Concordia vs St. Kate's 1-29-25

 Made the drive over to the St Paul side of town on this Wednesday night over to Butler Center on the campus of St. Catherine University (and enjoyed a pretty late afternoon sun glinting off the Minneapolis skyline on the way over too) to take in this important contest between visiting Concordia and host St. Kate's.  The Cobbers had their five-game win streak snapped this last Saturday when they dropped a big home game to GAC while the Wildcats have been in the midst of a very so-so season this year and have been fighting hard to keep their slim MIAC Playoff chances alive and those took another hit this last Saturday when they got thumped by Bethel.  Concordia had also scored a big home win earlier this month over St. Kate's and they were hoping that they could get a sweep and keep their hopes alive for a quarterfinal home playoff game.  But the Cobbers had also had to pull escape jobs in their last two visits to Butler Center and were hoping to avoid a third such scare this time around.

And the way this one started it certainly appeared that Concordia was going to do just that.  Right off the bat, senior guard Carlee Sieben would bury a "3" from the left top area at the 9:44 mark of the opening period and a bit later at the 8:50 mark, fellow senior forward Makayla Anderson would muscle into the paint for a score that had the Cobbers up 5-1.  St. Kate's would try and counter and senior forward Rachel Randleman would make a hard drive for a finish at the 8:27 mark but the 'Cats appeared to be in a rough spot when Concordia added two more answers.  Sieben would drain her second trey of the evening - this one from the left corner - at the 7:30 mark and then strong senior forward Greta Tollefson knocked down a short jumper from the left side at the 6:57 mark that seemed to have the Cobbers in full control with a 10-3 lead and there certainly weren't many inside Butler Center who could have thought differently at the moment - except the Wildcats themselves - as St. Kate's would proceed to shock everyone in the building - and their opponent - and embark on a game-changing 15-0 run.  Employing aggressive defensive play, the Wildcats started this run on two scores by rising freshman reserve guard Jordyn Peed.  First, the Eau Claire, WI native knocked down a tough jumper from the free throw line area at the 6:12 mark and on the subsequent Cobber possession, Peed would snare a steal near midcourt and quickly get in for a lay-up that pulled St. Kate's back to within a single possession down 10-7.  Another youngster; sophomore reserve forward Lily Peper got into the act a short time later by banging home a "3" from the top of the key at the 5:07 mark that leveled the contest at ten a piece and a very short time later, Peed would strike again with a steal and race the other way for a lay-up with 4:48 left that suddenly had the 'Cats out in front by a 12-10 count.  Then sophomore sensation guard Hattie Fox would take her cue as she stepped into a passing lane with perfect timing and anticipation to snare a steal and would then race the other way for a lay-up with 3:59 left to give St. Kate's a 14-10 advantage and Concordia Head Coach Kim Wagers; seeing her squad seemingly disintegrate before her eyes, called a thirty-second timeout in hopes of patching up all the holes.  Still, the Wildcats would add two more scores to cap this astonishing run as Peper would connect on a short jumper along the right baseline with 3:07 left and with 1:01 left, Peper would maneuver into the paint for a score to pad the St. Kate's lead to 18-10 before the Cobbers finally ended this extended and agonizing drought on two free throws by Sieben after she was fouled with :45 left.  But the 'Cats would inflict more damage before this first period was over as lanky junior forward Emme Golembiewski would connect on a lay-up in transition with just :00.1 that had St. Kate's up 20-12.  

Golembiewski would strike early on in the second period for the Wildcats as well as she connected with a short, one-handed shot in the lane at the 8:24 mark that gave them a ten-point cushion before Concordia could muster some semblance of a response.  Anderson; the Bismarck, ND native, would connect on a lay-up at the 8:07 mark and would follow that up less than a minute later at the 7:17 mark with a short shot off the glass that cut the deficit to six at 22-16 and made things a bit more manageable at that moment.  Two free throws by sophomore reserve forward Genevieve Gruba after she was fouled at the 5:13 mark kept the Cobbers in that six-point range down 24-18 but another push by St. Kates - specifically Peed - rebuilt that earlier ten-point cushion.  Peed would first snare a steal and race the other way for a lay-up with 4:56 left and would connect on another lay-up with 4:11 left that had the Wildcats up 28-18.  With 2:50 left, junior guard Maddie Young would snare an offensive rebound for a putback and with 1:47 left, Fox would connect on a lay-up that expanded St. Kate's lead to 32-20 and the Cobbers' Wagers would once again take a match to a thirty-second timeout in hopes of some quick fixes but none were coming anytime soon as the 'Cats kept on coming.  Young would get into the paint for one score to grow the lead to 34-20 and a jumper from the left elbow area by Peper with just :05.3 left allowed St. Kate's to take that fourteen-point lead at 36-22 into the locker room at the half as Concordia seemed to look like it didn't know what hit them.   

The Cobbers would try and get a jump start once the third period got underway as two lay-ups by Anderson - one at the 9:50 mark and another at the 8:02 mark - had the deficit down to ten at 36-26 but the 'Cats responded quickly to this intrusion by their opponent.  Golembiewski would bury a "3" from the right corner at the 7:21 mark and a short pull-up jumper by Fox gave St. Kate's their biggest lead yet at 41-26.  To their credit, Concordia would launch an 8-0 push that slimmed down this deficit.  Lanky sophomore reserve post Maci Wheeldon would connect on a lay-up at the 5:11 mark and a pretty coast-to-coast lay-up by Sieben with 4:46 left had the deficit down to eleven at 41-30.  That caught the attention of Wilcats acting Head Coach Paul Richie as he took a match to a thirty-second timeout to get his squad calmed down a bit.  Despite another dry spell with several missed opportunities, the Cobbers did manage to make a significant dent in the last two minutes of this third period.  Gruba; the Enderlin, ND native, would snare a steal and race the other way for a lay-up with 2:13 left and two free throws by Anderson after she was fouled with :33.1 seconds left at least had Concordia back within striking distance down 41-34 but one couldn't help but wonder how much closer they might have been had they been able to convert on some of those missed opportunities.

The Cobbers hoped to build on this latest push once the fourth period got underway but it would instead be St. Kate's setting the tone again early on.  Fox would start things off with a three-point play the old-fashioned way - a lay-up that drew a foul along with the obligatory "and one" at the 9:18 mark and Fox would also get a pair of free throws to go down a bit later after getting fouled at the 8:42 mark that restored the double-digit cushion at 46-34.  Concordia would try to get close again as a score in the paint by Anderson at the 8:29 mark and a three-point bomb by junior point guard Taylor Safranski from the left top area at the 7:55 mark had the Cobbers back in that seven-point range again down 46-39 but much to the dismay of the Cobber faithful, the boat started leaking again as St. Kate's went on a 5-0 push.  Fox would connect on a lay-up at the 7:04 mark and then senior forward Rachel Randleman would bang home a "3" from the right top area that again restored the double-digit lead at 51-39 and Concordia's Wagers; now seeing the window of opportunity shrink considerably, called for a halt to the action in hopes of stopping the seeming inevitable.  The Cobbers would trim the deficit down to ten at 51-41 when junior reserve guard Molly Musland knocked down a jumper from the left elbow area at the 5:28 mark but that ray of hope dimmed quickly when St. Kate's Randleman buried her second trey of this fourth period - this one from the left top area with 4:36 left - that gave the 'Cats a 54-41 advantage and that lead would grow to fifteen when Young dropped a pair of charity stripe shots after getting fouled with 3:22 left and by this point, things definitely looked hopeless for Concordia.  Somehow, the Cobbers would still make one last comeback bid.  With 2:44 left, Sieben would connect on a lay-up that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" cut the deficit down to twelve at 56-44 and with 2:12 left, Sieben would strike again by making a daring drive into the lane and getting a finish that reduced the gap to ten at 56-46.  Then with 1:59 left, sophomore reserve guard Alexa Snesrud would get a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled and shortly thereafter, Musland would snare a steal and get the ball to Sieben who was able to cash in on a lay-up with 1:49 left that had the deficit down to a tantalizing six points at 56-50.  That got the attention of St. Kate's and they knew they had to get aggressive on the offensive end again.  Fox would slither into the paint for a score with 1:28 left and Golembiewski would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled after getting fouled with 1:04 left that increased the Wildcat safety net to nine at 59-50.  The Cobbers would make one last desperate attempt on their ensuing possession when Sieben drained a "3" from the top of the key with :55.2 left but the comeback attempt would be extinguished for good as Fox would knock down a pair of insurance free throws after getting fouled - with :14.4 left and again with :05.2 left as the Wildcats pocketed a huge 63-53 victory.  

To say that things were a bit subdued on the Concordia front after this latest setback would be quite an understatement.  When I caught up with Assistant Coach Terry Porter, he couldn't help but point out the lack of rebounding, errant passing not to mention the struggles just shooting the rock.  "That's not how we look in practice" he said.  "It's just not us" he added and you could certainly detect the frustration he was feeling after this one and rightfully so, IMHO.  And as someone who genuinely cares about and likes this program, yours truly felt a mix of frustration and at the same time empathy for the team and coaches because, for whatever reason, things have just not "clicked" this season as many thought they would; especially after coming out of the gate reasonably well.  But the reality lies in the box score and this one would make any sane individual reach for the Ambien at night.  Brace yourself:  Rebounds?  St. Kate's with a 37-28 advantage.  Points in the paint?  St. Kate's with a 38-28 advantage.  Second-chance points?  The 'Cats with a 13-7 edge.  Now, both teams were guilty of 19 turnovers on this night.  But the difference was that St. Kate's was able to go the bank and cash in on what they stole much more effectively with a 23-10 advantage.  Oh, but it doesn't stop there.  Throw in the fact that the Cobbers shot 20-59 from FG range for 33.9 % and only 4-22 from downtown for 18.2% and you can easily see what a rough night at the O.K. Corral it was for Concordia.  But you have to dig a little deeper here too, I think.  When you have to rely night in and night out on primarily two players for scoring production (Sieben and Anderson), it's not a recipe for long-term success and somehow this team has got to get more balanced on the scoring front, IMHO, if they're going to get this thing turned around.  We know what these two bring to the table and they're great players; that's not being disputed.  But what I'm saying is that you've got to have others step up and balance things out a bit to take the pressure off of these two.  It reminds me of a certain young lady who wore #20 for Concordia the last few seasons and I don't have enough fingers on my hands to count the times she bailed her team out of hot water - including twice at this venue.  Unfortunately for the Cobbers, she's run out of eligibility and is now sitting in the stands.  They've got to find a way to get things balanced out a bit.  And here's the bizarre, crazy thing:  Even with the ice-cold shooting on this night and all the other shortcomings they had, if they'd have been able to just somehow turn some of those missed opportunities into a few extra points, they might've been able to somehow pull this one off against all odds with that late comeback attempt.  But here's the real danger for Concordia:  Where you might've been thinking a mere week ago of settling into either the third or fourth seed for the MIAC Playoffs, you now essentially find yourself battling for your playoff life.  You've got Hamline, CSB and St. Scholastica all ahead of you in the standings right now and pesky SMU is nipping at your heels.  As Wagers told me afterward (with regards to a home playoff game) "We've got work to do.  We've got work to do."  And considering the short window in preparing for Hamline on Saturday, that couldn't be any more accurate.

