Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 6-27-18

Here are the results of the games that I got or was able to cover last night at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League:


5:00 P.M. Games

GAC Black - 41
Dordt - 37

GAC Gold - 67
Hamline - 39


5:55 P.M. Games

Northwestern - 40
GAC Black - 37 OT

Bethel - 60
GAC Gold - 47


6:50 P.M. Games

UST Purple - 58
Anoka-Ramsey - 41

UW-River Falls - 49
NIACC - 43


7:45 P.M. Games

Augsburg - 55
St. Olaf - 47

GAC Alumni - 39
St. Kate's - 38


Was able to catch the tail end of the GAC Black team's win over Dordt in the 5:00 P.M. slot and heard the result of the game between the GAC Gold team and the Hamline team so it was definitely a great start for the two GAC squads on this night.  Both of these GAC teams would be in action again in the 5:55 P.M. slot as well.  On Court 1; in probably the best game of the night, the GAC Black team was taking on the Northwestern team and this one had all the makings of a very good one from the opening tip.  The GAC Black team was clinging to a 5-4 lead midway through the opening period and by the end of the first period the Northwestern team was able to forge a 12-9 advantage.  The GAC Black team came right back in the opening minutes of the second period and a "3" by senior-to-be Brooke Lemke helped push the GAC Black team out in front 15-12 and the game would be knotted at 17 a piece midway through the second period.  The GAC Black team found a second wind just before the halftime break to assume a 22-19 advantage at the intermission.  An early 5-0 surge by the Northwestern team in the opening moments of the third period put them back out in front by a 24-22 count and the Northwestern team clung to a 26-25 lead midway through the third period.  Things would be tied again at 30-all by the start of the fourth period and the game would still be tied at 34 a piece midway through the final period of regulation.  With the game deadlocked at 37-all with just :07.5 left, the Northwestern team called a timeout with possession to try and set up one last play to try and win it in regulation but were unable to convert in the waning seconds of regulation play.  Fittingly, this game went to a two-minute overtime where the Northwestern team got two free throws to take a 39-37 lead with under a minute left.  The GAC Black team had plenty of time to respond but they were unable to convert on their ensuing possession and with :04.6 left, the Northwestern team got one more insurance free throw to claim yet another exciting win by this squad.  No such drama over on Court 2 where the Bethel team jumped out to an 8-4 lead midway through the first period and although the GAC Gold team closed to within a single possession down 14-11 by the start of the second period, they were clearly fighting an uphill battle in this one.  An 8-0 surge by the Bethel team had them up 22-11 midway through the second period and that lead grew to 32-18 by the halftime break.  The GAC Gold team briefly got back to within single digits by the midway point of the third period down 41-32 and there was still a flicker of hope left by the start of the fourth period with the Bethel team up 48-38.  But the GAC Gold team simply had no answers for either senior-to-be Hannah Johnson or junior-to-be Taite Anderson down low and the Bethel team upped its lead to 52-38 midway through the fourth period enroute to the victory.

For the 6:50 P.M. slot, I was joined by Anoka-Ramsey Head Coach David DeWitt as he wanted to take in the clash over on Court 1 between the UST Purple team and his Anoka-Ramsey team.  While there was some trepidation beforehand that this could be a runaway, the beginning of this one showed signs of anything but that.  This one would be tied at 10-10 late in the first period and the Anoka-Ramsey team would be well within striking distance down 15-12 by the start of the second period.  The UST Purple team would hold a 20-16 lead by the mid-point of the second period but a late surge by the Anoka-Ramsey team gave them a brief 21-20 lead and the game was tied by the halftime break at 24-all.  Things were still tight by the midway point of the third period with the UST Purple team clinging to a 26-25 advantage but soon thereafter the balloon burst as the UST Purple team ended the third period with an 8-0 run to hold a 34-25 lead.  By the midway point of the fourth period the UST Purple team was up 45-27 and there was little doubt as to how this one was going to turn out.  Over on Court 2, the youthful NIACC team with its run-and-gun style was taking on the UW-River Falls team but on this night, the usual three-point barrage by the NIACC team just wasn't clicking and the 8-5 lead that the UW-River Falls team held by the midway point of the opening period grew to 21-13 at the start of the second period.  The UW-River Falls team expanded their lead to double-digits at 25-15 midway through the second period and by the halftime break they led 29-17.  The NIACC team finally got its up-tempo and three-point shooting going in the third period and they managed to cut the deficit down to six points at 33-27 late in the third period and it seemed like they had enough gas in their tank to complete a somewhat unlikely comeback bid.  In fact, the UW-River Falls team had their lead cut down to three at 38-35 and it looked as if they could be in some trouble but curiously the NIACC team faltered down the stretch and the UW-River Falls team held on for the win.

