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Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 8-1-18


The last night of the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League wrapped up with two semifinal games and a championship game and here's how things unfolded on this night:


6:00 P.M. Game

Southwest Minnesota State - 55
Rusty Pipes - 51  OT


6:55 P.M. Game

UST Purple - 41
Concordia St. Paul - 37


7:45 P.M. Game

Southwest Minnesota State - 42
UST Purple - 40


Three very good games on this night and fittingly so to close things out for this summer.  First, in the 6:00 P.M. slot, the Southwest Minnesota State team got off to a very good start against the Rusty Pipes team with a three-point bomb and held a 5-0 lead early on and led 10-5 midway through the first period.  But the Rusty Pipes soon got their groove back thanks to former Hamline standout Jordan Sammons ('15) and they turned the tables with a run to hold a 16-15 lead by the start of the second period.  The Southwest Minnesota State team responded with an 8-3 run to retake the lead at 23-19 midway through the second period and they maintained that four-point edge to lead 31-27 by the halftime break.  The Southwest Minnesota State team still held that four-point edge at 35-31 midway through the third period and some timely three-point shooting helped them stretch that lead to 43-33 but the Rusty Pipes team soon got on a run of their own and a three-point bomb by former St. Kate's standout Alexis Garcia ('18) helped the Rusty Pipes team cut the deficit down to five points at 45-40 by the start of the fourth period.  The Rusty Pipes team soon had the deficit down to one point at 45-44 early in the fourth period and a short jumper by former St. Kate's standout Kennedy Jennings ('17) got the Rusty Pipes team the lead back at 49-48 with 7:00 left and they held that lead at the midway point of the fourth period.  The Southwest Minnesota State team regained the lead at 50-49 with 2:10 left but the Rusty Pipes team soon took it back at 51-50 with 1:46 left.  One free throw by the Southwest Minnesota State team tied the game at 51-all with under a minute left and the Southwest Minnesota State team would get a crack at winning this one in regulation when a foul was called with :06 left but they missed the free throw attempt and a desperation three-point attempt by the Rusty Pipes team missed at the buzzer so off to the extra two-minute overtime period we went.  With :30 left, the Southwest Minnesota State team took a 53-51 lead but the Rusty Pipes team still had one good opportunity left.  Sammons tried to connect down low but her shot just missed its mark and had to foul after the defensive rebound by the Southwest Minnesota State team.  The Southwest Minnesota State team this time made good on the two insurance free throw attempts to hang on for an incredibly exciting win.   

Another great semifinal game took place in the 6:55 P.M. slot between the Concordia St. Paul team and the UST Purple team.  This one was very tight in the early going with the game tied at 6-all midway through the first period although the Concordia St. Paul team managed to get on a bit of a spurt down the stretch of the opening period to hold an 11-7 lead once the second period got underway.  But the UST Purple team had an answer of its own once the second period got underway and a jumper by senior-to-be Hannah Spaulding put the UST Purple team out in front by a 14-13 count midway through the second period.  Now it was the Concordia St. Paul team's turn for a run and a 7-0 push by them put them up 20-14 late in the second period although the UST team would trim the deficit down to four points at the half at 22-18.  The UST Purple team got a boost early on in the third period as a tough score by Spaulding in the paint that drew a foul and resulted in an "and one" cut the deficit to one point at 22-21.  But the Concordia St. Paul team responded with a 6-0 burst that had them up 28-21 midway through the third period and they still held a 30-25 advantage once the fourth period got underway.  The UST Purple team pulled to within one again early on in the third period thanks to a Spaulding score in the paint making it a 31-30 game and a short time later a Spaulding "3" had this one tied up at 33 a piece.  The UST Purple team took at 35-33 lead early on in the fourth period but freshman newcomer Riley Wheatcraft's lay-up in transition for the Concordia St. Paul team had this one tied at 35.  The UST Purple team reclaimed the lead at 37-35 with under 2:00 left and pushed the lead to 39-35 with just :50 left.  Two free throws by the Concordia St. Paul team cut the deficit down to two points but senior-to-be Lucia Renikoff's two free throws with :18 left iced this one for the UST Purple team as they advanced to the championship game.

