Looking Ahead To Friday Evenings 1st Round Match-Ups For Both GAC And Concordia

 Here we are; on the eve of yet another NCAA Tournament and for the first time in six years, the MIAC has two teams putting on their dancing shoes for the big show - GAC with the AQ and Concordia with the at-large.  It's an exciting time for both teams as both seek to extend their seasons and hopefully do some damage in the process.  So let's take a look at both of these games for Friday evening:

1.  GAC vs Trine - The Trine Thunder hail from the MIAA out of Angola, IN; about halfway between South Bend, IN and Toledo, OH on US Highway 20 and the former New York Central Chicago - New York mainline.  The Thunder shocked everyone by upending top-seeded and heavily favored Hope in the MIAA Championship Game to earn the conference's AQ into the Dance.  Trine fashioned a 21-7 overall record and 12-4 in a very tough conference and they are no slouch.  The Thunder rely heavily on senior point guard Sidney Wagner (Jr. guard) for scoring production (15.4 ppg) and she was solid in that MIAA Championship Game win over Hope this last Saturday night.  Fellow junior guard Sierra Hinds pitches in with 9.4 ppg.  Save for freshman post Abby Sanner (6'2"), this isn't what you what call a "big" team by any stretch.  You take a peek at the MIAA stats and you'll see Trine trending toward the bottom half in rebounds at 36.6 rebounds (total) per game.  To me anyway, this looks like a favorable matchup for GAC as they not only have the size but also the athleticism to give them a good chance to prevail.  However, let's also remember that when you play on a neutral floor with a target on your back in a one-and-done situation, that does change up the dynamics.  Yet, given the Gusties' experience in these situations, I like their chances getting through the first round without too much fuss or trouble.

2.  Concordia vs Illinois Wesleyan - The Titans; out of the CCIW and located down in Bloomington, IL; come into this NCAA Tournament in much the same fashion as the Cobbers - with a 22-5 overall record and 14-2 conference record and an at-large bid after falling to Carroll in the CCIW Championship Game this last weekend.  One of the first things I noticed right off the bat when taking a closer look at this Illinois Wesleyan team is that they've definitely got some scorers on that team.  They're led by junior guard Lauren Huber (16.0 ppg) but she gets a lot of help.  Sophomore guard Ava Bardic (13.9 ppg), junior guard Mallory Powers (12.7 ppg) junior guard Kate Palmer (11.3 ppg) and senior forward Caite Knutson (10.5 ppg) all chip in as you can see.  So, unlike the Gusties, the Cobbers won't be able to put their focus on just one person.  They're going to have to play team defense in this contest and get it done on that end of the floor.  You look at the conference stats and you'll see the Titans right up there in total team offense and they're fourth in total team defense which certainly isn't bad.  However, in combined team rebounds, Illinois Wesleyan is in seventh place of nine teams averaging 38.3 rebounds per game.  Another surprising stat for the Titans - they're also seventh in the CCIW when it comes to free throw percentage at 0.677 and this could be an area that plays into the hands of the Cobbers as we know that free throw shooting is one of the hallmark strengths of that team.  This looks to be one of the more intriguing first round matchups of the entire NCAA Tournament and quite possibly the most evenly-matched.  The lack of NCAA Tournament experience works against Concordia, of course, but the Cobbers have the tools to prevail if they play up to their capability.  IMHO, Head Coach Kim Wagers and her staff have nothing to lose here and they and the team have to adopt the mindset of throwing caution to the wind and leaving it all out there on the floor.  They've come this far so this is where you've gotta do it.  

So that's how I see things in a nutshell for both GAC and Concordia tomorrow evening.  The Gusties will tip-off against Trine at approximately 5:00 P.M. (Central time) while the Cobbers will tip-off against Illinois Wesleyan at approximately 5:15 P.M. (Central time) and you know I'll be tuning into both games.  With that said - GO GUSTIES AND ROLL COBBS!!!!!!! 

Selection Monday Celebration! Raise Your Glasses To GAC & Concordia!

 It sure seems like it's been a long time since the MIAC was able to get two teams into the Big Dance but this afternoon - after six long years - it finally happened as both GAC with the conference AQ and Concordia with the at-large bid will now put on their dancing shoes and head into the Big Dance on Friday evening.  I have to confess I was sweating it out a big coming down the stretch; particularly when the Wartburg pod was announced but was relieved and incredibly happy for Head Coach Kim Wagers, her staff and her team for being able to enjoy the moment and celebrate in it after getting unceremoniously hosed last season.  And, as you can imagine, it was indeed quite the celebration and fun to watch!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYs1CcvTJ0E

So GAC, with the AQ, heads off to the UW-Oshkosh (b'gosh) pod to face off against surprise MIAA Championship Game winner Trine which upset Hope on Saturday evening.  I look at this draw that the Gusties have and their side of the entire bracket as well and I have to tell you, if the Gusties play like they did Saturday against Concordia, there's NO one on that side of their draw that will be able to beat them.  I'm that confident in the Gusties' ability to make a deep run here.  And maybe it's saying a lot but with the experience they have and the fact that they can say, "Been there, done that", this may be their best chance to make it to the REALLY Promised Land; aka the Final Four.  They are that good.  True, GAC will wear a bigger target on their back this time around but that's one of the costs that are associated with being a top-tier team that they are.  I think it would be so incredibly cool if Head Coach Laurie Kelly and her staff and her team get to to what they've set out to do when practice got underway back on October 15.

Meanwhile, I had figured that the Cobbers - if they got in - would get shipped down to the Wartburg pod back in my home state of Iowa in Waverly (just 60 miles west of my hometown of Edgewood) and that's one of the few times I've ever got this thing right in all the years I've watched the Selection Show unfold.  😅 .  The Cobbers will face Illinois Wesleyan out of the CCIW and the Titans have a similar 22-5 record to Concordia's 20-5 mark.  Like Concordia, Illinois Wesleyan lost in their conference championship game to Carroll so, on paper anyway, this appears to be an evenly-matched game.  It'll be important for the Cobbers to shake off Saturday's dismal showing down in St. Peter and rekindle that confidence they had coming down the home stretch of the regular season that had them playing their best basketball of the season that included a win over GAC in Moorhead back on 2-7.  Like the Gusties' opponent (Trine), I don't know a lot about Illinois Wesleyan either save for tidbits that I've seen on both Facebook and Twitter but I'll definitely be taking closer looks at both of these teams and you can be danged sure that both Laurie Kelly and her staff at GAC and Kim Wagers and her staff at Concordia are well into the process of dissecting game film of their upcoming opponents.  

And, if you're wondering about the last Regional Rankings that came out, there were no changes from a week ago.  So what you saw last week is what you got today.  Now, the big surprise for me was Loras out of the ARC getting hosed by the Committee.  We knew that by virtue of Trine's win over Hope on Saturday night, one of those at-large bids got gobbled up by the Flying Dutch.  But I'm still puzzled as to how both Ohio Wesleyan (NCAC) and Willamette (NWC) got in over the Duhawks.  I could almost live with the Battling Bishops getting in but how in God's name the Bearcats; who got popped by eventual NWC Championship Game-winner Puget Sound by twenty - on their home floor in a conference quarterfinal game no less - got in over Loras.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to stay up late enough last night to watch the preview show on D3Hoops.com (I have to get up EARLY in the AM for work unfortunately) to get in on the explanation but you can bet there's a lot of disappointed people in Dubuque this evening and I can't say as I blame them.

For now though, let's celebrate this moment for both GAC and Concordia and MIAC Women's Basketball.  Raise your glasses in a toast!  Go Gusties and Roll Cobbs!!!!  I'll have more on these upcoming games for them before Friday's contests so stay tuned!    

Looking Ahead To Selection Monday 2-25-24

 So now with the MIAC Championship Game in the books as well as other conference tournaments in our area (Region 9), it's now time to start peering into the bigger picture and scheme of things with Selection Monday coming up tomorrow (Monday 2-26) afternoon at 1:30 P.M.  So let's take a glance at things:

MIAC - The Gusties get the dominant win yesterday over Concordia to get the automatic bid to the Dance.  The best guess here is that GAC will have to take its show on the road when the pairings get announced Monday afternoon and if I were a betting man, I'd be surprised if they didn't get shipped off to a WIAC venue (again) as they did last year.  Of course, the big question now swirls around Concordia's hopes of getting in.  Given that Wartburg held off Loras yesterday in the ARC Championship Game down in Waverly, IA and given that the Duhawks were behind the Cobbers in the last release of the Regional Rankings, I have to believe that there's at least a path there for Concordia.  I can't guarantee that obviously but I THINK there's reason for hope here.  And should the Cobbers get in, I would venture that they'd get shipped down to Waverly where Wartburg seems to be in a good spot to host a pod there.

WIAC - This will be a three-bid league again by virtue of UW-Stout coming into the WIAC Playoffs as the third seed where the Blue Devils proceeded to run roughshod over UW-River Falls, UW-Whitewater and then UW-Oshkosh in the WIAC Championship Game on Friday evening.  You can bet that both the Warhawks and the Titans will receive bids as well and it wouldn't surprise me one bit if they both get to host.  It will be interesting to see where UW-Stout gets placed tomorrow afternoon.  They could get placed at the Wartburg pod but given the fact that UW-Oshkosh got sent out to Ada, OH last year at the Ohio Northern pod, it wouldn't surprise me if the Blue Devils have a Michigan/Indiana/Ohio landing point come Monday afternoon.  

ARC - As mentioned earlier, the Knights get the conference's automatic bid by virtue of their win over Loras yesterday and I think one would have to surmise that Wartburg will ultimately wind up hosting a first/second-round pod.  The tricky part here obviously is Loras as the Duhawks were in the seventh spot in the last round of the Region 9 rankings.  Loras does have a win over Elizabethtown (Region 5) right before the Christmas holiday but were swept by Wartburg during the regular season.  Not that I would necessarily have a problem with the Duhawks getting in BUT I would have an issue with them getting in ahead of Concordia - especially when you consider that Loras was the beneficiary of an extremely controversial call with :00 left in regulation in their conference semifinal game versus Coe on Thursday night (and if I'm Coe Head Coach Kayla Waskow, I'd still be fuming over how this one ended and I hope she marched right over to ARC headquarters right there in downtown Cedar Rapids to vent her frustrations) that kept their season alive.  So it's an extremely dicey situation when it comes to Loras.

