Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 6-26-19

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


5:00 P.M. Games

Millennials - 49
NIACC - 46

Bethel - 53
UW-River Falls - 37


5:55 P.M. Games

Hamline - 51
Augsburg - 49

Macalester - 72
St. Olaf - 52

GAC Gold - 66
UNW/Defenders - 36


6:50 P.M. Games

UST Black - 42
Rusty Pipes - 32

GAC Alumni - 51
St. Kate's - 27

College Girls - 56
GAC Black - 50


7:45 P.M. Games

Concordia St. Paul - 47
UST Purple - 33

Superhoopers - 55
Anoka-Ramsey - 46

Minnesota's Best - 67
Twin City Swish - 45


Had to battle a ton of rush hour traffic and didn't get settled in until the late moments of the third period of the two 5:00 P.M. Games.  It was obvious that a very good game was brewing over on Court 1 between the NIACC team and the Millennials team with the Millennials team clinging to a 40-38 lead to start the fourth period.  The Millennials team was able to establish a bit more breathing room by the midway point of the final period with a 44-38 lead but the young and feisty NIACC team out of Mason City was not going to go quietly into the night and they quickly went to work to close to within a single possession down 44-42 with 2:20 left.  They remained in single-possession range down 47-44 with 1:15 left and stayed within striking distance down 49-46 with just :09.4 left.  The telling moment came when the Millennials had a chance to ice the game at the charity stripe but couldn't convert and with scant ticks left on the clock, a three-point attempt by the NIACC team missed its mark as the Millennials team escaped with the close victory.  No such drama over on Court 2 where the UW-River Falls team was taking on the Bethel team in a WIAC-MIAC clash.  While things were still relatively close by the end of the third period with the Bethel team holding a 31-25 lead, the Bethel team quickly went to work in the fourth period to widen the gap as they established a ten-point lead at 37-27 early on in the fourth period and a lay-up by junior-to-be Makenna Pearson helped the Bethel team gain a 43-29 advantage with 6:30 left.  That lead would grow to 47-31 as the Bethel team coasted to the win.

One of the best games of the night took place on Court 1 in the 5:55 P.M. slot in a clash of two MIAC rivals as the Augsburg team was taking on the Hamline team.  The young Hamline team surprised everyone by gaining the upper hand early on in this one although the Augsburg team would manage to close back to within a single possession down 8-6 on a three-point bomb by patented three-point bomber and senior-to-be Aiza Wilson midway through the opening period.  It appeared as if the upset bid by the Hamline team had gone out the window as the Augsburg team got its nose out in front and held a 15-12 lead by the end of the first period.  Things were still looking very good for the Augsburg team early on in the second period as a lay-up by senior-to-be Camryn Speese had them up 20-15 but that did not deter this young Hamline team as they managed to keep things close as they closed to within a single-possession down 31-28 late in the second period and trailed 31-29 at the halftime break.  The Augsburg team was not ready to give up the lead just yet, however, and managed to hold at 35-33 lead midway through the third period and still led 43-39 at the end of the third period.  But this Hamline team shocked everyone by going on a quick burst in the early moments of the fourth period to take a 44-43 lead and led 47-45 midway through the fourth period.  With 1:40 left, the Hamline team held a 51-47 lead but the Augsburg team would make one last gasp attempt as they closed to two points down 51-49 with 1:20 left.  The Hamline team would manage to milk the clock with the Augsburg team looking for any and every opportunity for a timely steal.  Wily senior-to-be Tamira McLemore got one steal late and dashed the other way for a lay-up late but couldn't connect on the lay-up attempt.  With scant seconds left, the Augsburg team had one more chance but couldn't get the shot to go as the Hamline team secured a big upset win.  Another clash of MIAC rivals was taking place over on Court 2 at the same time as the Macalester team was taking on the St. Olaf team.  This one, however, had much different results.  The St. Olaf team behind seniors-to-be Britta Koenen and Ella Skrien got off to a very good start; holding a 7-2 lead early on and led 12-6 midway through the4 first period.  Things were still looking good for the St. Olaf team by the end of the first period as they held an 18-13 lead but once the second period got underway, things quickly went south for them as the Macalester team not only closed the gap but took control for good.  They tied the contest at 20-all midway through the second period and then proceeded to go on a key 11-0 blitz that changed this one for good as they led 31-20 with 2:40 left and enjoyed that eleven-point cushion at 35-24 at the halftime break.  The Macalester's team lead slowly grew to 45-31 midway through the third period and that lead would bulge to nineteen at 52-33 by the start of the fourth period.  By the midway point of the fourth period, the Macalester team's lead was at 65-43 as they coasted to an easy victory.  I was very impressed with sophomore-to-be Celine Sabbagh and senior-to-be Holly Hull as both played big parts in this win for them.  Court 3 saw an interesting tilt between the GAC Gold team and the UNW/Defenders team.  Things would be tight early on with the GAC Gold up 5-3 early on and the game tied at 7-all midway through the first period.  But the GAC Gold team would take control of this with an 8-2 push down the stretch of the opening period to hold a 15-9 lead by the start of the second period.  The GAC Gold team's lead would grow to 23-11 midway through the second period and a three-point bomb by junior-to-be Hailey Sorenson helped give the GAC Gold team a 27-13 lead a bit later and they would enjoy a 32-17 at the halftime break.  The GAC Gold team would hold a 34-19 lead midway through the third period and by the start of the fourth period, that lead grew to 45-23 as the GAC Gold team rolled to an easy win. 

Three more games in the 6:50 P.M. slot kept me hopping as well.  Over on Court 1, the Rusty Pipes team was taking on the UST Black team and the latter put the former into a big hole early on as the UST Black team gained a 6-0 lead midway through the first period and held a hefty 18-6 lead by the end of the second period.  The UST Black team increased that lead to 21-6 midway through the second period and the Rusty Pipes team could only muster on score down the stretch of the second period as they found themselves down 26-8 by the halftime break.  Despite being down by nearly twenty, the Rusty Pipes team finally shook off the cobwebs once the third period got underway and had the deficit sliced in half down by nine at 32-23 late in the third period and it briefly looked as if the Rusty Pipes team might close the gap even further.  But the UST Black team quickly righted the ship to be up double-digits again by the end of the third period at 35-23.  The UST Black team would never let their opponent get into single-digit range again as they were up 40-29 late in the fourth period and held on for a ten-point win.  Over on Court 2, the GAC Alumni team was facing a young St. Kate's team and the St. Kate's team held a 4-2 lead midway through the first period and led 6-4 by the end of the first period in a low-scoring affair.  The GAC Alumni team started taking advantage of several miscues and turnovers by the St. Kate's team and grabbed a 9-8 lead early in the second period and although the St. Kate's team recovered to hold a 13-9 lead at the halftime break, it didn't take long once the third period got underway to see that lead evaporate as the GAC Alumni team quickly took control of things.  They had things tied up at 15 a piece early on in the third period and a three-point bomb by Kelsey Carpenter (GAC '17) put them ahead for good at 18-15.  A Hannah Howard lay-up (GAC '17) and another Carpenter "3" off the glass gave the GAC Alumni team a 23-17 lead midway through the third period.  Former Wildcat Mari Lee (St. Kate's '17); playing with the GAC Alumni team this season, connected on a lay-up late in the third period to get the lead to ten points at 27-17 late in the third period and by the start of the fourth period, the GAC Alumni team was up comfortably at 35-20 and that lead would balloon to 46-27 midway through the fourth period as they cruised to an easy win.  The game over on Court 3 was a late start between the GAC Black team and the College Girls team as the latter was short-handed on this night which required some of the members of the GAC Black team changing colors on this night to help out.  Still,  the College Girls team held an 11-8 lead early in the second period and enjoyed at 25-14 lead late in the second period and held a 27-22 lead at the halftime break.  The College Girls team was up by ten at 37-27 midway through the third period and were up 51-42 late in the fourth period and although the GAC Black team would make a bit of a run late to close the gap a bit, the College Girls team still hung on for the win. 

