St. Kate's vs Hamline 12-4-23

 I ventured off to the St Paul side of town again on this dreary, overcast December evening over to venerable Hutton Arena off of Snelling Avenue to get my first look at the Hamline Pipers as they prepared to take on visiting St. Kate's.  The Pipers thus far anyway have looked pretty strong; garnering a 3-1 record out of the gate with the first blemish of the season coming this last Saturday when they came out on the short end of the stick versus CSB up in St. Joe.  It's been something of a mixed bag for the Wildcats meanwhile as they were entering this contest with a 3-2 record; the latest blemish coming at the hands of Concordia last Wednesday night.  It always seems like when these two teams hook up, some wild and unpredictable things always seem to happen so I knew I had to buckle up and get ready.  

Despite being held in check this last Saturday up at CSB, Hamline came out of the gates in the opening period smoking hot; bolting out to an early 11-3 lead that had the 'Cats on their heels from the get-go.  Senior guard Michaela Stamer started things off by burying a three-point bomb from the right wing area at the 9:41 mark and on their ensuing possession, fellow senior forward Lydia Lecher would connect with a jumper from the left corner just inside the arc at the 9:12 mark that made it 5-0.  Not too much later, the electric Lecher; showing why she should be in the conversation for MIAC POY honors, made a tough drive along the left baseline for a finish at the 8:34 mark to get the lead to 7-0.  Junior forward Kate Van Helden would then get in on the fun with a score in the paint at the 7:42 mark to make it a 9-3 game and then junior guard Kate Trachsel would dart into the lane and get a short shot off the glass to kiss pefectly into the hole to stretch the Piper lead to 11-3 and St. Kate's Head Coach Don Mulhern; not at all liking how things were unfolding so far, took a match to a thirty-second timeout in hopes of patching up things in a hurry.  The Wildcats were able to stop some of the bleeding at the 6:48 mark when lanky sophomore forward Emme Golembiewski used her length to snare an offensive rebound for a putback at the 6:48 mark but Hamline would then establish a double-digit cushion as Lecher connected with a short, turnaround jumper in the lane at the 6:33 mark and two free throws by Stamer at the 6:05 mark made it a 15-5 ballgame.  Then, flashy rising sophomore guard (CC) Camille Cummings would steal the spotlight - first by draining a heart-breaking "3" from the right wing area as the shot clock was expiring with 4:04 left that got the Piper lead to 18-7.  With 2:54 left, Cummings would strike again with a daring drive into traffic and lay-up and with 1:54 left, Cummings would unleash more damaging artillery as the former Centennial standout would drain her second trey of the evening - this one coming from the right wing area again that had Hamline up 23-11.  The 'Cats would finally get to the charity stripe late in the first period to whittle off some of the deficit as strong sophomore reserve guard Maddie Young would get a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled with 1:06 left and one more after getting fouled with :30.2 left.  Fellow sophomore reserve guard Kaylee Miron would do her part as well by dropping a pair of freebies after getting fouled with :08.2 left that at least had St. Kate's back to within single digits again down 24-16 but that deficit was back up to ten as Hamline's Stamer knocked down a pair of freebies with just :01.4 left and the Pipers had obviously set the tone - and tempo - in this contest so far and showed no signs of letting up anytime soon.   

With that tone and tempo in mind, the Wildcats' Mulhern decided to adopt a different strategy once the second period got underway and he had his squad employ some full- and half-court pressure and going to a 2-3 "match-up zone defense in the half court in hopes of slowing down this potent Piper offensive attack.  That strategy appeared to pay off initially as Hamline went scoreless for nearly five minutes.  Unfortunately for St. Kate's, while the opportunities were certainly there to bite into this cushion, they were never able to cash in on those opportunities so the math was still working against them.  Hamline's Lecher finally broke the ice at the 5:22 mark with a three-point bomb from the left wing area and while that score didn't necessarily thaw out things for either side, the Wildcats were still coming up empty on far too many possessions.  Young would finally connect with a lay-up off of an inbounds pass with 3:18 left and Miron would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 2:33 left but St. Kate's would still be down double digits at 29-19.  And the Pipers would up that lead before the halftime break.  Freshman reserve guard Lauren Cooper would get sent to the charity stripe after she was fouled behind the arc with 2:21 left and got two free throws to go down out of the deal and then Lecher would deliver another one of her trademark dagger lefty treys - this one from the right top area with 1:40 left that had Hamline up 34-19.  The Wildcats would get one more point on the scoreboard with :30.5 left when slender junior forward Sydney Elliot got one free throw to go down after getting fouled but St. Kate's was still on the wrong side of the ledger down 34-20 as both teams headed to their locker rooms.

The Pipers came out in the beginning of the third period showing no signs of turning off the heat anytime soon.  Van Helden would get one free throw to go down at the 9:01 mark after getting fouled and then Lecher would deliver another lefty three-point bomb - this one from the right wing area at the 8:37 mark that got the Hamline lead up to 38-20.  The Wildcats would try and counter with a three-point bomb of their own - this one delivered by slender junior forward Greta Schimnowski from the 8:07 mark from the left wing area but the desired effect was minimized as the Pipers came right back a short time later at the 6:15 mark on a "3" by Trachsel from the right corner that had Hamline up 41-23.  By this point, the Wildcats certainly looked to be on the brink of getting blown out of this contest but to their credit, St. Kate's finally found some solid footing on the offensive end.  Two three-point bombs by freshman guard Hattie Fox - one from the top of the key at the 6:00 mark and another one from the left top area with 4:53 left, had the deficit down to thirteen at 42-29.  Golembiewski would add a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 4:19 left and now, down by just eleven at 42-31, there was finally a ray of hope on the Wildcat side.  But that hope was quickly doused by Hamline as a Stamer "3" from the left wing area with 3:29 left and a Trachsel drive into the lane and floater with 2:43 left upped the Piper lead to 47-31.  St. Kate's would try again thanks to Elliot as the former Rochester Lourdes standout would bang home a "3" from the left wing area with 2:08 left and would make a daring drive into the lane and get a short jumper off the glass to go down with 1:32 left that reduced the deficit down to thirteen at 49-36 but the 'Cats couldn't get closer as Hamline unleashed another devastating run.  Two free throws by Van Helden after she was fouled with 1:17 left and a lay-up in transition by Trachsel with :45 left upped the Piper lead to 53-36.  With :27 left, Cumming would deliver another blow as she would bury a cold-blooded "3" from the top of the key that made it a twenty-point game at 56-36.  St. Kate's would bite off a bit of that with :09 left as sophomore reserve guard Kristen Lawton knocked down a jumper from the free throw line but the damage had been done.  

