Concordia vs CSB 12-6-25

 Made the run up US Highway 10 and the BNSF Staples Sub mainline on this sunny but cold Saturday morning up to the St. Cloud area and over to Claire Lynch Hall on the campus of the College of St. Benedict to take in this important early-season clash between visiting Concordia and host CSB.  The Cobbers were coming off a decisive road win at UM-Morris on Monday night while the Bennies came away with a split out on the Front Range at Colorado Springs over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend - knocking off host Colorado College but dropping a tough contest to highly-regarded Whitman.  So getting off to a good start to the conference portion was imperative for both of these squads today.

Scoring would come at a premium in the first few minutes of the opening period with both teams unable to capitalize on early scoring opportunities.  CSB finally broke the proverbial ice at the 6:31 mark when sophomore guard Drew Buslee used a burst of speed for a hard drive and a finish to put the home team up 3-1 but the Cobbers would answer on their subsequent possession when strong sophomore forward Maya Metcalf drilled a "3" from the left corner area at the 6:10 mark that pushed Concordia out in front 4-3 and they would extend their lead to 6-3 when lanky sophomore reserve forward Kaia Gack connected on a short jumper in the lane off of an inbounds pass at the 5:21 mark.  The Bennies would close the gap to one when speedy sophomore point guard Lauren Arnold darted into the lane and got a pretty floater to go down with 4:50 left but Concordia's Gack would come through again a short time later as she drained a "3" from the left top area with 4:28 left that got the Cobber lead to four at 9-5.  CSB would counter on their subsequent possession as senior combo forward/post Kira Young connected on a pretty reverse lay-up with 4:04 left but the Cobbers quickly answered that on their subsequent possession as freshman reserve guard Kaitlyn Rohloff banged home a "3" from the left wing area with 3:45 left to push Concordia's lead to 12-7.  Kaitlyn Rohloff; the former Hancock standout, was hardly finished with her heroics as she would connect on a lay-up with 1:53 left and would follow that up with a lay-up in transition with :44.6 left that now had Concordia up 16-7.  The Bennies would trim the deficit down to seven when Arnold knocked down a jumper from the right elbow area with just :00.8 left on the clock but the only fly in the ointment for the Cobbers now up 16-9 was that junior post Maci Wheeldon had picked up her second foul of the afternoon with :08.9 left and had to retreat to the bench for preservation purposes.  

Concordia would get its lead to ten at 19-9 when senior guard Taya Jeffrey drained a "3" from the right top area at the 9:46 mark of the second period but the Bennies would quickly claw back to within a single possession with a 7-0 push.  Senior guard Megan Morgan would bang home one of her trademark three-point bombs - this one from the left corner at the 8:21 mark and two free throws by Arnold after she was fouled at the 7:55 mark narrowed the deficit to five at 19-14.  A short time later Arnold would knock down a jumper from the right top area; just inside the arc that had CSB right in the thick of things down only 19-16.  The Cobbers then got things going again as Gack maneuvered into the paint for a score at the 7:08 mark to make it 21-16 and then senior guard Molly Musland finally found her shooting touch with a three-point bomb from the left wing area at the 6:00 mark that got the lead to six at 24-18.  Another score in the paint by Gack at the 5:10 mark maintained the six-point lead at 26-20 but the Blazers managed to get this one tightened up again.  Young would slither into the paint for a score with 4:54 left and then Arnold used her speed to make a quick dart into the lane and knock down a pull-up jumper with 3:34 left that had CSB down by only two at 26-24.  Alarmed, Concordia launched an 11-1 run to end this second period.  Gack would get into the paint for another score with 3:16 left and then junior reserve forward Genevieve Gruba came through at the charity stripe after getting fouled - knocking down a pair with 2:36 left and one more with 2:08 left - that had the Cobbers up 31-24.  Then Metcalf would knock down a jumper from the right wing area with 1:20 left that got the lead to nine at 33-24.  Kaitlyn Rohloff would knock down a pair of freebies after getting fouled with :37.7 left and senior point guard Taylor Safranski would do likewise with just :02.4 left on the clock as Concordia took a 37-25 lead into the locker room at the half and it was becoming evident that the Cobbers' depth was beginning to wear on the home team.  

Concordia put its host into an even bigger hole once the third period got underway thanks to two scores by Metcalf - an offensive rebound and putback of her own miss at the 9:43 mark and a lay-up at the 9:07 mark - that now had the Cobbers in great shape with a fifteen-point cushion up 41-26.  But Concordia had little time to rest on its laurels as the Blazers got the gap narrowed up again.  Senior reserve guard Megan Driste would drain a "3" from the right wing area at the 8:19 mark and two free throws by Buslee after she was fouled at the 7:32 mark got the deficit down to ten at 41-31.  At the 5:55 mark, Morgan knocked down a jumper from the left elbow area that had CSB back to within single digits down 41-33.  But the Blazers went into a cold spell after that and worse yet for Head Coach Mike Durbin, Driste had to retreat to the pine with three fouls as well.  This opened up the door for Concordia and they were quick to pounce on the opportunity.  Junior reserve guard Alexa Snesrud would make a hard drive for a finish with 4:26 left and although CSB's Morgan would retaliate with a "3" from the right corner area with 3:47 left, the Bennies would have to withstand an 8-0 Cobber run.  Wheeldon would connect on a lay-up with 2:41 left and Musland would knock down a pair of free throws that not only re-established the double-digit advantage at 47-36 but now Concordia was in the bonus as well.  Wheeldon would knock down a pair of charity stripe shots after getting fouled with 1:27 left and Musland would make a hard drive and connect on a lay-up with :53 left that got the Cobber lead to 51-36.  Junior reserve guard Olivia Hanson got a pair of free throw attempts to go down as well with :02.6 left and although CSB's Buslee would get a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled with just :00.3 left, the Bennies had a lot of work in front of them down 53-40.  

Concordia would establish its largest lead of the day in the early moments of the fourth period as Musland would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled and then when Metcalf banged home a "3" from the left top area at the 8:31 mark the Cobbers appeared to have this one all but put away with a 58-40 advantage.  But just when it seemed as if CSB was down and out and unable to crawl out of this massive hole, the Bennies hunkered down and battled back.  Morgan's short, turnaround jumper off the glass at the 8:02 mark and a short jumper from the left side off of an inbounds pass at the 7:35 mark got the deficit down to fourteen at 58-44.  One free throw by Morgan after she was fouled at the 6:07 mark and two more by Driste after she was fouled at the 5:58 mark not only had the deficit down to twelve at 59-47 but now CSB was in the bonus as well.  The Cobbers would extend their lead to sixteen as Snesrud would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 5:49 mark and with 4:14 left, Snesrud would strike again on a lay-up that made it 63-47 but again CSB refused to throw in the towel and instead launched a 10-0 run.  Morgan started this run by unleashing a "3" from the right wing area with 3:58 left and a pretty floater in the lane by Arnold with 3:40 left had the deficit down to eleven at 63-52.  Buslee would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 3:25 left and junior reserve guard Emily Crandall also got a pair of free throws to go down with 3:12 left that suddenly left a lot of uncertainty in this one with Concordia's lead now cut to seven at 63-56 with a ton of time left.  But no panic was evident on the Cobber bench and they quietly went back to work to close this one out once and for all.  Musland would connect on a lay-up with 2:31 left and was fouled in the process and although she couldn't get the "and one" to go down, Jeffrey was in the right place at the right time for the offensive rebound and she would be fouled with 2:29 left and got one free throw to go down out of it that restored the double-digit cushion at 66-56.  Jeffrey would follow that up a bit later with a lay-up of her own with 2:00 left that maintained the ten-point lead at 68-58 and with 1:20 left, it would be Musland delivering the dagger as her three-point bomb from the left corner now made it 71-58.  Safranski would come through with pairs of insurance free throws after getting fouled with :46.9 and :32.8 left and Metcalf would deliver a lay-up with :16.9 left as Concordia secured a huge road dub with a 77-64 victory.  

When I caught up with Concordia Head Coach Kim Wagers afterward, I had to congratulate her on the team's big road win.  But the other thing that really stood out to me - particularly as an Iowa grad - is how much this particular Cobber team resembles that 1986-87 Iowa men's team that went 30-5 that season and made it to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament (that team should've won the whole ball of wax that year but I digress) under first-year head coach Tom Davis.  And here's why - (1) Incredibly deep.  When look at the Cobber backcourt, you'll see that the three primary pieces - Safranski, Musland and Jeffrey - are all very solid and experienced (and I really love how Jeffrey has been able to elevate her game in a relatively short time span).  But Wagers can also insert youngsters who are very capable such as Kaitlyn Rohloff, Christianson and Hanson.  And consider, both sophomore Tatum Findley who's currently out with some ankle issues and fellow sophomore Peyton Briedenbach who's on the last lap of recovery from a knee injury last season will only add to this depth when they return fully healthy in the next few weeks.  (2) Very physical.  Overall, this team is much more physical than they were the last couple of seasons, IMHO.  The addition of Metcalf and Gack coming off the bench along with the length that Wheeldon provides have really changed the dynamic of this team and the guards I mentioned aren't slouches in the physicality aspect either.  (3) Changes in defensive philosophy.  I thought that one thing that had to change for this team to help get them to the next level was that they had to get better on the defensive end.  With this team, now you're seeing more trapping and more half-court/full-court pressure that can force turnovers and lead to opportunities on the other end and I think this is going to pay dividends for them down the road.  I do think there's some kinks that need to be worked out on the offensive side but I'm confident they'll get these worked out.  In short, I think this team is primed to do some very big and exciting things this season.  