UMAC - UM-Morris shocked everyone by going up to the shores of Gitche Gumee yesterday and knocking off heavily-favored host UW-Superior to snare the conference's automatic bid and ending a great season for the Yellowjackets.  Where the Cougars wind up getting placed tomorrow afternoon is anyone's guess but I'll bet that they'll be headed to Waverly.  

MWC - Ripon defeated Knox yesterday to claim the conference's automatic bid to the Dance and they'll be a one-bid league.

The only other intangibles I can think of off the top of my head at the moment were over in the MIAA where we saw Trine pull off a huge upset of host and heavily-favored Hope last night in the MIAA Championship Game so obviously the Thunder burst somebody's bubble with that win.  The NWC is another puzzle entirely as regular season champ Willamette meekly bowed out to eventual NWC Championship Game-champ Puget Sound as the Loggers get that conference's automatic bid and whether the NWC gets another team in is anyone's guess at the moment.  

So make sure you get tuned into the NCAA Selection Show tomorrow afternoon at 1:30 P.M. which will be available on D3Hoops.com and we'll see how everything unfolds.  

MIAC Championship Game - Concordia vs GAC 2-24-24

 Made a good trip on this sunny Saturday down US Highway 169 and the Union Pacific's Mankato Sub mainline down to St. Peter and Lund Arena on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College for the MIAC Championship Game featuring two teams that know each other very well - visiting and second-seeded Concordia and host and number-one seed GAC.  The Cobbers fended off a scrappy St. Kate's team on Thursday night up in Moorhead to advance and the Gusties summarily dispatched CSB at this venue on Thursday night as well to set up a rematch of last year's clash that many anticipated.  I arrived early enough which allowed me to get a good lunch at the world-famous Gustavus cafeteria before meandering back over to nearby Lund Arena to get settled into the press box area.  

One thing that Concordia obviously was hoping to do on this day was to get off to a good start to provide some solid footing in an otherwise hostile environment.  But the Gusties had vastly different ideas and an early 12-3 blitz set the tone for this contest.  Senior guard Emma (not evil) Kniefel would start things off by burying a laser-like "3" from the right top area at the 9:32 mark of this opening period and a lay-up by junior point guard Kylie Baranick at the 8:59 mark had GAC up 5-0.  The Cobbers appeared to finally assert themselves a bit later at the 8:37 mark when junior guard Carlee Sieben drained a "3" from the left top area but Concordia would soon find themselves in an early hole.  Senior forward Izzy (Izzy Izzy, you're making me dizzy) Quick would make a great athletic move to snare an offensive rebound for a putback at the 8:15 mark and then Kniefel would find her touch again from behind the arc with a bomb from the left top area at the 6:14 mark to make it a 10-3 ballgame and then senior guard Syd Hauger would use a burst of speed to connect with a lay-up at the 5:51 mark that grew the lead to 12-3 and Concordia Head Coach Kim Wagers knew that she had to take a match to a timeout to get her squad calmed down and refocused.  The Cobbers would get a bit of a lift when strong junior forward Makyala Anderson muscled into the paint for a score at the 5:29 mark but GAC would soon get their lead to double digits as reserve junior forward Morgan Kelly would connect with a lay-up at the 5:07 mark and then Kniefel would unleash more terror from behind the arc with her third bomb of this first period - this one coming from the top of the key with 3:26 left to make it a 17-6 game.  Concordia was able to momentarily get back into single digit-range again as Anderson would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 2:46 left and two more by freshman reserve forward Genevieve Gruba with 2:23 left after she was fouled trimmed the deficit down to nine at 19-10 but the Gusties would soon show that this opening period was no fluke as Hauger would again use a burst of speed to waltz in for an easy lay-up with :25 left that had GAC up 21-10.  

The Cobbers hoped to get out to a much better start and get back to within striking distance again once the second period got underway and one free throw by senior guard Emily Beseman after she was fouled at the 8:10 mark at least got the deficit down to ten at 21-11 but then GAC would unleash another quick burst.  Freshman reserve guard Emily Bowron would bang home a "3" from the right wing area at the 7:55 mark and then Quick would connect with a short jumper off the glass at the 7:27 mark to grow the lead to 26-11 and Concordia's Wagers would again be clamoring for a timeout as she saw this one quickly slipping away.  The Cobbers would get a bit of a reprieve when Anderson connected with a lay-up at the 6:42 mark but then the Gusties unleashed another quick burst thanks to Morgan Kelly.  The hometown St. Peter product would connect with a lay-up at the 5:43 mark and then would unleash a three-point bomb from the left corner as the shot clock expired with 4:01 left that grew GAC's lead to 31-13.  Concordia; already looking out of sorts, had to battle back quickly as Beseman finally got a jumper from near the free throw line to go down with 3:42 left and freshman reserve guard Alexa Snesrud would connect with a lay-up with 3:17 left but these scores seemed like trying to patch a sinking boat as the Gusties would finish up this second period on a 6-2 run.  Strong junior forward Rachel Kawiecki would come through with back-to-back scores as she would first knock down a jumper from the right wing area off of an inbounds pass with 2:41 left and would follow that up a bit later with a hard drive into the lane for a finish with 1:38 left.  Then Hauger would finish off this second period with a lay-up with :38.6 left to get the lead to twenty at 39-19 and as both teams headed off to their respective locker rooms, Concordia looked dazed, disheveled and beat up and down twenty, they looked like they were past the point of no return.  

An 8-0 run by GAC out of the gate in the third period put the Cobbers further into the abyss.  Kawiecki would start things off with back-to-back scores as she would connect on a lay-up at the 9:20 mark and would follow that up with a jumper from near the free throw line area at the 8:36 mark that expanded the Gustie lead to 43-19.  Then Baranick would get a three-point play the old-fashioned way with a tough lay-up that drew a foul along with the ensuing "and one" by the former Maple Grove standout at the 7:53 mark.  Then Morgan Kelly would knock down a jumper at the 6:55 mark that bloated the GAC lead to 48-19.  The Cobbers finally found some semblance of offense as Anderson would muscle into the paint for one score at the 6:21 mark and Gruba would connect with a lay-up at the 5:29 mark but without a substantial run, Concordia was only making small dents in this cushion and the Gusties showed no signs of slowing down anytime soon either.  Kniefel would connect with a lay-up in transition with 4:48 left and then Bowron; the former Rochester Lourdes standout, buried her second trey of this afternoon with a bomb from the right top area with 3:41 left that now had GAC up thirty at 53-23.  The Cobbers did respond with a couple of three-point bombs of their own - one by sophomore reserve guard Molly Musland from the right corner with 3:19 left and another by diminutive senior reserve guard Maddie Guler from the left corner with 2:36 left added some points on the Concordia side but at this juncture, not nearly enough to get them back into the thick of things.  To her credit, Guler would bang home her second trey of this period with a bomb from the left wing area with :40.3 left but the Gusties would punctuate this third period as Baranick would race from coast-to-coast for a lay-up with just :00.5 left on the clock as GAC carried an insurmountable 58-32 lead into the fourth period.

And, lest there be any doubt, the Gusties would put the finishing touches on this rout once the fourth period got underway.  Kniefel would get back-to-back scores - a hard drive with a short, turnaround jumper at the 8:30 mark and a jumper from the free throw line area at the 8:03 mark - that would re-establish the thirty-point lead at 62-32.  Kawiecki would connect with a short shot off the glass with 4:56 left that made it a 64-34 ballgame.  Meanwhile, Concordia's shooting woes would continue and would not abate until Anderson was sent to the charity stripe with 2:45 left as the Bismarck, ND native would get two freebies to go down.  With a large lead at hand, GAC Head Coach Laurie Kelly yanked her main chain gang off the floor and got several of her reserves in for mop-up duty.  The Cobbers meanwhile would get one score down the stretch as Guler sneaked into the paint for a finish with 1:51 left and then Gustie freshman reserve forward Whitley Ronn would knock down a jumper from the right wing area with 1;22 left.  With :21.7 left, Concordia's Anderson; doing what she's done best all season, snared an offensive rebound for a putback but this issue had long since been determined and GAC would claim its third MIAC Championship Game title in as many years with a convincing 66-38 drubbing of a very good Concordia Cobber team.  

After the postgame ceremonies had concluded with the Gusties cutting down the nets and accepting the trophy from MIAC Associate Commissioner B. J. Pickard who was in the press box with me during the game, I was first able to catch up with GAC Assistant Coach Dan Wolfe who exclaimed, "That's us!  That's us!"  Indeed it was as it was just an absolute dominant display by the Gusties on this day with their defense as they simply smothered Concordia and had them out of their comfort zone from the get-go.  I was able to spend a bit of time with a jubilant Laurie Kelly of GAC who offered her thoughts on this latest conquest and what lies ahead.  I mentioned to her that the Gusties defense in this contest could best be described as suffocating.  "We've been playing really good basketball coming into the tournament (MIAC Playoffs).....We're just in a good place....They've been on the floor a lot together over the last few years and they really know each other.  The success of our team has always been the balance and distribution and that we play team basketball and it was really on display today.....In front of our home crowd and now to win three in a row and no other Gustie team has ever done this......We're going to enjoy this moment and you don't want to take it for granted; what we've earned and how hard they worked to get here.....This is the start of what our goals and aspirations are."  I asked Kelly as well about what now lies ahead between now and Monday afternoon when the NCAA Tournament pairings are announced and how it seems that this team is now poised to do some serious damage in the Dance.  "We have so much responsibility representing our amazing conference in the MIAC and we're going forward to represent what our league is about and we feel a responsibility with that......We're going to sit there on Monday afternoon with the feeling that you know your name is coming up; there's a feeling of relief in that......We can't control the the things we can't control so we're gonna take the hand we're dealt as we've done all year long and we're going to hopefully have a couple of good games back-to-back coming up."