The Wildcats would make one last futile bid to close the gap once the fourth period got going as Schimnowski would drain a "3" from the right top area at the 9:00 mark and then senior point guard Karis Zezza; who had struggled for the most part of this contest with her shooting touch, got a tough score in the paint at the 7:05 mark that had the deficit down to fifteen at 58-43.  But that lead was safely restored by Hamline when Cummings delivered yet another heart-breaking "3" - this one from the right top area at the 6:26 mark to make it a 61-43 game.  St. Kate's was unwilling to break out the proverbial white flag just yet, however, as Zezza would make a hard drive for a finish at the 5:10 mark and would follow that up with a short turnaround jumper with 2:33 left.  Junior forward Rachel Randleman would add a "3" from the left top area with 1:55 left but down 65-50 by this point, they would be nothing more than incremental bites into the cushion they were facing.  The Pipers would apply the finishing touches on this one as Trachsel would connect on a lay-up in transition with 1:45 left and Cummings would get sent to the charity stripe after getting fouled with 1:32 left and got two free throws to go down to make it 69-50.  Lecher would connect with a lay-up in transition with 1:00 left and she would also add a pair of free throws after getting fouled with :20.4 left as Hamline pocketed a convincing 73-56 victory.

I was able to catch up with the Wildcats' Mulhern afterward and he was understandably frustrated at how this game went on a lot of different fronts.  There were a couple of fouls called in the second half that he took exception to but it really boiled down to his squad's inability to limit a potent Hamline transition attack and the three-point bombs that they had to absorb which contributed to the loss.  He couldn't help but lament at the woeful shooting night his team had; going 18-56 from FG range for 32.1% which we all know won't win you very many games nor will going 7-19 behind the arc for 36.8% either.  Free throw shooting was one of the few bright spots for St. Kate's on this night as they were 13-16 for 81.3% but beyond that, there wasn't really too much else to write home about from a Wildcat standpoint.  When you look at Hamline, you see so many positives and they way they can score in bunches and in so many different ways and you can't help but come away impressed.  New Head Coach Josh Hersch definitely has one heckuva team and they really haven't changed their modus operandi from when Alex Focke was running the show.  Is this a team that can upend a Concordia; a GAC - and get themselves on the brink of a MIAC title?........Maybe.....But I'm not willing to put myself on that ledge just yet.  I think we still need to see more from this team and we know that they've had issues before on the defensive side of things and when they get forced to play more of a half-court game.  And as I mentioned earlier, they suffered their first loss of the season up at CSB this last weekend so we need to know as well if they can get the job done on the road.  Still, there's a lot of positives when it comes to this team and if you don't get out there and catch them at least once this season, you're missing out.

And what a night it was for Hamline's Lecher as she recorded a "double-double" by dropping 20 points to lead all scorers and snaring 12 rebounds as well.  What a pleasant surprise Cummings has been for this Hamline team as she poured in 16 points and simply slayed St. Kate's from downtown.  Trachsel was solid as well with her 15 points and Stamer was reliable and steady as always with her 12 points.  St. Kate's meanwhile had to lean heavily on Fox as she led the Wildcats with 10 points.   

Concordia vs Bethel 12-2-23

 After spending part of the morning at the Hopkins Breakdown Tip-Off Classic, I got back on the road to get over to Robertson Center on the campus of Bethel University to take in another early regular season clash between visiting Concordia and host Bethel.  The Cobbers, of course, were coming off a very tough win over St. Kate's on Wednesday night while the Royals were coming of an equally tough home loss to Hamline on that same night.  

Unlike this last Wednesday night that saw Concordia arguably stumble out of the gate, the Cobbers came out strong in this opening period and showed that they meant business from the get-go; bolting out to an 8-2 lead.  Strong junior forward/post Makayla Anderson wasted little time connecting with a lay-up in transition at the 9:38 mark and senior guard Emily Beseman would do likewise a bit later at the 9:25 mark after a steal to put Concordia up 4-0.  Anderson would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled in a transition opportunity at the 9:07 mark and junior forward Greta Tollefson would get a pair of free throws to go down as well at the 7:58 mark after she was fouled to cap this early run.  The Royals were able to stop some of the initial bleeding on a short, turnaround jumper by sophomore combo guard/forward Rosalie Penke off of an inbounds pass at the 7:39 mark but then the Cobbs would unleash more damaging artillery.  Junior guard Carlie Sieben would connect with a lay-up at the 6:45 mark and when Anderson connected with a lay-up after a steal near midcourt, the Cobbers lead grew to eight at 12-4 and Bethel Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer; not at all liking how things were unfolding so far, called a timeout to get his troops reorganized.  Still, Concordia would grow its lead to double digits when sharp-shooting sophomore reserve guard Molly Musland would bury a "3" from the right wing area at the 6:08 mark that made it a 15-4 ballgame.  The Royals appeared to get a bit of a boost when sophomore point guard Colette Duininck unleashed a "3" of her own from the right wing area at the 5:18 mark but the Cobbers would come right back with another "3" of their own - this one from freshman reserve guard Alexa Snesrud from the right wing area at the 5:01 mark that made it 18-7 so up to this point anyway, things were not working out very well mathematically for Bethel.  The Royals appeared to finally find some solid footing on consecutive scores in the paint - one by lanky sophomore reserve forward Ali Born with 4:46 left and another one by freshman reserve forward Cally Peterson with 4:12 left that had the deficit back into single digit range again down 18-11.  But Concordia had no intentions of letting its opponent crawl back into this thing and they went back to work down the stretch of this first period.  Two free throws by Sieben after she was fouled with 3:45 left and one more by Tollefson after she was fouled with 3:13 left not only re-established the double-digit advantage at 21-11 but now the Cobbers were also in the bonus as well.  With 1:07 left, Beseman would make a hard drive along the right baseline for a finish and two charity stripe shots by lanky freshman reserve post Maci Wheeldon with :42.5 left had Concordia in very good shape up 25-13.  