Three more games followed in the 7:45 P.M. slot.  A much-anticipated match-up took place on Court 1 between the Concordia St. Paul team and the UST Purple team and things were knotted a 4 a piece early on.  But the Concordia St. Paul team would go on a game-changing 8-0 run to close out the opening period to hold a 12-4 lead once the second period got underway.  The Concordia St. Paul team would hold a 21-12 lead midway through the second period but the UST Purple team would have that margin cut down to six points at 24-18 by the halftime break.  The Concordia St. Paul team, however, had no intentions of letting their opponent hang around and they quickly got the lead up to 30-18 early on in the third period and led 36-23 midway through the third period.  Although the UST Purple team was able to shrink the deficit a bit down to nine at 38-29 by the start of the fourth period, another run by the Concordia St. Paul team pushed their lead to 42-29 midway through the fourth period enroute to the victory.  Over on Court 2 was a clash between veterans and youngsters as the Superhoopers team took on the Anoka-Ramsey team.  In this one, the Superhoopers team was up 3-2 early on and they held an 8-4 lead midway through the first period.  By the start of the second period, that lead grew to eight at 16-8 and would grow to double-digits at 24-13 midway through the second period.  By the halftime break, the Superhoopers team was up 32-18 and they would hold a 37-24 lead midway through the third period.  They still enjoyed that comfy double-digit cushion up 45-32 at the start of the fourth period but the Anoka-Ramsey team managed to put a scare into them in that fourth and final period as they had the deficit cut down to four points at 47-43 before the Superhoopers team found a second wind - and burst - to close out the contest.  Court 3 featured the battle between the Twin City Swish team and the Minnesota's Best team and it didn't take long for the latter to gain control in this one as they were up 8-3 midway through the first period and increased the lead to thirteen points at 23-10 by the start of the second period.  Although the Twin City Swish team reduced the deficit down to nine points at 31-22 late in the second period, the Minnesota's Best team found a late flurry to get the lead to twelve at 36-24 by the halftime break.  The Minnesota's Best team would increase their lead to 44-28 midway through the third period and led 50-36 by the start of the fourth period.  By the midway point of the fourth period, the Minnesota's Best team held a comfortable 62-41 advantage as they had things in cruise control the rest of the way.

The Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League takes a break this next week for the fourth of July holiday but things will get going again the following week on 7-10-19 so make sure you're down there to catch the action.   

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 6-19-19

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


5:00 P.M. Games

St. Kate's - 45
GAC Black - 42

Hamline - 44
Minnesota's Best - 36


5:55 P.M. Games

Rusty Pipes - 55
St. Olaf - 35

GAC Gold - 56
Twin City Swish - 53

Bethel - 66
Millennials - 37


6:50 P.M. Games

Southwest Minnesota State - 77
Macalester - 30

GAC Alumni - 52
Anoka-Ramsey - 37

Superhoopers - 67
NIACC - 50


7:45 P.M. Games

Augsburg - 50
Southwest Minnesota State - 49

Concordia St. Paul - 65
UNW/Defenders - 37

College Girls - 51
UW-River Falls - 49


For a change, the rush hour traffic from my place over to the Midtown YWCA wasn't that bad on this Wednesday night and that allowed me to at least get settled into the late second period action of both games in the 5:00 P.M. slot.  One of the more interesting games of this evening took place on Court 1 where the GAC Black team was battling the St. Kate's team.  The GAC Black team seemed to have the upper hand with a 22-18 lead late in the second half and a 26-22 lead during the halftime break.  But the St. Kate's team had the deficit whittled down to one point at 27-26 early in the third period and eventually tied the contest at 30-all late in the third period.  By the start of the fourth period, the St. Kate's team held a one-point lead at 33-32 and they worked quickly to try and expand on that slim margin.  A "3" from the left wing by sophomore-to-be Grace Amacher helped the St. Kate's team grow that lead to 39-32 in the early minutes of the fourth period and things looked very good for them by the midpoint of the fourth period as they held a 41-32 lead.  But the GAC Black team made one last push to try and close the gap by applying full- and half-court pressure and with under :20 left, they had the deficit down to three points at 45-42 but were unable to complete the deal.  Over on Court 2, the Hamline team was taking on the Minnesota's Best team and it was the Hamline team getting the advantage as they led 24-14 late in the second period and at the halftime break as well.  The Minnesota's Best team managed to get the deficit down to seven points at 29-22 midway through the third period but then the Hamline team went on a key 8-2 run down the stretch of the third period to hold a 37-24 lead at the end of the third period.  The Hamline team still enjoyed a double-digit cushion up 39-29 midway through the fourth period but a late run by the Minnesota's Best team cut the deficit down to five points at 39-34 and briefly closed to within a single possession down 39-36 before the Hamline team closed the door for good.

Three games in the 5:55 P.M. slot had me doing the roaming thing again.  Over on Court 1, things looked innocent enough between the St. Olaf team and the Rusty Pipes team with the latter up 2-0 early on but the bottom soon gave way on the St. Olaf team as the Rusty Pipes team soon ripped off a 12-0 run and led 14-2 by the end of the first period.  The Rusty Pipes team led 22-9 midway through the second period and led 27-15 late in the second period as the St. Olaf team tried to make some inroads but the Rusty Pipes team still had a cozy 31-17 lead by the halftime break.  To their credit, the St. Olaf team managed to climb back to within single-digit range down 35-27 midway through the third period and briefly had the deficit down to five points at 35-30 but another 12-0 run by the Rusty Pipes team quickly dashed any hopes of a comeback as they had a 47-30 lead by the start of the fourth period and led 57-32 midway through the 4th period as they coasted to the win.  A much tighter game ensued over on Court 2 between the Twin City Swish team and the GAC Gold team.  The GAC Gold team was up 4-3 early and led 11-9 by the end of the first period.  A spurt by the GAC Gold team had them up 20-13 midway through the second period but the Twin City Swish team would come right back and have the deficit reduced to just two points at 23-21 by the halftime break.  The Twin City Swish team continued this push to take a 25-23 lead early on in the third period but things would be knotted at 38 a piece as junior-to-be Haley Sorenson knocked down two free throws to forge the tie going into the fourth period.  The GAC Gold team then proceeded to get a push going and led 48-42 midway through the fourth period and although the GAC Gold team still held a 52-48 lead late in the fourth period, the Twin City Swish team cut the deficit to two points at 52-50 with just :42.8 left.  But it would be Sorenson coming up clutch again at the charity stripe late for the GAC Gold team with two more freebies to secure the victory.  Over on Court 3, the Bethel team was making quick work of the Millennials team as the former gained a 9-2 lead midway through the opening period and led 13-4 by the end of the first period.  The Millennials team tried desperately to keep things close and were down by eleven at 32-21 by the halftime break but a stingy defense by the Bethel team that created several turnovers soon had this one in blowout mode.  The Bethel team would be up 36-21 early on in the third period and led 52-34 by the end of the third period and stretched things to 61-36 midway through the fourth period as they cruised to an easy win.