But I'd be patently amiss if I didn't heap a ton of praise on this St. Kate's team.  Head Coach Don Mulhern; who's still recuperating from recent surgery, has always emphasized grit and toughness and this team in my mind epitomized that on this night.  They simply would not be denied.  Each time Concordia tried to make a run at them, they never wavered.  You can't say enough about the senior leadership of this team with Randleman, Greta Schimnowski and Maddy Manger.  They've learned a lot from their predecessors and are now passing that knowledge down to a very underrated young group of players and one can't help but be excited when you look at the performances of Fox, Peper and the freshman Peed.  And hopefully by this time next year, junior Kaylee Miron will be fully recovered from the knee injury she suffered this season so the prospects for this team are indeed bright.  I think perhaps the biggest disappointment thus far has been the overall consistency - taking their lumps one night and then looking like world-beaters like they did on this night.  In terms of the MIAC Playoffs, they're still trying to hang in there although it may prove to be a bridge too far in the end with the teams ahead of them.  But if they can just find some consistency in this home stretch, they're going to be very, very dangerous for any opponent.  

And it was a great night for the Wildcats' Fox as she led the way for her team with 20 points and just missed out on a double-double with nine rebounds.  Golembiewski was steady (if not spectacular) and she tallied 10 points and also just fell short of a double-double with nine rebounds while the youngster Peed finished with 10 points as well.  Sieben had to shoulder the bulk of the load for Concordia on this night as she led all scorers with her 22 points and Anderson also fell just short of a double-double with her 14 points and nine rebounds.

MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 1-26-25

 More shifts and adjustments on this NFC/AFC Championship Gameday Sunday with the MIAC Playoff Picture perhaps starting to slowly come into focus here:

1.  Bethel

2.  GAC

3.  Hamline

4.  Concordia

5.  CSB

6.  SMU

7.  St. Scholastica

8.  Macalester

9.  St. Kate's

10.  Carleton

11.  Augsburg

12.  St. Olaf

Bethel suffered no letdown after the big win at GAC the previous Saturday night and consolidated on their gains with easy wins - at home against St. Scholastica this last Wednesday night and then over at St. Kate's yesterday.  Things look to be shaping up nicely for the Royals - at least for the short term anyway - as they host Augsburg on Wednesday night and then make the trip down US Highway 61 and the CPKC River Sub mainline to Winona this coming Saturday to take on SMU........GAC recovered nicely from last weekend's disastrous home loss to said Bethel team with two big road wins - last Wednesday night over at Hamline and then yesterday up in Moorhead against Concordia - a venue that hadn't been kind to the Gusties the last couple of seasons.  On paper anyway, GAC should continue on its winning ways this coming week as they'll host Macalester on Wednesday night before coming back up to the Twin Cities to face Augsburg this coming Saturday.

The first significant shift from last week is Hamline moving up to the third spot.  They weren't able to hang with the Gusties for four full periods this last Wednesday night but they recovered nicely yesterday by snaring a big road win on the frigid shores of Gitche Gumee at St. Scholastica.  But another tricky week is in store for the Pipers as they first host a resurgent SMU team on Wednesday night before making the dreaded trip up US Highway 10 and the BNSF Staples Sub mainline to Moorhead to face Concordia.......And, speaking of the Cobbers, they slip to the fourth spot in my Power Rankings this Sunday; not so much because they lost to GAC yesterday but more because they had to scrape and claw to get past Macalester this last Wednesday night.  For Concordia, given their relative position right now, it seems like every remaining game is going to be a matter of life or death for them and they simply have to start playing better on both ends of the floor.  They make the trip down to the Cities on Wednesday evening to take on St. Kate's and then return home this coming Saturday to take on said Hamline team which, for all intents and purposes, is going to be a "must win" game for them. 

CSB finally ended its four-game skid with a pair of wins this last week; against Augsburg this last Wednesday night on the road and then a big one at home against SMU yesterday.  Two winnable games appear to be on the horizon this coming week for the Bennies - at home vs St. Olaf on Wednesday night and then down in Northfield this coming Saturday against the Oles crosstown rival, Carleton........For the Cardinals, it was a week that could have been but wasn't as though they did take care of St. Olaf in Winona this last Wednesday night, they couldn't finish the deal up at CSB yesterday.  That split could prove costly to SMU as they have a hard row to hoe this coming week - coming up to the Cities to play Hamline on Wednesday night before hosting Bethel this coming Saturday. 

Two more teams very much in play for the MIAC Playoffs.  It was a rough, rough week this last week for St. Scholastica as they had to absorb a pair of losses as most expected them to - at Bethel this last Wednesday night and then yesterday's disappointment at home against Hamline.  Things may not be much better than a 50-50 proposition for the Saints this coming week as they get Carleton at home on Wednesday night but then have to come down to the Cities to face a dangerously-good Macalester team this coming Saturday........So let's talk about those Scots who just fell short up in Moorhead this last Wednesday night and then turned things around by getting a big home win against Augsburg yesterday.  I do think they've got to find more consistency but when you have a player like Peyton Starks who can be a one-person wrecking crew at times, you're going to be a threat.  This coming Wednesday night down at GAC will likely prove to be a bridge too far for Macalester but they have a big home game this coming Saturday against aforementioned St. Scholastica team which could prove to be very big in terms of snaring that sixth playoff spot.  

That's all I can think of on this day.  As always, feel free to fire away with thoughts.  

Augsburg vs Macalester 1-25-25

 Made my way over to the St Paul side of town on this sunny but cold and windy Saturday - first over to El Burrito Mercado to get stocked up on their fabulous salsa and chicken for the best homemade tacos in town - and then over to Leonard Center on the campus of Macalester College for the 1:00 PM start between visiting Augsburg and host Macalester.  It's been a rough season for the Auggies and first-year Head Coach Mallie Doucette as Augsburg has been able to notch one win since the first of the year - a home win over St. Olaf back last weekend.  It hasn't been exactly smooth sailing for the Scots this season either but they've shown the ability to compete and they gave Concordia all they could handle this last Wednesday night up in Moorhead before they grudgingly fell short.  And Macalester is working hard to stay in the hunt for the MIAC Playoffs so this game today would be vitally important for them.  

It would be the Auggies trying to set the tone early in this one; in large part because of the attacking and shooting prowess of freshman guard Lani Fonoti as she would start things out by first making a daring drive into traffic and finishing with a nifty reverse lay-up at the 9:14 mark and then follow that up with a three-point bomb from the left top area at the 8:47 mark that had Augsburg up 5-0.  Despite the relatively slow start by the Scots, Macalester did not panic and instead paced themselves and slowly crawled back into this one and went on a 10-0 run in the process.  Senior combo guard/forward Peyton Starks - who was a one-person wrecking crew up in Moorhead this last Wednesday night - would grab an offensive rebound for a putback at the 7:59 mark and then fellow senior combo guard/forward Katherine Norquist would connect with a short jumper in the lane at the 6:28 mark that cut the deficit to one at 5-4.  The Scots would push ahead at 6-5 when Norquist made a hard drive along the left baseline for a pretty reverse lay-up at the 5:37 mark and then Starks would help pad this lead a bit with free throws after getting fouled - one with 4:59 left and another with 4:22 left - that now had Macalester up 8-5.  Sophomore guard Mary Daley would cap this early run with a lay-up with 3:59 left that grew the Scots lead to 10-5 before Augsburg finally ended this drought on another three-point bomb by Fonoti - this one from the top of the key with 3:42 left.  But there was a reason for this dry spell by the Auggies as Macalester was employing both full-court and half-court pressure that befuddled Augsburg and largely made them one-dimensional.  This allowed the Scots to at least maintain a cushion and grow it a bit before this first period was out.  Daley would drop a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 3:30 left and then Norquist would come through big again for Macalester.  The Chicago native would first get a short jumper in the lane off the glass with 3:05 left and would follow that up a short time later by stealing an inbounds pass and then racing the other way for a lay-up with 2:37 left to push the Scots lead to 16-8.  Augsburg would finally get a bit of relief from the charity stripe as fifth-year senior point guard Katie Manecke would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 1:48 left and junior forward Amira LaDuke would get a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled with :49.8 left that slimmed the deficit down to five at 16-11.  Still, Macalester would increase its lead to seven when senior reserve guard Jessica Sabbagh buried a '3" from the left corner off of an inbounds pass with :38 left as the Scots carried an 18-11 lead into the second period.

The Auggies would try and get off on a positive note again once the second period got underway as Fonoti would connect on a jumper along the right baseline at the 9:44 mark that again got the deficit down to five at 18-13.  But the pressure defense that Macalester was employing in this contest made it difficult for the group from the east side of Minneapolis to sustain much offensively as the Scots continued to set the pace.  Norquist would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 8:13 mark and then a lay-up by Daley at the 6:39 mark got Macalester's lead back to seven at 21-14.  The Scots offensive pace would slow a bit over the next few minutes as they could only get one free throw by senior reserve guard Camille Samuel after she was fouled at the 6:01 mark but with 3:50 left, Macalester would go on another push that got them a double-digit cushion.  Starks would connect on a lay-up that also drew a foul and the obligatory "and one" by the St Louis, MO native made it a 25-16 game and then sophomore reserve guard Kendall Bernbaum would bang home a "3" from the left corner with 3:03 left that now had the Scots up 28-16.  With :57.1 left, sophomore guard Sydnee Smith would get a pair of free throws to go down after she was fouled to cap this 9-0 run and although Augsburg would get a nibble off of the deficit on one free throw by freshman reserve guard Evelyn Perkins with :32 left, the Auggies looked like a team that was out of answers at the moment as they were on the wrong end of a 30-17 score as both teams headed to their locker rooms for the halftime intermission.

