SMU vs Bethel 1-7-26

Experience paid dividends for Bethel on this night.

 Made the run through rush hour traffic on this late Wednesday afternoon to Robertson Center on the campus of Bethel University for this very important early January clash between visiting SMU and host Bethel.  The Cardinal were coming into this contest flying high (no pun intended) on a nine-game win streak and an impressive 10-1 overall record and 4-0 in conference play.  The Royals meanwhile have had to endure a rather rocky road as of late - surviving a double-overtime win over Coe back on 12-20, then going over to UW-Oshkosh and dropping a tight battle to Illinois Wesleyan and then rebounding the next day to hold off Messiah before last Saturday's shocking loss to GAC down in St. Peter.  And this is a Bethel team that is currently having to endure some injury issues as well which made this clash with SMU on this night even more important.  

SMU would get a bit of a break right on the opening tip as freshman forward Ayla Olson was able to snare the tip and race in for a relatively easy lay-up at the 9:55 mark of the opening period but not much would go right for the Cardinals after that as Bethel would proceed to go on a 16-0 tear.  Senior combo guard/forward Rosalie Penke would start this run with a three-point bomb from the right corner area at the 8:17 mark and then junior reserve guard Macey Littlefield would connect on a lay-up at the 7:26 mark to put the Royals up 5-2.  Then lanky junior forward Cally Peterson would unleash a "3" from the left top area at the 6:57 mark and then at the 5:55 mark, Littlefield would show up again by connecting on a lay-up that also drew a foul and the ensuing "and one" by the former Centennial standout got the lead to 11-2.  Less than a minute after that, junior forward Emily Erickson would connect on a lay-up at the 5:11 mark to make it a 13-2 ballgame and Cardinals Head Coach Courtney Shelton had no choice but to call for a thirty-second halt to the action.  Still the Royals' Peterson would unleash her second trey of this night - this one from the left corner area with 3:03 left before SMU could finally stop the massive bleeding on an offensive rebound and putback by freshman forward Ayla Olson with 2:13 left.  But the Royals still had things in high gear on the offensive end as senior point guard Colette Duininck would bang home a "3" from the top of key with 1:49 left and a lay-up by Erickson with 1:09 left stretched Bethel's lead to 21-4.  The Cardinals were able to add to their ledger when senior guard Lindsey Lettner made a pretty drive for a finish with :48.5 but were already faced with a monumental task of trying to dig out of an early 15-point hole on the road no less down 21-6.

Bottled up for the entirety of the first period, SMU sophomore point guard Brianna Nusbaum finally got things going for her Cardinals team as she would connect on a lay-up at the 9:29 mark of the second period that got the deficit down to thirteen and at the 8:58 mark, Nusbaum would strike again on a tough drive into the lane for a finish that kept SMU in that thirteen-point range down 23-10.  But trying to make up more ground was proving problematic as the Royals would get a big score from Peterson in the paint at the 7:42 mark that restored the fifteen-point edge at 25-10.  Undaunted, the Cardinals would respond with a 6-0 push.  Ayla Olson would get fouled at the 7:24 mark and would get the front end to go down.  The back end attempt was not cooperative but that didn't seem to faze the freshman out of New York Mills as she somehow grabbed the long rebound and went in for a lay-up at the 7:14 mark in one of the most unorthodox three-point plays you'll ever see.  Then Nusbaum would strike again at the 6:33 mark with one of her trademark southpaw three-point bomb - this one from the top of the key - that brought SMU back into single-digit range down 25-16.  That got the attention of Bethel and they went back to work to restore their sizable safety net.  Duininck would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 6:16 mark and a three-point bomb by Littlefield from the left corner area at the 5:28 mark appeared to restore order with the Royals now enjoying a 30-16 advantage.  But this young SMU team had no intentions of taking "no" for an answer and instead went on an impressive 9-2 push.  Nusbaum would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 4:57 left and then spunky freshman reserve guard Hadley Sammons would get a pair of charity stripe shots to go down after getting fouled with 4:03 left that trimmed the margin to twelve down 31-19 and also had SMU in the bonus as well.  The Cardinals stayed aggressive in their offensive approach and with 3:32 left, Sammons would again get sent to the charity stripe after getting fouled and the former Windom standout got both attempts down that cut the deficit down to eleven at 32-21.  With 2:38 left, Nusbaum used a burst of speed to connect on a lay-up and a short time later, Sammons would connect on a lay-up of her own with 2:01 left that suddenly slashed the deficit down to seven at 32-25.  Alarmed, Bethel tried to get more separation again as Duininck would get a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled with 1:53 left to make it a 34-25 game and a lay-up by Peterson with 1:23 left maintained the nine-point edge at 36-27.  But the Cardinals had one last burst in them before this second period was in the books as Sammons would snare a steal and race the other way for a lay-up with :46.4 left and a short time later with :35.5 left, Nusbaum would follow suit as she snared a steal near midcourt and raced the other way for a lay-up and drew a foul in the process and a rejuvenated SMU team that appeared buried early on was now right back in the thick of things down only four at 36-32 by the halftime break.  

But just when you thought that the Cardinals were on the verge of taking this contest over, SMU would again have to weather a big-time storm from the Royals in the form of an 11-0 run to start this third period.  Penke would unleash her second trey of this contest with a bomb from the right corner at the 9:40 mark and then Peterson would cash in on a lay-up after a steal in the backcourt at the 9:25 mark that upped the Bethel lead to nine at 41-32.  A short time later, Peterson would bury a "3" from the right top area at the 8:55 mark that stretched the Royals' lead to twelve at 44-32 and once again SMU's Shelton was clamoring for a thirty-second timeout in hopes of finding some quick adjustments.  Bethel's Erickson, however, inflicted more damage when she banged home a "3" from the left top area at the 8:25 mark that restored the fifteen-point lead at 47-32 and the Cardinals were effectively back at Square One again.  While many younger teams would have felt overwhelmed in these moments, this SMU team simply found a way to dig deep and forge another comeback with the odds stacked against them.  Nusbaum would drain a "3" from the left corner at the 7:13 mark that helped spark an 11-2 Cardinal run.  Sammons would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 6:37 mark and then sharp-shooting sophomore combo guard/forward Julia Koch would bury a "3" from the right wing area at the 6:14 mark that got the deficit down to ten at 49-39.  Then Nusbaum would strike like a rattlesnake with two lay-ups in transition opportunities - once at the 5:44 mark and again at the 5:17 mark - that now had SMU back in striking distance down 49-43.  The Royals would get their lead back to eight at 51-43 when Erickson muscled into the paint for a score with 4:34 left but the Cardinals would keep whittling away as Ayla Olson would connect on a lay-up with 4:05 left that got the deficit down to six at 51-45 and spurred a 7-2 push.  Two free throws by Koch after she was fouled with 3:24 left kept the Cardinals in that six-point range down 53-47 and then Ayla Olson would bang home a "3" from the left corner area with 2:37 left that suddenly had SMU back to within a single possession down 53-50.  Bethel would get a bit more breathing room when sophomore reserve guard Alaina Bonacquista snared an offensive rebound for a putback with 2:23 left but that didn't deter the Cardinals as Nusbaum would again work magic with her defensive prowess by snaring a steal and racing the other way for a lay-up with 1:48 left and two free throws by Ayla Olson after she was fouled with 1:09 left cut the deficit down to a scant two points at 56-54.  Twice in this game, Bethel looked to be in a position to run away with this thing and twice, SMU found a way to battle back and now things definitely appeared to be up in the air at Robertson Center.

