Looking Ahead To Saturday's MIAC Championship Game - And What's Going On Elsewhere As Well

 So here we are on the eve of tomorrow's huge MIAC Championship Game between GAC and host Bethel in the rubber match between these two teams as they split their regular season series with each team winning on the road - Bethel winning in St. Peter on 1-18 and GAC returning the favor over in Arden Hills on 2-8.  First off, both teams are "locks" for the NCAA Tournament regardless of what happens tomorrow so nobody's going to be sweating it out come Monday.  And both have very strong NPI numbers so both appear to be in very good shape to host a 1st/2nd round pod at their facility which is even better.  No, this one will be a battle for MIAC supremacy as these two teams had to share the regular season title and Bethel was able to lay claim to the number one seed via a friendly coin flip.  This one to me is just going to be one of those knock 'em down, drag 'em out MIAC street fights and that's the way it should be.  This one is going to be physical; no doubt about it.  But who really has the edge here?  

When I look at the box scores of the two games of the regular season series, you do see a few patterns emerging.  In Bethel's win at St. Peter, they held the Gusties to 16-46 shooting for 34.8% from FG range and GAC had a miserable night from downtown going 7-18 for 38.9%.  Even more striking from this game was that Bethel had a big advantage in points in the paint at 28-18 and also enjoyed a sizable advantage in points off of turnovers at 25-13.  And, to be sure, Bethel shot really well on this night going 21-41 from FG range for 51.2% and weren't too shabby from behind the arc going 6-14 for 42.9%.  Conversely, when GAC came to town for the rematch in Arden Hills, the Royals were held to a paltry 17-47 from FG range for 36.2% and the Gusties had control of things down low as they enjoyed a whopping 36-16 advantage in points in the paint.  And Bethel had a bad day coughing up the rock with 17 turnovers to boot.  To me, this tells me that it's going to be all about defense and who can play it better.  Here's the thing - I definitely think that the Royals are a better team now than what they were back on 2-8 in the home loss to GAC.  I think they were able to see where they came up short and what they needed to get better at and they've done those things in a relatively short timespan.  At least that's what the eye test tells me.  At the same time, the fact that the Gusties have been in the last three MIAC Championship Games and won them all tells you a lot about the experience this seasoned group has.  There's no doubt in my mind that they have the edge in that category.  We don't know how well Bethel is going to respond against an experienced team in a big moment late in a game.  Still, this seems like a very evenly-matched affair and you definitely should be at Robertson Center tomorrow as that place is going to be rocking.  

So while we know that both the Gusties and the Royals are "locks" for the Big Dance, we should take a look at things elsewhere around us to get a better idea of what else we can expect:

WIAC - This could potentially be a five-bid league as I'm typing this and it's pretty much a given that the two WIAC Championship Game participants on Saturday - UW-Whitewater and UW-Oskosh (b'gosh) along with UW-Stout are all virtual "locks" for the NCAA Tournament given their respective strong NPI numbers.  The real question then revolves around hopefuls UW-Stevens Point and UW-La Crosse.  These two are going to be watching nervously tomorrow to see how things go but from people I've been conversing with, I'm not going to be surprised at all if all five do in fact get in.  If so, then it obviously becomes a question of where you try and put all these teams.  Assuming both GAC and Bethel get to host 1st/2nd round pods at their facilities, you can bet that both will have one if not two WIAC teams at their place.  

ARC - This appears to be a one-bid league if things go to form but Wartburg would almost certainly snatch up somebody's at-large bid should they falter in the ARC Championship Game on Saturday against Coe.  Coe's only path is to win in Waverly against Wartburg and get in with the AQ so you can bet there's going to be a lot of nervous teams rooting hard for the Knights in this one.

UMAC - Saturday's UMAC Championship Game between Northwestern and UW-Superior will be a winner-take-all affair with the winner getting the AQ bid to the Dance and the loser going home.   

MWC - See above as this will also be a one-bid league and will come down to the MWC Championship Game between Grinnell and host Ripon.

CCIW - Illinois Wesleyan (#3 in the country) is the only team that count on an at-large bid should they need it and they'll face Carroll in the CCIW Championship Game on Saturday night.

NACC - This is going to be a one-bid league as well and top-seeded St. Norbert would be on the wrong side of the bubble should they falter against Wisconsin Lutheran in the NACC Championship Game on Saturday.

So this is what I'm seeing as of right now.  We'll probably have a better feel for things come Saturday night and Sunday when a lot of this stuff plays out.  

This is a fun time of the year, isn't it? 

MIAC Semifinal Playoff Game - CSB vs Bethel 2-27-25

Made the easy drive over to Robertson Center in Arden Hills on the campus of Bethel University on this very pleasant late February evening to take in one of the MIAC Semifinal Playoff games taking place on this night - this one featuring visiting CSB which had knocked out Concordia two nights earlier up in Moorhead and number one-seeded Bethel.  These two team had hooked up just this last weekend at this very same venue where the Royals emerged victorious 78-66 but the Bennies; fresh off their big win from two nights ago, were coming into this contest and hoping to upset the apple cart once more.

Bethel would grab an early 4-0 lead as fifth-year senior forward (and former Bennie) Lydia Hay would connect on a lay-up at the 9:46 mark of the opening period and junior combo guard/forward Rosalie Penke would follow suit less than a minute later at the 9:06 mark.  The Royals would maintain this early four-point cushion at the 8:21 mark when lanky senior combo/guard forward Elly Schmitz slithered into the paint for a score to make it a 6-2 ballgame and Bethel would up its lead to six when fifth-year senior Anna Garfield connected on a lay-up at the 7:35 mark to make it 8-2 before the Bennies finally got things sorted out on the offensive end.  Freshman point guard Lauren Arnold would make a nifty drive for a lay-up at the 6:52 mark and then junior guard Megan Morgan got into the act as she would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 5:56 mark and would make up for the missed attempt a bit later when she uncorked one of her trademark southpaw three-point bombs - this one from the left wing area at the 5:38 mark - that tied the game at eight a piece.  The Royals regained the lead at 10-8 when sophomore reserve forward Emily Erickson connected on a lay-up at the 5:21 mark but right back came CSB.  Arnold would make another daring drive into traffic for a pretty finish at the 5:01 mark to create a 10-10 tie.  Bethel would answer the bell again as Erickson maneuvered into the paint for one score with 4:40 left and one free throw by Elly Schmitz after she was fouled with 3:52 left had the Royals up 13-10 but then the Bennies started inflicting more damage from behind the arc that helped them gain the upper hand down the stretch of this first period.  Senior guard Sophia Jonas; one of the premier three-point slayers in the MIAC, unleashed one of her trademark bombs from the left wing area with 3:30 left to get this contest leveled at 13 and then junior reserve guard Megan Driste would drain a "3" of her own from the left corner with 1:27 left that now pushed CSB in front by a 16-15 count.  With just under a minute remaining in this opening period, slender junior combo forward/post Kira Young would dart along the right baseline and get a tough finish with :58.5 left as the Bennies were now carrying an 18-15 advantage that closed out this back-and-forth first period.

Bethel would take the lead back early on in the second period as Penke made a hard drive into the lane and kissed the finish off the glass at the 9:39 mark and a short jumper off the glass by Erickson at the 8:57 mark had the Royals back out in front by a 19-18 count.  Not to be outdone, CSB regained its earlier three-point edge as senior combo guard/forward Olivia Boily snared an offensive rebound for a putback at the 8:07 mark to put the Bennies back out in front 20-19 and a pretty drive and lay-up by freshman reserve guard Tatum Findley at the 7:15 mark gave CSB a 22-19 edge and things certainly were looking on the up and up for the Bennies at this point.  But no one inside Robertson Center - certainly not yours truly - could have possibly envisioned what would transpire the rest of the way in this second period as Bethel simply clamped down on defense and proceeded to put CSB in a vice grip as the Royals proceeded to rip off an incredible 31-0 run that would extend past the halftime break.  The cruelly ironic thing for CSB is that this run would be sparked by the same Royals player who had burned them this last Saturday - sophomore reserve guard Macey Littlefield.  The former Centennial standout started off this incredible run by burying a "3" from the left wing area at the 6:48 mark to tie the contest and then a score in the paint by sophomore reserve forward Cally Peterson at the 6:18 mark put Bethel out in front for good at 24-22.  Littlefield would strike again on a lay-up at the 5:47 mark and when Elly Schmitz banged home a "3" from the right wing area at the 5:17 mark to make it 29-22 and Bennies Head Coach Mike Durbin knew his squad was in danger and quickly called for a halt to the action in hopes of making some quick fixes on the defensive end.  Sadly for CSB, there were no quick fixes to be had as the Royals continued with this onslaught.  Junior reserve forward Alli Born would bury a "3" from the left wing area with 4:28 left and a lay-up by Erickson with 3:51 left had Bethel up 34-22.  Garfield would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 3:21 left and with 2:33 left, Elly Schmitz would snare an offensive rebound for a putback to make it 38-22.  Then, when Peterson maneuvered into the paint for a score that stretched the lead to 40-22, CSB's Durbin likely knew his team was likely beyond the point of no return in this one and was forced to take a match to another timeout to get his team calmed down.  But there was nothing that the Bennies could do to slow this Royals team down as Bethel closed out this second period with two more scores.  Erickson would connect on a lay-up with :43 left and Elly Schmitz would do the same just before the clock expired with :00.7 left as Robertson Center was a raucous, noisy place with the Royals up 44-22.

Bethel would cap this run early on in the third period on back-to-back three-point bombs - one by Garfield from the right wing area at the 9:30 mark and the other by junior point guard Colette Duininck from the left corner at the 7:32 mark - that now had the Royals up 50-22 before CSB could finally end this miserable, Dust Bowl-like drought on a three-point bomb from Morgan from the right top area at the 7:14 mark.  But the Bennies were going to need a lot more than that if they were going to have any chance of even thinking about getting back into this one and Bethel certainly wasn't being very cooperative on that front.  Erickson would connect on a lay-up at the 6:55 mark and Duininck would bang home her second trey on this night - this one from the right corner at the 6:29 mark - as the Royals lead ballooned to thirty at 55-25.  CSB would get a pair of scores to make a dent in this cushion as Boily would connect on a lay-up in transition at the 5:51 mark and Morgan would bully her way into the paint for a score at the 5:27 mark but again, these were just dents as Bethel unleashed more artillery.  Erickson would knock down a pair of charity stripe shots after getting fouled at the 5:09 mark and Elly Schmitz would connect on a routine lay-up with 3:54 left that maintained this thirty-point cushion at 59-29.  Hay would also add a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 2:23 left to make it 61-29 before the Bennies could make some more dents.  Young would knock down a jumper from the right elbow area with 2:09 left and Findley would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 1:38 left.  Arnold would also connect on a lay-up with 1:16 left but all this did was reduce the deficit to twenty-seven points and it was clear how this one going to go; especially when the Royals punctuated this third period on a short jumper in the lane by Hay with :52.3 left as Bethel was now enjoying a prohibitive 63-34 lead going into the fourth period.  