Because Augsburg was basically reduced to being one-dimensional - essentially Fonoti and no one else throughout the first half, they needed to make some adjustments on both ends of the floor during the halftime break and it appeared that they did just that once the third period got underway.  To be sure, things started off on a bit of a sour note for the Scots when Daley was nabbed with her third foul of the afternoon at the 8:32 mark but Macalester Head Coach Katie Kollar rolled the dice here a bit and left the youngster from Rhode Island on the floor.  Still, the Auggies rediscovered their normally high-octane offense and started to take some chunks out of the deficit - and spread some of the wealth as well.  LaDuke would get a short, turnaround jumper to go down at the 8:22 mark and sophomore guard Saylor Gallagher would drain a "3" from the right wing area at the 7:35 mark that got Augsburg back into single-digit range again down 30-22.  Then Fonoti would make a hard drive along the right baseline and get a finish at the 6:48 mark that had the deficit down to six at 30-24 before the Scots finally ended their extended drought at the 6:30 mark on a score in the paint by Norquist.  Augsburg would get another push as Gallagher would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 5:50 mark and then freshman forward Jada Stanford would snare an offensive rebound for a putback at the 5:17 mark that drew the Auggies closer down 32-27.  Alarmed at this development.  Macalester would regrow its lead again.  Samuel would get a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled with 4:52 left and then Norquist would make a daring drive into traffic to finish with a lay-up as the shot clock was winding down with 4:07 left that had the Scots up by nine at 36-27 and seemingly in good shape once again.  But that didn't seem to deter Augsburg one bit as they would proceed to embark on another comeback bid.  Manecke would grab a defensive rebound and race away on a coast-to-coast lay-up with 3:30 left that cut the deficit to seven at 36-29 and would also knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 3:06 left to keep the Auggies in that seven-point range down 38-31.  A short time later, Gallagher would knock down a jumper from the right wing area with 2:23 left that drew Augsburg even closer down 38-33 and the Scots' Kollar; fearful of seeing her team's lead shrink even further, decided to take a match to a timeout in hopes of making some quick adjustments.  This stoppage in play seemed to have the desired effect at first as Sydnee Smith connected with a jumper from the left elbow area off of an inbounds pass with 2:08 left and two free throws by Norquist after she was fouled with 1:13 left seemed to restore order with Macalester back up by nine at 42-33.  But the Auggies would again unleash another push before this third period was over.  Gallagher would connect on a jumper just inside the arc from the left wing area with 1:03 left and with :25 left, LaDuke would bang home a "3" from the right wing area that cut the deficit back down to six and given the fact that the Scots were unable to consolidate on the gains they had made earlier in this contest, a sense of uneasiness seemed to swirl around Leonard Center as this one morphed into the fourth period.

That uneasiness was justified as Augsburg closed the gap even further once the fourth period got underway.  LaDuke would maneuver into the paint for a score at the 9:44 mark that cut the deficit to four at 44-40 and a jumper by Manecke from near the free throw line area at the 9:13 mark kept the Auggies in that four-point range down 46-42.  At the 8:36 mark, Augsburg closed to a single possession when Fonoti unleashed a three-point bomb from the left wing area that cut the Scots lead to 48-45 and momentum definitely appeared to be on the Auggies side at this point.  Curiously, however, Augsburg was unable to sustain as Macalester regained control of this one for good.  First, Starks would knock down a short jumper at the 8:23 mark and then Daley would come through big time for the Scots.  She would first get sent to the charity stripe after getting fouled at the 7:54 mark and got a pair of free throws to go down and would follow that up a bit later at the 6:44 mark with a heart-breaking "3" from the right wing area off of an inbounds pass that suddenly made it a ten-point game at 55-45 and Augsburg's Doucette; clearly seeing the window of opportunity closing fast, called for a halt to the action in hopes of making some quick fixes.  Still, Macalester would continue with its newfound offensive.  Starks would connect on a lay-up at the 6:10 mark and Norquist would connect on a short, turnaround jumper in the lane at the 5:34 mark that stretched the Scots lead to fourteen at 59-45 and the Auggies' Doucette would quickly call for a thirty-second timeout as this one was getting away from her squad once again.  But Augsburg could only take nibbles off of the deficit down the stretch.  Gallagher would drain a "3" from the right wing area at the 5:10 mark but the Auggies were unable to recapture the same offensive magic they had found back in the third period and Macalester was now in position to close this one out.  Starks would make a hard drive along the left baseline and finish with a pretty reverse lay-up with 4:11 left and the Scots were getting the job done at the charity stripe as well.  Sydnee Smith would get pairs of free throws to go down after getting fouled with 2:17 and 1:40 left and Daley would follow suit after getting fouled with 1:13 left.  Daley would leave her mark on this contest when she used a burst of speed to connect on a tough lay-up that also drew a foul and although she couldn't cash in on the "and one" opportunity, her toughness and tenacity were undeniable in this game.  Augsburg would get a couple of late meaningless scores at the end but it would be Macalester emerging triumphant with a 69-54 victory.  

I was first able to catch up with Augsburg's Doucette who was understandably disappointed with the outcome in this one.  She was quick to agree that her squad was pretty much one-dimensional in the first half; relying primarily on Fonoti for offensive production.  I pointed to the adjustments she made at the halftime break that allowed them to get right back into the contest only to mysteriously disappear after they had closed to within a single possession.  To be sure, the Auggies have been enduring their share of the injury bugaboo at the moment as junior guard Wakinyela Bear, junior guard Melanie Delestrez and junior post Emma Kanz are out with unspecified injuries right now.  But Doucette refused to use that as an excuse saying that "everybody's going through these issues right now."  But Augsburg was definitely hampered on this day with the 17 turnovers they committed and that was in large part due to the pressure defense that the Scots were applying in this contest.  Then you look at Augsburg shooting only 19-58 from FG range for 32.8% and 6-17 from downtown for 35.3% and you can kind of guess that they had a rough day at the office.  But a closer look at this game reveals more in that there were a lot of "bunnies" and short shots that were missed on this day and considering how the Auggies were able to close they gap early in the fourth period, something like that looms large not to mention that it makes coaches reach for the Tylenol PM at night.  I already mentioned the 17 turnovers and Macalester did a good job of making the Auggies pay for those transgressions by getting 18 points off of them.  The Scots also enjoyed a whopping 38-18 edge in points in the paint and a 17-6 advantage in those all-important second-chance points.  That pretty much tells you all you need to know about this one.  

When you look at this Macalester team at first glance, you likely don't think of them as a real contender status-wise.  But then you watch them play - especially in person - and your eyes open up.  The first thing that caught my eye is that this is a team that not only enjoys playing with each other, they also enjoy playing for each other.  It's a tightly-knit group that just works together really well and they don't beat themselves.  We saw this last Wednesday night how Starks almost single-handedly got this team in position to knock off Concordia up in Moorhead before falling short.  They're not what you'd call a great shooting team by any stretch but when they get hot - particularly Starks - and when they use that pressure defense of theirs, they're just sneaky dangerously good.  I've mentioned Starks already and what she brings to the table but one player on this team who deserves perhaps just as much credit is Daley and she may very well be the best-kept secret in the MIAC.  You watch her out there and she plays with such joy and you can see that when, even in a competitive situation, she may be jiving to one of her favorite songs coming out of a timeout or just encouraging one of her teammates that may need a lift.  She's just a pleasure to watch.  I asked Macalester's Kollar about this group and you could see her bubbling with enthusiasm as this squad is very much in the thick of the MIAC Playoff race.  Whether they can get there at the end remains to be seen but Kollar was quick to point out the one thing that I asked her about when it came to contrasting last year's team with the current squad.  "Experience" she replied.  This is probably the last team you want to have to face if you're looking for an easy win as the Cobbers almost found out the hard way this last Wednesday night and it'll be interesting to see how they fare down the stretch.  

What a day it was indeed for two of the Scots big performers - Starks and Norquist - as they both tallied 17 points on this day and Norquist would also have a double-double with her 14 rebounds as she's a rebounding machine.  Then there was Daley right behind with her 15 points and who also had a solid day at the charity stripe going 6-7.  Sydnee Smith was solid as well on this day with her 12 points.  Augburg's Fonoti also poured in 17 points on this day to enjoy the high-scoring honors and the Auggies had to rely on her for their meager offensive output in that disastrous first half.  Gallagher finally came alive in the third period; going 2-3 from downtown and finishing with 13 points.  LaDuke would tally 11 points on this day and Manecke was right behind with her 10 points.     

MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 1-19-25

 Here we are on a big NFC Divisional Playoff Gameday for my LA Rams - which looks to be at a cold and (very) snowy Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia today.  But we had a very wild and momentous day in MIAC Women's Hoops play yesterday which shakes up my Power Rankings for today significantly and unexpectedly.  So let's get to it.

1.  Bethel

2.  GAC

3.  Concordia

4.  (tie) Hamline & St. Scholastica

5.  SMU

6.  Macalester

7.  (tie) CSB & St. Kate's

8.  Augsburg

9.  Carleton

10.  St. Olaf

What a shocker it was indeed down in St. Peter last night that saw Bethel run roughshod over an undefeated and sixth-ranked GAC team as the Royals trademark defense stymied a usually-potent Gustie offensive attack.  Coming down the stretch, GAC looked completely out of their element and incredibly frustrated at times and it was shocking to watch - even online.  The question now becomes is how these two teams go forward after last night's clash.  For the Royals, they can't get too comfortable as they have a vastly-improved St. Scholastica team coming down to Robertson Center on Wednesday night before they make the run down to St. Kate's next Saturday to take on St. Kate's.......Meanwhile for GAC, what an incredible letdown to what was initially looking like a possible storybook season and now they absolutely must find a way to put last night's shocking loss behind them and refocus.  And that will not be easy at all for the Gusties this coming week as they first come up to the Twin Cities on Wednesday night to take on a very dangerous Hamline team and then follow that up with the dreaded road trip up to Moorhead to face Concordia at cavernous Memorial Auditorium - a venue that hasn't been kind to the Gusties the last couple of seasons.

Below these two teams is where things really get tricky.  I decided to leave Concordia entrenched in the third spot as they took care of business this last week - even if it wasn't in totally convincing fashion - by first holding off a late CSB rally up in Moorhead last Wednesday night and then pulling off a second escape job down in Northfield - this time against Carleton - yesterday.  The Cobbers get two home games this coming week; first against Macalester on Wednesday night but then get aforementioned GAC team on Saturday.  For Concordia to salvage what has so far been an unpredictable roller coaster ride season, they've got to find a way to get dubs on both outings, IMHO........I have two teams sharing the fourth spot on this Sunday.  First is Hamline which got relatively easy wins down at St. Olaf last Wednesday night and then yesterday at home vs St. Kate's.  But the Pipers can ill-afford to rest on their latest laurels as this will be a very telling week for them.  First, GAC will come rolling into venerable Hutton Arena on Wednesday night and you know the Gusties will be out for blood.  Then next Saturday the Pipers must venture up to the frigid shores of Gitche Gumee to take on what looks to be a very good St. Scholastica team......So let's talk about those Saints who are also sharing the fourth spot in my Power Rankings on this Sunday.  It wasn't that much of a surprise that they took care of Augsburg at home this last Wednesday night but the fact that St. Scholastica went down to St. Joe yesterday and basically ran the Bennies out of their own crib was an eye-opener.  The aforementioned game with Hamline looms this Wednesday night before a trip down to the Cities to take on Bethel this coming Saturday.  If the Saints can come away with at least a split this coming week, things could be shaping up very well for them in terms of the MIAC Playoff picture.