As you can imagine, it was a much more somber atmosphere on the Concordia side afterward as they saw their MIAC Championship Game title hopes - and possibly an NCAA Tournament berth - go up in flames - again - in this same venue.  I mentioned to Concordia's Wagers afterward that it seemed like they ran into the perfect storm on this day and no matter what they did, things seemed to go from bad to worse.  "Yeah.....They're just extremely physical and they guard really well so credit to them.....We're normally averaging 74 points a game but they did a great job defensively....We missed a ton of lay-ups and felt like we got 'sped up' again (as they did up to a certain point against St. Kate's on Thursday night back up in Moorhead) where we're not executing and we're rushing stuff and not shooting a great percentage so they (GAC) did a really good job and some of that we didn't get any stops.....We didn't get any transition buckets and that's our 'MO' so certainly a frustrating day today......But our kids played hard and being back in the conference championship is always exciting and it was good to be back and I think we learned a lot about ourselves and hopefully.....Maybe we're not done."  I mentioned to Wagers that I'm keeping my fingers crossed for their NCAA Tournament hopes as well to which Wagers responded, "I hope I get one more week with them."

I suppose it's not the best analogy in the world but watching this game on this day made me feel like I was watching the MIAC Women's Basketball version of the 1975 NFC Championship Game that my Los Angeles Rams participated in and got absolutely obliterated by the Dallas Cowboys by a score of 37-7 - at the LA Coliseum no less (and to this day I STILL cannot get that damn game off of my "hard drive").  It was just total domination by the Gusties from start to finish and given the fact that the Cobbers held a double-digit lead at the half in this same venue back in early January before losing and then got revenge on GAC earlier this month at home in Moorhead, and given how they had looked coming down the stretch of the regular season, I really felt that they had an opportunity today.  But GAC shut the door on them early and proceeded with the beat down.  What the Gusties did defensively on this day made even the simple things extremely hard for Concordia.  You look at the box score on this game and you see this reflected as the Cobbers shot a paltry 12-53 from FG range for 22.6% and things weren't any better from downtown either as - except for a few brief flashes - the Cobbers wound up going 4-18 for 22.2%.  Contrast that with GAC going 28-53 for 52.8% from FG range and 6-16 from behind the arc for 37.5% and that gives you a pretty good idea of what it was like on this day.  Then throw in GAC's whopping advantage in points in the paint by a 36-14 count along with a 17-4 advantage in points off of turnovers and it hammers home the earlier point even more.  The only red flag that had to have caught the attention of Laurie Kelly and her staff afterward was that the Gusties were 4-10 from the charity stripe on this day and that is a figure that MUST be better as they delve into NCAA Tournament play this next Friday evening.  

And, to expand on Laurie Kelly's point about balance and distribution of her team, it was again on display on this day as we saw Kniefel's points lead the way (and all scorers as well) but she had a lot of help as Kawiecki would tally 12 points and Morgan Kelly would finish with 10 points.  And Quick was an absolute monster on the glass on this day with her 10 rebounds.  And the freshman, Bowron, finished with only six points but both scores came on three-point daggers and it's easy to see that Laurie Kelly has a real gem in this youngster.  On the Concordia side, it was Anderson leading the way again with her 12 points but unfortunately for the Cobbers, she didn't get a lot of help on this day as the only other Cobber with a reasonably solid day on the scoring front was Guler with her eight points.

Looking Ahead To Today's MIAC Championship Game - And What's Going On Elsewhere

 Well, it's here!  The culmination of another MIAC season with today's MIAC Championship Game that features the rematch that pretty much everybody (including yours truly) had wanted and anticipated - Concordia vs GAC - takes place at 3:00 P.M. down in St. Peter today and you know that I'll definitely be there.  

The difference this time around for me is that, when I walk into this one and look at all the of stats and records and storylines with this matchup, it's incredibly difficult for me to say how I think this one will go.  Of all the MIAC Championship Games I've covered over the years, I've never been so torn as to whom I think will emerge victorious in this game today.  The reason for that is that I think you can make solid arguments either way.  We know that, for the Gusties anyway, they not only have the homecourt advantage, they also have the "Been there - done that" mental advantage that's always so huge in a situation like this.  And yeah, they've been playing pretty solid basketball as of late too.  And, to the best of my knowledge anyway, they're healthy.  And that's always big.  Are they a little more vulnerable with a bigger target on their back this time around?  Maybe, but I can't answer that question accurately.  Only they can.  Meanwhile, you look at Concordia and although St. Kate's did a much better job on Thursday night of slowing down a very potent Cobber offensive attack, Concordia stood firm and still found a way to get the job done without too much fuss or argument.  I stated in my MIAC Playoff Preview that I felt that last year's Cobber team was in the process of finding its way around in trying to assert itself as one of the top teams in the conference.  This year's version is a stronger and much more confident team.  Let's remember that right after the first of the year, Concordia had the Gusties down double digits at the halftime break and it took a big rally by the Gusties to prevail on that night.  And the Cobbers would inevitably get their revenge earlier this month up in Moorhead.  So they have that going for them.  Plus, I think you have to factor in that Concordia will be coming into this game with a much higher sense of urgency with regard to its NCAA Tournament hopes as the Gusties are a virtual "lock".  Now, that in and of itself doesn't necessarily dictate how this contest will go but it will be one of those intangible factors nonetheless.  Bottom line here:  Don't be square, BE there because this has the makings of being a classic.

Elsewhere, we saw UW-Stout run roughshod over UW-River Falls, UW-Whitewater and then WIAC regular season champ UW-Oshkosh just last night to claim their first WIAC Championship Game title in seventeen years and the conference's automatic bid to the Dance that goes with it.  It was such an impressive performance by this Blue Devils team and they may be peaking at just the right time.  You can bet now that, once again, the WIAC will be a three-bid league with these three teams all receiving invites to the Big Dance.

Over in the UMAC, top-seeded UW-Superior faces second-seeded UM-Morris at home along the shores of Gitche Gumee and you have to think that the Yellowjackets will prevail at home to get the conference's automatic bid.  What UW-Superior Head Coach (and former standout player) Emily Carpenter has done in bringing this team along in just her second year at the top spot is nothing less than amazing and it's a great story.

Now, where the key for the MIAC (and specifically Concordia) lies today is in the ARC Championship Game down in Waverly, IA where top-seeded Wartburg hosts second-seeded Loras.  Logic would suggest that the Knights will prevail at home over the Duhawks and because we already know that the Cobbers were ranked higher than Loras in the last set of Regional Rankings, a Wartburg victory would all but ensure that the ARC remains a one-bid league.  That, in turn, MAY provide a path for Concordia should they come up short today down in St. Peter.  I can't guarantee that but that seems to be the train of thought from what I've been gathering over the last few days.  Again, we'll see.  You can bet that Head Coach Kim Wagers and her staff would much prefer to do it the old-fashioned way with the automatic bid.

As to who/whom hosts or goes where?  Well, we'll just have to see how that unfolds.  Naturally, it would be great for the MIAC if GAC could host a 1st/2nd Round pod at their facility but many thought that that would happen last year and they got shipped off to UW-Whitewater.  At this juncture, regardless of what happens in St. Peter today, I'm guessing that the Gusties will likely wind up taking their show on the road and if Concordia either prevails today or gets in with an at-large bid, it'll be the same scenario.

Again, get your behind over to Lund Arena at GAC today.  It should be a fun one for sure!     

MIAC Semifinal Playoff Game - St. Kate's vs Concordia 2-22-24

 Made a leisurely drive up US Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline on this sunny Thursday up to Moorhead, MN and Memorial Auditorium on the campus of Concordia College - a venue that I hadn't visited in eleven years - to take in the MIAC Semifinal Playoff game between visiting St. Kate's and host Concordia.  I got a motel room over on the west side of Fargo, ND that allowed me to relax for a bit before I ventured back to the other side of the Red River to get settled in.  The Wildcats were coming off a thrilling win over Hamline on Tuesday evening in the program's first home playoff game ever and were hoping to ride that momentum into this contest.  The Cobbers meanwhile had taken care of business in the last week of the regular season and had the number-two seed locked up that allowed them to get rested a bit but still stay sharp as well.  

Concordia Head Coach Kim Wagers had her team in man-to-man defense to start the game and offensively the Cobbers got off to a pretty decent start.  Junior guard Carlee Sieben would help her team draw first blood in this contest with a three-point bomb from the top of the key at the 9:27 mark of the opening period and two free throws by strong junior forward Makayla Anderson after she was fouled at the 8:45 mark got the lead to 5-0.  St. Kate's would take a bite out of this deficit when junior forward sharpshooter Greta Schimnowski connected with a jumper from the right wing area off of an inbounds pass just inside the arc at the 7:25 mark but that failed to slow the Cobbers down much initially.  Senior guard Emily Beseman would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 7:13 mark and a tough jumper along the left baseline by sophomore reserve guard Molly Musland with 4:57 left got the lead to six at 8-2.  The 'Cats would try and take another bite out of this early deficit when slender sophomore forward Emme Golembiewski connected with a lay-up with 4:41 left but Concordia went back to work with a 9-0 push.  Musland would knock down a jumper from the left wing area with 4:24 left and with 4:02 left, Beseman would come out of nowhere to snatch an offensive rebound and get a putback out of it to get the Cobber lead to 12-4.  Strong junior forward Greta Tollefson would connect with a lay-up with 1:36 left and then Sieben would unleash more terror from behind the arc with a bomb from the right wing area with :30.2 left to give Concordia a 17-4 advantage.  The Wildcats got a bit of a reprieve when sophomore reserve guard Kristen Lawton would make a daring dart into the lane to connect with a short jumper with :05.6 left but being in a hole down 17-6 from the get-go - on the road no less - was probably one of the big things that St. Kate's Head Coach Don Mulhern feared.