In the 6:50 P.M. slot, another blowout was taking place over on Court 1 as the Southwest Minnesota State team was taking on the Macalester team.  Although the game would be tied at 5-all early on, the Southwest Minnesota State team used a 23-0 blitz to hold a 23-5 lead by the end of the first period; capped off by a three-point bomb by junior-to-be Erin Baxter.  The Southwest Minnesota State team would enjoy a 35-13 lead midway through the second period and would be up 39-13 by the halftime break.  The Southwest Minnesota State team's lead would bulge to thirty at 52-22 late in the third period and would be up 71-30 midway through the fourth period as the ending was pretty much academic.  Meanwhile, over on Court 2, the GAC Alumni team was taking on a young Anoka-Ramsey team and the latter would get off to a good start; holding a 5-0 lead early on and would lead 11-5 by the end of the first period.  Despite the sluggishness showed early on by the GAC Alumni team, they quickly bounced back once the second period got going and a three-point bomb by Justine Lee (GAC '19) had this one tied at 12-all midway through the second period and a lay-up by Hannah Howard (GAC '17) pushed them ahead 14-12 a bit later.  Although the Anoka-Ramsey team would bounce back and take a 21-19 lead at the intermission, the size of the GAC Alumni team was beginning to take its toll and they made a big push in the third period to take a 28-24 lead midway through the third period and stretched that lead to 34-26 by the start of the fourth period.  By the midway point of the fourth period, the GAC Alumni team was up 45-32 as they had things in cruise control the rest of the way.  Court 3 featured an interesting battle between the NIACC team and the Superhoopers team with the former up 13-10 by the end of the first period.  The NIACC team held that three-point advantage at 18-15 midway through the second period and still led 28-26 by the halftime break.  But a bigger and more experienced Superhoopers team would slowly but surely grab control of things in the third period as they led 35-32 midway through the third period and led 47-34 by the start of the fourth period.  By the midway point of the fourth period, the Superhoopers team was up 63-42 so there was little doubt as to how this one was going to turn out. 

The 7:45 P.M. slot saw the Southwest Minnesota State team doing double-duty on this night as this time around they faced yet another MIAC opponent in the Augsburg team.  But unlike their previous time slot game against the Macalester team, they would find the going much tougher this time around as the Augsburg team jumped out to an early 8-0 lead and led 10-5 midway through the first period.  The Augsburg team would enjoy a 24-17 lead midway through the second period but the Southwest Minnesota State team would use a 7-0 spurt down the stretch to forge a 24-24 tie by the halftime break.  The Augsburg team would use a spurt to get a 30-24 lead early on in the third period but that lead would soon be cut down to 30-28 midway through the third period.  Another Augsburg run, however, let them take a 42-35 lead by the start of the fourth period.  A lay-up by senior-to-be Tamira McLemore and a three-point bomb by fellow senior-to-be Aiza Wilson helped the Augsburg team to a 50-46 lead with 2:40 left.  The Southwest Minnesota State team refused to go quietly into the night and soon had the deficit down to one point at 50-49 with just 1:10 left.  They had possession of the ball with just under thirty seconds left but committed a costly turnover with just under :20 left.  The Augsburg team had a chance to ice this game at the charity stripe but senior-to-be Ari Jones could get a free throw attempt to cooperate.  The Southwest Minnesota State team had one last-gasp chance left but a three-point shot attempt went awry at the end as the Augsburg team held on for a fun win.  No such drama over on Court 2 between the Concordia St. Paul team and the UNW/Defenders team.  Although the UNW/Defenders team had a 4-3 lead midway through the opening period, the Concordia St. Paul team used a big run to gain a 17-8 lead by the end of the first period which pretty much set the tone for the rest of this contest.  The Concordia St. Paul team was up 24-13 midway through the second period and by the halftime break, that lead was stretched to 34-15.  The gap only widened once the third period got underway as the Concordia St. Paul team enjoyed a 48-24 lead midway through the third period and led 51-27 by the start of the fourth period.  Meanwhile, a wild contest was taking place over on Court 3 between the College Girls team and the UW-River Falls team.  The College Girls team was up 9-7 midway through the first period and led 18-10 by the end of the first period.  The College Girls team still enjoyed the eight-point lead at 20-12 midway through the second period but a spurt by the UW-River Falls team reduced the deficit down to four points at 22-18 with under four minutes left in the second period.  Although the College Girls team would hold a 28-22 lead by the halftime break, things would drastically tighten up in the third period as the UW-River Falls team closed the gap to one point at 31-30 midway through the third period and the College Girls were still clinging to that one-point edge at 41-40 by the start of the fourth period.  Things would stay close through this fourth period but the UW-River Falls team would fall just short in their comeback bid.

Another round of games coming up this next Wednesday night (6-26) so make sure you get down to the Midtown YWCA to catch all the action. 

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 6-12-19

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


5:00 P.M. Games

St. Olaf - 54
UW-River Falls - 48

UST Purple - 60
Anoka-Ramsey - 32


5:55 P.M. Games

GAC Alumni - 53
NIACC - 36

UST Black - 43
Minnesota's Best - 33

UNW/Defenders - 41
St. Kate's - 39


6:50 P.M. Games

Hamline - 49
GAC Gold - 48

Millennials - 44
College Girls - 34

Superhoopers - 61
Bethel - 49


7:45 P.M. Games

Rusty Pipes - 67
Augsburg - 35

Concordia St. Paul - 56
Macalester - 49

Twin City Swish - 65
GAC Black - 44


Battling the usual late afternoon rush-hour traffic, I did manage to get settled into the Midtown YWCA facility before the halftime breaks of both 5:00 P.M. games.  Over on Court 1, the battle between the UW-River Falls team and the St. Olaf teams was proving to be a tight one with the UW-River Falls team holding a slim 17-16 late late in the 2nd quarter but the St. Olaf team managed to surge before the intermission and take a somewhat surprising 26-21 lead at the halftime break.  The UW-River Falls team managed to recover and get things tied at 32-all early on in the third period and a spurt by the UW-River Falls team had them up 39-34 midway through the third period.  But in a game of shifting momentum, the St. Olaf team would recover again with a strong run down the stretch to hold a 45-41 lead by the end of the third period.  The St. Olaf team would stretch that lead to 47-41 early on in the fourth period and expand that lead to ten points at 51-41 midway through the fourth period and maintain the ten-point cushion midway through the fourth period at 54-44 to hold on for the win.  No such drama over on Court 2 between the Anoka-Ramsey team and the UST Purple team where the UST Purple team had gained a 38-15 lead late in the second period and held a 40-17 lead at the halftime break.  The UST Purple held a safe 40-21 lead midway through the third period and led 45-21 by the start of the fourth period as they romped to an easy win.