Another good game took place on Court 1 in the 7:45 P.M. slot between the GAC Alumni team and the St. Kate's team.  Scoring came at something of a premium early on with the St. Kate's team up 2-1 midway through the opening period but both squads finally managed to dust off the nets some as the period progressed and by the start of the second period, the GAC Alumni team was out in front by a 9-6 count.  Brooke Lemke; who was helping out her former teammates on this night, drained another one of her patented lefty "3's" early on in the second period that extended the GAC Alumni team's to 12-6 and by the halftime break they were able to maintain that six-point edge at 19-13.  But the St. Kate's team got things turned around a bit as they cut the deficit down to two points at 21-19 and a run down the stretch of the third period gave them a 29-25 lead to start the fourth period.  Not to be outdone, the GAC Alumni team cut the deficit down to one at 29-28 early on in the fourth period but the St. Kate's team would find another answer and take a 35-32 lead midway through the fourth period.  Experience, however, may have paid off for the GAC Alumni team down the stretch as they took a 39-36 lead late in the game and although the St. Kate's team would score again to cut the deficit down to one, they were never able to stop the clock when they needed to.  Over on Court 2, the Augsburg team got off to a 6-2 lead midway through the first period but a "3" by junior-to-be Ella Skrien helped the St. Olaf team cut the deficit down to two points at 16-14 by the end of the first period.  Things would stay very tight throughout the second period and the Augsburg team found itself in a fight up 22-21 at the halftime break.  But the Augsburg team managed to turn up the heat once the third period got underway and they assumed a 33-24 advantage midway through the third period and by the start of the fourth period the Augsburg team looked to be in total command up 44-30.  The St. Olaf team, however, managed to cut things down into single-digit range down the stretch but could never quite get close enough at the end.

I had to leave again before the 8:40 and 9:35 P.M. games to go home and get my beauty rest for another workday.  Next week, the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League takes a break for the 4th of July holiday but things will start up again the following Wednesday (July 11) so be sure to head on down to the Midtown YWCA to catch all the action.   

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 6-20-18

Here's the results of the games I was able to cover last night at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League:


5:55 P.M. Games

NIACC - 65
Southwest State - 60

UW-River Falls - 74
Winona State - 47


6:50 P.M. Games

St. Olaf - 52
GAC Gold - 39

GAC Black - 56
Hamline - 50


7:45 P.M. Games

Northwestern - 51
GAC Gold - 46

Rimshots - 58
St. Kate's - 37


I was lucky enough to get into the Midtown YWCA facility early enough to catch the ending of one of the 5:00 P.M. games where the Anoka-Ramsey team knocked off the Hamline 53-39.  In the 5:55 P.M. slot over on Court 1, the NIACC team was taking on a Southwest State team that had also played in the earlier 5:00 P.M. slot but the fatigue factor didn't seem to bother the gang from Marshall - at least early on anyway - as they jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead on the young group out of Mason City, Iowa.  But the NIACC team wasted little time in getting their run-and-gun style going and they quickly closed the gap to two points at 9-7 midway through the first period.  The Southwest State team managed to increase its safety net a bit with a 17-13 lead at the start of the second period but a quick 5-0 run by the NIACC team finally propelled them out in front 18-17 early in the second period.  The Southwest State team grudgingly reclaimed the lead at 26-24 midway through the second period but another run by the NIACC team down the stretch of the second period gave them a 36-28 lead at the halftime break.  The Southwest Minnesota State team indeed appeared in deep trouble when they found themselves down 44-35 midway through the third period and although they managed to cut the deficit down to seven points at 49-42 by the start of the fourth period, the NIACC team went on a quick 7-0 run to up that advantage to 56-42 and the Southwest Minnesota State team appeared buried.  They managed to climb back to within single digits late in the contest but it was simply a bridge too far for them this time around.  Another NSIC team that had played in the 5:00 P.M. slot - Winona State - also had double-duty in the 5:55 P.M. slot as they took on the UW-River Falls team.  Here, fatigue was definitely a factor as the UW-River Falls team built up a 13-6 lead midway through the first period and although the Winona State team cut the deficit to four points at 15-11 by the end of the first period, their fortunes quickly went south.  A big run by the UW-River Falls team put them up 31-13 midway through the second period and by the halftime break the UW-River Falls team was up 39-21.  By the end of the third period, the UW-River Falls team had stretched that lead to 55-34 and by the midway point of the fourth period, the UW-River Falls team's lead ballooned to 64-36 so there was little doubt as to how this one was going to end.

