A Synopsis Of Today's Sweet 16 Games For Concordia And Bethel

Concordia will face off against a talent-laden Johns Hopkins team this afternoon in the first Sweet 16 game out at Scranton, PA.

As we brace for a classic March blizzard (what else would you expect at tournament time?) here in the Twin Cities, it's time to take a peek at the Sweet 16 games for both Concordia and Bethel later on this afternoon and this evening.  It's just so awesome to see not just one but TWO MIAC teams making deep runs into the Dance and as you all well know, when you get to this stage of the NCAA Tournament, anything can happen.  This time of the year is all about survival so let's take a look at the two games and a closer look at the opponents.

Concordia vs Johns Hopkins (at Scranton, PA 3:30 PM Central time)

First, for Concordia, they'll take on highly-regarded Johns Hopkins out of the Centennial Conference with a sparkling 27-1 record with the only blemish coming against Gettysburg back on 3-1 and there's a reason they came into the Dance ranked fifth in the nation and in the number five spot in the NPI rankings as well.  Uh, they're really, REALLY good.  And it should come as no surprise that they were first in the Centennial Conference in total offense and second in total defense either.  The Blue Jays have an interesting mix of youth and experience and they've got a nice combination of size down low and speed and quickness in the backcourt.  What's really interesting is that on the scoring front - just from looking at the team stats - they're very-well balanced.  Junior guard Lauren Knudson leads the way for the Blue Jays with her 9.9 ppg but right behind her is senior guard Kendall Dunham (9.4 ppg).  Freshman post Jocelyn Goldstein out of Philadelphia and fellow freshman guard Faith Williamson both average 9.1 ppg and junior guard Layla Henderson isn't far behind with her 8.1 ppg.  And you've got contributors off the bench as well in senior guard Macie Feldman (7.5 ppg) and senior forward Emily Collins (7.2 ppg) just to name the primary two so this Johns Hopkins team definitely knows how to spread the wealth.  And the aforementioned Feldman leads the team in rebounds at a 9.0 average and the aforementioned Collins isn't too shabby in that department either with an average of 7.6 rebounds per game.  In fact, when you go through the conference statistics, the only area where the Blue Jays lag is from the charity stripe where they were seventh in the conference in that department which is a bit of a surprise.  But obviously they've found more than enough ways to work around that and not many teams can say that.  Head Coach Rodney Rogan is in his third season with this Johns Hopkins program and each season he's had this team in the NCAA Tournament so they know what this experience is about.  I haven't seen the Vegas line for this game and although the smart money might be riding on the Blue Jays on this one, it's still there for the Cobbers to pull off a major upset but they've got to find a way to throw caution to the wind and take some calculated risks at certain times as well.  If they show the same sense of urgency that they showed this last Saturday night in that fourth period against Ripon and if they shoot the ball as well they did in that fourth quarter, they will at least give themselves a fighting chance and now that they've got to this point, they've really got nothing to lose now.  

Bethel vs Washington & Lee (at Lexington, VA 7:00 PM Central time)

Bethel meanwhile finds themselves out at Lexington, VA; the home of the ODAC champs Washington & Lee and, like the Blue Jays, the Generals are really up there as well as they had a final overall ranking of third in the country and number three in the NPI rankings as well and they come into this game with a perfect 30-0 record and no, that's no mistype either.  But there's several reasons as to how/why the Generals got to their current lofty status; the primary one being preseason first team All-American senior combo forward/post Mary Schleusner and the fact that she leads her team in scoring by averaging 21.0 ppg should come as no surprise I suppose.  She's just flat out awesome to put it mildly.  But it's not like she doesn't get help as she most certainly does.  Fellow senior guard Quinn McGuinness (9.8 ppg) and fellow senior forward Sarah Zimmerman (9.7 ppg) both do their part on the scoring front.  Junior combo guard/forward Riley Bryant at 5'11" is a bad matchup for many opponents in the backcourt and freshman point guard Sam Collins is the newbie of the primary chain gang for Washington & Lee.  And the Generals have plenty of replacement parts coming off the bench in sophomore guard Megan Zimmerman, junior guard Raine Zou, senior guard Icy Keneah and lanky junior guard Caroline Shimp just to name a few.  So by this point you're probably thinking to yourself, "This team is loaded".  Well, your thinking is spot on with mine.  I guess it should come as no surprise then that the Generals are tops in the ODAC in total team offense (duh) and second in total team defense and tops in margin of victory not to mention tops in total team rebounds thanks to Ms Schleusner & Co.  And per conference statistics, Washington & Lee is pretty solid from the charity stripe as well.  The only real surprise for me came when I saw that the Generals were seventh in the ODAC in team three-point FG percentage but it looks like they've found more ways than one to overcome that particular deficiency.  And in her second season of being at the helm of this Washington & Lee program, Head Coach Brittney Kemp certainly hasn't missed a beat.  Maybe it's not the best analogy here but in some ways, I feel like Bethel is in the same position as my Los Angeles Rams were when they played Pittsburgh in Super Bowl 14 in Pasadena and were decided underdogs but came within a hair of pulling off a huge upset.  Somebody for Bethel has to step up like Vince Ferragamo did on that day for the Rams and do whatever it takes to help will their team to get into a position to win this game and the Royals have those kinds of players too.