So, as good as things were looking for the Fargo-Moorhead faithful, there was a bit of a fly in the ointment type of deal as the Cobbers' Anderson collected her second foul at the 9:18 mark of the second perid and Head Coach Kim Wagers certainly was not going to take any chances with her primary down-low player and she quickly got Anderson yanked onto the bench.  Still, Concordia had things going their way as one free throw by Jordyn Kahler after she was fouled at the 8:07 mark and a lay-up by Sieben at the 7:38 mark gave the Cobbers a thirteen-point lead at 28-15 and a lay-up by Kahler at the 6:44 mark maintained the thirteen-point cushion at 30-17.  Bethel's Born would get the deficit back down to ten at 30-20 when she drained a "3" from the right top area at the 5:50 mark but Concordia was able to steady the ship as Sieben would craftily snare a steal and race the other way for a lay-up at the 5:24 mark and Beseman would drain a cold-blooded "3" from the top of the key with 4;35 left to get the lead back up to thirteen at 35-22.  Diminutive senior reserve guard Maddie Guler would get one free throw to go down with 2:51 left after getting fouled and with the Cobbers now in the bonus, they had a chance to consolidate their advantage down the stretch which they did.  Anderson would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled in a transition opportunity with 2:00 left and Beseman would cap off a solid first half by this Concordia with a pretty lay-up in transition with :56 left as the Cobbers carried a sizable 40-26 lead into the locker room at the half.   

Concordia was able to stretch its lead to as much as sixteen early on in the third period as a Beseman lay-up in transition at the 8:04 mark and a Sieben lay-up at the 7:29 mark gave the Cobbers a cozy 44-28 advantage.  But Bethel; which could have easily folded its tent and gone home for the day, finally found some spark offensively and bit into this deficit.  Born would connect with a short, one-handed shot in the lane at the 5:02 mark and two scores by senior guard Anna Garfield - a lay-up with 3:46 left and a score in the paint with 3:20 left - suddenly had the deficit down to ten at 44-34.  Then junior reserve combo guard/forward Lauren Johnson would snare an offensive rebound for a putback with 2:39 left that suddenly had the Royals back to within single-digit range down 44-36 and Concordia's Wagers, alarmed at this unexpected turn of events and how her team seemed to all of a sudden run out of gas, called a thirty-second timeout to hopefully get her troops re-charged again.  That short stoppage in play appeared to reap benefits as Tollefson would make a hard drive for a lay-up with 2:23 left and Beseman would drain a much-needed three-point bomb from the right wing area with :55 left that seemed to have the Cobbers firmly in control again with a 49-36 lead.  Tollefson would bang home a "3" from the right wing area with :16 left to maintain this thirteen-point lead at 52-39 but Bethel would not only get the last score of this third period but also complicate things for its opponent as well.  Junior combo guard/forward Elly Schmitz would get fouled with :02.2 left and got both free throws to go down and that foul by the Cobbers Anderson - coupled with the one she had committed earlier with 1:17 left - left some cause for concern for the Concordia faithful - even with a 52-41 lead.

The Cobbers would do their best to calm the fears of their faithful once the fourth period got going as one free throw by Sieben after she was fouled at the 9:39 mark and one more by Musland after she was fouled at the 7:03 mark maintained the eleven-point lead at 55-43.  With 4:16 left, Anderson; riding with those four fouls, connected on a short jumper in the lane with 4:16 left that upped Concordia's lead back to thirteen at 56-43.  However, any possible relief and jubilation on the Cobber side was short-lived as Anderson collected her fifth and final foul of the afternoon with 3:58 left and had to retire to the bench for the day.  That may have given Bethel one last jolt of energy as they went back to work to try and whittle this deficit down again.  Schmitz would get a tough score in the paint with 3:55 left to get the deficit down to eleven and a lay-up by Garfield with 3:18 left kept the Royals in that eleven-point range down 58-47.  Then Garfield would knock down pairs of free throws to not only get the deficit back into single-digit range but throw a scare into the opponent as well - once after getting fouled in a transition opportunity with 2:56 left and again with 2:09 left - that narrowed the Cobber lead down to 58-51 with a mountain of time still on the clock.  But just when things looked dangerous enough for Concordia, the Royals comeback attempt ran out of steam.  Although the Cobbers were less than stellar at the charity stripe coming down the stretch, they did just enough to get the job done.  Freshman reserve forward Genevieve Gruba would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 1:56 left as would Beseman with 1:00 left and again with :30.5 left.  Gruba would get one more free throw to go down with :26.5 left after getting fouled and Sieben would add a pair after getting fouled with :14.3 left so while it wasn't the most esthetic win you'll ever see, Concordia was able to get out of Dodge - and Robertson Center - with the 64-55 victory.  

I was able to touch base with a few of the Concordia players afterward who were quick to concur that this win was not as smooth as they would have preferred but, even though Bethel was able to make things complicated for them coming down the stretch, they still found a way to close it out even if they didn't necessarily bring their "A" game to the table.  Concordia's Wagers told me - half-jokingly I think - "We need more fuel!"; probably referring to the long roadie down US Highway 10 and the BNSF Staples Sub mainline to the Twin Cities on Friday and the upcoming trip down US Highway 61 and the CPKC River Sub mainline to Winona on Monday to take on SMU.  One thing I wasn't aware of coming into this contest was that the Cobbers actually were seventh in the nation in free-throw percentage from what Wagers informed me of although that lofty percentage arguably took a hit on this day as they were 23-32 for 71.9%.  Still, there's a big part of me that thinks that this team learned some lessons from last season that saw them drop games on the road at Bethel and at Augsburg and at home versus St. Kate's that likely kept them out of the Big Dance last season.  They know that they can't afford to lose these types of games if they want to be on the big stage and they found a way to get the job done - even if things weren't as pretty as they would have liked.  Meanwhile for Bethel, I was able to talk to Herbrechtsmeyer before the game and asked him about his team and he told me straight up that this is simply a different team and they're learning and working hard each day in practice.  You look at this Bethel roster and you'll find only one senior - Garfield - while the rest of the team is peppered with freshmen and sophomores with a couple of juniors so one could argue that this team is at least a year or two away from getting back to where they were back in 2020.  You see flashes of what they can do but they haven't been able to find that consistency that the top teams have. 