CSB tried to offer up some more resistance early on in the fourth period as Young would unleash a three-point bomb from the right wing area at the 8:52 mark but down 65-37, there was simply no salvation coming for the Bennies as Bethel continued to pour it on.  Penke would make a hard drive into the lane and get a tough, one-handed finish at the 8:32 mark and Elly Schmitz would get a routine score in the paint at the 7:55 mark to make it 69-39.  Then Hay would bury a "3" from the right corner at the 7:27 mark and Garfield would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 6:53 mark that bulged the lead to 73-39 before CSB could get some more nibbles again.  Findley would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 5:45 mark and Boily would get a pair of freebies to go down as well after getting fouled at the 5:28 mark.  But down 73-42 at this point, that's all these scores were for the Bennies - nibbles - as this one had been out of reach for a long time.  Still, CSB would labor on as Boily would get back-to-back offensive rebounds for putbacks - once with 4:53 left and again with 3:22 left before Bethel Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer and CSB's Durbin both got their reserves in to give them a few moments to shine in the home stretch.  After the Royals' Erickson snared an offensive rebound for a putback with 2:21 left, Bennie sophomore reserve guard Emily Crandall would dart into the lane and get a finish off the glass with 1:32 left.  Royals' senior reserve guard Elsie Broersma got a loud roar of approval from the home crowd when she connected with a lay-up with 1:18 left and CSB freshman reserve guard Alyssa Sadlovsky got a nice round of applause from the Bennie contingent when she connected on a lay-up with :48 left but when the final buzzer sounded, it was Bethel winning in a romp by a 79-50 count.

When I was finally able to catch up with CSB's Durbin afterward, all I was able to offer in consolation was that it seemed like his team simply ran into an avalanche in that critical second period when they were outscored 29-4 which was the ballgame right there.  Durbin was quick to concur on the avalanche analogy and was also in agreement when I brought up Bethel's length up front that was tough to match up with.  "They're just so long and so strong and we simply couldn't match that" he offered.  And look, you knew this was going to be a tough matchup for the Bennies from the get-go and we got a preview of that this last Saturday when they fell to Bethel 78-66 in the regular season finale.  Consider:  After the long roadie up to Moorhead on Tuesday where they had to battle till the very end to hold off Concordia, make the equally long road trip back home and then basically had one day to prepare for Bethel, well, the odds were stacked against them in this one.  And let's be honest here, too.  It's hard for ANY team to try and replicate what Bethel does in games with its length and size and physicality in a practice setting.  Once the Royals got up by double-digits, this one was essentially over.  And the box score doesn't reveal anything terribly surprising other than the fact that Bethel pounded CSB on the boards as expected by a whopping 41-27 margin and the Royals also enjoyed a huge advantage in points in the paint at 48-26 as well as in bench points by a 32-11 margin.  Again, the real story of this one was CSB getting blitzed by a 29-4 run in that decisive second period that was the difference.  I do want to offer praise to the two seniors on this CSB squad - Jonas and Boily - who always gave it their all while on the floor.  Durbin told me although he may have had to get on them a few times over the years on their focus, he never once had to get on them in terms of effort - it was always there and they'll obviously be missed.  Sophia and Olivia - thanks for the memories.   

Bethel's Herbrecthsmeyer obviously had several people he had to converse with afterward but I was also able to catch up with him as well after the smoke cleared from runaway win by his team.  When I finally cornered him, I had to ask him - perhaps a bit tongue in cheek - as to why good things always seem to happen for his team when (Macey) Littlefield gets into the game.  "She brings the energy.....She didn't bring the energy the first time she came in but she came back in.....And she's just so physical....And she makes things happen."  Which we obviously saw with those two scores she made in the midway point of the second period which helped spark that huge run.  I mentioned to Herbrechstmeyer as well that I thought his team looked better and more thorough in the short time span from this last Saturday to tonight's rematch with CSB.  "Oh we did......On Saturday, we were playing for a conference (regular season) championship and we weren't the aggressor early on and we weren't able to do what we normally do until the third quarter, which was much like the second quarter tonight."  I also asked Herbrechtsmeyer about how all this translates into Saturday afternoon's MIAC Championship Game (presumably against GAC).  "We talked about that......This was a statement game; not St. Ben's but everybody we're going to play the rest of the way because we have Gustavus Saturday; assuming they win, and then also a statement for whomever we're playing in a week - somewhere - hopefully at home; with our strong NPI we should hopefully stay at home and be favored in those games."  Despite the shocking loss his team suffered at home in the NCAA Tournament in the first round back in 2020, Herbrechtsmeyer talked about when he was a finalist for the coaching job at Bethel back in 1996 when that team won three NCAA Tournament games before falling to UST in the section finals that season.  He bid his time; resurrecting the program at Cornell (Mount Vernon, IA) before finally getting the Bethel job back in 2002.  It took some time for him and his staff to get this program growing and taking the necessary step-by-step process to get this program where it's been the last few years.  As I pointed out to him, Rome wasn't built in a day either.  

An incredibly balanced scoring attack by the Royals was another big difference in this game as - no surprise - Elly Schmitz not only a co-high scorer with 14 points but she also recorded a double-double with 13 rebounds as well.  Erickson was also outstanding on this night as she shared the high-scoring honors with her 14 points.  Hay was right behind with her 13 points and Garfield was her usually steady self in tallying 10 points.  CSB meanwhile leaned heavily on Young (11 points) and Boily (10 points) for scoring production.  

MIAC Quarterfinal Playoff Game - CSB vs Concordia 2-25-25

 Made a leisurely but good trip up US Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline up to Fargo-Moorhead on this Tuesday and even though BNSF didn't provide much entertainment train-wise on the trip up, it certainly didn't dampen my spirits as I was very excited about covering this MIAC Quarterfinal Playoff Game between visiting CSB and host Concordia.  As you may remember, the Cobbers swept the Bennies in the regular season; winning 80-68 at home back in mid-January and then snaring a big win at Claire Lynch Hall earlier this month 83-73 so, going into this particular contest, the smart money probably would have been riding Concordia.  Then again, we all know how hard it is to beat a team three times in the same season so that aspect may have evened things out a bit.  After getting settled in my motel room over on the Fargo side of town, I made the easy run over to cavernous Memorial Auditorium and got seated in plenty of time to watch the warm-ups and talk with people as well.

Concordia Head Coach Kim Wagers had her team in a 2-3 "matchup" zone defense and that certainly seemed to pay dividends early on as the Cobbers would jump out to a 4-0 lead thanks to a jumper from the top of the key just inside the arc at the 8:38 mark of the opening period by senior guard Jordyn Kahler and a pair of free throws by junior guard Molly Musland after she was fouled at the 7:57 mark.  CSB would soon get this contest leveled at four a piece as freshman point guard Lauren Arnold would connect on a lay-up at the 6:37 mark and then slender junior combo forward/post Kira Young would knock down a jumper from the left corner just inside the arc at the 6:03 mark.  Concordia would try and open up a lead again as strong senior forward Makayla Anderson connected on a short jumper in the lane with 4:48 left and then senior point guard Carlee Sieben would knock down a pair of free throws after she was fouled with 3:59 left that gave the Cobbers the upper hand with an 8-4 advantage.  The Bennies would reduce this cushion to a scant point freshman reserve guard Tatum Findlay drained a "3" from the left wing area with 3:21 left but Concordia looked to be in command as Musland would use her 5'9" frame to snare an offensive rebound for a putback with 2:56 left and when Anderson was able to connect on a short, turnaround jumper with just :09.8 left, the Cobbers had their biggest lead yet at 12-7.  But CSB would manage to crawl back to within a single possession with just :01.6 left in this first period as senior guard Sophia Jonas would knock down a short jumper in the lane off of the glass that had the Bennies down only 12-9.

Even though things went reasonably well for the Cobbers in that first period, the overall picture took a turn for the worse once the second period got underway as Concordia's Kahler attempted to make an offensive rebound of Anderson's errant three-point shot attempt from the top of the key at the 9:45 mark and found herself caught in an awkward position being off the floor while trying to snare the rebound.  The officials tagged Kahler with the foul and Kahler; the former Wahpeton standout, apparently expressed her displeasure with the call a bit too vociferously and was promptly assessed a technical foul (more on this later).  That not only sent CSB junior guard Megan Morgan to the line to cash in on a pair of free throws but it also sparked a 9-0 Bennie run.  Jonas would follow up on this episode with a pretty drive into the lane for a finish at the 9:29 mark that gave CSB their first lead at 13-12 and that lead would grow to 15-12 when senior combo guard/forward Olivia Boily connect on a lay-up at the 9:08 mark.  Then Jonas; one of the premier three-point slayers in the MIAC, drained one of her trademark bombs from the right top area that pushed the Bennies' lead to 18-12 before Concordia was finally able to shake off this latest mini disaster.  Musland, the former LaMoure, ND standout, would take matters into her own hands by burying back-to-back three-point bombs - the first from the top of the key at the 7:57 mark and the second from the right corner at the 7:24 mark - that leveled this contest at 18 a piece.  At the 6:01 mark, Musland would strike again when she connected on a lay-up that pushed the Cobbers back out in front by a 20-19 count before CSB could find stable footing.  Findlay would connect on a lay-up at the 5:43 mark that also drew a foul and the former Albany standout would cash in on the "and one" that not only pushed the Bennies back out in front 22-20 but now CSB was in the bonus as well.  Bennies Head Coach Mike Durbin took out a page from this last Saturday's playbook against Bethel and had his squad attacking at every opportunity.  Boily would make a hard drive into the lane for a finish at the 5;14 mark for a 24-22 CSB lead and that lead would grow to 26-23 when Findlay made a hard drive into the lane for a finish with 4:23 left.  Right back came the Cobbers as Anderson would cash in on a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 3:45 left and then senior forward Greta Tollefson would connect on a lay-up with 3:11 left that pushed Concordia back out in front 27-26.  Both teams would trade one-point leads as the Bennies' Jonas knocked down a pair of charity stripe shots after getting fouled with 2:39 left and Cobber junior reserve guard Taya Jeffrey would follow suit after getting fouled with 2:27 left.  CSB looked to grab control again when Jonas banged home her second trey of this ballgame - this one from the top of the key with 2:03 left - that put the Bennies back on top 31-29 but right back came Concordia with an 8-2 push to close out this wild and wacky third period.  The Cobbers; now in the bonus themselves, cashed in at the charity stripe down the stretch.  Freshman reserve guard Brooklyn Christianson knocked down a pair after getting fouled with 1:56 left as would Anderson with 1:36 left that pushed Concordia out in front 33-31.  Sophomore reserve forward Genevieve Gruba would join in on the fun as well by dropping a pair of freebies after getting fouled with 1:02 left but it would be Anderson putting the finishing touches on this wild and weird second period as she would race from coast-to-coast and connect on a lay-up with just :00.2 left on the clock that gave the Cobbers a 37-33 lead as both teams headed to their respective locker rooms.