In the 6:50 P.M. slot over on Court 1, the GAC Gold team was taking on a short-handed St. Olaf team but the St. Olaf team was lucky enough to get some much-needed help from some members of the Winona State team who were probably wanting to do something positive after getting drubbed in the previous time slot.  Still, the GAC Gold team was able to jump out to a 6-0 lead midway through the first period and they increased the margin to eight points at 14-6 by the end of the first period.  But the St. Olaf team with something of a makeshift squad started whittling away at the deficit as the second period progressed and they managed to cut things down to five points at 23-18 midway through the second period and with less than two minutes remaining before the half, they had things tied up at 26 a piece and held a 28-26 lead by the halftime break.  Things were still reasonably tight throughout much of the third period and by the midway point it was still anyone's ballgame with the St. Olaf team up 33-30.  But the St. Olaf team managed to stretch things out a bit at 38-30 by the start of the fourth period and then the GAC Gold team curiously fell apart after that as the St. Olaf team stretched the lead to 48-30 midway through the fourth period enroute to an easy win.  Over on Court 2, the GAC Black team was taking on the Hamline team in what proved to be a very interesting contest.  The Hamline team held a 10-7 lead midway through the first period but the GAC Black team ended the opening period with a run that had them out in 17-13 by the start of the second period.  The GAC Black team seemed to have an edge throughout most of the second period and were up 26-20 late in the second period but back-to-back lay-ups in transition by the Hamline team helped cut the deficit down to a scant point at 26-25.  The GAC Black team, however, would get the last laugh before the halftime buzzer on a Hail Mary "3" (and unfortunately I had my head down writing when it happened so I didn't see who got it :p ) to get a 31-28 advantage for the halftime break.  The GAC Black team sought to take control of things once the third period got underway and a run put them up 41-31 midway through the third period.  But the Hamline team came right back with back-to-back three-point bombs to get right back into the thick of things down 41-37 late in the third period and by the start of the fourth period, the GAC Black team's lead was down to a precarious two points at 42-40.  The GAC Black team again seemed to have the upper hand throughout most of the fourth period but just when they thought they were safe, the Hamline team tried to make one last run at them.  A "3" by junior-to-be Kaeli Stayer cut the GAC Black team's lead down to solitary point at 49-48 with under 5:00 left.  Alas, that's as close as the Hamline team would get down the stretch as the GAC Black team held on for a narrow victory.

Another good game on this night took place in the 7:45 P.M. slot as the GAC Gold team was doing double-duty; this time taking on a very good Northwestern team made up largely of former Northwestern alums.  The GAC Gold team seemed to have things going its way early on as they held an 8-5 lead midway through the first period and increased the lead to six points at 15-9 by the start of the second period.  Things were still looking very good for the GAC Gold team midway through the second period as they held a 26-19 lead but the Northwestern team finally got its game going and a "3" by Tiffany Stubbs ('17) helped cut the GAC Black team's lead down to two at 26-24 late in the second period and by the halftime break the Northwestern team managed to push ahead by a 27-26 count.  A pretty turnaround jumper by recent grad Alex Peterson that resulted in a foul and the obligatory "and one" helped push the Northwestern team's lead to 34-30 midway through the second period and they maintained that four-point edge by the end of the third period by a 42-38 count.  A quick 7-0 run by the Northwestern team at the start of the fourth period spelled doom for the GAC Gold team as they found themselves down 49-38 and they never could get within striking distance again.  Another alumni team was also having its way over on Court 2 as the Rimshots team; a squad primarily of former Bethel players, built up an 11-6 lead on the St. Kate's team midway through the first period.  The St. Kate's team managed to crawl back to within a single possession down 13-10 by the start of the second period but they would soon find out that these former Bethel players still knew a thing or two about how to score as the Rimshots team upped their lead to seven points at 21-14 midway through the second period and had a double-digit advantage at 27-16 by the halftime break.  The Rimshots maintained the cushion and enjoyed a 32-22 lead midway through the third period and a "3" from the left wing area by Molly O'Toole helped expand that lead to 40-27 by the end of the third period.  By the midway point of the fourth period, the Rimshots team held a sizable 48-29 lead and never looked back.