Though this setback is not the end of the world for CSB, it still comes at a bad time when you consider they have an equally tough task at home on Wednesday night when GAC pays a visit to Claire Lynch and that game will be about as close to a "must win" situation for the Bennies as there can be if they want to stay in the thick of things for the conference title chase.  When I was able to speak with CSB's Durbin after the game, I mentioned to him that I thought Concordia's length was an issue for them.  Durbin believed it wasn't so much the length (CSB is "long", too) but rather it was the physicality aspect that was the difference (see above).  Granted, it's hard to replicate that sort of thing in practice.  I thought also that the Bennies may have settled for a few three-point attempts during their cold spells that maybe they shouldn't have settled for.  Durbin trusts his team in that he knows he's got very good shooters and obviously when you've got an open look, you've gotta knock those shots down.  Durbin did admit that he thinks his team needs to be better disciplined with the ball and make better decisions at times.  Yet I think this team has the goods to get things turned around and now they've got to get focused and locked-in for GAC

It's a bit of a mixed bag when you look at the final box score on this contest as you'll see where CSB actually had an edge in those all-important second chance points (16-7) and they only turned the ball over 10 times compared to 21 for Concordia and on top of that, the Bennies had a 19-9 edge in points off of turnovers.  But, the Cobbers had a huge edge edge in the rebounding department at 36-23 and they also enjoyed a sizable advantage in bench points at 32-9 (the depth factor).  And when you consider that Concordia shot 23-44 for 52.3% from FG range and 7-12 from downtown for 58.3% and held CSB to 19-64 for 29.7% from FG range and 4-25 from behind the arc for a straight 16%, then you know that they're getting the job done on both ends of the floor.  

The Cobbers leaned on both Musland and Metcalf for scoring on this day and they certainly didn't disappoint as they both led the way for Concordia with 14 points a piece and Gack wasn't far behind with her 11 points.  You can tell that Buslee is developing into a premier scorer for this CSB team and her 19 points led all scorers on this day.  Arnold is no slouch herself in the scoring department and she wasn't far behind on this day with her 16 points and Morgan was her usual steady self as she finished with 14 points on this day.  

GAC vs Hamline 12-3-25

 Made my way over to the St Paul side of town on this cold early December day - first over to El Burrito Mercado to get myself stocked up with their fabulous chicken and rice - and then backtracked going up Snelling Avenue to venerable Hutton Arena on the campus of Hamline University for the opening night of MIAC play between visiting GAC and host Hamline.  The Gusties were coming into this contest with a 3-1 overall record - their only blemish coming in the season opener at Wisconsin Lutheran.  The Pipers were 3-1 as well coming into this contest as they dropped a 69-56 decision to UW-Stout out of the WIAC at Hutton Arena just before Thanksgiving.  Both teams have high hopes for this season so despite this being the conference opener for both teams, this one could loom large later on in the season.

Hamline had its high-octane offense in full gear coming out of the gate in the opening period as senior guard Camille Cummings took care of things early on for the Pipers.  The former Centennial standout would first connect on a lay-up at the 9:21 mark and would follow that up with a pull-up jumper from near the free throw line area at the 8:16 mark that had Hamline up 4-0.  Cummings would also add one free throw after getting fouled at the 7:35 mark to push the lead to 5-zip.  The Gusties finally shook off their initial jitters with a 5-0 push of their own.  Junior reserve guard Ava Westerman would bury a "3" from the left wing area at the 7:22 mark and a lay-up by slender junior guard Ella Peters at the 5:16 mark leveled the contest at five a piece.  Peters would put GAC ahead at 7-6 when she knocked down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 4:48 left and then both teams would trade jabs that saw them trading small leads.  The Pipers took the lead back at 8-7 when junior reserve forward Evelyn Wiltrout snared an offensive rebound for a putback with 4:36 left but then the Gusties pushed ahead at 10-8 when junior reserve guard Kaitlyn Schaefer drained a "3" from the right wing area with 4:09 left.  Hamline took the lead back at 11-10 when sophomore reserve guard Emma Lamppa buried a "3" of her own from the left wing area with 3:49 left and lost it twenty seconds later when Gustie sophomore reserve forward Bella DeHaan knocked down a short jumper from the right side with 3:29 left that had GAC back up again 12-11.  The Gusties upped this lead to 14-11 when sophomore reserve forward Bella Sutch muscled into the paint for a tough score with 2:25 left but Hamline would get this contest leveled again at 14 when senior combo guard/forward Sophie Stork banged home a "3" from the left top area with 2:09 left.  Sutch would come through for GAC with 1:02 left with another score in the paint to put the Gusties up 16-14 but they certainly weren't breathing easy when this first period finally came to a close.

The first sign of trouble for GAC came at the 9:36 mark of the second period when the Pipers' Wiltrout made a daring drive into traffic along the left baseline and connected on a pretty reverse lay-up that also drew a foul and Wiltrout's obligatory free throw that not only pushed Hamline back in front 17-16 but also sent one of the Gusties' primary weapons back to the pine - junior forward Whitley Ronn - for preservation purposes.  Still, the initial flow of this second period seemed to mirror that of the first.  GAC's DeHaan would slither into the paint for a score at the 9:10 mark that pushed the Gusties back out in front 18-17 but that didn't last long as Wiltrout would come through again for the Pipers with a score in the paint a short time later at the 8:51 mark to make it a 19-18 game.  Then the Gusties' DeHaan would come right back with a lay-up on GAC's subsequent possession at the 8:40 mark to give the gang from St. Peter a 20-19 lead.  Then at the 8:01 mark Hamline's Cummings would get fouled and she would knock both charity stripe shots down that pushed the Pipers back out in front by a 21-20 count.  But instead of the Gusties finding a quick answer to this, this actually was the beginning of an 11-0 run by Hamline that had GAC on its heels.  Junior forward Marina LaFreniere would extend the lead to 23-20 at the 7:15 mark on a lay-up and at the 5:14 mark, two more free throws by Cummings not only got the lead to 25-20 but now the Pipers were in the bonus as well.  With 4:41 left, things became even more precarious for GAC as Hamline sophomore reserve guard Josie Schmidt got one free throw to go down after getting fouled and now the Gusties' Westerman had to trot back to the bench with her second foul of the evening.  A short time later with 4:18 left, the Pipers Schmidt would scurry through traffic for a lay-up that got the lead to 28-20 and when junior reserve combo guard/forward Anna Rynkiewich snared an offensive rebound for a putback with 3:28 left, Hamline now had a ten-point cushion at 30-20 and Gustie Head Coach Laurie Kelly had seen enough to know that a thirty-second timeout was warranted.  GAC's DeHaan finally broke the extended Gustie drought with a jumper from the left elbow area with 2:37 left but GAC's trouble were far from over as the Pipers continued to be aggressive on the offensive end.  Cummings would use a burst of speed to connect on a lay-up with 2:19 left and two free throws by junior guard Lauren Cooper after she was fouled with 1:36 left had Hamline up 34-22.  LaFreniere would connect on a lay-up of her own with 1:14 left and one free throw by Cummings after she was fouled with :47.6 left allowed the Pipers to carry a sizable 37-22 lead into the locker room at the half while GAC looked dazzled and frazzled as they retreated to their locker room.

Given how the latter stages of the second period went, it was difficult to envision the Gusties getting this turned around anytime soon.  Yet, once the third period got underway, they started showing signs of doing exactly just that.  Junior guard Peyton Stevermer; who struggled in the first half, finally got into the books on the scoring front after knocking down a pair of freebies after getting fouled at the 8:07 mark.  At the 7:31 mark, the first crack in Hamline's armor showed when GAC junior forward Kendyl Queensland got fouled and got she got one free throw to go down that not only narrowed the deficit to twelve at 37-25 but now the Pipers' Stork had to retreat to the bench with her third foul of the evening.  Then at the 6:41 mark, the Gusties' Stevermer struck again - this time from behind the arc with a three-point bomb from the right wing area that pulled GAC back to within single-digit range down 37-28.  Hamline did some quick patch-up work as Wiltrout got into the paint for a score at the 6:09 mark to up the lead to 39-28 but Piper Head Coach Joshua Hersch sensed trouble and called a thirty-second timeout in hopes of getting his troops reorganized.  GAC however, had found new life as Kelly had her squad employ a 1-2-2 zone defense that effectively plugged up the holes that the Pipers had found too often in the first half and now the Gusties were applying some full- and half-court pressure defense as well that had Hamline backpedaling and allowed GAC to claw away at this deficit.  At the 5:52 mark, Ronn used her 5'11" frame to slither into the paint for a score to get the Gusties back into single-digit range again down 39-30.  Although Ronn would collect her third foul of the night a short time later at the 5:00 mark, she had plenty of teammates ready and willing to come to the rescue.  Peters would connect on an easy lay-up with 4:36 left after the Gusties forced a turnover near midcourt and then sophomore sparkplug point guard Anna Goodman finally found her shooting touch with a tough jumper near the free throw line area with 4:10 left that suddenly had the deficit down to five at 39-34.  With 3:07 left, Peters would knock down a pair of free throws that not only brough GAC back to within a single possession down 39-36 but now the Gusties turned the table on its opponent by getting into the bonus as well.  Hamline finally found a bit of relief on the offensive end when Rynkiewich got into the paint for a score but GAC was far from finished with this third period onslaught.  Schaefer got one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 2:40 left and with 2:01 left, DeHaan would connect on a lay-up in transition that pulled the Gusties back to within a single possession down 41-39.  Hamline's Hersch would take a match to a thirty-second timeout shortly thereafter but the Pipers were no longer finding the easy opportunities they had found in the first half because of a rejuvenated Gustie defensive effort and that cushy advantage that Hamline enjoyed at the half had now been reduced to a perilous two points.  