Even though CSB's Boily would connect on a lay-up at the 9:18 mark of the third period that cut into the deficit, the Cobbers would still maintain control for a good chunk of this third period but it didn't come without a cost.  A score in the paint by Anderson at the 8:35 mark regained the four-point edge at 39-35 and a bit later at the 7:51 mark, Anderson would come through again as she would connect on a jumper from the right elbow area off of an inbounds pass that maintained this four-point edge at 41-37.  However, Anderson would pick up her third foul of this contest at the 7:27 mark and Concordia's Wagers wasted little time in yanking the Bismarck, ND native off the floor for preservation purposes.  Still, the Cobbers were able to grow their safety net a bit as Tollefson would connect on a lay-up at the 6:34 mark and when Sieben did the same at the 6:01 mark, Concordia appeared to be in pretty good shape with a 45-38 lead.  But the Cobbers would soon see their lead shrink to a single possession as CSB's Morgan came through for her squad.  The former Winona Cotter standout would grab an offensive rebound for a putback that also drew a foul and Morgan would sink the obligatory "and one".  With 4:08 left, Morgan would strike again as she would snare a steal and be off to the races the other way for a lay-up that now had the deficit down to two at 45-43.  Concordia got a bit of a reprieve as Jeffrey would connect on a short, turnaround jumper with 3:54 left but CSB would then proceed to get this game tied up once more.  Findlay would maneuver into the paint for one score with 3:32 left and Young would do the same with 1:19 left that leveled the contest at 47 a piece.  The Cobbers' Jeffrey would put her team ahead again as she connected on a lay-up with 1:02 left but that wouldn't last long as the Bennies still had something left before this third period was in the books.  Findlay would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with :47.7 left and then Morgan would snare an offensive rebound of her own miss and get a short jumper to go down with just :07.6 left as CSB was now carrying a 50-49 advantage.  

The two teams would trade one-point leads in the early minutes of the fourth period but the Cobbers definitely appeared to have the better of it as time wore on.  Sieben would connect on a routine lay-up at the 9:28 mark to put Concordia back in front 51-50 and Anderson would connect on a short, turnaround jumper in the lane at the 8:06 mark that had the Cobbers up 53-52.  A bit later at the 7:43 mark, Sieben would come up big again as she would make a daring drive into traffic for a finish and would draw a foul in the process and her ensuing "and one" now had Concordia up 56-52.  But the sequence of events that took place less than a minute later was a game-changer even if the effects of it weren't realized immediately.  At the 7:13 mark, Sieben would manage to snare a steal in the backcourt and didn't waste any time in trying to take the ball to the hoop for what might have been an easy score.  The victim of Sieben's steal, CSB's Young, wasn't about to let her opponent get away with such thievery and immediately transitioned into defensive mode in an attempt to stop Sieben's lay-up attempt.  When Sieben attempted her lay-up, there was contact between the two players but no foul was called when Sieben's lay-up attempt was errant and was rebounded by Young.  Not one to let one of her teammates down, Concordia's Anderson; who had just missed a three-point shot attempt from the right corner prior to Sieben's backcourt steal, came rushing in and, perhaps in a bit of an overzealous manner, tried to steal the ball away from CSB's Young.  On this one, the officials were not going to let this one slide and Anderson was whistled for her fourth foul of the evening and there was no way on God's green earth that the Cobbers' Wagers was going to risk losing one of her star players so early and had no choice but to yank Anderson back to the bench again.  Despite this setback, Concordia still seemed in prime position to come away with the win as Sieben was personally trying to will her team to victory and would connect on a lay-up with 5:43 left and then after a foiled CSB possession, Tollefson would grow the Cobbers lead to eight at 60-52 when she snared an offensive rebound for a putback.  But it was at this point where Concordia's offense went into a funk at the most inopportune time and the Bennies saw the opening and took it.  Sophomore reserve guard Emily Crandall would start this decisive CSB run with a three-point bomb from the left top area with 4:43 left and a pretty jumper along the left baseline by Young with 4:08 left pulled the Bennies back to within a single possession down 60-57.  After a foiled Cobber possession, CSB's Findlay would get fouled making a drive to the basket and she would not only cash in on the two free throws that cut the deficit to a single point but now the Bennies were in the bonus the rest of the way as well.  Concordia's Jeffrey would make a hard drive for a finish with 2:53 left that stretched the lead back to three at 62-59 but that score failed to light any fire for the Cobbers as CSB would not go quietly into the night.  After yet another foiled Cobber possession, the Bennies would rely on their primary weapon from behind the arc - Jonas - and she came through big time as she delivered a heart-breaking "3" from the right wing area with 2:01 left that knotted this contest at 62 a piece.  Concordia would again come up empty on its ensuing possession and after CSB's Durbin called a timeout with 1:29 left, Arnold, the youngster and former Chanhassen standout, would come up big for the Bennies as she would use a quick burst of speed to dart in for a lay-up with 1:22 left that pushed CSB ahead for good at 64-62.  Still plenty of time left for the Cobbers but on their ensuing possession, Jeffrey would be whistled for a moving screen that wiped out another chance for Concordia.  But the Cobbers weren't on a respirator just yet as Anderson would come up with a big block on the defensive end and Wagers would call for a timeout with 40.7 left.  Once again, the Cobbers would come up empty as a Musland three-point attempt missed its mark with :16.3 left.  After a subsequent timeout by CSB's Durbin, Concordia now had no choice but to foul to preserve time on the clock and Arnold would get fouled with :14.7 left and she would cash in on both free throw attempts that now made it a two-possession game at 66-62.  The Cobbers' Wagers would then take a match to one of her remaining timeouts and drew up a play that was executed perfectly - and inbounds pass to Anderson who connected on a lay-up with :11.2 that cut the deficit to two.  Unfortunately for Concordia, they still had to revert to fouling for clock preservation and once again, the Bennies got the ball into Arnold's hands as she was fouled with :10.6 left and she was calm and cool in dropping both free throw attempts that pushed the CSB lead to 68-64.  Concordia's Wagers now took a match to her last thirty-second timeout in hopes of drawing up some quick magic but there was none to be found.  Sophomore reserve guard Alexa Snesrud would launch a three-point attempt with :02.1 left that missed its mark and the Bennies pulled off a momentous victory to march into the semifinal round.  

With the the Eagles "Take It Easy" blaring through the loudspeakers at Memorial Auditorium and Glenn Frey urging those inside to do just that after the final buzzer, the message was lost upon the collective faces of this Cobber team that was shocked and saddened to see such an incredibly frustrating season come to an equally frustrating end; especially for this group of four great seniors - Anderson, Sieben, Kahler and Tollefson whom I'll talk about later.  As you would expect, it was jubilation on the CSB side and I was able to talk to Durbin when the team and coaches started filtering back out onto the floor afterward.  I asked him about the resilience of this team and how players like Jonas, Arnold and others stepped up and made big plays when they had to.  "We needed them to make those plays but not just at the offensive end.....We needed those stops we got to give us a chance at the offensive end.....I'm so pleased with our defensive end as I am with our big shotmaking.....Sophia's (Jonas) '3' which tied the game was big but there were other plays in there as well.....We've been shooting well from the free throw line and we were able to get the right person at the right time to make those."  Durbin was also very complimentary when it came to the Concordia duo of Anderson and Sieben and their Head Coach (Wagers).  "They're just the finest people that we've played."  I mentioned to Durbin that we witnessed as we did in the second period against Bethel this last Saturday of his team showing the willingness to attack; to take the ball to the hole.  He said that aspect was critical in that fourth period on this night as well.  He also talked about the resilience of this team and how they kept battling; even when things weren't looking well early on in that fourth period and brought up the game against UW-Eau Claire back in November when the fell behind 21-0 early on but yet battled back and won the ballgame.  "Even when we've been down double digits, we've fought back and fought back and fought back.....I've praised this team all year for their resiliency and the fight that they have."  And you just have to give this team all the credit in the world for hanging tough in a hostile environment - especially when things weren't looking good when they fell behind by eight at the midway point of the fourth period and they refused to quit.  That's what you have to like about this team.  

