Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 8-1-18

The last night of the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League wrapped up with two semifinal games and a championship game and here's how things unfolded on this night:


6:00 P.M. Game

Southwest Minnesota State - 55
Rusty Pipes - 51  OT


6:55 P.M. Game

UST Purple - 41
Concordia St. Paul - 37


7:45 P.M. Game

Southwest Minnesota State - 42
UST Purple - 40


Three very good games on this night and fittingly so to close things out for this summer.  First, in the 6:00 P.M. slot, the Southwest Minnesota State team got off to a very good start against the Rusty Pipes team with a three-point bomb and held a 5-0 lead early on and led 10-5 midway through the first period.  But the Rusty Pipes soon got their groove back thanks to former Hamline standout Jordan Sammons ('15) and they turned the tables with a run to hold a 16-15 lead by the start of the second period.  The Southwest Minnesota State team responded with an 8-3 run to retake the lead at 23-19 midway through the second period and they maintained that four-point edge to lead 31-27 by the halftime break.  The Southwest Minnesota State team still held that four-point edge at 35-31 midway through the third period and some timely three-point shooting helped them stretch that lead to 43-33 but the Rusty Pipes team soon got on a run of their own and a three-point bomb by former St. Kate's standout Alexis Garcia ('18) helped the Rusty Pipes team cut the deficit down to five points at 45-40 by the start of the fourth period.  The Rusty Pipes team soon had the deficit down to one point at 45-44 early in the fourth period and a short jumper by former St. Kate's standout Kennedy Jennings ('17) got the Rusty Pipes team the lead back at 49-48 with 7:00 left and they held that lead at the midway point of the fourth period.  The Southwest Minnesota State team regained the lead at 50-49 with 2:10 left but the Rusty Pipes team soon took it back at 51-50 with 1:46 left.  One free throw by the Southwest Minnesota State team tied the game at 51-all with under a minute left and the Southwest Minnesota State team would get a crack at winning this one in regulation when a foul was called with :06 left but they missed the free throw attempt and a desperation three-point attempt by the Rusty Pipes team missed at the buzzer so off to the extra two-minute overtime period we went.  With :30 left, the Southwest Minnesota State team took a 53-51 lead but the Rusty Pipes team still had one good opportunity left.  Sammons tried to connect down low but her shot just missed its mark and had to foul after the defensive rebound by the Southwest Minnesota State team.  The Southwest Minnesota State team this time made good on the two insurance free throw attempts to hang on for an incredibly exciting win.   

Another great semifinal game took place in the 6:55 P.M. slot between the Concordia St. Paul team and the UST Purple team.  This one was very tight in the early going with the game tied at 6-all midway through the first period although the Concordia St. Paul team managed to get on a bit of a spurt down the stretch of the opening period to hold an 11-7 lead once the second period got underway.  But the UST Purple team had an answer of its own once the second period got underway and a jumper by senior-to-be Hannah Spaulding put the UST Purple team out in front by a 14-13 count midway through the second period.  Now it was the Concordia St. Paul team's turn for a run and a 7-0 push by them put them up 20-14 late in the second period although the UST team would trim the deficit down to four points at the half at 22-18.  The UST Purple team got a boost early on in the third period as a tough score by Spaulding in the paint that drew a foul and resulted in an "and one" cut the deficit to one point at 22-21.  But the Concordia St. Paul team responded with a 6-0 burst that had them up 28-21 midway through the third period and they still held a 30-25 advantage once the fourth period got underway.  The UST Purple team pulled to within one again early on in the third period thanks to a Spaulding score in the paint making it a 31-30 game and a short time later a Spaulding "3" had this one tied up at 33 a piece.  The UST Purple team took at 35-33 lead early on in the fourth period but freshman newcomer Riley Wheatcraft's lay-up in transition for the Concordia St. Paul team had this one tied at 35.  The UST Purple team reclaimed the lead at 37-35 with under 2:00 left and pushed the lead to 39-35 with just :50 left.  Two free throws by the Concordia St. Paul team cut the deficit down to two points but senior-to-be Lucia Renikoff's two free throws with :18 left iced this one for the UST Purple team as they advanced to the championship game.

So finally it all came down to the championship game in the 7:45 P.M. slot and it definitely was a great one to watch.  The Southwest Minnesota State team jumped out to a 4-0 lead and they led 6-2 midway through the first period.  The UST Purple team may have been feeling a little fatigue early on and a late "3" by the Southwest Minnesota State team got them a 9-4 advantage by the start of the second period.  The UST Purple team got back to within a single possession on a pretty shot off the glass by Renikoff that made it a 14-11 game and that helped propel them on a push that allowed them to jump into the lead for the first time in this game at 15-14 late in the second period and the UST Purple team pushed that lead to three points at 19-16 by the halftime break.  The UST Purple team looked to take control early on in the third period and a Spaulding score that drew a foul and resulted in an "and one" gave them a 25-18 lead and had them in good shape.  But back-to-back three-point bombs by the Southwest Minnesota State team soon cut the deficit down to two points at 27-25 midway through the third period and although the UST Purple team led 35-34 by the start of the fourth period, the momentum they had built after the halftime break seemed to be slowly slipping away.  Still, the UST Purple team got a big boost on a three-point bomb by senior-to-be and former Park Center standout McKenna DuBois early on in the fourth period that briefly got the safety net back up to four points at 38-34 and they still led 39-37 midway through the fourth period.  The UST Purple team still had the lead at 40-37 with under 2:00 left but a three-point bomb by the Southwest Minnesota State team suddenly knotted this game at 40 with just under a minute left.  With :36 left, the Southwest Minnesota State team got a lay-up to take the lead at 42-40 and the UST Purple team would commit a costly turnover on their ensuing possession.  The Southwest Minnesota State team was unable to push the lead further at the charity stripe and the UST Purple team had one last chance with :06 left but they were unable to connect when they needed to.