The Royals would again try and open up some space with its opponent with a quick 5-0 push at the beginning of the fourth period.  Penke would unleash her third trey of this game with a bomb from the right top area at the 9:42 mark and a pretty reverse lay-up by Erickson at the 8:57 mark had Bethel up 61-54 but they would soon find out that this SMU team was in no hurry whatsoever to get back to Winona.  Sammons would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 8:33 mark and then a jumper from the left elbow by strong sophomore forward Rylie Sternquist at the 7:20 mark had the deficit down to four at 61-57.  Bethel's situation became more complicated by the 6:55 mark when Duininck had to retreat to the bench after picking up her fourth foul and that opened the door further for the Cardinal to complete this comeback.  Nusbaum would connect on a jumper along the left baseline at the 6:51 mark that had the deficit down to two at 61-59 and then an offensive rebound and putback by Ayla Olson at the 6:18 mark finally had this contest leveled at 61 a piece and prompted Royals Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer to take a match to a thirty-second timeout.  Bethel would again attempt to put distance between itself and its opponent as Erickson would get two freebies to go down after getting fouled at the 5:29 mark and Bonacquista would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 4:39 left but SMU would not go away.  Sammons would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 4:34 left that would cut the deficit down to one at 64-63.  A bit later with 4:09 left, Bethel's Littlefield would come up big on the defensive side with a steal and lay-up the other way to make it 66-63 but even that ray of reassurance was short-lived for the Royals as the Cardinals would quickly get the deficit whittled down to a scant point again at 66-65 when Nusbaum was able to knock down a tough jumper from the free throw line area with 3:48 left.  SMU's Shelton would call a thirty-second timeout with 3:19 left to set up strategy and sticking with their aggressive approach on offense by taking the ball to the rim, the Cardinals were finally able to poke their nose out in front for the first time since the early moments of the contest when Ayla Olson knocked down a pair of free throws with 3:05 left to make it 67-66.  Bethel, however, would take the lead back at 68-67 when Erickson connect on a lay-up with 2:23 left but that would be negated when the Cardinals' Nusbaum was sent to the charity stripe with 1:36 left that allowed the former Spring Lake Park standout to calmly knock down a pair of free throws to put SMU back out in front 69-68.  With the tension mounting inside Robertson Center, the Royals would take the lead back at 70-69 when Erickson was able to dart through traffic to connect on a lay-up with 1:15 left.  There was still plenty of time left for the Cardinals to respond, of course, but on their subsequent possession, SMU coughed the rock up and Bethel's Peterson was able to snare the ball and get downcourt and would be fouled on the lay-up attempt.  But Peterson was unable to capitalize from the charity stripe on both free throw attempts which still left the door wide open for the Cardinals.  SMU's Shelton would then take a timeout to set up strategy for her squad's ensuing possession but a stingy Bethel defense would come up big again as senior combo guard/forward Ali Born forced a turnover and the Royals' Herbrechtsmeyer would quickly take a timeout to set up strategy.  Bethel was able to milk some time off of the clock but any hopes of adding to its ledger went up in smoke as the Cardinals' Nusbaum was able to make a lunging steal with :14.3 left in regulation and now SMU had its chance.  Shelton would take a timeout with :08.2 left in regulation in hopes of setting up the winning play.  The Cardinals would get the ball inbounded to Ayla Olson who made a drive into the lane and attempted a lay-up with :01.7 left in hopes of a foul being called but none was coming.  SMU still retained possession, however, and Sammons would get the ball to Nusbaum on the inbounds pass.  Nusbaum would have a reasonably good look from the right wing area and got a shot off before the buzzer but the attempt hit the back iron and bounced away as Bethel managed to hang on for the thrilling 70-69 victory.

When I was finally able to catch up with SMU's Shelton after the game, I had to compliment her and her team on their resiliency in this contest for finding a way to battle back after being down by double digits not once but TWICE in this game - on the road no less against one of the best teams in the MIAC.  She was gracious in defeat and my compliment but was also quick to add that "We can't let ourselves get into a hole like that" and that forced the Cardinals to have to  play on Bethel's terms for a good chunk of this contest.  Yet one would be hard-pressed not to be able to find a lot of positives in how this young team kept finding ways to get themselves into position to have a chance to pull this one out when the odds were arguably stacked against them.  I was really impressed with their defense in this one and specifically, I was very impressed with the freshman, Sammons, who was making things happen for her team on both ends of the floor and I told both her and Shelton that she may very well be the best-kept secret in the MIAC.  And we knew that this particular week was going to be the most challenging week of all for the Cardinals with this road test at Bethel and the upcoming game on Saturday against Concordia and it's still not out of the question that they could at least come away with a split this weekend that would not only keep them in the title chase but, just as important, give their NPI ranking a big boost as well.  And, it's also noteworthy to point out that SMU will get another shot at Bethel on Saturday (1-31) in Winona.  

I also had an opportunity to speak with Bethel's Herbrechtsmeyer after this game as well and the first question I had to ask was if he was able to provide any sort of timetable on the return of fifth-year senior forward Elly Schmitz to action.  Because of medical considerations, Herbrechtsmeyer was unable to comment on this which I totally get and understand although he did say that she will be back at some point.  Just when that is remains uncertain at the moment and if I were bold enough to venture a guess, I would think that it might be a little while yet.  However, I think the Bethel faithful can take some satisfaction in the sense that this experienced squad is finding ways to bounce back; finding ways to win when challenged.  Let's remember that you've still got a pretty solid nucleus in Duininck, Born, Erickson, Penke and Peterson not to mention players like Littlefield coming off the bench as well.  But what stood out to me on this night was that Herbrechtsmeyer was not shy at all at going deeper into his bench which gave players like fifth-year senior guard Lexi Schermann, Bonacquista and sophomore guard Kenzie Lundeen a chance to get some quality minutes and that's crucial for the Royals given their situation at the moment I think.  Herbrechtsmeyer commented to me that his team really had to go through some "rock fights" over the last few weeks; snaring two big wins before Christmas in Wisconsin Dells against UW-La Crosse (WIAC) and a heart-stopping double OT ordeal with Coe (ARC), then going down to Florida where they lost a heart-breaker to Illinois Wesleyan (CCIW) but rebounded to hold off a tough Messiah team (MACC) before last Saturday's debacle down in St. Peter against GAC.  When you consider that most of the teams listed are likely going to be NCAA Tournament participants come March, that's akin to Murderer's Row and that's why this Bethel team is so danged tough.  

