Made my way over to UST's Schoenecker Arena on this unseasonably warm February Saturday afternoon to take in the regular season finale between visiting SMU which made its way up the Canadian Pacific Railway's River Sub mainline and U.S. Highway 61 and host UST. This was a special day in that it was not only the regular season finale but it was also Senior Day and seniors Katie Stone and Mykenzie Spaulding along with players and parents were honored before the game. More importantly, a share of the regular season title was at stake as the Tommies had claimed their share and the second-place Cardinals were hoping to take their share of the regular season title back to Winona with them.
Indeed, SMU had revenge on their minds as UST snuck back up the River in mid-January with a 76-67 victory in Winona that nudged the Cardinals out of having first place in the MIAC all to themselves. But they were going to have to play the perfect game and rock-solid defense if they were going to return the favor. Alas, neither of those two things happened in the early going as the Tommies took control of this one from the get-go. Leading 4-2 after freshman guard Lucia Renikoff got into the paint for a score at the 9:01 mark, sophomore forward Lauren Fischer drained a "3" from the left corner at the 8:22 mark at two free throws by lanky 6'3" junior post Kaitlin Langer suddenly made it a 9-2 ballgame by the 7:26 mark. Less than a minute later, Langer struck again from the charity stripe and promptly sank both free throw attempts that now made it 11-2. Even worse from a Cardinal perspective was that junior forward Sam Jones got whistled for her second foul and SMU Head Coach Bent Pollari had no choice but to yank his key starting forward at the 6:15 mark of this first period. When Stone, in her last regular season game at Schoenecker, drilled a "3" from the right top area at the 5:28 mark that now gave the Tommies a 14-2 advantage, Pollari had to take a match to a full timeout to try and stop the massive bleeding that was taking place. Cardinal freshman forward Brandi Blattner's score in the paint with 4:41 left trimmed the deficit to ten points but SMU's burden only grew with a plethora of missed lay-ups and an inability to box out on the defensive end. UST freshman reserve guard Kaylie Brazil nailed a "3" from the left top area with 3:08 left and a short, turnaround jumper in the lane by Langer with 2:08 left made it 19-6. Junior guard Paige Gernes worsened SMU's woes with a "3" from the right corner with 1:22 left and a coast-to-coast lay-up with :12.3 left in the opening period that put an exclamation point on the first ten minutes and with it, a 24-8 advantage.
A "3" by Cardinal junior reserve guard Brigette Audette from the left wing at the 9:46 mark of the second period briefly gave the sizable SMU contingent in the bleachers on this day a wisp of hope that temporarily slimmed down the Tommie lead to 24-11 but UST had no intentions of being nice to its visitors from Winona. Stone uncorked her second trey of the afternoon from the right top area at the 7:21 mark and a short jumper by Brazil after a steal upped the Tommie lead to 29-11. A jumper in the lane by Langer at the 6:07 mark that drew a foul and allowed the Stillwater native to drop the obligatory freebie cranked up the lead to 32-13. With 4:10 left, Langer used her long frame to score in the paint and added one free throw with 3:39 left that gave UST a twenty-point advantage at 35-15. When Stone connected with a jumper from the left wing area with 3:04 left, a beleaguered Pollari had to take a match to a thirty-second timeout as this one was clearly slipping away with no lifelines left. Gernes; the lefty who played her high school basketball at (ironically enough) Winona Cotter High School, let loose with a "3" from the right corner with 1:51 left that now had the Tommies up 40-15. SMU managed to get to late scores before the end of the first half - two free throws by junior guard Emma Schaefer with 1:41 left and a lay-up by senior guard Bridget Pethke with 1:19 left - but were staring at a 40-19 deficit going into the locker room at halftime. A glance at the first half box reveals some ugly numbers from a Cardinal perspective. The Tommies had the advantage on the boards by a 23-17 margin and snared seven steals in the process. Even worse was the paltry shooting. The Cardinals could only mange to shoot 25% from from FG range and were an artic-like 14.3% from three-point land. That simply won't get the job done against a championship-caliber team like UST.
Needless to say, SMU needed a fresh burst of energy; something.......ANYTHING positive at the start of the third period if they were going to take a sizable chunk off of the deficit. Senior sharpshooting guard Micaela Meredith, very quiet in the first half, shook off those early cobwebs when she connected with a jumper from the left wing area at the 9:19 mark and one Jones free throw at the 8:31 mark cut a bit of the fat off of the deficit at 40-22. Blattner snared an offensive rebound for a putback at the 7:46 mark and then Meredith knocked down a "3" from the left top area off of an inbounds pass at the 7:10 mark that cut further into UST's lead at 45-27 and Tommie Head Coach Ruth Sinn; perhaps sensing a bit of a letdown after carrying such a big lead, called a thirty-second timeout to try and get her squad refocused. That short stoppage in play seemed to do the trick and got UST back on track. Two quick scores by Langer - one in the paint at the 6:51 mark and a lay-up off of an inbounds pass at the 6:10 mark - got the lead back up in the twenty-plus range at 49-27. Then it was two more three-point bombs from Stone; the Eau Claire, Wisconsin native - one from the left corner at the 5:24 mark and another one from the left top area with 3:34 left that now had the Tommies up by a 55-30 mark and had SMU back at Square One as Pollari called another timeout to assess the damage. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, they would not be able to make up much ground before the third period ended. A Brazil lay-up with 2:07 left made it 57-32 and back-to-back scores by Mykenzie Spaulding - two free throws with 1:12 left and a jumper from the left wing with :29 left - gave UST a seemingly prohibitive 61-35 lead going into the fourth and final period.
SMU could have easily just looked forward to a long bus ride back down the River after Langer connected with a lay-up in transition with 9:42 left in the fourth period that made it 63-35 but surprisingly this was where the Cardinals made their first and only real charge of the day that made things interesting for a while. Two free throws by senior reserve guard Haley Trom at the 9:30 mark and a "3" by Meredith from the right wing sliced a chunk of fat off the deficit at 65-40 but still things looked secure for the Tommies when Jones picked up her fourth foul of the day at the 8:42 mark that allowed Langer to go to the charity stripe and get one free throw out of the deal for a 66-40 advantage. At this point, however, SMU went on an 11-3 run that did change the complexion of things. A short jumper by Pethke at the 8:31 mark and a jumper by Meredith from the free throw line at the 7:44 mark reduced UST's lead down to 66-44. A Pethke lay-up at the 7:13 mark and a score in the paint by Audette at the 6:28 mark cut into the Tommie cushion even more at 69-48. At the 6:04 mark, Schaefer banged home a "3" from the right top area that drew the Cardinals even closer trailing 69-51 and UST's Sinn had to call a timeout to zap her team out of its late-game snooze. Jones, riding those four fouls, got SMU even closer trailing 69-54 at the 5:06 mark when she connected on a lay-up that drew a fould and allowed the White Bear Lake native to sink the "and one" and you couldn't help but wonder for a fleeting moment or two if the Cardinals just might somehow impossibly get close again. But this is where the the Tommies awoke from their brief slumber and promptly slammed the door shut on any SMU comeback attempt. A Langer score in the paint with 4:58 left and a lay-up by Stone with 4:01 left got the lead back up to seventeen at 73-56. Blattner, the young Cardinal enforcer down low, picked up her fourth foul with 3:48 left and things went south from SMU there. A score in the paint by Fischer with 3:17 left and free throws by sophomore reserve guard Maddie Wolkow increased the lead to eighteen at 78-60. Then Wolkow, the former Lakeville South standout, drained a "3" from the right wing area with 2:47 left that had the cushion back in comfort range again at 81-60. Two free throws by Gernes with 2:26 left and a score in the paint by Mykenzie Spaulding with 2:06 left made it 85-60 that was, for all intents and purposes, the game. Both Pollari and Sinn sent in their young reserves for mop-up duty as UST took the MIAC regular season crown for itself with a convincing 89-65 victory.
A happy and seemingly satisfied Sinn talked about that fourth period run that the Cardinals went on that made things a little dangerous at one point. "We had to get 'locked in' on each possession again" she said. Sinn admitted that her squad got a little complacent going into the fourth quarter with the big lead and she emphasized how important it is for her team to be 'locked in' mentally on each possession. At the same time, she was also bubbling with enthusiasm at the strides her team has made since January; particularly the young freshmen who have been stepping into the limelight and have blended nicely with the veteran returners. "We've been getting better and better" she said and added that her team can be "downright scary" when they're playing their best. As far as looking ahead to the MIAC playoffs where the Tommies will once again have the number one seed, Sinn just replied "We have to focus on ourselves". SMU's Pollari on the other hand quickly admitted that this one got out of hand early and pointed to missed lay-ups and an inability to box out that allowed things to snowball. Still, Pollari seemed confident that his squad could make amends in the MIAC playoffs this next week. "We think we'll get into the Nationals (NCAA Tournament ) if we can get to the MIAC Championship Game" and there's no doubt that this game today could very easily have been a little MIAC Championship Game preview. With an overall record of 20-5, the sun certainly has not yet set on the Cardinals and they have a chance to be back in this same venue a week from now if they take care of business against an opponent to be determined Thursday night in Winona. Langer had a fabulous outing on this day; leading all scorers with her 28 points while Stone added 16 points and Wolkow added 13. Blattner's 15 points paced SMU on this day while Meredith added 12 points and Audette chipped in 10 points. The Tommies held an overall 40-35 advantage on the boards and though the Cardinals offensive efficiency definitely took a step up in the second half, they ultimately got themselves into too deep a hole early on to ever recover.