The Wildcats definitely needed a lift of some sort once the second period got going and a "3" by Schimnowski from the left top area at the 9:42 mark got the gap closed to nine at 17-9 but before you knew it, Concordia was off and running again.  Anderson would get things going with a routine offensive rebound and putback at the 9:13 mark and would follow that up a bit later with a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 8:43 mark to make it a 21-9 game.  Then the Cobbers started inflicting more damage from behind the arc.  Beseman would unleash one bomb from the left wing area after a steal at the 8:36 mark and another bomb from backcourt mate Sieben at the 8:10 mark - her third of the evening - stretched Concordia's lead to 27-11 and the Wildcats' Mulhern had no choice but to take a match to a timeout to try and patch some holes in a hurry.  Without question, St. Kate's looked to be in a ton of trouble and could have easily folded at that point.  Instead, the 'Cats hunkered down and showed resolve as they slyly got their way right back into this ballgame.  Junior forward Rachel Randleman would connect with a lay-up at the 7:44 mark and then freshman sensation guard Hattie Fox got in on the action.  The Osceola, WI native would get a pair of freebies to go down after getting fouled at the 6:47 mark and would follow that up with a three-point bomb from the left top area at the 6:14 mark that had the deficit down to eleven at 29-18.  Then Golembiewski would use her 5:11 frame to snare an offensive rebound of her own miss for a putback at the 5:41 mark that got St. Kate's back into single digit-range again down 29-20.  Both teams went into a bit of a scoring funk over the next four minutes or so but this actually proved to be more costly for Concordia and effectively kept the door open for the 'Cats.  The Cobbers finally got some of the cobwebs off of their basket when Sieben connected with a lay-up with 1:30 left but then the Wildcats would finish off this unpredictable second period with an 8-0 tear.  Schimnowski would get her second trey of this night when she buried a bomb from the left corner with 1:14 left and a tough offensive rebound and putback by freshman reserve forward Lily Peper with :48 left cut the deficit to seven at 32-25.  With just :17.1 left, Schimnowski would unleash more terror from behind the arc to cap this push with a bomb from the left top area that narrowed the deficit to just four at 32-28 and the Cobbers; who appeared to be on the brink of breaking this game open, now trotted back to their locker room a bit dazed and surprised while the Wildcats looked full of life and momentum on their side at the intermission.  

Without question, the first few minutes of the third quarter were probably going to go a long way in determing which team would hold the upper hand and it was here where Concordia stood solid when they had to.  Senior guard Jordyn Kahler; who was tagged with her second foul of the ballgame at about the midway point of the first period, made amends for some of those earlier transgressions as she would knock down a jumper from the left top area just inside the arc at the 9:46 mark and two free throws by Anderson after she was fouled at the 9:20 mark gave the Cobbers some more breathing room with a 36-28 advantage.  That lead would expand to double-digits again when Sieben unleashed her fourth trey of this ballgame - this one from the right corner (much to the delight of the always-rowdy Cobber student crazies) at the 8:52 mark to make it 39-28.  St. Kate's would patch up some of this bleeding when always-reliable senior point guard Karis Zezza connected on a lay-up at the 8:40 mark but the Cobbers would maintain this double-digit advantage on one free throw by Anderson after she was fouled at the 8:31 mark.  The Wildcats would make a bid to draw close again as Fox would snare an offensive rebound for a putback and get fouled in the process and her ensuing "and one" had the deficit slimmed down to seven at 40-33.  But Concordia would put a lid on this latest comeback attempt by its opponent and fatten up the lead again.  Kalher would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 7:37 mark and a routine score in the paint by Anderson at the 6:53 mark had the lead back up to eleven at 44-33.  Two free throws by freshman reserve forward Genevieve Gruba after she was fouled at the 5:53 mark maintained the eleven-point edge at 46-35 but the Cobbers would have to stave off yet another bid by St. Kate's.  Sophomore reserve guard Maddie Young would connect on a short, turnaround jumper in the lane at the 5:37 mark and would add a pair of charity stripe shots after getting fouled at the 5:09 mark.  Then Randleman would use a burst of speed to connect with a tough lay-up with 4:32 left that gave the Wildcats a ray of hope down by only five at 46-41.  Once again, Concordia would hold firm.  Kahler would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 4:13 left and then Kahler, the former Wahpeton, ND standout, banged home a huge "3" from the right wing area with 3:35 left that got the lead back to double digits again at 51-41.  With 3:09 left, Anderson would connect on a routine lay-up to make it an eleven-point game again at 53-42 and with the Cobbers now in the bonus, they would keep attacking.  Tollefson would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 2:10 left as would Beseman after she was fouled with 1:57 left to make it 57-44.  Diminutive senior reserve guard Maddie Guler would follow suit after getting fouled with :57.8 left to grow the lead to 59-44 and although St. Kate's would get a bit of a reprieve on a Schimnowski three-point bomb from the left top area with :36.7 left, the Cobbers would consolidate on their latest gains when Guler squirted through traffic for a lay-up with just :06.7 left as Concordia was now on much firmer footing with a 61-47 advantage.  

Those pesky St. Kate's Wildcats were still not taking "no" for an answer and they attempted another bid to get back into this ballgame in the opening moments of the fourth period.  Young; the former Cloquet standout, would grab the spotlight again by grabbing an offensive rebound for a putback at the 9:20 mark and then Young would get an open look from behind the arc in the right wing area and would unleash a bomb that got the 'Cats back to within single digits down 61-52 and the Cobbers' Wagers, not in the mood to take any chances, called for a halt to the action to get her team refocused again.  This stoppage in play would pay dividends for Concordia as they would get on a 5-0 push to enlarge its safety net.  Kahler would muscle into the paint for one score at the 7:45 mark and one free throw by Beseman after she was fouled at the 6:44 mark got the lead to twelve at 64-52.  That lead would grow to 66-52 when Anderson knocked down a jumper from the left elbow area at the 6:08 mark that effectively put the Wildcats back at Square One again.  St. Kate's got some momentary relief on a three-point bomb by slender junior reserve forward Sydney Elliott from the left corner at the 5:49 mark but now it was becoming difficult for the Wildcats to sustain any hoped-for momentum as Concordia would always come up with answers.  Another routine score in the paint by Anderson at the 5:39 mark and a pretty floater in the lane by Sieben with 4:20 left pushed the lead back to fifteen at 70-55.  Kahler would connect with a lay-up with 3:44 left to maintain the fifteen-point edge at 72-57 and two free throws by Tollefson after she was fouled with 3:05 left got the lead to 74-58.  The 'Cats would try and take some bites out of this deficit as Young would drop a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 2:58 left and a Fox "3" from the left top area with 1:38 left cut the deficit down to eleven at 74-63 but back to work went the Cobbers from the charity stripe.  Guler would get one freebie to go down after getting fouled with 1:33 left and Tollefson would add a pair after being fouled with 1:24 left.  Beseman would knock down two more after getting fouled with :24.3 left and Kahler would add one more for insurance with :07.5 left.  Perhaps fittingly, in her final game as a St. Kate's Wildcat, Zezza would bury a "3" with just :00.3 left on the clock but it would not alter the outcome as the Concordia Cobbers advanced to Saturday's MIAC Championship Game with an 80-71 victory.

It took a bit but I was able to catch up with much-relieved Wagers of Concordia afterward who shared her thoughts about this contest; particularly with the late second period run her team had to deal with from the Wildcats.  She admitted that her squad turned the ball over a lot which is surprising as she pointed out that her team is third in the country in not turning the ball over.  "That's crazy for my team" she said wrt the turnovers they committed.  "We were a little out of control" she added but the halftime break offered Wagers and her staff an opportunity to get the team calmed down and refocused.  "We were definitely more focused and got on a little run" she pointed out.  Indeed, that was a critical stretch for both teams in this game when things were hanging in the balance a bit.  Now comes the big challenge - getting ready for another date with GAC in the MIAC Championship Game down in St. Peter on Saturday.  I got the impression from Wagers that this team feels like its ready for this challenge and I've felt personally - strictly from the eye test - that this team is ready to take the next step.  Granted, it wasn't always easy at times on this night and give credit to St. Kate's Don Mulhern who came up with a solid game plan and some pesky defense coming down the stretch in that second period that helped close the gap and at least gave the Wildcats a chance.  Ultimately, you have to credit the Cobbers for holding firm when they had to and getting their cushion big enough to where they were never in real jeopardy.  When I caught up with the Wildcats' Mulhern, he was incredibly proud of his team for how hard they fought in this contest and showing that grit and determination even though things didn't turn out the way they wanted to in the end.  It took a little while but you finally see this program taking a significant step forward under Mulhern's tutelage and in a conference that is as tough and competitive as the MIAC, that's no easy feat.  Although they lose Zezza to graduation, they bring all the other important pieces back for next year - including sophomore reserve guard Kaylee Miron who broke her hand in the regular season finale at CSB.

You look at the box score on this one (and beyond) and there's some positives and negatives on each side.  Concordia had the edge in the rebounding department by a 37-30 count but they did suffer 16 turnovers in this game with several of those coming in that second period which obviously is very un-Concordia-like.  The Cobbers did get to the charity stripe often enough but wound up going only 30-40 for a straight 75% - and for a team that has free throw shooting as one of its other hallmark strengths, this is another figure that will most definitely have to be better Saturday against GAC.  St. Kate's free throw shooting percentage was marginally better as the Wildcats were 11-14 for 78.6%.  One could argue that the Wildcats got caught a bit flat-footed at times when Concordia was in transition and although that doesn't show up in the box score, it was still a critical component.  

It was a very balanced scoring attack for Concordia on this night as (surprise) Anderson leading the way with her 19 points to be one of the co-high scorers of this game.  Sieben had her moments too with 16 points - including going 4-5 from downtown and Kahler was solid as well with 14 points and Beseman was just her reliable self as always as she tallied 11 points on this night and nine rebounds to boot.  Tollefson finished with "only" eight points on this night but grabbed 12 rebounds which was huge for the Cobbers.  St. Kate's, too, had a reasonably balanced attack as Schimnowski was the co-high scorer to pace the Wildcat attack with 19 points and Fox finished with 13 points.  The real surprise for the Wildcats on this night may have been Young as she tallied 11 points.    