It's difficult to find any one item in the box score that you can point to and confidently say, "This is where SMU lost this game" or "this is where Bethel won it".  In fact, a few of the numbers might suggest that the Cardinals should have come out on top.  Consider:  SMU enjoyed a decided edge on the boards on this night by a 39-25 count and the Cardinals also held a 17-11 edge in fast break points.  So many of the other categories are very close.  Bethel had a slight advantage (32-30) in points in the paint and they held a very slim 22-21 edge in points off of turnovers.  SMU held a slight edge in bench points at 17-15 which is notable simply because the Royals are a much deeper team.  One could point to the fact that SMU had 24 turnovers compared to Bethel's 19 but in such a close game like this, that particular category is effectively negated, IMHO.  To me, I think the biggest factor in this contest was that the Cardinals were effectively forced to play on Bethel's terms for much of this contest and I think that that effectively stemmed their offensive output.  

Even without Schmitz on the floor right now, it's evident that Herbrechtsmeyer has others who can and will step up in the big moments and that's reflected in the fact that Erickson who finished with 19 points and Peterson who was right behind with her 18 points helped lead the way for the Royals on this night.  Littlefield coming off the bench was a big factor as well as she finished with 10 points.  Both Penke and Duininck had "only" eight points a piece but both made up for the lack of scoring with their defense on the other end - especially Duininck with her six steals on this night.  But even a stingy Bethel defense couldn't contain SMU's Nusbaum as she simply lit up Robertson Center on this night with her 30 points and Ayla Olson had a very solid night as well with a "double-double" of 18 points and 15 rebounds while Sammons had a stellar night as well finishing with 12 points and was such a disruptive force on the defensive end for the Cardinals.  

MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 1-4-26

Taya Jeffrey's solid performance yesterday against St. Scholastica helps get Concordia atop today's MIAC Power Rankings

 So it's a new year and the time when MIAC Women's Basketball gets into the meat-grinder of the regular season and with it, the unveiling of my first MIAC Power Rankings of the 2025-26 season.  So let's get to it.

1.  Concordia

2.  SMU

3.  Bethel

4.  GAC

5.  (tie) CSB and St. Scholastica

6.  Hamline

7.  Carleton

8.  Augsburg

9.  St. Kate's

10.  St. Olaf

11.  Macalester

The Cobbers have finally snared the top of the mountain - at least for this week anyway - in my initial power rankings for this season but they've got the resume to back it up.  After doing a Texas two-step in taking down two teams from the ASC - Howard Payne and powerhouse Hardin-Simmons in Abilene, TX just before the first of the year - Concordia consolidated on its latest gains by smacking St. Scholastica yesterday at home in cavernous Memorial Auditorium.  But things get much trickier this coming week for the Cobbers as they must first travel down to Northfield on Wednesday night to take on Carleton and then make another long journey down to Winona to face off against SMU in a huge showdown this coming Saturday.........One may wonder why I didn't have the Cardinals tied atop my Power Rankings with Concordia and it essentially came down to the fact that Concordia simply has more wins against quality opponents.  However, that should not deter the rapid ascension of this SMU team as they walloped Macalester in St Paul yesterday and looked pretty impressive doing it.  But now the Cardinals arguably stroll into the most challenging week of this season with not one but TWO opportunities to build on their NPI ranking.  First on tap is a return trip back up US Highway 61 and the CPKC River Sub mainline to the Cities on Wednesday night to take on Bethel and then an equally huge game on Saturday - this one at home against aforementioned Concordia team.  I realize it's only early January but this may be the best - and perhaps the only chance - the Cardinals may have to make a case for something beyond the regular season and MIAC Playoffs.

Prior to this weekend, I thought for sure that I'd have Bethel in my top spot but few (including yours truly) could have predicted that the Royals would run into a hornets nest down in St. Peter yesterday but that's precisely what happened as GAC raced out to an eighteen-point lead and never looked back as Bethel went down in the shocker of the day.  Now, I think it's way too early for any of the Bethel faithful to break out the proverbial panic button just yet but admittedly there is cause for concern here - especially when you consider that the Royals have to regroup quickly as a high-flying SMU team comes to town on Wednesday night before a trip down to Carleton this next Saturday........And speaking of the Gusties, they were in desperate need of a big win of any kind and they finally got it yesterday and looked pretty impressive in doing it.  This young GAC team may finally be coming together at the right time and this coming week provides the Gusties an excellent opportunity to consolidate on their latest gains as they host St. Olaf on Wednesday night before coming to the Cities on Saturday to take on St. Kate's.

The Bennies started 2026 on a positive note yesterday by holding off a stubborn Augsburg team in Minneapolis and if you look at the schedule, it appears that - on paper anyway - CSB has an excellent chance to solidify its footing and this coming week the Bennies will come back down to the Cities to take on Macalester on Wednesday night before hosting Hamline on Saturday........St. Scholastica took it on the chin yesterday in Moorhead against the Cobbers but, unlike CSB, the Saints immediate outlook appears to be hazy at best as they come down to the Cities on Wednesday evening to face Hamline before going down to the west side of Northfield this next Saturday to take on St. Olaf........Hamline meanwhile is riding a four-game win streak; the latest victim being St. Kate's yesterday at Butler Center but this coming week could be a challenging one for the Pipers as they host aforementioned St. Scholastica team on Wednesday night before running up to St. Joe to face CSB this coming Saturday.

So that's how things look on this last Sunday of the NFL regular season.  As always, please feel free to fire away with thoughts.  

SMU vs Macalester 1-3-26

Brianna Nusbaum and the SMU Cardinals are flying high

Made the run over to Leonard Center on the campus of Macalester College on this overcast early January day to cover my first game in the new year of 2026 that featured one of the hottest young teams in the MIAC - SMU - taking on host Macalester.  The Cardinals were coming into this game with a stellar 9-1 record; their only loss coming to UW-La Crosse back in mid-November.  It's been a much different story for the Scots meanwhile as they were coming into this contest with a 1-8 overall record with the only positive mark on the ledger coming back in late November when they knocked off Northwestern.  Still, this contest was looming as a possibly dangerous game for SMU coming into today and with only a handful of opportunities available to improve its NPI ratings, the Cardinals could ill afford any kind of stumble in this outing.  