Los Angeles Rams
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Monday, February 15, 2016
UST vs Bethel 2-13-16
Note: I apologize for the delay in getting this game into my blog. Had a good buddy of mine in town this weekend for the AC/DC concert and we had to get caught up on things. :)
Made my way over to Bethel's Robertson Center on this Saturday afternoon to take in the much-anticipated clash between visiting UST and host Bethel. A good crowd was on hand for this game for both schools as the Tommie - Royal rivalry has been upped a few notches since UST and Bethel met in last year's MIAC Championship Game. The Tommies were likely coming into this game with a bit of a chip on their shoulder as they absorbed an 80-60 defeat at home in Schoenecker Arena back in early January and wanted to repay the favor. The competitive juices were flowing in this one and the tension was definitely in the air. It was also Senior Day as well as seniors Hannah Niewald, Sydney "Bam Bam" Schultz and Rachel Parupsky were honored before the game.
It would be the Royals who would initially get off to a good start after the tip-off. A lay-up in transition by junior forward Kalli Zimmerman at the 9:26 mark and a drive and lay-up by Parupsky at the 8:32 mark gave Bethel an early 4-0 advantage and a lay-up by Niewald at the 7:54 mark gave the Royals a 6-2 lead. The Tommies would cut the deficit to one point when sophomore guard/forward Lauren Fischer connected on a lay-up and drew a foul in the process and the "and one" made it a 6-5 game. The Royals would again build a bit of a cushion as one "3" from the left corner by Schultz at the 5:30 mark and another trey from the left top area by sophomore reserve forward Molly O'Toole gave Bethel a 12-7 by the 5:04 mark. UST, however, would slyly whittle away at the deficit and then grab control down the stretch of the opening period. A Fischer "3" from the right top area with 3:55 left and two free throws by the Oshkosh, Wisconsin native cut the Bethel lead to 14-12 with 3:15 left and a score in the paint by lanky 6'3" junior post Kaitlin Langer knotted the issue at 14 a piece with 2:07 left. Parupsky briefly put the Royals ahead at 16-14 with her score in the paint with 1:50 left but then the Tommies would go on a 7-0 run to end the period. A jumper from the free throw line by sophomore reserve guard Maddie Wolkow with 1:18 left and a lay-up in transition after a steal by freshman reserve guard Kaylie Brazil with :59 left put UST up 18-16. Fischer would put an exclamation mark on the opening period with her "3" from the left top area with just :02.3 left that now had the Tommies up 21-16 and left Bethel wondering what in the blazes just happened.
UST would build their lead to ten points in the early moments of the second period when Wolkow unleashed a "3" from the left top area at the 9:41 mark and Langer connected on a very tough lay-up around Parupsky at the 8:08 mark that made it a 26-16 game. The Royals were in a very precarious situation by this point and could have folded right there. However, they kept their composure and embarked on an 10-0 run. A jumper from the right top area just inside the arc by Parupsky at the 7:39 mark started the burst and a lay-up by Zimmerman that drew a foul and sent her to the charity stripe for the obligatory freebie sliced the Tommie lead down to five at 26-21 at the 6:23 mark. Junior guard Shanni Moorse uncorked a "3" from the right wing area at the 5:48 mark and two O'Toole free throws with 4:42 left tied the score at 26-all. But just when you thought that maybe Bethel had regained its footing and was possibly on the cusp of retaking control of this game UST struck back. A 7-0 burst; ignited by a jumper from the right elbow by Langer with 4:25 left had the Tommies back out in front and a lay-up by senior guard Katie Stone upped the lead to four at 30-26 with 3:14 left. Fischer connected with her third trey of the first half when she banged one home from the left wing area with 2:06 left that completed the run and gave UST a 33-26 advantage. The Royals would try to respond to this run when diminutive sophomore reserve point guard Abby Miller drained a "3" from the right wing area with 1:45 left but two late scores by the Tommies - a lay-up in transition by junior guard Paige Gernes with 1:00 left and a "3" by freshman guard Lucia Renikoff from the left wing area with :28 left - enabled UST to take a 38-29 lead into the locker room at halftime. The first half was arguably a game of runs and UST seemed to make the most of their opportunities. A glance at the first half box score doesn't reveal a lot of discrepancies although Bethel recorded only one offensive rebound and did have 14 defensive rebounds.
A Stone lay-up at the 9:40 mark of the third period put the Tommies up 40-29 and indeed things were beginning to look bleak for Bethel in the early moments of the second half. But the Royals, who have been left for dead more than once this season, hunkered down and battled back. Parupsky; in her Robertson Center finale, uncorked a rare three-pointer from the right top area at the 8:49 mark and two free throws by Zimmerman at the 8:20 mark allowed Bethel to get back into single-digit range trailing 42-34. At the 8:17 mark, Parupsky reverted to her more conventional way of scoring by getting a lay-up that drew a foul and sent her to the line where she sank the free throw which cut the UST lead down to five at 42-37. Tommie Head Coach Ruth Sinn, sensing trouble for her squad, called a timeout to try and make adjustments but the Royals were going to try and make the most of this opportunity on Senior Day. Bethel went into a 2-3 zone on defense that changed things up and gave UST a different look. A Zimmerman freebie at the 8:03 mark and a jumper from the free throw line by Niewald at the 6:47 mark cut UST's lead down to a single possession at 42-40. The Tommies would manage to step on the gas a little bit as a short jumper in the lane by Wolkow with 4:03 left and a jumper from the right wing area by Stone with 3:26 left increased UST's lead to 48-42 but an 8-0 burst by the Royals had them right back in the thick of things. One free throw by Moorse with 3:10 left and a "3" from the left corner by sophomore reserve guard Angie Kirchoff with 2:37 left cut the Tommie lead down to two again at 48-46. Pairs of free throws by Parupsky with 1:50 and 1:03 left put Bethel back into the lead for the first time since the early moments of the first period at 50-48 and a "3" by O'Toole from the left wing area with :12.8 left increased the Royals lead to four at 53-49 that ended the third period. Now it was the Tommies turn to be under the gun.
In its usual calm and collected way, UST responded to this latest Bethel challenge. Pairs of free throws by Langer - two at the 9:42 mark and two more at the 8:26 mark - tied the game at 53. Complicating both teams paths to victory in this contest was that now foul trouble was beginning to rear its ugly head. Parupsky got tagged with her fourth foul on Langer's last set of free throws but then Langer got whistled for her fourth foul as well at the 8:04 mark. Still, both squads competed as if this game were a life or death matter. With the Royals clinging to a 54-53 lead, Moorse made a hard drive and finish that put Bethel up 56-53 but that was matched by Fischer's fourth trey of the day at the 5:14 mark; this one coming from the right wing area that tied things up at 56 a piece. A minute later, it was the senior, Stone; draining a "3" from the left top area as the shot clock was expiring that gave UST a 59-56 advantage. With the Tommies holding that three-point edge at 60-57, Miller gave the Bethel crowd a chance to erupt as she nailed a "3" from the left corner that once again tied this incredible game at 60 with 3:11 left. The Royals' fortunes appeared to crumble shortly thereafter, though, when Parupsky exited the game with her fifth foul and left the court with a big round of applause from the home contingent of fans. Langer was sent to the line but could get only one free throw out of the deal for a 61-60 UST lead. With 1:52 left, O'Toole; the transfer from SMU, snared an offensive rebound for a putback that put Bethel back out in front 62-61. With the Royals back in their 2-3 zone on the ensuing Tommie possession, they hoped to clog the middle that would eliminate an easy shot by Langer but UST passed the ball around the court masterfully and spread the Royal defense which eventually got Stone, the senior open and she responded with an ice-water in your veins "3" from the left top area that put the Tommies back out in front 64-62 with 1:29 left. Still, a mountain of time left in a close game like this and now it was Bethel's turn to respond. Zimmerman; wheeling and dealing in a crowd of Tommies, somehow slithered her way through the mass of purple uniforms for a finish with :26 left to forge a 64-64 tie. Now UST would hold for the last shot to try and win it in regulation. Both Bethel Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer and UST's Sinn called timeouts to set up strategy for the final seconds. The Tommies worked the ball down the court and got set up; hoping to find someone open for that last-second dagger. With crisp, sharp passing, the Tommies worked in vain to spread the floor just enough to get someone open. With :02 left, Wolkow got the ball and got just enough of a decent look to let loose with a three-point attempt from the right wing. This one, though, banged off the rim and into the waiting arms of Bethel's Schultz as time ran out in regulation with the game tied at 64.
The question going into the overtime period - at least in my mind anyway - was who had more in their tank for the extra five-minute period? Ultimately, that answer was the Tommies but the Royals certainly had their chances. A Fischer three-point attempt early on in the extra period missed its mark as did a lay-up attempt by Renikoff but when Bethel had opportunites early in the extra period to try and take advantage of those Tommie miscues they couldn't convert either. Both Moorse and Zimmerman couldn't convert on lay-up attempts and, with the score still knotted at 64, UST's Langer made a drive and finish with 3:00 left that put the Tommies up 66-64. On the ensuing Bethel possession, Zimmerman made another attempt to get into no-man's land for a score but that lay-up attempt was swatted away by Fischer and Wolkow made the Royals pay when she converted on a drive into the lane for a finish with 2:02 left that now had UST up 68-64. Bethel still had life, however and one free throw by both Moorse and two by Zimmerman cut the Tommie lead to one at 68-67 with just under a minute left. Now the Royals had to get that stop on defense to have a crack at regaining the lead. UST tried desperately to eat as much clock as they could on its ensuing possession but with just over :30 left, Zimmerman was able to pry the ball away from Langer and now Bethel had its chance. But just when it looked like the Royals might be on the verge of pulling off another huge upset of the Tommies, O'Toole inadvertently lost the ball on an errant dribble with :20 left and UST's Gernes was there for the steal. The Tommies craftily kept the rock away from greedy Royal defenders and with just under ten seconds left, Bethel had to foul to preserve clock. Gernes was injured on a hard foul and Sinn inserted the freshman, Brazil to finish the work at the charity stripe. Brazil got the first free throw to go down for a 69-67 UST lead but the second attempt was too hard and took a high rebound which the Royals seemed to be in a position to grab. Langer, however, used that 6'3" frame and long reach to come out of nowhere and snare the offensive rebound putting yet another nail in the Bethel coffin. Langer got the ball to Fischer who was immediately fouled with :04.8 left and sent to the line. Fischer, however, was unable to convert on both free throw attempts and this time Bethel got the rebound with one last gasp of a chance. But when Zimmerman tried to weave into the lane to draw a foul, she lost the ball in the process with :02 left and UST somehow held on for the exasperating 69-67 overtime win.