Third Regional Rankings Released 2-21-24

 Am a day late in getting this one out but you've gotta cut me a bit of a break here after covering that thrilling MIAC Quarterfinal Playoff game last night between Hamline and St. Kate's.  But, in a way, it might be just as well as you can imagine that I was not terribly amused when the latest Regional Rankings were released late Tuesday afternoon.  A look at how Region 9 was unveiled looks like this:

1	UW-Whitewater	11-3	22-3
2	UW-Oshkosh	12-2	21-4
3	Wartburg	16-0	23-2
4	Gustavus Adolphus	19-1	23-2
5	UW-Stout	8-6	19-7
6	Concordia-Moorhead	18-2	19-4
7	Loras	14-2	22-3

As you can see, the first four spots remain unchanged with UW-Whitewater, UW-Oshkosh, Wartburg and GAC all entrenched in the same spots they were a week ago.  And Loras stays in the seventh spot where it was a week ago as well.  No, the change this time around was flipping the fifth and sixth spots.  Where UW-Stout a week ago was in the sixth spot and Concordia was in the fifth spot, the Regional Ranking committee, in its infinite wisdom, decided to flip these two teams.  The thing of it is, I was truly afraid something like this could happen, especially in light of the win UW-Stout had over conference rival UW-River Falls in one of the WIAC Quarterfinal Playoff games on Monday night.  Now, if the committee is looking strictly at SOS (Strength of Schedule), the Blue Devils would have the edge here not only with the expanded non-conference schedule that they're able to play but also because of the fact that two conference opponents - UW-Whitewater and UW-Oshkosh - are in this regional grouping and UW-Stout has a victory over the Warhawks from earlier this month.  And while I can live with that line of reasoning up to a certain point, the wins they had in the last week of the regular season along with Monday night's playoff win over UW-River Falls, shouldn't have played a factor in the committee's decision to shove UW-Stout up and slide Concordia down.  None of these latest wins by the Blue Devils were over RROs (Regionally-Ranked Opponents) and that being the case, what prompted the committee to do this?  And consider the fact too that the Cobbers easily won their last two conference games and by virtue of having the second seed in the MIAC Playoffs, they don't play their semifinal game until tomorrow (Thursday) night.  So, to me anyway, it seems like the committee is either (1) blatantly giving UW-Stout the benefit of the doubt here or (2) basically saying, "Screw it.  We're shoving Concordia down because we don't think they deserve to be that high."  Either way, why the change now?  The fact that the committee did what it did - now - is very telling IMHO.  

Obviously, tonight (Wednesday 2-21) should help clarify the WIAC picture as said UW-Stout team goes on the road to take on UW-Whitewater while UW-La Crosse will travel on UW-Oshkosh in the two WIAC Semifinal Playoff games.  Thursday night then is the big night in both the MIAC and ARC as St. Kate's takes on second-seeded Concordia up in Moorhead and CSB travels to St. Peter to take on top-seeded GAC.  Back home in Iowa, Dubuque travels to Waverly to face top-seeded Wartburg while Coe makes the trip on US Highway 151 up to Dubuque to take on Loras in what could be a dandy match-up.  Over in the UMAC tonight, North Central makes the trip up to the shores of Gitche Gumee to take on top-seeded UW-Superior while Northwestern travels out to Morris to take on second-seeded UM-Morris.  

Obviously, the next few days are going to be fun and reveal a lot more which translates into some moving pieces in the above so stay tuned.  As always, please feel free to fire away with thoughts.  

MIAC Quarterfinal Playoff Game - Hamline vs St. Kate's 2-20-24

 Had some errands to run yesterday afternoon - most notably getting over to El Burrito Mercado off of Cesar Chavez in St Paul to get myself restocked with their fabulous seasoned chicken - but I still had plenty of time even with some rush hour traffic to get safely over to Butler Center on the campus of St. Catherine University for one of the two MIAC Quarterfinal Playoff games happening on this night - this one featuring Hamline and host St. Kate's.  We all know about the ups and downs this season for the Pipers but they did finish the regular season reasonably well - beating both Macalester and St. Scholastica before falling to top-seeded GAC in St. Peter last Saturday.  The Wildcats meanwhile completed their best regular season ever - going 14-6 in conference play and 18-7 overall that not only allowed them to snare the third seed in the MIAC Playoffs but also get a home playoff game for the first time in program history.  It seems like whenever these two teams have hooked up over the years, wild things can happen and tonight was certainly no exception.  I got inside plenty early and had a moment to chat with St. Kate's Assistant Coach Geno Bullard and a few others and got myself settled in and ready to go.  

Wildcats Head Coach Don Mulhern certainly got the start from his squad that he would have wanted in this opening period to start this first-ever home playoff game as St. Kate's got out to an early 7-0 lead.  Junior forward Rachel Randleman would make a daring drive past traffic for a lay-up at the 9:11 mark and freshman sensation guard Hattie Fox got into the paint for another score at the 8:17 mark to make it 4-0.  Then junior forward Greta Schimnowski would drain one of her trademark three-point bombs - this one from the top of the key at the 6:37 mark - to cap this initial run.  The Pipers meanwhile struggled with their shooting touch out of the gate but finally shook off these early cobwebs and proceeded to go on a 9-0 run of their own.  Junior guard Kate Trachsel would bury a "3' from the left wing area at the 5:57 mark and a pretty lay-up by sophomore reserve guard (CC) Camille Cummings with 4:27 left cut the deficit to two points at 7-5.  With 3:33 left, freshman reserve guard Yasmeen Abed knocked down a tough jumper along the right baseline to get the game leveled and a little more than a minute later, Abed would strike again with a nifty coast-to-coast lay-up with 2:10 left that now had Hamline out in front by a 9-7 count.  The 'Cats would level this contest when senior point guard Karis Zezza knocked down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 1:50 left but the Pipers would have the upper hand in the final stages of this first period.  Trachsel would use a burst of speed to make a hard drive for a finish with 1:40 left and with :31.7 left, Abed would again come to the forefront for Hamline as she would make a tough drive along the left baseline for a finish that allowed the Pipers to carry a 13-9 lead going into the second period.

Hamline would grow this lead to six when electric senior forward Lydia Lecher finally got into the books at the 9:42 mark of the second period with a lay-up to make it a 15-9 lead.  Lecher would repeat this feat at the 8:55 mark to maintain the six-point edge at 17-11 and Cummings would keep the lead at six when she connected on a pretty lay-up in transition at the 6:20 mark to make it a 19-13 ballgame.  The Wildcats meanwhile had arguably cooled off a bit after that opening burst but finally started finding their way again.  Fox would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 5:19 mark and then slender junior reserve forward Sydney Elliott connected on a short jumper along the left baseline with 3:00 left to get St. Kate's back to within a single possession down 19-16.  Two free throws by the ever-reliable Zezza after she was fouled with 2:17 left kept the 'Cats in that three-point range down 21-18 and two more free throws by Schimnowski after she was fouled with 1:42 left got the deficit down to a scant point at 21-20.  But with just :02.3 left on the clock, Randleman delivered the coup de grace with a three-point bomb from the left top area that allowed St. Kate's to take a 23-21 lead into the locker room at the half.  

The Wildcats would momentarily give themselves a bit more breathing room when lanky sophomore forward Emme Golembiewski connected on a lay-up at the 9:51 mark of the third period to push St. Kate's lead to 25-21 but that little cushion would quickly vanish into thin air as Hamline looked to usurp control of this game.  Lecher would drain one of her trademark lefty three-point bombs from the right wing area at the 7:34 mark and two free throws by sophomore reserve combo guard/forward Josie Wiebusch after she was fouled at the 6:04 mark pushed the Pipers back out in front 26-25.  Right back came the 'Cats, however, as Schimnowski would unleash terror behind the arc with a bomb from the left wing area at the 5:50 mark to push St. Kate's back out in front 28-26 and then Schimnowski; the former Mahtomedi standout, would connect with a pretty jumper off of an inbounds pass from the right elbow area at the 5:05 mark to re-establish the four-point edge at 30-26.  A short time later, freshman reserve forward Lily Peper would connect on a tough lay-up with 4:31 left to grow the Wildcats lead to six at 32-26.  But just when you thought Hamline might be a bit vulnerable, right back came the group off of Snelling Avenue on the north side of St Paul.  Two free throws by Abed after she was fouled with 4:22 left got the deficit trimmed down to four points and then Cummings; the former Centennial standout who had been struggling all game long with her shooting touch, finally buried her first three-point bomb of this contest with 3:39 left that closed the gap to a single point at 32-31.  Alarmed, St. Kate's would attempt another push as Fox would knock down a pair of freebies after getting fouled with 3:14 left to get the lead back to three at 34-31 and a tough score in the paint by strong sophomore reserve guard Maddie Young with 1:33 left maintained that three-point edge at 36-33.  But this Piper team had no intentions of going quietly into the night by any stretch.  Senior guard Michaela Stamer would make a hard drive for a finish with 1:20 left to close the gap to one at 36-35 and after St. Kate's would get its lead to three again on a Randleman lay-up with :58 left, right back came Hamline - this time with its primary weapn, Lecher, and one of trademark lefty three-point bombs - this one from the top of the key with :45 left that got this game back on even terms at 38 a piece.  Trachsel would keep this game knotted at 40 a piece with her drive and lay-up with just :05.4 left but this Wildcat team, known all too well for its flair and dramatics, scored some more Hollywood points as Zezza would get fouled with just :00.4 left on the clock while attempting a long three-point bomb and the former STMA standout would get all three free throw attempts to go down - much to the chagrin of Hamline Head Coach Josh Hersch - to give the Wildcats a tenuous 43-40 advantage.  

