SMU vs GAC 2-21-26

It may have been Senior Day at GAC on this Saturday but that didn't stop sophomore point guard Anna Goodman from having a big day in leading the Gusties to a huge win and the number-two seed in the MIAC Playoffs as well.  

 Made a very good trip down US Highway 169 and the Union Pacific's Mankato Sub mainline down to St. Peter on this sunny but cold Saturday for the regular season finale taking place at Gus Young Court in Lund Arena on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College and this game on this day was a huge one with visiting SMU taking on host GAC with MIAC Playoff seeding and NCAA Tournament implications galore.  The Cardinals had their six-game win streak snapped on Wednesday night in a very tough loss to Hamline and were needing a win today to have a chance to not only hold onto the number-two seed position but also keep their NCAA Tournament hopes above water as well.  The Gusties meanwhile were enjoying a five-game win streak coming into this contest that not only had them in position to steal the number-two see in the MIAC Playoffs with a victory but were also hoping to bolster their NPI ranking and stay very much in the NCAA Tournament conversation as well.  Today was also Senior Day at GAC and the Gusties lone senior, guard Bobbie Bruns, was honored before tip-off.

SMU would draw first blood in this contest at the 9:02 mark of the opening period when freshman forward Ayla Olson made a hard drive into the lane for a finish but the Gusties would be quick to respond.  Slender junior forward Ella Peters would bury a "3" from the left wing area at the 8:39 mark and two free throws by fellow junior sharpshooting guard Kaitlyn Schaefer after she was fouled at the 7:26 mark had GAC up 5-2.  But the Cardinals would be quick to retaliate with back-to-back three-point bombs.  Sophomore combo guard/forward Julia Koch would bang home a "3" from the left corner area at the 6:45 mark and then sophomore reserve guard Emma Mann would bury a "3" of her own from the right top area at the 5:52 mark that put SMU back out in front 8-5.  Right back came the Gusties, however, as junior forward Kendyl Queensland used a burst of speed to connect on a lay-up at the 5:29 mark that cut the deficit to one at 8-7 and a short time later, sophomore point guard Anna Goodman would connect on a lay-up with 4:57 left that pushed GAC back out in front by a 9-8 count.  The Cardinals would retake the lead on a pair of free throws by Ayla Olson after she was fouled with 4:34 left but SMU's lead would be short-lived as the Gusties took it right back on a three-point bomb by sophomore reserve guard Olivia Grothaus from the left corner area with 4:10 left.  After a foiled SMU possession, GAC would up its lead to 15-10 when junior forward Whitley Ronn buried a "3" from the left wing area with 3:53 left and two free throws by reserve junior guard Peyton Stevemer after she was fouled with 3:20 left had the Gusties up 17-10.  A tough score in the paint by sophomore reserve forward Bella DeHaan with 2:40 left maintained the seven-point edge at 19-12 and with 1:37 left, Stevemer capped this surprising 12-2 run that made it a 21-12 game.  But the Cardinals were able to shore up their defenses before this first period was over as freshman reserve guard Hadley Sammons would drill a "3" from the right top area with 1:15 left and with just :00.2 left, point guard Lindsey Lettner somehow got a desperate jumper from the left wing area to cooperate that at least had SMU closer down 21-17 that brought this wild and weird first period to a close.

Determined to make up for the rough patch they had to endure coming down the home stretch of the first period, the Cardinals set out to make a statement at the outset of the second period.  Ayla Olson would make a hard drive into the lane for a finish at the 9:34 mark that brought SMU back to within a single possession down 21-19 and moments later, Sammons would connect on a lay-up in transition at the 9:14 mark after a Gustie turnover that leveled the contest at 21 and GAC Head Coach Laurie Kelly; not at all liking the developments, called a thirty-second timeout to get her troops reorganized.  That short stoppage in play appeared to pay dividends as Peters would quickly respond with back-to-back scores.  The River Falls, WI native would first knock down a jumper along the right baseline at the 9:00 mark and less than a minute later she would snare an offensive rebound for a putback that had the Gusties back out in front by a 25-21 count.  This time, however, the Cardinals would quick to make amends as Ayla Olson would connect on a pretty reverse lay-up at the 7:48 mark that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" had the deficit down to a point at 25-24.  SMU would stay in that one-point range down 27-26 when sophomore guard Brianna Nusbaum connected on a lay-up at the 6:22 mark and at the 5:11 mark, the Cardinals would poke back out in front again at 28-27 on a pair of free throws by Lettner that now also had SMU in the bonus as well.  With 3:40 left, a lay-yup by Ayla Olson got the Cardinals lead to 30-28 but GAC would not let its opponent get any headway.  Peters would connect on a short jumper from the right side with 2:38 left that tied the game at 30-all and a short time later Peters would follow that up with a lay-up in transition with 2:13 left that pushed the Gusties back into the lead at 32-30.  SMU would get this contest knotted up again at 32 a piece when Koch made a hard drive for a finish with 1:22 left but GAC's Ronn would counter with a lay-up with 1:12 left that allowed the Gusties to take a slim 34-32 lead into the locker room at the halftime break in a game that had been a back-and-forth affair up to this point.

But this Cardinals team was short-handed on this day as they were without the services of sophomore forward Rylie Sternquist who suffered an apparent concussion during the Hamline game on Wednesday night and didn't travel with the team to St. Peter on this day.  To make matters worse, Nusbaum was arguably playing at about 80-85% on this day as she suffered a bruised tailbone in the Hamline game as well so to say that SMU was playing in conditions where their margin for error was quite slim would be an understatement to say the least.  And that worry for SMU Head Coach Courtney Shelton came to the forefront in the early stages of the third period when junior forward Kali Olson picked up her third foul of the afternoon and Shelton had no choice but to yank her to the pine for preservation purposes and go guard-heavy for a spell.  That opened the door somewhat for the Gusties to gradually expand their lead as Goodman would use a burst of speed to connect on a lay-up at the 7:53 mark to make it a 36-32 game and a lay-up by Ronn at the 7:09 mark maintained the four-point edge at 38-34.  Stevermer would cash in on a pair of freebies after getting fouled at the 6:37 mark and when Ronn followed suit after getting fouled at the 6:00 mark, the Cardinals' Shelton had little choice but to take a match to a thirty-second timeout after absorbing this 8-2 run by GAC that now had SMU down by eight at 42-34.  The Cardinals were able to take a bite out of this deficit on a routine score in the paint by Ayla Olson at the 5:43 mark but the Gusties would restore the eight-point lead at 44-36 when Stevermer made a tough drive along the left baseline for a finish with 4:50 left.  Things would deteriorate even more for SMU when Koch had to retreat to the bench after collecting her third foul on this day with 3:38 left and the Gusties were quick to pounce on this opportunity as Ronn would connect with a jumper from the right elbow area with 2:58 left that now gave GAC at ten-point cushion at 46-36.  It's easy to see how the Cardinals could have had their dam broken right there but instead they were able to make some quick repairs and get the deficit reduced a bit.  Sammons would make a hard drive for a finish with 2:26 left that had the deficit down to eight at 46-38 and despite Kali Olson retreating to the bench after picking up her fourth foul with 2:19 left, younger sis Ayla Olson would get a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled with 1:51 left that slimmed the deficit down to seven at 47-40.  With 1:18 left, Ayla Olson would strike again with a tough score in the paint that would keep SMU in that seven-point range down 49-42.  Koch would have to make a return trip to the bench after picking up her fourth foul of the day with 1:08 left but Ayla Olson would come to the rescue again by knocking down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with :51.1 left that kept the Cardinals in that seven-point range down 51-44 so despite so many things going against them in this third period, SMU found a way to be resourceful when they had to and were still very much in the thick of things as this one morphed into the fourth period.