Both teams would get early scores in the early minutes of the opening period - SMU sophomore forward Ryle Sternquist's drive and lay-up at the 9:38 mark and the Scots' answering on sophomore guard Sydnee Smith's score in the paint at the 7:29 mark - that had the game leveled at deuce but the Cardinals would not mess around on this day and quickly went to work to up their margin.  Junior forward Kali Olson would get a short shot in the paint to go down at the 7:10 mark and one free throw by Sternquist after she was fouled at the 5:31 mark had SMU up 5-2.  A lay-up in transition by freshman reserve guard Hadley Sammons at the 5:16 mark extended the lead to 7-2 before Macalester was able to crawl back to within a single possession on a score in the paint by Sydnee Smith at the 5:00 mark.  The Cardinals, however, would continue to grow their lead as sophomore combo guard/forward Julia Koch would bang home her first trey of this ballgame from the left corner with 3:42 left which got the attention of the Scots first-year Head Coach AD Donovan who took a match to a thirty-second timeout in hopes of some quick adjustments on the defensive end of the floor.  Unfortunately for the Macalester faithful, not many solutions seemed to be at hand as the Cardinals would follow up on the latest score as sophomore point guard Brianna Nusbaum weaved through traffic and got a pretty one-handed floater in the lane to go down with 2:24 left that now had SMU up 12-4.  Macalester would manage to narrow the deficit when freshman reserve guard Megan Matthews got a short pull-up jumper to go down with 1:46 but the Cardinals added to their ledger with just :01.8 left in this first period as Nusbaum would bury a cold-hearted "3" from the top of the key that had SMU enjoying a 15-6 advantage.

Hope was briefly restored among the Scot faithful inside Leonard Center on this day when sophomore guard Emma Karlin buried a "3" from the left top area at the 9:40 mark of the second period but those hopes were soon dashed as SMU proceeded to go on an 8-2 burst.  Kali Olson would snare an offensive rebound for a putback at the 8:38 mark and then Koch; the Omro, Wisconsin native, did more slaying from downtown as she would get one "3" from the right corner area at the 8:05 mark and would follow that up later with another bomb from the left corner at the 6:45 mark that now had the Cardinals up 23-11.  To its credit, Macalester would trim the deficit down to nine a short time later when senior reserve forward Ellie Corbett drained a "3" from the left top area at the 6:19 mark that made it a 23-14 ballgame and the Scots would stay in that nine-point margin when Matthews connected on a short shot in the lane at the 5:27 mark at 25-16.  Unfortunately for the Scots, SMU would close out this second period on a 9-3 push.  A routine score in the paint by Kali Olson at the 5:03 mark and a pretty drive and finish by senior guard Lindsey Lettner with 3:57 left restored the double-digit cushion at 29-16.  With 2:05 left, Koch would be sizzling again behind the arc as she drilled her fourth trey of this contest from the left corner area.  Less than a minute later, Koch would show that she's more than just a one trick pony as she would make a hard drive for a finish with 1:08 left.  Macalester would add to its total with just :30.6 left as Sydnee Smith connected on a lay-up but the Cardinals still took a hefty 34-19 lead into the locker room at the half.  

Both teams would trade scores at the beginning of the third period as SMU's Nusbaum knocked down a jumper from the left wing area at the 8:38 mark and the Scots' Karlin unleashed a "3" from the right top area at the 7:47 mark.  The problem for Macalester, however, was that the math was so far working against them and they needed many more of these to get back to within striking distance and the Cardinals simply were in no mood to let that happen on this day.  Freshman forward Ayla Olson got one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 6:27 mark and then Sternquist would connect on a jumper from the free throw line area at the 5:32 mark that had SMU up 39-22.  Then Nusbaum would work more magic as she would first connect on a lay-up off of an inbounds pass with 3:56 left and would also connect on a short, turnaround jumper with 2:27 left.  Ayla Olson would also connect on a lay-up with 1:47 left that now had the Cardinals up comfortably 45-26.  Macalester would try and counter on a three-point bomb by freshman reserve guard Faith Accardo from the left corner with 1:19 left but SMU's Nusbaum would answer shortly thereafter with a hard drive and finish with :59 left and even though the Scots would add to its total thus far on a score in the paint by sophomore combo guard/forward Cady Davis with :43 left, Macalester still found themselves on the wrong end of a 47-31 score.  

The Cardinals were not letting their collective foot off the gas pedal once the fourth period got underway.  Ayla Olson would bang home a "3" from the right corner area at the 9:47 mark that helped spark an 11-2 burst that effectively erased any doubts about how this game was going to go.  Scores in the paint - one by Koch at the 9:15 mark and another by Kali Olson at the 8:45 mark - had SMU up 54-33.  Nusbaum would cap this run by first knocking down a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 6:19 mark and getting a short jumper in the lane to go down at the 5:35 mark that padded the Cardinals lead at 58-33.  Macalester was still fighting hard despite the fact that this game was now beyond reach as Sydnee Smith would connect on a lay-up with 3:41 left and Davis would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 2:02 left.  Both the Scots' Donovan and SMU Head Coach Courtney Shelton now had their reserves in for clean-up duty for the last two minutes.  Cardinals sophomore reserve guard Emma Mann would knock down a jumper from the free throw line as the shot clock was expiring with 1:27 left and Macalester junior reserve guard Kendall Bernbaum would snare an offensive rebound for a putback with 1:12 left so when the buzzer finally sounded, SMU had secured an important road dub with a 60-38 victory.  

I was able to catch up with SMU's Shelton shortly afterward and after I congratulated her and her team on the convincing win on this day, I couldn't help but ask her if this rapid ascension by her team to the top echelon of MIAC Women's Basketball was something that she saw happening so soon.  "I hope I don't sound selfish saying this, but yes, I did see this coming" she said.  Shelton added that she knew she had a good nucleus of players when she took the SMU job prior to last season and so far anyway, this team is showing that last year's appearance in the MIAC Playoffs was indeed no fluke.  I have to admit that I had my doubts as well but it you take a look at MIAC team statistics, you'll see the Cardinals at the top of the heap in team offense and team scoring margin as well as combined team rebounds and team offensive rebounds.  Moreover, they're near the top in several other categories as well and, most importantly, they're off to their best start in a long, long time .  True, it's only early January and a lot of things can happen between now and late February but when you look at the makeup of this Cardinals roster and you see that it's dominated by freshmen and sophomores, it becomes even clearer that they're far from reaching their ceiling.  For me, the only knock I might have on this SMU team is that they're not particularly deep beyond their normal rotation and that could be problematic for them later on down the road.  But considering where this program has been and where they are right now, it's safe to say that SMU hit a home run when they hired Shelton to take the reigns of this program.  For the near term, however, there'll be little time for celebrating this latest conquest as the Cardinals have to make the return trip up US Highway 61 and the CPKC River Sub mainline to the Twin Cities to face Bethel this coming Wednesday evening (1-7) and when I brought up the fact that SMU appears to have only a few opportunities to really strengthen its NPI ranking with Shelton, she was quick to agree that her squad absolutely has to make the most of those chances and that Wednesday night's game is going to be a big challenge.  