Who would have guessed that SMU would possibly be in the position that they are right now - particularly in new Head Coach Courtney Shelton's first season down in Winona?  Yet here the Cardinals are in what was supposed to be strictly a rebuilding season and they're already turning heads as they've won four of their last five games.  We can forgive the fact that SMU had to take it on the chin this last Wednesday night at home against GAC but they bounded up US Highway 61 and the CPKC River Sub mainline yesterday and took care of business over at Macalester and looked pretty good in doing it, too.  And mind you, this is a team that is littered with freshmen and sophomores right now and they probably shouldn't be doing this.  But they are and this week appears to be a doable proposition as they host St. Olaf on Wednesday night and then go up to St. Joe next Saturday to take on a slumping CSB team......Macalester meanwhile came away with at least a split this last week, popping St. Kate's this last Wednesday night before dropping the tough home game against aforementioned SMU team yesterday.  The Scots have to hope that they can come away with at least a split this coming week as they first must make the long trip up US Highway 10 and the BNSF Staples Sub mainline to Moorhead to face Concordia on Wednesday before coming back home and hosting Augsburg this next Saturday.  

Falling and falling faster and harder than the obligatory anvil in the Wile E. Coyote/Road Runner cartoons are two teams who share the seventh spot in my Power Rankings on this Sunday.  CSB is mired in a four-game losing streak right now and although they mustered a late comeback attempt this last Wednesday at Concordia they still lost by twelve and then followed that up yesterday by looking absolutely lost and bewildered at home against St. Scholastica in a game they trailed by as many as 24 (twenty-four!) points midway through the fourth period.  What's so absolutely puzzling is that this team is loaded with talent and we know that they should be doing better and they're simply not right now and they've got to find some answers if they want to get back into this thing before it's too late.  They absolutely MUST beat Augsburg this Wednesday down in the Twin Cities and then have to find a way to beat a very-improved SMU team at Claire Lynch this coming Saturday........Also in dire straits on this Sunday is St. Kate's as they've now lost four of their last five games and simply have not looked cohesive at all as of late; getting popped at home by Macalester this last Wednesday night before yesterday's blowout loss over at Hamline.  The 'Cats best prospects this week appear to be coming away with at least a split and even that isn't guaranteed as they run down to Northfield on Wednesday night to take on Carleton and then host Bethel (gulp) this next Saturday.  

So definitely a momentous week and weekend that shook up these Power Rankings this time around.  As always, please feel free to fire away with thoughts....   

Saturday Re-Cap 1-18-25

 Decided to stay close to home today for two reasons:  (1) It was colder than bleepity-bleep outside and (2) my LA Rams have a big NFC Divisional Playoff Game to play in tomorrow.  However, that certainly didn't prevent me from watching MIAC games online today and here's a recap of what went down.

St. Scholastica def CSB 74-51

In one of the big shockers of the day, St. Scholastica made the trek from the frigid shores of Gitche Gumee down to St. Joe but that didn't faze the Saints at all in this one as they managed to build a cushion in the second period and held a 42-30 lead at the half and led by as many as 24 points in the fourth period as the cruised to a big road win.  St. Scholastica had a big edge on the boards on this day by a 43-28 count while the Bennies suffered yet another icy day from both FG range and behind the arc.  Saints sophomore forward Kloey Lind had a huge day with 22 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double and she got plenty of help as both freshman guard Ava Haus and junior guard Jackie Johnson both tallied 13 points a piece.  CSB was paced by freshman guard Tatum Findley with her 14 points.  

Concordia def Carleton 54-48

It was definitely a struggle on many fronts for the Cobbers down in Northfield on this day but in the end their depth eventually wore down the Knights although Carleton was able to keep things surprisingly close for most of the contest.  The Knights used a stingy defense that befuddled Concordia at times but Carleton was unable to overcome the 18 turnovers they suffered on this day.  Not surprisingly, it was the Cobbers two primary seniors - guard Carlee Sieben and forward Makayla Anderson - coming through when they had to as they led the way with 18 and 16 points, respectively.  Carleton was paced by freshman guard Audrey Whitney's 19 points to lead all scorers and fellow freshman guard Addy Huss tallied 12 points.

Hamline def St. Kate's 74-45

The Pipers would come out of the gates fast in this game; grabbing an early 10-0 lead and would balloon their lead to as many as 30 points at 39-9 late in the second period as Hamline could do little wrong on this day in rolling to an easy win.  Senior point guard Kate Trachsel 19 points easily led all scorers on this day but she got plenty of help as sophomore guard Yasmeen Abed poured in 14 points and junior guard Camille Cummings had 13 points.  St. Kate's was led by sophomore guard Hattie Fox's 14 points.

Augsburg def St. Olaf 59-56

The Oles would dictate things early on in this contest; building a twelve-point 14-2 lead near the midway point of the first period but the Auggies never wavered and slyly whittled their way back into this contest and trailed only 25-22 by the halftime break.  Augsburg would then build on this newfound momentum and would take a 44-39 lead going into the fourth period.  St. Olaf would make a late run in the home stretch of the fourth period and trailed by only one at 57-56 with :23 left in regulation but couldn't close the deal.  The Auggies were led by freshman guard Lani Fonoti's 19 points and fifth-year senior guard Katie Manecke also came up big on this day with her 17 points.  The Oles were led by sophomore guard Chloee Smith's 22 points which led all scorers while senior forward Sophia Kormann tallied 14 points.

SMU def Macalester 67-54

The Cardinals continue to be one of the other real surprise teams in the MIAC this season and today was no exception as they came up to the Twin Cities and survived a tough test against an improving Macalester team.  SMU would be in control in the first half and own a 35-27 lead by the halftime break.  But the Scots would come out on fire in the third period and would get this contest leveled at 48 a piece going into the fourth period.  The Cardinals, however, would be too tough down the stretch and would get the big scores when they needed them to prevail.  SMU was paced by freshman guard Brianna Nusbaum's 20 points that led all scorers but she also got a lot of help on this day as junior guard Lindsey Lettner had 13 points and freshman forward Rylie Sternquist tallied 11 points.  Macalester was paced by senior combo guard/forward Peyton Starks and her 18 points.  

Bethel def GAC 72-58

The other big shocker of the day took place down in St. Peter tonight as the Royals took down #6 GAC in convincing fashion.  Bethel used a 2-3 matchup zone defense that stymied the usually-potent Gustie offense as the Royals roared out to a 21-10 lead by the end of the first period.  GAC would momentarily get untracked and unleash a 7-0 push at the beginning of the second period that had them right back in the thick of things down only 21-17 but just when Bethel appeared vulnerable they hunkered down and stayed true to their strengths and quickly rebuilt their double-digit advantage and enjoyed a 37-26 lead by the halftime break.  The Gusties would attempt a couple of runs in the second half but could never sustain any real momentum and the Royals recorded the big upset on this weekend - and perhaps the regular season as well.  Bethel had the big advantage on both the boards and in points in the paint that ultimately proved to be the difference on this night.  And what a night it was for senior combo guard/forward Elly Schmitz as her 19 points not only paced the Royals but led all scorers as well.  She got plenty of help on this night as fifth-year senior guard Anna Garfield collected 13 points and junior point guard Colette Duininck tallied 11 points.  Senior point guard Kylie Baranick had to shoulder much of the load for GAC on this night with her 15 points and fifth-year senior forward Izzy Quick was right behind with her 14 points and fellow fifth-year senior guard Emma Kniefel finished with 12 points.

And yes, I'll be putting out my latest Power Rankings tomorrow AM so stay tuned!  

MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 1-12-25

 Here we are on the eve of the big NFC Wildcard Playoff game between my Los Angeles Rams and our forever arch-rival Minnesota Vikings.  No changes at the top two positions but some significant movement in the middle area so let's get to it:

1.  GAC

2.  Bethel

3.  Concordia

4.  CSB

5.  Hamline

6.  (tie) St. Scholastica & SMU

7.  St. Kate's & Macalester

8.  St. Olaf

9.  Carleton

10.  Augsburg

The Gusties routinely took care of business this last week as expected and even though it wasn't always pretty at times, it's the final result that counts as they finished off Macalester this last Wednesday night at Leonard Center and then sent St. Scholastica packing yesterday in an easy win down in St. Peter.  But this coming week is going to be much more challenging for GAC as they travel to Winona to take on a surprisingly-rising SMU team which could be a very dangerous game for the Gusties and then they face Bethel in a big showdown in St. Peter this coming Saturday.......Speaking of the Royals, they survived a tough challenge up in St. Joe this last Wednesday night by holding off CSB and then got a seemingly routine victory over Macalester at home in Robertson Center yesterday.  Bethel will get a relatively easy tune-up game on Wednesday night when Carleton pays a visit before they travel down US Highway 169 and the Union Pacific's Mankato Sub mainline down to St. Peter for the big showdown with aforementioned GAC this coming Saturday.  

In the first significant shift from last weekend, Concordia gets shoved from the fourth spot to the third spot by virtue of the Cobbers walloping St. Kate's up at cavernous Memorial Auditorium this last Wednesday night and then staving off a tough challenge down in Northfield yesterday from St. Olaf (and possibly the ghosts of the James-Younger Gang who robbed the First National Bank of Northfield back in 1876 in the process).  And a big congratulations to senior forward Makayla Anderson in notching her 1,000th career point yesterday as well.  So Concordia took a big step in the right direction this last week.  Now the question becomes, can they continue to keep going in the right direction?  They get CSB at home in Moorhead on Wednesday night and then make a return visit to Northfield this coming Saturday to face Carleton so I'm inclined to say yes........And speaking of the Bennies, it was obviously a week they'd probably rather just as soon forget as they dropped a tough home game to Bethel last Wednesday night and then faltered down the stretch yesterday in their loss at St. Kate's.  It was costly for CSB simply because even though it's still just mid-January, you're potentially looking at dropping from a third-seed to a fourth-seed in terms of the MIAC Playoffs.  They have a big game up in Moorhead this coming Wednesday night against aforementioned Concordia team and then get a much-improved St. Scholastica team at home in Claire Lynch this coming Saturday.  In short, the Bennies know that they need to get down to business and time is of the essence.  

Below these first four spots is where things really get messy as they always seem to this time of year with a handful of teams trying to jockey for position.  Hamline gets the fifth spot in my Power Rankings today all to themselves as they easily took care of business this last week with a big win at Carleton last Wednesday night and then dispatching Augsburg yesterday over at venerable Hutton Arena.  This next week could be very tricky for the Pipers, however, as they make the run down to Northfield to face an improving St. Olaf team and then get an unpredictable St. Kate's team at home this next Saturday.......But then you have two teams nipping on the Pipers heels:  First, St. Scholastica which got a split this last week as expected - beating St. Olaf at home last Wednesday night and then getting taken to the woodshed down at GAC yesterday.  This next week could be more of the same for the Saints as they get Augsburg at home on Wednesday night before going to CSB next Saturday.  Then you have a fast-rising and hard-charging SMU team that's doing everything it can to try and turn heads as they came up to the Twin Cities this last Wednesday night and knocked off Augsburg and then got a big win at home yesterday against Carleton.  Logic would suggest that the Cardinals will likely be looking at a 50-50 proposition this coming week as they host GAC on Wednesday night and then make a return trip up US Highway 61 and the CPKC River Sub mainline to the Cities to face Macalester this coming Saturday.  