It was definitely a great time at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League this year and I just want to thank Tanysha Scott and her staff along with the players and parents and fans who attended. 

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer Leagues Results For Tuesday 7-31-18

Things really started heating up this last week at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League with games on both Tuesday and Wednesday evening and here's how the games I was able to cover turned out on Tuesday night:


6:00 P.M. Games

Rusty Pipes - 58
GAC Black - 43

Augsburg - 58
Bethel - 38


6:55 P.M. Games

Rusty Pipes - 56
GAC Gold - 52

Southwest Minnesota State - 43
St. Kate's - 34


7:45 P.M. Game

Southwest Minnesota State - 49
Augsburg - 47


Over on Court 1 in the 6:00 P.M. slot, the Rusty Pipes team bolted out to a quick 6-0 lead and soon built that lead to 10-0 midway through the first period.  Things continued to get worse for the GAC Black team as they soon found themselves down 18-4 by the start of the second period and by the halftime break, the Rusty Pipes were up comfortably 32-13.  The Rusty Pipes team's lead stretched to 48-31 by the start of the fourth period and by the midway point of the fourth period the Rusty Pipes team seemed to be well on its way to victory with a 54-37 lead.  Miraculously, however, the GAC Black team made a furious rally down the stretch to close the gap to four points late but could not quite bring things all the way back.  Over on Court 2, the Bethel team got off to a very good start with a 5-0 lead over the Augsburg team but things started going downhill quickly for the Bethel team after that as the Augsburg team reeled off an 11-0 run and led 15-7 midway through the first period.  By the start of the second period, the Augsburg team was up 20-9 and a "3" by junior-to-be Aiza Wilson helped the Augsburg team get the lead to 26-13 midway through the second period.  Though the Bethel team was able to trim the deficit back down to ten points at 30-20 by the halftime break, they were never able to muster much offensively that would have allowed them to seriously threaten the rest of the way.  The Augsburg team built the lead to fourteen points midway through the third period at 34-20 and by the start of the fourth period they were up 44-23.  It was all academic after that as the Augsburg team was up safely 53-32 midway through the fourth period. 

A rematch of sorts took place over on Court 1 in the 6:55 P.M. slot as the Rusty Pipes team took on a revenge-minded GAC Gold team and it certainly looked early on that the GAC Gold team would make good on their quest.  Though they only held a one-point 8-7 lead midway through the first period, a "3" by senior-to-be Taylor Anderson helped get the GAC Gold team a 17-11 lead by the start of the second period.  The GAC Gold team padded its lead to double-digits at 22-12 midway through the second period and by the halftime break the Rusty Pipes team looked to be in serious trouble down 29-17.  But an experienced Rusty Pipes team refused to abandon ship as their experience and size helped them cut into the GAC Gold lead and by the midway point of the third period the GAC Gold lead was shrunk down to four points at 36-32 and late in the third period the Rusty Pipes team had things tied up at 40-all.  Although the GAC Gold team was able to re-establish their lead at 42-40 by the start of the fourth period, it proved to be a short-lived affair.  The Rusty Pipes team soon took the advantage away and by the midway point of the fourth period the Rusty Pipes team held a 50-46 lead.  The GAC Gold team managed to tie the game at 50 with 2:00 left and were down only 52-50 with 1:00 left but free throws by former Hamline players Nikki Klink ('11) and Jordan Sammons ('15) helped seal the deal for the Rusty Pipes team.  On Court 2, the Southwest Minnesota State team was looking to survive and they had to take on a gamey St. Kate's team and they were anything but a pushover on this night.  Although the Southwest Minnesota State team held a 9-4 advantage midway through the first period, the St. Kate's team managed to hang around and were down only 16-12 by the start of the second period.  The Southwest Minnesota State team managed to slowly build on its lead throughout the second period and by the halftime break they owned a 30-21 advantage and it seemed like it would only be a matter of time before the dam broke.  But the St. Kate's team held tough and managed to stay within single-digits to a bigger opponent down 35-26 midway through the third period and by the start of the fourth period they had cut the deficit down to seven points at 37-30.  With 3:48 left in the contest, the St. Kate's team was able to cut the deficit down to six points at 40-34 but the Southwest Minnesota State team was finally able to close things out down the stretch to advance. 

Only one game in the 7:45 P.M. slot on this night but it proved to be the best game of the night as the Southwest Minnesota State team; fresh off of its tough win in the earlier slot, took on the Augsburg team over on Court 2.  This one would be knotted at 9 a piece midway through the first period and by the start of the second period, the Augsburg team held a 16-14 advantage.  Both teams showed off their offensive prowess and by the midway point of the second period the Southwest Minnesota State team held a 25-24 edge but the Augsburg team was able to come right back and a pretty give-and-go pass from junior-to-be Aiza Wilson to fellow junior-to-be Camryn Speese that drew a foul and resulted in an "and one" helped the Augsburg team get a 33-27 lead by the halftime break.  Wilson would make a hard drive and finish that helped the Augsburg team maintain that six-point edge at 38-32 midway through the third period but the Southwest Minnesota State team would respond with a 7-0 run that would have them up 39-38 by the start of the fourth period.  The Southwest Minnesota State team would hold a slight edge in the early moments of the fourth period but a Wilson "3" helped the Augsburg team poke its nose back out in front again at 43-42 midway through the fourth period.  Fittingly, this game would be tied at 47-all with 2:00 left and one free throw had the Southwest Minnesota State team up 48-47 with 1:00 left.  The Augsburg team still had a couple of chances down the stretch.  But a Speese shot with :03 left missed its mark.  Southwest Minnesota State would again get to the charity stripe but could only get one freebie out of the deal and with one tick left on the clock, Wilson let loose with a desperation heave for the Augsburg team that barely missed its mark and the Southwest Minnesota State team held on for a very exciting win. 