A couple of positives for Bethel on this day is that they held a sizable 42-35 edge on the boards and also had a 34-24 edge in points in the paint.  However, those two items were nullified by the 27 turnovers that the Royals were guilty of in this contest.  And those turnovers led to 25 points by the Cobbers as well.  I mentioned that Concordia arguably had an off-day from the charity stripe but Bethel didn't exactly set the world on fire either on this front as they were 8-14 for 57.1% and these are things that will hurt a young team like Bethel.  So, it may take a while for the Royals to find their groove and the Bethel faithful have to be patient with this team.  

Concordia had a very balanced attack on this day with Beseman's 16 points leading all scorers but she had plenty of help as well as Sieben wasn't far behind with her 13 points and both Tollefson and Anderson collected 10 points.  Garfield would pace Bethel with her 14 points while both Duininck and Schmitz finished with 10 points.

Concordia vs St. Kate's 11-29-23

  My very first game of this brand new 2023-24 season had me over on the St Paul side of town at Butler Center on the campus of the College of St. Catherine's for an important clash between visiting Concordia and host St. Kate's.  As you likely recall, the Wildcats ran the Cobbers out of their own gym up in Moorhead last January and would later give Concordia a huge scare a little more than a month later at Butler Center before the Cobbers were able to eek out a win in the last few final frantic seconds.  After knocking off UM-Morris to begin the season, the Cobbers had a bad stumble across the River in Wisconsin; losing a tough one to UW-Whitewater and then getting unceremoniously bounced by host UW-Stevens Point the following day before recovering last week over at Macalester with a nice win.  St. Kate's meanwhile lost the opener to UW-La Crosse but then reeled off three straight wins to come into this contest with some momentum.  And given the recent history between these two teams, you pretty much knew this one was going to be barn-burner and it certainly didn't disappoint.

Head Coach Don Mulhern had his Wildcats in a 2-3 zone defense to start this game out but that didn't seem to faze Concordia - at least initially anyway - as senior guard Jordyn Kahler casually drilled a three-point bomb from the left wing area at the 8:32 mark of the first period to put the Cobbers out in front 3-2.  St. Kate's would quickly answer as junior guard Rachel Randleman would bury a "3" of her own from the left wing area at the 8:16 mark that made it a 5-3 ballgame but Concordia junior guard Carlee Sieben would get this game knotted at five a piece on her pretty drive along the left baseline and finish at the 7:05 mark.  Sieben would follow that up with a pair of charity stripe shots after getting fouled at the 6:32 mark that had the Cobbers up 7-5 and when Sieben; the Grafton, ND native drained a "3" from the left wing area at the 5:37 mark, it looked as if Concordia had things going their way with a 10-7 advantage.  But any thoughts of the home team fading early in this contest were quickly put to bed as the Wildcats gradually started taking control of this opening period.  Freshman guard Hattie Fox; a surprising newcomer on this St. Kate's team, cut the deficit to one with a tough score in the paint at the 5:22 mark and then strong sophomore reserve guard Maddie Young would connect with a short jumper off the glass with 4:45 left that put the 'Cats back out in front 11-10.  Young would follow that up with a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 3:43 left to maintain the one-point edge at 13-12 and with 2:22 left, Young would strike again with a tough offensive rebound and putback of her own miss that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" now had St. Kate's up 16-12.  Then the Wildcats started inflicting more damage from behind the arc as two three-point bombs by slender junior forward Greta Schimnowski - one from the left corner with 1:53 left and another from the top of the key with 1:16 left - stretched the St. Kate's lead to eight at 22-14.  Then sophomore reserve guard Kristen Lawton would take her cue and unleash a dagger "3" of her own from the right wing area at with :39 left that suddenly had the Wildcats up by double-digits at 25-14.  Concordia would finally stop some of the bleeding with :26 left when diminutive senior reserve guard Maddie Guler banged home a "3" from the top of the key that got the Cobbs back to within single digits again down 25-17 but the up-tempo nature of this St. Kate's team and their ability to get hot was causing a ton of problems for Concordia Head Coach Kim Wagers and her team.  

The Wildcats would hit the "go" button again once the second period got underway as a lay-up by Randleman at the 9:39 mark and two free throws by Fox at the 9:05 mark after she was fouled in a transition opportunity had St. Kate's up by double-digits again at 29-17 and threatened to put the visitors from the Fargo-Moorhead area between a rock and a hard place.  The Cobbers would briefly pull back to within single digits again when junior forward Greta Tollefson banged home a "3" from the right top area at the 6:48 mark but when St. Kate's Fox would respond on the Wildcats ensuing possession with a lay-up at the 6:39 mark that also drew a foul with the ensuing "and one" to make it a 32-20 ballgame, Concordia's Wagers knew she had some defensive issues to try and make a quick fix on and took a match to a timeout.  But even that stoppage in play didn't seem to deter the 'Cats as they had their up-tempo game in full gear.  Fox would connect with a short jumper off the glass with 4:57 left and two free throws by Young after she was fouled with 3:35 left had St. Kate's up 36-22.  The Cobbers' Sieben would give her team a lift with a much-needed three-point bomb from the right top area but Concordia was still unable to control much of the bleeding they were incurring as the 'Cats would stretch their lead to fourteen at 39-25 on one free throw by Fox after she was fouled with 1:30 left and a Fox steal and lay-up the other way with 1:15 left.  Concordia would again get a bit of a reprieve when Kahler drained a "3" from the left corner with :54 left but the Cobbers still looked out of sorts as the teams drifted off to their locker rooms for the halftime break.  Concordia was relying primarily on their perimeter shooting and thus far really hadn't been able to get anything going on inside plus the fact that the Wildcats were obviously setting the tempo in this game so far made it clear that the Cobbers had a ton of work in front of them if they wanted to get back into this one.