Three games in the 5:55 P.M. slot had me on my feet again roaming from court to court to try and keep up with it all.  On Court 1, the GAC Alumni team was battling the NIACC team and things would stay close early on with the GAC Alumni team up 3-1 early and 10-9 at the end of the first period.  The GAC Alumni team would be up 21-18 midway through the second period and led only 24-22 at the halftime break.  But things started falling apart for the young NIACC team as the GAC Alumni team expanded its lead to 42-33 by thee end of the third period and led 47-35 midway through the fourth period enroute to the victory.  Over on Court 2, the Minnesota's Best team held a 3-2 lead early on against the UST Black team but the latter would come back and hold a 12-9 lead late in the opening period and held a 14-13 lead by the beginning of the second period.  The UST Black team would get a bit more breathing room with a 20-15 lead midway through the second period and stretch that lead to nine at 27-18 by the halftime break.  The Minnesota's Best team would manage to tighten things up by the end of the third period down a single possession at 31-28 but the UST Black team would open things up again with a 38-29 lead midway through the fourth period enroute to the victory.  Over on Court 3, the UNW/Defenders team held an early 5-2 lead on the St. Kate's team and led 12-7 at the end of the first period.  The St. Kate's team would close the gap to two points at 12-10 early on in the second period and would hold an 18-17 advantage by the halftime break.  The St. Kate's team would hold a 25-23 lead midway through the third period but the UNW/Defenders team would take the lead back at 29-27 at the end of the third period.  The UNW/Defenders team would cling to a one-point 32-31 edge midway through the fourth period but a drive and finish by sophomore-to-be Grace Amacher put the St. Kate's team up by one at 35-34 a bit later.  A drive and finish be senior-to-be Danica Cambrice had the St. Kate's team up 39-37 with just over a minute left but a quick spurt by the UNW/Defenders team got them the win on this night. 

Three more games followed in the 6:50 P.M. slot.  A very tight battle ensued over on Court 1 between the Hamline team and the GAC Gold team.  The GAC Gold team held a slim 6-4 advantage midway through the opening period and led 13-10 by the start of the second period.  Things would stay close throughout the second period but the Hamline team managed to have just enough in them to get a 21-19 lead by the halftime break.  The GAC Gold team would retake the lead at 38-37 by the end of the third period and still lead 49-48 late in the contest.  The Hamline team had one last shot to either win the game or at least force a tie but senior-to-be Reilly Geistfeld was unable to get two free throw attempts to cooperate with :10 left.  Court 2 featured an interesting battle between the Millennials team and the College Girls team.  The Millennials team jumped out to a 10-2 lead midway through the first period and held a 15-6 lead by the start of the second period and led 25-11 by the halftime break.  The Millennials team led 38-28 by the end of the third period and would maintain that cushion down to the end as they continue to impress so far.  Court 3 featured a battle between the Bethel team and the Superhoopers team.  The Superhoopers team held an 8-5 lead midway through the first period as things appeared to be close early on but the Superhoopers used a big spurt to put the Bethel team in a big hold up 23-8 by the start of the second period.  The Bethel team was able to slice some of the fat off of the deficit by the halftime break to cut the deficit to ten at 37-27 but the Superhoopers team quickly choked off any comeback attempts as they got the lead to fourteen points at 49-35 by the start of the fourth period. 

Another MIAC team found its hands full against an experienced alumni team on Court 1 in the 7:45 P.M. slot as the Augsburg team was taking on the Rusty Pipes team.  The Augsburg team would be up 3-0 early and would lead 10-9 by the end of the first period but things would slowly get away from them once the second period got underway as the Rusty Pipes team got control of things.  A "3" by Cassidy "Lightning" Vogt (Hamline '13) put the Rusty Pipes team ahead to stay at 16-15 midway through the second period and that lead grew to 27-18 by the halftime break.  The Rusty Pipes' lead would grow to 40-22 midway through the third period and would grow even more to 52-29 by the start of the fourth period.  By the midway point of the fourth period, the Rusty Pipes team was enjoying a 61-32 lead so there was little doubt as to how this one was going to turn out.  Over on Court 2 was an NSIC-MIAC clash as the Concordia St. Paul team faced off against the Macalaster team.  The Concordia St. Paul team was up 6-5 midway through the opening period and led 17-8 at the end of the first period.  When the Concordia St. Paul team pushed their lead to 25-16 midway through the second period and led 32-22 at the halftime break, it looked as if they could possibly run away with things.  But the Macalester team hung tough as the crawled back to single-digit range down 41-33 midway through the third period.  Still, the Concordia St. Paul team was able to get the lead to double-digit range again up 47-36 by the end of the third period and led 54-40 midway through the fourth period before the Macalester team would make one final push to get things back into single-digit range again before falling.  Over on Court 3, the GAC Black team was facing off against the Twin City Swish team and although the GAC Black team held a 9-7 lead midway through the first period, things would soon spiral out of control for them as the Twin City Swish team punctuated this opening period with a buzzer-beater to take a 26-19 advantage.  The Twin City Swish team would grow the lead to 36-22 midway through the second period and led comfortably 40-22 by the halftime break.  The GAC Black team would go a good job reducing the deficit to ten point late in the third period down 46-36 and were down 48-38 by the start of the fourth period but the Twin City Swish team put this one out of reach for good once the fourth period got underway. 

Things revert to a Wednesday night-only format this next week but there'll be plenty of great action ensuing so make sure you get down to the Midtown YWCA to catch it all!       