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 7-25-18

I apologize for being really late with this as I was out of town recently and had a lot of different things going on but wanted to get this in anyway.


5:00 P.M. Games

Winona State - 44
Northwestern - 33

UST Alumni - 68
Anoka-Ramsey - 37


5:55 P.M. Games

Winona State - 62
GAC Black - 41

Rusty Pipes - 49
UST Alumni - 43


6:50 P.M. Games

GAC Alumni - 49
UW-River Falls - 38

Augsburg - 54
Northwestern - 43

Rimshots - 64
Hamline - 43


7:45 P.M. Games

UST Purple - 40
Southwest Minnesota State - 38

Superhoopers - 56
Bethel - 39

St. Kate's - 49
Dordt - 17


Had to fight some rather serious traffic delays on this night but got settled in a little after the midway point of the two games in the opening 5:00 P.M. slot.  Over on Court 1, the Winona State team held a 22-14 lead on the Northwestern team and although the Northwestern team briefly cut into that deficit, they made the mistake of leaving sophomore-to-be Allie Pickrain open behind the arc and she made them pay dearly for it with a three-point bomb and that helped the Winona State team get their safety net up to ten points at 32-22 by the start of the fourth period.  The Northwestern team again threatened near the midway point of the fourth period but they again made the mistake of leaving Pickrain all alone behind the arc and once again they paid dearly for it as another "3" by the former Eastview standout got the Winona State team's lead back up to ten at 41-31 and they never looked back after that.  Over on Court 2, the UST Alumni team was having its way with a young and inexperienced Anoka-Ramsey team as they were up 49-26 midway through the third period and there was little doubt how this one was going to turn out by the beginning of the fourth period with the UST Alumni team safely up 54-28. 

In the 5:55 P.M. slot, the Winona State team found itself doing double-duty on Court 1 as this time around they took on the GAC Black team and early on anyway, it appeared that the GAC Black team might have had a bit of an edge as they held a 10-8 lead midway through the first period and proceeded to go on a 10-2 run to lead 18-10 by the start of the second period.  But the Winona State team was able to shake off any possible fatigue from their earlier game and they turned the tables by going on a 10-2 run of their own to tie the game at 20-all midway through the second period and they usurped the momentum from their and held a 34-30 advantage at the halftime break.  The Winona State team was able to break down the GAC Black team in the third period and they stretched their lead to ten points at 43-33 midway through the third period and that lead ballooned to 53-36 by the start of the fourth period.  The GAC Black team simply wasn't able to contend with the size and speed of their DII opponent and by the midway point of the fourth period the Winona State team was running away with things up 59-41.  Over on Court 2, a much closer game was ensuing between the Rusty Pipes team (a squad made up primarily of former Hamline and St. Kate's players) and the UST Alumni team.  The UST Alumni team was up 5-3 midway through the first period but the Rusty Pipes team was able to snare the lead at 9-7 by the start of the second period.  Things would stay close and go back-and-forth in the second period and although the UST Alumni team held a 16-15 advantage midway through the second period, the Rusty Pipes team was able to get on a bit of a run down the stretch to take a 25-22 lead by the halftime break.  The Rusty Pipes team maintained that three-point edge midway through the third period up 27-24 and by the start of the fourth period they got the lead to five points at 37-32.  The UST Alumni team was certainly still very much in the picture but former Hamline standout Jordan Sammons ('15) helped spark a run for the Rusty Pipes team that enabled them to get the lead to ten points at 47-37 midway through the fourth period and the UST Alumni team was simply unable to recover.

Just like the week before, things really got busy in the 6:50 P.M. slot with three games going on.  On Court 1, the GAC Alumni team was embroiled in a tough contest with the UW-River Falls team and the GAC Alumni team fought and scratched their way to a 9-8 lead midway through the first period and were able to establish a little more breathing room up 13-9 by the start of the second period.  Curiously, the UW-River Falls team struggled on the offensive end on this night and this opened the door for the GAC Alumni team to stretch their lead to 19-10 midway through the second period and by the halftime break they got their lead to double-digits at 24-13.  The GAC Alumni team still looked to be in a pretty safe position up 33-23 midway through the third period but the UW-River Falls team finally got things going and got the deficit down to five points at 37-32 by the start of the fourth period.  The GAC Alumni team still managed to cling to that five-point edge at 42-37 midway through the fourth period but just when you thought the UW-River Falls team might finally break through and catch them, they faltered badly down the stretch as the GAC Alumni team held on for the win.  Over on Court 2, another close game appeared to be brewing as the Augsburg team clung to an 8-6 lead over the Northwestern team midway through the first period and by the start of the second period the Augsburg team led 16-12.  The Augsburg team, however, was able to slowly build its lead to six points at 22-16  midway through the second period and by the halftime break the lead grew to eight points at 27-19.  By the midway point of the third period, the lead suddenly bulged to twenty points at 43-23 and although the Northwestern team was able to cut into things a bit down 44-28 by the start of the fourth period, they simply were unable to stop the transition game of the Augsburg team as they held on for a double-digit victory.  Over on Court 3, things were reasonably close at the outset with the Rimshots team (a squad made up primarily of former Bethel players) and the Hamline team with the former up 12-9 midway through the first period and the Rimshots team holding a 16-15 lead by the start of the second period.  The Hamline team was still very much in this one midway through the second period down only 21-19 and although the Rimshots team led 30-25 by the halftime break, this one still had a lot of uncertainty to it.  But that uncertainty quickly vanished once the third period got underway and by the midway point the Rimshots team upped their lead to 42-31 and by the start of the fourth period, an experienced Rimshots team was up comfortably at 53-33 as they breezed to the win. 