In a very close and tight game like this one, having a three-point edge is virtually meaningless and that proved to be the case once the fourth period got underway.  Piper sophomore guard Sophie Stork; the former NRHEG standout who was tagged for her third foul earlier in the third period, threw caution to the wind and muscled into the paint for a score at the 8:15 mark to get the gap narrowed to one and a long offensive rebound and subsequent lay-up by Lecher at the 7:32 mark kept Hamline in that one-point range down 45-44.  A bit later at the 6:36 mark, Lecher would get a three-point play the old-fashioned way with a pretty drive and finish that drew a foul with the obligatory "and one" that not only pushed the Pipers back out in front by a 47-45 count but seemed to tip the momentum towards them as well.  That notion seemed to be confirmed when slender junior forward Faith Johnson connected with a lay-up at the 5:05 mark that put Hamline back out in front again at 49-47.  The Wildcats would get the gap narrowed to a single point on one free throw by Fox after she was fouled with 3:19 left but with 2:58 left, Stamer would give Hamline some more breathing room on a tough lay-up to give the Pipers a 51-48 advantage.  Hamline would miss out on one opportunity to consolidate on its lead when Cummings had her pocket picked by the wily Zezza of St. Kate's and with 2:03 left, the Wildcats' Mulhern called for a thirty-second timeout to discuss strategy and the next play.  With 1:03 left that stoppage in play appeared to reap big dividends for St. Kate's as Golembiewski connected with a short jumper off the glass that cut the gap back to one but then hope suddenly dimmed for the Wildcats as it looked as if Hamline might put the finishing touches on this game.  Lecher would connect on a lay-up on the Pipers' ensuing possession with :45.9 left to make it a 53-50 game.  St. Kate's Mulhern would then have to take a match to a full timeout and, in the clutch, the Wildcats again would come through with more flair and drama as Randleman would get open from behind the arc at the top of the key and drain a massive bomb that got this game leveled at 53 a piece.  Now it was Hamline's Hersch calling for a stoppage in play to set up what might be the game winner.  The Pipers would get the ball in and, despite some miscommunication on the opening pass, they controlled the ball and looked for the open shooter.  Still, some tough Wildcat "D" was making things challenging at best and with :11.3 left, Hersch would call for another timeout to make some adjustments on this hopeful successful finish.  With the clock ticking down, Hamline's Cummings would get the ball and make a tough drive into the lane and put up a floater with :02.2 left that danced off the rim and the rebound fell into the Wildcats' Randleman's grasp that sent this contest into an extra session tied at 53.  

St. Kate's Fox would again steal the show in the opening moments of the first overtime when she casually drained a "3" from the left corner with 4:34 left that had the Wildcats back out in front at 56-53 but that lead didn't last long as Hamline roared right back.  Lecher would make a daring drive into the lane filled with traffic for a finish with 4:13 left that cut the deficit down to one and then the Pipers would snare the lead back at 58-56 when Stamer delivered a heartbreaking "3" from the right corner with 3:22 left.  But this drama was far from finished as the 'Cats got a big left from Golembiewski as she would use her 5'11" frame and length to snare an offensive rebound for a putback with 2:10 left to get this contest leveled again and with :56 left, Golembiewski; the Gordon, WI native, would connect on a lay-up to put St. Kate's back out in front 60-58.  But just when you thought the Wildcats may have been in position to put this game to bed, right back came this never-say-die group from Hamline.  With :13.5 left, Lecher would slither into traffic for an incredibly tough finish to get this game leveled at 60 and after a timeout by the Wildcat's Mulhern, the Pipers would actually get a chance to win the contest again after an untimely turnover by St. Kate's.  With just :00.2 left, Lecher would get an inbounds pass and attempt to put up a floater and hope for the best but the shot attempt was errant and off we went to the second overtime with this issue still unresolved.  

Hamline appeared to gain the upper hand with 3:31 left in this second overtime period when Stork banged home a "3" from the left top area in a transition opportunity to push the Pipers out in front 63-60 and shortly afterward, Hamline had a golden opportunity to put its opponent between a rock and a hard place when Abed snared a steal on the other end and raced the other way for what would have likely been an easy breakaway lay-up on the other end to expand their lead.  But Abed, the former Roseville standout, likely rushed her lay-up attempt when she heard opponents footsteps closing in and the errant attempt fell into the Wildcat's Fox's hands and she was immediately fouled by Hamline's Stamer which was arguably a turning point in this ballgame.  Indeed, St. Kate's Fox would come through on the other end with a huge "3" from the left wing area that got this game snarled up again at 63 a piece.  The Pipers' Abed would make amends for that missed lay-up when she would knock down a pair of charity stripe shots after getting fouled with 1:42 left to push Hamline back in front by a 65-63 count.  On its ensuing possession, the 'Cats would have a devil of a time trying to respond as subsequent lay-up attempts by Fox and Golembiewski were either swatted away or missed but St. Kate's was fortunate to get the big offensive rebounds which ultimately gave them another chance.  With 1:12 left, Schimnowski likely delivered the biggest "3" of her career thus far as she buried a bomb from the right corner that pushed the Wildcats back out in front by a 66-65 count.  Still, plenty of time for Hamline to respond and with :49 left, Cummings would attempt to drive into traffic with a lay-up but the attempt was errant and Schimnowski was there for the big defensive rebound for St. Kate's.  With :24.8 left, the Wildcats' Mulhern would call for a thirty-second timeout to draw up strategy and with :17 left, Zezza would be fouled and she would calmly come through at the line with two free throws to give St. Kate's a bit more breathing room with a 68-65 lead.  Still, the 'Cats were obviously not out of the woods just yet as Hamline would have one more chance with its arsenal of three-point bombers.  After a timeout called by the Pipers' Hersch, the Pipers worked the ball around; feverishly trying to get one of their snipers in position with some space to get this one tied up.  But St. Kate's was not giving up any more room than what it had to and with :01.2 left, Hamline's Stamer was forced to launch a three-point attempt from Caitlin Clark-range at the top that missed its mark and the Wildcats' Fox was there for the defensive rebound and was immediately fouled with just :00.4 left.  Fox would deliver on the other end with free throws and the St. Kate's Wildcats, with their first-ever home playoff game, would survive and move into the semifinal round with a thrilling and hard-earned 70-65 victory.

When you look at what an incredible up and down season this was for the Pipers and the wild momentum swings that they had -not only in this game but the entire season as well - it was tough for the Hamline faithful to reluctantly put a tie on this season and that was especially true for Hersch when I caught up with him afterward.  "It's one of those games where no one loses but credit St. Kates.....It was a game with a bunch of plays and some moments for both teams also.....But credit them....I'm happy for Don and happy for St. Kate's....Our team battled and a lot of things happened in 2024; particularly for the younger core to find our way back into the playoffs where we've been the last couple of years.  It's big for our program; to not only put ourselves in the playoffs but to put ourselves into position to win....It's important for the future and development and this game was a little bit of a microcosm of our season in some ways.....We had some pretty 'high' highs and some lows in that game and plenty of opportunities but a fun one to be a part of."  I asked Hersch as well about these challenges this team has faced throughout the year and how it shapes things for this young group going forward.  "As we say good-bye to Lydia Lecher; one of the best to do it in the last four years and Michaela Stamer who faced so much adversity with some things and see the season that she had.....We have a pretty young core though.  We had some 'first years' and sophomores play out there that got a lot of experience......You don't forget the feeling about something like this; it motivates you in the off season.  Yeah, we're excited and we'll get back to work this spring.  It's not the way we wanted to end things today but congrats to St. Kate's.  We'll keep moving."  Afterward, I had to make my way downstairs in an effort to find St. Kate's Mulhern who understandably was in something of a state of euphoria after perhaps the biggest win in program history yet.  I asked Mulhern about all the twists and turns in this game and even he had to think about it for a moment before he responded.  "Well, you know, we showed grit.......We can control a lot of things but you can't always control how the ball bounces but you can control effort and grit and this team has developed a level of grit that makes me just so proud because they've earned it and they've talked about it all year and each game that got grittier and grittier and they've paid their dues......And I want to say Karis Zezza; this year as a senior, she's got better and better and her grit; her making clutch free throws and all the details and I'm proud of her."  I also asked Mulhern about how special this particular win was; particularly that it came in the program's very first home playoff game.  "Well, it's against a darned good team (Hamline)" Mulhern replied.  "I mean, Lydia Lecher is one of the better players in Division III and they've got talent; Stamer, Trachsel and Cummings, and Sophie Stork and they're really good.  We had to really 'lock-in' defensively in every part of the game.....It was fun....It was like every possession was a battle in itself; I mean every possession was a possession just worth watching and that takes a mental toll in where you get emotionally drained."  Before letting him go, I asked about the road ahead which now includes a trip up US Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline up to Moorhead to face second-seeded Concordia on Thursday night.  "Well, we're gonna go up their and play our basketball which is gritty basketball and determined basketball.  We love the process....Kim (Wagers) and that team are a very good team.  Having said that, we think we're a darned good team and we're gonna up there and do our best and we think it's a pretty good match-up.and we're excited." 

When I look back on this game, I think what surprises me the most is that it wasn't the offensive shoot-out that many (including myself) expected.  Rather it was a contest where defense took center stage and the final box score line reflects what a defensive slugfest this really was.  Consider:  Hamline shot 26-73 from FG range for 35.6% and St. Kate's was held to a paltry 22-71 for a straight 31% in that category.  And while both teams had their moments behind the arc, neither set the world on fire either as Hamline was 6-29 for 20.7% and St. Kate's wasn't a whole helluva lot better going 7-33 for 21.2%.  Turnovers were about the same and although the Wildcats did have a slight advantage on the boards at 48-42, that edge wasn't what you'd call a game-changer by any means.  Hamline had a 32-26 advantage in points in the paint but St. Kates held a 17-7 advantage in points off of turnovers.  Hamline had an edge in both "second-chance" points at 17-10 and bench points at 19-8 but even those only meant so much in the end.  No, in a close game like this where things are so tight, I think you have to look at some of the missed opportunities that Hamline had; the times where they had a chance to put the Wildcats on the ropes but couldn't quite cash in when it counted the most.  Inevitably, those things have a way of catching up with you as they certainly did on this night.  I think Mulhern hit the nail on the head with the grit reference to his team.  Sure, they've had their moments of drama and flair this season but this team is just special in that "grit" sense.  And perhaps none tougher or grittier than the Wildcats' Zezza.  She'll never "wow" you with her scoring.  Rather, what makes her so good is her defense and toughness and how she never wavers in the face of adversity and there were plenty of instances when she played a big part in helping her teammates stay calm when things could have gone kablooey for them.  Oh, and I think you saw how reliable she's been all season long from the charity stripe as well.  And woe to any opponent who thinks they can strip Zezza of the ball,  A word to the wise - it ain't happenin'.  