The Gusties were anxious to open up some more space once the fourth period was underway and a short jumper from the left side by Peters at the 9:10 mark got GAC's lead to nine at 53-44 but they soon found the Cardinals to be uncooperative guests in their building.  Ayla Olson would strike again at the 8:47 mark with a drive into the lane for a finish that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" not only cut the deficit to six at 53-47 but now the Gusties' Kendyl Queensland had to retreat to the bench with her fourth foul of the day.  SMU would keep Ayla Olson as its focal point of offensive production and at the 7:55 mark she would get a pair of free throws to go down that drew the Cardinals closer down 53-49.  Then Koch; back in the game with those four fouls, would come through with a huge three-point bomb from the right top area that suddenly had SMU right back where they wanted to be; down just a single point at 53-52 and one had to figure that this was the Cardinals window of opportunity right here.  GAC's Laurie Kelly certainly had to be thinking in those same terms as she quickly saw her squad facing a danger point and she wasted little time in taking a match to a timeout as she needed to make some quick adjustments.  This stoppage in play proved to be exactly what this young Gustie team needed to get refocused again.  Grothaus would yank an offensive rebound for a putback at the 6:59 mark and then Goodman would uncork a three-point bomb from the right corner area a short time later at the 6:21 mark that stretched GAC's lead to six at 58-52.  The Cardinals were able to cut the deficit down to five at 58-53 when Ayla Olson got one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 5:56 mark but on the Gusties' subsequent possession, Goodman would again find her groove from behind the arc with a bomb from the left wing area at the 5:41 mark that upped GAC's lead to eight at 61-53 and now SMU's Shelton; who just a few moments ago had her squad in prime position down by just one, saw that window quickly closing and took a match to a timeout in hopes of finding some quick solutions.  But the Gusties would again get their lead to double digits at 63-53 when Goodman connected on a lay-up with 4:56 left before the Cardinals could start making inroads again.  Ayla Olson would snare an offensive rebound for a putback with 4:35 left and then Lettner would bury a "3" from the left corner area with 3:05 left that had SMU back to within striking distance again down 63-58.  But the Cardinals would never see themselves get back to within a single possession again as GAC always found answers when they had to.  Goodman would drop a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 2:43 left that not only grew the Gusties' lead to 65-58 but now SMU's Koch was done for the day as well after collecting her fifth and final foul plus GAC was now in the bonus as well.  Peters would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 2:25 left to make it a 66-58 game and the Gusties would maintain this eight-point lead when sophomore reserve forward Bella Sutch connected on a lay-up with 1:42 left.  The Cardinals would attempt one last-ditch push as Ayla Olson would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 1:27 left and would get two more to go down after getting fouled with :50.6 left that had the deficit down to five at 68-63.  GAC's Kelly would take a timeout at this point to draw up strategy to protect this five-point lead and, knowing the opponent would have to foul to preserve clock, Stevermer would get fouled with :45.6 left and she would knock down both free throw attempts to make it a 70-63 game.  SMU's Shelton would take a match to another timeout and with :31.3, the Cardinals would again cut the deficit down to five as Mann would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled.  Now it was GAC''s Kelly's turn to burn another timeout and the Cardinals would foul the Gusties' Goodman and she would respond with a pair of freebies with :29 left that made it a seven-point game again at 72-65.  SMU's Shelton would follow suit by using her last timeout in hopes of dialing up a miracle and with :18 left, the Cardinals got something in the form of that as Lettner would bang home a "3" from the left wing area that now had the deficit down to four at 72-68.  The Gusties' Kelly would then take her final timeout to set up strategy and with :16.3 left, Peters would get one free throw to go down that made it 73-68.  The Cardinals would launch one last desperate heave when freshman reserve guard Alexis Kube's three-point attempt went awry with :06.4 left and GAC would dribble this one out to not only preserve the crucial victory but perhaps just as important, snare the second-seed in the upcoming MIAC Playoffs as well.  

It took a little bit but was I was able to catch up with SMU's Shelton afterward and I had to ask her right away if she was able to advise on the status of the Cardinals' Sternquist for this next week - especially now with SMU relegated to the fourth seed in the upcoming MIAC Playoffs after this loss.  "We're hoping she'll be available and ready to go" she said.  But, as we all know, concussion protocol is nothing anyone wants to fool around with and it's safe to say that the Cardinals' athletic and training staff will not hesitate to err on the side of safety in this matter.  Probably just as important is the overall health of Nusbaum who again was not operating at a full 100% today with the bruised tailbone issue and really wasn't much of a factor in this game either which put another dent into SMU's chances on this day.  But as Shelton emphasized, you can only control what you can control and now they have to find a way to get this last week out of their collective systems and get refocused and ready for Hamline this coming Tuesday evening which will not be an easy chore regardless if the game is at Winona, in St Paul or on the moon.  Meanwhile, the mood was indeed festive on the GAC side as a party was held downstairs for the Gusties' Bruns on this Senior Day and Kelly was naturally relaxed and having fun catching up with some former Gustie greats when I caught up with her.  Again, you see this young team of hers taking a step in the right direction with every game.  And remember, we saw this team go through a very rough stage back in December when they lost four out of their six games that month.  What have they done after the first of year?  Well, they went 13-2 with the only two blemishes coming at the hands of league champ Concordia and for a coach that had to replace three fifth-year seniors and three fourth-year seniors, that's one helluva coaching job if you ask me.  The other thing too is that I also think that this current Gustie team is slowly carving its own identity and I think it's important that they do that so that there's no unfair comparisons made between this team and the teams of the last few years with the aforementioned senior group from 2025.  We saw this team rise to the occasion when it had to and they responded positively when they faced pressure situations in this game.  And all this has parlayed into not only the number two seed in the MIAC Playoffs but a very strong NPI ranking as well which should have them in very good shape for Selection Monday on 3-2.  

Again, I think it goes without saying that SMU had a very small margin for error on this day with the injury situation they're facing at the moment.  In order for them to have come out on top on this day, they were going to have to have a lot of things go right for them and it just didn't happen when it counted.  Despite the monster game from Ayla Olson on this day (which I'll have more on in a bit), GAC still owned a 34-29 edge on the boards.  The Cardinals did have the edge in points in the paint (thanks largely to Ayla Olson) at 30-26 and they also had a 12-7 edge in those all-important "second chance" points.  But GAC had the edge in points off of turnovers (17-11), fast break points (20-5) and bench points at 25-12 and that was just too much for SMU to overcome.  And the Cardinals' fortunes only worsened once Koch and Kali Olson got into foul trouble as well.  And SMU could have been a bit better from the charity stripe on this day as they finished going 18-23 for 78.3% and in a close game like this one was, that's leaving some critical points on the table.  Conversely for the Gusties, I was pleasantly surprised to see they were 22-26 for 84.6% which isn't bad at all.  

All I can do is heap praises on SMU's Ayla Olson's efforts on this day as she willingly put her team on her shoulders and easily led all scorers with her 32 points and she just missed out on a "double double" with her eight rebounds.  Don't be surprised if you see another big performance out of her this coming Tuesday night against Hamline.  Lettner, too, had to step up on this day as she finished with 10 points.  Balanced scoring meanwhile was crucial for the Gusties in this game and they certainly got it as Goodman led the way with her 18 points - something that you ordinarily wouldn't expect out of your point guard but Goodman is far from ordinary.  Then you had Stevermer coming off the bench and she poured in 14 points and both Peters and Ronn were right behind as they both finished with 13 points a piece.  When GAC can get this type of balanced scoring, they can win games and they won a big one on this day.  

Friday Update On The Bigger Picture - 2-20-26

 Wanted to provide a bit of an update on things going on with not only the MIAC Women's Basketball scene but the larger picture as well as we head into the final weekend of the regular season.

So, with GAC holding off a determined effort from St. Scholastica last night, we now have a three-way tie for second place in the MIAC between SMU, Bethel and GAC.  Just as important, it sets up tomorrow's (Saturday 2-21) clash between SMU and GAC down in St. Peter not only as a decider on second place in the conference and the number-two seed in the upcoming MIAC Playoffs but also as a de facto NCAA Tournament play-in game as well (which I'll show you in a moment).  I don't think I need to go into too much detail in emphasizing the importance of this particular game tomorrow.  The loser of this game will essentially have one path - and one path only - to the Big Dance and that will be via winning the whole ball of wax in the MIAC Playoffs and that's just going to be the reality of the situation.  When you look at the current standings in the MIAC right now, it's easy to see what an incredibly tough conference this truly is and it simply does not get the attention or respect it should.  My hope right now is that the MIAC can at least get three teams into the Dance and I don't think that's being unrealistic at all when you look at the NPI rankings.  But as you well know, we have to see how everything plays out first and after tomorrow's action, we'll at least have a clear idea of the seeding for the upcoming MIAC Playoffs.  

