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.