As you can imagine, things took on a much more somber tone on the Concordia side afterward.  Wagers expressed some frustration with how the game was called and I can't say as I blame her one bit.  We saw both in the second and fourth period of this game of how this thing turned into a virtual foul fest that really didn't help either team.  But I think the thing that drew the ire of Wagers and her staff was that the foul calls weren't always consistent in this game.  Again, for me the turning point in this game came right around the 7:10 mark when Sieben made the steal in the backcourt and tried to get a lay-up out of it and when there was contact made that caused the attempt to be errant.  I'm not saying that there was a foul, I'm just saying that one could have been called with the way the game was being called.  And then after Young was able to get the defensive rebound, Anderson came in tried to snare the ball away; perhaps in an overzealous manner and got whistled for her fourth foul in the process.  It was a double-whammy if there ever was one and the long-term effect it had on Concordia in this game was deflating; even after Wagers had to roll the dice and get Anderson back out onto the floor for the home stretch.  But Wagers refused to use that particular sequence as the raison d'etre for her team's downfall in this one and rather pointed out the several missed lay-ups and jumpers that otherwise likely would have provided the margin for victory in this one.  Here's the thing:  When you look at the box score in this one, you'll see that the Cobbers did have a slight edge on the boards by a 38-32 count and Concordia did get the job done at the charity stripe going 18-21 for 85.7% which will normally win you ballgames.  Contrast that with CSB going 19-28 for 67.9% for this game and one could argue they were lucky to get out of Dodge with that stat line alone.  But, they made 'em when it counted.  And CSB was only marginally better from FG range going 22-61 for 36.1% compared to Concordia going 22-65 for 33.8%.  No, what cost the Cobbers on this night (and I was just as shocked as anyone) was that they were 2-23 from behind the arc for 8.7%.  Ahem.....YIKES.  That plus the fact that the Cobbers were only 2-8 down the stretch of that fourth period and were outscored 16-4 in the process and there's your ballgame folks.  Them numbers don't lie.  One other point that I wanted to make regarding the technical foul that was assessed to Concordia's Kahler early on in the second period.  As I found out, apparently she uttered an expletive which is what prompted the call.  Look, if a player does something egregiously wrong, I get it.  Christ, I've done WAY worse on the tennis court in my competitive playing days (😅) than what Kahler ever did.  But to T her up for something like that was just weak sauce.  I'll leave it at that.   

What a fun and unforgettable last few years it's been for this group of four great seniors at Concordia.  They've experienced a lot and finally got a chance to get to the Big Dance last year and one couldn't help but be happy and excited when they did.  Obviously this season didn't go as well as they would have liked and there were a lot of frustrating moments for this group - particularly tonight.  But that doesn't diminish all that they've accomplished during their time at Concordia.  As I told former Cobber Maddie Guler afterward who was there cheering on her former teammates, "The tree will grow again.  But it'll be a different tree."  And I guess that's always one of the sad realities of college sports.  Makayla Anderson, Carlee Sieben, Jordyn Kahler and Greta Tollefson - thank you for the memories.

One thing that CSB's Durbin had to like about his team on this night was the incredible balance he had from his squad on the scoring front.  Sophia Jonas was Sophia Jonas on this night as she led this Bennie attack with her 13 points but she had a lot of help on this night as the youngster, Arnold, was right behind with 12 points and another youngster, Findlay, poured in 11 points while Morgan was her rock steady self tallying 10 points and just missed out on a double-double with nine rebounds.  And Young just missed out on a double-double herself as she finished with eight points but grabbed 14 (!) rebounds which was huge for the Bennies.  Over on the Concordia side, what a way for Anderson to leave her mark on Memorial Auditorium as she easily led all scorers with her 19 points and was a monster on the board with 10 rebounds; doing everything she possibly could to try and will her team to victory.  If you'll look closely, you'll probably find a piece of her heart on that floor as she left it all out there on this night.  Ditto for Sieben as she kept coming back and coming back on the offensive end doing everything she could possibly do to get the dub as she finished with 11 points.  The big surprise on this night was Musland tallying 14 points and she had an exceptional first half.  The other pleasant surprise for Concordia on this night was Jeffrey who finished with eight points but did a lot of other things on the defensive side as well and I've been anxious to see her have something of a breakout game and there's little question that she'll take on a bigger role this next season.  

MIAC Playoff Preview 2-24-25

 Ah, here we are again at the most wonderful time of the year as we gear up for this year's version of the upcoming MIAC Playoffs.  There's still pretty much the same cast of characters from the last couple of seasons but some of these teams are in different positions than they were a year ago.  And we've also got a new kid on the block in the form of a young team down in Winona that's looking to make a name for itself.  And we've got a pair of teams that are sharing the MIAC regular season title and are "locks" to make the NCAA Tournament and both also have a very good chance of hosting 1st/2nd round pods at their respective facilities.  In short, we've got a little bit of everything this year and that alone always makes this so fun.  So let's break this little party down like we always do; going from bottom to top.

6.  SMU - It seems kind of funny when I go back to my MIAC predictions from this last fall and I tagged the Cardinals to finish last this year.  And look, given how things went for SMU the last couple of seasons and with all the young players they had along with a new coach and a new system, you had to figure it was going to take a while for the tree to grow down there.  And even though they knocked off St. Kates's at their place in December, SMU didn't really start turning heads until right after the first of the year when they went up to Moorhead and pulled off a huge upset against Concordia.  And sure, they went through a rough patch for a bit, they recovered and went on a five-game win streak to close out the regular season and snare the sixth spot.  I think what grabs you first is when you look at the roster of this team and see how incredibly young they are.  Two freshmen - guard Brianna Nusbaum and forward Rylie Sternquist - lead the Cardinals in scoring with 13.8 and 11.7 ppg, respectively.  Another youngster, freshman forward Kalli Olson, is solid on both ends of the floor averaging 8.5 ppg and 8.3 rebounds per game.  Freshman combo guard/forward Julia Koch and junior guard Lindsay Lettner are also both very important pieces to the overall SMU attack.  What's impressive about this young Cardinals team is that they're fifth in the conference in offense averaging 61.6 ppg which is pretty darn good, all things considered.  Overall team defense is an issue as SMU is ninth in the conference at 62.5 ppg but hey, you gotta let this tree grow here a little, right? Ultimately, I think one can make the argument that there's a ceiling for this team with the youth factor involved and it's tough to imagine them getting past Hamline in their quarterfinal game Tuesday night but make no mistake about it - there's something special brewing down on US Highway 61 and the CPKC River Sub mainline and it'll be interesting to see how quickly Head Coach Courtney Shelton can bring this team around. 

Sure sign of trouble - As I mentioned, the youth factor will likely be their downfall and they can ill-afford to get into a big hole early. 

5.  CSB - Oh, what COULD have been for the Bennies had they just been able to take care of business where they should have.  But a four-game skid back in early/mid-January proved costly and even though they tied Concordia for fourth place in the regular season standings, they lost the head-to-head factor as the Cobbers swept CSB in the regular season so once again, the Bennies are forced to take their show back on the road again; ironically enough, up at Concordia on Tuesday night in the other quarterfinal game.  But before anyone starts feeling sorry for CSB, one had better realize that this is a squad that has a nice mix of experience and youth that's blended together quite well and I don't have to be the one to tell you that Head Coach Mike Durbin knows his Xs and Os as well as anyone.  This is a team that knows how to put points on the board and in bunches when they're clicking.  The Bennies are led by senior guard Sophia Jonas (12.4 ppg) who can dart into traffic for a tough finish or slay you from downtown.  Junior guard Megan Morgan 12.0 ppg) has an uncanny ability to make those hard drives into the lane for tough finishes and can burn you with her trademark southpaw three-point bombs.  Freshman point guard Lauren Arnold (9.0 ppg) might be the youngster in this mix but she's been playing like a seasoned veteran and doesn't back down from anyone.  Senior combo guard/forward Olivia Boily (8.6 ppg) can be a threat to drive along the baseline for a score and can grab those tough rebounds as well.  We know that CSB can be a scoring machine at times and they're fourth in the MIAC in total offense averaging 65.6 ppg.  But the ultimate downfall for the Bennies this season has been on the defensive end where they rank eighth in the conference in total defense giving up 61.1 ppg.  The other glaring red flag for this CSB team is rebounding where the Bennies are in next to last place in the conference with 32,8 rebounds per game.  That one area has cost CSB some games this year and you'd have to think that could rear its ugly head again come Tuesday night.

Sure sign of trouble - If the Bennies can't rebound, then they've got to make up for it somehow on the other end - it's that simple.  If they can't, it'll be another early exit.

4.  Concordia - To say that hopes were high up in Fargo-Moorhead coming into this season after the Cobbers made it to their second straight MIAC Championship Game and also got that long-awaited invite to the Dance this last season would be something of an understatement.  The season started out well enough but then a four-game skid in late November and early December - including bad losses to both UW-River Falls and UW-La Crosse - put Concordia in an early bad spot and even though they appeared to right the ship in a holiday tournament beating both Washington & Lee and Case Western Reserve handily, things soon went to hell in a handbasket for the Cobbers right after the first of the year when they suffered a shocking loss at home to a young SMU team which really set the tone for the rest of the regular season.  Two more bad losses - on the road at St. Kate's and at Macalester had to be absorbed as well and even though they took care of business elsewhere where you expected them to, they weren't terribly impressive in doing so.  In short, one could say that this season has been nothing less than a disappointment for Concordia.  At the same time, I think there's been reasons for that and I think one could surmise that the biggest one is that they miss a certain player who wore #20 for them last season and has now graduated.  As many times as I've watched this team play this year, something just seemed "off" and things never quite jelled the way many thought they would.  It was like you didn't know exactly what the identity of this team was.  But, it's not all doom and gloom in the Red River Valley as the Cobbers still have two very important pieces they can - and have had to - rely on.  Senior guard Carlee Sieben (15.9 ppg) is always a threat whether its darting into the lane for a score or unleashing three-point bombs from downtown.  And what can you say about fellow senior forward Makayla Anderson (15.2 ppg) who can score down low or unleash a "3" when she's on the high post?  And she's always there when you need rebounding as she averages 8.3 rebounds a game.  Fellow seniors - guard Jordyn Kahler (6.6 ppg) and Greta Tollefson (6.9 ppg) are also important pieces to the overall Cobber attack.  The immediate concern right now for Concordia swirls around the availability of junior point guard Taylor Safranski (4.0 ppg) who didn't play the last two regular season games due to an apparent injury.  If she can't go, Head Coach Kim Wagers will likely have to call upon fellow junior guard Molly Musland (4.3 ppg) to run the spot.  The one big positive for the Cobbers is their hallmark strength - free throw shooting where they're top in the MIAC at 76.8%.  In total offense, Concordia is also at the top as they average 68.7 ppg.  But it's another story on the other end of the floor where the Cobbers are seventh in the conference giving up 61.1 ppg and they're also seventh in the conference in total rebounds with 35.7 rebounds a game.  And even though they rank high in the conference in turnover margin and Assist/Turnover Ratio, we've seen time and time again where the turnover bugaboo rears its ugly head when things start going south for Concordia.  I've said this before after covering their games this season and I'll say it again here:  The Cobbers absolutely have to give as much help as possible to the Sieben/Anderson scoring duo if they want to have any chance of doing the otherwise unthinkable here and it doesn't matter who it comes from.  But they've got to have that.  It's as simple as that.