I had to take off before the games in both the 8:40 and 9:35 P.M. slots took place and unfortunately I know I missed out on some good action but that's the life of a working man I guess.  Another full slate of games are on tap next Wednesday night at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League so drop on down if you can.

     

The Current MIAC Coaching Carousel

No doubt that many you are aware of the two changes that have taken place on the MIAC Women's Basketball front with head coaches and thought I should spotlight each situation. 

Over at Macalester, the new head coach was named earlier this month and it was a bit of a surprise - at least to me anyway - as they opted to snare another coach from another conference instead of staying local as I anticipated they would.  The new person handed the reigns at Macalester is Pamela Findlay who comes into the position after two years at Lewis & Clark out of the Northwest Conference.  Just judging from her relatively short tenure in Portland with the Pioneers, it looks to be a pretty solid hire.  In her first season at Lewis & Clark, she took a team that had won just three games the year before and managed to win 16 games and got to the NWC Playoffs; the biggest improvement in Division III that season.  This last season her squad went 14-12 and again managed to make the NWC Playoffs.  A native of the Chicago area, she actually started her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Bemidji State and also did a stint as an assistant at Washington & Lee before taking the job at Lewis & Clark.  Along with her playing career at the Air Force Academy, you would have to think that Macalester got a pretty good get in snaring Findlay.  The big question is how fast she can bring Macalester from the lower tier of the conference into the mix for a playoff berth?  Given that the MIAC is currently dominated by UST and followed by other powerhouses such as GAC, Bethel and CSB, it's going to be a tough nut to crack.  Still, I like the hire and I want to see what she can do not only on the court but on the recruiting trail as well.

Meanwhile, down the River and the Canadian Pacific River Sub mainline in Winona, I'm sure many were shocked (I know I was anyway) when I saw the news late Thursday afternoon that Brent Pollari was stepping down from his head coaching position at SMU to accept the job at Wayne State of the NSIC (Division II).  This one really took me by surprise as I just did not see this one coming given the season he had this last year and the bright promise for the 2018-19 season.  At the same time, however, you can't really blame him for taking the Wayne State job.  More money and better perks and when an opportunity like that comes along you've got to snatch it while it's there and I wish him the best there.  But what's perhaps even more shocking about this move is the timing of it - in mid-June.  It's one thing when a coach steps down at the end of a season to accept a position somewhere else but when it happens at this time of the year, it certainly shortens the window of opportunity to find a suitable replacement and that's the challenge that SMU AD Nikki Fennern who has now seen two coaches depart in the span of three years to Division II schools faces.  Given the talent that SMU has coming back for this next season, the Cardinals should be in good shape there but the recruiting that's been done up until this point now becomes a dicey item.  How many of those recruits who were originally slated to come to SMU might have second thoughts given the coaching change?  It will definitely be interesting to see what direction SMU takes wrt the search process given the relatively short time window they have to do it. 

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 6-13-18

Here's the results of the games I was able to cover on Wednesday night over at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League:


5:55 P.M. Games

Bethel - 55
Anoka-Ramsey - 21

UST Purple - 60
GAC Alumni - 33


6:50 P.M. Games

Rimshots - 56
Anoka-Ramsey - 29

Superhoopers - 74
Dordt - 51

7:45 P.M. Games

Rusty Pipes - 40
St. Kate's - 30

UST Black - 61
UST Alumni - 42

Couldn't get over to the Midtown YWCA soon enough to catch the 5:00 P.M. games account getting off of work when I did and traffic and I apparently missed a nail-biter between the Northwestern team and the Hamline team from the info I was given by players of both squads.  That was a disappointment as none of the games I covered on this night had much drama.  In the 5:55 P.M. slot over on Court 1, the Bethel team jumped out to a 9-3 lead late in the first period and inched the lead up to nine points at 14-5 by the start of the second period.  The Bethel team maintained that nine-point edge midway through the second period at 16-7 and by the halftime break they had established a double-digit advantage at 19-9.  Things only got worse for the quick but young Anoka-Ramsey team as the Bethel team used its size to dominate down low and by the middle of the third period they had increased their lead to 25-12 and then pretty much put a daisy on this game down the stretch of the third period as they were up 43-14 by the start of the fourth period.  Meanwhile over on Court 2, the UST Purple team was making quick work of the GAC Alumni team as they built up a 21-6 lead by the start of the second period and were up 30-12 by the halftime break.  That lead grew to 38-17 midway through the third period and by the start of the fourth period, there was little doubt as to how this one was going to turn out with the UST Purple team up 45-21.

On Court 1 in the 6:50 P.M. slot, the Rimshots team; a squad primarily made up of former Bethel players, initially found themselves in a tight battle with the Anoka-Ramsey team as things were tied up at 7-all midway through the first period but the Rimshots team got a big boost with a run to hold a 19-12 lead by the start of the second period.  The Rimshots team expanded that lead to 23-12 early in the second period and a jumper in transition by former Bethel standout Rachel Parupsky ('16) helped give the Rimshots team a 32-20 lead by the halftime break.  A pretty drive and finish by Sydney "Bam Bam" Schultz ('16) helped get the Rimshots team off to a very good start in the third period and they doubled-up the Anoka-Ramsey team at 42-21 midway through the third period.  By the start of the fourth period, the Rimshots team was enjoying a 49-23 advantage and they had things in cruise control the rest of the way.  Over on Court 2, another blowout was soon taking shape as the Superhoopers team got an early 6-2 lead on the Dordt team and that lead soon expanded to ten points by the end of the first period at 18-8.  Former Minnesota Golden Gopher great and current head coach of defending Class AAA Robbinsdale Cooper Kiara Buford was on fire from behind the arc on this night for the Superhoopers team and their lead grew to 53-33 midway through the third period and were up 61-37 by the start of the fourth period enroute to an easy victory. 

In the 7:45 P.M. slot on Court 1, the St. Kate's team and the Rusty Pipes team; a squad primarily made up of former Hamline players, were tied up at 4-all midway through the first period but the Rusty Pipes team used a 6-1 push down the stretch of the opening period to enjoy a 10-5 lead by the start of the second period.  The Rusty Pipes team maintained the status quo throughout the second period and at the halftime break they had managed a 19-12 advantage.  The St. Kate's team used a 5-0 push at the start of the third period to close the gap to two points at 19-17 and were certainly right in the thick of things but the Rusty Pipes got control of the ship to build their safety net back up to eight points at 29-21 by the start of the fourth period.  The Rusty Pipes team put this one out of reach midway through the fourth period with a 37-24 advantage and never looked back.  Over on Court 2 it was a battle of the Old versus the New as the UST Alumni team took on the UST Black team.  Things would be tight in the early going of this one with the UST Black team clinging to an 8-7 lead midway through the first period and things were neck-and-neck by the start of the second period with the UST Black team holding a 16-14 edge.  It was here, however, where the UST Black team made a decisive 9-2 run to get a 25-16 lead and force a UST Alumni team timeout.  The UST Black team had a 35-25 lead by the halftime break and were up 41-29 midway through the third period and by the start of the fourth period, the UST Black team was up 53-34 and the UST Alumni team was simply unable to recover. 

I had to take off before the 8:40 P.M. games got underway to get my beauty rest for another working day.  Next week, things revert to a Wednesday night basis so do plan on getting down to the Midtown YWCA to catch the action.   

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Tuesday 6-12-18

Here's the results of the games I was able to cover Tuesday evening at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League:


5:55 P.M. Games

UST Purple -49
Bethel - 43

Winona State - 57
UST Black - 54


6:50 P.M. Games

Northwestern - 45
St. Olaf - 42

NIACC - 43
Hamline - 29


7:45 P.M. Games

Superhoopers - 68
Augsburg - 47

NIACC - 74
Anoka-Ramsey - 43


Two very good games took place in the 5:55 slot on this Tuesday night.  Over on Court 1, two old MIAC rivals who are very familiar with each other - the UST Purple team and the Bethel team - were battling it out and, as expected, this one was very close.  Bethel was clinging to an 11-10 lead midway through the opening period and the game was knotted at 16 a piece heading into the second period and it was the UST Purple team holding a tenuous 24-22 lead at the half with neither team giving an inch.  This trend continued in the early moments of the third period when Bethel senior-to-be Hannah Johnson used her lanky frame to slither into the paint for a score that had this one tied at 26.  The UST Purple team, however, managed to make a somewhat decisive move down the stretch of the third period that had them up 34-29 going into the fourth and final period.  That proved to be the difference as the Bethel team never was quite able to crack that little cushion and the UST Purple team earned a hard-fought victory.  Over on Court 2, the UST Purple team was taking on the Winona State team and the gang from down the River in Winona seemed to have all the answers early on; particularly sophomore-to-be Allie Pickrain, the former Eastview product.  She sank one three-point bomb that gave the Winona State team a 9-4 lead midway through the first period and another Pickrain three-point dagger in the waning moments of the first period had the Winona State team in good shape up 24-16 as things morphed into the second period.  Pickrain continued to be a one-person wrecking crew as she connected with a pretty lay-up in transition to stretch the lead to 28-16 early in the second period and that lead grew to 32-18 midway through the second period.  The UST Black team was able to shave a bit of the fat off the deficit but they still had a lot of work in front of them down 34-23 at the halftime break.  At the time, it looked as if the UST Black team simply had too much to overcome but they proved the doubters (including your's truly) wrong with a huge third period comeback that had that sizable deficit down to just five points at 36-31 midway through the third period and by the time the fourth period started, they were down by only one at 40-39.  The UST Black team's surge continued into the fourth period that saw them take a 47-44 lead midway through the fourth period Winona State managed to tie the contest at 52 a piece with 2:00 left and with 1:00 left the two squads were still deadlocked at 54-all.  It was here that Pickrain came through for the Winona State team with yet another dagger "3"; this one from the right top area with :30 left that helped give them a nail-biting victory.

Another doozy of a contest took place on Court 1 in the 6:50 P.M. slot as the St. Olaf team raced out to an early 8-0 lead on the Northwestern team and the St. Olaf team held a sizable 14-4 advantage by the end of the first period.  The St. Olaf team still enjoyed a double-digit cushion midway through the second period up 18-7 and although the Northwestern team tried to make inroads, things still looked rosy for the St. Olaf team as they held a 26-16 lead at the half.  The Northwestern team was finally able to right the ship once the third period got underway as they closed the gap to six points early in the third period and were down 28-24 midway through the third period.  The Northwestern team managed to close to a single point late in the third period but the St. Olaf team managed to recover a bit to hold a 33-30 lead once the fourth period got underway.  The St. Olaf team appeared to have a stranglehold on this contest with a 37-30 lead early in the fourth period but the Northwestern team simply would not go away as they went on a 8-0 run to assume a 38-37 lead with 4:28 left in the contest and were up 41-38 with 2:35 left.  The St. Olaf team managed to close the gap to one point at 41-40 and then got the lead back on an offensive rebound and putback by junior-to-be Britta Koenen at 42-41 with under a minute left.  But the Northwestern team would have the last laugh in this one as former Eagle standout sharpshooter Chanel Madson ('15) calmly drilled a three-point bomb on their subsequent possession which proved to be the difference.  No such drama over on Court 2 where the young NIACC team; known for their run-and-gun style, was taking on the Hamline team.  The NIACC team got out to an early 7-2 lead midway through the first period and and held a 16-5 lead once the second period got underway.  The NIACC team's three-point shooting was simply clicking on this night and the 19-9 lead they held midway through the second period grew to 27-13 by the halftime break.  The NIACC team held a 32-17 lead at the end of the third quarter and although a "3" by junior-to-be Kaeli Stayer helped give the Hamline team a bit of hope down by ten at 32-22 early in the fourth period, those hopes were soon dashed as the NIACC team closed the door down the stretch to earn the victory. 