GAC's Kelly and her staff had to have been frustrated after the fourth period got underway as the Gusties missed out on several scoring opportunities in the early minutes that kept them at bay.  The good news, however, was that the Pipers had been unable to claim any advantage on GAC miscues on the offensive end.  But given how the momentum in this game had clearly shifted toward the Gusties as the third period ensued, Hamline's Hersch and his staff certainly had to have had premonitions that things were not going as planned.  Finally, at the 6:22 mark, the Gusties grabbed their first lead since the early part of the second period when Schaefer; the former Eastview standout, drained a cold-blooded "3" from the left corner that had the black and gold out in front 42-41.  Alarmed, the Pipers would take the lead back when senior combo guard/forward Josie Wiebusch made a hard drive for a finish at the 5:50 mark but this small advantage for Hamline would be short-lived as GAC's Ronn got into the paint for a score that put the Gusties back out in front 44-43.  At the 5:00 mark, the Gusties' Schaefer came through with more heroics as she perfectly kissed a one-handed floater off the glass that extended GAC's lead to 46-43 and Hamline's Hersch - in grave concern if not full-fledged panic - had to take a match to a full timeout.  The Pipers were able to cut the deficit to one when Wiebusch got a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled with 2:44 left but on the Gusties' subsequent possession, Peters connected on a jumper from the free throw line area with 2:29 left that restored the three-point edge at 48-45.  However, any hopes of order being restored anytime soon took a hit as the Piper contingent inside Hutton Arena exploded when Cummings unleashed her trademark terror from behind the arc with a bomb from the right wing area with 2:21 left that leveled this contest at 48 a piece.  GAC would retake the lead at 50-48 when Goodman got a pair of free throws to go down with 2:09 left but Hamline would again get this contest on even terms when Wiebusch was sent to the charity stripe after getting fouled with :48.3 left and the former St. Peter standout got both free throw attempts to go down.  GAC's Kelly would then take a timeout of her own to set up strategy and whatever the play it was that she and her staff decided upon, it wound up paying huge dividends.  The Gusties worked the ball around in the half court and got the rock to Peters and with :37.3 left in regulation, she found an opening and unleashed a dagger "3" from the left corner that pushed GAC ahead 53-50.  Still, the Gusties were by no means out of the woods just yet as Hamline would soon get their opportunity and with :26.5 left in regulation, the Pipers' Hersch would take a thirty-second timeout in hopes of setting up something.  Hamline would in-bounds the pass to Schmidt who dribbled over to the far right wing area which allowed Cummings to work her way to the left top area.  Schmidt would get the ball to Cummings and with the shot clock under ten seconds, Cummings fired up a three-point bomb attempt with :12.1 left on the clock.  But the shot hit banged off the rim and a struggle ensued for the rebound.  With the possession arrow favoring the Pipers, it certainly appeared they would get one more chance with :09.9 left on the clock.  But that last sliver of a chance went up in smoke on the ensuing inbounds pass as Hamline's LaFreniere was whistled for a moving screen.  The Gusties were able to finish out the last few seconds of play and came away with a wild, unpredictable and thrilling win. 

When I was able to finally catch up with GAC's Kelly after the game, I half-jokingly suggested that the GAC Athletic Department should probably have a disclaimer on the game video with a "DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME" slogan at the beginning; referring to getting into a big hole and then miraculously finding a way to come back.  She got a good chuckle out of that and then kind of went back to the line she used with me when I saw her (along with Associate Head Coach Kelsey Letourneau) upon my arrival at Hutton Arena about an hour before gametime.  "It's like a box of chocolates" when I asked her about how things were going with her and the team - and again now after witnessing her team claw their way back from a fifteen-point deficit to to claim a thrilling win.  I have to admit that it's indeed very interesting to watch this young Gustie team grow and ever so slowly carve an identity for themselves.  And, make no mistake, it's a process.  When you lose all the great seniors you had from a year ago that helped take you to the Elite Eight last season and you're essentially starting over with a new group, there's going to be some growing pains and you'll probably see some more up-and-down play from them as this season progresses.  Even Kelly admitted that there's a lot of little things that they need to get better at with the ball on the offensive end and I have no doubt they will as the season goes on.  I asked Kelly what specifically changed at the halftime break when they were in a fifteen-point hole.  Per Kelly, there wasn't any big pep talk or anything like that.  Rather, it was a switch-up in strategy - especially on the defensive end - that helped turn the tide for them.  Going to a 1-2-2 zone defense and the full- and half-court pressure defense that really took Hamline out of their comfort zone were the keys - and holding the Pipers to just FOUR points in that third period alone was nothing short of outstanding.  It's funny how a game like this can sometimes catapult a young team that's been struggling some with consistency and give them a huge shot of confidence going forward.  I wouldn't be surprised at all if this team looks back at this game as possibly being the defining moment for them.  Here's another item to consider:  The fact that Peters, Goodman and Ronn were all riding with four fouls in the home stretch and the fact that Kelly had to dig deeper into her bench - and much earlier than what she would've liked - shows you how resilient this team is.    

For Hamline meanwhile, it's not the end of the world by any stretch but it's definitely a setback of sorts especially when you look at how this game transpired for them.  Getting a sizable lead by the halftime break and then watching it all disappear in the second half.  These things happen, of course, but the Pipers never seemed to be able to come up with a solution on either end of the floor when GAC made their run at them.  When you look at the final box score for this one, it's weird because it's tough to find one area where Hamline really faltered.  Rebounding was essentially even and although Hamline had a few more turnovers than GAC did 21-18, the Pipers actually did a much better job converting the turnovers into points (18-10).  Hamline had more points in the paint (24-20) and both teams were solid enough from the charity stripe (Gusties were a bit better percentage-wise going 10-12 for 83.3%).  No, what did in Hamline on this night is that they were stymied on the offensive end when the Gusties started applying the full- and half-court pressure and time and time again they missed key shots or, worse yet, had shots swatted away that may have turned the tide for them.  And the Pipers did struggle mightily behind the arc in this one going 3-19 for 15.8%.  Ouch.  

The Gusties leaned heavily on both Peters and DeHaan on this night as they finished with 13 and 10 points, respectively.  To me, the real surprise on this night was Schaefer tallying nine points and her ability to score certainly adds depth and stability to Kelly's backcourt.  For Hamline, it was Cummings who led all scorers with her 15 points

Northland vs Anoka-Ramsey 11-21-25

 Made the run back up to Coon Rapids and Anoka-Ramsey Community College on this late Friday afternoon with darkness already settling in to take in a big early season clash in the MCAC between visiting Northland Community & Technical College located up in Thief River Falls and host Anoka-Ramsey.  The visiting Pioneers were coming into this game hoping to build on their already-perfect 4-0 record while the Golden Rams were coming in with a solid 4-1 record; their only blemish coming at the hands of DMACC down in Boone, IA early this month.  So this one figured to be a good one.

Northland started out this game in man-to-man "D" but that certainly didn't faze the Golden Rams as they came out with both barrels blazing.  Sophomore guard Jada Lussier would bang home a three-point bomb at the 9:06 mark of the opening period and a tough drive into the lane and finish by sophomore post Mariam Alowonle a short time later at the 8:42 mark had Anoka-Ramsey up 5-0.  The Pioneers got into the scoring column on their subsequent possession when slender freshman forward Faith Lilly slithered into the paint for a score at the 8:23 mark but then the Golden Rams embarked on a 6-1 push.  Two scores by sophomore guard Anisa Longs - a short jumper in the lane at the 8:05 mark and a lay-up at the 7:37 mark - along with a lay-up by freshman reserve guard Novi Sands-Hannah at the 6:46 mark pushed the Anoka-Ramsey lead to 11-3.  The Pioneers appeared to be in a tough spot at this point but they were able to settle down a bit and get this one closer.  Lilly was able to score in the paint off of an inbounds pass at the 6:30 mark and two free throws by freshman combo guard/forward Josie Peterson after she was fouled at the 6:04 mark and a score in the paint by sophomore reserve post Lola Garrett at the 5:25 mark had Northland back to within a single possession down 13-10.  Now it was the Golden Rams turn to turn up the heat as they embarked on a 7-3 push.  Alowonle got into the paint for a score with 4:20 left and then Longs would unleash a three-point bomb from the left top area with 3:29 left that got Anoka-Ramsey's lead to 18-10.  The Pioneers would counter with a "3" from sophomore reserve guard Brooklyn Sarauer from the left wing area with 3:14 left but then the Golden Rams would answer right back when sophomore combo guard/forward Tereya McDaniel-Vaughn darted into the lane for a finish with 1:33 left to make it a 20-13 game.  Then fellow sophomore combo guard/forward Destiny Casey's drive into the lane for a finish with :49 left maintained the seven-point edge at 22-15 and when Casey followed that up with a three-point bomb from the left top area with just :00.3 left in this first period that extended Anoka-Ramsey's lead to eight at 25-17, things were looking very good for the home team.  

After struggling offensively in the first period, Northland was at least able to find more answers with the ball once the second period got underway.  Freshman reserve guard Kenzie Dahl would drill a "3" from the left corner area at the 9:43 mark but the Golden Rams stepped up their attack again.  McDaniel-Vaughan would make a nifty drive along the left baseline for a lay-up at the 9:21 mark and then Longs would connect on a lay-up at the 8:55 mark that gave Anoka-Ramsey their biggest lead yet at 29-20.  Despite the fact that the Golden Rams were trying to plug up the middle with  their 1-3-1 zone defense, Northland's Dahl still found ways to score in traffic as she would first make a daring drive into the lane for a finish at the 8:13 mark and a tough score in the paint at the 6:33 mark had the Pioneers back to within striking distance again down 29-24.  Scores in the paint by Lilly at the 5:59 mark and by Garrett at the 5:32 mark kept Northland in that five-point range down 33-28.  One free throw by Sarauer after she was fouled with 4:54 left and two more by Dahl after she was fouled with 4:32 left suddenly had the Pioneers back to within a single possession down 33-31.  Perhaps even more alarming for Anoka-Ramsey Head Coach Samantha Doucette was that Alowonle was whistled for her second foul of the evening with 4:01 left and Doucette was quick to yank her back to the pine for preservation purposes and this opened up the door for Northland to take full advantage of the situation.  Dahl would sink two more freebies after getting fouled with 3:20 left to level the contest at 33 a piece and when Sarauer drained a "3" from the right corner area with 2:46 left, the Pioneers had their first lead of the game at 36-33.  Northland would grow their lead to four when sophomore combo guard/forward Jade Reese got a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled with 2:20 left to make it 38-34 and then Dahl would do more damage from the charity stripe; getting one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 1:24 left and two more after getting fouled with :18 left as the Pioneers took a somewhat surprising 41-36 lead into the locker room at the half.  