One of the more-anticipated games on this night took place in the 7:45 P.M. slot over on Court 1 between the Southwest Minnesota State team and the UST Purple team.  The Southwest Minnesota State team was able to establish a 13-9 lead midway through the first period but the UST Purple team came right back and had things tied up at 15 a piece by the start of the second period.  This close, back-and-forth tussle continued as the Southwest Minnesota State team poked its nose back out in front by a 18-17 count midway through the second period but the UST Purple team was able to hold a 22-21 advantage by the halftime break.  The UST Purple team was able to make the first decisive move of this contest as they got their lead up to seven points at 28-21 midway through the third period but the Southwest Minnesota State team answered with a 10-2 run to own a 31-30 lead by the start of the fourth period.  This nail-biter continued with the Southwest Minnesota State team up 38-34 midway through the fourth period and seemingly in position to win and with just 1:00 left, the Southwest Minnesota State team was still up 38-36.  But the UST Purple team had the magic in the final sixty seconds to come away with an exciting victory.  Another good one was going over on Court 2 between the Superhoopers team and the Bethel team and the Bethel team appeared to have the early edge as they led 8-5 midway through the first period and still held a 14-12 lead to start the second period.  The game would be tied at 20 a piece midway through the second period but it was here where the experience and the ability of the Superhoopers team to be physical took over as they went on a key 8-0 push to own a 28-20 lead by the halftime break.  The Superhoopers team stretched the lead to 44-31 by the end of the third period and although the Bethel team was able to climb back into single-digit range down 47-39 midway through the fourth period, they never could get reasonably close again.  No such drama over on Court 3 as the St. Kate's team started running away early from an undersized and short-handed Dordt team.  The St. Kate's team led 11-4 midway through the first period and maintained the seven-point edge to lead 16-9 by the start of the second period.  The lead grew to nine points at 21-12 midway through the second period and it grew to 23-12 by the halftime break.  The St. Kate's team stretched the lead to twenty at 34-14 midway through the fourth period and there was little doubt how things were going to go after that.

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 7-18-18

I apologize for being a bit late with this but here are the results of the opening night of playoff action at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League from Wednesday night:


5:00 P.M. Games

Northwestern - 40
Anoka-Ramsey - 30

GAC Black - 56
NIACC - 30


5:55 P.M. Games

Bethel - 52
Augsburg - 33

UW-River Falls- 44
St. Kate's - 36


6:50 P.M. Games

Bethel - 34
UST Black - 29

Superhoopers - 57
Rusty Pipes - 43

Southwest Minnesota State - 55
UW-River Falls - 48


7:45 P.M. Games

GAC Gold - 74
Hamline - 49

St. Olaf - 57
GAC Alumni - 47

Rimshots - 65
Dordt - 27


A busy, busy night at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League on the first night of playoff action.  While I was only able to get the tail end of the two 5:00 P.M. games, it did give me time to say hellos to friends and acquaintances and get settled in for the two games in the 5:55 P.M. slot.  Over on Court 1, a match-up of two MIAC rivals was going on and in the early going this looked to be a very close, hard-fought battle as the Augsburg team held a 3-2 lead midway through the first period while the Bethel team was able to turn the tables a bit and hold a 9-8 advantage heading into the second period.  The Augsburg team got things going again with their patented transition game and held a 17-13 lead midway through the second period but the Bethel team managed to close the gap to just two points trailing 23-21 at the halftime break.  The Bethel team managed to tie the contest at 25 a piece early on in the third period and then the roof caved in on the Augsburg team as a pretty lay-up in transition by senior-to-be Hannah Johnson not only put the Bethel team out in front for good but was the genesis of a big run by the Bethel team as they led 29-25 midway through the third period and grew that lead to 35-27 by the start of the fourth period.  The Bethel team led by double-digits at 45-32 midway through the fourth period and never looked back.  Over on Court 2, the UW-River Falls team and the St. Kate's team were knotted at four a piece near the midway point of the first period but then the UW-River Falls team exploded on an 11-0 run thanks to five straight turnovers by the young St. Kate's team and grabbed a 15-4 lead by the end of the first period.  The St. Kate's team continued to struggle on the offensive end but was able to make a push late in the second period to crawl back into single-digit range trailing 24-16 by the halftime break.  But any comeback hopes that the St. Kate's team may have had vanished once the third period got underway as the UW-River Falls team got going with another run to hold a 34-20 lead midway through the third period and expanded on that lead by a 39-20 count at the start of the fourth period and cruised the rest of the way.