As you can imagine, the box score on this one shows that the Cardinals pretty much dominated this contest in most facets of the game as SMU had a whopping 46-32 advantage on the boards and a decided 28-14 advantage in points in the paint.  Throw in a 13-2 advantage for the Cardinals in those all-important "second chance" points and you get a pretty good idea of how this contest went.  Perhaps the only fly in the ointment for SMU on this day is that Macalester forced 19 Cardinal turnovers on this day but lets give credit to the Scots on this because their aggressive style of defense can be problematic for opponents.  Neither team got to the charity stripe often on this day but SMU shot 4-8 for a straight 50% and I'm sure that's something that Shelton and her staff will want to address this week in practice.

The Cardinals did have a reasonably-balanced scoring attack on this day as Nusbaum's 17 points led all scorers but Koch tallied 16 points on this day; including going 4-5 from downtown and Ayla Olson had an impressive day as well as she recorded a "double-double" of 12 points and 10 rebounds.  Macalester leaned heavily on Sydnee Smith as she paced the Scots with 10 points on this day.     

    

GAC vs Northwestern 12-16-25

What a night it was for GAC junior guard Kaitlyn Schaefer!   

 Battled the heavy traffic on I-694 from my pad in the northwest suburbs over to Roseville and the Erickson Center on the campus of the University of Northwestern to take in this mid-December clash between visiting GAC of the MIAC and host Northwestern out of the UMAC.  The Gusties were coming into this contest hungry for a win as they were on a three-game skid; the latest loss being to UW-Eau Claire at home this last Saturday.  Conversely, the Eagles were entering this non-conference clash on a three-game win streak with their last win being a convincing 83-60 decision over Emmaus University out of Dubuque, IA which at least helped turned the tide somewhat for this squad considering they started this season 0-6.  

But there was little doubt that the Gusties were going to be heavy favorites going into this game and that became readily apparent as GAC took control of this one from the opening tip-off.  Slender junior guard Ella Peters came up big from the get-go as she would first knock down a pull-up jumper in transition from the left elbow area at the 9:02 mark of the opening period and after a Northwestern miscue, Peters would slither into the paint for another score at the 8:41 mark to put the Gusties up 4-0.  At the 7:29 mark, Peters would strike again as she connected with a jumper from the left elbow area to make it a 6-2 game.  At the 5:53 mark, junior reserve guard Kendyl Queensland would up the Gustie lead to 8-2 with a pretty lay-up in transition at the 5:53 mark before Northwestern could tighten things up a bit on a lay-up by speedy freshman guard Lydia Schmitter at the 5:31 mark.  But GAC would continue to put distance between itself and their opponent as Kendyl Queensland would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 5:21 mark and then with 4:13 left, junior sharpshooting guard Kaitlyn Schaefer started making her presence felt as she buried a "3" from the left corner area to push the Gustie lead to 13-4.  The Eagles would get the deficit down to seven as Schmitter would again come through from the charity stripe with a couple of free throws after getting fouled with 2:42 left but even the 1-2-2 match-up zone defense that Northwestern Head Coach Aaron Kahl was employing on this night could not contain the potent GAC offensive as the Gusties closed out this first period with a 12-2 burst.  Back-to-back three-point bombs - one by Peters from the right top area with 2:11 left and another by sophomore point guard Anna Goodman from the right wing area with 1:39 left - had GAC up 19-6 and then sophomore reserve forward Bella Sutch took care of the rest.  The former Spring Lake Park standout would get a tough score in the paint with :47.3 left that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" made it 22-8.  Two more free throws by Sutch after she was fouled with :29.3 left and one more after getting fouled with :08.8 left had the Gusties in great shape with a sizable 25-8 lead.  

The Eagles hoped to get off to a better start in the second period and when Schmitter used a burst of speed to drive into the lane for a finish at the 9:22 mark, the Northwestern faithful hoped that they were pointed in the right direction but the Gusties had vastly different ideas as they used a 13-0 burst to widen their lead.  Kendyl Queensland would connect on a tough jumper along the left baseline at the 8:37 mark and a lay-up by junior guard Olivia Grothaus at the 8:01 mark had GAC up 29-10.  Grothaus would follow this up with a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 7:29 mark and a short time later, Peters would knock down a short jumper from the left side at the 7:11 mark to make it 33-10.  Less than a minute later, Goodman would connect on a pull-up jumper from the left wing area in transition at the 6:39 mark and Schaefer would put a bow tie on this latest run by unleashing more terror from behind the arc with a bomb from the left wing area that now had the Gusties running away with this one up 38-10.  Northwestern freshman reserve forward Emma Korinek would try and ease some of the pain as she would bang home a "3" from the right wing area with 4:50 left and with 3:25 left Korinek; the former Concordia Academy standout, would connect on a lay-up in transition but two scores in succession from the Gusties only put the home team further in the hole as willowy junior forward Whitley Ronn would connect on a pretty reverse lay-up in transition with 3:25 left and then Peters would connect on a routine jumper from the left elbow area with 2:41 left that put GAC up 44-15 and the Eagles' Kahl wasted little time in calling for a halt to the action to stem the massive bleeding.  Unfortunately for Northwestern, this was just the start of another 13-0 run by the Gusties as Goodman would drain a "3" from the right wing area with 2:03 left and then two free throws by Schaefer after an odd technical foul called on the Eagles with 1:13 left got the GAC lead to 49-15.  After Northwestern coughed the ball up again, the Gusties' Schaefer would get a short jumper to go down with 1:02 left and two free throws by freshman reserve forward Lauren Queensland with :14.1 left had GAC taking an insurmountable 52-15 lead into the locker room at the half.  