So that's how I see things on lunchtime on this Friday afternoon.  ROLL COBBS and GO ROYALS!  

NCAA Tournament 2nd Round Game - Ripon vs Concordia 3-7-26

For the first time since 1993, Concordia is on their way to the Sweet 16 as they survived a thrilling second-round game again Ripon!

 So the grand finale of this weekend was the second round game that pitted the two winners from Friday night - Ripon and Concordia - in prime time on a Saturday night.  The Red Hawks had managed to outlast UW-River Falls in a thrilling overtime contest while the Cobbers withstood a strong third period challenge from UW-Superior and closed out with a double-digit victory - their first victory in the NCAA Tournament since the 1995 season.  But now the next test for Concordia was getting past this deep and experienced Ripon team and you knew this matchup had the potential to be a real battle and with a 24-hour window turnaround from the previous night, both teams had to get their rest, refuel and prepare for their opponent as best they could in a compressed time frame.  I had a relatively easy journey from my motel room over on the Fargo side of town to cavernous Memorial Auditorium on the campus of Concordia College in plenty of time to get myself situated and ready to go for this potential classic in an NCAA Tournament setting.

As they did the night before, the Cobbers would get off to a solid start in this game.  A lay-up in transition by senior guard Molly Musland after a steal at the 8:25 mark of the opening period helped spark a 7-2 push.  Strong sophomore guard Maya Metcalf would get two free throws to go down after getting fouled at the 6:45 mark to make it a 4-0 game and a bit later Metcalf would follow that up with a three-point bomb from the left corner area at the 5:07 mark that capped this early run before Ripon could find solid footing and get this contest leveled.  Speedy junior point guard Laney Havlovitz used her speed and quickness to dart in for a lay-up that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" with 4:26 left had the Red Hawks back to within a single possession down 7-5.  Backcourt mate sophomore guard Karsyn Nelson got this game tied at seven a piece when she connected on pretty reverse lay-up with 3:54 left and with 3:15 left, a tough score in the paint by Laney Havlovitz kept things even steven at nine a piece.  Concordia was able to find a second wind before this first period concluded, however, as they launched a 6-1 push down the stretch.  Lanky sophomore reserve forward Kaia Gack would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 3:07 left and then Metcalf would unleash her second three-point bomb of the night - this one from the top of the key with 2:21 left that had the Cobbers up 13-9.  Senior point guard Taylor Safranski would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 1:37 left that extended the lead to 15-9 before Ripon could add to their ledger on one free throw by senior reserve forward Molly Johannes after she was fouled with 1:08 left but Concordia certainly seemed to have the upper hand by this point.  