So this pic gives you an idea of what things are looking like for teams that are currently on the "bubble" and it clearly demonstrates how important it is for each of these teams to win to maintain a reasonably strong NPI number.  I'll provide another update on things Sunday to see how things look after Saturday's action. 

 

SMU vs Hamline 2-18-26

Hamline brought the energy - as well as their pressure defense and trapping - that helped the Pipers bag a massive upset of SMU in Hutton Arena and throw the seeding for the upcoming MIAC Playoffs into disarray as well.

 Unlike last Saturday's trip over to the St Paul side of town to venerable Hutton Arena on the campus of Hamline University, the trip over on this snowy Wednesday evening was a royal PITA as I-694 was essentially a 10 mph bumper-to-bumper affair and Snelling Avenue wasn't much better.  Fortunately, I left my place early in anticipation of a slow trip and got myself settled into Hutton Arena for this huge late regular season clash between visiting SMU and host Hamline.  After the upset loss to CSB back in late January, the Cardinals had reeled off six straight wins including a big home win over St. Scholastica this last Saturday and were not only keeping a firm grip on second place in the MIAC standings but were very much in discussion for the upcoming NCAA Tournament with a decent NPI ranking.  The Pipers meanwhile bounced back nicely after the loss at Concordia back on February 7 as they pulled off a huge upset by knocking off Bethel at Robertson Center the previous Wednesday evening before last Saturday's big win at home over CSB that helped Hamline at least clinch a spot in the upcoming MIAC Playoffs.  So this game would have huge implications not only on the seeding for the MIAC Playoffs but also for things beyond that as well.

SMU would get off to a solid start in this one as freshman forward Ayla Olson knocked down a jumper from the left elbow area at the 9:04 mark of the opening period and she would follow that up with a pair of free throws after getting fouled in a transition opportunity at the 8:39 mark to put the Cardinals up 4-0.  The Pipers would cut the deficit to one when junior guard Lauren Cooper banged home a "3" from the left corner area at the 7:50 mark but SMU was able to get its lead to 6-3 on a pair of free throws by sophomore guard Brianna Nusbaum after she was fouled at the 7:37 mark.  But a short time later, Hamline would get this game leveled at six a piece when junior forward Marina LaFreniere connected on a lay-up at the 7:21 mark that also drew a foul and allowed the former Blaine standout to cash in on the "and one".  And the Pipers would stay even at eight a piece when senior reserve combo guard/forward Josie Wiebusch muscled into the paint for a score at the 6:42 mark.  It was here where the Cardinals were able to launch a push.  Strong junior forward Kali Olson would first connect on a lay-up at the 6:27 mark that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" had SMU up 11-8.  Less than a minute later, younger sister Ayla Olson would make a hard drive for a finish at the 5:49 mark and when Nusbaum; the former Spring Lake Park standout, buried one of her trademark southpaw three-point bombs from the left corner area at the 5:06 mark, the Cardinals had their opponent doubled up with a 16-8 advantage and Hamline Head Coach Josh Hersch definitely did not like what was unfolding and he instinctively took a match to a thirty-second timeout to remedy the situation.  That short stoppage in play seemed to have the desired effect as the Pipers got things tightened up.  Sophomore reserve guard Josie Schmidt would come through with back-to-back scores - a drive along the right baseline and pretty finish with 4:02 left and then a short, turnaround jumper with 3:27 left - that narrowed the deficit to four at 16-12 and when senior combo guard/forward Sophie Stork muscled into the paint for a score with 3:00 left, Hamline was back to within a single possession down 16-14.  The Cardinals would up their lead to 18-14 when Kali Olson got a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled with 2:10 left but then the Pipers closed out this first period with a 7-0 push thanks to their up-tempo style and the pressure and trapping defense.  LaFreniere would maneuver into the paint for one score with 1:40 left that cut the deficit back down to two again at 18-16 and when Cooper buried a "3" from the left corner area with 1:04 left, Hamline suddenly had grabbed its first lead of the evening at 19-18.  And the Pipers would extend that lead to 21-18 when Schmidt connected on a short jumper in the lane with just :04.5 left so for SMU Head Coach Courtney Shelton and her staff who likely wanted to land a knockout punch early on in this contest, that hope had now gone out the window and now the Cardinals found themselves having to adjust to the reality that they were going to be drawn into a fierce battle from a very good opponent.   

And the Cardinals prospects certainly did not brighten in any way once the second period was underway.  Hamline senior guard Camille Cummings would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 9:11 mark and when LaFreniere connected on a lay-up at the 8:24 mark, the Pipers would suddenly enjoying a six-point advantage at 24-18.  At the 7:40 mark, SMU's Nusbaum collected her second foul of the evening and Shelton was quick to yank her star shooter back to the pine for preservation purposes.  Despite this, the Cardinals were able to find solid footing again as Kali Olson was able to snare an offensive rebound for a putback at the 7:08 mark that also drew a foul in the process and her obligatory "and one" got the Cardinals back to within a single possession down 24-21.  A short time later at the 6:25 mark, Kali Olson would strike again with a routine score in the paint that had the deficit down to one at 24-23 and two free throws by strong sophomore forward Rylie Sternquist after she was fouled at the 5:46 mark pushed SMU back out in front again at 25-24.  One free throw by Ayla Olson after she was fouled with 4:33 left capped this welcome 8-0 run that made it a 26-24 ballgame but that lead was short-lived as Hamline's Cummings would drain one of her trademark three-point bombs from the left corner area with 4:04 left that had the Pipers back in front at 27-26.  Now it was the Cardinals turn to respond as one free throw by Kali Olson after she was fouled with 3:13 left leveled the contest again at 27 and now SMU was in the bonus as well.  And when Ayla Olson drained a "3" from the left corner area with 2:45 left, SMU had appeared to weather the worst of the storm with a 30-27 advantage.  Sternquist would give the Cardinals a 32-30 lead when she connected on a lay-up with 3:13 left and the former Big Lake standout would repeat the feat with 1:45 left that gave SMU a 34-32 lead.  With 1:20 left, the Cardinals got another boost when speedy freshman reserve guard Hadley Sammons snared a steal and raced the other way for a lay-up that got the lead to 36-32.  In the final minute, SMU was able to build on its lead from the charity stripe.  Ayla Olson would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with :46.9 left as would Kali Olson after she was fouled with :38.8 left.  With just :02 left on the clock, Sternquist would follow suit after she was fouled by cashing in on one charity stripe attempt as the Cardinals now seemed to have momentum clearly on their side with a 39-33 advantage as both teams headed for their respective locker rooms for the halftime break.  

And two quick scores by SMU early on in the third period seemed to solidify the thought that this young team was getting into position to finally apply the proverbial knockout punch that they failed to deliver in the first period.  Sternquist would connect on a jumper from the left elbow area at the 9:26 mark.  Then Ayla Olson snared an offensive rebound of her own miss for putback at the 8:52 mark that made it a 43-33 game and at the 7:34 mark, Ayla Olson would snare another offensive rebound for a putback that maintained the ten-point edge at 45-35.  The Pipers would get the deficit cut to six when junior reserve forward Evelyn Wiltrout connected on a lay-up at the 6:51 mark and two free throws by Stork after she was fouled at the 6:11 mark but the Cardinals responded with consecutive scores that rebuilt the double-digit cushion.  Nusbaum would knock down a pair of free throws after she was fouled with 4:51 left and a short jumper in the lane by Kali Olson with 3:48 left seemed to restore order with SMU up 49-39.  Hamline would try and chip away again as LaFreniere connected on a lay-up with 3:17 left but again the Cardinals would calmly respond.  Kali Olson would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 2:43 left and when Sternquist banged home a "3" from the right corner area with 2:07 left, SMU was once again enjoying a ten-point cushion up 53-43.  But it was here were the first subtle shift of this contest came as the Pipers ended this third period with a 7-2 push.  Cooper would start this push with back-to-back scores - a drive into the lane for a finish with 1:49 left and then a lay-up with :44.6 left - that had the deficit down to six at 53-47.  SMU's Kali Olson would snare an offensive rebound of her own miss for a putback with :27 left that got the lead to eight at 55-47 but when Hamline sophomore reserve guard Emma Lamppa buried a cold-hearted "3" from the left top area with just :00.3 left on the clock, the Pipers not only now saw the deficit cut to a much more manageable five points at 55-50 but the Cardinals now seemed a bit shell-shocked as well as that ten-point cushion they had only a short time ago had not only been cut in half but cut in half in what seemed like a heartbeat.  