Things really started to get busy in the 6:50 P.M. slot with three games going on at once which meant I had to do a lot of walking back and forth to keep up with what was going on.  Over on Court 1, the Bethel team, showing no signs of fatigue or weakness from their game in the earlier slot, jumped on the UST Black team and grabbed a 10-3 lead midway through the first period and upped that lead to 12-3 by the start of the second period.  The Bethel team increased their lead to double-digits at 15-4 midway through the second period and the UST Black team appeared to be in a good amount of trouble down 20-9 at the halftime break.  But you knew that the UST Black team would not go out on a whimper and a quick 7-2 run to begin the third period closed the gap to four points at 22-18 and at that point it appeared that the UST Black team had a full head of steam.  But the experienced Bethel team quickly righted the ship and got their safety net built up again to hold a 27-18 lead at the end of the third period.  By the midway point of the fourth period, the Bethel team got the lead back to double-digits at 31-21 and although the young UST Black team was able to get the deficit down to five points late, they were never able to bring it all the way back.  Over on Court 2, two alumni teams were going head-to-head as the Superhoopers team grabbed a 9-4 lead lead midway through the first period but the Rusty Pipes team; a squad primarily made up of former Hamline and St. Kate's players, got the game tied at 14 a piece at the start of the second period.  The second period would be tight throughout and although the Superhoopers team got a 22-19 lead midway through the second period, the Rusty Pipes team came right back and knotted this contest at 24-all by the halftime break.  Things would continue to stay close throughout most of the third period with the Superhoopers team holding a 33-32 lead midway through the third period and it appeared that this trend would continue.  It was here, however, that the Superhoopers team went on a game-changing 10-2 run to hold a 43-34 lead by the start of the fourth period.  The Superhoopers team held a 50-38 advantage midway through the fourth period and the Rusty Pipes team never could get close again.  Over on Court 3, the Southwest Minnesota State team got a 13-5 lead on the UW-River Falls team and led 19-10 at the start of the second period.  The UW-River Falls team; having already played a game in the earlier slot, likely had fatigue set in as the Southwest Minnesota State team started running away with things and led 35-17 late in the second period and were up 35-20 at the halftime break.  The Southwest Minnesota State team led 42-26 midway through the third period and by the start of the fourth period, the UW-River Falls team appeared to be all but done down 50-32.  Miraculously, however, the UW-River Falls team found a second wind and kept chipping away and late in the game they found themselves down by only four at 52-48 but the Southwest Minnesota State team held on for a surprisingly tough win.

Another trio of games in the 7:45 P.M. slot kept me busy as well.  Over on Court 1, the GAC Gold team jumped on the young Hamline team early and often and led 12-4 midway through the first period and led 23-9 by the start of the second period.  The GAC Gold team slowly increased their lead in the second period holding a 33-17 advantage midway through and led comfortably 41-20 by the halftime break.  By the midway point of the third period, there was little doubt as to how this one was going to turn out with the GAC Gold team up 53-23 and by the start of the fourth period the GAC Gold team led 58-30 as they breezed to an easy win.  Over on Court 2, the St. Olaf team faced off with the GAC Alumni team and the St. Olaf team got off to a good start in this one up 5-0 early on and led 13-4 midway through the first period.  The St. Olaf team held an 18-11 lead by the start of the second period and although the GAC Alumni team shaved some of that deficit off trailing 27-21 midway through the second period, the St. Olaf team got on a run and held a double-digit 39-25 lead at the halftime break.  That lead grew to sixteen points at 49-33 midway through the third period and by the start of the fourth period, the St. Olaf team held a sizable 52-36 advantage.  The GAC Alumni team flirted with a comeback attempt in the fourth period but could never sustain the attempt.  Over on Court 3, the Dordt team was up 9-6 on the Rimshots team; a squad of primarily former Bethel players and by the start of the second period, the Dordt team seemed to have momentum in their favor up 12-8.  The Rimshots team would manage to tie the contest at 12 a piece midway through the second period and although they went on a run to lead 22-18 by the halftime break, the Dordt team still appeared to be right in the thick of things.  But the bottom fell out on the Dordt team as former Bethel standouts Rachel Parupsky ('16), Molly O'Toole and Kalli Zimmerman (17') were unstoppable and the Rimshots team held a 37-23 lead midway through the third period and led 46-25 by the start of the fourth period.  The Rimshots team clamped down in the fourth period and led 61-27 midway through the final period as they rolled to an easy win.

Another big night coming up next week Wednesday as winners try to keep advancing and a consolation bracket gives the losers a chance to keep playing so make sure you head on down to the Midwtown YWCA to catch all the action.   

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 7-11-18

Here are the results of the games I was able either to catch the ending of or follow last night at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League:


5:00 P.M. Games

Southwest Minnesota State - 51
Anoka-Ramsey - 43

Dordt -38
Northwestern - 24


5:55 P.M. Games

Southwest Minnesota State - 58
UW-River Falls - 33

GAC Gold - 59
St. Kate's - 43


6:50 P.M. Games

NIACC - 62
GAC Black - 56

Winona State - 44
Bethel - 42


7:45 P.M. Games

Rimshots - 56
GAC Black - 52

Concordia St. Paul - 70
Winona State - 57


I was able to catch the very last moments of the Southwest Minnesota State team's win over the Anoka-Ramsey team on Court 1 in the 5:00 P.M. slot and on Court 2 the Dordt team surprised the Northwestern team which had found several different ways to win up until this point by a 38-24 margin.

There were two close games going on - at least in the early stages anyway - in the 5:55 P.M. slot.  On Court 1, the Southwest Minnesota State team was in a tough contest with the UW-River Falls team and the former was up 11-8 midway through the first period but the UW-River Falls team cut that deficit to a scant point at 13-12 by the start of the second period.  But the Southwest Minnesota State team put together a game-changing 8-1 run to get the lead to 21-13 midway through the second period and by the halftime break that lead extended to double-digits at 33-16.  The UW-River Falls team simply was unable to handle the size of the Southwest Minnesota State team down low and they weren't able to make much of a dent in the deficit either.  The Southwest Minnesota State team was up 38-23 midway through the third period and held a 46-30 lead at the beginning of the fourth period enroute to a win.  Over on Court 2, the St. Kate's team managed to stay close to the GAC Gold team throughout much of the first period but a tough lay-up by senior-to-be Justine Lee at the end of the first period gave the GAC Gold team a bit more breathing room with a 13-8 advantage.  The St. Kate's team managed to battle back in the second period and a tough running jumper by junior-to-be Jackie Radford tied the contest at 15 a piece midway through the second period.  Although the GAC Gold team was able to forge a 25-21 lead by the halftime break, there was still plenty of hope over on the St. Kate's side.  But that hope slowly faded once the third period got going as the GAC Gold team increased its lead to 36-28 midway through the third period and by the start of the fourth period the GAC Gold team held a cozy 47-32 lead as they rolled to a double-digit victory.