The Red Hawks would quickly get the gap closed once the second period got underway.  Strong junior forward Sophie Schlieve would connect on a short, turnaround jumper at the 9:41 mark and a lay-up in transition by Laney Havlovitz at the 8:48 mark had the deficit down to a scant point at 15-14.  Concordia would answer this intrusion by its opponent on back-to-back scores by Metcalf as the former Sheyenne HS standout would first knock down a short, turnaround jumper in the lane at the 8:32 mark and would follow that up less than a minute later with a lay-up that restored the earlier five-point advantage for the Cobbers at 19-14.  But this failed to faze Ripon as they were able to get back to within a single possession in one fell swoop as Laney Havlovitz would use her trademark speed to connect on a lay-up in transition at the 7:07 mark that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" quickly tightened this one up at 19-17.  A short time later at the 6:42 mark, slender sophomore guard Halle Van Horn would slither through traffic for a lay-up that got the Red Hawks back on even terms again at 19.  Concordia would try again to get some separation; this time relying on speedy freshman reserve guard Kaitlyn Rohloff to do her thing from the charity stripe and the former Hancock standout would first get one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 6:24 mark and then would get both attempts to go down after getting fouled at the 5:07 mark to put the Cobbers up 22-19.  It took a bit but again, this would be wiped away by Ripon as Laney Havlovitz would wreak havoc behind the arc with a three-point bomb from the left top area with 2:37 left that tied this game at 22 a piece and a short time later with 2:11 left, Nelson would get a pair of free throws to go down that finally pushed the Red Hawks out in front by a 24-22 count.  Concordia would come right back on their subsequent possession as Metcalf would get a pair of freebies to go down after getting fouled with 2:04 left but this Red Hawks team had slyly snared away the momentum coming down the stretch before the halftime break as Laney Havlovitz continued to pose problems for the Cobbers.  The Wild Rose, WI standout would strike again with 1:29 left on a lay-up in transition that put Ripon back in front at 26--24 and then with :20.8 left, senior guard Natalie Rauwolf would connect on a jumper from the right elbow area that allowed the Red Hawks to take a 28-25 lead into the locker room.  A quick check of the halftime box score showed that whatever Ripon was doing thus far seemed to be working as they held a slight advantage on the boards by a 19-17 count and had fewer turnovers than Concordia did (10-8) and the Red Hawks also were enjoying a 13-11 edge in points off of turnovers.  Perhaps even more alarming for Concordia Head Coach Kim Wagers and her staff was the fact that Ripon not only had a decided edge in points in the paint thus far at 18-8 but were shooting the ball better from FG range (11-29 for 37.9% for Ripon vs 6-21 for 28.6 for Concordia) so the Cobbers had some holes in their boat that they had to get fixed quickly.  

Concordia would quickly get this game tied up again at the 9:39 mark of the third period when senior guard Taya Jeffrey buried a "3" from the left top area but then the Cobbers would have to endure another push from its opponent as Ripon went on a 4-0 push.  Schlieve would connect on a short jumper off the glass at the 9:24 mark and then Van Horn would work her magic down low with a tough score in the paint at the 8:09 mark that had the Red Hawks out in front 32-28.  Concordia would find answers this time around as junior forward Genevieve Gruba would get a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled at the 7:46 mark and then Metcalf would come through again a short time later at the 7:21 mark with a short jumper off the glass that again had this game knotted at 32-all.  And Metcalf would come through for the Cobbers at the charity stripe after getting fouled at the 5:51 mark with a pair of free throws that kept this game even at 34 a piece.  But Ripon wasn't content in being in a stalemate with its host and they launched another push.  Senior reserve guard McKenzie Bestor would drain a "3" from the left corner area at the 5:42 mark and a short time later Laney Havlovitz would strike like a thief in the night with a steal and lay-up the other way at the 5:12 mark that now had the Red Hawks up by five at 39-34 and at this particular point, the media timeout came at a very opportune time for Concordia as they now had a chance to catch their collective breaths and plot their revenge as well.  And the Cobbers found a measure of it with a 6-0 push.  Musland; quiet after her opening bucket in this contest, came alive from behind the arc with a three-point bomb from the right corner area with 4:05 left and one free throw by Gruba after she was fouled with 3:04 left had the deficit trimmed to just one at 39-38.  With 1:15 left, Kaitlyn Rohloff would again come through at the charity stripe with a pair of free throws that pushed the home team back out in front again at 40-39.  Ripon would take the lead right back at 41-40 with :55.1 left when Rauwolf made a hard drive into the lane for a finish but Concordia would level this contest at 41 a piece when junior reserve post Maci Wheeldon got one free throw to go down after getting fouled with :29.4 left.  Still, the Red Hawks would have the last laugh of this third period when Laney Havlovitz used a burst of speed to connect on a lay-up with just :04.1 left on the clock and the Cobber faithful inside cavernous Memorial Auditorium were now sitting on pins and needles with their team down 43-41.