Sure sign of trouble - Well, we've seen it before.....When the shots aren't falling for either Sieben or Anderson and no one else can step up and they start coughing the rock up like someone with emphysema.  

3.  Hamline - The Pipers find themselves back in the third spot this season and if you follow the MIAC Women's Hoops scene close enough, that's likely where you had to figure they'd settle in at.  They certainly didn't do anything to warrant sliding down to a lower spot but they weren't able to do enough to move any higher either.  And that kind of seems to be the rut that Hamline's been in the last couple two or three years.  Having said that, dismissing this team and its chances in this little party would be a grave mistake as this squad runs on high octane and more often than not is off to the races when they hit the floor as they love the up-temp game.  And this is a team that loves to light up the scoreboard like a pinball machine and they've got all the pieces to do that.  It's no surprise at all that junior guard Camille Cummings is one of the premier three-point shooters in the MIAC and she also leads the way for the Pipers with her 14.7 ppg.  But one of more pleasant surprises for Head Coach Josh Hersch and his staff has been the emergence of sophomore guard Yasmeen Abed (10.0 ppg) and she could do some big things for Hamline in the MIAC Playoffs.  Senior point guard Kate Trachsel (8.4 ppg) has been her steady, reliable self running this high-octane attack and sophomore guard Lauren Cooper (4.4 ppg) has been a very nice addition to this starting lineup.  One piece that has been missing since early January; junior combo guard/forward Sophie Stork is unfortunate to be sure but sophomore forward Marina LaFreniere has stepped up to the plate and she's backed up by capable senior forward Kate Van Helden.  And Hersch has some very good players coming off the bench in sophomore combo guard/forward Anna Rynkiewich and junior combo guard forward Josie Wiebusch along with freshman guard Josie Schmidt and Hersch knows how to move his chess pieces when he has to.  When you look at the team statistics for Hamline, it's kind of a confounding proposition.  Consider:  They're sixth in the conference in team offense at 61.2 ppg but they're actually second in the league in team defense in holding opponents to 51.0 ppg.  In team offensive rebounds, Hamline's at the top of the pack as they average 13.4 rebounds a game.  But they're dead last in defensive rebounds with 22.4 rebounds a game.  So what gives here?  One area of definite concern is at the charity stripe where the Pipers are eighth in the conference at 67.4% and that's a number that will cost you sooner rather than later.  Somehow, you just know that this team is capable of so much more but then reality sets in when they run into a team like Bethel or GAC.  As good as this team is, you just have a feeling that reality is going to set in sooner than what they'd like.  

Sure sign of trouble - Getting forced into a slower half-court game against a bigger, more physical opponent (a la GAC or Bethel) would be the worst possible scenario for this team.  

2.  GAC - How in God's name did the Gusties - with only one blemish on their record this season - get relegated to the second seed this time around?  Well, that's what'll happen when you lose a coin flip to a team that had an identical conference record as you did (Bethel).  But, before despair and pessimism sets in with Gustieland, let's remember a few things:  GAC is third in the MIAC in team offense averaging 67.5 ppg and numero uno in team defense holding opponents to 47.7 ppg.  Team FG percentage and Opponent FG percentage?  Gusties lead both categories.  Rebounding margin?  GAC is second with a +6.0 margin.  The Gusties are also second in team FT percentage at 76.6% and they're tops in opponent three-point shooting percentage.  Maybe the only area of concern I would have for GAC are combined team rebounds and team offensive rebounds where they don't rank that high but I can also push those concerns aside and here's why:  Not one, not two but THREE fifth-year seniors - guard Emma (not evil) Kniefel (14.9 ppg), guard Syd Hauger (9.5 ppg) and forward Izzy (Izzy Izzy, you're making me dizzy) Quick (5.7 ppg and 6.5 rebounds a game).  And seniors Kylie Baranick (9.4 ppg) who runs the PG spot, Morgan Kelly (7.9 ppg) and Rachel Kawiecki (8.9 ppg) and Head Coach Laurie Kelly can easily interchange the last two as game situations warrant.  I mean, this group has really been through it all - triumph, setbacks, tragedy and pretty much every competitive situation one could possibly conjure up.  If that isn't enough, Laurie Kelly has got some very good and young pieces coming off the bench in sophomore forward Whitley Ronn, freshman combo guard/forward Olivia Grothaus, sophomore guard Ella Peters, sophomore guard Kendyl Queensland, sophomore guard Emily Bowron, and the new kid on the block with a ton of swag, freshman guard Anna Goodman.  The only team I can ever remember going this deep was that 1986-87 Iowa team that should have won the whole ball of wax that year but I digress.  This is a team that's a lock for the NCAA Tournament.  This is a team that damn well better get a chance to host a 1st/2nd round pod at their place and they almost certainly will if the NPI numbers are correct.  And this is, God willing, a team that will hopefully make a deep run in the Dance and really get a chance to enjoy the moment while doing it.  

Sure sign of trouble - It's incredibly difficult to imagine a scenario where GAC finds a way to falter here, isn't it?  Unless, of course, they come out flatter than a pancake like they did back on 1-18 when they suffered their only loss of the season - at home on a Saturday night to Bethel.  But it would be the ultimate shock if that happened this time around.  

1.  Bethel - Back in October, I expected that Bethel would definitely be "better" this season than they were a year ago - certainly more consistent anyway.  But there were a few stumbles coming out of the gate this season that did give one pause for concern:  A loss in mid-November at UW-La Crosse, a blowout loss to Scranton down in Florida along with the home loss to UW-Stout right before the first of the year.  But since that time, the Royals would get tripped up only once - at home to GAC early this month.  In the end, it all worked out for Bethel as they won the coin toss to lay claim to the top seed in the MIAC Playoffs.  We all know the modus operandi of this team and that's their defense which can gang up on opponents like those mean ol' raptors from the Jurassic Park movies and eat you alive.  They're second in the conference in team offense averaging 67.8 ppg and its no secret that a lot of those scoring opportunities come off what the defense creates.  You often see Bethel with a huge advantage in points off of turnovers after a game and that's really one of the things that makes the Royals so lethal.  And Bethe's right up there in total team defense holding opponents to 53.8 ppg.  I mean, there's been instances where this team has just simply shut opponents down (see Hamline back on 2-15).  They may not always be pretty in doing things but then again, when you can play defense like that, why worry about the beauty contest aspect?  And, to be sure, this Bethel team has a bevy of reliable scorers starting with senior combo guard/forward Elly Schmitz (14.3 ppg), fifth-year senior guard Anna Garfield (12.1 ppg) who's steady as a rock and sophomore Emily Erickson (11.0 ppg).  But it doesn't end there by any means.  Opponents also have to worry about fifth-year senior forward Lydia Hay and junior point guard Colette Duininck who is an absolute menace on defense and can slay you from three-point land too if she has to.  Then, Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer may very well have one of the best sixth-players in the land in sophomore guard Macey Littlefield who can not only play defense but also come up big from downtown - and in bunches - which is very bad news for opponents.  Throw in junior combo guard/forward Rosalie Penke, sophomore forward Cally Peterson and junior forward Alli Born and you can see why this team is such an incredible load for opponents with their defense and their length.  It can be utterly nightmarish for opponents.  Like GAC, they're a lock for the NCAA Tournament with their strong NPI numbers and they also have a very good chance at hosting a 1st/2nd round pod at their place which is very cool.  It's funny in a way that this team, compared to the 2020 team, is deeper.  But the only concern I would have for this squad is how they handle the big moment - whether it's in the MIAC Championship Game or in the Dance.  We remember all too well the heartbreak that the 2020 team suffered in the first round of the Dance and it goes without saying that they want to avoid a repeat of that.

Sure sign of trouble - If the seemingly inevitable happens where the Royals and Gusties hook up for all the rubber in the MIAC Championship Game, Bethel can ill afford to have a poor shooting performance like they did back on 2-8 that saw them get into a hole that they couldn't get out of.  

So there you have it.  I'll be covering one of the Quarterfinal games on Tuesday night and one of the Semifinal games on Thursday night and, of course, the MIAC Championship Game on Saturday afternoon.  Let's get this party started, shall we?!   

MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 2-23-25

 Hard to believe another MIAC regular season has come to a close and this is my last MIAC Power Rankings of this season.  But we've obviously got a lot to look forward to as of today so let's get this out first before we start looking ahead.  

1.  (tie) GAC & Bethel

2.  Hamline

3.  (tie) Concordia & CSB

4.  SMU

5.  St. Kate's

6.  St. Scholastica 

7.  Macalester

8.  Carleton

9.  St. Olaf

10.  Augsburg

So, yeah, I really had a tough time with this as you can tell and it all starts at the top spot where I have both GAC and Bethel sharing their respective spaces at the top of the mountain.  You have to give each team its due as both the Gusties and the Royals took care of business convincingly this last week and wound up as MIAC Regular Season Co-Champs.  As we know now, Bethel won the coin flip on Friday that gives them the number one seed in the upcoming MIAC Playoffs (and I'll have more on this later in my MIAC Playoff Preview) but the Gusties are still in great shape to claim yet another MIAC Championship Game but what's really cool is that both teams are not only "locks" for the NCAA Tournament but both also will likely host a 1st and 2nd round NCAA pod at their place so that's really exciting for both of these programs.

Right below the top two is Hamline which has seemingly had nowhere to go up or nowhere to go down.  To their credit, the Pipers did routinely take care of business this last week, bopping St. Kate's over at Butler Center this last Wednesday night before dismissing St. Olaf yesterday at home in venerable Hutton Arena and they've sewn up the third seed in the MIAC Playoffs......Tied for the third straight Sunday for the number three spot on my Power Rankings are Concordia and CSB and both came away with a split this last week as the Cobbers looked absolutely lost in the debacle over at Leonard Center against Macalester this last Wednesday night before doing just enough to get a ten-point win over Carleton yesterday.  The Bennies meanwhile got a big home win this last Wednesday night against Augsburg but were predictably worn down by Bethel in the second half yesterday.  Because Concordia swept CSB in the regular season, the Cobbers get the coveted number four seed and the home game that comes with which will bring the fifth-seeded Bennies up to Moorhead on Tuesday night to settle things once and for all between these two. 