And St. Kate's threatened to put their opponent behind the proverbial 8-ball once the third period got going as Schimnowski would bury one of her trademark "3's" - this one from the left corner at the 9:18 mark - that gave the Wildcats their biggest lead of the day with a 42-28.  But just when the Cobbers looked down and out, they once again turned to their primary weapon - senior guard Emily Beseman - who had an unusually quiet first half.  At the 8:13 mark, the Swanville native uncorked a three-point bomb from the left top area that reduced the deficit to eleven at 42-31.  But Concordia still had to weather a three-point storm from Wildcat sophomore reserve guard Kristen Lawton as she would drain one bomb from the left top area at the 6:36 mark and after the Cobbers' Kahler would answer with a bomb of her own from the right wing area, the 'Cats Lawton would strike again with another trey - this one from the top of the key at the 5:36 mark - that seemed to have St. Kate's in firm control up 48-36.  But the Cobbers' Beseman would again show why she's such a difference-maker in a game as she would casually drain a cold-blooded "3" from the right corner at the 5:20 mark that got Concordia back to within single-digit range again down 48-39 and two free throws by Sieben after she was fouled at the 5:06 mark would trim that deficit down to seven at 48-41.  Then, strong junior forward Makayla Anderson; who had struggled mightily in the first half with her shooting touch, bullied into the paint for a score with 4:47 left that drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" cut the deficit down to a tantalizing four points at 48-44.  Then, in the unlikeliest fashion, the Cobbs cut the deficit down to a scant point when freshman reserve guard Genevieve Gruba drilled a "3" from the left wing area with 418 left and this 11-0 run by Concordia was more than enough to convince the Wildcats' Mulhern to call a timeout to get his troops calmed down and reorganized.  St. Kate's tried to build some more breathing room again as Schimnowski would maneuver into the paint for a score with 3:56 left but the Cobbers would again crawl back to a single-point when Beseman knocked down a pair of freebies after getting fouled with 3:48 left and two more by Anderson after she was fouled with 3:01 left finally leveled this contest at 51 a piece.  The Wildcats would again attempt a push to give them some cushion again as Fox would connect with a lay-up with 1:35 left and senior guard Karis Zezza would connect with a short, turnaround jumper with :54.9 left that gave St. Kate's a 55-51 advantage but Concordia wasted little time getting this game tied up again as junior forward Greta Tollefson knocked down a pair of free throws after getting fouled on a rebound with :53.7 left and with :19 left, Sieben would use a burst of speed to connect on a lay-up to make it 55-all.  St. Kate's would assume a 57-55 lead when lanky junior forward Emme Golembiewski snared an offensive rebound for a putback with :01.3 left in this wild third period but the nice cushion that the Wildcats had at the halftime break and early on in the third period had vanished.  

A rejuvenated Cobber team picked up where they left off once the fourth period got underway as a short shot from the right side by Kahler at the 9:44 mark got this game knotted up again at 57 and two free throws by Beseman after she was fouled in a transition opportunity at the 9:22 mark finally had Concordia out in front by a 59-57 count.  The Wildcats would counter as Young would bang home a "3" from the right wing off the glass at the 8:54 mark and a pretty drive and finish by the reliable Zezza at the 8:23 mark seemed to give St. Kate's renewed hope again with a 62-59 edge.  But those hopes would soon be dashed as the Cobbers unleashed a 10-0 run that changed the course of this game for good.  Kahler would start off this run with a "3" from the right top area at the 8:11 mark that tied this game up again at 62 and Concordia would then take the lead for good when Beseman connected with a lay-up in transition after a steal at the 6:10 mark.  Anderson would connect with a short shot off the glass at the 5:29 mark and then a dagger "3" by sophomore reserve guard Molly Musland from the left corner with 4:29 left pushed the Cobber lead to 69-62.  To their credit, St. Kate's would pull back to within a single possession as two free throws by Zezza after she was fouled with 4:01 left and two more by Golembiewski after she was fouled with 2:26 left cut the Cobbs lead to 69-66 but any ray of hope would soon be dashed for good when Sieben unleashed a cold-blooded "3" from the left corner with 1:26 left to make it a 72-66 game.  Sieben would add one insurance free throw with :38.9 left and a score in the paint by Tollefson with :13.9 left for good measure allowed Concordia to pocket a hard-earned 75-69 victory.  

When I was finally able to corral Concordia's Wagers afterward, she was quick to shoulder the blame for the offensive woes that the Cobbers had in the first half ; particularly with trying to get the ball into the post position with Anderson that resulted in Concordia relying primarily on perimeter shooting.  But, to their credit, Wagers and her staff made some adjustments at the halftime break by employing some full- and half-court pressure that resulted in some turnovers and points off of those turnovers.  But I'd be amiss if I didn't mention Beseman figuring into the equation in some way.  Again, she continues to show - just like she did last season - why she's the best player in the MIAC.  Sure, she does score as her 14.9 ppg average from last season would suggest but it's more than that.  She not only facilitates well, she makes the supporting cast around her that much better and they tend to play better when she's "on".  And obviously she was "on" in that second half in more ways than one.  You look at the final box score for this one and just purely from a numbers standpoint, it's kind of a mixed bag for both teams.  St. Kate's had a decided 22-14 advantage in points in the paint.  But, St. Kate's was also guilty of 20 turnovers in this game and the Cobbers had a decided edge in points off of turnovers at 28-19.  Rebounding itself was very close with the 'Cats holding a 26-25 edge in that department and St. Kate's had a decided edge in those all-important "second chance" points at 11-4.  But, Concordia was very, very good at the charity stripe on this night going 18-19 for 94.7% which is tough to beat while St. Kate's was 15-21 for 71.4%.  Not bad either but in a close game, that's still leaving important points on the table.  Now, not having been able to catch the Wildcats back in October when practices got underway due to my recovery from surgery was disappointing but from watching this team, it's clear that Mulhern now has not only some size and length in his starting line-up but he now finally has some decent depth to back that up.  Although he was obviously disappointed at the final outcome of this one, I think one would have to think that there's reason for optimism when it comes to the Wildcats this season.