The Golden Rams needed a spark coming out of the locker room to get them going again and a three-point bomb by Lussier from the right wing area at the 9:37 mark of the third period appeared to be exactly what the doctor ordered but hopes for Anoka-Ramsey appeared to take another hit when Alowonle picked up her third foul of the night at the 8:33 mark that sent her to the bench again.  That allowed Northland to hold firm for the time being as Peterson would grab a rebound of her own miss for a putback at the 8:18 mark and one Peterson free throw after she was fouled at the 7:09 mark got the Pioneer lead back to four at 44-39.  But the Golden Rams; with renewed spirit and vigor, kept chipping away at this deficit.  Two scores by McDaniel-Vaughn - a lay-up at the 6:53 mark and a lay-up in transition at the 6:25 mark - cut the deficit to one at 44-43.  Northland got a bit more breathing room on a lay-up by sophomore post Sierra Westberg at the 6:01 mark to make it 46-43 but Anoka-Ramsey would quickly answer as freshman reserve guard ShaiAnne Jackson got one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 5:39 mark and then fellow freshman reserve guard Charis McKenzie would connect on a lay-up in transition with 4:49 left that had this contest knotted up at 46 a piece.  Then, Alowonle, riding those three fouls, got a three-point play the old-fashioned way with a lay-up that drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" with 4:23 left now had the Golden Rams in front 49-46.  That lead would grow to five when Casey connected with a lay-up in transition with 4:06 left but right back came Northland.  Reese would make a hard drive into the lane for a finish with 3:22 left and when Dahl unleashed a three-point bomb from the top of the key with 2:30 left that had this one tied up again at 51-all, momentum seemed to go back to the Pioneers.  But all of that excitement turned on a dime when Anoka-Ramsey's Lussier answered with a three-point bomb of her own from the left wing area on the Golden Rams' subsequent possession with 2:07 left that had them back out in front by a 54-51 count.  Still, Northland's Lilly was able to get into the paint for a score with 1:53 left and even though Anoka-Ramsey's Longs snared a steal and raced the other way for a lay-up with 1:07 left, there was still a lot of uncertainty in this one with the Golden Rams nursing a 56-53 advantage.  

Anoka-Ramsey went right to work in the early moments of the fourth period to erase some of that uncertainty that existed as Longs would drain a "3" from the left top area at the 9:17 mark and when McDaniel-Vaughn connected on a lay-up off of an inbounds pass at the 8:36 mark, the Golden Rams enjoyed an eight-point advantage at 61-53.  But Northland would gradually work themselves back into this contest as two scores by Dahl - one in the paint at the 8:20 mark and a lay-up in transition at the 7:06 mark - had the Pioneers back to within a single possession down just 61-59 with a ton of time left.  But just when Northland seemed to be on the cusp of leveling this contest again and with a Golden Rams team that saw its star post player - Alowonle - now saddled with four fouls, Anoka-Ramsey found a way to wrest away control of this one for good.  And it would be Lussier again coming up big for the Golden Rams as she drained a cold-blooded "3" from the right wing area at the 6:01 mark to make it a 64-59 game and a lay-up by Alowonle at the 5:26 mark maintained the five-point edge at 66-61.  The Pioneers would make it a one-possession game again when freshman guard Ashlyn Nelson knocked down a short jumper from the right side at the 5:09 mark but again Anoka-Ramsey was quick to answer as Sands-Hannah connected on a lay-up at the 5:00 mark to get the spread back to five at 68-63.  Then Northland's hopes sunk further when Lilly picked up her fourth foul of the game with 4:24 left and the Golden Rams were quick to zero in on the kill.  Casey would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 4:22 left to make it 70-63 and now Anoka-Ramsey was in the bonus as well.  With 3:05 left, Longs alertly snared a steal in the backcourt and got a lay-up out of it that stretched the lead to nine at 72-63 and Pioneers Head Coach Shannon Nelson clearly saw her squad's chances of coming back in this one going up in smoke and called for a halt to the action in hopes of a quick fix.  But Anoka-Ramsey was able to get the job done down the stretch from the charity stripe down the stretch.  Longs would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 2:26 left as would McDaniel-Vaughn with 1:52 left that now had the Golden Rams up 74-64.  With 1:07 left, Lussier would effectively put a bow tie on this one as she delivered a killer "3" from the left corner area that put Anoka-Ramsey up 77-65.  Casey would add one free throw after getting fouled with :56 left and Alowonle would add a lay-up for insurance with :42.3 left and despite two free throws by Northland's Dahl after she was fouled with :35.6 left and a lay-up in transition by Peterson with :13.4 left, the Golden Rams claimed a tough and exciting 80-70 victory.  

When you look at the final box score for this one and when I look back on this, you have to pin the blame on two things for the Pioneers faltering in this one when it counted:  (1) free throw shooting and (2) shooting 39.3% from FG range (and a lot of those missed shots were easy "bunny" shots).  And when you consider that Northland had a decided advantage in bench points at 37-9 and a slight advantage on the boards at 43-38, those two items stand out even more.  I can almost forgive the missed easy "bunnies" that the Pioneers were unable to cash in on but my goodness, you've GOT to shoot better than 60% from the charity stripe.  You just have to and had they been better, it's entirely possible that they find a way to come out on top.  Now, to be sure, I can't absolve Anoka-Ramsey from their transgressions at the charity stripe either as they shot 52.6% from the line.  But the difference was that they found ways to make up for that although I'm sure Doucette will have her squad putting in some extra time from the charity stripe in practice before the Thanksgiving holiday.  Without question, the saving grace for the Golden Rams on this night was Lussier coming through in the clutch with three-point bombs when her team needed them and also being able to steady the ship while Alowonle battled through foul trouble.  Lussier is the glue that holds this team together and there's little doubt in my mind that she'll be playing at the next level somewhere. 

I suppose, too, that when all five of your starters finish in double figures scoring-wise, that does tend to give you an advantage as well as this was the case for Anoka-Ramsey.  Longs' 20 points led the way but she had plenty of help as the aforementioned Lussier poured in 15 points (including going 5-6 from downtown) and McDaniel wasn't far behind with her 13 points.  Casey finished with 12 points and Alowonle; even with foul trouble, had a "double-double" finishing with 11 points and 14 rebounds.  Northland's Dahl was spectacular at times on this night as her "double-double" of 26 points (to lead all scorers) and 12 rebounds would suggest.  Both Lilly and Peterson chipped in with 12 points a piece.     

Anoka-Ramsey Practice 11-20-25

 Made the trip up to Coon Rapids on this gloomy, overcast November today to take in a practice of the Anoka-Ramsey Golden Rams.  I arrived early enough to meet up with Head Coach Samantha Doucette and get caught up with her and how the team and the season so far has been progressing.  After the men's team concludes its practice, we filed into the gym as the team prepared for a very important practice session on this day with a big Friday night game with Northland Community & Technical College looming.  

First, Doucette has the team go through various warm-up dynamics to get ready for this day.  Then, the first drill item on this day has the team getting a variety of shots up.  Lay-ups are worked on first followed by shot fakes and mid-range jumpers.  After a requisite number of both are met, then it's time for the team to work on its three-point shooting.  Then it goes back to mid-range jumpers from the free throw line and elbow areas.  After this, Doucette has the team run lines.  

The next area of emphasis that Doucette has her team work on is post/guard separation.  The way this initially starts off is that a player near the top dribbles into the lane and then kicks the ball out to a shooter in the corner.  Doucette modifies this drill as the designated post player dribbling to the low post area kicks the ball out to the guard in the corner.  Then the post player down low moves back to the high post and the guard from the corner drives in and passes the ball back out to the high post player for the mid-range jumper.  After the required number of reps on this, Doucette then has the team work on free throw shooting for a few minutes where players have to make ten free throws.  

The next area of emphasis in this day's practice is guard/post combinations.  The way this works is that you have a guard at the top with the ball and another guard on the opposite wing along with a post player down low.  The guard with the ball at the top gets the ball to the post player and the other guard on the opposite wing gets into position for either a jumper or a lay-up and the post player kicks the ball back out to this guard while Doucette and Assistant Coach Sharon Miller act as would-be defenders down low.  Doucette does different variations of this involving more passing between the post player and the guards to point out specific situations.  Afterward, Doucette has the team shoot more free throws and then the players get a well-deserved water break.  

Then Doucette and the team delve into the meat of today's practice - preparing for the huge game with Northland Community & Technical College on Friday night.  Here, Doucette and Miller have the team work on a number of concepts for the Friday night tilt:

A.  Offensive Matchups - Here, Doucette has the team do a 5-on-0 "shell" drill to first walk through and then run a variety of plays that they hope to use Friday evening.

B.  Defensive Plan - Doucette and Miller review some of the defensive strategies that they hope to employ against Northland.  

C.  Doucette also has the team go over some concepts should Northland employ full- or half-court pressure defense.  

Finally, Doucette has the team put up some more shots and then she and Miller have the team gather at center court for one final pep talk before calling it a day.

