at the 8:27 mark but the Blazers would retaliate behind Fokken as she slithered into the paint for a score at the 8:04 mark to knot this game at four.  So it was logical to figure that this could easily be a back-and-forth battle given the first two minutes.  But it was here, however, where GAC made its first decisive move of the ballgame to open up some space.  Two scores by Rice - a score in the paint at the 7:52 mark and a short jumper from the left side at the 6:45 mark - got the Gusties lead to 8-4 and one free throw by junior forward Kendall Thompson at the 6:18 mark pushed the lead to 9-4.  Rice would connect with a lay-up at the 6:11 mark and senior reserve forward Emee Udo snared an offensive rebound for a putback with 4:40 left in the first period to make it 13-4 and CSB Head Coach Mike Durbin; not at all liking how his team had gone stone cold all of a sudden, called a timeout to reevaluate strategy.  That stoppage in play seemed to revive the Blazers a bit as freshman guard Megan Thompson connected with a short jumper from the right side with 3:16 left and a "3" from the left top area by freshman reserve forward Maddie Schmitz with 1:03 left reduced the deficit down to four points at 13-9 but GAC was still able establish the breathing room it had earlier when senior guard Mikayla Miller knocked down two free throws with :21.2 left as the Gusties carried a 15-9 advantage going into the second period. 

CSB was hoping to get things tight again once the second period got underway and a "3" from the right corner by senior forward Chelsey Guetter at the 9:34 mark certainly pointed things in the right direction for the Blazers who closed within a single possession down 15-12.  But the Gusties had vastly different ideas and they embarked on a 13-0 blitz to put themselves in excellent shape.  Miller; the former Goodhue standout, drained a "3" from the right corner at the 9:19 mark to start this run and an offensive rebound and putback by junior guard Justine Lee at the 7:36 mark got GAC's lead up to eight points at 20-12.  Then it was Lee again; the former Dawson-Boyd standout, banging home a three-point bomb from the left wing area at the 6:28 mark to expand the lead to double-digits at 23-12.  Two free throws by surprising freshman point guard Ava Gonsorowski at the 5:44 mark and another Miller three-point bomb - this one from that same right corner with 4:14 left - pushed the Gustie lead to 28-12 and now CSB was definitely in between a rock and a hard place on their home floor.  But the Blazers managed to recover just enough to close out the second period on a 9-2 run to at least get back into single-digit range again.  Senior forward/post Kate Banovetz connected with a lay-up with 3:30 left and one Banovetz freebie with 2:23 left got the deficit down to thirteen points at 28-15.  Megan Thompson connected with a lay-up with 1:44 left as did Fokken with :53 left to get the deficit down to eleven points at 30-19.  Two free throws by Megan Thompson with just :11.7 left had CSB feeling a bit better about itself as both teams headed off to their respective locker rooms for the halftime break.  But Gustie Head Coach Laurie Kelly and her staff likely felt even better about things as they not only had the lead but had some favorable stats to review off of the first half box score.  The Gusties shot 11-27 from FG range for 40.7% and were 3-6 from behind the arc for a straight 50%.  Just as important is that GAC held a 16-12 edge on the boards against a longer, taller Blazer team and they were also able to snare six steals in the process.  Actually CSB shot decently in the first half as they went 8-17 from FG range for 47.1% although their three-point shooting fell off a bit from last Saturday vs UST as they were 2-5 for 40%.  While the rebounding aspect likely bothered Durbin and his staff enough as it was, what was probably even more troublesome for the Blazers is that they were guilty of 11 first half turnovers as well and that was definitely something that was going to have to get cleaned up. 

The early moments of the third period held a bit of an ominous tone for the Gusties as two key players got tagged with their third foul of the evening - Kendall Thompson at the 9:51 mark and Rice at the 9:28 mark.  Still, GAC managed to establish more breathing room as a jumper along the right baseline by junior reserve guard Taylor Anderson at the 8:01 mark and a jumper along the left baseline by Lee at the 7:07 mark had things looking good for the black and gold again with a 34-21 advantage.  But the Blazers put together a 10-2 run that got them right back into the thick of things.  Sophomore point guard Sidney Schiffler snuck through to grab an offensive rebound of her missed three-point attempt for a putback at the 6:40 mark and another routine Fokken lay-up at the 5:37 mark had CSB back in single-digit range again down 34-25.  Schiffler struck again with 3:48 left with a drive and finish to cut the deficit down to seven points at 34-27 and then sophomore reserve post Alex Johnson came up big for the Blazers.  The former Becker standout connected with a short turnaround jumper and drew a foul in the process and her ensuing "and one" suddenly had CSB back within striking distance again down 34-30.  Fokken would add one free throw of her own with 1:38 left before the Gusties could finally halt this comeback bid on a "3" from the left wing by Kendall Thompson with 1:22 left.  Still, the Blazers would counter on a Guetter lay-up with :57 left and Fokken would add one more free throw with :32.4 left to keep CSB close down 39-34 as things morphed into the fourth period. 

When the Blazers Fokken connected with yet another routine lay-up at the 9:27 mark of the fourth period to bring CSB back to within a single possession down 39-36, it was probably easy for many within the Gustie contingent to sigh and say, "Here we go again."  But this time around, GAC stood up to the challenge being put to them and responded with a key 6-0 push.  Rice was able to snare an offensive rebound of her own miss for a putback at the 9:08 mark and a jumper from the right wing by Miller with 8:20 left increased the Gustie safety net to seven points at 43-36.  Lee would be sent to the charity stripe at the 7:55 mark and she sank both free throw attempts for a nine-point 45-36 advantage and CSB's Durbin, fearing that the wind was taken out of his team's sail, called a timeout to try and rectify the situation.  The Blazers; specifically Schmitz, would respond from this latest stoppage in play to try and pull close again.  The former Albany standout drained one three-point bomb from the left top area at the 7:31 mark and got another "3" to go down from the right top area at the 5:57 mark to slim the deficit down to five points at 47-42 and provide the partisan CSB contingent with a reasonable amount of hope.  But again GAC held firm clinging to that somewhat tenuous five-point lead.  Udo made a hard drive into traffic for a finish at the 5:08 mark and although Rice would pick up her fourth foul with 3:58 and would have to sit for a spell, the Gusties held firm and others stepped up to the plate.  Lee banged home a huge three-point bomb from the top of the key with 3:21 left to get the lead to 52-44 and a lay-up off of an inbounds pass by Kendall Thompson with 2:54 left maintained the eight-point edge at 54-46.  Then it was Gonsorowski getting her 5'5" frame into traffic for a finish with 2:09 left to give GAC a ten-point advantage at 56-46 and the Blazers were clearly in big trouble now.  The Blazers would respond with a 6-2 push to at least give themselves a fighting chance down the stretch.  Guetter would make a drive into traffic for a finish with 1:38 left and one free throw by Megan Thompson with 1:21 left got the deficit down to seven points at 56-49 but now CSB not only needed points, they needed to get stops as well and the latter proved to be a bridge too far.  The Gusties Lee connected with a lay-up in transition with :32.6 left to get the lead back up to nine at 58-49 and one insurance free throw by Miller with :20.9 left and two more by Lee with :11.5 left sealed the deal.  Fokken would get a meaningless score for the Blazers in the paint with :02 left but it would be GAC getting the huge win that just may very likely secure their ticket to the Big Dance with a 61-53 victory. 

Because of the ensuing snowstorm raging outside, I didn't get to hang around Claire Lycnh Hall as long as I would have liked or get to talk to as many people as would have liked to but the one impression I came away with from this game is that GAC definitely felt the sense of urgency needed in this situation with their NCAA Tournament hopes hanging in the balance.  Moreover, they appeared ready mentally and their senior leaders really came through for them on this night.  The one stat that really stood out to me on this night in checking the final box score is that the Gusties held a decided 35-28 advantage on the boards against a taller, longer CSB team and that's one thing that definitely had to go their way on this night in order to win.  The Blazers did clean things up on the turnover front in the second half but there were two other things that worked against CSB on this night as well:  The Gusties held a decided 26-5 edge on points off of turnovers and had a sizable 16-5 edge in those all-important "second chance" points.  Just as important, the Gusties held both Megan Thompson and Guetter in check on this night and CSB junior reserve guard Breanna Gates wasn't that big of a factor on defense for the Blazers as she had been in the regular season finale against UST.  So it's definitely a setback for CSB after the near-miss against the Tommies last weekend but I still the the Blazers are a "lock" for the NCAA Tournament regardless and I'll have more to say about this late Sunday and early Monday.  Somewhat surprisingly, it was the oft-underestimated Lee who led the way for GAC on this night with her 16 points while Miller finished with 13 points and Rice finished with 12 points in a very balanced attack for the Gusties.  For the Blazers, Fokken was the only scorer in double-figures with her 20 points and nobody else was even close.  Now CSB must play the excruciating waiting and wondering game although again, I feel confident that the Blazers are in.  GAC meanwhile now gets ready for its third crack at mighty UST in the MIAC Championship Game on Saturday as the Tommies dispatched SMU with relative ease.  UST has been GAC's kryptonite for the last eight years and to be sure, the Gusties will have to play even cleaner than they did on this night if they hope to finally overcome their nemesis.  But given tonight's performance under pressure on the road, the Gusties now have to have a huge shot of confidence going into Saturday's tilt.   