The other thing that stood out to me when I look at this final box score?  I was just shocked (and I'm sure Mulhern and his staff were absolutely delighted) at how incredibly balanced this St. Kate's team was in their scoring attack on this night as Hamline never could "key in" on just one person and here's why:  Fox; the never-nervous freshman, paced the Wildcats with her 16 points but she had a LOT of help.  Schimnowski; while being only 3-13 from downtown, still finished with 13 points.  Randleman; often a forgotten figure in this Wildcat attack, tallied 12 points on this night and she had two huge three-point bombs in this game.  The always-reliable Zezza tallied 11 points and Golembiewski had a "double-double" on this night of 10 points and 14 rebounds.  Just.....Wow.  You simply cannot ask for a much better-balanced attack than that.  That is truly impressive.  On the Hamline side, Lecher; in her final game as a Piper, went out in style as she led all scorers with her 21 points but the other shocker on this night was that it was the freshman, Abed, who tallied 10 points on this night and obviously has a bright future with this Piper team.   

MIAC Playoff Preview 2-19-24

 Here we are again; getting ready for the best time of the year and this year's version of the upcoming MIAC Playoffs should be as interesting and eventful as always.  The cast of characters in this year's little party are pretty much who we thought would be there at the end although the positioning may or may not have been what some might have thought it would be.  In any event, it's time to break this all down and get a better feel for this week.  So let's get to it and break this down like we always do - from bottom to top.

6.  Hamline - To say that this regular season for Hamline would be a lot like one of the big roller coaster rides that one might take at a big amusement park might be the understatement of the year because with the Pipers, it seemed like at times they were really heading up and at other times, they were going down like the obligatory anvil in the Road Runner/Wile Coyote cartoons.  Consider:  Hamline started out the season fairly strong; winning five of their first six games.  Then the Pipers went into an absolute funk - losing eight out of their next nine games.  Then Hamline would win four of their next five games - including that big home win over Concordia back on 1-27.  You'd see the Pipers getting a big win at Augsburg and then following that up with an equally lopsided loss at home to St. Olaf a few nights later.  Home wins over both Macalester and St. Scholastica and then getting taken to the cleaners in the regular season finale at GAC.  It was just that kind of year for Hamline yet they did just enough to grab that final playoff spot and at least stay alive for a few more days.  But you look at this Hamline team and you see that there's plenty of talent for first year Head Coach Josh Hersch to work with.  You've got electric senior forward Lydia Lecher who can get things done down low or slay you from behind the arc (11.6 ppg) and fellow senior guard Michaela Stamer (11.3 ppg) is a solid one in the backcourt.  Did I say something about this team being able to slay you from downtown?  In that case, you should get yourself familiarized with sophomore guard (CC) Camille Cummings (10.8 ppg) who has the ability to tear you to shreds from behind the arc as she did with Concordia back in late January.  Throw in a pretty decent supporting cast of junior guard Kate Trachsel, fellow junior forward Faith Johnson and sophomore guard Sophie Stork and it's difficult to explain all the ups and downs this team had.  If you look at team stats - particularly overall defense - you see that Hamline is right up there in total team defense in holding opponents to an average of 60.6 ppg which isn't bad at all.  But when you start diving into some other numbers and you see that the Pipers are eighth in the conference in total team rebounds and also carry a rebounding margin of -0.5, that's where you start to see some problems.  Here's another stat that should bother you if you're on the Hamline side of things:  The Pipers aren't that efficient from the charity stripe as they shot .696% (286-411) from the free throw line and anyone who knows something about hoops will tell you that that's not even close to being good enough.  You see how this season has played out for Hamline from the start and you just know that their prospects aren't very good here.

Sure sign of trouble - We know that this team likes to push the ball and be up-tempo.  But if they get forced into a slower, half-court game, things are not going to go well for them.  And should they falter from behind the arc as well, you can count on an early exit.

5.  CSB - When it comes to the Bennies, one COULD make the argument that, in reality, this is probably the third best team in the conference and I think after what we saw this last Saturday, one could make that argument stand up.  However, CSB was guilty of too many transgressions (both at home AND on the road) during the regular season and arguably the victim of some incredibly rotten bad luck at times this year as well.  For the most part, the Bennies won the games that they should have won but there were some games that were just head-scratchers:  The loss at Grinnell back on 12-10, getting smothered by Bethel at Claire Lynch in early January and that wild double OT loss at St. Kate's a few days later.  It just seemed like when CSB looked like they might be gaining traction at a certain point, they always managed to stumble somewhere.  But you look at this team and you see a lot of weapons that can make them so incredibly dangerous this time of year.  The Bennies definitely have some scorers on this team and they're normally led by senior point guard Carla Meyer (14.0 ppg) who's as tough as they come on both ends of the floor and junior guard Sophia Jonas (11.7 ppg) is not someone that opponents would want to give carte blanche to behind the arc as we saw this last Saturday.  Ditto for sophomore guard Megan Morgan (9.5 ppg) and sophomore combo forward/post Kira Young (10.0 ppg) is starting to come into her own.  Head Coach Mike Durbin also has some good experience coming off the bench as well; particularly senior guard Morgan Ebel who stepped up nicely against St. Kate's this last Saturday.  You look at some of the stats for this team and you'll see that the Bennies are right up there with the best of them when it comes to total offense where they rank third.  Defense?  Well, that's been a bit of a different story as CSB is in ninth place as they allow opponents to score an average of 65.2 a game.  In fact, in combined team rebounds, you'll see the Bennies in sixth place in this category with an average of 34.8 rebounds a game which isn't bad but could probably be better.  But in the rebounding margin, CSB ranks eighth at -1.5 which is a red flag.  Still, I'll be willing to cut the Bennies a break here after what I saw this last Saturday.  They definitely have the pieces and the ability to be the one team outside of the top two seeds to upset the apple cart here and throw this thing into total chaos.  However, as good as they can be at home, can they do this on the road - in a hostile environment?  As I said after covering their game last Saturday versus St. Kate's, therein lies the challenge for CSB and even with that ability, they have to know that the odds are stacked mightily against them.

Sure sign of trouble - Foul trouble and the three-point bombs not falling.  Plus the fact that all the teams ahead of them - save for perhaps St. Kate's - have the ability to be more physical than they are.  

4.  Bethel - The Royals took a step forward from last year's disappointing campaign and got that big win last Wednesday night against said CSB team to secure the fourth seed setting up the rematch at Robertson Center on Tuesday night.  Despite being far from perfect, it was arguably a much more steady ship in sometimes rough waters as Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer - back on the sidelines this season - guided this young team along and got them better and better as the season progressed.  Sure, they took their lumps against both GAC and Concordia but also dished out some lumps as well against lesser opponents.  The modus operandi of this squad hasn't changed despite the young cast members; they're still going to use their defensive prowess to set up opportunities on the other end.  This is a team that, for the most part anyway, plays solid fundamental basketball.  Bethel is led by senior guard Anna Garfield 13.6 ppg and gets a lot of scoring help from junior combo guard/forward Elly Schmitz (13.0 ppg)  We've seen flashes from freshman forward Emily Erickson at times this season too.  Sophomore point guard Colette Duininck is slowly but surely starting to come into her own and Herbrechtsmeyer has some nice pieces off the bench in sophomore forward Alli Born and freshman guard Macey Littlefield.  As you would expect, the Royals are right up there in total team defense (ranked second) allowing an average of 58.0 per game.  And they're fourth in the conference in total offense (64.9 ppg) which certainly isn't bad either.  The bottom line is that you don't see a lot of red flags when you look at all the other stats either.  So, there are a lot of positives here.  However, you have to think that with the youth factor on this team, there's obviously a ceiling when it comes to Bethel.  They haven't been able to recapture the magic of that 2020 season yet and it might be a year or two before they can even start thinking in those terms again.  

Sure sign of trouble - The last thing Herbrechtsmeyer and his staff want to have happen is to get caught up in a track meet with any of these opponents and they know that it's a losing proposition to even think about trying to.  

3.  St. Kate's - Whoda thunk it?  For the first time in program history, the St. Kate's Wildcats have snared the number three seed and a quarterfinal home game that goes with it.  Head Coach Don Mulhern deserves a lot of credit for bringing this team along; particularly after the sixth spot slipped away from them on the very last day of the regular season last year.  I think what's even more amazing when you take a look at this team is not so much that they did what they did but HOW they did it.  Oh, to be sure, there were arguably some dramatic moments in this regular season for the Wildcats with the wild double OT win over CSB and the incredible comeback at Bethel early this month.  But here's the other thing about the 'Cats that's got to be pointed out here - did we envision that this team would be led by a babe in the woods who would not only deliver flair and drama at the most crucial moments but also lead this team in scoring?  Well, that's exactly what freshman guard Hattie Fox has done this season as she leads the way with her 13.8 ppg.  And St. Kate's has a true sniper from behind the arc in junior forward Greta Schimnowski (10.4 ppg) whom opponents had bloody well better get a body on unless they want to be burned badly.  Here's the other thing I like about this St. Kate's team:  Mulhern finally has some length in the form of sophomore forward Emme Golembiewski who can not only score inside but also rebound and swat away opponents shots like flies.  And a good supporting cast in junior forward Rachel Randleman and senior point guard Karis Zezza who can intercept more passes than a chaperone at a debutante ball.  For good measure, Mulhern can move his chess pieces around when he needs to with junior forward Sydney Elliott, sophomore guard Kaylee Miron and sophomore guard Maddie Young along with freshman forward Lily Peper coming off the bench.  This kind of depth is something that Mulhern and his staff really haven't had before and it has paid dividends for them this time around.  So why do I feel that this St. Kate's team might be the most vulnerable of all here?  The experience factor.  They've never been in this position before and we don't know how they're going to handle it either.  One thing we do know is that they absolutely cannot dig themselves into a canyon like they have so many times this season and expect to magically get out of it.  But here's a stat that caught my eye when it comes to St. Kate's and might help hope spring eternal for the 'Cats - they rank first in the conference in combined team rebounds (36.9) and I don't think that many expected that (certainly I didn't).  The good news is that, stat-wise anyway, you don't see a lot of red flags here.  The bad news?  Even with a win Tuesday night, they're going to have to pull a 1969 New York Mets miracle against either GAC or Concordia and I think we kind of know how that's going to turn out, don't we?