I asked Sinn afterward if there was perhaps a revenge factor coming into this contest with regard to the twenty-point loss they suffered at the hands of Bethel a little more than a month ago. Sinn said that it really had more to do with the things that they had to work on to improve coming into this game; particularly for the young players that are now getting substantial playing time. "They found out that there's accountability at the next level" she said and added that the youngsters now realize what they had to work on to improve. And Sinn was quick to agree that a tough and emotionally draining game such as this will pay huge dividends for them as they prepare for the final week of the regular season and the MIAC playoffs. I also had the opportunity to speak with Stone afterward and asked her specifically about that one three-pointer she hit with 1:30 left in regulation. "It was just something that came natural to me" she replied when she got the open look. Stone; one of the two seniors on this Tommie team, has been rock-solid this year in all phases of the game and you can bet that her experience and veteran leadership is something that could take the Tommies far in the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, on the other side, a disappointed Herbrechtsmeyer could only say "Great game" about this contest and was willing to shoulder some of the blame for this heartbreaking loss. Still, even in defeat, he was proud of his squad's effort in this one and said that he'd gladly go to war with any team in the country with his team. A glance of the final box score shows how incredibly close this game really was. Rebounding was nearly even and the Royals recorded eight blocked shots to the Tommies two. UST did have more second-chance points and also held an edge in points in the paint but the Royals held a decisive edge in points off the bench. All you can say about this one was that it was simply a great game. UST had a pretty balanced offensive attack with Fischer leading all scorers with her 18 points while Langer added 16 and Stone added 12. For Bethel, Parupsky led the way with her 16 points while both Zimmerman and O'Toole added 14 points a piece.
Made my way over to Bethel's Robertson Center on this Saturday afternoon to take in the much-anticipated clash between visiting UST and host Bethel. A good crowd was on hand for this game for both schools as the Tommie - Royal rivalry has been upped a few notches since UST and Bethel met in last year's MIAC Championship Game. The Tommies were likely coming into this game with a bit of a chip on their shoulder as they absorbed an 80-60 defeat at home in Schoenecker Arena back in early January and wanted to repay the favor. The competitive juices were flowing in this one and the tension was definitely in the air. It was also Senior Day as well as seniors Hannah Niewald, Sydney "Bam Bam" Schultz and Rachel Parupsky were honored before the game.
It would be the Royals who would initially get off to a good start after the tip-off. A lay-up in transition by junior forward Kalli Zimmerman at the 9:26 mark and a drive and lay-up by Parupsky at the 8:32 mark gave Bethel an early 4-0 advantage and a lay-up by Niewald at the 7:54 mark gave the Royals a 6-2 lead. The Tommies would cut the deficit to one point when sophomore guard/forward Lauren Fischer connected on a lay-up and drew a foul in the process and the "and one" made it a 6-5 game. The Royals would again build a bit of a cushion as one "3" from the left corner by Schultz at the 5:30 mark and another trey from the left top area by sophomore reserve forward Molly O'Toole gave Bethel a 12-7 by the 5:04 mark. UST, however, would slyly whittle away at the deficit and then grab control down the stretch of the opening period. A Fischer "3" from the right top area with 3:55 left and two free throws by the Oshkosh, Wisconsin native cut the Bethel lead to 14-12 with 3:15 left and a score in the paint by lanky 6'3" junior post Kaitlin Langer knotted the issue at 14 a piece with 2:07 left. Parupsky briefly put the Royals ahead at 16-14 with her score in the paint with 1:50 left but then the Tommies would go on a 7-0 run to end the period. A jumper from the free throw line by sophomore reserve guard Maddie Wolkow with 1:18 left and a lay-up in transition after a steal by freshman reserve guard Kaylie Brazil with :59 left put UST up 18-16. Fischer would put an exclamation mark on the opening period with her "3" from the left top area with just :02.3 left that now had the Tommies up 21-16 and left Bethel wondering what in the blazes just happened.
UST would build their lead to ten points in the early moments of the second period when Wolkow unleashed a "3" from the left top area at the 9:41 mark and Langer connected on a very tough lay-up around Parupsky at the 8:08 mark that made it a 26-16 game. The Royals were in a very precarious situation by this point and could have folded right there. However, they kept their composure and embarked on an 10-0 run. A jumper from the right top area just inside the arc by Parupsky at the 7:39 mark started the burst and a lay-up by Zimmerman that drew a foul and sent her to the charity stripe for the obligatory freebie sliced the Tommie lead down to five at 26-21 at the 6:23 mark. Junior guard Shanni Moorse uncorked a "3" from the right wing area at the 5:48 mark and two O'Toole free throws with 4:42 left tied the score at 26-all. But just when you thought that maybe Bethel had regained its footing and was possibly on the cusp of retaking control of this game UST struck back. A 7-0 burst; ignited by a jumper from the right elbow by Langer with 4:25 left had the Tommies back out in front and a lay-up by senior guard Katie Stone upped the lead to four at 30-26 with 3:14 left. Fischer connected with her third trey of the first half when she banged one home from the left wing area with 2:06 left that completed the run and gave UST a 33-26 advantage. The Royals would try to respond to this run when diminutive sophomore reserve point guard Abby Miller drained a "3" from the right wing area with 1:45 left but two late scores by the Tommies - a lay-up in transition by junior guard Paige Gernes with 1:00 left and a "3" by freshman guard Lucia Renikoff from the left wing area with :28 left - enabled UST to take a 38-29 lead into the locker room at halftime. The first half was arguably a game of runs and UST seemed to make the most of their opportunities. A glance at the first half box score doesn't reveal a lot of discrepancies although Bethel recorded only one offensive rebound and did have 14 defensive rebounds.
A Stone lay-up at the 9:40 mark of the third period put the Tommies up 40-29 and indeed things were beginning to look bleak for Bethel in the early moments of the second half. But the Royals, who have been left for dead more than once this season, hunkered down and battled back. Parupsky; in her Robertson Center finale, uncorked a rare three-pointer from the right top area at the 8:49 mark and two free throws by Zimmerman at the 8:20 mark allowed Bethel to get back into single-digit range trailing 42-34. At the 8:17 mark, Parupsky reverted to her more conventional way of scoring by getting a lay-up that drew a foul and sent her to the line where she sank the free throw which cut the UST lead down to five at 42-37. Tommie Head Coach Ruth Sinn, sensing trouble for her squad, called a timeout to try and make adjustments but the Royals were going to try and make the most of this opportunity on Senior Day. Bethel went into a 2-3 zone on defense that changed things up and gave UST a different look. A Zimmerman freebie at the 8:03 mark and a jumper from the free throw line by Niewald at the 6:47 mark cut UST's lead down to a single possession at 42-40. The Tommies would manage to step on the gas a little bit as a short jumper in the lane by Wolkow with 4:03 left and a jumper from the right wing area by Stone with 3:26 left increased UST's lead to 48-42 but an 8-0 burst by the Royals had them right back in the thick of things. One free throw by Moorse with 3:10 left and a "3" from the left corner by sophomore reserve guard Angie Kirchoff with 2:37 left cut the Tommie lead down to two again at 48-46. Pairs of free throws by Parupsky with 1:50 and 1:03 left put Bethel back into the lead for the first time since the early moments of the first period at 50-48 and a "3" by O'Toole from the left wing area with :12.8 left increased the Royals lead to four at 53-49 that ended the third period. Now it was the Tommies turn to be under the gun.
In its usual calm and collected way, UST responded to this latest Bethel challenge. Pairs of free throws by Langer - two at the 9:42 mark and two more at the 8:26 mark - tied the game at 53. Complicating both teams paths to victory in this contest was that now foul trouble was beginning to rear its ugly head. Parupsky got tagged with her fourth foul on Langer's last set of free throws but then Langer got whistled for her fourth foul as well at the 8:04 mark. Still, both squads competed as if this game were a life or death matter. With the Royals clinging to a 54-53 lead, Moorse made a hard drive and finish that put Bethel up 56-53 but that was matched by Fischer's fourth trey of the day at the 5:14 mark; this one coming from the right wing area that tied things up at 56 a piece. A minute later, it was the senior, Stone; draining a "3" from the left top area as the shot clock was expiring that gave UST a 59-56 advantage. With the Tommies holding that three-point edge at 60-57, Miller gave the Bethel crowd a chance to erupt as she nailed a "3" from the left corner that once again tied this incredible game at 60 with 3:11 left. The Royals' fortunes appeared to crumble shortly thereafter, though, when Parupsky exited the game with her fifth foul and left the court with a big round of applause from the home contingent of fans. Langer was sent to the line but could get only one free throw out of the deal for a 61-60 UST lead. With 1:52 left, O'Toole; the transfer from SMU, snared an offensive rebound for a putback that put Bethel back out in front 62-61. With the Royals back in their 2-3 zone on the ensuing Tommie possession, they hoped to clog the middle that would eliminate an easy shot by Langer but UST passed the ball around the court masterfully and spread the Royal defense which eventually got Stone, the senior open and she responded with an ice-water in your veins "3" from the left top area that put the Tommies back out in front 64-62 with 1:29 left. Still, a mountain of time left in a close game like this and now it was Bethel's turn to respond. Zimmerman; wheeling and dealing in a crowd of Tommies, somehow slithered her way through the mass of purple uniforms for a finish with :26 left to forge a 64-64 tie. Now UST would hold for the last shot to try and win it in regulation. Both Bethel Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer and UST's Sinn called timeouts to set up strategy for the final seconds. The Tommies worked the ball down the court and got set up; hoping to find someone open for that last-second dagger. With crisp, sharp passing, the Tommies worked in vain to spread the floor just enough to get someone open. With :02 left, Wolkow got the ball and got just enough of a decent look to let loose with a three-point attempt from the right wing. This one, though, banged off the rim and into the waiting arms of Bethel's Schultz as time ran out in regulation with the game tied at 64.