Elk River vs Park Center 2-21-18

Made the short drive over to Park Center High School on this Wednesday evening to take in this important Northwest Suburban Conference showdown between visiting Elk River which made its way into town on U.S. Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline to face host Park Center.  The Elks, of course, were the defending Class AAAA state champs from that marvelous senior-laden team last year that went 32-0 enroute to the state title.  But those seniors have now graduated and moved on to college basketball and now its a host of fresh new faces leading the way for Elk River and with it, the struggles that come for a young team as they came into this contest with a 10-15 record.  Park Center meanwhile came into this game with a 17-9 overall record and was tied with Maple Grove for first place in the Southern Division of the Northwest Suburban Conference so this game would be crucial for the Pirates from not only a conference perspective but also for making a case for a good seed in Section 5AAAA with one more regular season game after this one.  This was also Parent's Night and Senior Night at Park Center as this was the last regular season home game for the Pirates as the parents and players were honored and new Pirate Head Coach Barb Metcalfe gave a nice tribute for the four seniors - Sommer Blakemore, Charo Nickens, Meghan DuBois and Jaelyn Two Hearts. 

And Park Center indeed get off to a good start in this one; bolting out to an 8-2 lead.  Two scores by freshman guard/forward Adalia McKenzie - a short jumper at the 16:55 mark and a steal and lay-up the other way at the 16:01 mark - made it a 4-0 ballgame and a drive and finish by Blakemore at the 13:28 mark maintained the four-point edge at 6-2.  McKenzie's steal and lay-up the other way at the 13:11 mark capped this early run by the Pirates and Elk River Head Coach Jeremy Digiovanni called a timeout to get his young team calmed down and regrouped.  It took a bit but the Elks quietly carved their way back into the thick of things.  Sophomore guard Lydia Haack connected with a lay-up at the 12:41 mark to cut the deficit down to four points and although Elk River sophomore reserve guard Mikayla Kanenwisher had to go out after injuring her hand or writst at the 10:32 mark after a hard fall, this young group was not going away anytime soon.  Freshman guard Ellie Maass drained a "3" from the top of the key at the 10:03 mark to get the Elks back to within a single possession down 10-7 and two free throws by lanky freshman reserve forward Johanna Langbehn at the 9:03 mark cut the Elk River deficit down to a single scant point at 10-9 so that early cushion built up by the Pirates was now virtually next to nothing.

Digiovanni also had his young Elks team in a 2-3 "match-up" zone defense and Elk River did a very good job of slowing down the usually-potent Pirate offense and limiting their transition opportunities and when Park Center did get those opportunities, they weren't always cashing in either.  Both teams went into a bit of a dry spell over the next couple of minutes but a Haack lay-up with 6:40 left in the first half allowed the Elks to poke their nose out in front for the first time in this ballgame by an 11-10 count.  Park Center; perhaps somewhat alarmed by this development, quickly retook the lead as a DuBois jumper from the left wing area with 6:25 left put the Pirates back out in front again and a "3" from the top of the key by freshman reserve forward T'Naye Griffin with 5:22 left gave Park Center a bit of breathing room with a 15-11 advantage.  But the Elks would come right back with a 5-0 push that allowed them to get back out in front again.  Kanenwisher connected with a lay-up with 4:53 left and a lay-up by senior forward Matia Person with 4:07 left had this one knotted at 15 a piece.  One Person free throw with 3:33 left not only got Elk River back out in front again by a 16-15 count, but now the Elks were in the bonus the rest of the way in the first half as well.  Park Center gained the lead back on two McKenzie free throws with 2:32 left but the Elks took the lead right back when sophomore reserve guard Abby Barschdorf was the recipient of a pretty give-and-go pass from Person and her lay-up with 2:22 left pushed Elk River back out in front at 18-17. The Pirates, however, managed a 4-0 push to retake the lead and get a bit of breathing space before the end of the first half.  McKenzie drained a "3" from the left wing area with 2:07 left and a DuBois lay-up in transition with 1:47 left gave Park Center a 22-18 lead as both teams shuffled off to their respective locker rooms for the halftime break.  Up to this point, one could have argued that the Pirates could have been up by more as they left a handful of points on the table with missed free throws and "bunnies" yet this young Elk team did not waver after being down early in this contest. 

Elk River made another expedition to close the gap in the opening minutes of the second half as two free throws by sophomore guard Alexa Engebretson at the 16:25 mark and a Person lay-up at the 15:18 mark helped close the gap to one point with the Elks down 23-22.  Park Center tried to widen the gap again as McKenzie connected with a lay-up and drew a foul in the process and although Elk River's Person was the guilty party and now had two fouls on the night, the Pirates' McKenzie couldn't cash in on the "and one" opportunity.  On the Elks ensuing possession, Barschdorf got an open look in the right corner and she promptly drained a "3" at the 14:40 mark that tied this one up at 25 a piece.  Now it was Park Center's turn to try and get things in their favor.  Blakemore made a hard drive into traffic for a finish that drew a foul as well and her obligatory free throw at the 14:19 mark got the Pirates out in front 28-25.  Then a tough drive along the left baseline and finish by sophomore reserve guard Kayla Cox at the 11:37 mark increased Park Center's lead to four at 30-26.  And when McKenzie connected with a short shot off of an inbounds pass at the 10:29 mark to make it a 32-26 ballgame, it seemed to be a forgone conclusion that the Pirates would start to pull away and take care of business like most expected them to.

But one thing about this young Elk team that must make Digiovanni and his staff proud is the way they continue to keep fighting even when circumstances look dire.  Two Haack freebies at the 10:05 mark and a Haack lay-up at the 9:37 mark cut the deficit down to two points at 32-30.  Haack would get sent to the charity stripe again with 8:35 left after snaring a steal and her two free throws kept Elk River in the hunt down 34-32.  A drive and finish by Kanenwisher with 8:06 left knotted things up at 34 a piece and two Haack free throws with 7:29 left not only kept things tied at 36-all but now the Elks found themselves in the bonus as well.  And when the diminutive Haack made a drive into the lane and got a one-handed finish to go down with 6:38 left that put Elk River out in front 38-36, there definitely seemed to be a lot of uncertainty hanging in the air among the Park Center congtingent.  But this is exactly where the Pirates experience and senior leadership kicked in to regain control of this one for good and they responded with a game-changing 15-0 run.  Two Nickens free throws with 5:51 left tied the contest and one more by DuBois with 5:43 left after an untimely Elk turnover got Park Center back out in front 39-38.  With 4:23 left, DuBois struck again with a lay-up in transition to make it a 41-38 ballgame and with 3:59 left DuBois finished off another transition opportunity that also drew a foul and the future Concordia St. Paul Golden Bear dropped the ensuing "and one" to make it 44-38.  McKenzie dropped one free throw after she was fouled in a transition opportunity with 3:52 left and yet another DuBois lay-up in transition with 3:37 left now had the Pirates up with breathing space by a 47-38 count.  One more Cox free throw with 2:40 left and two more by Blakemore with 1:53 left made it a 50-38 game and Elk River's Digiovanni called a timeout to try and save this sinking ship.  Still, Park Center's McKenzie would drop one more free throw with 1:21 left to cap this game-changing run before the Elks could finally break their ill-timed drought on a lay-up by Maass with 1:05 left.  Elk River would get one more score on a drive and finish by senior guard Madison Leuthold with :30 left but the Pirates would close things out with an insurance lay-up by McKenzie with :09 left as Park Center got an important 53-42 win into the books. 

It was another outstanding night for the Pirates' McKenzie as she finished this game with 21 points and DuBois; in her last regular season home game, finished up with 12 points.  For Elk River, Haack was the only player in double-figures for the Elks with her 14 points.  The Pirates still have one remaining regular season game at Spring Lake Park and it's vitally important that Park Center find some consistency on the road in games where they should win - not only for their confidence but also for seeding purposes in the upcoming Section 5AAAA Tournament. 