In the 7:45 P.M. slot, the Augsburg team was looking good early on over on Court 1 against the Superhoopers team with an 8-2 lead and the Superhoopers team definitely looked to be in trouble down 26-14 by the start of the second period.  But the size and experience of the Superhoopers team paid dividends in the second period as they slowly but surely chipped away at the deficit and by the halftime break things were tied up at 34-all.  The Superhoopers team soon assumed the lead at 37-34 early in the third period and were able to grow the lead although the Augsburg team was able to stay within striking distance down 48-43 by the start of the fourth period.  But the Augsburg team's hopes soon faded as the Superhoopers started the fourth period on a 7-0 burst that saw them up 55-43 and they were able to put things in cruise control from there.  Meanwhile over on Court 2, the NIACC team; fresh off of its win in the 6:50 P.M. slot, looked to do more damage the second time around.  The Anoka-Ramsey team did manage to get out to an early 8-2 lead but the NIACC team soon closed the gap to three points at 10-7 midway through the first period and things were tied up at 12 a piece at the start of the second period.  It was here where the NIACC team really got its run-and-gun style going as they used an 11-3 tear to give them a 23-15 lead midway through the second period.  The Anoka-Ramsey team used a 9-0 run of their own to close the gap and were still well within striking distance down only 32-28 by the halftime break.  But the NIACC team simply went on a three-point artillery barrage once the third period got underway and their lead grew to double-digits at 44-30 midway through the third period and that lead grew to 56-35 by the start of the fourth period.

Had to leave before the games in the 8:40 slot got going but I'll have a report on the games I was able to catch Wednesday night. 

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 6-6-18

The Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League is up and running again.  Actually, action started on Tuesday evening (6-5) but I was unable to attend as I started working at Canadian Pacific Railway again on Monday this week after a 2 1/2-year absence from there and had to stay a little later than normal on Tuesday night.  But I was able to make it down last night (Wednesday 6-6) and there was some good action that took place.


5:00 P.M. Games

Northwestern - 50
Anoka-Ramsey - 33

UW-River Falls - 60
St. Olaf - 42


5: 55 P.M. Games

Northwestern - 47
UW-River Falls - 39

St. Kate's - 46
Anoka-Ramsey - 33


6:50 P.M. Games

Bethel - 40
Dordt - 39

Hamline - 47
GAC Alumni - 38


7:45 P.M. Games

UST Black - 44
Hamline - 25

Concordia St. Paul - 66
Augsburg - 63


After battling some hefty traffic coming down I-94 from my place in Brooklyn Center, I managed to get into the Midtown facility just before the half of the 5:00 P.M. games.  Over on Court 1, the Northwestern team held a four-point 25-21 lead on a young Anoka-Ramsey team and it initially appeared that this one had the makings of a rather interesting contest.  But disaster struck the Anoka-Ramsey squad in the early moments of the third quarter as one of their players went down with an apparent knee injury.  That seemed to take whatever wind the Anoka-Ramsey youngsters may have had in their sail and a taller, longer and more experienced Northwestern team was quick to capitalize as they managed to get their lead to double-digits by the end of the third period at 37-26.  The Anoka-Ramsey team had considerable difficulty trying to operate down low in the paint on the bigger Northwestern squad and that allowed the Northwestern team to put things in cruise control down the stretch of the fourth period.  Meanwhile over on Court 2, it looked as if things might be very interesting as the St. Olaf team held a 32-27 lead on the UW-River Falls team in something of a makeshift MIAC-WIAC Challenge.  But the UW-River Falls team wasted little time in turning the tables once the third period got underway as two quick three-point bombs propelled them into the lead and although St. Olaf managed to stay withing striking distance by the end of the third period down only 43-40, UW-River Falls took a stranglehold on this contest in the fourth period as they rolled to an eighteen-point victory.