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Tuesday 6-11-19

Here are the results of the games played on Tuesday night at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League:


5:00 P.M. Games

UST Purple - 56
NIACC - 28

Macalester - 35
St. Kate's - 34


5:55 P.M. Games

GAC Alumni - 38
Bethel - 34

Hamline - 51
GAC Black - 48

UST Black - 49
GAC Gold - 34


6:50 P.M. Games

Millennials - 49
Anoka-Ramsey - 46

Minnesota's Best - 41
St. Olaf - 38

Bethel - 48
Augsburg - 44


7:45 P.M. Games

Concordia St. Paul - 46
UNW/Defenders - 35

Superhoopers - 55
College Girls - 43

Twin City Swish - 50
UW-River Falls - 46


Battled some more of that trademark rush hour traffic on I-94 getting over to the Midtown YWCA from my home but did manage to get settled in right about at the halftime break of both games in the 5:00 P.M. slot.  On Court 1, the UST Purple team had a sizable 39-16 lead on the NIACC team at the halftime break and it was apparent the the UST Purple team had no intentions of letting their foot off the gas pedal anytime soon in this one as they held a 43-21 lead midway through the third period and stretched the lead to 51-21 by the start of the fourth period as they coasted to an easy win.  The game over on Court 2, however, was a much more entertaining deal with the Macalester team taking on the St. Kate's team.  The Macalester team had the upper hand at the halftime break up 18-13 although the St. Kate's team managed to close within a single possession down 18-15 midway through the third period when defense was taking center stage between these two MIAC rivals.  The St. Kate's team finally found a little magic in the final few minutes of the third period as they managed to take a brief 21-20 lead but the Macalester team would snare the lead right back at 23-21 by the start of the fourth period.  The Macalester team still seemed to have the upper hand by the midway point of the fourth period up 29-25 but the St. Kate's team was far from finished as they would cut the deficit down to two points at 34-32 with 3:16 left and had the game knotted at 34 a piece with a minute left.  The Macalester team, however, would get the winning margin on one free throw by senior-to-be Tyana Loiselle with just :08 left.  Still, the St. Kate's team had one last chance to steal the win but a shot at the buzzer by senior-to-be Danica Cambrice missed its mark.

Three games in the 5:55 P.M. slot which necessitated roaming from court to court again.  A very good game - maybe the best of the night (certainly the most physical anyway) - took place over on Court 1 between the GAC Alumni team and the Bethel team.  The Bethel team jumped out to an early 5-0 lead midway through the first period and still led 7-3 by the start of the second period.  But despite the slow start, the GAC Alumni team soon caught fire and grabbed a 19-10 lead midway through the second period and led 23-13 at the halftime break.  The Bethel team managed to recover; thanks in large part to senior-to-be Haylee Barker and forged a 10-0 burst to tie the game at 23 early on in the third period.  But the momentum would soon shift back to the GAC Alumni team and a Hannah Howard (GAC '17) lay-up in transition late in the third period allowed them to take a 28-23 lead and that lead would grow to nine points at 32-23 by the start of the fourth period.  Right back came a determined Bethel team as they knotted the contest at 32-all with 4:15 left and hopes were high on their side when they briefly took at 34-32 lead shortly thereafter.  But an experienced GAC Alumni team would steal the spotlight down the stretch and free throws by Taylor Anderson (GAC '19) along with a strong front line of Howard, Miranda Rice (GAC '18) and former St. Kate's standout Mari Lee (St. Kate's '17) proved to be the difference in this one.  Two other Gustie teams were in action during this time slot as well - albeit with slightly different results.  Over on Court 2, the GAC Black team was taking on the Hamline team and the latter held a 7-5 lead midway through the first period although the GAC Black team would come back and hold a 13-12 edge by the start of the second period.  The GAC Black team would would a 20-16 lead midway through the second period and enjoyed a 27-24 lead at the halftime break.  But a pesky Hamline team would not be going away on this night as they would have the deficit cut to one point at 36-35 midway through the third period and stayed within a single possession down 40-37 by the start of the fourth period.  The Hamline team finally found a way to poke its nose out in front by a 41-40 margin early on in the fourth period and led 44-42 midway through the fourth period as they hung on for a tough win.  Yet another Gustie team was in action over on Court 3 as the GAC Gold team took on the UST Black team.  Early on, things were looking good for the GAC Gold team as they held a 9-6 advantage midway through the opening period but the UST Black team would soon have the game tied at 9-all on a jumper by junior-to-be Kaia Porter which is how things stood by the end of the first period.  A key 7-0 burst by the UST Black team really turned this one around as they had 16-9 lead midway through the second period and that lead would expand to double-digits at 25-14 by the halftime break.  The UST Black team maintained the cushion by a 30-20 score midway through the third period and increased that lead to 38-21 by the start of the fourth period.  The UST Black team would surge again; gaining a 45-22 lead midway through the fourth period as they had things in cruise control the rest of the way. 

It was pretty much the same deal in the 6:50 P.M. slot with three games going on again but well worth it with three very good games.  Court 1 featured one of the better games of the night with the Millennials team taking on the young Anoka-Ramsey team.  A bigger and experience Millennials team had things going their way early in this one as they gained a 10-2 advantage early on in the opening period and led 16-7 by the start of the second period.  They maintained that nine-point cushion at 19-10 midway through the second period and things were definitely looking very good for the Millennials at the halftime break as they held a cozy 28-11 lead.  Things still looked safe for them at the midway point of the third period with a 36-19 lead but this young Anoka-Ramsey team playing with no fear slyly whittled their way back into the contest as they closed the gap to ten points at 42-32 by the end of the third period.  By the time the fourth period got underway, the Millennials team was fighting for its life as they saw their opponent close the gap to five points at 46-41 midway through the period and with 1:00 left, the Anoka-Ramsey team was finally back to within a single possession down 46-43 and found themselves down by only two points at 47-45 with :20 left but suffered an untimely turnover.  The Millennials team turned the ball over themselves a few seconds later and now the Anoka-Ramsey team had a chance.  However, two free throw attempts missed their mark and Emily VanLith (Northwestern '17) saved the day for the Millennials team with two free throws in the final seconds to seal the deal.  Another good tilt was taking place over on Court 2 between the Minnesota's Best team and the St. Olaf team.  Defense took center stage early in this one with the game tied at 3-all midway through the first period and the St. Olaf team held a one-point 11-10 advantage by the start of the second period.  The St. Olaf team was able to get things going better once the second period got into full swing and led 17-12 midway through the second period and enjoyed a 24-18 lead at the half.  Things still looked very good for the St. Olaf team as they were up 27-20 midway through the third period but the Minnesota's Best team then launched a key 8-0 push that suddenly had them up 28-27 by the end of the third period.  Things would stay tight throughout the fourth period but the St. Olaf team could never quite find that one push or key basket down the stretch that might have propelled them to victory.  The Bethel team was doing double-duty on this night after a tough loss in the previous time slot as they were taking on the Augsburg team over on Court 3.  The Augsburg team held a 9-4 lead midway through the first period and led 13-10 at the start of the second period.  The Bethel team finally found its groove in this second period to go on a key run that allowed them to grab a 20-15 lead with 3:50 left in the second period and two free throws by senior-to-be Taite Anderson gave the Bethel team a 23-17 lead with 1:50 left and the Bethel team still enjoyed a 23-19 lead at the halftime break.  The Bethel team held a 30-24 lead midway through the third period and that lead would stretch to as much as eleven points at 40-29 by the end of the third period.  The Bethel team's led would get cut down to six points at 40-34 early on in the fourth period as the Augsburg team made one last run and three free throws by senior-to-be Aiza Wilson who was fouled behind the arc soon had the Augsburg team back to within a single possession down 40-37.  Curiously, however, the Augsburg team could never quite find that one big shot that might have tied the game or at least given them a chance late as the Bethel team hung on for the win.