Third Regional Rankings Announced 2-21-18

No changes in the first five spots in the all-important West Region but questions still abound nonetheless:


1.  Wartburg                   25-0  16-0
2.  UST                          23-2  18-0
3.  CSB                          22-3  16-2
4.  George Fox              22-3  15-1
5.  Whitman                  22-3  14-2
6.  Claremont-Mudd-Scripps        22-3  15-1
7.  GAC                        21-5  14-4
8.  Bethel                      18-8  13-5


Now, just like last week, I really have no argument at all with the first four spots.  Those four teams are where they should be and that's really fine with me.  But it gets interesting after that.  Whitman, out of the NWC, stays cemented at the fifth spot despite the fact that it had to settle for a split this last week of the regular season; getting upset by Willamette (which isn't necessarily a "bad" loss but still) and then beating a down-trodden Linfield team to close out the regular season.  So Whitman wasn't "punished" at all for their split.  Interestingly here, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps out of the SCIAC comes out of nowhere after they beat Chapman this last Saturday to get put into the sixth spot and Chapman now falls out of the rankings altogether.  The NCAA, for whatever reason, seems to still want to punish GAC despite the fact that they lost to a ranked team (CSB) and then closed out by beating St. Kate's this last Saturday and then followed that up last night by thoroughly dismantling the Wildcats in Lund Arena in one of the MIAC Playoff Quarterfinal games.  Bethel slips to the eighth position and its loss to SMU last night seals their fate. 

Again, my question to the Committee is that, if they're so intent on punishing GAC, why isn't Whitman punished the same way?  And HOW in God's name does Claremont-Mudd-Scripps come out of nowhere and jump over GAC for Christ's sake? 

Feel free to fire away with thoughts. 

MIAC Playoff Quarterfinal Game - SMU vs Bethel 2-20-18

Made my way over to Robertson Center on the campus of Bethel University on this Tuesday evening to take in one of the two MIAC Playoff Quarterfinal Games taking place on this night; this one featuring visiting SMU which made its way up U.S. Highway 61 and the CP Rail River Sub mainline up to the Twin Cities to face host Bethel.  Unlike last year, the Cardinals finished down the stretch of the season strong; winning four of their last five games for a 15-10 overall record to get the number-five seed in the MIAC Playoffs and were arguably much more experienced than they were last year.  The Royals as well finished reasonably strong down the stretch, winning five of their last seven to finish with an 18-8 overall record and snared the number-four spot.  Just judging on the numbers you had to figure that this one had the making of a very good contest and the crowd inside Robertson Center on this night would get their money's worth.

For a young team like SMU on the road in a post-season game and being under pressure where the intensity is raised a few notches, it's definitely important to get off to a good start and not get yourself into a hole early on and Cardinal Head Coach Brent Pollari likely could not have been more proud of his young squad in how they started off this game; bolting out to an early 11-2 lead.  Junior guard Kirsten Keefe was able to grab the opening tip and dash in for an easy lay-up at the 9:51 mark to start things off and a "3" from the right top area by Shayley Vesel at the 8:13 mark had SMU on top 5-0.  Willowy junior post Hannah Johnson finally got the Royals on the board with a lay-up in transition at the 7:16 mark but three consecutive scores by SMU standout junior forward Brandi Blattner put Bethel in a real hole early on.  The former Dover-Eyota standout first knocked down a short jumper at the 6:55 mark and followed that up with a short jumper in the lane at the 6:16 mark to push the Cardinals lead to 9-2.  Then Blattner connected with a pretty reverse lay-up at the 5:44 mark to push SMU's lead to 11-2 and two free throws by senior guard Alexa Huisman at the 5:04 mark maintained the nine-point edge at 13-4 before Bethel could finally get untracked a bit.  A Johnson lay-up with 4:48 left in the first period along with a drive and finish by senior guard Abby Miller with 3:41 left trimmed the deficit down to five points at 13-8.  The Cardinals' Huisman stretched her team's lead to eight points with her three-point bomb from the left top area with 3:16 left but the Royals would manage to close to within a single possession as a lay-up by sophomore forward Taite Anderson with 2:58 left and one free throw by freshman reserve forward Lainie Cox with 2:02 left undid the earlier damage and then Anderson was able to connect with a lay-up with 1:02 left that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" cut the deficit down to two points at 16-14.  SMU though would close out the first period on another push as Huisman made good on a drive and finish with :28 left and a tough offensive rebound for a putback by Blattner with just :00.1 left in the opening period got the Cardinals more breathing space with a 20-14 edge.

A Huisman lay-up at the 9:34 mark of the second period stretched SMU's lead to eight at 22-14 and although Blattner picked up her second foul of the evening a bit later at the 8:00 mark, the Cardinals' Pollari decided to roll the dice and keep Blattner in the game and she responded with a hard drive along the left baseline for a finish at the 7:35 mark that allowed SMU to enjoy a ten-point 24-14 advantage.  The Royals; who had struggled offensively thus far finally got things going again as Johnson got into the paint for a score at the 7:21 mark and an Anderson score in the paint at the 6:01 mark cut the deficit down to six points at 24-18.  But getting things tight again was proving to be problematic for Bethel and the Cardinals made a move to widen the gap again.  Vesel connected with a lay-up in transition at the 5:26 mark and was fouled in the process and her ensuing "and one" got the lead back to nine at 27-18.  Two Blattner free throws with 4:11 left maintained the nine-point advantage at 29-20 and a Blattner score in the paint with 3:22 left kept the gap at nine points at 31-22.  Finally, after having struggled and stumbled offensively for much of the first half, Bethel finally put together a substantial run to make things tight.  Johnson connected with a short one-handed shot with 3:11 left to cut the deficit to seven points at 31-24 and then senior reserve guard Jasmin Bretoi made her presence felt.  The former Centennial standout drained a "3" from the left corner with 1:37 left that cut the gap to four points at 31-27 and with just :00.5 left, Johnson connected with a short turnaround jumper in the lane to get the Royals back to within a single possession down 31-29 as both teams headed to the locker room for the halftime break.  Considering the fact that the Royals had struggled mightily throughout both the first and second periods, just getting things back to a single-possession again was a huge accomplishment and probably sapped some of the initial enthusiasm that SMU was enjoying early on.  A check of the first half box score shows that the Cardinals, as a team anyway, didn't shoot all that great as they were 12-33 from FG range for 36.4% and 2-12 from behind the arc for 16.7%; hardly setting the world on fire.  But Blattner without question carried this team and she had already recorded 14 points and SMU did enjoy a slight edge on the boards by a 21-18 count.  Bethel actually shot better from FG range going 12-30 for 40% and was 1-5 from behind the arc (thanks to Bretoi) for 20%.  Again, the important thing for Bethel Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer and his staff was that they appeared to steal the momentum away from the Cardinals just before the halftime break and being down by only two points was not that big of a deal now.

SMU's Huisman tried to revive the Cardinals seemingly sagging fortunes with her short fadeaway jumper at the 9:17 mark of the third period but Bethel appeared ready to take the initiative.  Johnson connected with a short turnaround jumper at the 7:59 mark and after the Cardinals' Huisman was tagged with her third foul of the night at the 6:22 mark, the Royals kept poking away.  Two free throws by senior guard Angie Kirchoff at the 5:56 mark tied the game at 33 a piece and a score in the paint by Anderson a bit later at the 5:24 mark finally propelled Bethel into the lead for the first time on this night at 35-33.  SMU; perhaps alarmed by this development, rallied behind Blattner as she sank two freebies at the 5:08 mark to tie the game and then Blattner connected with a short turnaround jumper off the glass with 4:39 left to sneak the Cardinals back out in front by a 37-35 count.  Kirchoff would come to the rescue for the Royals with her "3" from the right wing area with 4:20 left to put Bethel back out in front 38-37 but SMU would not wither when the pressure was on and instead responded with an 8-2 push down the stretch of this third period.  Keefe connected with a running, one-handed jumper as the shot clock was expiring with 2:17 left to get the Cardinals back out in front at 39-38 and one Blattner free throw with 1:32 left made it a 40-38 ballgame.  Blattner would then snare an offensive rebound for a putback with 1:06 left and with just :03 left on the clock, Huisman drained a cold-blooded "3" from the left wing area to expand SMU's lead to five at 45-40 and it seemed like a lot of the wind that Bethel had in their sail early on in this period had suddenly gone out.