Over on Court 1 in the 5:55 P.M. slot was the same Anoka-Ramsey team taking on an almost-equally young St. Kate's team and, early on anyway, this one looked like it might be a fairly tight contest as the St. Kate's team was clinging to a slim two-point margin at 10-8 at the end of the first period.  The St. Kate's team managed to stretch things out a bit in the second period getting an 18-12 lead late in the second period and got things up to double-digits by the half at 22-12.  The door was still slightly left ajar for the Anoka-Ramsey team and they were able to briefly climb back into single-digit range early in the third period but juniors-to-be Danica Cambrice and Jackie Radford started taking over for the St. Kate's team and they helped get the St. Kate's team a double-digit cushion at 35-25 going into the fourth period.  The Anoka-Ramsey team managed to make a bit of a run in the fourth period and cut the deficit down to six points at 39-33 late in the game but could never get closer than that.  Meanwhile over on Court 2, the Northwestern team; fresh off of its victory in the 5:00 P.M. slot, found the going much tougher - at least early on anyway - against the other victorious team in the early slot which was the UW-River Falls team.  The Northwestern team held a 10-8 advantage midway through the first period and they were up only 14-13 by the end of the opening period.  This pattern continued through the midway stages of the second period with the Northwestern team up only 20-19 but they then ran off an 8-0 run to close out the period that had them up 28-19 at the half.  It looked as if the UW-River Falls team recovered from this blow once the third period got underway and they managed to whittle the cushion down to four points down 34-30 midway through the third period and were certainly well within striking distance at the start of the fourth period down 36-30.  But this Northwestern team looked very good on this night thanks to alums such as Alex Peterson, Tiffany Stubbs and Jacki Smith and they got the lead back to double-digits at 40-30 midway through the final period to get their second win on this night.

One of the more interesting games of the night took place over on Court 1 in the 6:50 P.M. slot that pitted the GAC Alumni team against the Hamline team.  Things didn't look so good for a short-handed GAC Alumni team early on with only five players who had to go the distance on this night as the Hamline team held an early 9-5 lead and maintained the four-point edge at the end of the first period by an 11-7 margin.  But an experienced GAC Alumni team was not going to go down easy.  Recent alums Hannah Howard, Britta Rinke and Julia Dysthe got things going in the second period and a Hannah Howard lay-up early in the second period got the GAC Alumni team their first lead of the evening at 12-11 and they held an 18-16 advantage midway through the second period.  The Hamline team was able to turn the tables a bit down the stretch of the period and they hald a 23-22 advantage at the halftime break.  The GAC Alumni team still had a lot of fight left in it and they held a 28-27 lead midway through the third period but fatigue would finally catch up with the GAC Alumni team as the two-platooned Hamline team regained the advantage up 35-30 going into the fourth period and never looked back from there.  The game of the night, however, was probably over on Court 2 between the Dordt team and the Bethel team.  The Dordt team took an early 6-2 lead and held a 10-8 advantage going into the second period.  Things would stay close throughout the second period and although Dordt had a 23-20 lead late in the second period, a late score by the Bethel team drew them to a single-point deficit by the halftime break.  The Bethel team tried to gain the upper hand in the third period and they held a 27-25 advantage midway through the period but the Dordt team forged a 31-31 deadlock going into the fourth period.  Things continued to stay in nail-biter status throughout the fourth period and, with Bethel holding on for dear life with a 40-39 edge late in the contest, the Dordt team had one last chance to steal victory from the jaws of defeat but an errant pass on their last possession killed their chances. 

No such drama over on Court 1 in the 7:30 P.M. slot as the UST Black team bolted out to a 6-0 lead on the Hamline team early on.  Still, the Hamline team would draw close thanks to two big three-point bombs from the corner by junior-to-be Kaeli Stayer got the Hamline team close for the time being down only 12-10 late in the first period.  But the UST Black team had no intentions of letting its opponent stay close for long as they got the lead back up to six again at 18-12 by the end of the first period and proceeded to shut the Hamline team out in the second period and went on a 10-0 run to boot to hold a 28-12 lead by the halftime break.  Another 5-0 run early in the third period by the UST Black team left little doubt as to how this one was going to turn out and that lead was up to 34-16 going into the fourth period.  Over on Court 2, the Concordia St. Paul team looked to have the edge on the Augsburg team as they were up 10-6 midway through the first period and held an 18-14 lead going into the second period.  The Concordia St. Paul team then exploded in the second period and a pretty jumper from the top of the key by sophomore-to-be Danielle Schaub helped get them a 34-21 lead midway through the second period and that lead ballooned to 44-26 by the halftime break.  But, just like in the regular season, this Augsburg team has a flair for the dramatics and they managed to bite into that sizable cushion in the third period and had the deficit sliced down to ten points at 52-42 going into the fourth period.  The Concordia St. Paul team tried to use the clock as its ally down the stretch but the Augsburg team got dangerously close late down by only a single possession at 66-63 but the Concordia St. Paul team managed to run out the clock.

I had to leave after the 7:30 P.M. contests but this next week will feature games on both Tuesday and Wednesday nights so get on down to the Midtown YWCA to catch the action!