The question going into the overtime period - at least in my mind anyway - was who had more in their tank for the extra five-minute period? Ultimately, that answer was the Tommies but the Royals certainly had their chances. A Fischer three-point attempt early on in the extra period missed its mark as did a lay-up attempt by Renikoff but when Bethel had opportunites early in the extra period to try and take advantage of those Tommie miscues they couldn't convert either. Both Moorse and Zimmerman couldn't convert on lay-up attempts and, with the score still knotted at 64, UST's Langer made a drive and finish with 3:00 left that put the Tommies up 66-64. On the ensuing Bethel possession, Zimmerman made another attempt to get into no-man's land for a score but that lay-up attempt was swatted away by Fischer and Wolkow made the Royals pay when she converted on a drive into the lane for a finish with 2:02 left that now had UST up 68-64. Bethel still had life, however and one free throw by both Moorse and two by Zimmerman cut the Tommie lead to one at 68-67 with just under a minute left. Now the Royals had to get that stop on defense to have a crack at regaining the lead. UST tried desperately to eat as much clock as they could on its ensuing possession but with just over :30 left, Zimmerman was able to pry the ball away from Langer and now Bethel had its chance. But just when it looked like the Royals might be on the verge of pulling off another huge upset of the Tommies, O'Toole inadvertently lost the ball on an errant dribble with :20 left and UST's Gernes was there for the steal. The Tommies craftily kept the rock away from greedy Royal defenders and with just under ten seconds left, Bethel had to foul to preserve clock. Gernes was injured on a hard foul and Sinn inserted the freshman, Brazil to finish the work at the charity stripe. Brazil got the first free throw to go down for a 69-67 UST lead but the second attempt was too hard and took a high rebound which the Royals seemed to be in a position to grab. Langer, however, used that 6'3" frame and long reach to come out of nowhere and snare the offensive rebound putting yet another nail in the Bethel coffin. Langer got the ball to Fischer who was immediately fouled with :04.8 left and sent to the line. Fischer, however, was unable to convert on both free throw attempts and this time Bethel got the rebound with one last gasp of a chance. But when Zimmerman tried to weave into the lane to draw a foul, she lost the ball in the process with :02 left and UST somehow held on for the exasperating 69-67 overtime win.
I asked Sinn afterward if there was perhaps a revenge factor coming into this contest with regard to the twenty-point loss they suffered at the hands of Bethel a little more than a month ago. Sinn said that it really had more to do with the things that they had to work on to improve coming into this game; particularly for the young players that are now getting substantial playing time. "They found out that there's accountability at the next level" she said and added that the youngsters now realize what they had to work on to improve. And Sinn was quick to agree that a tough and emotionally draining game such as this will pay huge dividends for them as they prepare for the final week of the regular season and the MIAC playoffs. I also had the opportunity to speak with Stone afterward and asked her specifically about that one three-pointer she hit with 1:30 left in regulation. "It was just something that came natural to me" she replied when she got the open look. Stone; one of the two seniors on this Tommie team, has been rock-solid this year in all phases of the game and you can bet that her experience and veteran leadership is something that could take the Tommies far in the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, on the other side, a disappointed Herbrechtsmeyer could only say "Great game" about this contest and was willing to shoulder some of the blame for this heartbreaking loss. Still, even in defeat, he was proud of his squad's effort in this one and said that he'd gladly go to war with any team in the country with his team. A glance of the final box score shows how incredibly close this game really was. Rebounding was nearly even and the Royals recorded eight blocked shots to the Tommies two. UST did have more second-chance points and also held an edge in points in the paint but the Royals held a decisive edge in points off the bench. All you can say about this one was that it was simply a great game. UST had a pretty balanced offensive attack with Fischer leading all scorers with her 18 points while Langer added 16 and Stone added 12. For Bethel, Parupsky led the way with her 16 points while both Zimmerman and O'Toole added 14 points a piece.
Sunday, February 14, 2016
MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 2-14-16
Things are finally beginning to take shape as far as the MIAC playoff picture is concerned on this Valentine's Day Sunday:
1. UST
2. SMU
3. GAC
4. Concordia
5. Bethel
6. CSB
7. Augsburg
8. St. Olaf
9. St. Kate's
10. Macalester
11. Carleton
12. Hamline
UST widens the gap between themselves and second place SMU as they added two more wins this last week; most notably yesterday's 69-67 overtime thriller at Bethel. The Cardinals meanwhile had to settle for a split as they got the big win at home yesterday against St. Olaf but were knocked off on Wednesday at Bethel. Though SMU hangs on to the number two spot in my power rankings, they had better be careful in this last week of the regular season as they're on the road Wednesday at Hamline and finish up the regular season next Saturday at UST - which could be a little MIAC Championship Game preview. More importantly, both GAC and Concordia are a game behind the Cardinals and coming away with just a split this week could prove fatal to SMU's hopes of hanging on to that number two seed in the playoffs.
GAC had another good week; recording big wins at home against St. Olaf on Wednesday and Hamline yesterday and looked pretty impressive in doing it. This last week could be a challenge as the Gusties travel up to St. Joe to take on CSB on Wednesday night; a venue where they haven't enjoyed a lot of success over the years. At the same time, make no mistake about it: This last week presents a huge opportunity for GAC to get two wins and possibly wrest that number two seed away from SMU. The same could be said for Concordia as they came away with two wins as well this last week and, on paper anyway, they should record two more "W's" in the last week of the regular season. The Cobbers looked solid in their home win yesterday over CSB and props to Concordia for honoring the memory of the late Leanne Miller.
Oh, what COULD have been for the Bethel Royals. They got the big win at home on Wednesday night against SMU and had mighty UST on the ropes before losing in heartbreaking fashion in overtime yesterday. Still, the Royals have an opportunity to make amends and get locked into the fifth spot as they go on the road to Carleton on Wednesday night and then down Snelling Avenue to Hamline on Saturday. CSB finishes the regular season with two games at home in Claire Lynch but both games will be big challenges - GAC on Wednesday night and then Augsburg on Saturday and the Blazers are by no means out of the woods yet as far as clinching that sixth spot.
Augsburg came away with a split this last week which was more or less anticipated with last Wednesday night's game at UST but, more importantly, the Auggies suffered a big blow when point guard Maria Loughlin was lost for the season with a broken foot. A damn shame as well as Loughlin was arguably one of the best playmakers to come along in the MIAC in a long, long time. Still, the Auggies have a shot at that sixth spot if they can take care of business this next week AND get a bit of help from GAC on Wednesday night as well. While St. Olaf is falling faster and harder than the obligatory anvil in the Road Runner/Wylie Coyote cartoons, St. Kate's has quietly gone on a nice little three-game win streak as of late and can only wonder what might have been had they been able to take care of business back in January.
1. UST
2. SMU
3. GAC
4. Concordia
5. Bethel
6. CSB
7. Augsburg
8. St. Olaf
9. St. Kate's
10. Macalester
11. Carleton
12. Hamline
UST widens the gap between themselves and second place SMU as they added two more wins this last week; most notably yesterday's 69-67 overtime thriller at Bethel. The Cardinals meanwhile had to settle for a split as they got the big win at home yesterday against St. Olaf but were knocked off on Wednesday at Bethel. Though SMU hangs on to the number two spot in my power rankings, they had better be careful in this last week of the regular season as they're on the road Wednesday at Hamline and finish up the regular season next Saturday at UST - which could be a little MIAC Championship Game preview. More importantly, both GAC and Concordia are a game behind the Cardinals and coming away with just a split this week could prove fatal to SMU's hopes of hanging on to that number two seed in the playoffs.
GAC had another good week; recording big wins at home against St. Olaf on Wednesday and Hamline yesterday and looked pretty impressive in doing it. This last week could be a challenge as the Gusties travel up to St. Joe to take on CSB on Wednesday night; a venue where they haven't enjoyed a lot of success over the years. At the same time, make no mistake about it: This last week presents a huge opportunity for GAC to get two wins and possibly wrest that number two seed away from SMU. The same could be said for Concordia as they came away with two wins as well this last week and, on paper anyway, they should record two more "W's" in the last week of the regular season. The Cobbers looked solid in their home win yesterday over CSB and props to Concordia for honoring the memory of the late Leanne Miller.
Oh, what COULD have been for the Bethel Royals. They got the big win at home on Wednesday night against SMU and had mighty UST on the ropes before losing in heartbreaking fashion in overtime yesterday. Still, the Royals have an opportunity to make amends and get locked into the fifth spot as they go on the road to Carleton on Wednesday night and then down Snelling Avenue to Hamline on Saturday. CSB finishes the regular season with two games at home in Claire Lynch but both games will be big challenges - GAC on Wednesday night and then Augsburg on Saturday and the Blazers are by no means out of the woods yet as far as clinching that sixth spot.