In fact, the Royals' hopes took another hit in the early moments of the fourth period when Cardinal freshman post Abby Winter uncorked a three-point bomb that rattled off the rim and kissed just perfectly off the glass at the 9:25 mark that widened SMU's lead to 48-40 and a Blattner jumper from the left elbow area at the 7:14 mark maintained that eight-point edge at 50-42.  Given the Royals predicament with where they stood with regards to their NCAA Tournament hopes, they finally began to feel the sense of urgency that was so needed at the moment and they slowly carved their way back.  Bretoi connected with a jumper from the free throw line at the 6:46 mark and a coast-to-coast lay-up by Anderson at the 5:10 mark now had the deficit down to four points at 50-46 and given the fact that SMU's Blattner had collected her fourth foul of the evening by this time and that the Royals were looking to make another run, the Cardinals' Pollari called a timeout to try and get his squad calmed down.  Still, Bethel managed to cut the deficit down to one point as Anderson connected with a lay-up with 4:21 left and one Miller free throw with 3:42 left had the Royals right back in the thick of things dangling by a single point down 50-49.  SMU's Vesel gave her squad a bit more breathing room with her two free throws with 3:19 left but on the ensuing Bethel possession, Bretoi got an open look at the top of the key from behind the arc and her bomb found nothing but cotton that suddenly tied the contest at 52-all.  A Johnson jumper from the left elbow area with 2:10 left gave the Royals the lead at 54-52 and the partisan Bethel crowd at Robertson Center was going wild by this point.  The Cardinals could have easily faltered right then and there but instead they kept their cool and refused to wilt under pressure.  With 1:48 left and the pressure on, Blattner muscled into the lane for a jumper that tied the contest at 54 a piece and SMU's Pollari called a timeout to set up strategy.  The Royals still appeared to be in good shape; primed to recapture the lead on their ensuing possession but with 1:36 left, disaster struck as Anderson; trying to split a screen that was set on her, was tagged with her fifth foul of the night and was sent to the pine.  That blow really seemed to suck all the momentum that Bethel had built up in the home stretch of the fourth period.  The Royals still managed to foil the subsequent SMU possession but the next Bethel chance went out the window when senior reserve guard Hannah Simpson couldn't get her three-point attempt to go down.  On the ensuing Cardinal possession, Blattner; the heroine of the night for the Winona gang, muscled into the paint for a score with :24 left to get SMU back out in front by a 56-54 count.  The Royals' Herbrechtsmeyer called a timeout to set up a play that would hopefully get this one sent to an extra session.  Bethel carefully worked the ball around and with time ticking down, they got the ball inside to Johnson who tried to maneuver inside but her shot attempt with :09 left refused to cooperate with the rim and SMU's Keefe was there for the defensive rebound.  The Royals still had one foul to give, however, and the Cardinals' Vesel would get fouled again with :04.5 left where she would go to the charity stripe and sink both attempts to now make it a two-possession game at 58-54.  Bethel had one last gasp hope left and Miller tried launching a "3" with :02 left and hoped to draw a foul as well but neither happened and SMU had recorded a huge upset in MIAC Playoff play to advance to the semifinals. 

I caught up with a relieved Pollari afterward who looked like he had the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders.  I had to tell him that I felt like I made a mistake by underestimating his squad and that they showed their mettle on this night.  Pollari was greatly appreciative of my remark and I asked him how his young team managed to stay so calm under pressure.  He talked about in one of the last timeouts he took that he just just told his squad to take some deep breaths.  "Calm down" he said.  And they responded.  Moreover, he talked about his emphasis toward effort in practice; just working on the little things like setting screens, working on passing and rebounding and the like and I think those efforts paid off on this night.  There's no question in my mind that this team has definitely made great strides since I saw them shortly after the first of the year when they lost at St. Kate's.  Meanwhile for Bethel, it's an incredibly excruciating end to an incredibly disappointing season where hopes were so high and the potential was so great.  And to see the red eyes of the seniors like Miller, Kirchoff, Bretoi and Simpson who poured their hearts into this program and this season and to have it all come to a crashing halt in such unpredictable fashion was tough to take.  They definitely had their chances in this game and they simply ran into a team that played better than they did on this night.  Even Bethel's Herbrechtsmeyer told me afterward that he felt that they simply did not play their best basketball down the stretch of this season and, unlike last year, he felt that they didn't respond to adversity - for whatever reasons - as well as they could have or should have.  No doubt that having Anderson foul out when she did was a blow as well.  What can you say about SMU's Blattner on this night?  She was simply spectacular at times and she led all scorers with her 27 points and recorded a "double-double" as well with her 11 total rebounds.  Huisman was solid as well with her 14 points and Vesel finished with 10 points.  Johnson paced Bethel on this night with her 20 points and she recorded a "double-double" as well with 17 rebounds.  Anderson was the only other player for the Royals in double-figures with her 13 points.  Rebounds actually were pretty even on this night with SMU holding a 38-37 advantage and although Bethel's Herbrechtsmeyer and his staff can likely take some cold comfort with the 10 blocked shots they had on this night, they probably weren't happy in knowing that SMU had a 6-3 edge in those all-important "second-chance" points. 

UMAC Playoff Quarterfinal Game - St. Scholastica vs Northwestern 2-19-18

While I am pretty focused and "locked-in" on the upcoming MIAC Playoffs that begin Tuesday night, I would certainly be amiss if I totally ignored the UMAC Playoffs and one of the conference's quarterfinal games just happened to be right in town on this somewhat snowy, slick Monday night so I made the slow drive over to Ericksen Center on the campus of the University of Northwestern in Roseville to take in the clash between visiting St. Scholastica and host Northwestern.  Both teams were coming into this game with identical regular season conference records of 9-7 with the Saints having a slightly better overall 14-11 overall record compared to the Eagles 13-12 overall record.  So this one, at least on paper anyway, had the makings of a pretty good tilt and I got settled into the stands in plenty of time for tip-off.

Northwestern Head Coach Aaron Kahl had his team in their normal 2-3 "match-up" zone defense and that certainly paid some early dividends as the Saints struggled offensively in the half court and the Eagles got off to a blazing start.  Back-to-back scores by senior post Alex Peterson - a short turnaround jumper in the lane at the 9:20 mark and a short shot off the glass at the 8:15 mark - quickly had Northwestern up 4-0 and a score in the paint by junior guard Amy Berglund at the 7:25 mark pushed that lead up to 6-0 and St. Scholastica Head Coach Stacy Deadrick; not at all liking how things were panning out early in this contest, called a halt to the action to try and make some adjustments.  Still, Eagle junior guard Taryn Tumbleson was able to snare a steal and dash the other way for an easy lay-up with a pretty assist from teammate and senior point guard Andrea Zimpel to make it an 8-0 ballgame before the Saints could finally take the lid off of their basket and quickly get right back into the thick of things with back-to-back three-point bombs.  Junior guard Danielle Cieluch drained one trey from the left wing area at the 6:25 mark and another "3" from the left corner by senior guard Emelia Miner with 4:38 left allowed St. Scholastica to suddenly pull within a single-possession down 8-6.  Northwestern managed to recover from this brief hiccup and ended the opening period on a 6-1 push.  Zimpel connected with a lay-up with 3:35 left as did Tumbleson with 2:58 left to establish a bit more breathing space with a 12-7 advantage and another lay-up by reserve senior post Jessica Brown with :24 left seemed to indicate that things were clearly pointing the Eagles way as they took a 14-7 lead into the second period.

Given the Saints struggles in the opening period with poor shooting and turnovers, being down by seven seemed larger than the actual deficit.  But a quick 6-0 St. Scholastica push changed this one around in the early moments of the second period.  Two three-point bombs - one by Miner from that same left corner at the 9:36 mark and another one by speedy junior reserve guard and former Anoka-Ramsey standout Rashonna Thomas from the left wing area at the 8:02 mark - suddenly had the deficit down to a scant point at 14-13.  The Eagles tried to establish some more space when Tumbleson was sent to the charity stripe at the 7:49 mark and she got one of two attempts to go down to make it a 15-13 game but the Saints continued with their push.  Lanky 6'2" senior forward Holly VanKempen connected with a lay-up off of an inbounds pass at the 5:14 mark to tie the game and after Northwestern's Tumbleson pushed her team ahead again with a lay-up with 4:44 left, St. Scholastica's Cieluch drained a "3" from the left corner with 3:35 left to propel the Saints out in front for the first time in this contest at 18-17.  That lead was short-lived, however, as the Eagles ended the second period on a 6-0 run.  Two free throws by freshman reserve guard Jordan Sauve with 1:12 left and a jumper from the right elbow area by Berglund with :34.5 left got Northwestern back into the lead by a 21-18 count and Berglund finished off things right before the half with two more free throws with :12.6 left as the Eagles took a 23-18 lead into the locker room at the intermission.  A check of the first half box score reveals that St. Scholastica recovered well in the second period despite shooting a somewhat dreadful 6-26 from FG range for 23.1% and 5-14 from behind the arc for 35.7%.  Northwestern definitely cooled off after the hot start and they were only 9-23 from FG range for 39.1%.  Otherwise things were pretty close.  Rebounds were nearly even with Northwestern holding a 15-14 edge and St. Scholastica had only two more turnovers than Northwestern at 14-12.  One item that did stand out, though.  Northwestern was able to snare nine steals during that first half and that had to be something that concerned St. Scholastica's Deadrick and her staff.