Outtakes:  One of the first things you'll probably notice when you take a look at the Anoka-Ramsey roster is that they have only nine players on the team.  I asked Doucette if that was an issue or not but she pointed out that typically, many teams at the JUCO level have nine to ten players.  Obviously the key is going to be keeping all these pieces healthy over the course of a long season........Thus far, the Golden Rams have compiled a 4-1 record with the only blemish coming earlier this month down at Boone, IA to DMACC.  Last weekend, the Golden Rams had dominant wins over both Vermilion and Rainy River but the game Friday night (11-21) with Northland Community & Technical College will be a challenging one for the Golden Rams in their home opener........The players on this Anoka-Ramsey team that stood out to me include sophomore post Mariam Alowonle (Park Center), sophomore guard Jada Lussier (Hastings) and sophomore combo guard/forward Tereya McDaniel-Vaughn........This is also a very athletic team that knows how to get up and down the floor very well and they can play an up-tempo game with ease.  The biggest challenge, as Doucette pointed out to me, is finding a level of consistent play on both ends of the floor; an area that's still something of a work in progress.  However, I would expect that this team will get better and better as the season progresses and should find themselves in the thick of things for MCAC title hopes.  

Northwestern vs Augsburg 11-18-25

 The first game for me of this new 2025-26 season had me running over to Si Melby Hall on the campus of Augsburg University to cover an early season matchup between visiting Northwestern out of the UMAC and host Augsburg.  The Eagles were coming into this game hungry; looking for a win after starting this new season with losses to Central out of the ARC and two other MIAC opponents - Hamline and Carleton.  The Auggies meanwhile were coming into this contest having split a pair of games against two different UMAC opponents - beating Martin Luther at home but dropping a 72-52 decision at Bethany Lutheran this last Saturday.

Augsburg would draw first blood in this contest at the 9:43 mark of the opening period when junior guard and former Anoka-Ramsey standout Sydney Hazuga buried a "3" from the left wing area but the Eagles would be quick to answer as junior forward Carli Elrod would connect on a lay-up at the 8:35 mark and speedy freshman guard Ella Frazier would follow suit with a lay-up of her own at the 7:57 mark that had Northwestern up 4-3.  The Auggies would retake the lead as sophomore guard Evelyn Perkins weaved her way into the paint for a score at the 7:42 mark and a tough jumper from the left wing area by Hazuga at the 7:05 mark pushed Augsburg back in front 7-4.  Right back came the Eagles as one lay-up by sophomore guard Marin Blom at the 6:39 mark and another lay-up by Elrod at the 6:17 mark put Northwestern back in front by an 8-7 count.  The Auggies would then counter as a lay-up by Hazuga at the 5:28 count had Augsburg back in front 9-8 and then freshman reserve guard Tyliah Frazier would then snare a steal and race the other way for a lay-up with 4:02 left that upped the Auggie lead to 11-8.  But Northwestern was not going anywhere anytime soon as sophomore reserve guard Brenna Vogel uncorked a three-point bomb with 2:10 left that leveled this game at eleven a piece.  And although Augsburg was able to nudge ahead 13-11 when sophomore reserve guard Lani Fonoti knocked down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 2:02 left, the rest of this first period saw neither team able to do anything offensively so for the moment, this one looked to be a very tight affair.  

But the Auggies sought to dispel this notion once the second period got underway with a quick burst of offense that had their opponent reeling a bit.  Slender junior guard Saylor Gallagher finally found her touch beyond the arc as she would unleash a three-point bomb from the left corner area at the 9:39 mark and a lay-up by sophomore forward Jada Stanford at the 8:10 mark pushed Augsburg's lead to 18-11.  Less than a minute later at the 7:37 mark, the Auggies got their lead to ten as Gallagher banged home a "3" from the left wing area to make it 21-11 and Northwestern Head Coach Aaron Kahl wasted little time in taking a match to a timeout in hopes of patching up the bleeding.  Still, the Auggies would cap this 10-0 run when reserve junior forward Maecee Alexander to make it a 23-13 game at the 7:11 mark before Northwestern could apply a tourniquet to the massive bleeding as reserve redshirt freshman forward Karley Loven connected on a lay-up at the 7:00 mark.  But Augsburg was not done with their initial offensive either as Hazuga would drain her second trey on this night with a bomb from the left wing area at the 6:46 mark.  The Eagles would attempt to counter as freshman forward Emma Korinek would drain a "3" of her own from the left wing area at the 6:29 mark but then Augsburg unleashed a 6-0 spurt.  Senior reserve guard Wakinyela Bear would connect on a lay-up at the 5:41 mark and then Bear would follow that up a bit later with a pair of freebies after she was fouled with 4:49 left to make it 30-16.  Less than a minute later with 4:32 left, Alexander would connect on a lay-up in transition after a steal that stretched the Auggie lead to 32-16 and at this point it certainly seemed as if Augsburg was in position to blow this game wide open.  Curiously, however, the Auggies were unable to sustain this run and that effectively opened the door for Northwestern to get back into this contest.  Blom would muscle into the paint for one score with 3:25 left and then a short jumper off the glass by Ella Frazier with 2:43 left got the deficit down to twelve at 32-20.  Augsburg hoped to light the spark again when Fonoti banged home a "3" from the right corner area with 2:22 left but the Eagles were not done yet.  Ella Frazier would counter with a three-point bomb of her own from the left corner with 2:01 left and then a three-point bomb by Korinek from the top of the key with 1:11 left now had Northwestern back to within single-digit range down 35-26.  A bit later, Korinek would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with :46 left and Ella Frazier would follow suit after she was fouled with :14.6 that now had the Eagles right back in the thick of things down just 35-29 and Augsburg Head Coach Mallie Doucet and her staff had to feel a bit uneasy knowing that they were on the brink of putting this one away early only to see their opponent crawl their way back into this one.  

Northwestern would get the gap closed to four early on in the third period when junior combo guard/forward Katelyn Lindberg connected on a short turnaround jumper in the lane at the 9:05 mark but the Auggies appeared to have things going again as senior guard Melanie Delestrez slithered into the paint for a score at the 8:50 mark and a pretty drive and finish by Hazuga at the 7:34 mark seemed to have Augsburg in good shape again with a 39-31 advantage.  But a rejuvenated Eagles team would start making things uncomfortable for their host with not only their trademark 2-3 matchup zone defense but also by throwing in some pressure defense and trapping that not only stymied the usually potent Auggie attack but got them right back into the thick of things as well.  Blom would muscle into the paint for one score at the 7:20 mark but then Vogel wowed the crowd inside Si Melby Hall with a nifty move to the hoop for a lay-up with 3:05 left that drew a foul as well.  Vogel would also cash in on the obligatory "and one" that suddenly had Northwestern back to within a single possession down just 39-36.  With 2:44 left, freshman reserve forward Olivia Heikes got her team on even terms as she would bury a "3" from the left wing area.  The Auggies would poke their nose out in front again at 41-39 when Tyliah Frazier snared a steal in the backcourt and got a lay-up out of it with 2:22 left but Augsburg's Doucette was definitely not enjoying how this game had seemingly turned on a dime and called a thirty-second timeout in hopes of getting her troops reorganized.  This short stoppage in play paid dividends for the Auggies as Bear would unleash a three-point bomb from the left wing area gave the home team a bit more breathing room with a 44-39 lead and a short jumper from the right side by Stanford with :53 left upped the lead to seven at 46-39.  Still, Northwestern was able to stay within striking distance on a pair of free throws by Blom with :36.3 left and Kahl and his staff had to be encouraged about how his team had been able to find ways to weather the storm as this contest headed to the fourth period.

The early moments of the fourth period mirrored those of the third period as Augsburg was able to build on its advantage.  Fonoti would start things off by draining a cold-blooded "3" from the left wing area at the 9:30 mark and a short jumper in the lane by the always-reliable Gallagher at the 7:48 mark gave the Auggies a ten-point cushion at 51-41 and now Northwestern would once again be forced to navigate choppy waters.  Korinek would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 7:03 mark but this time around the Eagles could never find that one spark that would get them on even terms again.  At the 6:28 mark, Augsburg set its opponent further back when Fonoti darted into the lane for a finish that made it a ten-point game again at 53-43.  Northwestern would make one bid to draw closer as Lindberg connected on a lay-up at the 6:07 mark and then Ella Frazier would snare a steal near midcourt and race the other way for a lay-up that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" gave the Eagles a chance down by just five at 53-48.  A score in the paint by Loven with 4:44 left kept Northwestern in that five-point range down 55-50 and when Loven buried a "3" from the left wing area with 4:04 left, the Eagles still had hope down by just four at 57-53.  But this bid by Northwestern would run out of steam after that as the Auggies were able to slowly close the door on this game.  Stanford would knock down a critical jumper along the right baseline with 3:51 left and with 2:19 left, Stanford would come through again for Augsburg as she made a drive into traffic for a pretty finish off the glass that gave the Auggies a seven-point lead at 61-54.  With time now a factor, Northwestern had to foul and Augsburg's Perkins would get one free throw to go down after getting sent to the line with 2:04 left and with :46.1 left, Gallagher would get fouled and her two free throws not only put the Auggies up 64-55 but now Augsburg was in the bonus as well.  Pairs of free throws by Perkins with :35.4 left and by Gallagher with :34.1 left upped the lead to 68-56.  Perkins would again come through for the Auggies with a pair of freebies with :14.7 left and although Northwestern would get late scores from Ella Frazier, it wouldn't be nearly enough as Augsburg notched their second victory of this young season with a 70-60 decision.

When I caught up with Northwestern's Kahl afterwards, I had to compliment his squad and how they were able to claw their way back into this contest after getting down by sixteen in the second period only to ultimately fall short.  Kahl admitted that this seems to be a recurring theme for his young squad thus far this season; getting down and then expending a lot of energy getting themselves back into a contest and then falling short down the stretch.  Still, Kahl is being patient with this team - and rightfully so I think - as again, this is a very young team that's largely made up with freshmen and sophomores and only one player - Lindberg - with practical college basketball experience.  But with one player slated to come back from an injury before the Thanksgiving holiday, Kahl is hopeful they can get things turned around and I tend to believe that they will and they should at least be a factor in the UMAC race.  Augsburg's Doucette meanwhile was obviously relieved with the win on this night but she was quick to admit that her squad still has a lot more work in front of it.  I asked her specifically what her team needs to do to get on a bit more of an even keel and she said that it's going to have to happen in practice as she noted that while her team does have its moments when things are clicking offensively, there's been moments as well when lapses on the defensive end result in poor decision-making on a subsequent possession and that was evident on this night.  I think that this team, if they can somehow find that happy medium where they're being efficient enough on the offensive end and can minimize the errors (more on that below), they've got a very good chance of being in the mix for that sixth playoff spot.  Certainly they do have the weapons to do so.