Three more nightcap games in the 7:45 P.M. slot had me doing the roaming thing as well.  Over on Court 1, the Concordia St. Paul team was taking on the UNW/Defenders team and the Concordia St. Paul team wasted little time in getting a 7-3 advantage midway through the first period and led 17-5 at the end of the first period.  The UNW/Defenders team was able to slice some of the fat off of the deficit in the second period to cut the gap to eight points at 17-9 midway through the second period and there was some hope at the halftime break for them down 21-14.  The Concordia St. Paul team managed to maintain the seven-point edge at 25-18 midway through the third period but a big run by the UNW/Defenders team had them within a single possession down 32-29 by the start of the fourth period.  But any hopes of a full comeback by the UNW/Defenders team were quickly dashed as the Concordia St. Paul team got into high gear in the early minutes of the fourth period and held a 44-33 lead with 3:00 left enroute to the win.  Court 2 saw two alumni squads going at it as the Superhoopers team was taking on the College Girls team.  The Superhoopers team definitely had things going their way early on at least as they grabbed a 10-2 lead by the end of the first period but the College Girls team quickly turned the tables and had things knotted at 10-all early in the second period and took a 21-17 lead late in the second quarter and led 23-20 at the half.  But the Superhoopers team used a key 9-2 push in the third period that had them up 29-25 late in the third period and a pretty lay-up in transition by Kiara Buford (Minnesota '12) helped the Superhoopers team get a 37-27 lead by the end of the third period.  By the midway point of the fourth period, the Superhoopers team had this one in full control up 42-29 as they coasted to the victory.  Court 3 saw an interesting battloe between the Twin City Swish team and the UW-River Falls team.  The UW-River Falls team held a 10-8 lead late in the opening period but the Twin City Swish team would come roaring back to grab a 14-12 lead by the start of the second period.  The Twin City Swish team would stretch that lead to eight points at 26-18 late in the second period and would lead 28-20 at the halftime break.  The UW-River Falls team would slice the deficit down to five points at 32-27 midway through the third period and by the start of the fourth period the UW-River Falls team was right back in the thick of things down a single possession at 35-32.  But things soon got away from the UW-River Falls team in the early minutes of the fourth period as the Twin City Swish team got a 50-38 lead midway through the fourth period and although the UW-River Falls team would make one last push down the stretch to get the deficit down to four points at 50-46, they could never get closer than that.         

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 6-5-19

Another busy night on the second night of the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League:


5:00 P.M. Games

UNW/Defenders - 68
Macalester - 64

Bethel - 46
GAC Black - 45


5:55 P.M. Games

Southwest Minnesota State - 61
Hamline - 31

NIACC - 54
Anoka-Ramsey - 45

UST Purple - 52
St. Kate's - 37


6:50 P.M. Games

Southwest Minnesota State - 45
UST Black - 37

GAC Gold - 51
Twin City Swish - 49  OT

Rusty Pipes - 53
GAC Alumni - 46


7:45 P.M. Games

Concordia St. Paul - 57
UW-River Falls - 38

Augsburg - 78
St. Olaf - 52

Minnesota's Best - 48
Millenials - 46


Had to battle another round of heavy rush-hour traffic over to the Midtown YWCA but did manage to get settled in during the halftime breaks of both games in the 5:00 P.M. slot.  A very good and tight battle was ensuing on Court 1 as the UNW/Defenders team was clinging to a one-point 32-31 lead on the Macalester team at the break.  The UNW/Defenders team managed to get on a bit of a push once the third period got underway and established a 38-33 advantage but the Macalester team battled right back and soon closed to within a single possession.  Another push by the UNW/Defenders team allowed them to grab a 47-39 lead with 2:15 left in the third period and they still enjoyed that nine-point cushion at 53-44 by the start of the fourth period.  The Macalester team, however, didn't wilt in the face of this deficit and stayed within single-digit range down 58-50 with 7:00 left in the fourth period and had the deficit down to six points at 61-55 midway through the fourth period.  The Macalester team fought and scratched their way to cutting the deficit to a single scant point at 63-62 with just 2:31 left and seemed to be in a prime position to steal this one late.  Down 67-64 in the closing seconds, the Macalester team had one last chance to set up for a game-tying three-point shot opportunity but the UNW/Defenders team never allowed them to get the look they wanted as they escaped with a hard-fought victory.  Another tight battle was ensuing over on Court 2 between the Bethel team and the GAC Black team and although the Bethel team was up by nine at 29-20 at the half and led 31-21 early on in the third period, the GAC Black team finally shook off its sluggish ways offensively and began to cut into this pad.  They closed the gap to six points at 33-27 midway through the third period and a short, pull-up jumper by junior-to-be Alison Hinck helped the GAC Black team cut the deficit to just one point at 33-32 to end the third period.  The Bethel team found a sense of urgency and got their lead back up to five points at 39-34 with 6:50 left in the third period but the GAC Black team responded with a 5-0 push that soon had this one knotted at 39-all with 4:13 left and with 3:33 left the GAC Black team finally poked its nose out in front at 40-39.  With 1:25 left, a score in the paint by senior-to-be Taite Anderson puts the Bethel team out in front at 44-42 but the GAC Black team soon had their nose out in front again by a 45-44 count.  Yet it was the Bethel team having the last laugh at the end as they earned the hard-fought win in one of the better games of this night.

Three games in the 5:55 P.M. slot had me busy again roaming from court to court to try and keep up with it all.  On Court 1, the Southwest Minnesota State team was taking on the Hamline team in an NSIC-MIAC clash and the Southwest Minnesota State team held a 5-2 lead midway through the first period and extended that lead to ten points at 18-8 by the start of the second period.  The Southwest Minnesota State team maintained the ten-point edge at 23-13 with 6:00 left in the second period and although the young Hamline team tried desperately to keep up with a bigger and more experienced squad, they soon saw themselves down by sixteen at 39-23 at the halftime break.  The Southwest Minnesota State team soon extended that lead to twenty points at 45-25 midway through the third period and led 53-27 midway through the fourth period enroute to an easy win.  An interesting battle took place on Court 2 during this time slot of two highly-regarded junior college squads with the local Anoka-Ramsey team taking on the NIACC team out of Mason City, IA.  Things stayed tight early on with the Anoka-Ramsey team holding a 4-3 lead midway through the opening period and things were knotted at 9-all by the start of the second period.  Things changed drastically, however, once the second period got underway as the NIACC team exploded with an 11-0 burst to grab a 20-9 advantage with 7:05 left and they enjoyed at 25-13 lead at the halftime break.  NIACC still enjoyed a double-digit 34-22 lead midway through the third period but a resourceful Anoka-Ramsey team managed to get on an 8-0 run themselves and had the gap closed to four points at  34-30 and were down only 36-33 by the start of the fourth period.  But the Anoka-Ramsey team's fortunes went south early on in the fourth period as they soon found themselves down by double-digits again at 46-35 early on in the fourth period and never could quite recover from that.  A friendly neighborhood rivalry was taking place over on Court 3 in this time slot between the St. Kate's team and the UST Purple team.  The UST Purple team had the edge in this one early on up 14-8 late in the first period and up 15-10 by the start of the second period.  The UST Purple team extended that lead to 21-13 early on in the second period but the St. Kate's team got on a push and closed the gap to five at 23-18 with 2:00 left in the second period and less than a minute later they closed to one point at 23-22 which is the way things stood at the halftime break.  The St. Kate's team managed to take their first lead of the contest at 24-23 early on in the third period and a "3" by senior-to-be Danica Cambrice a bit later pushed that lead to 27-23.  But the UST Purple team never reached for the panic button and quickly recovered and got the lead back at 32-30 late in the third period and led 36-30 early on in the fourth period enroute to a tough victory. 