The Saints made every effort to close the gap once the third period got underway and one VanKempen freebie at the 9:22 mark and a Miner lay-up in transition at the 7:26 mark had St. Scholastica back within striking distance again down four at 25-21.  At the 6:39 mark, Thomas was able to snare a long offensive rebound of a missed shot and was able to get a putback out of it and suddenly the Saints were back in business again down by only two at 25-23.  Curiously, however, that's exactly where the St. Scholastica drive stalled and the Eagles were able to pounce on the opportunity to stretch their lead a bit.  Alex Peterson; the lefty, knocked down a jumper from the left elbow area at the 5:40 mark and after both teams endured a bit of a rut scoring-wise, Northwestern sophomore reserve guard Audrey Lefto connected with a short shot off of an inbounds pass with 2:55 left to get the Eagle lead out to six points at 29-23.  The Saints tried to counter on a score in the paint by sophomore reserve post Maddy Halley with 2:33 left to get the gap cut down to four points at 29-25 but Northwestern would close out the third period with a 5-0 push.  Brown connected with a lay-up with 2:03 left and one free throw by sophomore forward Rio Landers with :40.6 left in the third period pushed the Eagle lead to seven at 32-25.  With just :06 left, Tumbleson connected with a jumper from near the free throw line to increase the lead to nine points at 34-25 and now St. Scholastica found themselves back in the same position they found themselves after the first period and they had only one more period to try and reverse their declining fortunes. 

The Saints' hopes took another hit at the outset of the fourth period when Northwestern's Alex Peterson made a drive into the lane for a finish at the 8:32 mark that also drew a foul and the ensuing "and one" by the former Como Park standout not only pushed the Eagles lead to double-digits at 37-25 but now St. Scholastica's VanKempen was tagged with her fourth foul as well.  The Saints, probably now knowing they were living on borrowed time, tried desperately to make inroads again.  Two scores by junior guard Michala Walther - a jumper from the left elbow area at the 8:17 mark and a lay-up at the 7:40 mark - had St. Scholastica back in single-digit range again down 37-29 but they needed an extended run if they were truly going to get back into this thing and the Eagles had absolutely no intention of letting that happen.  And this is where Northwestern's Lefto; the former St. Croix Lutheran standout, came up big for the Eagles.  She first knocked down a jumper along the left baseline at the 6:50 mark to push Northwestern's lead back up to ten points at 39-29 but then followed that up with a "3" from the left wing area at the 6:15 mark to make it a 42-29 ballgame that effectively extinguished any hopes the Saints may have had about being able to make a real comeback in this game.  St. Scholastica did, however, make a few desperate pokes toward that as Cieluch connected with a jumper from the left wing area at the 5:54 mark and a steal and lay-up the other way by Thomas with 2:26 left had the deficit down to eleven points at 44-33.  With 2:12 left, Walther banged home a "3" from the left wing off of the glass that had the Saints back in single-digit range again down by eight at 44-36 but that's as close as they could get the rest of the way.  Northwestern would get into the bonus with 1:57 left and the always-reliable Tumbleson knocked down two charity stripe shots and one more Tumbleson free throw with 1:01 left got the Eagles lead back to eleven at 47-36.  St. Scholastica's Miner had fouled out by this point and Northwestern's Alex Peterson only added to their misery by connecting with a lay-up in transition with :46.8 left to make it a 49-36 ballgame.  The Saints had one last hurrah when Cieluch drained a "3" from the left wing off of the glass with :43 left but insurance free throws by the Eagles' Zimpel with :39 left and one more with :33 left gave Northwestern a 52-39 victory and the right to advance to the UMAC Playoff Semifinals against UW-Superior on Wednesday night. 

I caught up with Northwestern's Kahl afterward who was incredibly pleased with the win as you would expect.  He talked about the injuries his squad has had to endure this season that have prevented his team from playing to its full potential at times.  Alex Peterson, for example, has four broken bones in her left shooting hand and a couple of torn ligaments in her thumb but she has been able to play through it all and she easily gets my Jack Youngblood award for this season.  I asked Kahl about how his team got off to such a good start in this contest and how they seemed to cool off in the second period.  "For some reason, we haven't played that well in the second period this season and I really don't understand that" he replied.  But, they found a way when they had to and Lefto certainly came up big for them in the fourth period with two huge scores when things were still hanging in the balance.  Meanwhile, it has to be a frustrating end for Deadrick and her St. Scholastica team that definitely had their chances on this night only to be done in by poor shooting and turnovers when it counted the most.  Indeed, the Saints went 15-66 for the game from FG range (OUCH) for 22.7% and 7-26 from behind the arc for 26.9%.  Throw in 20 turnovers to boot and that's simply not going to get the job done.  It's especially painful for the seniors and you couldn't help but feel badly when Miner, VanKempen and former Anoka standout Sam Brannen came to the bench towards the end of the game and the tears started flowing.  And it's only the beginning of something I'll be seeing over the next few weeks.  Tumbleson led the way for Northwestern on this night with her 12 points and Alex Peterson was right behind with 11 points.  St. Scholastica had a relatively balanced attack on this night but they finished with only one player in double-figures scoring-wise on this night as Cieluch tallied 11 points. 

MIAC Playoff Preview 2-19-18

It's that time of the year again and so incredibly hard to believe that yet another MIAC regular season has concluded.  Yet, here we are and it's time to zoom in and take a closer look at the upcoming MIAC Playoffs.  There have been a few strange twists and turns this season as there always seem to be but there are also the usual cast of characters that you have come to know and love as well.  With that said, let's take a look at the teams and handicap their chances:


6.  St. Kate's - Back in January, it's unlikely that anyone would have thought that the Wildcats would even get themselves into position to have a chance at making the six-team field; much less actually making it in.  Yet, a strong finish that saw them win five of their last seven games - including the big win at Augsburg this last week - gave St. Kate's the tie-breaking edge to claim the sixth spot.  Given all the injuries that the Wildcats have suffered this season, most notably to seniors Alexis Garcia and Audra Clark, new Head Coach Don Mulhern and his staff needed his younger players to step in and hope that they could contribute.  Yet, that's exactly what happened down the stretch.  The one player that has really come of age after recovering from her ankle injury earlier in the season is sophomore forward Danica Cambrice who has simply been phenomenal as of late; averaging 19.5 ppg and getting 6.7 rebounds per game as well.  To be sure, the other half of the Kenyon-Wanamingo twin sister duo; senior guard Meg Clark, has held up her end of the bargain with great leadership and production on both ends of the floor and sophomore guard Jackie Radford has come into her own with her toughness and scoring ability as she averages 8.3 ppg.  But the real story here, IMHO, has been all the young faces that have stepped up as of late as freshmen Bailee Sillman, Morgan Kurth, Ashley Fosness, Jaelyn Miltz, Mackenzie Dettman, Kaitlyn Struemke and sophomore Emma Nelson have all been able to give quality minutes this season.  The 'Cats 12-13 overall record may not put the fear of God into anyone yet St. Kate's is easily the most dangerous team lurking in this six-team field and the one team that nobody wants to have to face if they don't have to.  They have absolutely nothing to lose here and everything to gain and there isn't one team in this field that they're scared of or not capable of beating when they play their absolute best - including mighty UST.  And with a great coach like Mulhern leading the way, I wouldn't put anything past this squad.  Sure, their margin for error is small but they're more than willing to roll the dice.

Sure sign of trouble - God forbid should Cambrice go down with an injury.  They need her to lead the way.  It's as simple as that.


5.  SMU - The Cardinals definitely made amends for last season's disappointing finish by winning eight of their last eleven games of the regular season and to finish with a 15-10 overall record and 10-8 in MIAC play - good enough to snare the fifth spot in the MIAC playoffs.  I was only able to catch SMU in action only once this season so I'm unable to offer a lot of opinions on them although Head Coach Brent Pollari feels that this squad's best days are ahead of them and I would generally agree with that statement.  Not surprisingly, junior forward Brandi Blattner leads the Cardinal attack with her 17.4 ppg and she's also a force on the boards as well averaging ten rebounds a game.  Senior guard Alexa Huisman can be a scoring force with her 12.8 ppg.  The rest of the SMU roster and their ability to make things happen remains a bit of a mystery in my mind and it's difficult for me to envision a scenario where they would upset the apple cart here and throw things into total disarray.  Yet you'd be smart not to sleep on this team and you can bet that Bethel; their quarterfinal opponent on Tuesday night, isn't. 