Concordia had a very balanced attack on this night and it was Sieben who led all scorers with her 20 points on this night while Beseman; who factored into the equation once the third period got going finished with 12 points and both Anderson and Kahler tallied 11 points each.  Fox continues to be a very pleasant surprise for this St. Kate's team as she led the way with her while young tallied 12 points and Schimnowski finished with 11 points.     

MIAC Predictions For The 2023-24 Season

 Have been putting this off a bit longer than I would have liked although the recovery from my surgery back in early September played a part in it.  That and the misfortunes of both my LA Rams and UCLA Bruins this fall haven't helped matters either.  Plus the fact that it's USC week as well.  Anyway, it's time to get down to business and break out that slightly cracked/scratched proverbial crystal ball and unleash some guesses as to how this brand-new season is going to shake out.  So let's get to it.

Title Contenders:

1.  GAC

2.  Concordia

I keep these two at the top - and rightfully so given what they accomplished this last season and what they have coming back.  Naturally, the smart money rides on GAC again and we got a bit of a preview of what to expect from them last night after they rolled past UW-Stout down in St. Peter (11-15).  The thing with the Gusties - at least to me anyway - is that you don't really have one or two players who stand out.  Rather, this is a true collective team effort with a lot of players contributing to the overall success of this team in their own special way.  You've got junior point guard Kylie Baranick who's as steady as they come at running the show and can also slay you from downtown and play great defense on the other end.  Then you've got willowy senior combo guard/forward Emma (not evil) Kniefel who loves to drive and penetrate into the paint for scores along with fellow senior forward Izzy (Izzy Izzy, you're making me dizzy) Quick who can use her length to grab rebounds and wreak havoc on defense and senior guard Syd Hauger who always seems to be in the right place at the right time on either end of the floor.  Head Coach Laurie Kelly also has the luxury of having a great pair of players for duties down low that she can rotate when and where she has to in lanky junior forward Morgan Kelly and fellow junior forward Rachel Kawiecki.  Throw in a pretty solid supporting cast of seniors Riley Queensland and Lexi Schermann and you've got one helluva good team that can not only run roughshod through the conference but could (and probably should) do similar beyond.  I know it's only November and it'd probably be unfair to place a whole lot of pressure on this group but the core returning group knows this may very well be their best shot at making a big run in the postseason and they've got the goods to do it.

Concordia is a tougher team to figure out here and the fact that they dropped a tough one against UW-Whitewater last Friday night and followed that up by getting run out of the gym by host UW-Stevens Point this last Saturday afternoon certainly doesn't bode well for the Cobbers in the big picture.  Yet, I feel like I at least have to give this group the benefit of the doubt here given that we're still in November and a lot of things can still happen.  Unlike GAC, this team does tend to lean on one player but there's good reason to do that as senior guard Emily Beseman proved that last year time and time again as she more than once came to the rescue of her team when they were in deep trouble.  IMHO, she's arguably the best player in the MIAC and the Cobbers will likely lean on her again for point production.  But Head Coach Kim Wagers also surrounds Beseman with pretty good backcourt mates as well in fellow senior guard Maddie Guler and junior guard Carlee Sieben.  And you've got strong junior forward Makayla Anderson who can be a load to handle down low with her quick moves.  The supporting cast is pretty solid as well with sophomore guards Taylor Safranski and Molly Musland along with junior forward Greta Tollefson.  To me, the real disappointment is the absence of junior Symone Beld who had a promising year last season.  However, Wagers may have an answer for that with 6'2" freshman post Maci Wheeldon who hails from the Fargo-Moorhead area (Fargo Davies HS).  You may remember that it took this Concordia team a bit to hit its stride last season and obviously they haven't hit it yet but there's no reason that the Cobbers shouldn't at least be in the conversation as a title contender. 

Battling For The 3rd Spot:

3.  Hamline

4.  CSB

5.  Bethel  

If you're looking for a team that can provide flash and pizazz and light up the scoreboard, you need look no further than the Hamline Pipers and you should expect to see that scoreboard smoking this coming season as Hamline has a variety of ways of coming at you.  They're led by electric senior forward Lydia Lecher who can not only get up and down the floor but can do a lot in the halfcourt as well with all the moves she has at her disposal.  Providing help along the way is fellow senior guard Michaela Stamer who's not afraid to mix it up down low with bigger bodies if she has to.  What's really cool about this team and you can bet that new Head Coach Joshua Hersch really appreciates is that you've got a group of up-and-coming players who are now an integral part of the Piper attack in junior guard Kate Trachsel, sophomore guard Camille Cummings and fellow sophomore guard Sophie Stork.  The supporting cast is solid too with sophomore combo guard/forward Josie Wiebusch and junior forward Kate Van Helden providing some much-needed depth off the bench.  So there's no doubt that Hersch has a lot to work with here.  The bigger question in my mind is can they find improvement on the defensive end where there were obviously issues last season which may have cost them a few games.  If they can strengthen up that end, this may be the team that has the best chance of upsetting the apple cart and getting themselves into position to do something really big.  Of all the three teams I've listed in this group, Hamline is the one team that I trust the most.

At the same time, you cannot count out this CSB team either and Head Coach Mike Durbin obviously has enough weapons in his arsenal to at least be in the conversation and have a decent chance of grabbing that third spot as well.  One of those weapons would be junior guard Sophia Jonas whom Durbin will rely on heavily this season for scoring production.  Then you've also got senior guard Carla Meyer who's as tough as they come in the MIAC.  Lanky junior forward Olivia Boily has improved her game over the summer and will be a much-needed threat down low for the Bennies as well.  But the gnawing issue for this CSB team has been consistency.  This is a team that reeled off five straight wins back in January this last season and promptly followed that up with three straight losses.  So, if the Bennies are to take that next step forward - and they definitely have the capability of doing so - they've got to find some consistency along the way.  