So finally it all came down to the championship game in the 7:45 P.M. slot and it definitely was a great one to watch.  The Southwest Minnesota State team jumped out to a 4-0 lead and they led 6-2 midway through the first period.  The UST Purple team may have been feeling a little fatigue early on and a late "3" by the Southwest Minnesota State team got them a 9-4 advantage by the start of the second period.  The UST Purple team got back to within a single possession on a pretty shot off the glass by Renikoff that made it a 14-11 game and that helped propel them on a push that allowed them to jump into the lead for the first time in this game at 15-14 late in the second period and the UST Purple team pushed that lead to three points at 19-16 by the halftime break.  The UST Purple team looked to take control early on in the third period and a Spaulding score that drew a foul and resulted in an "and one" gave them a 25-18 lead and had them in good shape.  But back-to-back three-point bombs by the Southwest Minnesota State team soon cut the deficit down to two points at 27-25 midway through the third period and although the UST Purple team led 35-34 by the start of the fourth period, the momentum they had built after the halftime break seemed to be slowly slipping away.  Still, the UST Purple team got a big boost on a three-point bomb by senior-to-be and former Park Center standout McKenna DuBois early on in the fourth period that briefly got the safety net back up to four points at 38-34 and they still led 39-37 midway through the fourth period.  The UST Purple team still had the lead at 40-37 with under 2:00 left but a three-point bomb by the Southwest Minnesota State team suddenly knotted this game at 40 with just under a minute left.  With :36 left, the Southwest Minnesota State team got a lay-up to take the lead at 42-40 and the UST Purple team would commit a costly turnover on their ensuing possession.  The Southwest Minnesota State team was unable to push the lead further at the charity stripe and the UST Purple team had one last chance with :06 left but they were unable to connect when they needed to.

It was definitely a great time at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League this year and I just want to thank Tanysha Scott and her staff along with the players and parents and fans who attended. 

Sunday, August 5, 2018

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer Leagues Results For Tuesday 7-31-18


Things really started heating up this last week at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League with games on both Tuesday and Wednesday evening and here's how the games I was able to cover turned out on Tuesday night:


6:00 P.M. Games

Rusty Pipes - 58
GAC Black - 43

Augsburg - 58
Bethel - 38


6:55 P.M. Games

Rusty Pipes - 56
GAC Gold - 52

Southwest Minnesota State - 43
St. Kate's - 34


7:45 P.M. Game

Southwest Minnesota State - 49
Augsburg - 47


Over on Court 1 in the 6:00 P.M. slot, the Rusty Pipes team bolted out to a quick 6-0 lead and soon built that lead to 10-0 midway through the first period.  Things continued to get worse for the GAC Black team as they soon found themselves down 18-4 by the start of the second period and by the halftime break, the Rusty Pipes were up comfortably 32-13.  The Rusty Pipes team's lead stretched to 48-31 by the start of the fourth period and by the midway point of the fourth period the Rusty Pipes team seemed to be well on its way to victory with a 54-37 lead.  Miraculously, however, the GAC Black team made a furious rally down the stretch to close the gap to four points late but could not quite bring things all the way back.  Over on Court 2, the Bethel team got off to a very good start with a 5-0 lead over the Augsburg team but things started going downhill quickly for the Bethel team after that as the Augsburg team reeled off an 11-0 run and led 15-7 midway through the first period.  By the start of the second period, the Augsburg team was up 20-9 and a "3" by junior-to-be Aiza Wilson helped the Augsburg team get the lead to 26-13 midway through the second period.  Though the Bethel team was able to trim the deficit back down to ten points at 30-20 by the halftime break, they were never able to muster much offensively that would have allowed them to seriously threaten the rest of the way.  The Augsburg team built the lead to fourteen points midway through the third period at 34-20 and by the start of the fourth period they were up 44-23.  It was all academic after that as the Augsburg team was up safely 53-32 midway through the fourth period. 