When you look at the final box score for this one, you'll see that it's a mixed bag for both squads.  Augsburg shot reasonably well from FG range; going 24-48 for a straight 50% and they were fantastic from the charity stripe going 15-16 for 93.8% (ring ring, HELLO!) and you can bet Doucette and her staff were very happy about that number.  At the same time, while the Auggies can be very effective with their pressure defense which helped create 20 turnovers by Northwestern on this night, it's also evident that Augsburg can be turnover-prone as well when they're forced to ingest a dose of their own medicine as the 25 Auggie turnovers would suggest.  Still, the Auggies did have an 18-8 advantage in fast-break points and had a sizable 30-18 advantage in bench points which helped turn the tide for them in this one.  Moreover, Augsburg enjoyed a whopping 36-23 advantage on the boards.    

And it was that bench scoring that played a big part in the balanced Auggie scoring attack on this night.  Gallagher's led the way for Augsburg on this night but she had a lot of help as both Stanford and Fonoti tallied 10 points and Bear wasn't far behind as she finished with nine points and both Perkins and Alexander had seven points.  Northwestern meanwhile leaned heavily on Ella Frazier and she didn't disappoint as her 16 points led all scorers and both Korinek and Loven finished with nine points a piece.    

MIAC Predictions For The 2025-26 Season

 Here we are again - on the brink of a brand new season.  And with it comes hopes, dreams and expectations that aren't always met by everyone involved.  Still, there's a lot of excitement as always as we embark on a new beginning so I suppose that it's time for me to break out that old, cracked crystal ball of mine and lay out my fearless predictions for the 2025-26 season.

Title Contenders

1.  Bethel

2.  GAC

What a season it was for the Royals last year.  Even though the early part of the schedule for them was arguably something of a roller coaster ride, Bethel recovered once conference play started and would suffer only one blemish on its way to a regular season co-championship with GAC.  And although the Gusties would take the rubber match in the MIAC Championship Game, the Royals got their invite to the Big Dance and would claim a first round win over DePauw before falling to eventual Final Four participant UW-Oshkosh in the second round.  Despite the loss of two talented graduate seniors to graduation (Lydia Hay and Anna Garfield), the 2025-26 roster is loaded.  Leading the way for the Royals this season is 5th year senior forward Elly Schmitz who was named to the D3 Hoops Preseason Second Team All America squad who can score, rebound and play defense not to mention provide excellent leadership on the floor as well.  Another senior on this Bethel team who doesn't get the recognition she deserves is point guard Colette Duininck who can be an absolute pest on defense for opponents and can also come through in the clutch on the offensive end and is an excellent facilitator as well.  Providing stability and strength in the backcourt is senior combo guard/forward Rosalie Penke who's not afraid to mix it up down low and her 78 total rebounds from last season reflects that.  Three more players that Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer can interchange frequently that helps make the Bethel front court so formidable include senior combo guard/forward Ali Born, junior forward Emily Erickson and junior forward Cally Peterson.  Junior guard Macey Littlefield gained valuable experience last season getting quality minutes off the bench but perhaps the most intriguing piece to this Bethel team is fifth-year senior guard Lexi Schermann who sat out last year after four seasons at GAC.  With her ability and experience, she'll almost certainly figure prominently in the overall scheme of things for the Royals.  And Bethel certainly isn't shying away from competition this year with early tilts against quality teams as they take a trip to Menomonie, WI to face UW-Stout of the WIAC; one of the Final Four participants from last season on Wednesday (11-12) and twelve days after that, the Royals take the dreaded trip up US Highway 10 and the BNSF Staples Sub mainline to Moorhead to face conference rival Concordia.  Three more conference games follow and then the Royals face three more big-time opponents - hosting UW-River Falls out of the WIAC on Saturday (12-13) before a trip to Wisconsin Dells where they'll take on another WIAC team that made the Dance last season - UW-La Crosse on Friday (12-19) and the following day (Saturday 12-20) they'll face Coe which is favored to win the ARC this season.  If that wasn't enough, then the Royals head down to Kissimmee, FL right before the first of the year where they'll face two more NCAA Tournament teams from last year - Messiah (out of the MACC) on Sunday 12-28 and then Illinois Wesleyan (out of the CCIW) on Monday 12-29.  So with all that, you can bet that Herbrechtsmeyer, his staff and team will want to come back with more than just suntans as they'll delve back into conference play at GAC on Saturday (1-3).   

What can you say about a team with a group of three fifth-year seniors and three four-year seniors that battled through so much adversity over the years, won FOUR straight MIAC Championship Games and FINALLY made that long-awaited deep run in the Dance last season.  Even though you hated to see it all come to an end in the Elite Eight, this GAC program has made its way into the elite status of D3 Women's Basketball thanks to this fabulous group  - Emma Kniefel, Izzy Quick, Syd Hauger, Kylie Baranick, Morgan Kelly and Rachel Kawiecki.  Now comes a new era; a new beginning of sorts and a lot of questions to be answered now that this group has graduated.  But all is not doom and gloom down in St. Peter as a new crop of players are now poised to try and pick up from where they left off.  The key elements of this new group appear to include junior guard Peyton Stevermer, sophomore guard Olivia Grothaus, junior forward Whitley Ronn, junior guard Ella Peters, junior guard Kendyl Queensland and (now) sophomore sensation point guard Anna Goodman who has some serious, serious swag.  Senior guard Bobbie Bruns and junior guard Kaitlyn Schaefer also provide depth along with stability and experience in the backcourt for Head Coach Laurie Kelly so it's not exactly like the cupboard is bare here.  At the same time, there are also a lot of new unproven pieces to this team so I'm not going to be shocked or surprised if there's a few blips early on in the season.  And you look at the very early portion of the schedule and you can easily see where there might possibly be a few blips as the Gusties open the season in Milwaukee - first taking on Wisconsin Lutheran which will almost certainly be looking for some payback after the first round NCAA Tournament loss to GAC on Friday 11-14 and then DePauw out of the NCAC the next day on Saturday 11-15.  Then UW-River Falls from the WIAC comes to St. Peter on Wednesday 11-19 before the Gusties face Bethany Lutheran in Mankato on Tuesday 11-25.  Three conference games follow before GAC faces two more formidable opponents from the WIAC at home in St. Peter - UW-Eau Claire on Saturday 12-13 and then UW-Whitewater on Tuesday 12-30.  So the Gusties will get their mettle tested early.  However, I feel strongly that this is a team that will get better and better as the season progresses and will at the very least be the biggest challenger to Bethel for conference honors.

Solid MIAC Playoff Contenders

3.  Concordia

4.  CSB

5.  Hamline

I have to think that there's little question that the one team that's simply itching to make amends from last season's disappointing finish is Concordia.  Last year's team was a squad that would look like world-beaters one day and then totally lost on another.  Even securing the fourth seed in the MIAC Playoffs wasn't enough as the Cobbers would fall to CSB in the quarterfinal round.  Then you look at the losses to graduation that Concordia had - Makayla Anderson, Carlee Sieben, Jordyn Kahler and Greta Tollefson - and at first glance it'd look like that the Cobbers were totally starting from scratch again.  However, the prospects brightened considerably up in Fargo-Moorhead during the offseason with the addition of incoming players who transferred in; most notably Maya Metcalf from DII Moorhead St. along with Tatum Findley who was at CSB last season.  Along with that, you also have a pretty solid core of returning players such as senior guards Molly Musland and Taylor Safranski and junior forward Genevieve Gruba.  Senior guard Taya Jeffrey got quality minutes last season as a junior and provides depth and experience in the backcourt.  The youngsters from last year - Peyton Breidenbach and Brooklyn Christianson could both be big for Head Coach Kim Wagers; particularly Breidenbach who's coming back from a knee injury suffered last season.  Players like sophomore forward Kaia Gack and junior forward Maci Wheeldon bring the length that help make Wagers' front court that much more formidable.  All in all, I feel considerably better about this team and its immediate future than I did, say, five or six months ago and one might be able to make the argument that this team could forge its way into title contention if all these pieces come together and work they way they should.  I just want to take a somewhat more cautious approach with this team and see how things unfold for them in November and December before I start making any wild predictions here.  The Cobbers certainly aren't shying away from competition as notable early non-conference matchups have both UW-River Falls and UW-Stout out of the WIAC making trips up US Highway 10 and the BNSF Staples Sub mainline on Saturday 11-15 and Sunday 11-16, respectively.  Just before Thanksgiving on Tuesday 11-25, Bethel pays a visit to cavernous Memorial Auditorium and just before the first of the year, Concordia makes a trip to Texas where they'll take on two teams out of the ASC -  Howard Payne on Sunday 12-28 and then host Hardin-Simmons the next day on Monday 12-29 before delving back into conference play.  