Ripon would grow its lead to four at 45-41 when Laney Havlovitz took an inbounds pass and sneaked into the paint for a score at the 9:05 mark of the fourth period and a score in the paint by Van Horn at the 8:34 mark maintained the four-point edge at 47-43.  The Cobbers would close to within a single possession when Metcalf snared an offensive rebound of her own miss for a putback at the 8:03 mark but the Red Hawks would be quick to counter as a Rauwolf "3" from the left top area grew Ripon's lead to five at 50-45 and it was here that Red Hawks Head Coach Lauren Busalacchi called a thirty-second timeout to quickly discuss strategy with her team now that they had a lead.  But it also gave Concordia a chance to regroup and revitalize as well and this stoppage in play ultimately paid more dividends for the Cobbers than it ever would for the Red Hawks because Concordia now started to show the vital urgency that was so desperately needed with their season on the line.  Jeffrey; the former Albert Lea standout, got things going with a lay-up at the 7:38 mark and although Ripon re-established the five-point lead on two free throws by Van Horn after she was fouled at the 7:13 mark, the Cobbers would come right back on a big three-point bomb by Safranski from the right top area at the 6:56 mark that got Concordia back to within a single possession down 52-50.  The Red Hawks would try again; getting their lead to four on a lay-up by Van Horn at the 6:33 mark but then the Cobbers would get more three-point artillery on a bomb from the left corner area by Musland at the 6:02 mark that cut the deficit to one at 54-53 and then with 4:46 left in regulation, Metcalf would put Concordia back out in front at 55-54.  With Ripon's normally potent offense suddenly in neutral, the Cobbers were able to capitalize with 3:20 left as Safranski was able to knock down a jumper from the free throw line area that now made it a 57-54 ballgame and the Red Hawks' Busalacchi wasted little time in taking a thirty-second timeout now that the tables had been turned on her team.  Ripon would soon get the deficit cut to one at 57-56 when Schlieve got a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled with 2:53 left but then they would have to absorb another dagger thrown at them as Concordia junior reserve guard Alexa Snesrud would bury a cold-hearted "3" from the left corner area with 2:24 left that now had the Cobbers up by four at 60-56.  The Red Hawks would waste little time in clawing back to within a single possession as Laney Havlovitz would sink a pair of freebies after getting fouled with 2:17 left but then Concordia would come right back with 1:43 left as Snesrud; fresh off of that big three-pointer a bit ago, knocked down a pair of free throws that restored the four-point lead at 62-58.  Ripon would again close to two points when Rauwolf connected on a lay-up in transition with 1:38 left but the Cobbers' Snesrud would come through once again as she fearlessly drove into some heavy traffic for a finish with 1:13 left that restored the four-point lead at 64-60.  The Red Hawks would still not be so easily denied and they again got back into within a single possession when Van Horn slithered through traffic for a lay-up with 1:00 left that cut Concordia's lead to 64-62.  On the Cobbers ensuing possession, Jeffrey's lay-up attempt with :34.2 left in regulation would go awry but Musland would come through with :26.5 left on a short, turnaround jumper that again gave Concordia a bit more breathing room with that four-point advantage at 66-62.  Ripon's Busalacchi would take another thirty-second timeout at this juncture in hopes of dialing up a miracle and with :20.8 left, the Red Hawks got the closest thing to it as Laney Havlovitz came through yet again for this team by banging home a "3" from the left top area that now had the deficit down to one at 66-65.  With fouls still to give, Laney Havlovitz would foul once right after the three-point bomb and then Rauwolf would foul a short time later with :13.8 left.  The Cobbers' Wagers would then use a full timeout knowing that Ripon was now out of fouls to give and with :11.4 left, Kaitlyn Rohloff would get sent to the charity stripe after getting fouled with Concordia now in the bonus the rest of the way.  With the Cobbers' hopes and dreams hanging in the balance, the former Hancock standout calmly stood at the charity stripe line and delivered two absolute clutch free throws that now made it a 68-65 game.  Still time for Ripon, however, and with :03.4 left, Laney Havlovitz would attempt a three-point bomb from the right wing area but that attempt missed its mark but the Red Hawks would get one last gasp attempt as Van Horn made a heave-ho attempt from Caitlin Clark-range at the left wing area that fell short and Concordia celebrated at the buzzer with an absolutely thrilling 68-65 victory that advanced the Cobbers to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1993.  