A rematch of sorts took place over on Court 1 in the 6:55 P.M. slot as the Rusty Pipes team took on a revenge-minded GAC Gold team and it certainly looked early on that the GAC Gold team would make good on their quest.  Though they only held a one-point 8-7 lead midway through the first period, a "3" by senior-to-be Taylor Anderson helped get the GAC Gold team a 17-11 lead by the start of the second period.  The GAC Gold team padded its lead to double-digits at 22-12 midway through the second period and by the halftime break the Rusty Pipes team looked to be in serious trouble down 29-17.  But an experienced Rusty Pipes team refused to abandon ship as their experience and size helped them cut into the GAC Gold lead and by the midway point of the third period the GAC Gold lead was shrunk down to four points at 36-32 and late in the third period the Rusty Pipes team had things tied up at 40-all.  Although the GAC Gold team was able to re-establish their lead at 42-40 by the start of the fourth period, it proved to be a short-lived affair.  The Rusty Pipes team soon took the advantage away and by the midway point of the fourth period the Rusty Pipes team held a 50-46 lead.  The GAC Gold team managed to tie the game at 50 with 2:00 left and were down only 52-50 with 1:00 left but free throws by former Hamline players Nikki Klink ('11) and Jordan Sammons ('15) helped seal the deal for the Rusty Pipes team.  On Court 2, the Southwest Minnesota State team was looking to survive and they had to take on a gamey St. Kate's team and they were anything but a pushover on this night.  Although the Southwest Minnesota State team held a 9-4 advantage midway through the first period, the St. Kate's team managed to hang around and were down only 16-12 by the start of the second period.  The Southwest Minnesota State team managed to slowly build on its lead throughout the second period and by the halftime break they owned a 30-21 advantage and it seemed like it would only be a matter of time before the dam broke.  But the St. Kate's team held tough and managed to stay within single-digits to a bigger opponent down 35-26 midway through the third period and by the start of the fourth period they had cut the deficit down to seven points at 37-30.  With 3:48 left in the contest, the St. Kate's team was able to cut the deficit down to six points at 40-34 but the Southwest Minnesota State team was finally able to close things out down the stretch to advance. 

Only one game in the 7:45 P.M. slot on this night but it proved to be the best game of the night as the Southwest Minnesota State team; fresh off of its tough win in the earlier slot, took on the Augsburg team over on Court 2.  This one would be knotted at 9 a piece midway through the first period and by the start of the second period, the Augsburg team held a 16-14 advantage.  Both teams showed off their offensive prowess and by the midway point of the second period the Southwest Minnesota State team held a 25-24 edge but the Augsburg team was able to come right back and a pretty give-and-go pass from junior-to-be Aiza Wilson to fellow junior-to-be Camryn Speese that drew a foul and resulted in an "and one" helped the Augsburg team get a 33-27 lead by the halftime break.  Wilson would make a hard drive and finish that helped the Augsburg team maintain that six-point edge at 38-32 midway through the third period but the Southwest Minnesota State team would respond with a 7-0 run that would have them up 39-38 by the start of the fourth period.  The Southwest Minnesota State team would hold a slight edge in the early moments of the fourth period but a Wilson "3" helped the Augsburg team poke its nose back out in front again at 43-42 midway through the fourth period.  Fittingly, this game would be tied at 47-all with 2:00 left and one free throw had the Southwest Minnesota State team up 48-47 with 1:00 left.  The Augsburg team still had a couple of chances down the stretch.  But a Speese shot with :03 left missed its mark.  Southwest Minnesota State would again get to the charity stripe but could only get one freebie out of the deal and with one tick left on the clock, Wilson let loose with a desperation heave for the Augsburg team that barely missed its mark and the Southwest Minnesota State team held on for a very exciting win. 