Augsburg came away with a split this last week which was more or less anticipated with last Wednesday night's game at UST but, more importantly, the Auggies suffered a big blow when point guard Maria Loughlin was lost for the season with a broken foot. A damn shame as well as Loughlin was arguably one of the best playmakers to come along in the MIAC in a long, long time. Still, the Auggies have a shot at that sixth spot if they can take care of business this next week AND get a bit of help from GAC on Wednesday night as well. While St. Olaf is falling faster and harder than the obligatory anvil in the Road Runner/Wylie Coyote cartoons, St. Kate's has quietly gone on a nice little three-game win streak as of late and can only wonder what might have been had they been able to take care of business back in January.
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Spring Lake Park vs Park Center Recap 2-12-16
Made the quick hop over to Park Center High School on this cold February Friday evening to take in the contest between visiting Spring Lake Park and Park Center. The host Pirates; returning to Northwest Suburban Conference play after the previous night's loss at home to Minnetonka, wanted to wash away the disappointment and this game against the Panthers might be just what the doctor ordered for the two-time defending Class AAA state champs.
The one concern for Park Center coming into this game tonight would be how they would operate without lanky 6'3" junior post Mikayla Hayes who suffered an ankle injury the night before against Minnetonka and was dressed in street clothes for this game; relegated to a cheerleader on the bench on this night. But those concerns were quickly washed away as the Pirates raced out to a 13-0 lead in the game's first three minutes as scores from junior forward Fey Ayobamidele and fellow junior point guard Danielle Schaub along with a suffocating defense that created a plethora of problems and turnovers had Spring Lake Park Head Coach Randy Eatherton clamoring for a timeout. But that stoppage in play did little to stop the massive bleeding that was already underway. Sophomore guard Sommer Blakemore swished a "3" from the right wing area at the 12:41 mark that made it a 16-0 game before Panther senior forward Aamira Redd finally got her team on the scoreboard with one free throw after getting fouled at the 12:26 mark. But a 6-0 spurt by the Pirates; fueled by a "3" from junior sharpshooting guard Ann Simonet from the left top area made it 22-1 by the 11:46 mark
The Panthers finally got their first FG of the game on a drive and finish by senior forward Marissa Siegfried at the 11:28 mark but Spring Lake Park simply couldn't match the quickness, speed and skills of their opponent on this night. Another "3" from Simonet at the 11:13 mark and one from Schaub at the 10:05 mark made it 28-5. Pirate Head Coach Chris VanderHyde knew this one was in the bag and he slowly started inserting his reserves. Junior reserve guard Siah Tamba snared one offensive rebound for a putback with 9:35 left and got a lay-up with 9:14 left for a 32-5 advantage and Spring Lake Park's Eatherton called another timeout in a vain effort to spare his players from the wolves. But Park Center had their knives out and sharpened on this night and were zeroing in on the kill. An Ayobamidele "3" from the right top area with 8:07 left and one from the left corner by sophomore guard Meghan DuBois with 6:04 left ballooned the lead to 39-8. Sophomore reserve forward Charo Nickens got a lay-up in transition after a steal with 5:14 left and another Blakemore "3"; this one from the top of the key off of an inbounds pass with 4:08 left made it 44-11. The Panthers manged to trim a bit of the fat off of the deficit as senior guard Sierra Reiland scored on a drive along the left baseline and finish with 3:09 left and added one free throw with 2:30 left but the Pirates response was a 7-0 spurt; fueled by a running jumper in the lane by Ayobamidele and a lay-up in transition by Simonet along with yet another Blakemore "3" that bulged the lead to 51-15 with 1:34 left. Redd did get a lay-up for Spring Lake Park with 1:10 left but one free throw by Tamba with just :04.2 left had the Panthers looking at a Mt. Everest-style avalanche; trailing 52-17 at the half.
With this one already well-decided, Park Center's VanderHyde inserted his young reserves at the start of the second half as this was the perfect opportunity to give them not only quality minutes but gain some valuable game time experience as well and the young ones took full advantage of the opportunity handed to them. At the same time, it also helped to keep the score somewhat respectable as well. Spring Lake Park actually got the first two scores of the second half on a short jumper in the lane by Redd at the 17:50 mark and a short running jumper by sophomore forward Emma Curran at the 17:20 mark but the younger Pirates wanted their moment as well. Sophomore reserve guard Naomi Fields got one lay-up in transition at the 16:41 mark and DuBois made a pretty drive along the right baseline for a finish that drew a foul as well and her free throw upped Park Center's lead to 62-23 with 15:11 left. Spring Lake Park was still keeping up the fight despite the enormous deficit they were facing and the young Curran was having a nice second half for the Panthers. A short running jumper at the 16:12 mark and a drive and finish at the 13:54 mark coupled with a score in the paint by Redd at the 12:53 mark but this was where another up and coming young Pirate had her moment under the bright lights. Eighth-grader Kayla Cox banged home a "3" from the right top area off of the glass at the 12:41 mark and also snared an offensive rebound for a putback at the 11:38 mark for a 69-30 Park Center lead. At the 10:36 mark Cox struck again from three-point land; draining one from the left corner that made it 72-30 and fellow eighth-grader Lauren Frost got into the paint for a score to make it a 74-31 ballgame.
With the MSHSL running-time rule in effect down the stretch because of the score gap, Spring Lake Park's Eatherton also had an opportunity to put in some of his reserves as well. Freshman reserve guard Leah Sheedlo dropped two free throws with 7:56 left and fellow freshman guard Erin Donnelly connected with a jumper from the right corner with 2:25 left. Park Center's Frost was able to get three more scores before this one was over. A "3" from the top of the key with 2:05 left and two lay-ups in transition with 1:19 and 1:05 left made it 81-36 and a lay-up in transition by Fields with :48 left put the finishing touches on the Pirates romp on this night by an 83-36 count.
The one concern for Park Center coming into this game tonight would be how they would operate without lanky 6'3" junior post Mikayla Hayes who suffered an ankle injury the night before against Minnetonka and was dressed in street clothes for this game; relegated to a cheerleader on the bench on this night. But those concerns were quickly washed away as the Pirates raced out to a 13-0 lead in the game's first three minutes as scores from junior forward Fey Ayobamidele and fellow junior point guard Danielle Schaub along with a suffocating defense that created a plethora of problems and turnovers had Spring Lake Park Head Coach Randy Eatherton clamoring for a timeout. But that stoppage in play did little to stop the massive bleeding that was already underway. Sophomore guard Sommer Blakemore swished a "3" from the right wing area at the 12:41 mark that made it a 16-0 game before Panther senior forward Aamira Redd finally got her team on the scoreboard with one free throw after getting fouled at the 12:26 mark. But a 6-0 spurt by the Pirates; fueled by a "3" from junior sharpshooting guard Ann Simonet from the left top area made it 22-1 by the 11:46 mark
The Panthers finally got their first FG of the game on a drive and finish by senior forward Marissa Siegfried at the 11:28 mark but Spring Lake Park simply couldn't match the quickness, speed and skills of their opponent on this night. Another "3" from Simonet at the 11:13 mark and one from Schaub at the 10:05 mark made it 28-5. Pirate Head Coach Chris VanderHyde knew this one was in the bag and he slowly started inserting his reserves. Junior reserve guard Siah Tamba snared one offensive rebound for a putback with 9:35 left and got a lay-up with 9:14 left for a 32-5 advantage and Spring Lake Park's Eatherton called another timeout in a vain effort to spare his players from the wolves. But Park Center had their knives out and sharpened on this night and were zeroing in on the kill. An Ayobamidele "3" from the right top area with 8:07 left and one from the left corner by sophomore guard Meghan DuBois with 6:04 left ballooned the lead to 39-8. Sophomore reserve forward Charo Nickens got a lay-up in transition after a steal with 5:14 left and another Blakemore "3"; this one from the top of the key off of an inbounds pass with 4:08 left made it 44-11. The Panthers manged to trim a bit of the fat off of the deficit as senior guard Sierra Reiland scored on a drive along the left baseline and finish with 3:09 left and added one free throw with 2:30 left but the Pirates response was a 7-0 spurt; fueled by a running jumper in the lane by Ayobamidele and a lay-up in transition by Simonet along with yet another Blakemore "3" that bulged the lead to 51-15 with 1:34 left. Redd did get a lay-up for Spring Lake Park with 1:10 left but one free throw by Tamba with just :04.2 left had the Panthers looking at a Mt. Everest-style avalanche; trailing 52-17 at the half.
With this one already well-decided, Park Center's VanderHyde inserted his young reserves at the start of the second half as this was the perfect opportunity to give them not only quality minutes but gain some valuable game time experience as well and the young ones took full advantage of the opportunity handed to them. At the same time, it also helped to keep the score somewhat respectable as well. Spring Lake Park actually got the first two scores of the second half on a short jumper in the lane by Redd at the 17:50 mark and a short running jumper by sophomore forward Emma Curran at the 17:20 mark but the younger Pirates wanted their moment as well. Sophomore reserve guard Naomi Fields got one lay-up in transition at the 16:41 mark and DuBois made a pretty drive along the right baseline for a finish that drew a foul as well and her free throw upped Park Center's lead to 62-23 with 15:11 left. Spring Lake Park was still keeping up the fight despite the enormous deficit they were facing and the young Curran was having a nice second half for the Panthers. A short running jumper at the 16:12 mark and a drive and finish at the 13:54 mark coupled with a score in the paint by Redd at the 12:53 mark but this was where another up and coming young Pirate had her moment under the bright lights. Eighth-grader Kayla Cox banged home a "3" from the right top area off of the glass at the 12:41 mark and also snared an offensive rebound for a putback at the 11:38 mark for a 69-30 Park Center lead. At the 10:36 mark Cox struck again from three-point land; draining one from the left corner that made it 72-30 and fellow eighth-grader Lauren Frost got into the paint for a score to make it a 74-31 ballgame.