Sure sign of trouble - Blattner had bloody well better avoid foul trouble early on because without her in the equation, this is an entirely different team altogether.


4.  Bethel - It's been the best of times - and the worst of times for the Royals this season.  Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer's squad registered what was likely their biggest signature win when they knocked off NWC powerhouse George Fox at Robertson Center back during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.  What the Royals likely couldn't have counted on, however, was an absolutely stunning and devastating loss to neighboring and UMAC opponent Northwestern at Ericksen Center four days later.  Throw in road losses to both UST and CSB right after that and the wind that Bethel had in their sail had suddenly gone out.  They did get a big home win versus GAC in January but also lost to CSB at home and got thumped by GAC down in St. Peter last weekend.  They come into the MIAC playoffs with an 18-7 overall record but naturally they feel that it could be much better than this and, as such, they're left with the daunting prospect of having to win the MIAC Playoffs to snare the automatic bid if they hope to get into the Big Dance.  Yet this squad is capable of doing just that if they play their cards right.  The Royals have great senior leadership and very balanced scoring to boot with junior post Hannah Johnson leading the way with her 15.2 ppg.  Sophomore forward enforcer Taite Anderson and senior guard Abby Miller are right behind averaging 14.1 and 13.4 ppg, respectively as well.  This is also a team that knows how to play defense and rebound; particularly Johnson with her 10.1 rebounds per game.  In my mind, what makes this team so good is how well they play together and their overall experience.  Just as important, IMHO, Bethel is the one team that matches up better with UST more than anybody and they're definitely not afraid of them. 

Sure sign of trouble - How well do the Royals respond to pressure, knowing full and well that their lifelines are all used up? 


3.  GAC - Considering the joyride that the Gusties enjoyed last year, this year has mirrored Bethel's season in many ways.  For the most part, yes, GAC has been relatively strong this season finishing up with a 20-5 overall record and a 14-4 MIAC record.  Yet if there's one thing that seems to define the Gusties - especially the last couple of years if not, hell, the last 15 years - is their inability to win the Big One.  They were swept by UST (surprise, surprise), lost their only meeting with CSB this season and had to settle for a split with Bethel as well.  And they lost a huge game down in Waverly, Iowa right before the first of the year with WIAC powerhouse UW-Whitewater.  So at some point, GAC simply has to figure out a way to start winning these types of games.  What makes it frustrating for the GAC contingent (and undoubtedly Head Coach Laurie Kelly and her staff) is that they've got the goods to do it.  They're led by senior point guard Mikayla Miller who can be absolutely brilliant at times and she leads the way with her 17.3 ppg.  Senior forward Miranda Rice is right behind with her 16.9 ppg and Rice can box out and rebound as well.  Junior forward Kendall Thompson has slowly come into her own this year and freshman point guard Ava Gonsorowski has been a pleasant surprise thus far.  Junior reserves Brooke Lemke and Taylor Anderson are capable of providing quality minutes on both ends of the floor so the Gusties definitely do have some weapons.  The one thing that GAC lacks, IMHO, is a true post player and that forces Rice to shoulder a lot of the burden down low.  The Gusties are capable of winning this thing, certainly, but they have a lot to prove to the naysayers out there and they'll likely have to at least get to the MIAC Championship Game in order to receive a bid to the Big Dance.  They certainly can't afford to take St. Kate's lightly and they have to prove they can win a big one on the road at CSB in the semifinals. 

Sure sign of trouble - If Miller can't get the looks she wants on the perimeter to unleash three-point bombs or should Rice get bottled up down low, this team could be in a heap of trouble.


2.  CSB - What a year it's been for the Blazers as they posted their first twenty-plus win season since the 2009-10 season; going 22-3 overall and 16-2 in MIAC play; more than good enough to take the second seed.  A large part of this season's success has been the outstanding play of the senior trio of Niki Fokken, Kate Banovetz and Chelsey Guetter.  They'e all big and all very long and, not surprisingly, they can score as well; particularly Fokken and Guetter who average 13.8 and 10.1 ppg, respectively.  And I can't think of any other group that I would want to snare rebounds either.  Over the last few seasons, I wouldn't have given this team a snowball's chance in hades and even a mere month ago I had to question this team's toughness.  But CSB finally showed me the toughness and grit that I had been waiting to see from them for so long and they put a scare into UST in the regular season finale over at Schoenecker.  They're now not only capable of forcing the rematch with the Tommies but they're capable of getting over the top as well.  We all know about the three-headed monster of Fokken, Banovetz and Guetter but if there's one player that's really come on down the stretch of the regular season (other than St. Kate's Cambrice), it would have to be junior reserve guard/forward Breanna Gates.  She can be an absolute menace on defense and she knows her role on this team very well.  Another player on this Blazer roster who's caught my eye as of late is freshman guard Megan Thompson.  Thompson isn't necessarily a "go to" person when it comes to scoring but she proved this last Saturday against UST that she can light it up from behind the arc and woe to the team that lets her have open looks out on the perimeter.  Throw in the fact that this squad is led by seasoned Head Coach Mike Durbin who has literally seen it all in his 31 years at the helm in St. Joe and you have a team that is not only capable of winning this thing but also a squad that can make a lot of noise in the Big Dance as well.  And the one thing that I think gives CSB something of an edge is that they know they're in regardless of what happens this week so they should be able to play fairly relaxed without too much pressure.  But I also suspect that the Blazers won't be satisfied with just getting in either.   

Sure sing of trouble - Should Fokken/Guetter/Banovetz be somehow neutralized down low, then it's going to be up to the Blazers young backcourt duo of Thompson and sophomore Sidney Schiffler to bail them out. 


1.  UST - Geez.  The Tommies at the top - again?  No way!  Okay, okay, enough kidding aside.  This group has earned everything they've got to this point and to go through yet another MIAC regular season unblemished is no small feat.  To be sure, they endured a few scares late in the season; most notably from Augsburg when they were down by four with eight seconds left in regulation and somehow bailed themselves out of that mess to win in overtime.  Yet it's because of games such as this plus all the postseason play they've gone through in years past - including last year's run to the Final Four - that gives this great team an incredible edge in big games.  They never panic and they know what they have to do when the pressure is on and their 23-2 overall record suggests that.  One of the big reasons UST has been so good this season is because of junior post Hannah Spaulding who has been simply spectacular this season; averaging 19.9 ppg and 8.3 rebounds a game.  Fellow junior guard Lucia Renikoff can be a three-point terror and she's right behind Spaulding in scoring with 13.8 ppg.  And the senior leadership of guard Maddie Wolkow and Lauren Fischer is simply outstanding and they can both score as well.  Junior guard Kaylie Brazil has raised the level of her game this season and freshman Kaia Porter has been giving Head Coach Ruth Sinn solid minutes off the bench down the stretch.  Yet the Tommies suffered a potential huge blow when Spaulding went down with a concussion late in the game this last Saturday against CSB and as of this writing, it's uncertain what her availability status is.  Not that understudy sophomore post Elsa Anderson can't come in and do the job, but the Tommies long-term NCAA hopes would take a big hit without a healthy Spaulding.  You certainly have to give UST the best chance of winning this thing (again) but they seem to be a bit more vulnerable than they have in years past.  If there's one thing that likely keeps Sinn up some nights, it would be another team launching a hail of three-pointers on them like Luther did earlier in the season when they upset the Tommies at Schoenecker Arena and like Wartburg did two seasons ago in the NCAA Tournament. 

Sure sign of trouble - We'll just have to see about Spaulding's availability for this week but they're no doubt a different team should she not be able to go. 


So there you have it.  This should indeed be a fun week and I can't wait for it to get started!  Feel free to fire away with thoughts.   

MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 2-18-18

Here's the last round of my Power Rankings as another regular season comes to a close:


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


Little doubt, really, as to how the first four spots were going to go and I didn't really deviate from the actual final standings either.  Congrats first to the Tommies for their fourth outright MIAC regular season title which is a MIAC record and with it the number-one seed in the upcoming MIAC playoffs as they took a tough one down in Winona against SMU on Wednesday night and then hung on for dear life yesterday against CSB in what could be a preview of the MIAC Championship Game next weekend.  Still, not a terrible week for the Blazers by any stretch as they had to hold on to beat GAC at Claire Lynch on Wednesday night before falling short in yesterday's game with UST.  Given their respective records and their spots in the current West Region rankings, you have to figure that both UST and CSB are "locks" for the NCAA Tournament regardless of what happens this next week.  The same cannot be said, however, for GAC which had a bit of a double-whammy; being left in the seventh spot in said West Region rankings and then not doing themselves any favors by digging themselves into a canyon at CSB and then falling short in their comeback attempt.  Though they stabilized things by beating St. Kate's yesterday, I think the Gusties only avenue to the Big Dance now is taking care of business Tuesday night against St. Kate's (again) at home in Lund Arena and then rolling the dice Thursday night in the rematch with CSB to at least get to the MIAC Championship Game - and hope that things fall in line elsewhere.  Bethel finished off the regular season with two wins; including yesterday's 95-59 drubbing of Carleton which may have been done for style points more than anything else.  Still, I see the Royals only path to the Dance is winning the whole ball of wax in the MIAC Playoffs.