To me, the team in this particular group with the most questions and the most to prove is Bethel.  This is a team that stumbled out of the gate last year; found some solid footing in January but then went into a total tailspin down the stretch; losing nine of their last ten games.  Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer is now back on the sideline after missing most of last season on medical leave but he's got an incredibly young team that's littered with sophomores and freshmen.  The good news is that senior guard Anna Garfield is back and the Royals will lean heavily on her for point production and guard Colette Duininck is one of those aforementioned sophomores who had a promising freshman season and with a year's worth of experience under her belt, that should help make the Bethel backcourt known for its defensive prowess that much better.  But again, just so many questions about this team that need to be answered here.  Yet I'd probably be selling them short if I didn't at least have them in the conversation.  

Fighting For That Sixth Playoff Spot:

6.  St. Kate's

7.  Augsburg

Things were looking good for St. Kate's coming down the home stretch last season before two losses to close out the regular season dashed their MIAC Playoff hopes.  They lost a lot to graduation obviously but Head Coach Don Mulhern's cupboard isn't exactly bare either.  They return perhaps one of the more under-appreciated players in the conference in senior guard Karis Zezza but a trio of younger players bolsters Mulhern's starting line-up as well:  Junior forward Rachel Randleman, fellow junior forward Greta Schimnowski and fellow junior forward Sydney Elliott along with lanky sophomore forward Emme Golembiewski.  But there's also a fresh face on this Wildcat squad who's primed to add a big scoring dimension to this team in freshman guard Hattie Fox who hails from Osceola, WI.  As always, this team can be extremely dangerous and lethal when they're clicking on all cylinders.  But again, as it always seems, depth and the injury bugaboo has haunted this team more than once.  Still, I think Mulhern has enough for his squad to be in the mix here and if they can find some consistency coming down the stretch, this could be a team to keep your eye on.

Augsburg slipped badly last year and the stretch from mid-January to mid-February proved to be a killer for the Auggies.  However, hopes are seemingly somewhat renewed on the east side of Minneapolis as Head Coach Ted Riverso has his primary weapon back and presumably healthy again in senior forward Anja Smith who can seemingly do it all on both ends of the floor with that unique "takeover" ability that few players possess.  Riverso's backcourt appears to be strong as well with speedy senior guard Kalena Myers and fellow seniors Samaiya Buchanan and Katie Manecke.  A supporting cast of senior forward Moriah McLendon and sophomore guard Wakinyela Bear and fellow sophomore forward Amira LaDuke will provide needed relief off the bench.  But there's still a lot of questions surrounding the youngsters and whether this team can shake off the struggles it went through last season to get itself back into the conversation.  You just never know quite for sure what you're going to get from this team and we may have to wait until perhaps mid-January to get a better idea of where they're headed.  Still, a heckuva lot of talent on this team and you can't dismiss that.  

Bringing Up The Rear:

8.  Macalester

9.  St. Olaf

10.  SMU

11.  St. Scholastica

Macalester may very well be the biggest mystery team in the MIAC.  The Scots finished 7-18 last year overall but finished reasonably strong winning three of their last four games.  And Head Coach Katie Kollar has been hitting it hard on the recruiting front as well.  Given this and what they have on the roster this year would suggest that Macalester should be even better this year.  How much "better" does that mean?  Hard to tell right now but they're probably the last team you want to play if you go in with the attitude that you think you're going to get an easy W.  Players to keep your eye on here would include junior guard Jessica Sabbagh and fellow junior combo guard/forward Peyton Starks (the latter who had a big game in their win against Lake Forest last weekend).  

St. Olaf shocked everybody last year (including yours truly) by making an unpredictable run to snare that sixth MIAC Playoff spot last season.  But the Oles arguably had the biggest losses of all to graduation and, on top of that, Interim Head Coach Jasmine Borgmann has now been given the keys to lead the Oles this season.  A trio of juniors to keep your eye on here:  forward Sophia Kormann (the former Maple Grove standout who has the unenviable task of replacing Rachel Kelly down low), guard Sarah Tangen and combo guard/forward Paige Yagodinski who can be deadly behind the arc with her unorthodox shooting style.

Down in Winona, Head Coach David Foley has the unenviable task of trying to replace graduated senior Brooklyn Paulson - and finding some consistency along the way as well.  However, a promising crop of newcomers does provide some hope for the future.  Players to keep your eye on here would include junior guard Izzy Goettelman and lanky sophomore forward Riley Schiernbeck out of Ida Grove, IA who had a solid outing a couple of nights ago against Northland.  

Along the shores of Gitche Gumee up in Duluth, things can only get better for a St. Scholastica team that found wins hard to come by last season.  But Head Coach Jason Schmitz and his squad have already got off on the right foot this season with a win over Crown earlier this month and even though you have to take those so-called "baby steps" in a tough conference like the MIAC, you can bet the Saints are going to be ready to battle each and every outing.  Players to keep your eye on here would include senior guard Katie Vaske and sophomore guard Lexi Imdieke.   

So there you have it.  This should be another fun season with unpredictable twists and turns along the way.  Feel free to fire away with thoughts...... 

Breaking News - Carleton Cancels Its 2023-24 Season

 Just saw on Twitter here a bit ago that Carleton has released an official announcement that it has cancelled its 2023-24 season.  Per the explanation given in the announcement, the decision was made due to the fact that the program had only ten players on the roster and due to injuries at the present time, it only leaves them with six medically-cleared players to operate with - obviously a number too low work with and could possibly compromise the health and safety of the remaining student athletes on the team.  Here's the link for the official announcement:  https://d3hoops.com/notables/2023/11/carleton-women-cancel-season

It's cruelly ironic that, given my own situation after having had surgery on my left foot right after Labor Day and being laid-up as long as I was and that I'm now on the last lap to full recovery that this type of situation would crop up - especially since I'm on vacation this week and was JUST in the process of putting humpty-dumpty together to make my MIAC predictions for the upcoming season - during USC week no less.  First off, my heart aches for the student-athletes involved here on the Carleton team who won't get a chance this season to do what they love doing - through no fault of their own here.  And especially for the designated seniors on this team - Jasmine Choi and Margie Clauss - who may not get a chance to make up for this lost opportunity and that just sucks for them.  If you're AD Gerald Young, you're obviously caught between a rock and a hard place and he had to make the hard decision to pull the plug on the upcoming season knowing that there was simply no way around the situation.  And if you're Head Coach Tammy Metcalf-Filzen who doesn't have to apologize to anyone given her success over the last 20+ years, it's incredibly tough as well because you're trying so hard to keep a delicate situation together as best you can and you've put so much time and work and planning into this season only to see it all crumble due to situations beyond your control.  It's just disappointing and gut-wrenching.  There's no other way to describe it.  