With the bunched-up group laying their claims to the first three spots, the new kid on the block, SMU, has the number four spot in my Power Rankings all to themselves on this day and deservedly so as the Cardinals finished the regular season on a tear; their latest victims being St. Olaf this last Wednesday night and Macalester yesterday.  I don't think anybody would have predicted that SMU would be in this position back in November/December; much less that they would lay claim to the number six seed in the upcoming MIAC Playoffs yet here they are.......It was a disappointing finish for the Wildcats as they dropped their last two games - at home against Hamline this last Wednesday night and then predictably at big bad ol' GAC yesterday.  A lot of things went wrong for St. Kate's this season and they simply weren't able to overcome all the obstacles they faced this year.  But with the younger players they have on this team, the future could be quite bright for them.  

Things were looking very good for St. Scholastica at the beginning of February but then the Saints went into an absolute tailspin; dropping five straight games before closing out the season with a win at Augsburg yesterday......Macalester is another team that had the flame flickering for a while but the Scots simply weren't consistent enough when it counted to get themselves into position for a playoff spot but they did pocket some very good wins this season; including beating St. Kate's at Butler Center and knocking off Concordia this last Wednesday night at home in Leonard Center.......Carleton had a rough season but considering what happened last year, it was just good to have the Knights back in the mix and they've got a good nucleus of young and up-and-coming players.....And it was predictably rough for both St. Olaf and Augsburg this season as the wins were few and far between for the Oles and the Auggies.  

Well, that wraps up this regular season.  NOW it's time to look ahead and I'll have my MIAC Playoff Preview and what we can expect out very soon.  

CSB vs Bethel 2-22-25

It was an easy drive on this sunny - and MUCH warmer Saturday - over to Robertson Center in Arden Hills on the campus of Bethel University for the regular season finale that pitted visiting CSB and host Bethel.  It's been something of an up-and-down rollercoaster ride for the Bennies as of late but they've been good enough to get themselves into position to possibly snare that number four seed in the upcoming MIAC Playoffs and they were not only going to need a win on this day but they were also going to need some help from conference rival Carleton in hopes that the Knights could somehow pull off a big upset over Concordia up in Moorhead on this day as well.  Meanwhile for the Royals, they've been neck-and-neck with GAC for not only the regular season title but the number one seed in the MIAC Playoffs as well and if both the Royals and Gusties won today, they would not only have to share the regular season title but would also have to rely on a coin flip in the MIAC office to determine the top seed.  Adding to the drama on this day was the fact that it was Senior Day at Bethel as well and the seniors on this Bethel team - Elly Schmitz, Anna Garfield, Lydia Hay and Elsie Broersma were all recognized prior to tip-off.  Needless to say, there was a lot of emotion and hype flowing in the pregame.

CSB would draw first blood in this contest as willowy junior combo guard/forward Kira Young connected on a short jumper from the right side at the 9:40 mark of the opening period but the Royals would waste little time in leveling the contest at two a piece when Garfield knocked down a short, turnaround jumper at the 9:12 mark.  Less than a minute later at the 8:15 mark, Bethel would assume a 4-2 advantage when Hay connected on a short, turnaround jumper in the lane at the 8:15 mark but the Bennies would come right back at the 7:29 mark and get this game tied again at four a piece when senior guard Sophia Jonas was fouled in a transition opportunity and got a pair of free throws out of the deal.  Bethel would manage to hold the upper hand after this point but in a slightly unexpected fashion.  Sophomore reserve guard Macey Littlefield would get fouled at the 5:50 mark and although she could only get the front end attempt to cooperate, the errant back-end attempt was snared by slender junior reserve forward Ali Born and she would get a lay-up out of it at the 5:47 mark that gave the Royals a 7-4 advantage.  One more free throw by junior point guard Colette Duininck after she was fouled with 4:50 left maintained the three-point edge at 8-5 and a score in the paint by Hay with 3:37 left not only kept the lead at three at 10-7 but helped propel an 8-0 push.  With 3:02 left, Schmitz would grab an offensive rebound of her own miss and get a putback and two free throws by Hay after she was fouled with 2:33 left upped the Royals lead to 14-7.  Junior combo guard/forward Rosalie Penke would cap this early run on a pair of charity stripe shots after she was fouled with 2:00 left to make it a 16-7 ballgame before CSB finally ended its prolonged drought on a three-point bomb by Jonas from the left top area with 1:40 left and the Bennies would keep the deficit at six when Young slithered through traffic for a lay-up with :52 left.  But Bethel would grow its lead to eight when Born maneuvered into the paint for a score with :31 left as the Royals seemingly had things going their way with a 20-12 lead.

Despite stubbing its toe a bit in that opening period, this resourceful CSB team would turn the tables and get the tempo of the game going their way once the second period was underway.  Perhaps just as important, Head Coach Mike Durbin had his team attacking the rim much more efficiently as well that opened up some opportunities for them.  Young would get things started for the Bennies on a lay-up at the 9:10 mark that cut the deficit down to six at 20-14 and two free throws by lefty junior guard Megan Morgan at the 7:56 mark kept CSB in that six-point range down 22-16.  Young would get the Bennies closer after making another daring drive into traffic at the 6:19 that drew a foul and the Hudson, WI native would get a pair of free throws out of it that reduced the deficit down to four at 22-18.  At the 5:47 mark, Jonas, the primary three-point slayer on this CSB team, drained one of her patented bombs - this one from the right top area - that had the deficit down to a scant point at 22-21.  With 4:53 left, Young would strike again as she knocked down a short jumper in the lane that would not only cap this 11-2 Bennie run put would also bump CSB back out in front by a 23-22 count.  The Royals would momentarily take the lead back at 24-23 when Littlefield muscled into the paint for a score with 4:42 left but the Bennies were still in their attack mode and Morgan would get a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled with 4:25 to give CSB the lead back at 25-24 and Bethel Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer; a bit concerned after seeing his offense be in low-gear for an extended period of time, called for a halt to the action to get his troops reorganized.  That stoppage in play allowed the Royals to catch their collective breaths as well and sophomore reserve forward Emily Erickson would connect on a lay-up with 4:00 left that allowed Bethel to recapture the lead at 26-25 but growing that lead proved to be a tough proposition as the Bennies weren't going anywhere anytime soon.  Freshman reserve guard Tatum Findlay would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 3:42 left that tied this game at 26 and one free throw by senior combo guard/forward Olivia Boily after she was fouled with 2:48 left had CSB back out in front again 27-26.  Right back came the Royals as Littlefield made a strong drive into the lane for a finish with 2:20 left to make it a 28-27 game but again, Bethel was unable to expand on this small lead.  The Bennies; now easily into the bonus, continued to attack as Jonas would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 2:08 left and two more by Boily after she was fouled with 1:37 left now had CSB up 30-28.  The Royals finally found a bit more semblance of offense as Garfield would make a hard drive into the lane and get a pretty one-handed finish with 1:24 left and a score in the paint by Penke a bit later with :45 left had Bethel up 32-30.  But CSB would put a punctuation mark on this productive second period as Boily would connect on a lay-up with :17.6 left that not only tied the game but had many of the Bethel faithful in an uneasy mood given not only with how the second period went overall but also the fact that the Royals were looking at foul problems with several of their key players as this game was deadlocked at 32.

And CSB definitely seemed to have things going their way early on in the third period with two quick scores by freshman point guard Lauren Arnold.  The former Chanhassen standout would start things off with a three-point bomb from the top of they key at the 9:40 mark and a short while later, Arnold would make a daring drive into the lane for a finish that suddenly had the Bennies up by five at 37-32.  But this Bethel team; which had seemingly been dormant from an offensive standpoint for most of the second period, suddenly came alive.  Schmitz would connect on a lay-up at the 8:37 mark and then the trademark defense by the Royals also started gearing up as well as Littlefield would snare a steal and race the other way for a lay-up at the 8:23 mark that cut the deficit to one at 37-36.  CSB would try and light its earlier fire as Boily got into the paint for a score at the 8:00 mark to make it a three-point game again at 39-36 but that wouldn't last long as the Royals' Schmitz would grab an offensive rebound for a putback at the 7:39 mark and Hay would make a drive into the lane for a finish that would draw a foul in the process and her ensuing "and one" now had Bethel out in front by a 41-39 count.  The Bennies would level this contest again at 41 a piece when Young connected on a lay-up at the 6:37 mark but things would soon start going to hell in a handbasket for CSB as the Royals started to take control.  Schmitz would put Bethel back out in front at 43-41 on a lay-up but the real deal-breaker for CSB came a bit later at the 6:02 mark when it looked like the Bennies might be able to forge another tie.  Morgan made a hard drive into the lane on a scoring attempt but lost control of the ball when she got tangled up with two Bethel players.  The officials called a charging foul on Morgan which drew the ire of CSB's Durbin and on the Royals subsequent possession, Littlefield would bang home a "3" from the right corner at the 5:44 mark that got Bethel's lead to five at 46-41.  The Bennies would try and counter as Arnold drained her second trey of the afternoon - this one from the top of the key at the 5:30 mark - but right back came the Royals' Littlefield on the subsequent Bethel possession and she would again bury a heartbreaking "3" - this one from the right wing area with 4:55 left that got the lead to five at 49-44.  CSB's Arnold would again try an take matters into her own hands as she would make a hard drive into the lane for a finish with 4:30 left that again had the Bennies back to within a single possession down 49-46 but then Bethel went on a 12-0 tear that changed the course of this game for good.  Schmitz would get a routine score in the paint with 4:12 left and a lay-up by Littlefield with 3:47 left pushed the Royals lead to seven at 53-46.  Erickson would connect on a lay-up as well with 3:02 left and then Garfield would bring the house down at Robertson Center when she buried a "3" from the left corner that also drew a foul and her obligatory free throw with 2:14 left stretched Bethel's lead to thirteen at 59-46 and the Bennies' Durbin had no choice but to take a match to a timeout as this one was getting away from them.  The Royals' Garfield would also cap this decisive run by snaring a steal near the midcourt line and dashing the other way for a lay-up with 2:05 left that made it 61-46 before CSB was finally able to wipe some of the dust collecting on its basket when Boily knocked down a short jumper with 1:47 left.  Still, Bethel left its opponent on notice when Born snared an offensive rebound of her own miss after a steal for a putback with :46 left as the Royals had full momentum, control and a 61-46 lead as this wacky third period finally came to a close.