Unlike last season when SMU went into a total tailspin down the home stretch, the Cardinals this time around finished relatively strong, winning three of their last five games and polished off the regular season yesterday with a home win against an always-tricky Hamline team to finish with a 10-8 conference record - good enough to snare the fifth spot.  St. Kate's clinched the sixth spot on Wednesday night by virtue of its thrilling win on the road over at Augsburg and despite the fact that the Wildcats dropped yesterday's home game with GAC, I view the 'Cats as the most dangerous team in the MIAC Playoffs.  It was an incredibly disappointing home stretch for Augsburg as they dropped five of their last seven games; including that OT loss at UST and the one on the road at Concordia before that.  Though they held on for an exciting win at home against Macalester yesterday to finish the season, it is likely nothing more than cold comfort since they lost out on the tie-breaker for that sixth spot to said St. Kate's team.  Concordia's hopes for that sixth spot were a long shot at best yet you can't fault the Cobbers and Head Coach Jessica Rahman for finishing the regular season strong; winning six of their last nine games to get themselves into contention and you have to figure that Concordia is ready to make that next step. 

Perhaps the biggest disappointment in my mind this season was Carleton as they lost nine out of their last ten games and managed to drop out of playoff contention early.  Staying completely healthy has been a struggle for Head Coach Cassie Kosiba's squad and losing six seniors to graduation won't help their cause for next year.  Macalester, too, I felt was a disappointment this year as well as the Scots didn't fare much better down the stretch; losing eight of their last ten games and Head Coach Kelly Roysland loses four fine seniors herself.  Not much was expected from a very young Hamline team this season and they didn't win a lot of games but from having watched them a couple of times this year I can tell you that they were definitely a lot better than their record and new Head Coach Alex Focke definitely has things pointed in the right direction.  St. Olaf meanwhile was simply a disaster area this season; finishing 3-22 overall and 1-17 in MIAC play and it'll be interesting to see what transpires on the west side of Northfield this off-season. 

Tomorrow I'll handicap the upcoming MIAC Playoffs this next week as we head into the fun time of the year so stay tuned!   

CSB vs UST 2-17-18

Made my way over to the St. Paul side of town and UST's Schoenecker Arena on this sunny and very pleasant Saturday afternoon to take in the titanic clash of the top two teams in the MIAC - visiting CSB which made its way down U.S. Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline and host UST.  The Blazers were coming into this contest on something of a roll since losing to the Tommies back on 1-20-18; winning seven straight including the Wednesday night battle at home with GAC and were 16-1 in MIAC play and 22-2 overall.  The Tommies meanwhile were unblemished in MIAC play at 17-0 and were 22-2 overall and it seemed clear not only that both teams were likely "locks" for the NCAA Tournament but that this regular season finale could likely be a little preview of things to come next Saturday in the MIAC Championship Game.  I got over to Schoenecker Arena early enough but because it was a doubleheader day with CSB's neighbor SJU taking on UST in the 1:00 P.M. men's game, the place was jam-packed and over-capacity and I was forced to sit upstairs for nearly 45 minutes before the men's game finally concluded and spectators could enter the Arena.  This was also Senior Day at UST as well as Tommie seniors Maddie Wolkow and Lauren Fischer were honored before the game.

The one thing that CSB Head Coach Mike Durbin likely hoped wouldn't happen would be for his team to get into a big hole early on yet that is precisely what happened as the Tommies came out of the gate on fire.  Junior post Hannah Spaulding started things off with a score in the paint at the 9:37 mark and a "3" from the left corner by Wolkow at the 8:52 mark quickly had UST up 5-0.  Another score in the paint by Spaulding at the 8:37 mark had the Tommies up by a touchdown at 7-0 and CSB's Durbin wasted little time in calling a thirty-second timeout to try and make some quick adjustments.  Blazer senior forward/post Nikki Fokken finally broke the ice with her lay-up at the 7:28 mark but a 19-4 UST blitz turned the screws even tighter on its opponent.  Fischer drained a "3" from the right wing area at the 7:13 mark and another routine Spaulding score in the paint at the 6:48 mark got the lead to ten points at 12-2.  Fokken tried to reverse CSB's crumbling fortunes with another lay-up at the 6:30 mark but the Tommies' Fischer found the range again from the top of the key behind the arc at the 6:16 mark to make it 15-4.  A short shot off the glass by Spaulding at the 5:31 mark and a jumper in the lane by freshman reserve guard Kaia Porter at the 5:04 mark pushed the lead to 19-6 and a three-point bomb from the left corner by sophomore reserve guard Sarah Krynski with 4:37 left got the lead to 22-6 and the Blazers' Durbin was now clamoring for a full timeout seeing this thing disintegrate before his eyes so early.  Still, UST would cap this run with two more scores as sophomore reserve post Elsa Anderson knocked down a jumper along the right baseline with 4:02 left and a score in the paint by Porter with 3:19 left gave the Tommies a twenty-point cushion at 26-6 before Fokken could try and come to the rescue for CSB is her score in the paint with 2:53 left.  To make matters worse for the Blazers, UST would end this first period on a 7-2 push.  Elsa Anderson connected with a jumper along the left baseline with 2:25 left and then Spaulding got into the paint for yet another score that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" got the Tommies' lead to 31-8.  Still another score in the paint by Spaulding with 1:37 left got the UST lead to 33-8 before Blazer freshman guard Megan Thompson got a bit of spotlight with a coast-to-coast lay-up with just :00.2 left in the opening period but CSB was caught between a rock and a hard place down 33-10 going into the second period.

A short pull-up jumper by Tommie junior guard Kaylie Brazil at the 9:19 mark of the second period extended UST's lead to 35-10 and it looked as if this could be a rout of similar proportions to what we saw last year when the Blazers visited Schoenecker Arena.  But whatever CSB's Durbin told his squad during the end of period break seemed to have an enormous effect on his squad as they slowly but surely started cutting into the sizable cushion they were facing.  Fokken knocked down a jumper from the left elbow area at the 8:49 mark that started a 9-2 Blazer push.  One free throw by senior forward/wing Chelsey Guetter at the 8:09 mark and a score in the paint by Fokken at the 6:39 mark had the deficit down to twenty-two points at 37-15 and a Guetter lay-up in transition at the 6:16 mark cut the deficit down to twenty points at 37-17 and Tommie Head Coach Ruth Sinn; not liking how her usually-stout defense was suddenly giving up points, called a timeout to try and make some adjustments.  But CSB was just getting warmed up as they made a 16-7 push down the stretch of the second period.  Two free throws by senior post Kate Banovetz at the 5:13 mark started this second push and although UST retaliated with a three-point bomb by junior guard Lucia Renikoff from the left top area with 3:19 left but the Blazers' Thompson would get on a hot streak of her own.  The former Holy Angels standout drained a "3" from the left corner with 2:55 left and followed that up with two free throws with 2:18 left that not only slimmed the deficit down to sixteen points at 40-24 but now the Tommies' Wolkow had collected her second foul of the afternoon as well.  Then Thompson; with ice water running in her veins, dropped a cold-blooded "3" from the left wing area with 1:33 left that closed the gap to thirteen points at 40-27.  Blazer freshman reserve forward Maddie Schmitz also got in on the act and the former Albany standout banged home a "3" from the left wing area with 1:09 left that now had the deficit down to twelve points at 42-30.  UST's Fischer tried to give her team some more breathing room with a jumper from the left elbow area with :53 left but CSB's Guetter would have the last hurrah of this wild first half with her three-point bomb from the right corner off of an inbounds pass with :29 left that now had the deficit down to eleven points at 44-33.  To make matters even more alarming for the Tommies right before the halftime buzzer was that Wolkow was slapped with her third foul of the afternoon with :13.6 left so what once looked to be a tiptoe through the tulips for UST was suddenly turned into a lot of uncertainty as the teams shuffled off to their respective locker rooms for the halftime break.  A check of both the first and second period box scores reveals what a tale of two periods this game really was up to this point.  In the first period, UST shot an amazing 14-16 from FG range for a red-hot 87.5% and was 4-6 from behind the arc for 66.7%.  The Tommies fell off in the second period going just 5-15 from FG range for 33.3% and 1-8 from behind the arc for 12.5%.  CSB meanwhile was just 5-15 in FG range for 33.3% in the first period but that jumped to 7-15 for 46.7% in the second period and they were also 4-5 from behind the arc in the second period for 80%.  Looking at the first period as a whole, CSB had a slight edge in total rebounds by a 16-14 count and turnovers were about the same with the Blazers guilty of eight and the Tommies of seven.  So while things were looking far better for CSB by the halftime break, you can bet that Durbin would have loved to have been able to replay that first period again.