With that all said, now you have to look at the big picture and get an understanding of what this does to everyone else in the conference.  As of the moment, it effectively robs everybody else of two games - two games that, on paper anyway, likely would have been Ws.  From having touched base with a few coaches and others "in the know", I am aware of one idea that's being bandied about is filling those gaps with a conference opponent as a non-conference game.  I'm also aware that there's been some contacts with teams in the UMAC or other neighboring conferences about possible openings that might be able to be filled as well.  Given where we're at time-wise with the beginning of the season, my best guess is that the latter-option might be a tough one to put together with date/time availabilities being extremely limited.  From a discussion that I had with a former coach in the MIAC, the best possible solution might be that first option.  However, to make something like that work effectively, what you'd probably have to do would be to have the top teams play one of the other top 2-3 teams and then pair the middle-of-the-pack teams against each other and then also have the lower-echelon teams do likewise.  Now, again, how effective something like this might be, I don't know.  However, I would be willing to say that doing something like this may prove to be the most beneficial for the upper-echelon teams when it comes to improving their SOS which is so critically important when you're thinking in terms of trying to get into the NCAA Tournament and, at the same time, knowing full and well that with only three non-conference games, your opportunities are limited at best.  Consider, even in a normal situation, your SOS from just conference play alone is never going to be over .500.  And only three non-conference games really doesn't do that much for your SOS - even if you win all of them or go like 2-1.  So, in a back-handed way, this might be one opportunity to take advantage of something that may have not been there before.  

Obviously, if I here any more developments on this situation, I'll definitely let you know.  Feel free to fire away with thoughts.  

Another Season Is Here!

 Another October 15th has come with DIII teams preparing for a brand new season not only in the MIAC and nearby WIAC, ARC and UMAC but all over the country and it's always an exciting time!  I normally am preparing to take in some early season practices this time of year but because I had surgery on my left foot back in early September, I've been hobbled up the last six weeks on crutches and have effectively been a prisoner in my own home.  However, I have my third post-op appointment this coming Thursday (10-19) and will presumably get a modified walking boot that will at least get me mobile again so I can finally get around at get out of the house for a change - own my own.  Hopefully by sometime in early November I should be fully healed up and back to my old self.  I can tell you that these last six weeks have not been a pleasant trip by any stretch.

So I'm hoping I can get to attend a few practices here and there and provide some updates as to what I'm seeing for this upcoming season.  And, of course, I'll break out that proverbial crystal ball and reveal my predictions for this upcoming season in the MIAC.  Stay tuned!   

Great Article From D3Hoops.Com Regarding Selection Criteria For the NCAA Women's DIII Tournament

 As some of you may know, I'm currently recuperating at home after having had surgery back on 9-5 to have a rather bothersome bunion removed from my left foot.  While there's arguably worse things to have surgery for, it's still been incredibly frustrating just getting around my place to do even the simple things.  I'm hopeful that by early/mid-October, I'll be close to as good as new and doing the things that I enjoy once again without the use of crutches which will be nice - including covering the women's basketball scene.  

As you can imagine, I've had ample time to fiddle around on my desktop at home and, in the process, came across an interesting article that was recently posted on the D3 Hoops site regarding the selection criteria for the NCAA DIII Women's Tournament that touches on the areas that I talked about late this last February and early March and it's a good read. 

https://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2023/09/sos-low-key-selection-criterion

One item that's pointed our rather quickly in this article is how the selection and seeding process has shifted over the last few years; where it had seemed to rely more in winning percentage in years past but now has obviously shifted toward the direction of SOS (strength of schedule).  Consider, some of the at-large teams from six or seven years ago had an SOS of .496-.498.  This last season, we saw that the lowest SOS among the at-large teams was at .545 which is telling to say the least.  

But what's interesting is that the author of this article - Scott Peterson - delves deeper into this by pointing out that it's the larger conferences (such as the MIAC) that tend to be more vulnerable as they play 22 regular season games which leaves room for only three non-conference games and makes it much more difficult to raise the overall SOS.  When I look at the GAC schedule for this upcoming season, I really like like the tough, non-conference schedule where they'll open with UW-Stout at home in St. Peter on 11-15 and then a trip to Florida right before the holiday season has them facing a Rhode Island College team that finished 28-4 and made it to the Final 4 last season on 12-20 and then taking on perennial ARC powerhouse Simpson the next day on 12-21.  So there's three games against quality opponents that does give them ample opportunity to strengthen that SOS.  I look at some of the other teams that have their schedules out and right away I can't help but notice that they're not giving themselves enough opportunities to raise that SOS when that becomes a bigger item come mid/late-February.  It's like, yeah, you MAY be able to get away with doing that IF (1) you don't have any "bad" losses during the season and (2) you get to your conference championship game.  A classic example is what happened to Concordia this last season which saw them split their games against regionally-ranked opponents AND get to the MIAC Championship Game which should have been good enough to get them in.  But those "bad" losses to Bethel, Augsburg and St. Kate's ultimately weighed them down in the end.  Which is why I'll feel infinitely better about the following season when the MIAC finally breaks away from the idiotic 22-game regular season which will open up more opportunities on the non-conference front.  

I hope to visit some practices later on this fall and give you full reports of what I'm seeing along with breaking out that trusty old crystal ball with my fearless predictions.