Proving that this late third period push was no fluke, a quick 5-0 push by Hamline to start the fourth quarter is where this contest seemed to turn in their favor.  Wiltrout would connect on a lay-up at the 9:04 mark and when Stork banged home a "3" from the right top area at the 8:43 mark to tie the game at 55, venerable Hutton Arena was rocking and the Cardinals' Shelton wasted little time in taking a match to a timeout to get her squad calmed down.  But the Pipers were now employing their full-court pressure defense and trapping that was now beginning to take its toll on this young SMU team.  Lamppa would connect on a lay-up at the 7:58 mark to tie the contest again at 57-all and then at the 6:44 mark, Hamline would assume the lead at 59-57 when Schmidt connected on a lay-up.  The Cardinals would get this contest knotted again at the 6:26 mark when Kali Olson got a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled and younger sis Ayla Olson would do the same after she was fouled at the 5:31 mark that kept things even-steven at 61.  SMU in fact would get its nose poked out in front one more time at 63-61 when Ayla Olson snared a steal and raced the other way for a lay-up with 4:22 left but it was here where the Pipers really started making life miserable for its opponent with that pressure defense and trapping not to mention a key 10-0 run as well.  Cummings would unleash a cold-blooded "3" from the right corner area with 4:11 left that put Hamline in front for good at 64-63 and would follow that up a bit later with two free throws after getting fouled with 3:55 left that made it 66-63.  A short time later with 3:36 left, Stork would bury a cold-hearted "3" from the left top area that suddenly made it 69-63 and making things even more dire for the Cardinals, Kali Olson would pick up her fourth foul with 2:35 left but by this point, SMU's Shelton had little choice but to roll the dice.  With 2:17 left, the Pipers' Cooper buried a jumper from the top of the key area just inside the arc that now made it a 71-63 game and while this wasn't exactly checkmate for the Cardinals just yet, it seemed pretty damn close to that.  To their credit, SMU got the deficit whittled down to four as Kali Olson muscled into the paint for a score with 1:58 left and with 1:32 left, Ayla Olson got a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled in a transition opportunity after a steal that still made things a doable proposition down 71-67.  But Hamline would hold firm and after a thirty-second timeout called by the Pipers' Hersch to set up strategy, Wiebusch would connect on an important lay-up with 1:11 left to make it a six-point game at 73-67.  The Cardinals would again get the lead cut down to four at 73-69 when Kali Olson knocked down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with :46 left but there was no panic from Hamline.  With :27.6 left, Lamppa would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled that not only made it a 74-69 game but now the Pipers were in the bonus as well.  SMU's Shelton would then take a timeout in hopes of drawing up a miracle and with :15.7 left, the Cardinals did seem to get something of a miracle when senior point guard Lindsey Lettner had to heave up a prayer of a three-point bomb attempt from the right wing area with the shot clock winding down that found its mark and now down just a single possession at 74-72, there was still a sliver of hope left for the SMU contingent.  But that last wisp of hope would be quickly extinguished as Hamline's Lamppa would get fouled with :14.4 left and she would make good on both charity stripe attempts to make it a 76-72 ballgame.  The Cardinals' Shelton would take another timeout hoping there was still one more miracle in the well but when a Lettner three-point shot attempt missed its mark with :04.2 left, that was indeed checkmate as the Pipers' Stork would be fouled with :00.8 left and she would get one free throw out of it as Hamline pulled off a massive upset and sent MIAC Women's Basketball into chaos once again with a wild 77-72 victory.  

When I was finally able to catch up with a disappointed Shelton of SMU afterward, she could only shake her head in utter disappointment in reflecting on how this one got away from her team.  She inevitably had to point to her young team's inexperience in these types of situations but strictly in the big picture, this latest setback is, well, a major setback.  There's no question that Hamline's pressure defense and trapping took its toll on this young Cardinals team and she couldn't help but lament that her backcourt simply was unable to handle things when they had to bear the full brunt of the Pipers charge at them.  And now SMU has to quickly refocus as they have another huge outing coming up Saturday in St. Peter against GAC.  "We had to find a way to bounce back after the loss to 'Kate's', we had to find a way to bounce back after the loss to St. Ben's, and now we're going to have to find a way to bounce back after this one" she said.  And considering that both the Cardinals and the Gusties, who now have their respective NCAA Tournament chances hanging on a ledge as of this writing, you can bet that both teams will bring everything - including the kitchen sink - come Saturday at Lund Arena.  

The final box score on this one certainly doesn't paint a pretty picture at all for SMU but you have to pull back the layers on this one to really be able to get your arms around as to what went down and how it went down.  First things first though.......You'll see where the Cardinals did indeed own a big advantage on the boards by a 30-18 count and they also enjoyed a sizable advantage in those all-important "second chance" points at 17-5.  And SMU wasn't bad from the charity stripe at all on this night going 28-34 for 82.4% yet it could have been better (more on that in a moment).  But where you see things go to hell in a handbasket for the Cardinals is when you see that they coughed up the rock 22 times on this night and the fact that Hamline got 15 points off of those Cardinal boo-boos.  And as good as the Olson duo was on this night for SMU, the Cardinals still got outscored in the paint by a 36-28 count.  But here's where you have to start peeling back the layers on all this.  While SMU as a whole shot 20-44 from FG range for 45.5% which isn't "bad", you have to consider about how they shot at particular times.  In the fourth period for example, the Cardinals shot only 3-11 from FG range for 27.27%.  Ouch.  And things weren't much better from behind the arc in that fourth period alone for SMU where that heave-ho from Lettner was the only bomb that fell for the Cardinals.  But again when you start pulling back the layers on all this and see that other than two free throws from Nusbaum in the third period and the aforementioned three-point bomb from Lettner, SMU got no production whatsoever from its backcourt and had to rely solely on the Olson duo and Sternquist and that alone is playing Russian Roulette right there.  And speaking of Nusbaum being limited to just two charity stripe shots in the second half alone is astounding when you consider how good she really is and it shows you why Hamline's defense is top in the MIAC - all credit to them on that.  But I want to point out one other key sequence for SMU that I pondered a lot after this game - and that was coming down the stretch before the halftime break in the final minute that saw the Olson duo along with Sternquist with trips to the charity stripe where the Cardinals had been in the bonus - and each of them came away with one free throw a piece instead of two.  Some might be quick to say that I'm splitting hairs here and I certainly am not trying to lay any undue criticism on any one player, I'm just simply pointing out that had pairs of free throws been made by each, you're now looking at a nine-point lead at 42-33 going into the locker room and in a close game like this one was, those were three crucial points that SMU never got to see.  But again, one simply has to tip their cap to the Pipers on this night as they were simply too good when it counted.  When they come at you with that pressure defense and the trapping that they employ, it's akin to trying to escape from Alcatraz and as you can imagine for an opponent, the odds aren't looking good for you.  It just seems to energize them even more when they start getting points - especially three-point bombs - out of turnovers and this is why when you look at this team and what they've done over the last few weeks, you now have to look at this Hamline team as a legitimate title contender.

Balanced scoring was another key on this night for the Pipers and it was Cooper's 12 points leading the way but she did have plenty of help as both Stork and Cummings tallied 11 points on this night and Schmidt shined on this night as well as she was right behind with her 10 points.  But it was SMU's Olson duo that led all scorers on this night as both Kali and Ayla both poured in an amazing 25 points a piece and Kali had a "double double" with her 13 rebounds as well.  Sternquist would finish with 10 points on this night for the Cardinals.  

Simulated NCAA Tournament Field And Other Related Items - Sunday 2-15-26

 As we go into the last week of the regular season, I think it's time that we start taking a look at the bigger picture; i.e, the NCAA Tournament and how the MIAC is stacking up with the other conferences.  On X (formerly Twitter), I follow Scott Peterson (@scott_peterson4) who provides almost daily updates as to how things are looking.  