With the MSHSL running-time rule in effect down the stretch because of the score gap, Spring Lake Park's Eatherton also had an opportunity to put in some of his reserves as well. Freshman reserve guard Leah Sheedlo dropped two free throws with 7:56 left and fellow freshman guard Erin Donnelly connected with a jumper from the right corner with 2:25 left. Park Center's Frost was able to get three more scores before this one was over. A "3" from the top of the key with 2:05 left and two lay-ups in transition with 1:19 and 1:05 left made it 81-36 and a lay-up in transition by Fields with :48 left put the finishing touches on the Pirates romp on this night by an 83-36 count.
Sunday, February 7, 2016
MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 2-7-16
A few more changes in my power rankings on this Super Bowl Sunday.
1. UST
2. SMU
3. GAC
4. Concordia
5. (tie) CSB & Bethel
6. Augsburg
7. St. Olaf
8. St. Kate's
9. Macalester
10. (tie) Carleton & Hamline
Tommies solidify their hold on the number one spot with two big wins this last week and the remaining regular season schedule that includes three games at home in the friendly confines of Schoenecker Arena seemingly gives them the inside track to the MIAC regular season title. SMU also recorded two wins this week; including a nail-biter at home against St. Kate's on Wednesday. But as the regular season progresses to its conclusion, the greater the uneasiness I have about this squad. Barring a late-season collapse, they're probably a lock for the number two seed but, for some reason, I just have my doubts about this team. It's almost as if, in my mind anyway, that the whole is somehow less than the sum of the parts here. It's the best explanation I can come up with and if there's anyone out there that is in disagreement with me, please, by all means, let your feelings be known.
So, while some things change, others remain the same. And then there's the matter of GAC taking on its nemesis UST; which resulted in yet another "L" in the long-standing series between these two teams. I could easily say, "Same old Tommies. Same old Gusties." However, to their credit, the Gusties came back on Saturday and threw a thumb to the nose of gloom and doom and snared a huge overtime victory at Moorhead against Concordia. Because of that, I keep GAC entrenched in the third spot. Certainly a tough, disappointing loss for the Cobbers who had to settle for a split this last week but the schedule down the stretch is favorable on paper and if they're going to overtake GAC for the third spot they'll have to take care of business.
Bethel DID take care of business this last week recording wins over both St. Olaf and Macalester but now a huge and daunting week awaits them that could easily decide its postseason fate: SMU on Wednesday night and then UST on Saturday. Both are in the friendly confines of Robertson Center and the Royals did beat UST back in early January at Schoenecker. I think that the Royals are going to have to somehow come out with at least a split this week to solidify their shaky playoff status. CSB got a win as expected against Macalester but took one on the chin yesterday against SMU and the home stretch will not be easy for the Blazers as dates with both Concordia and GAC await.
A big week for Augsburg as they recorded wins against both Hamline and St. Kate's. Now comes the tough part - going over to play at UST this next Wednesday night. They're still in the hunt but they'll need to win and get a lot of help along the way as well. St. Olaf had two home games this last week but could only come away with a split. Considering the road ahead (games with GAC, SMU and UST), they'll need a bigger miracle than the '69 Mets to make it into the MIAC playoffs. The heartbreaks just keep on coming for St. Kate's. They've been so close in their last three games and just.....can't....quite.... get over the hump.
1. UST
2. SMU
3. GAC
4. Concordia
5. (tie) CSB & Bethel
6. Augsburg
7. St. Olaf
8. St. Kate's
9. Macalester
10. (tie) Carleton & Hamline
Tommies solidify their hold on the number one spot with two big wins this last week and the remaining regular season schedule that includes three games at home in the friendly confines of Schoenecker Arena seemingly gives them the inside track to the MIAC regular season title. SMU also recorded two wins this week; including a nail-biter at home against St. Kate's on Wednesday. But as the regular season progresses to its conclusion, the greater the uneasiness I have about this squad. Barring a late-season collapse, they're probably a lock for the number two seed but, for some reason, I just have my doubts about this team. It's almost as if, in my mind anyway, that the whole is somehow less than the sum of the parts here. It's the best explanation I can come up with and if there's anyone out there that is in disagreement with me, please, by all means, let your feelings be known.
So, while some things change, others remain the same. And then there's the matter of GAC taking on its nemesis UST; which resulted in yet another "L" in the long-standing series between these two teams. I could easily say, "Same old Tommies. Same old Gusties." However, to their credit, the Gusties came back on Saturday and threw a thumb to the nose of gloom and doom and snared a huge overtime victory at Moorhead against Concordia. Because of that, I keep GAC entrenched in the third spot. Certainly a tough, disappointing loss for the Cobbers who had to settle for a split this last week but the schedule down the stretch is favorable on paper and if they're going to overtake GAC for the third spot they'll have to take care of business.
Bethel DID take care of business this last week recording wins over both St. Olaf and Macalester but now a huge and daunting week awaits them that could easily decide its postseason fate: SMU on Wednesday night and then UST on Saturday. Both are in the friendly confines of Robertson Center and the Royals did beat UST back in early January at Schoenecker. I think that the Royals are going to have to somehow come out with at least a split this week to solidify their shaky playoff status. CSB got a win as expected against Macalester but took one on the chin yesterday against SMU and the home stretch will not be easy for the Blazers as dates with both Concordia and GAC await.
A big week for Augsburg as they recorded wins against both Hamline and St. Kate's. Now comes the tough part - going over to play at UST this next Wednesday night. They're still in the hunt but they'll need to win and get a lot of help along the way as well. St. Olaf had two home games this last week but could only come away with a split. Considering the road ahead (games with GAC, SMU and UST), they'll need a bigger miracle than the '69 Mets to make it into the MIAC playoffs. The heartbreaks just keep on coming for St. Kate's. They've been so close in their last three games and just.....can't....quite.... get over the hump.
Augsburg vs St. Kate's Recap 2-6-16
Was over at Butler Center on this unseasonably warm February Saturday afternoon to take in the game between visiting Augsburg and host St. Kate's. The Auggies were coming into this contest trying desperately to keep their flickering playoff hopes alive while the Wildcats were hoping to get back on the winning track after dropping consecutive heartbreakers on the road to the top two teams in the conference - UST last week Saturday and SMU on Wednesday night.
The 'Cats came out of the gate in this one with a purpose as they built a 7-2 lead by the 6:19 mark thank to a drive into the lane and finish by sophomore guard Audra Clark and a "3" from the right top area by senior guard/forward Shauna Horsch along with a lay-up by junior forward Mari Lee. St. Kate's built their lead to seven at 11-4 with 3:52 left thank to two Lee free throws and a lay-up in transition by the former Dawson-Boyd standout. The Auggies fortunes indeed appeared dim when senior guard Marie Fitzgerald went down with 2:17 left with an apparent shoulder injury but a resourceful Augsburg team managed to battle their way back. Senior forward Jessica Lillquist got into the paint for one score with 1:24 left and a drive and finish by fellow senior point guard Maria Loughlin with just :00.4 left in the opening period cut the Wildcats lead down to 13-10 which, considering how much things went for St. Kate's early on, wasn't a bad spot to be in.
A jumper along the left baseline by junior reserve guard/forward Alexis Garcia stretched the Wildcat lead to 15-10 by the 9:39 mark of the second period but the Auggies would keep digging away at the deficit. One lay-up by sophomore reserve forward Bridget Bednar at the 9:25 mark and a drive into the lane and finish by Loughlin at the 8:39 mark cut St. Kate's lead down to one at 15-14 and a jumper along the left baseline by senior reserve guard Jenna Orth at the 7:53 mark gave Augsburg its first lead of the afternoon at 16-15. Wildcat Head Coach Sean Pinkerton shed his sportcoat shortly thereafter and a short running jumper along the left baseline by Orth at the 6:40 mark helped the Auggies turn up the heat even more with a 19-15 lead. St. Kate's would recover and knot the score at 19 a piece on scores by junior forward Kennedy Jennings and sophomore guard Meg Clark with 4:47 left and each side would trade small leads down the stretch. A score in the paint by Lillquist with 3:37 left put Augsburg back up briefly by a 21-19 count but that was bettered by a score in the paint by Jennings which also drew a foul and allowed her to sink the obligatory freebie putting the 'Cats back up 22-21. An offensive rebound and putback by freshman reserve forward Megan Quam gave the Auggies the lead back at 23-22 with 3:04 left but a drive and finish by flashy junior reserve guard/forward LaShay Holt gave St. Kate's a 24-23 advantage which they took with them into the locker room at the half. A quick glance at the first half box score indicates how even the first half was. Rebounding was nearly even (24 for St. Kate's, 22 for Augsburg) as were turnovers (Augsburg with eight; St. Kate's with seven). Looking ahead to the second half, there were a lot of unanswered questions on both sides.
The Auggies looked to get an inside track in the early moments of the third period as an offensive rebound and putback by Lillquist at the 9:35 mark and a Loughlin lay-up at the 9:09 mark had Augsburg out in front 27-24 but St. Kate's would come right back and regain the lead at 28-27 by the 8:02 mark on a short jumper by Audra Clark and two Lee free throws. Two more Lee charity stripe shots and a score in thge paint by Audra Clark gave the 'Cats a 32-29 lead but the Auggies would come right back as a "3" from the right top area by senior guard Allison McKee knotted the issue at 32 a piece. St. Kate's would grab another three-point edge at 37-34 with 4:28 left thanks to a score in the paint by Jennings and a "3" from the right corner by Holt. But this was where Augsburg was able to make its first decisive move. A short jumper off of an inbounds pass by Orth with 3:28 left cut the Wildcat lead down to one at 37-36 and then freshman reserve guard Alaina Quaranta gave the Auggies the lead with one freebie with 3:05 left and a jumper from the left top area with 2:25 left at 39-37. A Holt score in the paint with 2:08 left tied the score at 39-all but Augsburg then started its key 11-0 run that started late in the period and spilled over to the fourth period. A score in the paint off of an inbounds pass by Lillquist with 1:46 left gave the Auggies the lead for good at 41-39 and an offensive rebound and putbackby the Sebeka native increased the lead to 43-39 with :57 left. Sophomore forward Hannah Steinhaus ended the third period with a steal and lay-up the other way with just :03 left that suddenly had Augsburg up 45-39 and Pinkerton and his Wildcats had to be wondering what just hit them.