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 7-25-18


I apologize for being really late with this as I was out of town recently and had a lot of different things going on but wanted to get this in anyway.


5:00 P.M. Games

Winona State - 44
Northwestern - 33

UST Alumni - 68
Anoka-Ramsey - 37


5:55 P.M. Games

Winona State - 62
GAC Black - 41

Rusty Pipes - 49
UST Alumni - 43


6:50 P.M. Games

GAC Alumni - 49
UW-River Falls - 38

Augsburg - 54
Northwestern - 43

Rimshots - 64
Hamline - 43


7:45 P.M. Games

UST Purple - 40
Southwest Minnesota State - 38

Superhoopers - 56
Bethel - 39

St. Kate's - 49
Dordt - 17


Had to fight some rather serious traffic delays on this night but got settled in a little after the midway point of the two games in the opening 5:00 P.M. slot.  Over on Court 1, the Winona State team held a 22-14 lead on the Northwestern team and although the Northwestern team briefly cut into that deficit, they made the mistake of leaving sophomore-to-be Allie Pickrain open behind the arc and she made them pay dearly for it with a three-point bomb and that helped the Winona State team get their safety net up to ten points at 32-22 by the start of the fourth period.  The Northwestern team again threatened near the midway point of the fourth period but they again made the mistake of leaving Pickrain all alone behind the arc and once again they paid dearly for it as another "3" by the former Eastview standout got the Winona State team's lead back up to ten at 41-31 and they never looked back after that.  Over on Court 2, the UST Alumni team was having its way with a young and inexperienced Anoka-Ramsey team as they were up 49-26 midway through the third period and there was little doubt how this one was going to turn out by the beginning of the fourth period with the UST Alumni team safely up 54-28. 

In the 5:55 P.M. slot, the Winona State team found itself doing double-duty on Court 1 as this time around they took on the GAC Black team and early on anyway, it appeared that the GAC Black team might have had a bit of an edge as they held a 10-8 lead midway through the first period and proceeded to go on a 10-2 run to lead 18-10 by the start of the second period.  But the Winona State team was able to shake off any possible fatigue from their earlier game and they turned the tables by going on a 10-2 run of their own to tie the game at 20-all midway through the second period and they usurped the momentum from their and held a 34-30 advantage at the halftime break.  The Winona State team was able to break down the GAC Black team in the third period and they stretched their lead to ten points at 43-33 midway through the third period and that lead ballooned to 53-36 by the start of the fourth period.  The GAC Black team simply wasn't able to contend with the size and speed of their DII opponent and by the midway point of the fourth period the Winona State team was running away with things up 59-41.  Over on Court 2, a much closer game was ensuing between the Rusty Pipes team (a squad made up primarily of former Hamline and St. Kate's players) and the UST Alumni team.  The UST Alumni team was up 5-3 midway through the first period but the Rusty Pipes team was able to snare the lead at 9-7 by the start of the second period.  Things would stay close and go back-and-forth in the second period and although the UST Alumni team held a 16-15 advantage midway through the second period, the Rusty Pipes team was able to get on a bit of a run down the stretch to take a 25-22 lead by the halftime break.  The Rusty Pipes team maintained that three-point edge midway through the third period up 27-24 and by the start of the fourth period they got the lead to five points at 37-32.  The UST Alumni team was certainly still very much in the picture but former Hamline standout Jordan Sammons ('15) helped spark a run for the Rusty Pipes team that enabled them to get the lead to ten points at 47-37 midway through the fourth period and the UST Alumni team was simply unable to recover.