So, the first picture is a simulated Field of 64 teams that will likely make the NCAA Tournament if the pairings were announced today.  As you can see, there are four MIAC teams that would get in if things stood like this come Monday 3-2-26.  Concordia (assuming they win both the MIAC regular season title as well as the MIAC Championship Game) would be a number sixteen seed and would at least get to host a 1st/2nd round pod in Moorhead.  Bethel as a number 26 seed would presumably get shipped off to one of the WIAC hosts.  When it comes to SMU and GAC, my guess is that one of those two teams would get shoved to the pod in Moorhead that Concordia's hosting while the other gets shipped to a WIAC pod (and I'm just guessing that the Tournament Committee would likely place GAC up at Moorhead but that's just me).  Speaking of the WIAC, as of today anyway, the again appear to be a five-bid league with UW-Oshkosh, UW-Whitewater and UW-Platteville all in excellent position to host 1st/2nd round pods.   

And you should have an idea of the At-Large tiers.  You'll see where both Concordia and Bethel are currently listed as "locks" for the NCAA Tournament should either of them falter in the upcoming MIAC Playoffs.  As of today, no MIAC teams are listed in the "Likely" field which makes things tricky for the next field - the "Bubble In" where both SMU and GAC are listed.  As of today, both SMU and GAC would get in but they would be sweating during the Selection Show.  Hamline quite obviously from this picture would have to do the impossible and win the MIAC Playoffs to get the automatic bid as they currently have no other path.  

Another interesting viewpoint is the Proximity Report which gives you an idea of who could go where for a 1st/2nd round pod that's within the NCAA's "500 Mile" rule where a school has to provide its own transportation for a team to a host site provided the site is at least within 500 miles.  If it's 500 miles or more, then the NCAA has to cover transportation costs and we've obviously have seen this happen before (see Whitman out of the NWC from last season).  And this obviously would affect any MIAC teams that would find themselves traveling.  Again, assuming Concordia wins the MIAC regular season title and the MIAC Championship Game, there presumably would be at least seven teams that would be within the 500-mile range of Moorhead that the NCAA Committee could send there.  However, keep in mind that the actual bracketing itself is never easy and, depending on how things turn out elsewhere, they could be forced to cover transportation costs (flight) for a team in Texas or out of either the NWC or SCIAC.  Conversely, if Concordia were to falter in the last week of the regular season or in the MIAC Playoffs, the only likely destination for the Cobbers - if you're talking in terms of that 500-mile Rule, would be at UW-Platteville (assuming they're still in a position to host) as both UW-Oshkosh and UW-Whitewater are too far away so the NCAA would have a problem in that kind of a scenario.  

I'll be providing updates later on this week......

  

MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 2-15-26

Concordia not only has the inside track to the MIAC regular season title and the #1 seed in the upcoming MIAC Playoffs with yesterday's big home win over Macalester but Cobbers Head Coach Kim Wagers notched her 100th win at the helm of the program as well.

 Hard to believe that we're coming up on the last week of the regular season but even though the MIAC Playoff field is set with its participants there's still a lot of moving pieces in place before we know who's going to be in what spot.  In the meantime, here's my latest Power Rankings after another topsy-turvy week:

1.  Concordia

2.  SMU 

3.  GAC

4.  Bethel

5.  Hamline

6.  St. Scholastica

7.  CSB

8.  St. Kate's

9.  Carleton

10.  Augsburg

11.  St. Olaf

12.  Macalester

Little question regarding the top two spots this week.  The Cobbers dodged a danger spot this last Wednesday night by holding off a tricky St. Kate's team at Butler Center before yesterday's demolition of Macalester back in the friendly confines of cavernous Memorial Auditorium on Senior Day where Head Coach Kim Wagers recorded her 100th victory at the reigns of the Cobber program.  This last week of the regular season appears doable enough for Concordia with St. Olaf coming to town on Wednesday night but another danger spot on the horizon looms this coming Saturday as the Cobbers must venture over to the frigid shores of Gitche Gumee to take on a St. Scholastica team playing with absolutely nothing to lose now that they've officially clinched a playoff spot.  For Concordia, their biggest enemy right now might be complacency and that's absolutely the LAST thing you want going into the MIAC Playoffs........And it was a good week for the Cardinals as they came up to the Cities this last Wednesday night and unceremoniously dumped Augsburg before applying similar treatment to St. Scholastica yesterday back home in Winona.  But this last week of the regular season could be the most challenging of all for SMU as they have to make yet another trip up US Highway 61 and the CPKC River Sub mainline back to the Cities to face Hamline at venerable Hutton Arena on Wednesday night before a run to St. Peter this coming Saturday to face GAC and for a team that not only wants to protect a first-round playoff bye but also keep their NCAA Tournament hopes above water as well, this could very well be the show-and-tell week for the Cardinals.  

GAC continues to quietly go about its business and be quite efficient in doing so as well as they took Carleton to the woodshed this last Wednesday night in Northfield and then ran away from St. Kate's at home in Lund Arena yesterday.  But the Gusties can ill-afford to relish in this four-game win streak as they too have a very challenging week ahead of them that could significantly affect not only their playoff seeding but their NCAA Tournament chances as well.  It all starts with a long roadie up to the frigid shores of Gitche Gumee on Wednesday night to take on St. Scholastica before hosting SMU back home in St. Peter on Saturday and again, this could be a telling week for them........The home stretch looked to be all good for the Royals coming into this last week - but that was before Hamline showed up at Robertson Center this last Wednesday night and pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season.  True, Bethel did recover and handily took care of Carleton down in Northfield yesterday but if you can't see the red flags surrounding this Bethel team by now, I don't know what to tell you.  The Royals finish up the regular season by running over to Augsburg on Wednesday night before hosting St. Kate's in the regular season finale this coming Saturday and even though they should easily take care of business in both games, it's becoming clearer and clearer that Bethel is now effectively playing with house money.  

With their MIAC Playoff status up in the air a week ago at this time, Hamline needed to have a big week and they definitely got it as they rolled up Snelling Avenue this last Wednesday night and pulled off maybe the biggest upset of the season so far as they knocked off Bethel at Robertson Center.  Then they followed that up yesterday in a big showdown with CSB at Hutton Arena and ran the Bennies out of town and clinched a MIAC Playoff spot in the process.  But the Pipers job is not done yet as they have a huge home game on Wednesday night with SMU coming to town before finishing up the regular season by strolling down Snelling Avenue to take on Macalester at Leonard Center on Saturday........It was a glass half full (or a glass half empty depending upon your point of view) for the Saints this last week as they held off a strong challenge from St. Olaf this last Wednesday night but the game yesterday in Winona with SMU proved to be a bridge too far.  But St. Scholastica can't be complaining too much today as they've officially clinched a spot in the upcoming MIAC Playoffs with the results from yesterday so that at least takes the pressure off of them for the last week of the regular season and it's probably just as well they'll have GAC in Reif Center on Wednesday night before Concordia comes calling on Saturday.  

So there's how things look from my perspective on this day.  And since we're edging closer to the MIAC Playoffs and the NCAA Tournament pairings, I'm planning to start providing some peeks as to what the bigger picture is starting to look like as well.   

CSB vs Hamline 2-14-26

Sophie Stork's big day not only helped Hamline get a big win at home against CSB but also helped the Pipers clinch a berth in the upcoming MIAC Playoffs as well. 

 Made a good drive on this sunny and warm Valentine's Day over to the St Paul side of town to venerable Hutton Arena on the campus of Hamline University for this crucial late regular season game between visiting CSB and host Hamline.  The Bennies have faltered since late January as they had to endure a costly three-game skid but righted the ship somewhat as of late coming into this contest with a two-game win streak; their latest victim being Macalester back in the comfy confines of Claire Lynch Hall on Wednesday night.  The Pipers meanwhile were winners of two out of their last three games and quite possibly the biggest win of their season so far came on Wednesday night when they upended Bethel at Robertson Center.  Both teams were coming into this contest with a sense of urgency in trying to secure their spot in the upcoming MIAC Playoffs and with seven teams vying for six spots, nothing was going to get handed to either team.  