The Eagles would again try and turn the tide once the third period got underway as freshman guard Ella Frazier would bury a "3" from the right wing area at the 9:20 mark but Northwestern would then have to absorb a 6-0 Gustie punch.  Peters would connect on a short jumper in the lane at the 8:59 mark and then Ronn would snare away an Eagle pass and race the other way for an easy lay-up at the 8:42 mark before a routine lay-up by Goodman at the 8:00 mark stretched the GAC lead to forty at 58-18.  The Eagles would get a lift on a three-point bomb by junior forward Carli Elrod from the left corner area with 7:46 left before the Gusties answered that with an 11-0 burst.  Ronn would slither into the paint for a score at the 7:33 mark and a jumper by Peters from the left wing area at the 6:39 mark had GAC up 62-21.  Grothaus would muscle into the paint for another score a short time later at the 6:07 mark and then it would be Ronn again as she would connect on a lay-up at the 5:29 mark.  Schaefer would then bang home her third trey of this contest with a bomb from the left wing area with 4:35 left as the Gustie lead ballooned to 69-21 before Northwestern's Elrod came through with a little ointment for the home crowd as she would make a hard drive for a finish with 3:02 left that also drew a foul and Elrod would sink the obligatory "and one".  With 1:57 left Elrod would come through again for the Eagles by knocking down a short jumper in the lane but down 69-26, there was little joy being felt by the partisan home crowd.  

Though the outcome of this one was never in doubt for the most part of this contest, that aspect certainly didn't deter this young Northwestern team as they continued to battle hard to their credit.  A three-point bomb by Korinek from the right corner at the 8:18 mark of the fourth period helped spur an 11-2 run by the Eagles.  Schmitter would then steal the spotlight at home with with her own scoring burst as the former United Christian Academy standout would first snare a steal and race the other way for a lay-up at the 8:07 mark and at the 7:32 mark, Schmitter would make a daring drive into the lane for a score that also drew a foul and would get the ensuing "and one" to go down as well.  At the 6:28 mark, Schmitter would strike again with her defensive prowess as she would snare a steal and dash the other way for a lay-up.  But Schmitter was not done just yet as she would get to the charity stripe after getting fouled at the 5:48 mark and get a pair of free throw shots to go down.  Unfortunately for the Eagles, down 71-37, none of this was going to be close to being enough as GAC went back to work to widen its lead.  Schaefer would unleash her fourth three-point bomb of the evening at the 5:31 mark - this dagger coming from the left wing area - and a jumper from the free throw line area by Peters with 4:16 left had the Gusties up 76-41.  By this point, GAC Head Coach Laurie Kelly got her reserves into this contest which not only gave them some valuable game minutes but a chance to get into the scoring book as well.  Freshman reserve guard Zoe Verhasselt would connect on a lay-up in transition with 2:49 left and fellow freshman reserve forward Ellie Davis would get a tough score in the paint with :59.4 left.  With :41.6 left, freshman reserve forward Miranda Palmby got a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled and Davis would get one freebie to go down for good measure after getting fouled with :16.3 left as the Gusties romped to an easy 85-41 win.  

When I caught up with GAC's Kelly afterward, I congratulated her on the big win on this night and how impressive they looked when they were clicking on all cylinders.  After three straight losses (SMU in overtime, CSB and then UW-Eau Claire this last weekend), the Gusties needed a "feel good" moment to go into the Christmas holiday with and they got it on this night.  Now, while this particular game won't do much for their NPI (Power Index) rankings, it at least gets this team reset in a way in terms of getting a shot of much-needed confidence and, just as important, a bit of a head of steam as well as one more big non-conference game looms just before the first of the year when UW-Whitewater out of the WIAC visits St. Peter on 12-30.  The other thing that was noticeable in this contest:  Kelly tweaked her lineup a bit from the last time I covered the Gusties (at Hamline early this month) as both Grothaus and Schaefer got the nod to start in this one.  I think, more than anything, this game offered Kelly and her staff a chance to tinker with things just a bit to see how this starting combination might go and, at the end of the day, it worked out pretty well for them, IMHO.  I think with the 5'10" Grothaus in the starting lineup, it may provide an opportunity for the Gusties to match the physicality of some of the opponents that they're going to be running into sooner or later (UW-Whitewater, Bethel, Concordia and then SMU in the regular season finale).  We'll see but it at least provides a different look and things for Kelly and her staff to consider.  To me, the big uplift for GAC on this night was Schaefer; the former Eastview product who absolutely lit up Erickson Center on this night with her three-point artillery barrage.  Consider:  Schaefer missed all of last season with a foot injury and even had she been healthy, it's unlikely that she would've seen much in the way of playing time with all the seniors and immediate reserves behind them on last year's team.  Now with her long recovery complete, it's also apparent that she's very hungry to prove herself and we saw flashes of what she could do coming off the bench in that thrilling comeback win over Hamline.  With her three-point shooting ability, I think it was the one change that GAC may have needed to make just to make them that more dangerous on the offensive end.  In short, keep your eye on Kaitlyn Schaefer because she's going to be a very good one for the Gusties.  Kelly did add that there's still a lot of work this team needs to do when it comes to taking care of the ball and making better decisions with the ball but the good news is that these things can be worked on in practice and you know Kelly will be working them every day they're on the floor. 

Meanwhile for Northwestern, well, quite obviously reality hit them hard tonight as this young team was simply overmatched from the get-go.  Yet I think the encouraging thing for Kahl and his staff is that they never stopped fighting and kept competing until the very end and that's really all you can ask of them.  The Eagles have a very good one in Schmitter and I think this team will get better and better as this season progresses.  Regarding the technical foul that got called on Northwestern late in the second period, it's my understanding that the officials called the technical because a Northwestern player slapped the ball after it went out of bounds on her; probably in a brief moment of frustration as to how the game was going for them.  All I'll say here is that if a player does something egregiously wrong, I get it if/when they get T'd up for that.  But slapping the ball that, in this case, had virtually no consequential outcome for anyone involved?  And in a game where the outcome was, for all intents and purposes, decided in the opening period?  Officials in this case have more important things to worry about.  God knows I've got away with way worse stuff on the tennis court back in the day.  😄 

As you've probably already guessed, there wasn't much on the box score for Northwestern to cheer about on this night either.  Surprisingly, they only had three more turnovers than GAC did at 24-21 but unfortunately for the Eagles, the Gusties were able to cash in at the bank handsomely getting 29 points off of Northwestern boo-boos.  GAC completely owned the glass on this night with a whopping 37-15 edge in rebounds and the Gusties had their way with scores in the paint with a 32-20 edge.  The fact that GAC shot 32-55 from FG range for a sizzling 58.2% and 7-15 from downtown - thanks in large part to the aforementioned Ms. Schaefer - for 46.7% gives you an idea of how this game went.  And the Gusties were solid from the charity stripe on this night as well going 14-17 for 82.4%.  And GAC simply smothered the Eagles defensively as Northwestern shot a frigid 16-55 from FG range for 29.1% and the Eagles weren't much better behind the arc going 4-19 for 21.1%.  Ouch.

It was another big outing for GAC's Peters as she not only led the way for the Gusties but also led all scorers with her 21 points and it was definitely the coming-out party for Schaefer as she was 4-5 from downtown and poured in 18 points.  Northwestern's Schmitter had to carry much of the load for the Eagles on this night and she certainly didn't disappoint as she led the way for her team with 16 points while Korinek had a solid evening scoring-wise as she finished with 10 points.  