Then right below these two you have two more teams that are hanging in there for that coveted sixth spot.  St. Kate's took it on the chin this last Wednesday night up in Moorhead against Concordia but held firm down the stretch yesterday against CSB to claim an exciting (and much-needed) victory.  This coming week may be the most crucial of all for the Wildcats as they get Macalester making the quick run over to Butler Center on Wednesday night and then head up Snelling Avenue this coming Saturday to take on Hamline at Hutton Arena - a venue that hasn't been kind to St. Kate's over the years.......Macalester took their lumps this last week as expected - getting hammered down the stretch by GAC this last Wednesday night and then absorbing a similar pounding up at Bethel yesterday.  And this week is just as crucial for the Scots and their hopes as they run over to Butler Center on Wednesday night to take on aforementioned St. Kate's team and then get that much-improved SMU team we were talking about just a bit ago at home this coming Saturday.    

So there's a glance at how things look on this Sunday.  As always, feel free to fire away with thoughts.

CSB vs St. Kate's 1-11-25

 Made a return trip to Butler Center on the campus of St. Catherine University on this overcast, gloomy Saturday afternoon to take in this important game between visiting CSB and host St. Kate's.  The Bennies were coming into this contest sporting a pretty solid 9-3 record but were coming off a tough loss at home to Bethel on Wednesday night.  But it wasn't any better on the St. Kate's side either as they were coming into this game on a two-game skid - losing that tough defensive battle to league-leading GAC last week Saturday and then getting absolutely hammered by Concordia up in Moorhead on Wednesday night.  Two teams with playoff aspirations and two teams that needed desperately to get back to winning ways.  I got settled into Butler Center in plenty of time; all clad in my LA Rams gear in anticipation for the Wildcard Playoff game on Monday night against the hometown Minnesota Vikings.

Unlike last week's defensive slugfest in this same venue, offensive fireworks were abound this time around but it was the Bennies doing all the firing from the opening tip; starting off this opening period on an 11-0 burst.  Freshman point guard Lauren Arnold started off this run with a lay-up at the 9:40 mark and two more relatively easy lay-ups - one by senior combo guard/forward Olivia Boily at the 8:57 mark and another by senior guard Sophia Jonas at the 8:30 mark - pushed the CSB lead to 6-0 and acting Wildcats Head Coach Paul Richie called a thirty-second timeout in hopes of some quick fixes.  But the Bennies continued to find cracks in the St. Kate's defense and continued with this foray.  Strong junior guard Megan Morgan used a burst of speed to connect with a lay-up of her own at the 8:01 mark and then Jonas would put a feather in the cap of this early big burst with a three-point bomb from the left corner at the 7:33 mark to stretch this CSB lead to 11-0.  The 'Cats finally dusted the cobwebs gathering on its basket thanks to junior guard Maddie Young as she would connect on a lay-up at the 6:41 mark and would follow that up with a tough drive and finish at the 5:40 mark but the Bennies would soon find a second wind on the offensive end.  Arnold would connect on her second lay-up attempt of the afternoon at the 5:30 mark and a lefty three-point bomb by Morgan from the left corner with 4:27 left got the CSB cushion built back to double digits again at 16-6.  Freshman reserve guard Tatum Findley would get in on the act as well as she used a burst of speed to connect on a lay-up with 3:47 left that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" had the Bennies up 19-6.  St. Kate's would get things whittled down a bit as sophomore guard sensation Hattie Fox would make a daring drive into traffic for a finish with 3:33 left and Maddie Young would snare an offensive rebound for a putback with 2:40 left that briefly had the Wildcats back in single-digit range again down 19-10 but CSB quickly went back to work.  Morgan would connect on a pretty reverse lay-up with 2:14 left and with 1:08 left Jonas would connect on her second three-point bomb of this day so far - this one from the left top area - that gave the Bennies their largest lead yet at 24-10.  Morgan's offensive rebound for a putback with :23 left maintained this fourteen-point cushion at 26-12 and although St. Kate's got a bit of a reprieve on a short running jumper in the lane by junior reserve guard Kristen Oberle with just :04 left, the Wildcats had some serious repair work to do down 26-14. 

As much as St. Kate's offensive prowess was neutralized in the first period, they started finding some much-needed solutions once the second period got underway.  Slender senior forward Greta Schimnowski started things off by dropping a pair of free throws after she was fouled at the 9:45 mark and fellow senior forward Rachel Randleman would get one to go down after she was fouled at the 9:18 mark that got the 'Cats back into single-digit range down 26-17.  CSB would try and pad this cushion as Jonas made a nifty drive along the right baseline for a finish at the 8:56 mark but the Wildcats were finally showing their trademark aggressive trademark drive-and-dribble offensive along with some timely three-point shooting as well.  Randleman would bang home a "3" from the left top area at the 8:35 mark that cut the deficit to eight at 28-20 and then Fox would slither into the paint for a score at the 8:02 mark to keep St. Kate's in that eight-point range down 30-22.  Sophomore reserve forward Lily Peper would keep the Wildcats in that eight-point range with her jumper from the top just inside the arc at the 7:25 mark at 32-24 and then St. Kate's made further inroads.  Schimnowski would get into the paint for a score at the 6:48 mark that cut the deficit to six at 32-26 which seemed to at least momentarily wake up the Bennies.  Arnold would snare a steal and race the other way for a lay-up at the 6:11 mark that rebuilt the lead to eight at 34-26 and then Jonas would connect on an incredibly tough long lay-up from the right side at the 5:15 mark that maintained this eight-point edge at 36-28.  Jonas would inflict more damage on the home team when she uncorked a "3" from the right top area with 4:34 left that pushed the lead back to nine at 39-30 and everything seemed A-OK once again in Bennieland.  However, much to the chagrin of CSB Head Coach Mike Durbin and his staff, the 'Cats kept coming.  Oberle would knock down one freebie after getting fouled with 4:23 left and Peper would get a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled with 3:58 left.  With 3:20 left, Schimnowski would once again slither into the paint for a score and one free throw by Maddie Young after she was fouled with 2:42 left suddenly had the deficit down to just four at 40-36.  With 2:08 left, lanky junior forward Emme Golembiewski would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 2:08 left and with :42.5 left, Maddie Young got a pair of free throws to go down that now had the deficit down to a scant point at 40-39.  With just :17 left, Butler Center erupted when Randleman got a three-point bomb to go down (thanks to a very friendly bounce on the rim) that finally pushed St. Kate's into the lead at 42-40; completing this unforseen 12-1 run.  The Bennies would regain the advantage with just :01.3 left when Arnold buried a "3" from the left top area as CSB took a 43-42 lead into the locker room at the half but momentum clearly seemed to be on the side of the Wildcats at this point.

Given the tight nature of this contest now, the third period consisted of basically being a cat-and-mouse game with both sides trading one-point leads.  St. Kate's would take the lead back at the 8:50 mark at 44-43 when Maddie Young made a daring drive into the paint for a finish but that lead didn't last long as the Bennies took it right back at the 8:33 mark when Arnold connected on a lay-up to make it 45-44.  The 'Cats took it right back on a pair of free throws by Randleman after she was fouled at the 7:49 but CSB got it back when Boily muscled into the paint for a score at the 7:04 mark that made it 47-46.  St. Kate's promptly stole the lead back on a lay-up by Fox at the 5:23 mark to make ti 48-47 but that didn't last long either as Arnold would make a daring drive into the lane and would get a short running jumper to go down off the glass with 4:57 left as the Bennies took it right back at 49-48.  St. Kate's promptly took the lead back when Maddie Young snared an offensive rebound of her own miss and got a putback with 3:47 left that now had the Wildcats back up 50-49.  Right back came CSB as freshman reserve guard Tatum Findley would make a drive along the right baseline and get a finish with 3:15 left that gave the Bennies a 51-50 advantage.  This time, however, CSB was at least able to pad the lead a bit as Boily would follow up by connecting on a jumper along the left baseline with 2:51 left that had the Bennies up 53-50.  Findley would get one free throw to go down after she was fouled with 1:25 left that had CSB up 54-52 and then Jonas would connect on a short, turnaround jumper in the lane with :55.6 left that gave the Bennies a 56-52 lead.  But all that hard work at trying to build even just a small cushion was wiped way by St. Kate's as Oberle would bang home a "3" from the top of the key with just :03.2 left as were essentially back at Square One with the Bennies now nursing a one-point 56-55 lead.  

The Wildcat promptly took the lead right back at the 9:15 mark of the fourth period when Schimnowski unleashed a three-point bomb from the right top area that gave St. Kate's a 58-56 advantage and the 'Cats were able to grow the lead to four when Peper connected on a short jumper in the lane at the 8:46 mark and now with CSB suddenly staring at a four-point deficit at 60-56, the Bennies' Durbin promptly called for a thirty-second timeout to make some quick adjustments.  This short stoppage in play seemed to have the desired effect for CSB as they were able to grab the lead back.  Boily would make a hard drive for a finish at the 8:19 mark and then Jonas would bury a heart-breaking "3" from the right corner at the 7:44 mark that put the Bennies back on top 61-60.  The 'Cats took it right back on a jumper from the right elbow area by Oberle at 7:10 mark but CSB would take the lead back at 63-62 when Boily grabbed an offensive rebound and got a putback out of it at the 6:47 mark and it seemed like this game had reverted back to what it was in the third period.  Little did we realize though that the Bennies would go ice cold from the perimeter until the very end.  St. Kate's wasn't much better either coming down the home stretch but they made the plays when it counted.  Still, it seemed as if the Bennies had the slightest of edges - particularly when Wildcat freshman reserve guard Jordyn Peed had to retreat to the bench after picking up her fourth foul with 4:29 left.  But CSB would miss out on seven - SEVEN - scoring opportunities in this critical home stretch not to mention a pair of free throws.  That would leave the door open for the Wildcats to capitalize and did they ever when it counted.  Fox, who slayed CSB last year with her half-court heave-ho at the buzzer here at Butler Center to force overtime, would come up big again.  She would make a daring drive into traffic with 3:29 left and although she couldn't get her shot to go, she did draw a foul and both free throw attempts would be true that got St. Kate's the lead back at 64-63.  With 2:12 left, Fox would find an opening from the right corner behind the arc and she promptly drained a heart-breaking "3" that upped the Wildcat lead to 67-63.  Then, with 1:46 left, Schimnowski would bury one of her trademark three-point bombs - this one from the right wing area - that not only pushed the St. Kate's lead to 70-63 but had Butler Center erupting as well.  The Bennies' Durbin, now seeing the window of opportunity all but gone, quickly took a match to a timeout in hopes of finding some quick fixes but there were none to be had on this day.  Boily would finally break the prolonged CSB dry spell with :02.1 left on her short jumper but the Wildcats didn't object at all to giving that one up as they claimed an exciting 70-65 victory.