CSB would draw first blood in this contest as sophomore point guard Lauren Arnold would bury a cold-blooded "3" from the top of the key at the 9:45 mark of the opening period before the Pipers could get this game knotted.  Senior combo guard/forward Sophie Stork would make a hard drive along the right baseline for a finish at the 8:41 mark and one free throw by senior sharp-shooting guard Camille Cummings after she was fouled at the 7:26 mark leveled things at three a piece.  But the Hamline faithful had to hold their collective breaths a bit later when Cummings was bringing the ball upcourt and had an awkward fall at the 6:45 mark and appeared to have tweaked her right ankle.  Fortunately for the Pipers, Cummings was able to get up okay and get back to the bench without any assistance.  With that worry in the rearview mirror, Hamline would assume its first lead of the day on a three-point bomb by Stork from the right wing area a short time later at the 6:28 mark before the Bennies found some more offense.  Arnold would sink a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 6:08 mark and less than a minute later, slender freshman post Emma Theisen would connect on a lay-up at the 5:27 mark that put CSB back out in front 7-6.  The Pipers went into a bit of drought at this point and that allowed the Bennies to up their lead to 10-6 when Theisen drained a "3" from the right wing area with 3:57 left.  Hamline would close the gap to one a short time later when junior guard Lauren Cooper buried a "3" from the left corner area with 3:35 left but CSB was able to up its lead to three at 12-9 when senior combo forward/post Kira Young slithered into the paint for a score with 3:25 left.  But it was here where the Pipers really woke up offensively and unleashed a bona fide artillery barrage on its opponent with a 22-2 run.  Cummings; back on the floor after the inadvertent stumble a bit earlier, used a burst of speed to connect on a lay-up with 2:59 left and after a foiled Bennie possession, Cummings would strike again - this time with one of her trademark three-point bombs - this one coming from the right wing area with 2:37 left that pushed Hamline back out in front 14-12.  With 2:04 left, Stork would strike from behind the arc with a bomb from the left top area that gave the Pipers a 17-14 lead.  With 1:31 left, Stork would connect on a lay-up to make it 19-14 and then with just :21.3 left in this first period, Stork again would unleash terror from behind the arc with a bomb from the left top area that now had Hamline up 22-14 and a dazed Bennie team had to find a way to catch their breath and get calmed down as well.  

The Pipers had resorted to two things that helped them get on this game-changing run - (1) using a 2-3 matchup zone defense that really bottled up CSB in their half-court offense and relegated them to jacking up reckless three-point shots and (2) employing their pressure defense that forced Bennie mistakes and Hamline really brought the heat when the second period got underway as they continued with this run.  Cummings would bang home back-to-back three-point bombs - one from the left top area at the 7:36 mark and another one a short time later at the 7:04 mark from the left corner area - that had the Pipers doubling up its opponent at 28-14.  CSB continued to sag on offense and at the 6:03 mark, Hamline's Stork would unleash more terror behind the arc with a bomb from the left top area that made it a 31-14 game and by this time Bennies' Head Coach Mike Durbin knew that the roof was caving in and had no choice but to take a thirty-second timeout in hopes of getting his squad calmed down.  CSB was finally able to brush away the cobwebs forming on its basket at the 5:12 mark when Young got into the paint for a score but down 31-16, the Bennies were going to need a lot more than that and unfortunately for them, their shots kept missing the intended mark.  That allowed the Pipers to build on their already-sizable lead as Cummings would connect on a lay-up with 4:46 left and then a lay-up by junior combo guard/forward Anna Rynkiewich with 3:40 left got Hamline's lead to 35-17.  CSB was able to take a couple of nibbles off of the deficit as Young would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 2:42 left as would Theisen after she was fouled with 1:49 left.  And the Pipers would bookend this great second period for them as junior forward Marina LaFreniere would connect on a lay-up with :11.8 left as Hamline took a 37-18 into the locker room at the halftime break.  

After an absolutely dreadful second period that saw the Bennies go 1-12 from FG range, CSB hoped to turn things around once the third period got underway.  And it certainly looked like they did as Arnold would knock down a jumper from the left elbow area at the 9:19 mark.  In fact, Arnold would strike again at the 7:33 mark with a drive into the lane and a one-handed finish.  But the bad news for the Bennies was that they weren't making much of a dent in the already-sizable deficit they were facing even though they were able to slow the Hamline scoring machine somewhat.  Still, the Pipers would get their lead to 41-22 when Stork made a hard drive and got a pretty reverse lay-up to go down at the 7:18 mark before CSB could take some more nibbles off of the deficit from the charity stripe.  Young would get a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled at the 6:36 mark and sophomore guard Drew Buslee would also get two free throws to go down after getting fouled after she made a nifty steal in the backcourt.  But shooting from FG range was still proving to be burdensome for the Bennies and that allowed Hamline to go on a 6-0 push.  Stork would uncork her fourth three-point bomb on this day - this one coming from the left top area again with 4:10 left and less than a minute later with 3:16 left, Cummings would connect on a lay-up in transition that gave the Pipers a twenty-point cushion at 46-26.  A bit later with 2:26 left, LaFreniere would connect on a short shot in the lane that stretched Hamline's lead to 48-26 before CSB finally found some semblance of offense.  Theisen would get into the paint for a score with 2:01 left and then Arnold would bury a "3" from the left top area with 1:44 left that had the deficit down to seventeen at 48-31.  With 1:32 left, Arnold would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled but down 48-33, the Bennies were going to need a lot more and their opponent was unwilling to give that to them as the Pipers responded with a 6-2 push.  Cooper would connect on a lay-up in transition with 1:27 left as would senior reserve combo guard/forward Josie Wiebusch with :59.1 left that now had Hamline up 52-33.  With :25.2 left, Cummings would connect on a lay-up that had the Pipers up 54-35 before CSB got a late score on a drive into the lane and finish by Young with just :02.1 left but down 54-37, the Bennies probably had Jerry Reed's "East Bound And Down" running through their heads.   

CSB would manage to get the deficit cut to fourteen when sophomore guard Alyssa Sadlovsky buried a "3" from the left corner area at the 8:59 mark of the fourth period but unfortunately for the Bennies, Hamline had two quick answers for that thanks to sophomore reserve guard Emma Lamppa.  The former Rock Ridge standout would first knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 8:04 mark and would follow that up a bit later with a "3" from the left corner area at the 7:18 mark that pushed the Pipers lead to 59-40.  Undaunted, CSB would try again as Arnold would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 6:57 mark and Buslee would follow suit after she was fouled at the 6:53 mark that the deficit down to fifteen at 59-44.  Two more free throws by Arnold after she was fouled at the 6:03 mark kept the deficit at fifteen at 61-46 but getting closer than that was proving problematic not to mention the fact that clock was becoming the Bennies biggest enemy as well.  But the real dagger came a bit later at the 5:53 mark when Hamline got into the bonus as Cooper would get fouled and would proceed to knock down a pair of free throws that had the Pipers up 63-46.  One more free throw by sophomore reserve guard Josie Schmidt after she was fouled with 3:51 left grew Hamline's lead to 64-46 and now the Pipers were in position to put the finishing touches on this one.  Josie Schmidt would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 3:06 left and sophomore reserve combo guard/forward Megan Spencer would make a drive along the left baseline for a finish with 2:22 left that grew Hamline's lead to 67-48.  With the game now all but decided, both CSB's Durbin and Hamline Head Coach Josh Hersch got their reserves into the game for cleanup duty.  Bennie senior reserve guard Megan Driste would connect on a pretty reverse lay-up with 2:03 left and junior reserve forward Cora Beeler would get a three-point play the old-fashioned way as she would snare an offensive rebound for a putback and get fouled in the process and would also cash in on the ensuing "and one".  Piper freshman reserve guard Morgan Gokey would cap the scoring on this game by knocking down a pair of free throws after she was fouled with :21.1 left as Hamline not only secured a critical home win with the 69-53 victory but also clinched a MIAC Playoff berth as well.