Things were looking very good for CSB last season as the Bennies were in good shape with a solid 9-2 record right around the first of the year.  But then CSB went into a tailspin with a four-game skid that had them between a rock and a hard place at quite possibly the worst time of the season.  Still, to their credit, the Bennies recovered with an impressive 5-game win streak and even though it was a bit of a rough patch down the stretch, CSB still finished 11-7 in conference play and would pull off a big upset of Concordia in the quarterfinal round before bowing to Bethel in the semifinals.  And, to be sure, the Bennies lost some very good pieces to graduation or the transfer portal - Morgan Chmielewski (who was out the whole season after suffering a preseason knee injury), Sophia Jonas, Tatum Findley (now at Concordia) and Olivia Boily (now a 5th year grad senior at UW-River Falls).  Fortunately for Head Coach Mike Durbin, he's got some very good pieces back including senior wing/guard Megan Morgan who can slay you from downtown and fellow senior wing/guard Megan Driste.  Senior combo forward/post Kira Young is capable of swatting away shots down low and sophomore point guard Lauren Arnold showed a lot of promise last year.  There's also a very solid group of younger players on this team that deserve mention and will likely figure into the overall scheme of things for the Bennies including sophomore guards Natalie Gates, Alyssa Sadlovsky and Drew Buslee along with junior wing/guard Emily Crandall.  In the front court, junior the junior twin sister duo of Cora Beeler and Ella Beeler along with junior post Kristen Hilbert and freshman forward Annika Schafer provide some much needed depth down low.  Like Concordia, one might be able to make the argument that this squad could find themselves in the title mix if things go right for them.  The early part of the schedule is interesting as a big game looms this Wednesday night (11-12) as UW-Eau Claire out of the WIAC pays a visit.  Then this weekend CSB makes a trip down to US Highway 30 and the Union Pacific Overland Route mainline at Mount Vernon, IA (Cornell) as they'll take on two opponents out of the ARC - Dubuque on Saturday 11-15 and then Nebraska Wesleyan on Sunday 11-16.  Thanksgiving weekend will find the Bennies out along the Front Range in Colorado Springs, CO where they'll take on two teams from the NCAA Tournament last season:  host Colorado College out of the SCAC on Friday 11-28 and then Whitman out of the NWC on Saturday 11-29 so CSB will have a big opportunity to build that NPI ranking early on.  But again, can the Bennies avoid some of the pitfalls that held them back last season?  

And you have to absolutely include Hamline in this grouping as well.  Head Coach Joshua Hersch has so many different offensive weapons at his disposal that it's downright scary when you stand back and take a look at what he has.  Leading the way once again for the Pipers will be senior guard Camille Cummings who can take a blow torch to opponents with her three-point shooting prowess.  Fellow senior combo guard/forward Sophie Stork can both score and rebound as can fellow senior combo guard/forward Josie Wiebusch.  Junior combo guard/forward Anna Rynkiewich is starting to come into her own and junior guard Lauren Cooper is always a threat on the offensive end.  And I would guess that junior forward Marina LaFreniere is poised to step up her game as well.  The thing with Hamline is that this is a team that has been hovering in playoff contention for the last few years now but once in, they've never been able to take that proverbial next step to where they can actually contend for a MIAC title.  Can this year's version take that next step?  I honestly don't know although my guess here is that with the teams I have listed above them, it's going to be a hard row to hoe.  If you look at the Pipers schedule, they're not exactly doing themselves any favors SOS-wise with the non-conference section as games with three UMAC opponents - at Northwestern (tonight 11-11), UW-Superior at home on Saturday 11-15 and at Martin Luther on Wednesday 11-19 gets things started.  However, one WIAC opponent is the exception to this as UW-Stout pays a visit to venerable Hutton Arena on Tuesday 11-25.  Then three conference games are on the slate - GAC on Wednesday 12-3, Macalester on Saturday 12-6 and then a trip down US Highway 61 and the CPKC River Sub mainline to Winona to take on SMU on Wednesday 12-10.  One more roadie before Christmas break as the Pipers go down US Highway 169 and the Union Pacific Mankato Sub to take on Bethany Lutheran at Mankato on Saturday 12-13.  Then, right before the first of the year the Pipers head out to the Motherland in suburban Claremont, CA to take on two SCIAC opponents - host Claremont-Mudd Scripps on Sunday 12-28 and then Pomona-Pitzer on Tuesday 12-30.  If the Pipers can come out of this early stretch and get dinged only once, they at least give themselves a chance.

Fighting For That Sixth Spot

6.  SMU

7.  St. Scholastica

8.  St. Kate's

The Cardinals shocked everyone last season (including yours truly) by coming out of nowhere to snare the sixth spot last season and, in the process, pull some upsets along the way in doing so - particularly knocking off Concordia up in Moorhead - and second year Head Coach Courtney Shelton hopes that trend will continue this next season and then some.  The first thing that grabs you when you look at this roster is how incredibly young this team is - two seniors and a bunch of youngsters but it's the young ones that are already making a name for themselves and I expect that trend to continue this season.  Leading the way for SMU this season will likely revolve around two of these youngsters:  Sophomore guard Brianna Nusbaum and fellow sophomore forward Rylie Sternquist.  But the Cardinals also have other pieces to augment this duo.  Junior forward Kali Olson had a solid year last season and sophomore combo guard/forward Julia Koch can make things happen on both ends of the floor.  One of those seniors, guard Lindsey Lettner, brings much-needed experience to help guide this young group.  SMU arguably had the element of surprise working for them last season so while that element is gone, they are still a very confident group that could do some significant damage this season.  The Cardinals easily dispatched North Central of the UMAC last night but a much, much tougher task awaits SMU as UW-La Crosse out of the WIAC makes the quick run up US Highway 61 and the CPKC River Sub mainline to take on the Cardinals on Saturday 11-15.  The Cardinals travel to St. Bonifacius to take on Crown on Wednesday 11-19 before hosting another UMAC opponent - Bethany Lutheran - on Saturday 11-22.  What's really interesting is that SMU goes to Platteville, WI on Thanksgiving weekend to first take on Grinnell out of the MWC on Saturday 11-29 and then Simpson out of the ARC on Sunday 11-30 so the Cardinals are going to have to make the most out of the early portion of the schedule before delving back into conference play.

Things were looking very good for St. Scholastica and their playoff hopes last season until February came around and things quickly went to hell in a handbasket for the Saints.  But the good news for Head Coach Jason Schmitz is that he returns all three of his leading scorers from last season - junior forward Kloey Lind, sophomore guard Ava Haus and fellow sophomore guard Evie Schmitz.  Like SMU, this is a very young team as well with only one senior - guard Jackie Johnson.  Undoubtedly, Jason Schmitz will rely on junior guard Jada Bierschbach and fellow junior guard Savannah Schlueter to provide depth and stability.  One youngster who might rise up and prove to be a huge addition to this St. Scholastica roster is freshman guard Ryaan Speer.  The Saints have already recorded a couple of wins thus far against two UMAC opponents this last weekend - Bethany Lutheran and UM-Morris but they have a huge date tomorrow night (Wednesday 11-12) against another UMAC opponent as UW-Superior makes the short hop across the western end of Gitche Gumee to Reif Gym.  Another notable opponent will be waiting in the wings after that as the Saints travel to take on UW-Eau Claire out of the WIAC on Tuesday 11-18.  Three winnable conference games at home (on paper anyway) await before St. Scholastica takes a pre-Christmas trip to California where they'll take on two teams out of the SCIAC - California Lutheran on Saturday 12-20 and then Chapman on Sunday 12-21.  So, like SMU, it'll be important for the Saints to delve into MIAC play after the first of the year with a full head of steam.

St. Kate's appeared to be making a late push down the stretch last season before two late regular season losses killed their chances of making the MIAC Playoffs.  The Wildcats may very well be making another uphill trip this season but if there was ever a coaching staff and team that can find ways to do more with less, it's St. Kate's.  Head Coach Don Mulhern welcomes back two of his top scorers from last season; do-it-all junior guard Hattie Fox and rising star sophomore guard Jordyn Peed.  But in addition to the players he lost to graduation from last season (Greta Schimnowski, Rachel Randleman and Maddy Manger), there are three others that aren't back this season - Kaylee Miron, Emme Golembiewski and Maddie Young - that's forced Mulhern and his staff to tinker with his lineup.  But that's not to say that there aren't other pieces on this team that aren't able to step up - there's definitely some who are more than ready to step to the plate and make their presence known.  Junior forward Lily Peper, senior guard Kristen Oberle and junior post Julia Harmon are all poised and ready to fill the void.  Sophomore forward Elle Covey along with fellow sophomore guard Raya Cassidy could also figure heavily into the equation for this team this season as well.  In what seems to be a recurring theme year after year for this team, Mulhern will have to develop depth quickly and stay relatively injury-free as well if the 'Cats hope to position themselves for a playoff run.  With two early wins under their belt already, it would behoove St. Kate's to take advantage of this good start to finish off the early part of the schedule on a good note.  The Wildcats go on the road for two games against UMAC opponents this week - at UM-Morris on Friday 11-14 and at Martin Luther on Saturday 11-15.  The first conference game of the season will have the 'Cats taking the dreaded trip up US Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline to Moorhead on Wednesday 11-19 before an interesting run down to the Quad Cities at Rock Island, IL where they'll first take on host Augustana out of the CCIW on Friday 11-21 and then will take on either Concordia (Wisconsin) out of the NACC or Greenville out of the SLIAC.  Then the week of Thanksgiving they'll make the quick hop over the St. Croix River to take on a UW-River Falls team out of the WIAC that will almost certainly have revenge on their minds on Tuesday 11-25 before settling into MIAC play.  

The Not-Quite-Ready-For-Primetime Teams

9.  St. Olaf

10.  Augsburg

11.  Carleton

12.  Macalester

St. Olaf is a team that seems to be right on the brink of getting themselves into play for that sixth spot but I feel that we need to see more from this team before I get on that ledge.  Second-year Head Coach Megan Lueck did lose four very good players to graduation last year (Paige Yagodinski, Sophia Kormann, Sarah Tangen and Ziling Zhen) but she does have a good nucleus back for this season in players such as junior forward Chloee Smith, fellow junior guard Joy Brandenstein and fellow junior combo guard/forward Bree Wilkerson.  But there's also a lot of unproven sophomores and freshmen on this team that will need to provide the depth necessary if the Oles are indeed able to get themselves into the mix.