After things had calmed down a bit afterward, I did manage to catch up with CSB's Durbin who had been pacing back and forth a bit after he came out of the locker room; still visibly unhappy with the final outcome of this one and who could blame him?  Unfortunately, I know the feeling all too well from my competitive tennis-playing days when I would be on the wrong end of a tough match and couldn't help but wonder "what if" in so many different ways.  I had to ask him about the costly dry spell his team had to endure coming down the stretch of this game because it seemed to me like the Bennies had settled for some three-point shot attempts that they didn't necessarily have to settle for.  But Durbin trusts players like Jonas and Morgan to make big plays when they have to (and he should with the experience and skill that they have).  I asked him how his team begins the recovery process after this tough week; dropping two tough games.  "It's gotta start in practice" he responded and you know they'll be back in the gym on Sunday with renewed determination and spirit.  To be sure, CSB has got some walking wounded on their end; notably senior forward Morgan Chmielewski whom I had the pleasure of getting acquainted with this last fall when I visited one of their practices up in St. Joe this last October.  That doesn't help matters either.  Meanwhile, I was able to speak briefly with St. Kate's Richie afterward and he said that they key to getting his team into position to win this game was getting proper rotation on the defensive end and better spacing on the offensive side so they could do their drive-and-dribble thing more effectively.  Head Coach Don Mulhern; who's still recovering from surgery, was proud of the "grit" factor his team showed when I touched base with him last night.  They really showed it - first in coming back from being down double digits and second coming down the stretch of the fourth period when things were still hanging in the balance.  They found a way.

The final box score on this one is a bit weird because you'll see that CSB had a decided edge in points in the paint at 40-32 and getting more high-percentage shots can and will play a big part in helping you to victory.  But you'll also see where St. Kate's had a decided advantage in those all-important second-chance points (grit) at 16-7 and bench points as well at 20-10.  The Wildcats also had a solid advantage on the boards on this day at 41-32 and that obviously played a big role, too.  Again, if I'm CSB, I look at the FG shooting (27-58 for 46.6%) and three-point shooting (6-20 for 30%) as being the primary contributors to the loss on this day.  And going 5-10 from the charity stripe for 50% didn't help either although St. Kate's can't completely be absolved of any transgressions on this front either as they were 16-23 for 69.6%.  The difference was that the Wildcats made plays in that critical stretch late in the fourth period and CSB wasn't able to.

The other thing that strikes you in looking at the box score is how incredibly well-balanced the St. Kate's attack was on this day.  Maddie Young's 15 points paced the Wildcats on this day but she had plenty of help to rely on.  Schimnowski poured in 12 while both Fox and Randleman tallied 11 points and Peper wasn't far behind with her 10 points.  CSB, too, had a very balanced attack on this day.  Jonas led all scorers with her 16 points and also grabbed 11 rebounds for a double-double and Arnold; the fast-rising freshman, was right behind with her 15 points.  Boily was solid with her 12 points and Findley; the other freshman, finished with 10 points.

MIAC Power Ranking For Sunday 1-5-25

 That time of the year again when my first Power Rankings come out so let's get to it:

1.  GAC

2.  Bethel

3.  CSB

4.  Concordia

5.  Hamline

6.  (tie) St. Scholastica & St. Kate's

7.  Macalester

8.  SMU

9.  St. Olaf

10.  Carleton

11.  Augsburg

Little doubt as to who's still ruling the roost here as the Gusties didn't necessarily bring their "A" game to Butler Center yesterday but found other means to get the tough dub against St. Kate's.  This coming week doesn't look terribly taxing for GAC as they make a return trip to the Cities to take on Macalester on Wednesday night and then return to the comfy confines of Lund Arena on Saturday to host St. Scholastica.....Bethel meanwhile recovered nicely after that tough home loss to UW-Stout on New Year's Eve by unceremoniously dumping St. Olaf yesterday down in Northfield.  But a tough roadie awaits the Royals on Wednesday night as they head to St. Joe to take on a rejuvenated CSB team before coming back to Butler Center next Saturday to host Macalester......And speaking of the Bennies, I didn't expect them to be 9-2 overall at this point but here they are and they got a big home win yesterday against Hamline.  Now the question is if they can sustain this newfound momentum.  We'll find out more this coming week as they host aforementioned Bethel team in Claire Lynch on Wednesday night before coming down to the Twin Cities on Saturday to take on St. Kate's.

Without question, the biggest disappointment on here at the moment is Concordia.  The four-game losing skid that they endured back in late November and early December was bad enough.  But just when you THOUGHT that the Cobbers were on the verge of making amends for these transgressions by going down to Kentucky and popping both perennial powerhouse Washington & Lee and then Case Western Reserve in succession right before the first of the year, they returned home to cavernous Memorial Auditorium yesterday and somehow lost to SMU.  The one step forward-two steps back approach that the Cobbers have seem to taken up this season is not the way to earn a return trip to the Big Dance.  And if there was still any lingering doubt as to whether or not the Cobbers still had any wiggle room left in terms of an at-large bid, that was taken care of emphatically yesterday as Concordia has now effectively backed itself into a corner that they may not be able to get out of.  The reality now is that if you're the Cobbers, you've got one way - and one way only - of getting back and that's to make sure you get to the MIAC Playoffs and then win the whole ball of wax there.  It would have been one thing if they could have kept their losses strictly to a GAC or a Bethel but that's out the window now and there's simply no more margin for error.  No lifelines left and it's only early January.  For the Cobbers, it has to start this week as they host St. Kate's on Wednesday night and then travel down to Northfield this next Saturday to take on St. Olaf......Hamline meanwhile remains as unpredictable as ever as they've got to find a way to put the heartbreaking loss to CSB yesterday behind them.  Logic would suggest they'll do just that as they go to Carleton on Wednesday night before hosting Augsburg this next Saturday.

The biggest surprise for me - at least so far anyway - is having St. Scholastica in the sixth spot in my Power Rankings.  Granted, it's only early January as I mentioned earlier and we need to see more of this team and how they perform over the next few weeks.  But given where they've been and where they are now certainly suggests that this team is headed in the right direction under Head Coach Jason Schmitz and they found a way to withstand a tough challenge at home from Macalester yesterday.  This coming week appears to be a 50/50 proposition for the Saints as they host St. Olaf on Wednesday night before going down to St. Peter this coming Saturday to take on GAC.  Coming away with a split this next week wouldn't be a terrible proposition at all for this squad.......Sharing the sixth spot this week is St. Kate's as they dropped a defensive slugfest with GAC yesterday and arguably aren't clicking on all cylinders offensively at the moment.  Some key injuries (notably to junior Kaylee Miron) have contributed to that but the Wildcats have got to find a way to pull out of their doldrums and soon.  And this week may be the most taxing yet for the 'Cats as they have to make the trip up US Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline to Moorhead to face a Concordia team that's likely going to be out for blood given what happened to them yesterday before coming back to Butler Center this coming Saturday to host a rising CSB team.

Two other teams to mention here that I wouldn't have necessarily thought to be in this position at this time but are.  Macalester has certainly made some strides thus far this season with a 7-4 overall record and they dropped a heartbreaker yesterday on the shores of Gitche Gumee to St. Scholastica.  Unfortunately for the Scots, they host GAC on Wednesday night before making the run over to Bethel this coming Saturday.  And I have to give props to new SMU Head Coach Courtney Shelton as her team pulled off a huge upset yesterday on the road at Concordia.  This latest conquest could be something of a launching pad for the Cardinals as they make the trip up US Highway 61 and the CPKC River Sub mainline to the Twin Cities to face Augsburg on Wednesday night before hosting Carleton this coming Saturday so definitely a huge opportunity for them.  

So that's how things are shaping up here at the moment.  As always, feel free to fire away with thoughts.  

GAC vs St. Kate's 1-4-25

 Made my way over to St. Paul on this sunny but very cold early January Saturday to first run over to El Burrito Mercado off of Cesar Chavez to get stocked up on their fabulous salsa fresca (and if you truly love Mexican food as I do, you need to get your butt over there) - and THEN over to Butler Center on the campus of St. Catherine University for today's pivotal match-up between visiting GAC and host St. Kate's.  The Gusties were coming into this contest with an unblemished 11-0 record including 3-0 in conference play while the Wildcats have had a bit harder time than expected coming into this game; trying to stay over .500 with a 6-4 overall record but only 1-3 in conference play and were wanting desperately to get off on the right track in 2025.

Considering how GAC cruised to easy wins in their last two visits to Butler Center, I was more or less expecting the trend to continue but the 'Cats had vastly different ideas.  Still, the Gusties would draw first blood in this contest at the 9:08 mark of the opening period when fifth-year senior guard Emma (not evil) Kniefel buried a "3" from the left wing area before St. Kate's started showing its worth.  Junior guard Maddie Young used her strong 5'9" frame to muscle into the paint for a score at the 8:11 mark and then sophomore guard sensation Hattie Fox drained a "3" from the right top area at the 7:18 mark to push the Wildcats ahead by a 5-3 count.  This unexpected and early 7-0 push by St. Kate's would be capped on a pair of free throws by lanky senior forward Greta Schimnowski after she was fouled at the 5:46 mark that had them up 7-3.  It would take long for GAC to answer the call as Kniefel would knock down a short pull-up jumper in transition with 4:17 left that cut the deficit to two.  Then fellow fifth-year senior Izzy (Izzy Izzy, you're making me dizzy) Quick would connect on a lay-up with 3:11 left that also drew a foul and the ensuing "and one" by the former Champlin Park standout put the Gusties out in front 8-7.  Right back came the Wildcats as senior forward Rachel Randleman banged home a "3" from the left top area with 2:54 left that put St. Kate's out in front 10-8 before GAC got this game leveled at ten a piece on a pair of free throws by another fifth-year senior - guard Syd Hauger - after she was fouled with 1:58 left.  But what was standing out more than anything in this game thus far was defense - and a lot of it - particularly from the GAC side as the Gusties were using pressure and trapping to slow down this fast-paced Wildcat team that loves to get out and run.  And for GAC it was a good thing that they were as this normally-potent Gustie team was not exactly setting the world on fire with their shooting.  The Gusties and Wildcats would trade pairs of free throws - two by GAC senior guard Kylie Baranick after she was fouled with 1:22 left and two by St. Kate's Randleman after she was fouled with 1:07 left - that had this game knotted again at 12-all.  The Gusties hoped that they would at least have their nose out in front when senior reserve forward Morgan Kelly connected on a tough lay-up off of an inbounds pass with :56 left that had them up 14-12 but St. Kate's would get this one leveled again when slender junior forward Emme Golembiewski knocked down a jumper from the left top area just inside the arc and with :20 left and there was just a lot of uncertainty about how this game was going to go at this point.