Just like the week before, things really got busy in the 6:50 P.M. slot with three games going on.  On Court 1, the GAC Alumni team was embroiled in a tough contest with the UW-River Falls team and the GAC Alumni team fought and scratched their way to a 9-8 lead midway through the first period and were able to establish a little more breathing room up 13-9 by the start of the second period.  Curiously, the UW-River Falls team struggled on the offensive end on this night and this opened the door for the GAC Alumni team to stretch their lead to 19-10 midway through the second period and by the halftime break they got their lead to double-digits at 24-13.  The GAC Alumni team still looked to be in a pretty safe position up 33-23 midway through the third period but the UW-River Falls team finally got things going and got the deficit down to five points at 37-32 by the start of the fourth period.  The GAC Alumni team still managed to cling to that five-point edge at 42-37 midway through the fourth period but just when you thought the UW-River Falls team might finally break through and catch them, they faltered badly down the stretch as the GAC Alumni team held on for the win.  Over on Court 2, another close game appeared to be brewing as the Augsburg team clung to an 8-6 lead over the Northwestern team midway through the first period and by the start of the second period the Augsburg team led 16-12.  The Augsburg team, however, was able to slowly build its lead to six points at 22-16  midway through the second period and by the halftime break the lead grew to eight points at 27-19.  By the midway point of the third period, the lead suddenly bulged to twenty points at 43-23 and although the Northwestern team was able to cut into things a bit down 44-28 by the start of the fourth period, they simply were unable to stop the transition game of the Augsburg team as they held on for a double-digit victory.  Over on Court 3, things were reasonably close at the outset with the Rimshots team (a squad made up primarily of former Bethel players) and the Hamline team with the former up 12-9 midway through the first period and the Rimshots team holding a 16-15 lead by the start of the second period.  The Hamline team was still very much in this one midway through the second period down only 21-19 and although the Rimshots team led 30-25 by the halftime break, this one still had a lot of uncertainty to it.  But that uncertainty quickly vanished once the third period got underway and by the midway point the Rimshots team upped their lead to 42-31 and by the start of the fourth period, an experienced Rimshots team was up comfortably at 53-33 as they breezed to the win. 

One of the more-anticipated games on this night took place in the 7:45 P.M. slot over on Court 1 between the Southwest Minnesota State team and the UST Purple team.  The Southwest Minnesota State team was able to establish a 13-9 lead midway through the first period but the UST Purple team came right back and had things tied up at 15 a piece by the start of the second period.  This close, back-and-forth tussle continued as the Southwest Minnesota State team poked its nose back out in front by a 18-17 count midway through the second period but the UST Purple team was able to hold a 22-21 advantage by the halftime break.  The UST Purple team was able to make the first decisive move of this contest as they got their lead up to seven points at 28-21 midway through the third period but the Southwest Minnesota State team answered with a 10-2 run to own a 31-30 lead by the start of the fourth period.  This nail-biter continued with the Southwest Minnesota State team up 38-34 midway through the fourth period and seemingly in position to win and with just 1:00 left, the Southwest Minnesota State team was still up 38-36.  But the UST Purple team had the magic in the final sixty seconds to come away with an exciting victory.  Another good one was going over on Court 2 between the Superhoopers team and the Bethel team and the Bethel team appeared to have the early edge as they led 8-5 midway through the first period and still held a 14-12 lead to start the second period.  The game would be tied at 20 a piece midway through the second period but it was here where the experience and the ability of the Superhoopers team to be physical took over as they went on a key 8-0 push to own a 28-20 lead by the halftime break.  The Superhoopers team stretched the lead to 44-31 by the end of the third period and although the Bethel team was able to climb back into single-digit range down 47-39 midway through the fourth period, they never could get reasonably close again.  No such drama over on Court 3 as the St. Kate's team started running away early from an undersized and short-handed Dordt team.  The St. Kate's team led 11-4 midway through the first period and maintained the seven-point edge to lead 16-9 by the start of the second period.  The lead grew to nine points at 21-12 midway through the second period and it grew to 23-12 by the halftime break.  The St. Kate's team stretched the lead to twenty at 34-14 midway through the fourth period and there was little doubt how things were going to go after that.