Augsburg wasn't dinged quite as bad on the graduation from as some of the other teams in the MIAC but it's always tough to replace experience and both Katie Manecke and Cassidee Thorvig had that.  Yet second year Head Coach Mallie Doucette has a solid nucleus of players returning that could boost the Auggies chances this season.  Senior forward Amira LaDuke paced the Augsburg attack last season and she's undoubtedly poised to do big things again this season.  Sophomore guard Lani Fonoti could be one of the big surprises in the MIAC this season and she's exciting to watch.  Senior guard Wakinyela Bear is the glue that holds this team together and junior guard Saylor Gallagher started coming into her own last season.  Senior guard Melanie Delestrez, junior forward Maecee Alexander, junior guard Kate Aman-Lavicky and junior guard Sydney Hazuga who transferred in from Anoka-Ramsey will all be important pieces for Augsburg this season.  I'm awfully tempted to think that this Augsburg team, IF they stay healthy and IF they can get some things to go their way, could possibly find themselves in the mix for the playoffs this season.  But, let's remember too that this team has got to shore up things on the defensive side of the ball as the Auggies came in dead last in team defense last season and that has to change this time around.   

Youth is the watchword over on the east side of Northfield as veteran Head Coach Tammy Metcalf-Filzen of Carleton does have three seniors on this year's squad but the Knights also have a ton of unproven freshmen and sophomores that will likely have to contribute early and often if Carleton wants to get themselves into the mix for playoff contention. Sophomore guard Addy Huss led the Knights in scoring last season as a freshman and sophomore guard Audrey Whitney wasn't far behind.  Fellow sophomore forward Liesl McCallum figures to be another big piece for Carleton as well.

It's a new beginning over on the south side of Snelling Avenue as new Head Coach AD Donovan takes over the reigns at Macalester.  And while the Scots are heavy on youth as well, there are some notable veteran returnees that you'll want to keep your eyes on; most notably junior guard Mary Daley, perhaps one of the most underrated and under-appreciated players you'll find in the MIAC.  Given that Macalester lost Peyton Starks, Katherine Norquist and Nicole Norton to graduation, Donovan will also be relying heavily on junior guard Sydnee Smith and fellow junior guard Kendall Bernbaum to pick up the slack.  While this team may take their lumps early on in the season, they're going to be one of those teams that will be very dangerous as the season progresses; especially for any opponent that's counting on a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. 

So, there you have it with my fearless predictions for this season.  As always, please feel free to fire away with thoughts.    

UW-River Falls Practice 11-3-25

 One of the nice things about being on the retired side is that I now can do more things and go more places on the basketball front and this day was no exception as I made the trip across the St. Croix River on this sunny and decent early November afternoon to River Falls, WI and the Falcon Center on the campus of UW-River Falls.  The Falcon Center is an absolutely beautiful facility (and I'll have more on this later) and an awesome place to visit.  I was greeted by Falcons Head Coach Shelby Lyman shortly after I entered the facility.  Lyman led me to the home of the UW-River Falls Falcons - Don Page Arena; an absolutely gorgeous home floor if there ever was one.  After we were able to get caught up on some things, Lyman had to meet with her team for a quick film session and then Lyman and her staff came out onto the floor of the arena a bit later.  

To start things off, Lyman and the team met at center court after the players had a chance to stretch a bit and get some shots up as well to go over the agenda on this day.  For the first drill on this day, Lyman had the team split into three groups where the players first have to perform a crossover dribble and then get to the hoop for a lay-up.  After the requisite number is made, the drill is modified to finish with a floating jumper in the lane.  A little later, the drill is modified even more as the players now have to finish with a lay-up with their non-dominant hand.  The last modification includes finishing with a jumper from the elbow areas.

Next, Lyman has the team in two groups at each end of the floor and here the players start working on 1-on-1 situations.  Then, after a few minutes, these two groups start working on 3-on-3 situations in the half court.

Next, Lyman has her team do an interesting drill where you have two players at one end of the floor and three coming from the other end with the ball in a simulated transition opportunity (3-on-2) One of the three players does a lay-up coming down but one of the two players feeds a ball to one of the other three and they have to knock down a pull-up jumper.  After this drill is completed, Lyman then has the team run lines from one end and back again.  

Another interesting drill follows with players at each end of the floor.  One player shoots a free throw and then you have a 2-on-1 situation in transition the other way.  This drill then morphs into a 3-on-2 situation to a 4-on-3 situation and then a 5-on-4 situation.  Another round of running lines awaits the team after this drill is completed.  

Next, Lyman has the team work on free throws for a bit in groups of four.  Still another intense round of lines comes afterward and then the players get a well-deserved water break.  

Next, Lyman shifts the focus to the defensive side of the ball.  Here, she has the team split into two groups - one group works on proper rotation and switching while the other group works on handling screens.

Next is some 5-on-5 half-court where Lyman and her staff hope to put some of the things they worked on earlier all together.  The losing group of players has a round of lines to run afterward.

After that, Lyman has the team in groups of four again to work on free throws and then the team gets to run another round of lines before a well-deserved water pit stop.

Next is another interesting drill (called "lo-po" I believe) where guard and wing players have to run down the floor to shoot "3s" from each corner while the forwards have to work on shots from the elbow and free throw line area and behind the arc at the top of the key.  It's very interesting to watch.

Then Lyman and her staff have the team going 5-on-5 full court to see where the players are and what areas still need work.

Lastly on this day, Lyman has the team split into two groups where the players work on a variety of shots and situations.  With the Falcon volleyball team itching to take the floor for their practice, Lyman and her staff and the team call it a day.  After that, Lyman and Assistant Coach Cassie Heinrichs take me on a tour of the Falcon Center and I was just wowed at all of the excellent facilties at Falcon Center.  The huge weight room area, the training facilities with full-time athletic trainers who help keep athletes healthy and injury-free and just so much more.  If you're a high school athlete, it's easy to see why you might be easily enticed to attend UW-River Falls with the Falcon Center and all that it provides.  It's one of the realities of college athletics these days and in ultra-competitive conference such as the WIAC, you have to keep up with the Joneses.  

Outtakes:  First, I just want to say that there's so much to like about this team.  It's obvious that they're a class act on the floor as well as off and that goes for the coaching staff as well.  I can't thank them enough for their wonderful hospitality and I definitely NEED to cover some of their games this season (am glad I can FINALLY get the time to get a little WIAC action in my blog for a change 😄).  Okay, first I think this team has a TON of potential and that was easy to see just watching this practice.  I asked Lyman about the up-and-down nature of this team from last season and she admitted that there were instances where the team didn't handle adversity as well as they could have.  When I look at the statistics provided by the WIAC website, there are some things that catch my eye right away - and also provides some answers (I think) as to what ailed this team last season.  For instance, you'll see that the Falcons were dead last in team FG percentage at 0.374% and sixth in team offense averaging 59.4 ppg.  UW-River Falls was much better in team defense; in fourth place giving up an average of 59.2 ppg but in team free throw percentage they were in sixth place at 0.686%.  Combined team rebounds was another area that hampered the Falcons as they were tied in last place with 33.7 rebounds per game and they were dead last in the WIAC in combined opponent rebounds at 36.9 rebounds per game.  Things weren't any better in team offensive rebounds with the Falcons bringing up the rear with an 8.4 average per game.  Throw in the fact that UW-River Falls was dead last in the rebounding margin at -3.2 and you can see that there's a number of items that the Falcons have to shore up in order to give themselves a better chance.  That said, I strongly believe that the pieces may be in place this time around to do just that.  Senior combo guard/forward Olivia Hoerl led the team last season in scoring at 14.9 ppg and senior guard Zoey Buchan wasn't far behind averaging 13.6 ppg and it's easy to see from this practice that she can be incredibly disruptive on the defensive end as well.  She doesn't back down from a challenge and definitely gets after it on the floor.  Senior guard Karleigh Creasey will also be an important piece in the Falcon backcourt once she is fully recovered from an injury suffered last season.  Where this team really gets a boost are the new players who recently transferred in - senior forward Emily Kulstad (Southern Utah) fifth-year senior Olivia Boily (CSB), sophomore guard Sammie Buss (Bemidji St), and sophomore guard Taylor Clarey (Lake Superior St) that not only adds length but also augments an already-very experienced team.  The catch?  Well, when you play in a conference like the WIAC that last year sent FIVE of its eight teams to the NCAA Tournament and then two of those five teams made it all the way to the Final Four, that gives you a pretty good idea of how crazy competitive this conference really is.  It's almost like every conference game is like an NCAA Tournament game.  As many of the players on the team told me on this day, you just never know what to expect.  That said, this team certainly is not shying away from any challenges this season if you look at the early part of their schedule.  They open up things this weekend at home against two powerhouse opponents from the MIAA - and NCAA Tournament teams from last season - Calvin on Friday 11-7 and then Hope on Saturday 11-8.  Then the Falcons go on the road - first down to Pella, IA to take on Central out of the ARC on Wednesday (11-12) and then the dreaded trip up US Highway 10 and the BNSF Staples Sub mainline to Moorhead to take on a Concordia team from the MIAC which is itching to make amends from last season's disappointment on Saturday (11-15).  If that wasn't enough, UW-River Falls then goes down US Highway 169 and the Union Pacific's Mankato Sub mainline to take on four-time MIAC Champion (and Elite Eight participant) GAC in St. Peter on Wednesday (11-19) before finally getting something of a "respite" with home dates against UM-Morris out of the UMAC on Saturday (11-22) and St. Kate's of the MIAC on Tuesday (11-25).  Thanksgiving weekend finds the Falcons at Carthage in Kenosha, WI on Saturday (11-29) before a trip to Mad-town to play Edgewood on Wednesday (12-10).  But two more MIAC teams await UW-River Falls - most notably a quick trip to the Twin Cities to take on another MIAC powerhouse - Bethel on Saturday (12-13) before hosting Augsburg on Saturday (12-20) before Christmas break.  After the first of the year, the Falcons delve into the meat-grinder otherwise known as the WIAC.  So this team does have a huge opportunity to build up that all-important SOS but as we all know, the caveat is that you have to win some of these games too.