Three more games in the 6:50 P.M. slot followed.  Court 1 featured a much-anticipated match-up between the Southwest Minnesota State team and the UST Black team in an NSIC-MIAC tilt.  The UST Black team got off to a good start in this one; holding an 8-4 lead by the end of the first period and they were able to expand on that lead at 20-11 midway through the second period.  The Southwest Minnesota State team was able to cut into that deficit once the third period got underway as they pulled to five points down 24-19 early on in the third period and then went on a key run to gain the lead at 28-27 with 3:00 left in the third period and got the lead to five at 34-29 by the start of the fourth period.  The UST Black team managed to stay within striking distance but never could find that one push that might have allowed them to take the lead again.  Another MIAC team was in action over on Court 2 in this time slot as the GAC Gold team was taking on the Twin City Swish squad and this proved to be the thriller of the evening.  The GAC Gold team held a 7-4 lead midway through the opening period and then proceeded to go on a 10-0 run to take a surprising 17-4 lead by the end of the first period.  The GAC Gold team kept this double-digit cushion up 24-10 midway through the second period and enjoyed a 29-17 lead at the halftime break.  The Twin City Swish team was gradually able to trim the deficit to single digits in the third period but the GAC Gold team still held a 34-26 lead going into the fourth period.  It was here that the Twin City Swish team was finally able to turn things around with a big run late in regulation and they gained a 47-45 lead late but the GAC Gold team still manage to force overtime with the game tied at 47.  In the extra two minute session, both teams traded baskets but the clincher for the GAC Gold team came at the end when they were able to take advantage of a defensive lapse by the Twin City Swish team and junior-to-be Gabby Bowlin connected on a lay-up in transition for an exciting finish.  Another fun game was taking place over on Court 3 with the Rusty Pipes team taking on the GAC Alumni team.  The GAC Alumni team got off to a great start in this one; grabbing a 13-3 lead by the start of the second period but the Rusty Pipes team was able to shake off the early cobwebs and get on a roll in the second period and the eventually had the contest tied at 19-all with 3:10 left in the second period and finished the last few minutes of this second period with an 8-3 push that had them up 27-22 at the halftime break.  The GAC Alumni team tried desperately to regain the momentum it had early on the contest and a score by former Gustie Taylor Anderson had the GAC Alumni team within a single possession down 31-28 midway through the third period.  But the Rusty Pipes team would never let their foot off the gas pedal on this night and they held a 39-35 lead early on in the fourth period enroute to a tough win.

Three games in the 7:45 P.M. slot kept me hopping as well from court to court.  Over on Court 1, the Concordia St. Paul team was taking on the UW-River Falls team in something of an NSIC-WIAC clash but the Concordia St. Paul team wasted little time in taking control of this game as they forged a 10-3 lead early on in the opening period and by the start of the second period, that lead bulged to 24-6.  The Concordia St. Paul team still led 29-16 late in the second period but, to their credit, the UW-River Falls team made a late push just before the halftime break that had them back in single-digit range down 31-23 by the halftime break.  But the Concordia St. Paul team was not going to be upstaged on this night as they had the lead back up to double-digits at 43-32 late in the third period and led 45-36 at the beginning of the fourth period as they would pull away from their to gain the win.  Not much drama over on Court 2 in an all-MIAC affair with the Augsburg team taking on the St. Olaf team.  Senior-to-be Tamira McLemore's "3" helped the Augsburg team take a 9-5 lead early on in the first period and that lead would grow to ten points at 18-8 by the start of the second period.  Things quickly went south for the St. Olaf team as they found themselves down 31-12 late in the second period and the Augsburg team increased that lead to 36-12 by the halftime break.  The Augsburg team was up 43-18 early on in the third period and although the St. Olaf team was able to get a few things going offensively, the hill would prove to be too high to climb on this night as the Augsburg team rolled to an easy win.  The best game in this time slot was easily the contest over on Court 3 which saw the Minnesota's Best team taking on the Millennials team.  The Millennials team couldn't have asked for a better start in this contest; taking a commanding 14-2 lead late in the first period but the Minnesota's Best team found their stride before the end of the opening period to cut the deficit down to six points at 14-8.  The Millennials would at least maintain this six-point edge up 20-14 late in the second period but the Minnesota's Best team would manage to cut the deficit to four by the halftime break down 22-18.  The Millennials Team still manage to hang on to this four-point edge up 31-27 midway through the third period and still had the lead at 36-33 by the start of the fourth period.  But the Minnesota's Best team gradually started taking over things in the fourth period and held a 43-41 lead with 2:30 left but the Millennials still had some life left late in the contest as a "3" by Tiffany Stubbs (Northwestern '17) had them within a single-possession down 48-46 but they could never find another magic trick after that.

There will be games on both Tuesday and Wednesday night this next week at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League so make sure you come down to catch all the fun action!         

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Tuesday 6-4-19

The opening night of the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League was a good one and here's the results of the games on this Tuesday evening:


5:00 P.M. Games

UST Black - 59
Hamline - 35

St. Kate's - 46
Anoka-Ramsey - 31


5:55 P.M. Games

UNW/Defenders - 48
GAC Black - 43

UST Purple - 68
UW-River Falls - 44

Bethel - 77
Anoka-Ramsey - 35


6:50 P.M. Games

GAC Gold - 44
NIACC - 36

Bethel - 66
Macalester - 41


7:45 P.M. Games

Concordia St. Paul - 76
Augsburg - 46

Rusty Pipes - 50
Minnesota's Best - 34

Twin City Swish - 54
Millenials - 32


After battling some heavy traffic on I-94 and Highway 55 during the rush hour just to get over to the Midtown YWCA, I got settled in during the halftime breaks of both the 5:00 P.M. games.  Over on Court 1, the UST Black team had a rather sizable 29-13 lead on the Hamline team at the halftime break and they had no intentions of letting their foot off the gas pedal anytime soon once the third period got underway.  They maintained the sixteen-point edge at 33-17 with 6:00 left in the third period and would soon have the lead at twenty at 37-17.  A score in the paint by junior-to-be Madi Radtke helped the UST Black team up their lead to 44-19 late in the third period and a short jumper by fellow junior-to-be Kaia Porter gave the UST Black team a commanding 46-22 lead by the beginning of the fourth period as they cruised to an easy win.  Meanwhile, over on Court 2, the St. Kate's team held a 26-18 lead at the halftime break on the Anoka-Ramsey team and they maintained that eight-point edge midway through the third period at 33-25.  That lead expanded to ten points at 37-27 by the end of the third period.  A finish in transition by senior-to-be Jackie Radford helped the St. Kate's team maintain the ten-point edge at 41-31 midway through the fourth period as the St. Kate's team had full control down the stretch.