  

 

UW-River Falls vs Bethel 12-13-25

 Made the short run over to Robertson Center on the campus of Bethel University on this sunny but bitterly cold December day to take in a highly-anticipated inter-conference clash between visiting UW-River Falls and host Bethel.  Despite a rocky first half of the season, the Falcons were coming into this particular contest on a four-game win streak; their latest victim being Edgewood in Mad-town this last Wednesday while the Royals were coming into this game on a five-game win streak after dropping the season opener at UW-Stout.  This game would be a contrast of styles with the up-tempo and freewheeling offensive style of UW-River Falls and a defensive-minded Bethel team so you knew it was going to be interesting to see which style would ultimately prevail on this day.  

The Royals would jump out to a 4-0 lead in the first minute of the opening period thanks to junior forward Emily Erickson as she would first knock a pair of free throws down after getting fouled at the 9:19 mark and would connect on a lay-up in transition after a steal at the 9:03 mark.  But Bethel's man-to-man "D" still didn't faze the Falcons as they responded with an 8-0 run.  Slender freshman forward Emily Anderson would start this run off with a three-point bomb from the left corner area at the 8:53 mark and senior sharp-shooting guard Zoey Buchan would follow suit from that same left corner area a short time later at the 8:18 mark to put UW-River Falls up 6-4.  Fifth-year senior reserve forward Olivia Boily would finish off this early run by snaring an offensive rebound for a putback at the 7:39 mark to make it an 8-4 game before Bethel could find some answers.  Erickson again answered the bell for the Royals as she would drain a "3" from the right wing area at the 6:43 mark that cut the deficit to one at 8-7 and then Bethel would push ahead at 9-8 after junior reserve forward Cally Peterson sank a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 6:06 mark.  Then the Falcons would nudge ahead at 10-9 when junior point guard Savannah Leopold used a burst of speed to dart into the lane for a tough lay-up at the 5:52 mark.  But that didn't last long as the Royals would come right back and assume a 12-10 lead on a three-point bomb by willowy senior forward Ali Born from the left wing area at the 5:39 mark.  UW-River Falls would get the contest leveled at 12-all when junior reserve guard Braelyn Beiler connected on a jumper from the left top area just inside the arc at the 5:08 mark but right back came Bethel as fifth-year senior forward Elly Schmitz got a tough lay-up to go down with 4:47 left to make it a 14-12 game.  It took the Falcons a bit but Buchan would come up big for UW-River Falls in the last two minutes as she would drain her second trey of this contest - this one coming from the right top area with 1:59 left - and would also connect with perfect touch on a jumper from the right elbow area with :18.2 left that had UW-River Falls in good shape with a 17-14 advantage.  

The Falcons' Buchan would picked up where she left off once the second period got underway as the Johnston, IA native would connect on a lay-up in transition at the 9:24 mark that now had them up 19-14.  Bethel would close to within a single possession when Schmitz nailed a "3" from the top of the key - off the glass no less - at the 9:04 mark but right back came UW-River Falls' Buchan as she would unleash more terror from behind the arc with a bomb from the left corner area again that restored the Falcons five-point edge at 22-17.  The Royals would then close to a single point thanks to senior point guard Colette Duininck as she would first connect on a lay-up at the 7:24 mark and then would get a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled at the 6:07 mark.  But UW-River Falls would control the tempo of this one down the stretch that upped their breathing room.  Buchan would strike again at the 5:39 mark as she would dart through traffic and connect on a lay-up that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" not only grew the Falcons lead to four at 25-21 but now UW-River Falls was in the bonus as well.  With 3:40 left, freshman reserve guard Madisyn Berggren came through in a big way as she would bury a "3" from the left wing area that gave the Falcons their largest lead yet at 28-21.  A pretty drive and lay-up by Buchan with 2:40 left along with one free throw by Anderson after she was fouled with 2:24 left maintained the seven-point edge at 31-24.  Although Bethel was able to cut into the deficit with 2:08 left when Schmitz made a drive along the right baseline for a finish with 2:08 left, the Royals struggled to finish around the rim for most of the second period and worse yet, they had found no solutions for containing the Falcons' Buchan so UW-River Falls had to feel pretty good about themselves as they took a 31-26 lead into the locker room at the half.   

The Falcons would get their lead to six at 32-26 when Buchan got one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 9:42 mark of the third period and then Bethel's immediate fortunes appeared to take another hit when senior combo guard/forward Rosalie Penke went down with an injury at the 8:55 mark.  Fortunately for the Royals, Penke was able to get up and walk back to the bench okay and that seemed to restore some much-needed energy for the Royals as they battled their way back into this contest.  Duininck would drain a "3" from the left wing area at the 8:26 mark and two free throws by Born after she was fouled at the 6:57 mark cut the deficit down to one at 32-31.  Worse yet for UW-River Falls, Leopold would get whistled for her third foul of this contest and Falcons Head Coach Shelby Lyman wasn't taking any chances with one of her starters and she quickly yanked her to the pine for preservation purposes.  But UW-River Falls found some salvation as Buchan would uncork yet another three-point bomb from the left corner area at the 6:02 mark and two free throws by Boily after she was fouled with 4:54 left restored the earlier six-point edge at 37-31.  Hanging on to this cushion, however, proved problematic as Bethel quickly erased this deficit.  Junior reserve guard Macey Littlefield would bang home a "3" from the right corner area with 4:41 left and a little more than a minute later, Erickson got a three-point play the old-fashioned way as she would connect on a lay-up that also drew a foul and her obligatory "and one" with 3:38 left had this contest on even terms again 37.  UW-River Falls would push ahead again when Beiler got a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled with 2:54 left but the Royals would soon get this game tied again at 39-all when Schmitz got a pair of charity stripe shots to go down after getting fouled with 2:16 left.  Worse yet for the Falcons, senior post Jocelyn Plonski had to retreat to the bench with three fouls.  With 1:47 left, Bethel's Duininck got a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled that pushed the Royals back out in front for the first time since near the midway point of the first period.  But that wouldn't last long as UW-River Falls' Leopold; carrying those three fouls, buried a "3" from the top of the key with 1:29 left to put the Falcons back on top 42-41.  Leopold would also get a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled with :43.3 left that would have the Falcons up 44-42 but a tough score in the paint by Bethel's Erickson had this contest knotted again at 44 a piece so off we went to the fourth period with the issue still unresolved.  