In the 6:50 P.M. slot over on Court 1, the GAC Black team ran into the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League buzzsaw - otherwise known as the NIACC team and the young group from Mason City, Iowa put on quite a show in the early going with their up-tempo and three-point shooting and they found themselves up 18-4 midway through the first period and led 22-8 at the start of the second period.  The GAC Black team simply could not find a way to slow down this group as the NIACC team grew their lead to 36-20 midway through the second period and by the halftime break the GAC Black team found itself in quite a hole down 39-23.  The GAC Black team indeed appeared to be buried midway through the third period down 46-26 but they somehow found a second wind and managed to cut the deficit down to single-digits at 46-37 by the start of the fourth period.  The GAC Black team kept chipping away and found themselves down by only four points at 53-49 midway through the fourth period and it looked as if they might be capable of completing this miraculous comeback attempt.  Curiously however, the GAC Black team never could quite find the magic down the stretch when they so desperately needed it and the NIACC team dribbled out the last few seconds to get the win.  One of the better games of the night took place over on Court 2 between the Winona State team and the Bethel team in an unlikely NSIC-MIAC clash.  The Winona State team got off to a very good start in this one; getting a 12-3 lead midway through the first period and one more score made it 14-3 by the start of the second period.  The Bethel team, however, finally started getting its act together and cut the deficit down to five points late in the second period and were back in the thick of things down 20-15 at the half.  The Winona State team managed to grow its lead to eight points at 31-23 late in the third period but a 10-3 run by the Bethel team had this thing close as the Winona State team carried a tenuous 34-33 lead to start the fourth period.  The Bethel team would manage to stay within striking distance and was down 40-36 midway through the fourth period and managed to crawl to within a single possession late but could not get any closer than that at the end.

In the 7:45 P.M. slot over on Court 1, the GAC Black team sought to make amends for its loss in the earlier time slot but they again found themselves crawling out of a hole as the Rimshots team built an 8-3 lead midway through the first period and were up 12-9 to start the second period.  The Rimshots team grew its lead to six points at 23-17 midway through the second period but the GAC Black team finally found some rhythm and crawled back to within a single possession down 30-28 by the halftime break.  The GAC Black team tied the contest at 37 a piece midway through the third period and the GAC Black team took a brief 41-39 lead late in the third period but again the GAC Black team faltered when it looked like they were on the verge of taking things over.  The Rimshots team came back to take a 46-44 lead at the start of the fourth period and held a slim 52-50 advantage midway through the fourth period leaving the door open for the GAC Black team.  But the GAC Black team simply could not get any key shots to fall in the last few minutes that might have made a difference and the Rimshots team held on for a four-point victory.  A much-anticipated battle between two bitter NSIC rivals was taking place over on Court 2 between the Winona State team and the Concordia St. Paul team.  The Concordia St. Paul team built a 9-3 advantage midway through the opening period but a "3" from the top of the key by sophomore-to-be Allie Pickrain helped trim the deficit for the Winona State team down to five points at 17-12 by the end of the first period.  Pickrain was just getting started, however as she was on fire in the second period but a porous Winona State defense allowed the Concordia St. Paul team to hold a 24-17 lead midway through the second period and that lead grew to nine at 39-30 by the halftime break.  The Concordia St. Paul team maintained its safety net throughout the third period and led 51-43 to start the fourth period.  Pickrain tried to single-handedly bring the Winona State team back in the early moments of the fourth period by drilling back-to-back three-point bombs but the Winona State team could never get stops when they needed them.  The Concordia St. Paul team led comfortably 68-52 late in the contest and never looked back.

Playoff action begins this next week and I'm awaiting the schedule of game so I'm not sure of the format or day(s) involved just yet.  But once I do I'll put something out so be ready to head on down to the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League before it's too late!   

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 6-27-18

Here are the results of the games that I got or was able to cover last night at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League:


5:00 P.M. Games

GAC Black - 41
Dordt - 37

GAC Gold - 67
Hamline - 39


5:55 P.M. Games

Northwestern - 40
GAC Black - 37 OT

Bethel - 60
GAC Gold - 47


6:50 P.M. Games

UST Purple - 58
Anoka-Ramsey - 41

UW-River Falls - 49
NIACC - 43


7:45 P.M. Games

Augsburg - 55
St. Olaf - 47

GAC Alumni - 39
St. Kate's - 38


Was able to catch the tail end of the GAC Black team's win over Dordt in the 5:00 P.M. slot and heard the result of the game between the GAC Gold team and the Hamline team so it was definitely a great start for the two GAC squads on this night.  Both of these GAC teams would be in action again in the 5:55 P.M. slot as well.  On Court 1; in probably the best game of the night, the GAC Black team was taking on the Northwestern team and this one had all the makings of a very good one from the opening tip.  The GAC Black team was clinging to a 5-4 lead midway through the opening period and by the end of the first period the Northwestern team was able to forge a 12-9 advantage.  The GAC Black team came right back in the opening minutes of the second period and a "3" by senior-to-be Brooke Lemke helped push the GAC Black team out in front 15-12 and the game would be knotted at 17 a piece midway through the second period.  The GAC Black team found a second wind just before the halftime break to assume a 22-19 advantage at the intermission.  An early 5-0 surge by the Northwestern team in the opening moments of the third period put them back out in front by a 24-22 count and the Northwestern team clung to a 26-25 lead midway through the third period.  Things would be tied again at 30-all by the start of the fourth period and the game would still be tied at 34 a piece midway through the final period of regulation.  With the game deadlocked at 37-all with just :07.5 left, the Northwestern team called a timeout with possession to try and set up one last play to try and win it in regulation but were unable to convert in the waning seconds of regulation play.  Fittingly, this game went to a two-minute overtime where the Northwestern team got two free throws to take a 39-37 lead with under a minute left.  The GAC Black team had plenty of time to respond but they were unable to convert on their ensuing possession and with :04.6 left, the Northwestern team got one more insurance free throw to claim yet another exciting win by this squad.  No such drama over on Court 2 where the Bethel team jumped out to an 8-4 lead midway through the first period and although the GAC Gold team closed to within a single possession down 14-11 by the start of the second period, they were clearly fighting an uphill battle in this one.  An 8-0 surge by the Bethel team had them up 22-11 midway through the second period and that lead grew to 32-18 by the halftime break.  The GAC Gold team briefly got back to within single digits by the midway point of the third period down 41-32 and there was still a flicker of hope left by the start of the fourth period with the Bethel team up 48-38.  But the GAC Gold team simply had no answers for either senior-to-be Hannah Johnson or junior-to-be Taite Anderson down low and the Bethel team upped its lead to 52-38 midway through the fourth period enroute to the victory.