But to the Blazers credit, they seemed to find that same spark at the beginning of the third period and that spark was ignited by a great defensive play by Guetter; the former Wabasso standout as she picked off an errant pass and dashed the other way for a lay-up at the 9:08 mark that now had CSB back in single-digit range down 44-35.  Another Fokken score in the paint at the 8:29 mark and another Thompson three-point bomb - this one from the right top area at the 7:50 mark - suddenly had the Blazers down by only six at 46-40.  A lay-up by Blazer junior reserve guard/forward Breanna Gates at the 7:04 mark had the deficit down to five points at 47-42 and it looked as if CSB was ready to pounce on the opportunity.  It was here, however, where the the Blazers seemed to run out of some gas and UST started to slowly right the ship.  A Spaulding score in the paint at the 6:27 mark got the Tommies some more breathing space with a 49-42 advantage and with 4:35 left in the third period, CSB's Guetter was tagged with her third foul of the afternoon which momentarily took away a big piece of the Blazer attack.  UST's Wolkow delivered a dagger "3" from the left wing area with 3:15 left to get the Tommie lead to ten points at 52-42 and another Spaulding score in the paint with 1:23 left maintained the ten-point edge at 54-44.  Then it was Brazil; the former Norwood-Young America standout delivering back-to-back three-point bombs - one from the right corner with :44 left and the other one from the right wing with just :00.4 left - that bulged UST's lead to a much safer sixteen-point margin at 60-44 and the Blazers definitely appeared to be right back in the same spot that they were at the end of the first period.

But one thing that I'm sure had to make Durbin and the large CSB contingent in the stands on this afternoon was the heart and fight this Blazer team showed when they appeared to be on the brink.  Last year's team likely would have folded much earlier and this contest long since decided.  But this group; down by double-digits, battened down the hatches and hunkered down and fought its way back.  One of the reasons that CSB was able to make its way back in the second period and a good chunk of the third period was the 2-3 "match-up" zone defense that Durbin was employing on this day and having Gates; the 5'10" Lake City native out on the front end of it really helped pay dividends in slowing the normally potent Tommie attack.  A Fokken lay-up at the 9:16 mark of the fourth period started an 18-4 Blazer push that definitely changed the complexion of this contest.  Another Fokken lay-up at the 8:29 mark cut UST's lead down to 62-48 and less than a minute later the Tommies suffered a near triple-whammy.  For starters, the speedy Thompson of CSB whizzed downcourt for a lay-up in transition at the 7:56 mark and drew a foul in the process from UST's Wolkow which was her fourth and she was slow in getting up after the collision.  Thompson dropped the obligatory free throw to cut the deficit down to eleven points at 62-51 but what was even worse for the Tommies was that, even when Thompson was speeding her way down the court, UST's Spaulding took an inadvertent shot to the head on the other end and was down and had to come off after the officials blew their whistles.  To make matters worse, Renikoff took an inadvertent shot to the head area as well a bit later at the 7:15 mark and she too, came off the court slowly and both her and Spaulding were led off the court for concussion protocol.  As such, this gave CSB an opening to draw closer.  Fokken knocked down a short jumper at the 7:01 mark to get the Blazers back into single-digit range down 62-53 and a coast-to-coast lay-up by Guetter at the 6:43 mark cut the deficit down to seven points at 62-55 and UST's Sinn called a thirty-second timeout in hopes of slowing this Blazer drive.  CSB was doing a great job with their 2-3 "match-up" zone defense as the Tommies went into an extended drought; and without Spaulding down low UST found few cracks to penetrate.  A Guetter drive and finish drew the Blazers closer down 62-57 and after Durbin called a timeout to go over strategy and to give his squad an opportunity to catch their collective breaths, CSB continued with their comeback bid.  Schmitz connected with a jumper from the left corner just inside the arc with 3:04 left that suddenly had the Blazers back within a single possession and a Fokken jumper from the right elbow area with 2:35 left kept CSB in that three-point range down 64-61.  With 1:52 left, Fokken would get sent to the charity stripe and she got the front-end of the one-and-one to go down that now had the Blazers down by a tantalizing two points at 64-62.  But with things now hanging in the balance, UST's experience and leadership came through for them in the clutch.  With the Tommies carefully working the ball around the perimeter, trying to stretch out that 2-3 zone of CSB, Renikoff finally got the look she wanted and with 1:28 left, she buried a cold-blooded "3" from the right top area to give the Tommies some much-needed breathing room with a 67-62 lead.  But UST was far from out of the woods just yet and with 1:07 left, Fokken connected with a lay-up that once again brought the Blazers back to within a single-possession down 67-64.  Wolkow would misfire on a three-point attempt on UST's ensuing possession so now CSB had the chance it was waiting for all game long.  Fokken would get sent to the charity stripe with :46.4 left but the former Pine Island standout was unable to connect on either free throw attempt which still left the deficit at three points.  The Tommies tried to eat as much clock as they could and with :15 left, Fischer misfired on a three-point attempt so now CSB had one last chance left.  Durbin called a timeout to try and set up a play and on the ensuing Blazer possession, Guetter; perhaps a bit anxiously, let loose with a three-point attempt from the right top area that missed its mark completely.  Thompson was able to grab the offensive rebound and she got the ball to Guetter again but she was unable to connect with her lay-up attempt with scant seconds left and UST escaped with a 67-64 victory to claim yet another undefeated MIAC regular season title.

As disappointing as this was for the Blazers to come up just short, I couldn't help but be impressed by the resolve and heart and their ability to fight back when they got down by so much early on.  That was something we obviously didn't see last year and I think that alone shows you how much this team has grown since then.  Moreover, I think this CSB team has made great strides since I saw them get thumped by this same UST team up at Claire Lynch back in January.  Part of the reason I think has been the emergence of Gates who came up big in the road win at Bethel a few weeks back plus I think the Blazer backcourt has improved immensely as well.  It appeared to be a possible weak link not that long ago but Thompson has shown that she can definitely be a real threat from behind the arc which helps take some of the load off of the front line trio of Fokken, Banovetz and Guetter.  Durbin, too, was very proud of his squad when I caught up with him afterward.  "These kids will never disappoint me" he said.  "They may frustrate me at times but they'll never disappoint me."  Again, I think the Blazers are a "lock" for the NCAA Tournament regardless of what happens this next week but I suspect that this CSB group may not be content with just getting in.  They now know what they have to do in order to win the MIAC Playoffs this next week and you certainly can't put that goal out of their reach.  Meanwhile for UST, you simply have to give credit where credit is due.  Time and time again this group has been challenged and, more often than not, they find a way to respond.  Great leadership and equally great coaching have had their roles in this program's continued success.  As Sinn told me afterward, "We managed!"  The big question now looming in the Tommies' immediate future is the availability of Spaulding who was diagnosed with a concussion afterward and had a pretty good bump on her forehead according to Sinn.  She'll have to go through the normal protocol when it comes to concussions so let's hope that she can get through this with flying colors and get back on the court where she belongs.  Despite coming out early, Spaulding still finished with 20 points and nine rebounds to lead the Tommie attack and, somewhat surprisingly, it was Brazil who was the only other UST play in double-digits with 14 points.  Despite the disappointing outcome for CSB, it was a fantastic day for Fokken as her 25 points led all scorers while Thompson wasn't far behind with her 18 points - with nine of those points coming from behind the arc - and Guetter finished with a solid 12 points.  Durbin certainly can't gripe too much with how his squad shot on this day as they went 26-59 from FG range for 44.1% and 5-10 for a straight 50% from behind the arc.  UST cooled off dramatically after that hot first period but still finished with a decent 28-62 from FG range for 45.2% and were 9-29 from behind the arc for 31%.  UST had a slight edge on the boards by a 36-33 count although the Tommies had more turnovers at 18-15.  CSB did have a decided edge in points in the paint by a 36-24 count which has to be encouraging for Durbin and his staff.  IMHO, the big thing in a tight contest; particularly when you're playing a great team like UST, is that your margin for error is so (expletive deleted) small and you've simply GOT to take advantage of every opportunity that you get.  CSB didn't always do that - especially when things got tight late.  And Augsburg found that out the hard way as well a mere week and a half ago.