Things really picked up in the 5:55 P.M. slot with three games going on that kept me moving back and forth between games.  Over on Court 1, the GAC Black team was taking on the UNW/Defenders team; a squad made up of players from both Northwestern and Dordt.  The UNW/Defenders team got off to a solid start; building an 8-0 lead early on and held a 19-8 lead by the end of the first period.  Things didn't change too much by the midway point of the second period with the UNW/Defenders team up 24-15 and still held that nine-point edge by the halftime break at 28-19.  The UNW/Defenders team still had an eight-point cushion at 34-26 by the end of the third period before the GAC Black team finally found some solid footing in the fourth period to close the gap some but couldn't complete the deal.  It was something of a ho-hum affair over on Court 2 as the UST Purple team was taking on the UW-River Falls team.  The UST Purple team wasted little time grabbing a sizable lead and they enjoyed a 20-8 advantage by the end of the first period.  The UST Purple team's lead expanded to seventeen points midway through the second period at 32-15 and they held a comfortable 39-21 lead by the halftime break.  Things only got worse for the UW-River Falls team from there as they soon found themselves down 43-23 with 6:00 left in the third period and the UST Purple team's lead ballooned to 59-30 by the start of the fourth period enroute to the blowout win.  Over on Court 3, the Anoka-Ramsey team was doing double-duty on this night as they faced off against the Bethel team.  Unfortunately for the young Anoka-Ramsey team, they ran into a buzzsaw as the experienced and defensive-minded Bethel team quickly took control of things; getting an 11-5 lead midway through the first period and that lead grew to ten at 17-7 by the end of the first period.  To their credit, the Anoka-Ramsey team managed to tighten things up a bit in the second period as they managed to whittle the deficit down to six points by the halftime break at 28-22.  But any hopes of a full comeback by the Anoka-Ramsey team quickly faded as the third period got underway as the Bethel team opened up some more distance up 34-22 early in the period and down the stretch of the third period the Bethel team got on a roll and held a sizable 54-24 lead by the start of the fourth period as they rolled to an easy win as well. 

Things were a bit calmer in the 6:50 slot with two games going on.  On Court 1, the GAC Gold team faced off against the NIACC team and the visitors from Mason City, IA held an 11-8 lead late in the first period but the GAC Gold team made a late first period push to close the gap to one point at 14-13 by the start of the second period.  Things would stay tight throughout this second period and the GAC Gold team took their first lead of the evening at 26-24 late in the second period before the NIACC team was able to forge a 26-26 halftime stalemate.  The NIACC team got the advantage again at 29-26 late in the third period but yet another late period GAC Gold push allowed them to snare the lead back at 30-29 by the start of the fourth period.  The NIACC team was able to retake the lead briefly in the early moments of the fourth period and both teams would trade one-point leads over the next few minutes.  With the NIACC team clinging to a precarious 34-33 lead with just over five minutes left, the GAC Gold team suddenly took control with a 7-0 push that gave them a 40-34 lead with 2:00 left as they got a hard-earned win on this night.  No such drama over on Court 2 as the Bethel team was doing double-duty on this night as well but that didn't seem to slow them down or fatigue them in the slightest as they took on a conference rival in the Macalester team.  The Bethel team built up a 15-4 lead late in the first period and that lead grew to 30-9 midway through the second period although the Macalester team was able to trim some of the fat off of the deficit down 34-17 at the half.  But any questions about the outcome of this one were quickly put to rest once the third period got underway as the Bethel team built its lead to 50-24 late in the third period and was up 54-28 by the start of the fourth period as they had things in cruise control the rest of the way. 

The 7:45 P.M. slot on this night saw three games taking place again which again had me hopping from court to court to try and keep up with things while trying to talk with people at the same time.  Over on Court 1 was an NSIC-MIAC clash that saw the Concordia St. Paul team taking on the Augsburg team.  Things were tight early on but the Concordia St. Paul team gradually started taking control of things and they held a 14-8 lead by the start of the second period.  A lay-up by junior-to-be Danielle Schaub allowed the Concordia St. Paul team to get a 27-13 lead with 2:50 left in the second period and they still enjoyed a fourteen-point cushion at 32-18 by the halftime break.  The Concordia St. Paul team enjoyed a 35-20 lead early in the third period and led 45-29 midway through the third period.  By the early part of the fourth period, the Concordia St. Paul team was up 59-34 so there was little doubt as to how this one was going to turn out.  Court 2 featured a game between two different alumni/mixed teams - the Minnesota's Best team going up against the Rusty Pipes team.  While I didn't know any players on the former team, I was pretty well acquainted with the Rusty Pipes team as they featured a nice mix of mainly former Hamline and St. Kate's players.  This game was tied at 4-all early on and the Rusty Pipes team held a 10-9 lead midway through the first period and grew that lead to 18-11 late in the opening period but the Minnesota's Best team ended this first period with a 5-0 push to close the gap to two points at 18-16 by the start of the second period.  The Rusty Pipes team got on a 8-0 push to get a 26-16 lead with 7:00 left in the second period and they held a 31-19 lead by the halftime break.  The Rusty Pipes team still had a ten-point cushion at 34-24 midway through the third period and still maintained that ten-point lead at 36-26 by the start of the fourth period as they got the "W" on this night.  Finally, over on Court 3 was yet another match-up of alumni/mixed team - the Millennials team vs the Twin City Swish team.  Again, I didn't know any of the players on the Twin City Swish team but was quite familiar with the Millennials team that featured primarily former Northwestern players.  It would be the Twin City Swish team having its way on this night as they built a 10-2 lead late in the first period and although the Millennials team was able to close the gap to a single possession at 12-9 by the start of the second period, staying close throughout the contest would prove to be a bridge too far on this night.  Still, the Millennials team stayed within striking distance for the duration of the second period and was down only 20-16 by the halftime break.  But the roof started caving in once the third period got underway as the Twin City Swish team held a 30-20 lead midway through the third period and that lead would grow to 37-24 by the start of the fourth period as they would get the convincing win on this night. 

The Women's College Summer League Is Back!

On a much more positive note for a change, the Midtown YWCA Women's College League gets going this coming week beginning on Tuesday evening (6-4) with action on both Tuesday and Wednesday nights the first two weeks.  As usual, I'll be there covering as much action as I can and I'm looking forward to it (as I'm sure many of you are as well).  So make it a point to head on down to the Midtown YWCA to catch the action!