For the 6:50 P.M. slot, I was joined by Anoka-Ramsey Head Coach David DeWitt as he wanted to take in the clash over on Court 1 between the UST Purple team and his Anoka-Ramsey team.  While there was some trepidation beforehand that this could be a runaway, the beginning of this one showed signs of anything but that.  This one would be tied at 10-10 late in the first period and the Anoka-Ramsey team would be well within striking distance down 15-12 by the start of the second period.  The UST Purple team would hold a 20-16 lead by the mid-point of the second period but a late surge by the Anoka-Ramsey team gave them a brief 21-20 lead and the game was tied by the halftime break at 24-all.  Things were still tight by the midway point of the third period with the UST Purple team clinging to a 26-25 advantage but soon thereafter the balloon burst as the UST Purple team ended the third period with an 8-0 run to hold a 34-25 lead.  By the midway point of the fourth period the UST Purple team was up 45-27 and there was little doubt as to how this one was going to turn out.  Over on Court 2, the youthful NIACC team with its run-and-gun style was taking on the UW-River Falls team but on this night, the usual three-point barrage by the NIACC team just wasn't clicking and the 8-5 lead that the UW-River Falls team held by the midway point of the opening period grew to 21-13 at the start of the second period.  The UW-River Falls team expanded their lead to double-digits at 25-15 midway through the second period and by the halftime break they led 29-17.  The NIACC team finally got its up-tempo and three-point shooting going in the third period and they managed to cut the deficit down to six points at 33-27 late in the third period and it seemed like they had enough gas in their tank to complete a somewhat unlikely comeback bid.  In fact, the UW-River Falls team had their lead cut down to three at 38-35 and it looked as if they could be in some trouble but curiously the NIACC team faltered down the stretch and the UW-River Falls team held on for the win.

Another good game took place on Court 1 in the 7:45 P.M. slot between the GAC Alumni team and the St. Kate's team.  Scoring came at something of a premium early on with the St. Kate's team up 2-1 midway through the opening period but both squads finally managed to dust off the nets some as the period progressed and by the start of the second period, the GAC Alumni team was out in front by a 9-6 count.  Brooke Lemke; who was helping out her former teammates on this night, drained another one of her patented lefty "3's" early on in the second period that extended the GAC Alumni team's to 12-6 and by the halftime break they were able to maintain that six-point edge at 19-13.  But the St. Kate's team got things turned around a bit as they cut the deficit down to two points at 21-19 and a run down the stretch of the third period gave them a 29-25 lead to start the fourth period.  Not to be outdone, the GAC Alumni team cut the deficit down to one at 29-28 early on in the fourth period but the St. Kate's team would find another answer and take a 35-32 lead midway through the fourth period.  Experience, however, may have paid off for the GAC Alumni team down the stretch as they took a 39-36 lead late in the game and although the St. Kate's team would score again to cut the deficit down to one, they were never able to stop the clock when they needed to.  Over on Court 2, the Augsburg team got off to a 6-2 lead midway through the first period but a "3" by junior-to-be Ella Skrien helped the St. Olaf team cut the deficit down to two points at 16-14 by the end of the first period.  Things would stay very tight throughout the second period and the Augsburg team found itself in a fight up 22-21 at the halftime break.  But the Augsburg team managed to turn up the heat once the third period got underway and they assumed a 33-24 advantage midway through the third period and by the start of the fourth period the Augsburg team looked to be in total command up 44-30.  The St. Olaf team, however, managed to cut things down into single-digit range down the stretch but could never quite get close enough at the end.

I had to leave again before the 8:40 and 9:35 P.M. games to go home and get my beauty rest for another workday.  Next week, the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League takes a break for the 4th of July holiday but things will start up again the following Wednesday (July 11) so be sure to head on down to the Midtown YWCA to catch all the action.   

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 6-20-18

Here's the results of the games I was able to cover last night at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League:


5:55 P.M. Games

NIACC - 65
Southwest State - 60

UW-River Falls - 74
Winona State - 47


6:50 P.M. Games

St. Olaf - 52
GAC Gold - 39

GAC Black - 56
Hamline - 50


7:45 P.M. Games

Northwestern - 51
GAC Gold - 46

Rimshots - 58
St. Kate's - 37


I was lucky enough to get into the Midtown YWCA facility early enough to catch the ending of one of the 5:00 P.M. games where the Anoka-Ramsey team knocked off the Hamline 53-39.  In the 5:55 P.M. slot over on Court 1, the NIACC team was taking on a Southwest State team that had also played in the earlier 5:00 P.M. slot but the fatigue factor didn't seem to bother the gang from Marshall - at least early on anyway - as they jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead on the young group out of Mason City, Iowa.  But the NIACC team wasted little time in getting their run-and-gun style going and they quickly closed the gap to two points at 9-7 midway through the first period.  The Southwest State team managed to increase its safety net a bit with a 17-13 lead at the start of the second period but a quick 5-0 run by the NIACC team finally propelled them out in front 18-17 early in the second period.  The Southwest State team grudgingly reclaimed the lead at 26-24 midway through the second period but another run by the NIACC team down the stretch of the second period gave them a 36-28 lead at the halftime break.  The Southwest Minnesota State team indeed appeared in deep trouble when they found themselves down 44-35 midway through the third period and although they managed to cut the deficit down to seven points at 49-42 by the start of the fourth period, the NIACC team went on a quick 7-0 run to up that advantage to 56-42 and the Southwest Minnesota State team appeared buried.  They managed to climb back to within single digits late in the contest but it was simply a bridge too far for them this time around.  Another NSIC team that had played in the 5:00 P.M. slot - Winona State - also had double-duty in the 5:55 P.M. slot as they took on the UW-River Falls team.  Here, fatigue was definitely a factor as the UW-River Falls team built up a 13-6 lead midway through the first period and although the Winona State team cut the deficit to four points at 15-11 by the end of the first period, their fortunes quickly went south.  A big run by the UW-River Falls team put them up 31-13 midway through the second period and by the halftime break the UW-River Falls team was up 39-21.  By the end of the third period, the UW-River Falls team had stretched that lead to 55-34 and by the midway point of the fourth period, the UW-River Falls team's lead ballooned to 64-36 so there was little doubt as to how this one was going to end.

In the 6:50 P.M. slot over on Court 1, the GAC Gold team was taking on a short-handed St. Olaf team but the St. Olaf team was lucky enough to get some much-needed help from some members of the Winona State team who were probably wanting to do something positive after getting drubbed in the previous time slot.  Still, the GAC Gold team was able to jump out to a 6-0 lead midway through the first period and they increased the margin to eight points at 14-6 by the end of the first period.  But the St. Olaf team with something of a makeshift squad started whittling away at the deficit as the second period progressed and they managed to cut things down to five points at 23-18 midway through the second period and with less than two minutes remaining before the half, they had things tied up at 26 a piece and held a 28-26 lead by the halftime break.  Things were still reasonably tight throughout much of the third period and by the midway point it was still anyone's ballgame with the St. Olaf team up 33-30.  But the St. Olaf team managed to stretch things out a bit at 38-30 by the start of the fourth period and then the GAC Gold team curiously fell apart after that as the St. Olaf team stretched the lead to 48-30 midway through the fourth period enroute to an easy win.  Over on Court 2, the GAC Black team was taking on the Hamline team in what proved to be a very interesting contest.  The Hamline team held a 10-7 lead midway through the first period but the GAC Black team ended the opening period with a run that had them out in 17-13 by the start of the second period.  The GAC Black team seemed to have an edge throughout most of the second period and were up 26-20 late in the second period but back-to-back lay-ups in transition by the Hamline team helped cut the deficit down to a scant point at 26-25.  The GAC Black team, however, would get the last laugh before the halftime buzzer on a Hail Mary "3" (and unfortunately I had my head down writing when it happened so I didn't see who got it :p ) to get a 31-28 advantage for the halftime break.  The GAC Black team sought to take control of things once the third period got underway and a run put them up 41-31 midway through the third period.  But the Hamline team came right back with back-to-back three-point bombs to get right back into the thick of things down 41-37 late in the third period and by the start of the fourth period, the GAC Black team's lead was down to a precarious two points at 42-40.  The GAC Black team again seemed to have the upper hand throughout most of the fourth period but just when they thought they were safe, the Hamline team tried to make one last run at them.  A "3" by junior-to-be Kaeli Stayer cut the GAC Black team's lead down to solitary point at 49-48 with under 5:00 left.  Alas, that's as close as the Hamline team would get down the stretch as the GAC Black team held on for a narrow victory.

Another good game on this night took place in the 7:45 P.M. slot as the GAC Gold team was doing double-duty; this time taking on a very good Northwestern team made up largely of former Northwestern alums.  The GAC Gold team seemed to have things going its way early on as they held an 8-5 lead midway through the first period and increased the lead to six points at 15-9 by the start of the second period.  Things were still looking very good for the GAC Gold team midway through the second period as they held a 26-19 lead but the Northwestern team finally got its game going and a "3" by Tiffany Stubbs ('17) helped cut the GAC Black team's lead down to two at 26-24 late in the second period and by the halftime break the Northwestern team managed to push ahead by a 27-26 count.  A pretty turnaround jumper by recent grad Alex Peterson that resulted in a foul and the obligatory "and one" helped push the Northwestern team's lead to 34-30 midway through the second period and they maintained that four-point edge by the end of the third period by a 42-38 count.  A quick 7-0 run by the Northwestern team at the start of the fourth period spelled doom for the GAC Gold team as they found themselves down 49-38 and they never could get within striking distance again.  Another alumni team was also having its way over on Court 2 as the Rimshots team; a squad primarily of former Bethel players, built up an 11-6 lead on the St. Kate's team midway through the first period.  The St. Kate's team managed to crawl back to within a single possession down 13-10 by the start of the second period but they would soon find out that these former Bethel players still knew a thing or two about how to score as the Rimshots team upped their lead to seven points at 21-14 midway through the second period and had a double-digit advantage at 27-16 by the halftime break.  The Rimshots maintained the cushion and enjoyed a 32-22 lead midway through the third period and a "3" from the left wing area by Molly O'Toole helped expand that lead to 40-27 by the end of the third period.  By the midway point of the fourth period, the Rimshots team held a sizable 48-29 lead and never looked back.

I had to take off before the games in both the 8:40 and 9:35 P.M. slots took place and unfortunately I know I missed out on some good action but that's the life of a working man I guess.  Another full slate of games are on tap next Wednesday night at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League so drop on down if you can.