Sure sign of trouble - See above......There's just no way on God's green earth the Wildcats can afford to get themselves into a canyon and hope to get bailed out this week.  

2.  Concordia - I think most everyone had the Cobbers penned into the number two spot before the season began so there's certainly no shock or surprise there.  But, in my mind anyway, this time around Concordia is a much stronger and experienced number two seed than they were a year ago.  Again, as I have reiterated earlier (and you saw this in my last two Power Rankings as well), the Cobbers passed the "eye test" with flying colors (save for a few rough patches in that next to last game against St. Olaf) and this time around, they seem to me to be a true title contender.  And here's why.  Last year, senior guard Emily Beseman (a great scorer in her own right at 11.9 ppg) had to shoulder so much of the load last season and bailed that team out on more than one occasion.  This time around, she's got a lot of help and leading the scoring attack this season is strong junior forward Makayla Anderson (14.6 ppg) who easily has my vote for MIAC POY honors.  Oh, and let's not forget that Anderson can not only dominate inside on the scoring front but she can also be a threat from behind the arc as well.  Rebounding?  Anderson collected her 500th-career rebound at Concordia earlier this season - case closed.  In short, her game has improved leaps and bounds from last year.  I guess we shouldn't forget about junior guard Carlee Sieben either (14.5 ppg) as she can dart into traffic for a tough finish or slay you from downtown.  Then you've got junior forward Greta Tollefson and senior guard Jordyn Kahler providing good support from both scoring and rebound perspectives.  But here's the really cool thing about this Concordia team:  Head Coach Kim Wagers really has some good chess pieces coming off the bench providing needed relief (and a scoring punch as well) for the starters.  Here, I speak of senior guard Maddie Guler, freshman guard Genevieve Gruba, freshman guard Alexa Snesrud, sophomore guard Taylor Safranski, sophomore guard Molly Musland and freshman post Maci Wheeldon.  Having this kind of depth and quality has just made this team deeper than a nuclear submarine and that much better as well.  You look at the stats and you'll see Concordia right up there when it comes to both team offense and team defense.  And we already know that free throw shooting is a hallmark strength of this team.  Here's the other thing too - the Cobbers are first in the conference in turnover margin as well and that's huge this time of year.  Last year, I think this team was kind of feeling things out being up toward the top spot and vying for it.  This time around, they're more than good enough to win it.  I'm not saying that they will (remember, we all know who's ahead of them) but they absolutely can.  

Sure sign of trouble - There aren't many holes to speak of with this group but in a big situation, Wagers absolutely HAS to keep Anderson from getting into foul trouble early on.  

1.  GAC - After winning the last two MIAC Championship Games, the MIAC Playoffs should seem like old hat for the Gusties and Head Coach Laurie Kelly.  But GAC has dreams beyond the MIAC Championship Game and perhaps rightfully so as they've suffered only two blips this season - to Rhode Island right before the Christmas holiday and then early this month against aforementioned Concordia team up in Moorhead - all forgivable offenses, IMHO.  GAC has done what they've needed to do to win their second straight outright regular season title and the top seed that goes with it.  Not much has changed from a year ago.....It's not like there's one standout player who leads the way.  Rather, it's a conglomeration of a lot of really good pieces that all have the ability to step up when necessary.  A review of the scoring stats would certainly seem to back up this observation as senior guard Syd Hauger (11.8 ppg) who always seems to be in the right place at the right time on both ends of the floor, senior guard Emma (not evil) Kneifel (11.4 ppg) and junior forward Rachel Kawiecki (11.3 ppg) lead the way.  But you also have junior point guard Kylie Baranick (7.8 ppg) who's as steady as they come and acrobatic senior guard Izzy (Izzy Izzy, you're making me dizzy) Quick (7.6 ppg) who can not only score but can come out of nowhere to grab those long rebounds and wreak havoc on the defensive end as well.  And, like aforementioned Concordia team, Laurie Kelly has developed a pretty deep bench as well that can come in and provide much-needed relief - and experience in senior guard Riley Queensland, senior guard Lexi Schermann and junior forward Morgan Kelly but there's also some youngsters trying to make a name for themselves as well.  Freshman guard Emily Bowron, freshman guard Ella Peters, freshman guard Kendyl Queensland  and freshman guard Emy Wolkow are all providing quality minutes in relief.  This is a team that can say, "Been there.  Done that."  You look at all of the stats and you'll see the Gusties at or close to the top.  The only stat that should bother Laurie Kelly and her staff is the team free throw percentage where the Gusties are sixth in the conference at .696% and obviously you want that number to be better.  Is this a team that might've peaked too early?  Not necessarily.  We saw the Gusties recover just fine after the loss to Concordia up in Moorhead earlier this month.  I think for GAC, the important thing to remember is that the road ahead this week is arguably going to be tougher this time around and they've got to be prepared - both mentally and physically.

Sure sign of trouble - It's really hard to think of something off the top of my head and it's difficult to envision the Gusties having any kind of letdown to speak of.  However, they have to know and understand that they wear a much bigger target on their back this time around.  

So there you have it.  I think it goes without saying that this is going to be a fun and eventful week.  And, unlike last year, we shouldn't have to worry about Mother Nature rearing its ugly head so that's good.  I'll also be keeping a close eye on things going on around the other conferences and the next release of the Regional Rankings as well.  What do you say we get this little party started?!!!    

MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 2-18-24

 Well, it's been a sometimes wild and unpredictable regular season at that's brought changes to my Power Rankings since the first of the year so let me unveil my final version on the eve of the upcoming MIAC Playoffs:

1.  (tie) Concordia & GAC

2.  St. Kate's

3.  Bethel

4.  CSB

5.  Hamline

6.  (tie) Macalester & St. Scholastica

7.  Augsburg

8.  St. Olaf

9.  SMU

Again, I have the Cobbers and Gusties both on top of the mountain to finish the regular season; both giving each other nasty stares with the upcoming MIAC Playoffs looming.  I did this a week ago and the reason I did it was primarily because of the "eye test" after the Cobbers big win at Augsburg; along with the home win over GAC a few short days before.  Throw in what Concordia did this last week of the regular season as well with convincing home wins over both St. Olaf and St. Scholastica and they've proven to me that they belong on that top spot and they'll handle being the second seed in the MIAC Playoffs just fine.  Ditto for the Gusties as they finished off Augsburg and then blew out both SMU and Hamline; all in the comfy confines of Lund Arena and clinched the MIAC regular season title as well as the number-one seed for the MIAC Playoffs that goes with it this coming week.  

One could argue that maybe I should have slid St. Kate's down a notch or two after yesterday's abysmal performance up at CSB but they did too much coming down the stretch for me to do that with six straight wins before that and a program-best of 18-7 overall and 14-6 in conference play.  Now comes the interesting part for the 'Cats as they get locked into the third seed and a first-ever home playoff game in program history.  How will they handle this?  We'll see but if Head Coach Don Mulhern doesn't get Coach of the Year honors, something is definitely wrong........Bethel finished the last week of the regular season strong - getting a big home win over CSB last Wednesday night and then flattening St. Olaf down in Northfield yesterday and with the fourth seed in the MIAC Playoffs secured, they'll get to have at least one home game in Robertson Center where they Royals are tough to beat.  

The aforementioned CSB team lost that tough one at Bethel this last Wednesday night but finished off the regular season flying high as they raced past St. Kate's up at Claire Lynch yesterday.  Being relegated to the fifth seed and having to take their show on the road somehow doesn't seem right and some of this can be chalked up to inconsistency and some if it to pure rotten bad luck but, as someone once told me, it is what it is........Hamline bagged a nice home win this last Wednesday night against St. Scholastica but predictably got blown out yesterday down in St. Peter against GAC.  This unpredictable roller-coaster ride of a season has the Pipers relegated to the sixth seed for this coming week.  

I have both Macalester and St. Scholastica cuddled up together in the sixth spot of my Power Rankings for today.  Neither the Scots nor the Saints could generate enough firepower or consistency that might've got them over that big hurdle and into the MIAC Playoffs yet both competed hard this season and both showed significant improvement.  The Scots had the big overtime win over Hamline back in mid-January and finished off their season in grand style by beating Augsburg at home in Leonard Center yesterday.  The Saints knocked off UMAC regular season champ UW-Superior back in mid-December and swept St. Olaf this season.  Both of these programs have good coaches and it will be interesting to see if both programs can grow on this year's gains.

To me, the real disappointment this season is Augsburg.  This is a team that had a lot of talent and potential and although they showed flashes at times (see the win at Hamline right after the first of the year), they never could put it all together for an extended period of time and it'll be hard to replace the three great seniors that this year's team had.......  St. Olaf didn't have a lot of wins this season but nobody expected them to have a lot of wins this year after the great trio they had from last season graduated.  But the big road win they had at Hamline early this month is one feather they can stick in their cap and I think this team is a better than what its record shows........Tough times down US Highway 61 and the CPKC River Sub mainline in Winona where SMU was winless in conference play and with the incredibly young team that the Cardinals have, it may be a while before we see noticeable improvement.

So there you have it folks.  And now, it's time to gear up for the most wonderful time of the year - the upcoming MIAC Playoffs that will culminate with the MIAC Championship Game next Saturday.  I'll have my MIAC Playoff Preview as I always do to try and break things down.  You know what to do - buckle up and get ready.  This is going to be fun.  As always, please feel free to fire way with thoughts.