When I was finally able to corral Hamline's Hersch after this game, you could tell he was beaming with pride and rightfully so after the incredible week his team had.  Let's remember, coming into this week, his squad had dropped three of their last four games and again, with seven teams vying for six playoff spots, someone was inevitably going to get left out and his team was able to dig deep when they had to as they pulled off a huge upset at Bethel on Wednesday night before today's win over CSB.  I did ask Hersch if there was any fear of any letdown by his team after the big win at Bethel on Wednesday night but he was quick to poo-poo that notion.  "We just came into this game today looking at it as another opportunity" he said.  And the Pipers certainly came out with the energy you would want as a coach and they put together a solid forty minutes.  Meanwhile for CSB, its was another setback in what may be the most frustrating season the Bennies have had in a long time.  When you look at this team, you know they're ordinarily more than good enough to at least get to the MIAC Playoffs but this team has not only had a lot of bad luck this season, they also lost one of their best players - senior guard Megan Morgan - to injury recently who's also one of the top two scorers on this team (right behind Arnold).  When you lose a player like that, you not only lose a lot offensively but you also lose a lot of leadership on the floor as well and it just sucks that a great player and person like her had to go down at such an inopportune time.  

You don't have to spend a lot of time looking at the box score to see how/why Hamline won this game.  You'll see that the Pipers had a decided edge in the rebounding department at 34-26 and Hamline also enjoyed a whopping 26-14 advantage in points in the paint as well.  Surprisingly, CSB did hold a decided edge in those all-important "second chance" points at 9-2 although that obviously didn't mean much on this day.  Despite the horrendous second period that CSB had to endure, this game still wasn't a forgone conclusion at that point in time.  But when you're only shooting 16-54 for 29.6% from FG range and 4-22 from downtown 18.2%, any hope of any real comeback attempt goes right out the window - especially when you consider that Hamline was shooting 25-46 from FG range for 54.3% from FG range and 10-16 from behind the arc for 62.5%.  I mean, there's your ballgame right there, folks.  I can't fault CSB's free throw shooting on this day as they were stellar here going 17-19 for 89.5%.  Hamline wasn't terrible in this department either as they were 9-12 for a straight 75% although one might argue that could be better but I digress.  

What a day it was indeed for Hamline's Stork as her 21 points not only paced the Piper attack but led all scorers as well.  And it was just another day at the office for Hamline's Cummings as she finished with 18 points including going 3-4 from downtown.  CSB's Arnold had to shoulder most of the load for the Bennies on this day as she led her team with 20 points while Young finished with 11 points.   

Concordia vs St. Kate's 2-11-26

Concordia's Maya Metcalf was simply dominant at times on this night as her 32 points helped the Cobbers pocket an important road win at St. Kate's that not only helps them keep a firm grip on first place in the MIAC but also helps solidify their high NPI ranking as well. 

 Thankfully, rush hour traffic on this Wednesday evening wasn't nearly as bad as I had anticipated as I was able to make a reasonably swift trip over to the St Paul side of town to Butler Center on the campus of St. Catherine University for this important late-regular season contest between visiting Concordia and host St. Kate's.  The Cobbers were coming into this game not only with a #22 national ranking but also with a solid hold on first place in the MIAC and a four-game win streak to boot.  The Wildcats meanwhile have been enduring a roller coaster of a season with their share of injuries and the like although they were coming into this game having won four out of their last five games so they did have some momentum.  I got settled into Butler Center in plenty of time that gave me an opportunity to watch both teams warm up and talk to some parents on both sides.  

Both teams would manage to get on the board in the first minute of the opening period.  Concordia would strike right off of the opening tip as strong sophomore forward Maya Metcalf would connect on a lay-up at the 9:51 mark but the 'Cats would come right back on their subsequent possession as junior forward Lily Peper knocked down a short jumper in the lane at the 9:31 mark to level this contest.  But the Cobbers would get their lead to three when Metcalf drilled a "3" from the right wing area at the 7:31 mark and a score in the paint by junior forward Genevieve Gruba at the 6:46 mark maintained the three-point advantage at 7-4.  St. Kate's then showed it plans to hang around as junior guard Hattie Fox would use a burst of speed to connect on a lay-up at the 6:22 mark that cut the deficit down to one at 7-6 and less than a minute later, sophomore guard Jordyn Peed would bury a "3" at the 5:38 mark that pushed the Wildcats out in front 9-7.  That wouldn't last long, however, as Concordia would answer on a three-point bomb by junior reserve guard Alexa Snesrud from the top of the key with 4:54 left to make it a 10-9 game.  Then the 'Cats would take the lead back when Peed made a hard drive into the lane for a finish with 2:51 left that had St. Kate's back up at 11-10.  It was here though where the Cobbers were able to make their first mini-push of this contest.  Lanky sophomore reserve forward Kaia Gack got one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 2:32 left and after a Wildcat turnover, Concordia's Snesrud would unleash her second trey of this game with a bomb from the right wing area with 2:20 left that had the Cobbers up 14-11.  St. Kate's Head Coach Don Mulhern; immediately sensing danger, took a match to a thirty-second timeout but Concordia would push its lead to five at 16-11 with 1:30 left when Metcalf connected on a short jumper from the right side.  The Wildcats would again close to within a single possession when freshman reserve post Beatrice Clayton muscled into the lane and got a short jumper off the glass to go down with 1:08 left that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" cut the deficit down to two at 16-14.  Worse yet for the Cobbers is that senior point guard Taylor Safranski had to retreat to the pine with two fouls.  But just a short time later, Concordia was enjoying a five-point edge again when freshman reserve point guard Kaitlyn Rohloff banged home a "3" from the left wing area with :46.2 left that made it 19-14.  St. Kate's would again show its resilience as Fox would connect on a short shot off the glass with just :00.6 left that had the Wildcats back to within a single possession again down 19-16.  So while Concordia thus far seemed to have the upper hand, St. Kate's was absorbing the blows without any serious after-effects so far.

When the Wildcats' Fox struck again at the 8:58 mark of the second period on a lay-up, St. Kate's definitely appeared to have something going again.  But the Cobbers would quickly go back to work in hopes of restoring some separation.  Junior reserve guard Olivia Hanson would bury a "3" from the right corner area at the 8:34 mark and then a routine score in the paint by Metcalf a short time later at the 8:01 mark gave Concordia its largest lead yet at 24-18.  Again, a resilient Wildcats team responded.  Sophomore guard Kate Flicek would get a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled at the 7:30 mark and a short time later at the 6:51 mark, Peed would unleash a three-point bomb from the left wing area that had the deficit down to one at 24-23.  Less than a minute later, Peed would cap this unexpected 7-0 push with a lay-up in transition after a steal that had St. Kate's back in front 25-24.  But there was no panic from the Cobbers - only a swift response as Safranski; riding those two fouls, would drain a cold-blooded "3" from the right top area at the 6:00 mark to put Concordia back out in front at 27-25 and after a bit of a dry spell by both sides, the Cobbers got their lead to four at 29-25 when junior reserve post Maci Wheeldon snared an offensive rebound for a putback with 3:53 left.  A jumper from the free throw line area by Safranski with 3:14 left maintained the four-point edge at 31-27 as would two free throws by Metcalf after she was fouled with 2:31 left that had Concordia up 33-29.  But the 'Cats would soon counter as Peper would bang home a "3" from the left corner area with 2:10 left that shrunk the deficit to one at 33-32.  Likewise, the Cobbers would come right back as Metcalf; enroute to a sensational outing on this night, buried a "3" from the left top area with 1:59 left that restored the earlier four-point edge at 36-32.  But Concordia would again see this lead shrink as the Wildcats went on a late offensive.  Slender sophomore forward Elle Covey would maneuver into the paint for a score with 1:35 left that pulled St. Kate's back to within a single possession down 36-34 and a short time later, Flicek would connect on a lay-up with :59.6 left that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" pushed the 'Cats ahead at 37-36.  Concordia was able to get a bit of a reprieve when Gruba got one free throw to go down after getting fouled with :41.9 left that leveled the game at 37 but it was a mixed bag for the Cobbers so far as even though they held the upper hand for most of the contest, they didn't have much to show for it and their opponent had arguably dictated the tempo of the game with their up-tempo.  And for St. Kate's, even though they had found themselves facing a deficit for most of the first half, they were showing their resiliency thus far and they had to feel good about being on even terms on the scoreboard at the halftime break.  