The Royals took the upper hand in the early moments of the fourth period as Born would sink a pair of freebies after getting fouled at the 9:40 mark but UW-River Falls would answer on their subsequent possession as Boily knocked down a jumper from the right elbow area at the 9:14 mark to level this game again at 48 a piece.  Less than a minute later, Bethel would take the lead back as Schmitz got into the paint for a score at the 8:17 mark but then the Falcons would come down on their subsequent possession and take the lead away as Anderson would deliver a three-point bomb from the left top area at the 7:55 mark to make it a 49-48 game.  UW-River Falls' Lyman would then call for a timeout to set up strategy for the home stretch but unfortunately for the Falcons, it also gave Bethel Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer and his staff an opportunity to chart their course as well and it was here where the Royals embarked on a key 6-0 push that really changed the complexion of this game.  Schmitz would start this key push with a routine score in the paint at the 7:25 mark and Erickson would follow suit at the 6:42 mark that had Bethel up 52-49.  The Falcons would come up empty on their subsequent possession and then the Royals extended their lead to 54-49 when Duininck got the outlet pass off of a defensive rebound and then raced the other way for a lay-up at the 6:20 mark.  That forced UW-River Falls' Lyman to take a match to a thirty-second timeout in hopes of finding a quick fix.  To their credit, the Falcons were able to close within a single possession when Anderson connected on a lay-up at the 6:02 mark but Bethel would proceed to put its opponent in another bad spot with two key scores.  Erickson would connect on a lay-up at the 5:07 mark and then less than a minute later, Born would unleash a killer "3" from the top of the key with 4:18 left that now had the Royals up by eight at 59-51 and once again UW-River Falls' Lyman had to resort to using one of her remaining timeouts in hopes of stopping the bleeding.  The Falcons would cut the deficit down to six when Anderson connected on a lay-up with 4:04 left but then Bethel would establish a ten-point cushion as Schmitz would first get a score in the paint off of an inbounds pass with 3:44 left and with 2:22 left, Born would connect on a short one-handed shot off the glass that had the Royals up 63-53.  UW-River Falls would then get the deficit cut to six as Berggren would connect on a lay-up with 2:10 left as would Anderson with 1:46 left that shrunk the Royals lead to 63-57 but the Falcons would never see this game get back to a single possession again as Bethel proceeded to put the finishing touches on this game.  Erickson would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 1:37 left and with :31.4 left, Duininck would get an inbounds pass from the half-court area and race in for a lay-up that had the Royals up 67-59.  There was one last flicker of hope for UW-River Falls when Leopold buried a "3" from the left top area that cut the deficit to five at 67-62 but Bethel got the job done at the charity stripe for final closure.  Duininck would get a pair of free throws to go down with :14.8 left as would Penke with :09.4 left.  The Falcons would get one last hurrah when Berggren buried a "3" from the left wing area but two free throws by Bethel's Duininck after she was fouled with :01.8 left gave the Royals a hard-earned 73-67 victory.  

When I caught up with Bethel's Herbrechtsmeyer afterward, he told me that they had to make some adjustments at the halftime break in hopes of at least slowing down UW-River Falls' Buchan whom I had unofficially with 18 points in that first half.  The fact that Buchan was held to six points in the second half should tell you that whatever adjustments were made at the half by Herbrechtsmeyer and his staff worked out okay.  One thing I found out about the Royals is that they can go deeper than what you think as not only Littlefield and Peterson were contributors on this day but sophomore reserve guard Alaina Bonacquista and freshman reserve guard Jada Otoo got minutes in this game as well.  And let's not forget about another fifth-year senior on this Royals team; Lexi Schermann who's also there as well.  I have to think that at some point, she'll get some opportunities to contribute.  With finals coming up this week at Bethel, its going to be a challenging week as they must also prepare for two big games at Wisconsin Dells this next weekend - the first contest on Friday night against another WIAC contender, UW-La Crosse and the second on Saturday against ARC favorite Coe so the Royals have little time to celebrate this latest win.  

The big shocker for me was learning that UW-River Falls has had not one, not two but THREE players lost for the season thus far with ACL injuries (and possibly a fourth as I was told afterward by a parent of one of the Falcon players).  As someone who has followed the women's basketball scene - especially at the DIII level for a long time now - that's just unimaginable if not downright unfair.  Yet we saw a very resilient Falcon team on this day get themselves into position to steal a massive win on the road only to falter down the stretch to a deeper, more physical team.  In fact, if you look at the games that UW-River Falls has played already, you'll only see one game where they were defeated decisively (against Hope back on 11-8) so you have to heap a ton of praise on the Falcons' Lyman and her staff for keeping this team focused and getting the most out of them.  And UW-River Falls has a big opportunity to make amends this next Saturday when Augsburg pays a visit before they delve into WIAC play after the first of the year. 

It's a little weird when you look at the final box score for this one because it's a mixed bag and some of the numbers seem a little deceiving.  To be sure, the Royals did have a 40-34 advantage on the boards but in actuality, it was the Falcons who did a better job cleaning the glass in the first half.  The Royals shot marginally better from FG range going 21-52 for 40.4% and shot 6-17 from downtown for 35.3% while the Falcons went 23-65 from FG range for 35.4% and 10-35 from behind the arc for 28.6%.  Both teams were solid from the charity stripe on this day - Bethel going 25-28 for 89.3% and UW-River Falls going 11-13 for 84.6% although there's obviously a discrepancy in how many times each team got to the line.  The Royals were guilty of 16 turnovers compared to 12 for the Falcons and UW-River Falls did a significantly better job cashing in at the bank off of those turnovers than Bethel did (17-8).  And the Falcons also had a decisive edge in bench points at 18-9 but some of that was because of what I described earlier with all the injuries the Falcons have suffered thus far.  I think the one item that really helped pave the way for Bethel on this day is that they had a whopping advantage in points in the paint at 30-20.  We know that UW-River Falls loves more of an up-tempo game and they're definitely not shy from behind the arc.  I do think that they are a bit too reliant on the three-point shot at times and when they're not falling, you've got to have a Plan B to fall back on.  To me, that's the challenge that the Falcons have to find an answer for going forward.  

The other thing that benefitted the Royals on this day was an incredibly balanced scoring attack.  Erickson led the way with her 18 points but right behind was Duininck with her 17 points which, with her in the point guard spot and also being arguably one of the top two or three on-ball defenders in the MIAC, shows you how valuable she is to this team.  And what can you say about Schmitz, a second-team preseason All-American and her 15 points and eight rebounds?  And almost forgotten on this day was Born who collected a "double-double" with her 12 points and 10 rebounds.  She's the player who does the hard, unappreciated work who's deserving of the recognition.  Meanwhile, it was quite the day for UW-River Falls' Buchan as she easily led the Falcons attack and also led all scorers with her 24 points and lit up Robertson Center from downtown going 4-5 on this day.  Anderson had a solid day as well as she tallied 15 points while Leopold finished with 10 points.       

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