Two scores by Loughlin early in the fourth period - a "3" from the right wing at the 9:28 mark and a jumper along the left baseline with 8:38 left - capped the 11-0 burst and now the Auggies were up by a count of 50-39 and St. Kate's had to play yet another desperate game of catch-up. Holt was able to maneuver into the paint for a score with 8:29 left and got fouled in the process and her free throw got the 'Cats back to within single-digit range trailing 50-42 and a score in the paint by Lee at the 7:30 mark cut into the Augsburg lead even further at 50-44. One free throw by McKee at the 6:40 mark and a drive and lay-up by Loughlin at the 6:05 mark got the lead back up to nine points at 53-44 but St. Kate's was far from finished. A lay-up in transition by Audra Clark at the 5:14 mark and a "3" from the right corner by Horsch trimmed the Auggie lead down to six at 55-49 and a short jumper by Audra Clark with 4:09 left reduced Augsburg lead even further at 55-51. The Auggies stretched the lead out to seven at 58-51 with 3:11 left on free throws by both Steinhaus and Quaranta but a drive and short jumper by Horsch with 2:53 left and a "3" by Audra Clark from the right wing area with 1:51 left got the 'Cats back in striking distance again traling 60-56. Pinkerton called a timeout to set up strategy and St. Kate's was able to get a stop on the Auggies ensuing possession. With a chance to get the game back into a one-possession situation, St. Kate's worked the ball downcourt in hopes of getting one of their three-point sharpshooters open. With 1:07 left, Horsch got that open look behind the arc and let loose with a trey attempt but this one rattled out and refused to fall through the cylinder. Steinhaus was able to get a score in the paint with :41.8 left that upped the lead to six at 62-56. The never-say-die 'Cats refused to throw in the towel however. Lee uncorked a "3" from the left corner with :03.4 left that did get things back to a one possession game at 62-59 but St. Kate's had to foul immediately as well. Loughlin got the inbounds pass and was immediately fouled with :01.6 left and she calmly trotted down to the other end to sink two insurance free throws for a 64-59 Augsburg lead. Horsch would get two free throws as well with just :01 left but the Auggies took a treasured road win by a count of 64-61 to keep their playoff hopes alive.
A relieved Augsburg Assistant Coach Josh Hersch talked about how any win in the always-tough MIAC is a good win but this one was obviously important for the Auggies who improved their conference record to .500 at 7-7 and stay in the hunt for that coveted sixth playoff spot. It's a one-game-at-a-time mentality for Hersch who says that their next game with UST is now their most important game. It's going to be a tough home stretch for Augsburg to be sure and even though they'll need some help along the way, it's a doable proposition. Meanwhile, a third consecutive heartbreak for the Wildcats who have been so close in their last three outings but can't quite yet find a way to finish the job. A disappointed Pinkerton seemed emotionally worn out afterward and could only ponder what might have been had a few things gone differently for them. Surprisingly, it was the Wildcats that held a small 43-39 rebounding advantage and, in fact, had a 17-12 edge in offensive rebounds. The three-point shooting aspect hurt St. Kate's in this one as did that key 11-0 run by the Auggies. Shooting 21.7% behind the arc won't get the job done.
The 'Cats came out of the gate in this one with a purpose as they built a 7-2 lead by the 6:19 mark thank to a drive into the lane and finish by sophomore guard Audra Clark and a "3" from the right top area by senior guard/forward Shauna Horsch along with a lay-up by junior forward Mari Lee. St. Kate's built their lead to seven at 11-4 with 3:52 left thank to two Lee free throws and a lay-up in transition by the former Dawson-Boyd standout. The Auggies fortunes indeed appeared dim when senior guard Marie Fitzgerald went down with 2:17 left with an apparent shoulder injury but a resourceful Augsburg team managed to battle their way back. Senior forward Jessica Lillquist got into the paint for one score with 1:24 left and a drive and finish by fellow senior point guard Maria Loughlin with just :00.4 left in the opening period cut the Wildcats lead down to 13-10 which, considering how much things went for St. Kate's early on, wasn't a bad spot to be in.
A jumper along the left baseline by junior reserve guard/forward Alexis Garcia stretched the Wildcat lead to 15-10 by the 9:39 mark of the second period but the Auggies would keep digging away at the deficit. One lay-up by sophomore reserve forward Bridget Bednar at the 9:25 mark and a drive into the lane and finish by Loughlin at the 8:39 mark cut St. Kate's lead down to one at 15-14 and a jumper along the left baseline by senior reserve guard Jenna Orth at the 7:53 mark gave Augsburg its first lead of the afternoon at 16-15. Wildcat Head Coach Sean Pinkerton shed his sportcoat shortly thereafter and a short running jumper along the left baseline by Orth at the 6:40 mark helped the Auggies turn up the heat even more with a 19-15 lead. St. Kate's would recover and knot the score at 19 a piece on scores by junior forward Kennedy Jennings and sophomore guard Meg Clark with 4:47 left and each side would trade small leads down the stretch. A score in the paint by Lillquist with 3:37 left put Augsburg back up briefly by a 21-19 count but that was bettered by a score in the paint by Jennings which also drew a foul and allowed her to sink the obligatory freebie putting the 'Cats back up 22-21. An offensive rebound and putback by freshman reserve forward Megan Quam gave the Auggies the lead back at 23-22 with 3:04 left but a drive and finish by flashy junior reserve guard/forward LaShay Holt gave St. Kate's a 24-23 advantage which they took with them into the locker room at the half. A quick glance at the first half box score indicates how even the first half was. Rebounding was nearly even (24 for St. Kate's, 22 for Augsburg) as were turnovers (Augsburg with eight; St. Kate's with seven). Looking ahead to the second half, there were a lot of unanswered questions on both sides.
The Auggies looked to get an inside track in the early moments of the third period as an offensive rebound and putback by Lillquist at the 9:35 mark and a Loughlin lay-up at the 9:09 mark had Augsburg out in front 27-24 but St. Kate's would come right back and regain the lead at 28-27 by the 8:02 mark on a short jumper by Audra Clark and two Lee free throws. Two more Lee charity stripe shots and a score in thge paint by Audra Clark gave the 'Cats a 32-29 lead but the Auggies would come right back as a "3" from the right top area by senior guard Allison McKee knotted the issue at 32 a piece. St. Kate's would grab another three-point edge at 37-34 with 4:28 left thanks to a score in the paint by Jennings and a "3" from the right corner by Holt. But this was where Augsburg was able to make its first decisive move. A short jumper off of an inbounds pass by Orth with 3:28 left cut the Wildcat lead down to one at 37-36 and then freshman reserve guard Alaina Quaranta gave the Auggies the lead with one freebie with 3:05 left and a jumper from the left top area with 2:25 left at 39-37. A Holt score in the paint with 2:08 left tied the score at 39-all but Augsburg then started its key 11-0 run that started late in the period and spilled over to the fourth period. A score in the paint off of an inbounds pass by Lillquist with 1:46 left gave the Auggies the lead for good at 41-39 and an offensive rebound and putbackby the Sebeka native increased the lead to 43-39 with :57 left. Sophomore forward Hannah Steinhaus ended the third period with a steal and lay-up the other way with just :03 left that suddenly had Augsburg up 45-39 and Pinkerton and his Wildcats had to be wondering what just hit them.
Two scores by Loughlin early in the fourth period - a "3" from the right wing at the 9:28 mark and a jumper along the left baseline with 8:38 left - capped the 11-0 burst and now the Auggies were up by a count of 50-39 and St. Kate's had to play yet another desperate game of catch-up. Holt was able to maneuver into the paint for a score with 8:29 left and got fouled in the process and her free throw got the 'Cats back to within single-digit range trailing 50-42 and a score in the paint by Lee at the 7:30 mark cut into the Augsburg lead even further at 50-44. One free throw by McKee at the 6:40 mark and a drive and lay-up by Loughlin at the 6:05 mark got the lead back up to nine points at 53-44 but St. Kate's was far from finished. A lay-up in transition by Audra Clark at the 5:14 mark and a "3" from the right corner by Horsch trimmed the Auggie lead down to six at 55-49 and a short jumper by Audra Clark with 4:09 left reduced Augsburg lead even further at 55-51. The Auggies stretched the lead out to seven at 58-51 with 3:11 left on free throws by both Steinhaus and Quaranta but a drive and short jumper by Horsch with 2:53 left and a "3" by Audra Clark from the right wing area with 1:51 left got the 'Cats back in striking distance again traling 60-56. Pinkerton called a timeout to set up strategy and St. Kate's was able to get a stop on the Auggies ensuing possession. With a chance to get the game back into a one-possession situation, St. Kate's worked the ball downcourt in hopes of getting one of their three-point sharpshooters open. With 1:07 left, Horsch got that open look behind the arc and let loose with a trey attempt but this one rattled out and refused to fall through the cylinder. Steinhaus was able to get a score in the paint with :41.8 left that upped the lead to six at 62-56. The never-say-die 'Cats refused to throw in the towel however. Lee uncorked a "3" from the left corner with :03.4 left that did get things back to a one possession game at 62-59 but St. Kate's had to foul immediately as well. Loughlin got the inbounds pass and was immediately fouled with :01.6 left and she calmly trotted down to the other end to sink two insurance free throws for a 64-59 Augsburg lead. Horsch would get two free throws as well with just :01 left but the Auggies took a treasured road win by a count of 64-61 to keep their playoff hopes alive.