GAC seemed to wipe away whatever uncertainty there was in this contest once the second period got underway as they reeled off a 10-1 run.  A short jumper by Kniefel at the 9:25 mark got the Gusties out in front at 16-14 and a lay-up in transition by slender sophomore reserve guard Kendyl Queensland at the 8:12 mark and two free throws by senior forward Rachel Kawiecki at the 7:08 mark after she was fouled had GAC up 20-14.  Kawiecki would come up big again at the 5:24 mark by grabbing an offensive rebound for a putback and then Morgan Kelly would connect on a smooth jumper from the right top area just inside the arc with 4:19 left that seemed to have the Gusties in command with a 24-15 lead.  St. Kate's; held in check by that suffocating Gustie defense in this second period, finally dusted off the cobwebs on its basket when junior reserve guard Kristen Oberle sneaked into traffic to connect on a lay-up with 2:45 left but GAC extended its lead to ten when Queensland drained a "3" from the right top area with 1:33 left that made it a 27-17 ballgame.  But just when you thought that the 'Cats might have been beyond reach in this contest with their trademark drive-and-dribble game stymied by this suffocating Gustie defense, Fox would unleash a three-point bomb from the left wing area with 1:18 left that not only got St. Kate's back to within single digits again down 27-20 but also gave them a little bit of momentum going into the locker room at the half.

GAC again appeared to take the bull by the horns, so to speak, once the third period got underway as they were able to rebuild the double-digit cushion.  Kawiecki; the former Holy Angels standout, would start this latest push on a lay-up at the 8:35 mark and would also get sent to the charity stripe after getting fouled a bit later at the 8:03 mark where her two free throws had the Gusties seemingly in very good shape with a 31-20 lead and GAC would maintain this eleven-point edge when Quick made a hard drive into the lane and lost her balance and started falling to the floor - and STILL got a one-handed shot to go in (!) at the 7:08 mark to make it 33-22.  But there was little time for the Gusties to feel safe just yet as St. Kate's discovered newfound energy and embarked on a 7-0 push of their own.  Schimnowski would start this run when she connected with a short jumper off the glass at the 6:33 mark and one free throw by Young after she was fouled at the 6:05 mark had the 'Cats back in single digit range again down 33-25.  With 4:50 left, Fox would knock down a pair of freebies after getting fouled and when sophomore reserve forward Lily Peper connected with a lay-up with 2:19 left that reduced the deficit to four at 33-29, GAC Head Coach Laurie Kelly had seen enough with this run and the fact that her squad had suddenly gone into an offensive funk to know that a thirty-second timeout was warranted.  This short stoppage in play seemed to get the Gusties attention as they went back to work in trying to make amends.  Quick would knock down a jumper from the left elbow area with 1:57 left and with :35.4 left, Baranick would drill a "3" from the left top area that gave GAC some needed breathing room with a 38-29 advantage.  However, this cushion lost a good chunk of its foundation when Wildcat freshman reserve guard Jordyn Peed buried a "3" from the top of the key with just :08.4 left that not only whittled the deficit down to six at 38-32 but also gave St. Kate's another shot of momentum with this one transitioning to the fourth period.  

Probably the best window of opportunity for the Wildcats came early on in the fourth period when they cut the deficit to just four points on a short jumper along the right baseline off of an inbounds pass by Golembiewski at the 9:44 mark that saw the GAC lead cut to 38-34.  Alarmed at the dreaded possibilities, the Gusties went right back to work.  Morgan Kelly would connect with a jumper along the left baseline at the 9:25 mark that upped GAC's lead to six at 40-34.  St. Kate's had another opportunity to crawl back to four points when Golembiewski was fouled at the 9:04 mark but both free throw attempts went awry and that proved costly for the 'Cats as the Gusties would then consolidate on their lead.  Kniefel would bury a heartbreaking "3" from the right top area at the 8:49 mark and the former Medford standout would follow that up a short time later at the 8:23 mark with a jumper from the left elbow area that pushed GAC's lead to eleven at 45-34 and St. Kate's acting Head Coach Paul Richie; perhaps seeing the window of opportunity close for good, called a timeout in hopes of rectifying the situation.  To their credit, the Wildcats were able to close the gap a bit but it was done in a an unexpected fashion.  Confusion would reign at the 7:11 mark when officials stopped the game and, after a discussion with GAC's Laurie Kelly - who was not at all amused with the situation - a technical foul would be assessed to GAC (more on that later).  St. Kate's Young would get a pair of charity stripe shots to go down out of that mess and when the Gusties were temporarily stymied on the offensive end, the Wildcats managed to cut the deficit to seven at 45-38 when Golembiewski connected on a tough turnaround jumper along the right baseline at the 5:04 mark.  Again, St. Kate's had a golden opportunity to pull closer when Randleman was fouled with 4:29 left but both free throw attempts did not cooperate and the Wildcats could never get closer.  GAC would make the 'Cats pay dearly for that as they proceeded to but the finishing touches on this game.  Quick would maneuver into the paint for a score with 4:01 left and then Baranick would drain a killer "3" from the right corner with 3:26 left left that gave the Gusties a ten-point cushion at 50-40.  With :50.3 left, Kniefel would knock down a pair of insurance free throws as the Gusties came out a bit bumped and bruised but more importantly collected a 52-41 victory in this defensive slugfest.  

When I was finally able to corral GAC's Laurie Kelly afterward, the first thing I mentioned to her is that this is not about winning a beauty contest.  When things aren't clicking offensively the way you'd like them and you're getting tested by your opponent, you resort to your other strengths to help lead you to ultimate victory.  She was quick to concur that this one was on the ugly side and the shooting numbers underscore what a rather dreadful day it was from a shooting standpoint for the Gusties - going 18-60 from FG range for a straight 30% (uff da) and 5-16 from behind the arc for 31.3%.  But, you keep looking at the box score and you see how GAC pulled this one off without bringing their "A" game - owning the boards by a whopping 40-24 count, having a decided advantage in points in the paint at 16-8 and in those all-important second-chance points at 9-2.  But here's what I really love:  GAC was a perfect 11-11 from the charity stripe for 100%!  How often do you see THAT happen?  Anyone who reads this blog knows that I harp on free throw shooting all the time.  Well, guess what?  This is a perfect example of where solid free throw shooting helps you win games!  It's not rocket science folks.  Here's the other thing that caught my eye on this day:  I didn't expect many of Laurie Kelly's younger reserves to get much playing time - if any - in such a close, hard-fought contest but we saw players like Queensland, freshman guard Anna Goodman and sophomore guard Peyton Stevermer get some quality minutes out there that allowed some of the main chain-gang group to catch breathers when they needed it.  Goodman caught my eye this last summer at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League and I was raving about her to Laurie Kelly back then.  "She's got some serious swag" Laurie Kelly said.  Now, regarding that technical foul that was called at the 7:11 mark of the fourth period.  Apparently, the officials had warned Quick about flopping earlier in the contest and, according to the officials, she didn't heed their earlier warning when she fell to the floor again - hence, the technical being assessed.  First off, I've got to say that I was, shall we say, less than impressed with the officiating on this day.  It wasn't great for either side.  I try like hell not to comment on the officiating too much but it just wasn't very good on this day.  And, as an official, you've got to know the difference between getting knocked to the floor in a competitive situation and genuine flopping.  It's really not that difficult.  As Sonny Corleone said to Clemenza in The Godfather Part I, "Hey, cut the crap, eh?  I've got more important things for you to do."

When you look at this from a St. Kate's standpoint, you come away encouraged given how games against GAC in the last two years resulted in you getting run out of your own gym.  Yet it's got to be incredibly frustrating, too, because you know that you had chances, had opportunities in this one that could have possibly turned the tide for you.  Again, I've got to harp on the free throw shooting.  We know what the Gusties did on this day on that front.  The 'Cats meanwhile were 11-18 from the charity stripe for 61.1% and in a close game like this, that's going to cost you big time.  I'm not saying that replicating what GAC did would have necessarily got you over the top but it would have at the very least changed the complexion of this one significantly.  And yeah, that darned Gustie defense did indeed wreak havoc as the Wildcats shot 13-45 for 28.9% from FG range and were only 4-15 from downtown for an icy 26.7%.  So, yeah, there ya go.  But, unlike the Gusties, the Wildcats weren't able to make up for these deficiencies when they had to and essentially were in the position of having to play catch-up for most of this game.  Probably just as important, St. Kate's had their trademark drive-and-dribble into the paint aspect taken away from them on this day and the Gusties made them more or less one-dimensional.  But, to be sure, there's some bad luck hovering over this St. Kate's program at the moment.  Head Coach Don Mulhern; as I found out afterward, recently had surgery and is likely going to be out of action for the next couple two or three weeks as his top assistant, Richie, has had to assume the reigns for the time being.  But Richie is more than capable of leading this team and he's got a couple of top-notch guys at his side in Geno Bullard and Ben Fleming who'll help keep this team on course (BTW, I touched base with Mulhern last night and he's in good spirits).  On top of that, junior point guard Kaylee Miron was on crutches as she suffered an injury and is apparently out for the season.  But this St. Kate's team is one tough cookie and woe to the opponent who thinks they're ripe for the taking.  

It's not surprising at all that Kniefel would be the one stepping up for GAC on this day when they needed someone to step up on the scoring front as she led the way for the Gusties - and all scorers - with her 14 points and Quick just missed out on a double-double as she tallied nine points and had 10 rebounds.  She was just all over the place on this day.  St. Kate's was paced by Fox's 11 points.  

UW-Stout vs Bethel 12-31-24

 Made the short run over the Robertson Center on the campus of Bethel University on this New Year's eve afternoon to take in this enticing non-conference game between UW-Stout of the WIAC and host Bethel.  The Blue Devils were coming into this game on a four-game win streak; the last two in a pre-Christmas classic down in St. Petersburg, FL where they knocked off Berry on a last-second buzzer-beater and then demolished Grove City the next day.  The Royals had just come back from Florida from an after-Christmas classic down in Daytona Beach but with mixed results - knocking off Amherst but then getting boat-raced by perennial powerhouse Scranton the next day.  So for the Royals, it was a quick trip home and little time for preparation for this important non-conference clash that likely would have big implications on both teams SOS (strength of schedule) later on in the season.

Defense would take center stage in the first few minutes of the opening period but it would be UW-Stout finding an easier path to offensive efficiency.  Senior forward Amanda Giesen would get the Blue Devils going with a lay-up at the 7:48 mark and would add a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 6:10 mark to put UW-Stout up 4-2.  Then do-it-all senior guard Raegan Sorensen would make a quick slash into the paint for a score to get the lead to 6-2 before the Royals cut the deficit to two on a pair of free throws by senior combo guard/forward Elly Schmitz after she was fouled with 4:35 left but Bethel would continue to struggle on the offensive end of the floor which allowed the Blue Devils to slowly grow their lead.  Freshman reserve guard Mary Berg got into the paint for one score with 4:19 left and a lay-up by senior reserve guard Elissa Lodermeier with 3:20 left gave UW-Stout at 10-5 lead.  By this time, Royals Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer, very concerned with the ineptness on the offensive end of the floor, took a timeout with 2:26 left in hopes of finding a few quick fixes.  But the Blue Devils would get their cushion to double digits as Sorensen would connect on a lay-up with 2:16 left and slender senior guard Sam Schaeffer would bang home a "3" from the right top area with 1:50 left that gave UW-Stout a 15-5 advantage before Bethel could finally get things tightened up a bit.  Sophomore reserve forward Cally Peterson got into the paint for one score with 1:31 left and then fifth-year senior Anna Garfield did likewise with :49 left that trimmed the deficit to six at 15-9 but that's as close as the Royals would get the rest of this first period.  The Blue Devils would get their lead to eight on a pair of free throws by strong senior guard Anna Mutch with :34.2 left and although Bethel sliced a point off of this deficit on one free throw by fifth-year senior Lydia Hay with :20.8 left, not much went right for the Royals in this first period and they definitely looked to be out of their element on their home floor.