Undoubtedly, after the way things went for Concordia in the first half, Head Coach Kim Wagers and her staff likely felt that the Cobbers had to make a statement once the third period got underway and that's exactly what they did as they unleashed an 8-2 push out of the gates.  Senior sharp-shooting guard Molly Musland started this run off by burying a "3" from the left top area at the 8:59 mark and less than a minute later, fellow senior guard Taya Jeffrey; who had suffered a minor ankle injury in the first half, followed suit with a three-point bomb of her own from the right wing area at the 8:19 mark that had the Cobbers up by four at 43-39.  Then Metcalf would strike at the 7:35 mark on a lay-up that got the lead to six at at 45-39 and St. Kate's Mulhern; not at all liking at what was transpiring, took a match to a timeout to get his squad calmed down.  To their credit, the Wildcats were able to get the deficit trimmed down to four as a short jumper from the right side by Peper at the 7:15 mark kept St. Kate's within striking distance down 45-41 and a jumper from the left elbow area by Covey at the 6:44 mark kept the 'Cats in that four-point range down 47-43.  But back-to-back scores by Concordia gave them their largest lead yet.  Musland would use a burst of speed to connect on a lay-up at the 5:57 mark and a short time later, Metcalf would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 5:38 mark that upped the Cobber lead to eight at 51-43.  But St. Kate's would again refuse to cave as Peper; the former Roseville standout, came up big for her team with back-to-back three-point bombs - one from the top of the key at the 5:20 mark and the other from the right wing area with 4:54 left - that suddenly had the Wildcats back to within a single possession down 51-49.  Concordia would again turn to Metcalf for relief and she would be quick to respond as she would bury yet another cold-blooded three-point bomb - this one from the left wing area with 4:34 left - that gave the Cobbers a bit more breathing room with a 54-49 advantage.  But Concordia was still finding it difficult to shake its opponent as St. Kate's again battled back.  Flicek would slither into the paint for one score with 4:14 left and one free throw by Fox after she was fouled with 3:29 left cut the Cobber lead to just two at 54-52 and Concordia's Wagers felt compelled to call a thirty-second timeout to make some quick adjustments.  That short stoppage in play proved to be just what the Cobbers needed as they closed out this third period on an 8-3 push.  Hanson would get fouled with 2:37 left just as the shot clock was expiring and her two free throws upped Concordia's lead to four at 56-52 and then Metcalf would unleash more terror behind the arc with a bomb from the left top area that now had the Cobbers up by seven at 59-52.  One free throw by Gruba after she was fouled with :48.1 left got the lead to eight at 60-52.  The Wildcats' Fox would counter with a three-point bomb from the left top area with :13.2 left but with just :00.2 left, Concordia's Gruba would get sent to the charity stripe again and she would knock down both free throw attempts as the Cobbers now had some breathing room to work with and consolidate as well with a 62-55 advantage.

But Concordia also knew full and well that they were not out of the woods yet with a seven-point lead - particularly the way this game had been going and they went to work to get more separation once the fourth period got underway.  Metcalf, who was already enjoying a fantastic outing, helped the Cobbers establish their first double-digit lead of this contest as she would first snare an offensive rebound for a putback at the 9:43 mark and then follow that up with a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 9:12 mark to give Concordia a 66-55 advantage.  St. Kate's would get back into single-digit range when Fox used a burst of speed to connect on a lay-up at the 8:14 mark but then the Cobbers would respond with back-to-back scores again.  Jeffrey would use her deft touch to connect on a tough jumper from the free throw line area at the 7:49 mark and two more freebies by Metcalf after she was fouled a short time later at the 7:19 mark now had Concordia up 70-57.  The Cobbers would then not only push their lead to 71-57 when Gruba got one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 6:12 mark but now Concordia was in the bonus the rest of the way as well which arguably helped pave the way to ultimate victory for them on this night.  The Cobbers would maintain this fourteen-point edge when Gack connected on a jumper along the left baseline off of an inbounds pass with 3:46 left to make it a 73-59 game before the 'Cats could make one last foray back into this game.  Fox would connect on a lay-up with 3:27 left and then Peed would get a three-point play the old-fashioned way as she would connect on a short jumper in the lane that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" had St. Kate's back in single-digit range down 73-64.  Concordia's Wagers would take a thirty-second timeout at this point to set up late-game strategy to protect this lead and although the Wildcats' Fox would get her team closer when she knocked down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 2:03 left, the Cobbers were quick to rebuild the double-digit cushion as Jeffrey would uncork a three-point bomb from the right corner area with 1:45 left to make it 76-66.  Not content with going quietly into the night, St. Kate's would try again as Peper unleashed a three-point bomb of her own from the right corner area with 1:10 left that had the deficit cut down to seven at 76-69 and the Wildcats' Mulhern would take a timeout in hopes of dialing up a miracle.  But this time Concordia would rebuff any last-gasp attempt by its opponent as it sealed the deal on two late scores - one on a three-point bomb by Musland from the left top area with :44.8 left and the other on a lay-up by Gruba with :07.8 left.  St. Kate's did add to its total as Fox would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with :01.1 left but it wouldn't be nearly enough as the Cobbers pocketed an important 81-71 road dub.  

In looking back on this one, the two things that stood out to me were (1) how the Cobbers started the third period with a statement push and (2) how their depth eventually wore down St. Kate's; particularly in the fourth period when Concordia was finally able to establish a double-digit advantage.  The Cobbers' Wagers and her two assistants - Kenyon Wingenbach and Terry Porter - agreed with me on those views.  That and plus the fact that Concordia's Metcalf was simply unstoppable on this night at times.  She's just one of those rare types of players who have that takeover ability in a game and its clear that she possesses that trait.  I think it goes without saying that this is going to be huge for the Cobbers as they inch toward the MIAC Playoffs and an almost certain appearance in the Big Dance as well.  When I got to speak with St. Kate's Mulhern afterward, he was quick to agree with my assessments as well although he again lamented the fact that he has had to operate this season without a true point guard running the show and obviously that'll be one of his big priorities in the offseason recruiting trail.  "We've kind of had to do it by committee this season" he added.  But give this Wildcat team credit - they've made the best of a not-so-great situation and they have had some success this season.  Because of their playing style and the way they come at you with their up-tempo game, they can pose unique matchup problems for opponents and given how St. Kate's has been a royal pain in the side for Concordia over the last few seasons - particularly at Butler Center - you can bet that the Cobbers' Wagers and her staff were not taking any chances this time around.  

It's kind of weird when you look at the final box score on this one because the Wildcats did indeed do some things reasonably well on this night.  You would have thought going in that Concordia would have enjoyed a significant advantage on the boards but that wasn't the case on this night as the rebounding department was pretty even.  Now, Concordia had only eight turnovers on this night which is pretty good but the Wildcats made the most of it by getting 13 points off of Cobber boo-boos.  The real shocker to me comes when you see that St. Kate's had a decided edge in points in the paint at 36-22 which I would never have expected.  And you certainly can't fault the Wildcats free throw shooting on this night where they went 10-11 for 90.9% which is pretty damn good, IMHO.  But inevitably where you see things falling apart for St. Kate's was the Concordia enjoyed an 18-12 edge in those all-important "second chance" points and they had a whopping 19-7 advantage in bench points (the depth factor).  Plus you'll see how the Wildcats shooting fell off considerably in the fourth period (5-14 from FG range for 35.71% and 1-4 from downtown for 25%).  The only fly in the ointment I see from the Cobbers on this night was the free throw shooting which in my view is becoming more and more of an issue.  They finished going 16-22 from the charity stripe for 72.7% which isn't terrible but again, with a team that has always had free throw shooting as one of its hallmark strengths, this is something that is becoming more and more of a concern.     

In getting back to Concordia's Metcalf, my goodness, she just did it all on this night as her 32 points easily led all scorers and she just missed out on a "double double" with nine rebounds.  And it wasn't like Metcalf didn't get any help on this night - she did (Gruba with nine points and both Jeffrey and Musland with eight a piece) but this performance tonight easily demonstrates how dominant she can be at times.  The impressive thing about St. Kate's on this night is that everyone stepped up this night in a big way simply because they had to.  Fox's 18 points led the way for the Wildcats and Peper wasn't far behind with her 16 points.  Peed was solid again with her 15 points and Flicek had a good outing as well as she finished with 11 points.