A relieved Augsburg Assistant Coach Josh Hersch talked about how any win in the always-tough MIAC is a good win but this one was obviously important for the Auggies who improved their conference record to .500 at 7-7 and stay in the hunt for that coveted sixth playoff spot. It's a one-game-at-a-time mentality for Hersch who says that their next game with UST is now their most important game. It's going to be a tough home stretch for Augsburg to be sure and even though they'll need some help along the way, it's a doable proposition. Meanwhile, a third consecutive heartbreak for the Wildcats who have been so close in their last three outings but can't quite yet find a way to finish the job. A disappointed Pinkerton seemed emotionally worn out afterward and could only ponder what might have been had a few things gone differently for them. Surprisingly, it was the Wildcats that held a small 43-39 rebounding advantage and, in fact, had a 17-12 edge in offensive rebounds. The three-point shooting aspect hurt St. Kate's in this one as did that key 11-0 run by the Auggies. Shooting 21.7% behind the arc won't get the job done.
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Hamline vs Augsburg Recap 2-3-16
Was back over at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall on this Wednesday night to take in the contest between visiting Hamline and host Augsburg. The Auggies were looking to get back on track after last Saturday's disappointing loss to Concordia while Hamline was simply looking for some kind of magic to break their eight-game skid and to get their first "W" of 2016. While this appeared to be an easy game on paper for Augsburg, you can never take Hamline for granted as their speed and athleticism along with their three-point shooting ability always makes them dangerous.
The Auggies jumped out to a 5-0 lead on scores by senior point guard Maria Loughlin and sophomore forward Hannah Steinhaus along with one free throw by senior forward/post Jessica Lillquist. But Hamline came right back and knotted the issue at 5 a piece by the 5:58 mark on a score in the paint by freshman forward Haley Greene and a "3" from the right wing by Chloe Graves. Augsburg would hold small leads over the next three minutes but with the score tied at 9-all with 2:32 left, the Auggies were able to build a bit of a cushion towards the end of the first period. One freebie by sophomore reserve forward Bridget Bednar and a lay-up by freshman reserve forward Megan Quam made it 12-9 and with just :05 left in the first period senior reserve guard Jenna Orth was able to snare a steal and dash the other way for a lay-up that gave Augsburg a 14-9 lead.
The Pipers were able to close the gap to one point early on in the second period on a jumper from the free throw line by sophomore reserve forward Ivannie Robertson and a short jumper by junior guard Chelsey Bonsante and things momentarily looked a bit dicey for the Auggies but the one player that Augsburg always seems to lean on when they need a jump start is Loughlin; the Rogers native and she came through with shining colors when it counted. One "3" from the left corner at the 7:21 mark and another from the left top area at the 5:50 mark had Augsburg back up by five at 20-15 and a lay-up with 4:35 left extended the lead to seven at 22-15. A jumper from the left elbow area by Graves allowed Hamline to cut the deficit down to five at 22-17 with 3:42 left but one score in the paint by senior guard Allison McKee with 3:18 left and another one by Lillquist got the lead back up to nine at 26-17. The Auggies were able to get the lead into double-digit range right before the end of the half. McKee made a drive across the lane and connected on a short jumper with 2:06 left and a short jumper off the glass by Loughlin allowed Augsburg to take a 30-20 lead into the locker room at the half. While the Pipers actually outrebounded the Auggies in the first half by a 23-19 count, Augsburg committed only one turnover in the first half while Hamline was guilty of six.
The Pipers needed to get some shots to go down in the second half that weren't going for them in the first half and treys by both Bonsante and senior guard Emily Behrman helped trim Augsburg's lead down to seven points at 33-26 by the 7:32 mark before the Auggies could re-establish their double-digit advantage. A score in the paint by Steinhaus at the 6:49 mark and a lay-up in transition by McKee at the 6:29 mark pushed the lead to eleven at 37-26 before Hamline recovered a bit. A 5-0 push; spurred by two Greene scores cut the Auggie lead down to six at 37-31 with 3:47 left but once again Augsburg was able to regain their double-digit cushion. McKee dropped a three-pointer from the left wing area with 3:22 left and one Quam charity stripe shot and a short jumper off the glass by Bednar now stretched the lead to twelve at 43-31 with 1:38 left. Hamline made a bit of an inroad on a "3" from the right wing area by junior reserve guard Tia Diggins with 1:12 left and one free throw by Greene slimmed down Augsburg's lead to 43-35 going into the fourth and final period.
Despite the fact that so many things have gone wrong at the worst possible time for the Pipers this season, that doesn't mean that they've quit or gone into any shell by a long stretch. This one was far from over by this point and Hamline made a gamey comeback attempt. A Behrman lay-up in transition at the 9:25 mark and another one by Graves at the 7:42 mark closed the gap to six points trailing 45-39 and a Graves "3" from the left wing area at the 6:53 mark drew the Pipers even closer trailing 47-42. Strangely enough, that's where the Hamline comeback effort died as they were shut out the rest of the way. When Augsburg needed another lift, Loughlin came to rescue again. A jumper along the right baseline at the 6:27 mark and two free throws at the 5:25 mark extended the lead to nine points at 51-42 and a score in the paint by Lillquist got the lead to eleven at 53-42 with 4:52 left. An offensive rebound and putback by Bednar with 3:23 left effectively shut the door on Hamline's hopes as the lead was extended to 55-42. Late scores - one in the paint by senior guard Marie Fitzgerald and a "3" from the left top area by freshman reserve guard Alaina Quaranta helped give Augsburg a 62-42 victory and keeps them in the mix for that sixth spot in the MIAC playoff race.
The Auggies jumped out to a 5-0 lead on scores by senior point guard Maria Loughlin and sophomore forward Hannah Steinhaus along with one free throw by senior forward/post Jessica Lillquist. But Hamline came right back and knotted the issue at 5 a piece by the 5:58 mark on a score in the paint by freshman forward Haley Greene and a "3" from the right wing by Chloe Graves. Augsburg would hold small leads over the next three minutes but with the score tied at 9-all with 2:32 left, the Auggies were able to build a bit of a cushion towards the end of the first period. One freebie by sophomore reserve forward Bridget Bednar and a lay-up by freshman reserve forward Megan Quam made it 12-9 and with just :05 left in the first period senior reserve guard Jenna Orth was able to snare a steal and dash the other way for a lay-up that gave Augsburg a 14-9 lead.
The Pipers were able to close the gap to one point early on in the second period on a jumper from the free throw line by sophomore reserve forward Ivannie Robertson and a short jumper by junior guard Chelsey Bonsante and things momentarily looked a bit dicey for the Auggies but the one player that Augsburg always seems to lean on when they need a jump start is Loughlin; the Rogers native and she came through with shining colors when it counted. One "3" from the left corner at the 7:21 mark and another from the left top area at the 5:50 mark had Augsburg back up by five at 20-15 and a lay-up with 4:35 left extended the lead to seven at 22-15. A jumper from the left elbow area by Graves allowed Hamline to cut the deficit down to five at 22-17 with 3:42 left but one score in the paint by senior guard Allison McKee with 3:18 left and another one by Lillquist got the lead back up to nine at 26-17. The Auggies were able to get the lead into double-digit range right before the end of the half. McKee made a drive across the lane and connected on a short jumper with 2:06 left and a short jumper off the glass by Loughlin allowed Augsburg to take a 30-20 lead into the locker room at the half. While the Pipers actually outrebounded the Auggies in the first half by a 23-19 count, Augsburg committed only one turnover in the first half while Hamline was guilty of six.
The Pipers needed to get some shots to go down in the second half that weren't going for them in the first half and treys by both Bonsante and senior guard Emily Behrman helped trim Augsburg's lead down to seven points at 33-26 by the 7:32 mark before the Auggies could re-establish their double-digit advantage. A score in the paint by Steinhaus at the 6:49 mark and a lay-up in transition by McKee at the 6:29 mark pushed the lead to eleven at 37-26 before Hamline recovered a bit. A 5-0 push; spurred by two Greene scores cut the Auggie lead down to six at 37-31 with 3:47 left but once again Augsburg was able to regain their double-digit cushion. McKee dropped a three-pointer from the left wing area with 3:22 left and one Quam charity stripe shot and a short jumper off the glass by Bednar now stretched the lead to twelve at 43-31 with 1:38 left. Hamline made a bit of an inroad on a "3" from the right wing area by junior reserve guard Tia Diggins with 1:12 left and one free throw by Greene slimmed down Augsburg's lead to 43-35 going into the fourth and final period.
Despite the fact that so many things have gone wrong at the worst possible time for the Pipers this season, that doesn't mean that they've quit or gone into any shell by a long stretch. This one was far from over by this point and Hamline made a gamey comeback attempt. A Behrman lay-up in transition at the 9:25 mark and another one by Graves at the 7:42 mark closed the gap to six points trailing 45-39 and a Graves "3" from the left wing area at the 6:53 mark drew the Pipers even closer trailing 47-42. Strangely enough, that's where the Hamline comeback effort died as they were shut out the rest of the way. When Augsburg needed another lift, Loughlin came to rescue again. A jumper along the right baseline at the 6:27 mark and two free throws at the 5:25 mark extended the lead to nine points at 51-42 and a score in the paint by Lillquist got the lead to eleven at 53-42 with 4:52 left. An offensive rebound and putback by Bednar with 3:23 left effectively shut the door on Hamline's hopes as the lead was extended to 55-42. Late scores - one in the paint by senior guard Marie Fitzgerald and a "3" from the left top area by freshman reserve guard Alaina Quaranta helped give Augsburg a 62-42 victory and keeps them in the mix for that sixth spot in the MIAC playoff race.
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