Bethel appeared to make amends for all of their early transgressions once the second period got underway.  Schmitz would make a hard drive for a finish at the 9:15 mark and a score in the paint by Hay a bit later at the 8:47 mark suddenly had the Royals back to within a single possession down 17-14 and all appeared to be good again.  But UW-Stout had vastly different ideas and they went on the offensive again with a 10-0 run.  Sorensen would make another quick slash for a lay-up at the 8:22 mark and a pair of freebies by Giesen after she was fouled at the 7:50 mark got the Blue Devil lead up to seven at 21-14.  Less than a minute later at the 7:07 mark, Sorensen would strike again - this time on a pretty score in the paint off of an inbounds pass and one more free throw by Giesen after she was fouled in a transition opportunity at the 6:33 mark rebuilt that earlier ten-point cushion at 24-14.  Then at the 5:20 mark, senior reserve guard Allison Letcher would cap this run after getting fouled behind the arc and the former Windom Area standout would cash in on all three free throw attempts to make it 27-14.  Bethel's Herbrechtsmeyer at this point was forced to take a match to another timeout as he knew his team was possibly in a hole that they couldn't climb out of.  This stoppage in play might've been exactly what the doctor ordered for the Royals as they were slowly able to crawl their way back into single-digit range again.  Junior point guard Colette Duininck would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled in a transition opportunity with 4:10 left and sophomore reserve forward Emily Erickson would also cash in on a pair of freebies after getting fouled with 3:34 left that had the deficit down to eleven at 29-18.  UW-Stout looked to be off and running again when Sorensen connected with a jumper from the right elbow area after a steal with 2:15 left that pushed the Blue Devil lead up to 31-18 but Bethel kept clawing and scratching away.  Garfield would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 2:01 left and less than a minute later, Peterson would connect on a lay-up in transition with 1:33 left that cut the deficit to ten at 31.21.  With :57 left, Erickson would connect on a lay-up that had the Royals back to within single digits at 31-23 and with just :02.2 left before the halftime buzzer, Garfield would bury a cold-blooded "3" from the right top area that had the deficit down to seven at 33-26 so although outplayed for the most part thus far, there did seem to be some hope on the horizon for Bethel as both teams headed to their respective locker rooms for the halftime break.  

UW-Stout was able to at least maintain this seven-point advantage in the early going of the third period.  Junior forward Rosella Wille connected on a short jumper in the lane to make it a 35-28 game and Giesen would convert on a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 6:47 mark that maintained this seven-point cushion at 37-30.  But maintaining this cushion became a tougher proposition for the Blue Devils as this third period wore on as Bethel's Herbrechtsmeyer changed things up on the defensive side by going to either a 1-2-2 or a 2-3 "match-up" zone defense that effectively bottled things up in the middle and made it considerably more difficult for the Blue Devils to penetrate inside as they had done in the first half.  This also provided an opening for the Royals to start chipping away as well.  Pairs of free throws by Garfield - at the 6:39 mark and again at the 6:15 mark after she was fouled in a transition opportunity - had Bethel back to within a single possession down 37-34 and two more by Erickson after she was fouled with 4:41 left kept the Royals in single-possession range down 39-36.  With 4:27 left, Bethel clearly had momentum on their side as Garfield connected on a lay-up in transition that sliced the deficit to a scant point at 39-38 and that prompted Blue Devils Head Coach Hannah Iverson to call a timeout in hopes of stemming this newfound energy that the home team had.  Still, the Royals were not letting up on the accelerator as Schmitz knocked down one free throw after getting fouled with 3:20 left that not only leveled the contest at 39 a piece but also saw UW-Stout's Wille retreat to the bench with three fouls.  With 1:32 left, Bethel finally poked its nose out in front by a 41-39 count on an Erickson lay-up and they would maintain this two-point edge on a pretty drive and finish by Garfield with :51 left.  UW-Stout would regain the lead on a fantastic tip-in play by the athletic Mutch with :24.9 left that also drew a foul and, along with the obligatory "and one", put the Blue Devils back out in front by a 44-43 count but still Bethel seemed to be right where they needed to be.

And that notion seemed to be reinforced when the Royals' Schmitz muscled into the paint for a score at the 9:43 mark of the fourth period that shoved Bethel back out front by a 45-44 count.  The Blue Devils would counter as Letcher would uncork a "3" from the left corner at the 9:06 mark and one free throw by Sorensen after she was fouled at the 8:31 mark pushed UW-Stout back on top 48-45.  But things appeared to sour once more for the Blue Devils as Wille collected her fourth foul of the afternoon at the 8:06 mark and Bethel appeared to consolidate on this opportunity as Erickson would connect on a lay-up at the 8:02 mark and one free throw by sophomore reserve guard Macey Littlefield after she was fouled at the 6:47 mark had this game leveled again at 48.  But it was here where the senior leadership of the Blue Devils really stood out as they proceeded to take over this game.  Mutch would bang home a "3" from the left wing area at the 5:44 mark and two free throws by Giesen after she was fouled at the 5:20 mark gave UW-Stout a five-point advantage at 53-48.  A critical sequence took place right about the 5:00 mark when the Royals' Hay was in the process of making a hard drive for a lay-up and it appeared as though she may have been fouled.  However, the officials saw things differently and called Hay for traveling - much to the chagrin of Bethel's Herbrechtsmeyer and his staff who protested the call vociferously to no avail.  That opened the door for this experienced and seasoned Blue Devils team to stretch out its lead which they did.  Mutch would follow-up on her earlier heroics by knocking down a jumper from the right elbow area with 4:42 left to make it 55-48 and Mutch would repeat this feat with a jumper from the same right elbow area with 3:56 left that maintained this seven-point edge at 57-50.  The Royals meanwhile were unable to rekindle the earlier magic that they had in the third period on the offensive end and UW-Stout would put its opponent behind the proverbial 8-ball when Berg connected on a short jumper in the lane with 2:00 left to make it a 59-50 ballgame.  Bethel would make one last-ditch attempt at narrowing this deficit as Erickson would slither into the paint for one score with 1:35 left and two free throws by Garfield after she was fouled with :35.7 left got the deficit down to six at 59-53 and a pretty reverse lay-up by Schmitz with :10.6 left had the deficit down to five but bringing this one all the way back would prove to be a bridge too far for the Royals on this day.  UW-Stout's Schaeffer would get sent to the charity stripe after getting fouled with :08.9 left and she dropped a pair of insurance free throws as the Blue Devils got out of Dodge with a hard-earned 62-55 victory.

As much as I've watched this UW-Stout team play online this last season when the Blue Devils made their magical run to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament last season, it wasn't easy to appreciate how incredibly resourceful and resilient this team is.  But now; finally getting to watch them in action and seeing what they do and how they do it, I have a newfound appreciation for just how efficient and smart this team plays.  Not that they're always perfect at times but they almost always know what to do and when to do it and they found a way again on this day when things threatened to go against them on the road against a very good opponent.  But here's the other thing you have to understand too.  This is a team that's already been beset with injuries to key players in this young season.  The aforementioned Sorensen was out back in late November and fifth-year senior guard Lexi Wagner - arguably their best three-point shooter - has been out for a spell as well although from talking to some parents on the UW-Stout side after the game, she may possibly be back by this coming weekend which would be welcome news for Iverson and her staff.  Because of the injuries, there was some tough sledding for the Blue Devils back in November as they lost home games to the two top favorites in the MIAC - GAC and Concordia.  But UW-Stout responded as an experienced and senior-laden team would - beating Hamline and UW-Superior and then going down to Florida and knocking off Berry on a thrilling buzzer-beater and then rolling over Grove City in the Championship Game.  Now, to be sure, the road ahead for the Blue Devils is a challenging one as they go to UW-Oshkosh (b'gosh) on Saturday and have a date with a tricky UW-River Falls team, and then roadies at WIAC favorite UW-Whitewater and at up-and-coming UW-La Crosse.  But, with this newfound head of steam the UW-Stout seems to have, you've got to at least consider them one of the favorites to challenge UW-Whitewater for WIAC honors.  But here's the other thing that catches my eye when it comes to the Blue Devils:  They're so guard-oriented but they're long, too.  They're just so darned athletic and skilled that they're able to create several match-up problems for opponents.  And what can you say about Sorensen; the Centuria, WI native who practically willed this team to the WIAC Championship Title and a berth in the NCAA Sweet 16 last season.  She's just simply out of this world in what she can do on both ends of the floor.  Good luck trying to guard her one-on-one.  She keeps finding ways to burn opponents and she's going to continue to do so.  Bottom line here - buy stock in the UW-Stout women's basketball team.  

On the other side of the coin, it's certainly a disappointing setback for the Royals who, as I mentioned earlier, basically had Tuesday AM to really "prepare" for this game after the trip back from Florida and despite the lopsided loss to Scranton on Sunday which they followed up with the loss on this day, I still think Bethel's in a good place with a 7-3 overall record.  And things seem to be on their side schedule-wise with the Royals delving into conference play against St. Olaf, CSB, Macalester and Carleton in their first four games before hosting GAC on Saturday (1-18).  So they've got a very good opportunity to build themselves back up for that important clash at Robertson Center.  But they've got to get some things cleaned up in the meantime, too.  You look at the final box score on this one and you'll see that the Royals were guilty of 22 turnovers on this day which is almost unheard of for a Herbrechtsmeyer-coached team as they're usually doing that to opponents.  And considering the fact that UW-Stout got 25 points off of those boo-boos seemed to be the big difference in this one.  Another stat that stands out:  UW-Stout had an 8-2 advantage in those all-important second-chance points and we saw that one unbelievable tip-in by Mutch that contributed to that.  Bethel was 22-28.  The Royals could shore up the charity stripe shooting as they were 22-28 from the line for 78.6% which isn't terrible but in a close game like this, you're still leaving points on the table.  Contrast that with UW-Stout going 25-28 for 89.3% which is pretty solid and that's what senior-laden and experienced teams normally do.

It was a very balanced scoring attack that helped the Blue Devils get the dub on this day as both Sorensen and Giesen poured in 15 points a piece and Mutch wasn't far behind with her 11 points.  And Sorensen and her 5'7" frame led the team in rebounds as well with seven.  Garfield and Erickson had to shoulder the load for Bethel on this day as Garfield finished with 17 points to lead all scorers and Erickson tallied 14 points.