Bethel would expand on its double-digit advantage early on in the fourth period when Schmitz connected on a lay-up at the 9:45 mark to make it 65-48 before the Bennies finally got untangled on the offensive end and launched a 10-2 push that tightened things up a bit.  Young would drop a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 8:17 mark and would follow that up a short time later with a three-point bomb from the top of the key at the 7:57 mark that cut the deficit to twelve at 65-53.  That deficit would be reduced to ten points when Morgan was sent to the charity stripe after getting fouled at the 7:27 mark to drop a pair of freebies and Jonas would finish off this run with one of her trademark three-point bombs - this one from the left wing area at the 5:13 mark - that got CSB back to within single digits down 67-58 with presumably a good amount of time left to at least roll the dice in an effort to get back to within striking distance-range.  But the Royals were being uncooperative on that front as they never let their safety net get too thin.  Erickson would get a three-point play the old-fahsioned way as she slithered into the paint for a score that also drew a foul and allowed the former Chisago Lakes standout to cash in on the free throw attempt that got Bethel's lead to 70-58.  Undaunted, the Bennies would make another bid as Young would connect on a lay-up with 3:27 left and after Durbin called a timeout to set up strategy for the home stretch, Morgan would dazzle the Robertson Center crowd with her coast-to-coast lay-up with 2:52 that got the deficit down to eight at 70-62.  With 2:17 left, Morgan would strike again with a pretty drive into the lane and finish that kept CSB in that eight-point range down 72-64 but again, the Royals would slowly but firmly close the door on this contest.  Garfield would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 1:48 left and with 1:19 left, Schmitz would leave her mark on this game as she would connect on a lay-up that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" had Bethel up 77-64.  The Bennies would make one last gasp attempt on a lay-up off of an inbounds pass by Young with 1:00 left but the Royals' Penke would sink one insurance free throw after getting fouled with :35.3 left as Bethel not only earned a decisive 78-66 victory but with it also got at least a share of the MIAC regular season title.

I was lucky enough to catch up with Bethel's Herbrechtsmeyer sooner than I though I might be able to considering all the people he had to touch base with afterward.  But we were able to get into the lounge area of Robertson Center and catch up on this game just completed and for a look forward as well.  First, I had to congratulate him on his team's win and admitted that I was unprepared for his squad's explosion on the offensive end in the third period.  "I was" he gleamed.  It was really just the perfect execution of his defense creating those opportunities on the other end and they cashed in on those opportunities.  I pointed out that I thought that Littlefield had an exceptional game on this day (and the box score validates that notion) and she came up big during that decisive third period run with a pair of three-point bombs and a big steal and lay-up the other way that not only set the tone for this game but also helped pave the way to ultimate victory.  Herbrechtsmeyer pointed out that she (Littlefield) has had some games this season where she didn't always step up with big performances but was quick to point out that she's turned it up a few notches coming down the home stretch of the regular season.  We also talked about Elly Schmitz and what she's meant to this team and this program and the success they're having this season because of everything she brings to the table and she's been nothing short of utterly fantastic this year.  So, in looking forward, I found out shortly after my arrival at Robertson Center on this day that the coin flip by the MIAC office to determine the number one seed for the upcoming MIAC Playoffs in case both Bethel and GAC finished the regular season tied for first place actually took place on Friday (!) 2-21 and I would find out later that Bethel did indeed win this coin flip that gives them the number one seed.  Naturally, I wasn't going to say anything until the conference office officially announced it but I would have much more preferred that the MIAC office would have waited until after the games were completed on Saturday or until Sunday AM to do this.  The fact that the MIAC Championship Game will now - more than likely - run through Bethel's Robertson Center is huge for this team and this program.  And not only that, because of their strong NPI ranking (#15 as of today 2-23) makes them a "lock" for the NCAA Tournament and a very good chance to host a 1st/2nd round pod at Robertson Center which they got to do back in 2020.  So these are some very exciting times for Bethel to be sure.  But at the same time - and as I pointed out to Herbrechtsmeyer - this is where you've got to stay focused and "locked-in" and give yourselves the best chance to play your best basketball of the season.  And I think Herbrechtsmeyer and his staff will have the team doing just that.

Meanwhile for CSB, a disappointing finish to be sure but given where they were back in early/mid-January when they were mired in that four-game losing streak, it could be a helluva lot worse when you sit down and think about it.  First off, I liked Durbin's strategy in that second period of having his team be much more aggressive in taking the ball to the hole on drives that helped get his team into the bonus with 4:25 left in the second period and arguably forced Bethel's Herbrechtsmeyer and his staff to change things up before the half with some players in foul trouble.  If you look at the box score on this one, you'll see that CSB actually did shoot pretty decently from FG range going 21-51 for 41.2% which isn't terrible.  Three-point shooting left something to be desired as the Bennies went 6-18 from downtown for 33.3%.  and free throw shooting was a costly element on this day with CSB going 18-25 for a straight 72% and we all know that's got to be better if the Bennies hope to do damage in the upcoming MIAC Playoffs.  But where this game was lost for CSB was on these fronts:  Getting outrebounded by a 42-33 count.  Getting blown out in points in the paint by a 52-22 count.  Having one bench point compared to 30 for Bethel.  Turnovers weren't terrible with CSB coughing it up only 13 times but unfortunately for the Bennies, the Royals got 23 points off of those turnovers which is playing right into their hands.  Now, to be sure, Bethel can't be completely absolved of any transgressions here either as they were 13-23 from the charity stripe for 56.5% but they were able to get away with that because of all the other things I pointed out.  But this would be a perfect time for this Bethel team to get some extra charity stripe shots up before they go back into action this coming Thursday evening. 

What a day it was for Bethel's Schmitz as she not only paced the Royals with her 19 points but also recorded a double-double with her 11 rebounds.  But you also had a lot of balance on this Bethel team as well.  Consider:  Littlefield; as I pointed out earlier, pouring in 15 points on a great day for her and Hay, solid as always, not far behind with 13 points and Garfield, her usually steady self finishing with 10 points.  That kind of balance along with everything else the Royals do will help you win ballgames, no doubt about it.  CSB had very good balance on this day on the scoring front but it unfortunately wasn't enough to make up for the other deficiencies I pointed out.  Young was fantastic at times on this day as she led all scorers with her 21 points and Arnold; the young freshman, also had some good moments as she tallied 13 points on this day.  And the duo of Jonas and Morgan finished with 10 points a piece.    

MIAC Playoff Field Now Set - Bethel Wins Coin Flip For #1 Seed

 Just as a heads up, wanted to share the news that is now official as Bethel won the coin flip with GAC for the number one seed in the upcoming MIAC Playoffs this next week as both teams won their regular season finales and each won a share of the regular season title.  You can read more on the MIAC website.  

https://miacathletics.com/news/2025/2/22/miac-womens-basketball-playoff-field-set.aspx

MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 2-16-25

 Hard to believe that there's only one week left in the regular season.  So let's see what we're looking at from my latest Power Rankings on this Sunday:

1.  GAC

2.  Bethel

3.  Hamline

4.  (tie) Concordia & CSB

5.  SMU

6.  St. Kate's

7.  St. Scholastica

8.  Macalester

9.  Carleton

10.  Augsburg

11.  St. Olaf

It's hard to differentiate the two from the conference standings but I still give the nod to GAC for the top spot in my Power Rankings on this day as the Gusties routinely took care of biz this last week - smothering St. Olaf over in Northfield this last Wednesday night and then winning a shootout yesterday with CSB.  And this last week doesn't look taxing for the Gusties at all as they make a return trip to Northfield to face Carleton on Wednesday night before finishing up the regular season on Saturday against St. Kate's........Bethel meanwhile got a big win up in Moorhead this last Wednesday night against Concordia and constricted the offensive life out of Hamline yesterday at home in Robertson Center.  The Royals meanwhile have to venture up to the frigid shores of Gitche Gumee on Wednesday night to face St. Scholastica before hosting another explosive offensive team in CSB this next Saturday.  The guess here is that we'll be looking at a coin flip to decide the top two seeds of the MIAC Playoffs this next weekend.  

Still entrenched in the third spot on this day is Hamline and although the Pipers got a rather routine win at home against Carleton this last Wednesday night, they were virtually shut down at Bethel yesterday in a dreadful performance.  While conventional wisdom has Hamline hanging onto the third playoff spot, the Pipers have to be aware that this last week of the regular season is going to be tricky as they run over to St. Kate's on Wednesday night before finishing up at home against St. Olaf on Saturday.......I've tried like hell to find some differentiation between the two teams that still share the fourth spot in my Power Rankings on this Sunday and simply am unable to do so.  The Cobbers got bounced badly at home by Bethel this last Wednesday night and were living (very) dangerously yesterday at St. Scholastica before eeking out a narrow victory.  But again, there's no time to celebrate as Concordia absolutely has to lay it all out on the line this last week of the regular season to snare the fourth spot in the MIAC Playoffs as they'll have to make another trip down US Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline to take on a very tricky and tough Macalester team (a team they had to hang on for dear life against back home in Moorhead a few short weeks ago) before finishing things up at home on Saturday against Carleton......CSB also had to settle for a split this last week as they pulled away from Macalester this last Wednesday night before running out of ammo at GAC yesterday.  But here's the tough proposition for the Bennies in this last week of the regular season:  They host Augsburg on Wednesday night before coming down to the Twin Cities on Saturday to finish up at Bethel.  With the Cobbers having the leg up on the head-to-head element, CSB is going to be left with no choice but to roll the dice and lay it all on the line and hope to come out with two dubs and hope Concordia gets tripped up once this week.  Such is life in the MIAC......

The team that should probably be getting the most attention on this day is SMU as the Cardinals have now captured three straight dubs - including their latest victims this last week in beating Augsburg at home on Wednesday night and Carleton over in Northfield yesterday.  So it's all laying out there for SMU this week as the Cardinals make a return trip to Northfield on Wednesday night to take on St. Olaf before hosting Macalester in their regular season finale on Saturday......St. Kate's recorded a pair of wins this last week in thumping St. Scholastica on Wednesday night and then getting a convincing win over at Augsburg yesterday.  The thing of it is, the 'Cats are still on the outside looking in and given that they host Hamline on Wednesday night before traveling down US Highway 169 and the Union Pacific's Mankato Sub mainline to St. Peter this coming Saturday to take on GAC, their fate appears all but sealed.......And, speaking of fates that are sealed, look no further than St. Scholastica as the Saints have been in a free fall; losing four straight including blowing an eleven-point lead at home yesterday against Concordia.  And things don't appear any brighter this last week as the Saints host Bethel on Wednesday night before finishing things up down in the Cities on Saturday against Augsburg.  

