It took me a little while to get my feelings and emotions settled down after watching the first round fiascos suffered by both Concordia and GAC on this Friday night in the NCAA Tournament. There were high hopes to be had - particularly for the Gusties - on this night and, in the end, things just didn't work out very well. I've watched enough NCAA Tournament basketball with both UCLA and the alma mater (Iowa) to know that weird things can happen in the NCAA Tournament and I guess tonight was definitely no exception.
First, for Concordia, you could tell early on that they were having a very hard time dealing with the length and the pressure defense that Illinois Wesleyan employed tonight and when the Titans started launching three-point artillery, the Cobbers got deeper and deeper in a hole. Trailing 44-27 at the halftime break, things didn't get much better for Concordia until the fourth period got underway where the Cobbers - to their credit - reeled off a 13-2 run that eventually got them back into single-digit range twice in that fourth period. The problem was that they were in just too deep of a hole to get completely out of it. Consider: Illinois Wesleyan outrebounded Concordia on this night by a 41-34 count and if that wasn't bad enough, the Cobbers were guilty of 20 turnovers on this night - a by-product of that pressure defense that the Titans employed. Yeah, just - OUCH. And it was a rough night for the Cobbers from downtown as they shot 3-18 for 16.7%. Those three things right there are just absolute killers. And still, Concordia managed to make a run at them in that fourth period and you wonder had they just been able to get a few more of those three-point attempts to go down how that at least might've changed the complexion of things. Alas, it was simply not to be and the Cobbers close out a very good season for them.
But the real shocker on this night took place over at Kolf Sports Center on the campus of UW-Oshkosh where GAC fell in a double-overtime heartbreaker to a red-hot Trine team that may be peaking at just the right time. And let's remember too - this is the same Trine team that knocked off Hope in the MIAA Championship Game a mere week ago so while this one may not necessarily be a fluke, it has to hurt uncommonly bad for GAC Head Coach Laurie Kelly, her staff and players who had such high hopes coming into this season - and rightfully so. Now, trying to follow two games at once (see above) isn't an easy thing but the Gusties seemed to have the upper hand early on in this contest with a lead. But that lead was quickly shrunk by Trine as the Thunder controlled things in the second period to own a 27-21 lead at the halftime break. Trine would grow its lead to as many as nine points in the third period but a furious rally by the Gusties closed the gap to a mere four points at 37-33 by the end of the third period. The Gusties would get things leveled at 48 a piece with under a minute left and had a chance to win it in regulation but off to the first OT we went. The first OT was pretty much a stand-off with neither time gaining a decisive edge but again the Gusties had a late opportunity to win it and once again, they were unable to get a big shot to go down. I was personally afraid that after those two opportunities were lost, that might cost GAC and sure enough, Trine did just enough down the stretch in that second overtime to prevail in a thriller. And hey - give credit to the Thunder and especially junior guard Sidney Wagner who hails from Warsaw, IN who, time and time again, came up with some huge plays on both sides of the floor. Still, this may be one of the toughest defeats yet for the GAC program that seemingly had everything going for it and seemed primed to make a big run. But the big shocker was when I looked at the box score on this one. I myself will probably need a couple of Tylenol PM to get some sleep tonight after looking at it. Here's why: While the Gusties did own the boards on this night by a 44-33 count, they were also guilty of 24 turnovers on this night. TWENTY-FOUR!!! When was the last time you saw ANY Gustie team cough the rock up that much? And I don't care how many overtimes you play. Oh, and then throw in the fact that GAC was 2-19, yep, you read that right - 2-19 - from downtown for a frigid 10.5%. That alone just made me go EEEEK! But here's another stat line that caught my eye and if you remember, I brought this up after the MIAC Championship Game win over Concordia last weekend where GAC's charity stripe shooting was not that strong. And guess what folks? The Gusties were 8-12 from the line for 66.7% and in a game that's so close as this one, you cannot tell me for a second that that did not make a difference. In a game like this, that makes all the difference in the world. You have to make free throws and in a close game like this and you don't make them? Well, we saw what happened. Look - I'm not trying to pile on ANYONE here. I would never do that. I hurt as badly for this team as anyone (as I do the Cobbers) on this night. But man, those numbers don't lie. And that I think is what makes this night as difficult for anyone who cares about MIAC Women's Basketball as I do.
I still have a lot to digest on this night - and in the coming days as well - about how such a promising time for MIAC Women's Basketball and an opportunity to shine on the big stage - went up in flames. I feel so badly for both coaching staffs and players on both teams. You know they're both harboring a lot of heartache on this night. Sadly, that's one of the realities of the NCAA Tournament as I've had the privilege of covering it up close before. Those tears and sobs you hear in the post-game press conferences are real and if that doesn't get you inside, then you're simply not human. I think first we need to get this night out of our system before we can even begin to think what lies ahead next season with a revised 18-game conference schedule. For now, let's appreciate what a great season that both GAC and Concordia gave us and that both made it to the Dance.
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