MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 2-16-20

Another wild, weird week of action and I hope I have enough sanity left in me to try and make some sense out of it all.


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


I don't think there's much argument about the top three spots; actually four spots.  First, Bethel rebounded nicely after the shocking loss to SMU down in Winona the previous weekend as they took UST to the woodshed last Wednesday night and then got a a big win against GAC yesterday - both on the road - that solidifies their position in the number one spot.  Augsburg held serve at home against Hamline last Wednesday night then went over to St. Paul and dropped a C-note on Macalester yesterday so the big showdown between these two teams at Robertson Center shapes up this coming Wednesday night.  As the saying goes - be there or be square.

UST most definitely did take their lumps on Wednesday night but recovered enough to apply similar treatment to CSB up in St. Joe yesterday.  This coming week to close out the regular season looks manageable - at least on paper anyway - with home games against both St. Olaf and SMU.  Assuming the Tommies can get through both of those games unscathed, then they can sharpen their knives and prepare for revenge with the upcoming MIAC Playoffs.  GAC on the other hand avoided complete disaster as they were able to sneak out of Butler Center on Wednesday night with a 67-65 win against St. Kate's but the home game with Bethel proved to be a bridge too far as the Gusties dropped that one 82-69.  Ordinarily, I would say that GAC could PROBABLY look forward to at least a split this coming week but the problem is that they go over to Winona to face an incredibly dangerous SMU team that is suddenly playing very well at home before closing out the regular season at Augsburg next Saturday and it's not out of the realm of possibility that the Gusties could enter the MIAC Playoffs mired in a late-season tailspin.

After what happened yesterday, I'd probably need a couple of shots of Jack Daniels to try and make ANY sense of it all - and probably a few cold Coors Lights on top of that.  I had left Concordia for dead the previous weekend and I think many others would have been willing to apply the proverbial daisy on top of the would-be grave.  But this Cobber team had vastly, vastly different ideas and I now have to eat crow because of it.  First, they had to go an extra five minutes to stave off defeat against St. Olaf but that was a tip-toe through the tulips compared to what took place at cavernous Memorial Auditorium yesterday as Concordia and St. Kate's went an entire 40 minutes and FOUR overtimes before the Cobbers finally prevailed in perhaps one of the most epic games in MIAC Women's Basketball history.  And I feel guilty about not having seen this Cobber team play this season but I obviously discounted them and made a ghastly mistake in doing so.  Now, looking forward for this young group up in Moorhead:  They host Macalester on Wednesday night before that long trip down to the Cities this coming Saturday to face Hamline.  It's an entirely doable proposition for them but they have to guard against having a letdown after what took place yesterday as well or everything they've worked so hard for could go up in flames for them. 

Well, it looks like I've effectively jinxed a third team in as many weeks.  After singing the praises of St. Kate's with their impressive win at Hamline a weekend ago, the Wildcats had perhaps the most heart-breaking week of any team in the conference - maybe even the whole nation.  They saw a late comeback attempt against GAC at home in Butler Center fall just short but that was nothing to what they endured yesterday in that epic four-overtime loss to Concordia.  God, what a miserable, miserable long bus ride that HAD to have been back down U.S Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline last night.  This team deserves a steak dinner after that game alone.  But back to reality.  The Wildcats not only need to win out, but they now need help as well.  Given the fact that they host both CSB and Carleton this coming week, they should be able to take care of their own end.  Hamline meanwhile; while seemingly locked-in for the fifth playoff spot, sure is taking a major tumble at perhaps the worst possible time as they dropped roadies to both Augsburg and SMU.  They do return back to venerable Hutton Arena this coming week but the task won't be easy as Carleton comes to town on Wednesday night before facing that rising Concordia team on Saturday.