So that's how things look on this day before we dive into the last week of the regular season.  As always, please feel free to fire away with thoughts.    

Hamline vs Bethel 2-15-25

 Made the relatively easy run over to Robertson Center on the campus of Bethel University in Arden Hills on this overcast Saturday afternoon for this important late regular season game between visiting Hamline and host Bethel.  The Pipers were sporting an impressive 16-6 overall record coming into this contest and had third place in MIAC standings all to themselves and were riding a three-game win streak coming into this game as well; their latest victim being Carleton on Wednesday night.  The Royals meanwhile got a solid bounce-back win up at Concordia on Wednesday night that upped their overall record 18-4 overall and were tied with GAC atop the MIAC standings.  With Hamline's high-octane offense contrasting with a defensive-minded Bethel team, you had to figure that something had to give.  

You certainly didn't need an abacus to keep track of the scoring in the opening period as both teams struggled mightily to find solid footing on the offensive end.  The Pipers finally broke the ice at the 7:39 mark when sophomore guard Yasmeen Abed connected on a lay-up in transition and the 2-3 matchup zone defense that Hamline Head Coach Josh Hersch was employing certainly played a role in the early struggles that the Royals were experiencing.  Finally, at the 5:08 mark, Bethel got the game tied at a deuce a piece on a drive and finish by fifth-year senior guard Anna Garfield but the Pipers would soon grab a 4-2 advantage when sophomore reserve forward Evelyn Wiltrout connected on a lay-up with 4:52 left.  But Hamline was not setting the world on fire with their normally-potent offense either as the Royals dug in and snuffed out several Piper scoring attempts down the stretch which allowed Bethel to grab a small lead.  Garfield would drop a pair of free throws after getting fouled  with 3:16 left and then lanky senior combo guard/forward Elly Schmitz would connect on a short jumper along the right baseline with 1:18 left to give the Royals their first lead of this game at 6-4.  Bethel would grow that lead to 8-4 when sophomore reserve forward Emily Erickson slithered into the paint for a score with :12 left that gave the Royals a bit of momentum in an otherwise forgettable first period.

Being down by four points in what was thus far a very low-scoring ballgame wouldn't have normally been that big of a problem for a team like the Pipers that can score quickly and in bunches.  But the beginning of the second period is precisely where things started going to hell in a handbasket for Hamline as the Royals would start making amends for some of their transgressions offensively back in the first period.  Garfield would connect on a lay-up at the 9:01 mark that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" got Bethel's lead to 11-4.  And that would also send key Piper reserve combo guard/forward Anna Rynkiewich to the bench with two fouls as well.  Then lanky senior combo/guard forward Elly Schmitz finally found her touch from behind the arc with a three-point bomb from the left top area at the 8:25 mark that pushed the lead to ten at 14-4 and Hamline's Hersch; not liking this latest development at all, called for a thirty-second timeout in hopes of making some quick fixes.  To their credit, the Pipers started to wake up offensively but making meaningful inroads on this deficit initially proved to be problematic.  Sophomore reserve guard Lauren Cooper would connect on a jumper from the left elbow area at the 7:20 mark that cut the deficit to eight at 14-6 and at the 5:05 mark freshman reserve guard Josie Schmidt would be the recipient of a baseball pass from the aforementioned Cooper and would connect on a lay-up in transition that kept Hamline in that eight-point range down 16-8.  Strong sophomore forward Marina LaFreniere would connect on a jumper in the lane with 4:30 left that kept the Pipers in that eight-point range again down 18-10 and finally with 3:20 left, Hamline appeared to be right back in the thick of things again when Cooper drained a "3" from the right top area that cut the Royals lead to 18-13.  But just when you thought things had turned around for Hamline, they were promptly turned away by Bethel as the Royals would finish this second period with a key 10-2 push.  Garfield would bury a "3" from the right corner with 2:56 left and less than a minute later, junior combo guard/forward Rosalie Penke would get into the paint and get  a score off the glass with 2:03 left that had Bethel up by ten again at 23-13.  With 1:04 left, junior point guard Colette Duininck would bury a "3" from the left top area to stretch the lead to 26-13 and with just :07 left, Schmitz would snare an offensive rebound for a putback that allowed the Royals to take a 28-13 lead into the locker room at the halftime break - a lead that seemed larger than it was given how this game had been flowing from the opening tip.  

Hamline's prospects certainly didn't brighten in the early moments of the third period as the Royals' Penke would unleash a "3" from the right corner at the 9:17 mark that grew Bethel's lead to 31-15.  The Pipers would get this deficit slimmed down to eleven as junior combo guard/forward Josie Wiebusch muscled into the paint for one score at the 8:59 mark and a three-point bomb by Abed from the right corner at the 8:36 mark provided some hope down 31-20.  But Bethel was in no mood to let its opponent hang around and the Royals went right back to work.  Fifth-year senior forward Lydia Hay banged home a "3" from the left top area at the 8:07 mark and a jumper along the right baseline by Garfield at the 6:45 mark got Bethel's lead back up to sixteen at 36-20.  Undaunted, the Pipers would launch another bid.  Wiltrout would connect on a lay-up at the 6:23 mark and then Cooper would snare a steal and race the other way for a short pull-up jumper in transition that had the deficit down to twelve at 36-24.  With 4:46 left, Abed would knock down a pair of charity stripe shots after getting fouled that had the deficit back down to eleven and a bit later with 4:12 left, Schmidt would bury a "3" from the left corner that pulled Hamline back to within single digits again down 37-29 and this comeback proposition didn't seem so wild after all.  But those hopes would quickly go down the drain as the Royals turned the spigot off and started padding their lead again.  Schmitz would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 2:16 left and Bethel was now in the bonus by this point as well.  Duininck would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 1:52 left and Hay would cash in on a pair of free throws after getting fouled with :17.1 left that got Bethel's lead to 42-29.  In a bit of an ironic twist, the Pipers' Cooper would bang home a "3" from the left top area off the glass with just :02.1 left and even though Hamline had the deficit back down to ten again at 42-32, each comeback attempt was being successfully rebuffed by the opponent.  

While bringing this one back wasn't an outlandish proposition for the Pipers being down by only ten, it'd been a hard row to hoe for Hamline thus far and no one - certainly not Hersch and his staff - would have guessed that they would have been held to just one measly point (a Rynkiewich free throw) in the fourth period.  Yet that's exactly what happened as the Royals suffocated their opponent in this last stanza.  And not that Bethel was setting the world on fire with their offensive prowess either - but they didn't have to.  Schmitz would start off the fourth period on a lay-up at the 8:52 mark and at the 6:16 mark, sophomore reserve forward Cally Peterson would grab an offensive rebound and get a pretty reverse lay-up out of it to get the Royals lead to 46-33.  With 4:09 left, Penke would maneuver into the paint for a score and a routine score in the paint by Schmitz with 2:53 left had Bethel safely up 50-33.  Hay would provide the final margin of victory when she knocked down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 1:32 left.  But what had to be frustrating from a Hamline standpoint is that they missed out on ten - that's right - TEN scoring opportunities.  And the vast majority of these were either short jumpers or lay-up attempts that you know that they make in practice.  That's how disruptive Bethel can be with their defense and ironically, it's kind of what the Royals had to endure last Saturday against GAC.  But Bethel certainly wasn't complaining on this day as they pocketed the 52-33 victory.  

When I caught up with Hamline's Hersch afterward, his main theme was "One game at a time" and while this latest setback isn't a devastating one, it does make things a bit trickier for this Piper team as they try to protect that third seed in the upcoming MIAC Playoffs as they first have to run over to St. Kate's on Wednesday night before finishing up the regular season at home against St. Olaf next Saturday.  The guess here is that they'll recover from this loss and take care of business where they have to.  But it has to be concerning for the Piper faithful that their leading scorer; junior guard Camille Cummings, was held scoreless on this day.  In fact, was 0-5 from FG range and didn't even get a chance to launch one missile from behind the arc in this contest (her specialty as we well know).  I didn't inquire about junior combo guard/forward Sophie Stork and although she was in uniform on this day, she didn't log any minutes so that has to be a concern.  Also shut out on this day was senior point guard Kate Trachsel who normally averages 8.5 ppg so there's definitely some concerns there for Hamline.  And who would've guessed that it'd be the sophomore - Cooper - leading the way for Hamline on this day with her 10 points.  The real storyline on this day was what the Bethel defense did to this normally potent Hamline attack; limiting them to 13-61 from FG range for 21.3%.  And it wasn't any better from behind the arc as the Pipers shot 4-17 for 23.5%.  Throw in the fact that Bethel had a sizable advantage in those all-important second-chance points at 12-2 and that pretty much tells you all you need to know about this one.

Bethel's Herbrecthsmeyer was obviously very pleased with his team's trademark defense on this day.  Offensively?  "At times we were very good.  At others?"  He made a few facial expressions to express some disappointment on that front but as I stated earlier, if your defense is doing what it's doing, you don't need to be world-beaters on the offensive end as long as you get more buckets than your opponent which they safely did on this day.  The Royals were solid from the charity stripe on this day going 13-15 for 86.7% and did hold a 42-37 edge on the rebounding front.  Again, the real story on this day was Bethel's defense and how it creates opportunities for them on the other end.  I did get a chance to discuss the upcoming MIAC Playoffs a bit with Herbrechtsmeyer and the fact that his team is deadlocked with GAC for that top seed with a coin flip appearing to be the only way of settling things at the moment anyway.  I think he's okay with however that turns out although he couldn't help but reminisce about the experience from five years ago when the Royals were the top seed and how Robertson Center was packed to the max and he'd obviously love to have an opportunity like that come his way again.   

Both Garfield and Schmitz had stellar performances on this day as they paced Bethel with 14 and 13 points, respectively, and Schmitz just missed out on a double-double with nine rebounds.