The Concordia portion of the post-game press conference was attended by Wagers along with Metcalf, Musland and Safranski while the Ripon portion was attended by Busalacchi along with Rauwolf, Bestor, Laney Havlovitz and senior reserve forward Maggie Glaus.  Here's the URL for that press conference:  https://miacsportsnetwork.com/concordia/?B=3799066

One could look at the final box score on this one, I suppose, and conclude that Ripon could've and perhaps should've won this game.  And there's three main areas where I think one could draw from that to come away with that impression.  While Ripon's final advantage on the boards wasn't that big at 34-30, they had a whopping advantage in points in the paint at 40-20 (!) and a sizable advantage in fast-break points at 21-8 which to me meant that they were able to use their speed and quickness to their advantage.  And there's many times where winning those three elements will enable you to take home the dub at the end of the day.  And, to be sure, both teams did very well from the charity stripe on this night as the Red Hawks were 11-13 for 84.6% and the Cobbers were 23-28 for 82.1% so no real complaints there.  In fact, Wagers said during the press conference that her squad's free throw shooting helped in part offset the big numbers that Ripon put up with points in the paint.  But I also think there were some smaller items that ultimately helped Concordia prevail on this night.  For instance, you'll see that both the Cobbers and the Red Hawks evened out on the turnover front but the Cobbers got more at the bank than the Red Hawks did off of those turnovers at 20-15.  The Cobbers also had a decisive edge in bench points at 16-4 which meant it wasn't the primary chain gang of Metcalf, Musland, Safranski, Jeffrey and Gruba having to carry the load for the full 40 minutes.  You saw bench players like Gack, Kaitlyn Rohloff, Wheeldon and Snesrud come in and contribute with points in big-time situations and that's just huge in a setting such as this.  And while both teams shot comparably from FG range on this night, the Cobbers had the edge from downtown going 7-16 for 43.8% while the Red Hawks struggled a bit from behind the arc going 4-11 for 36.4%.  But more than anything, what really stood out to me on this night was how Concordia showed that sense of urgency when they got down by five at the 7:51 mark of the fourth period and kept coming up with big shots and big plays that helped them get the lead back and keep the lead while Ripon was doing its darndest in trying to usurp control of this game away from Concordia.  The Cobbers in my mind really showed the heart of a champion on this night and this was not only the biggest win in the program's history in a long time but the signature victory that Wagers and her staff have been looking for.  And now they get a chance to do even more damage in the Sweet 16.

What can you say about Concordia's Metcalf as once again she demonstrated her takeover ability as her 24 points led all scorers and she just missed out on a "double double" with her eight rebounds.  Musland capped off her final game at Memorial Auditorium in style as she finished with 12 points.  You certainly can't fault Ripon's Laney Havlovitz for her effort on this night as time and time again she put her team on her shoulders and almost willed them to victory and she easily paced the Red Hawk attack on this night with her 22 points.  Van Horn had a very solid night on this night with her 14 points and Nelson poured in 10 points.  

NCAA Tournament 1st Round Game - UW-Superior vs Concordia 3-6-26

After multiple years of frustration, Concordia finally was able to celebrate its first NCAA Tournament Win since 1995 that propels them into the second Round of the NCAA Tournament.

 The nightcap on this opening Friday of the NCAA Tournament pitted UMAC Playoff Champion UW-Superior going up against Concordia which won the MIAC regular season title.  From a pure won-loss perspective, the Yellowjackets had a challenging regular season but they managed to get hot when it counted as they first downed UM-Morris and then dumped North Central in the UMAC Championship Game to gain that conference's AQ into the Dance.  The Cobbers meanwhile had compiled an impressive 23-4 record coming into this game that included the MIAC regular season title although they would ultimately fall short against Bethel in the MIAC Championship Game last week Saturday.  So Concordia was coming into this contest looking for their very first NCAA Tournament win since 1995 and to wipe away the sting from last weekend's setback as well.  

The Cobbers were arguably heavy favorites coming into this contest and they wasted little time in attempting to assert dominance in the early minutes of the opening period in the form of a 9-0 run right out of the gate.  Junior forward Genevieve Gruba would start this run by unleashing a three-point bomb from the right wing area at the 8:16 mark and senior guard Taya Jeffrey would follow suit with a "3" from the left wing area at the 7:47 mark.  Then fellow senior guard Molly Musland would bang home a "3" of her own from the top of the key to cap this early run which prompted UW-Superior Head Coach Eveline Parsons to take a match to a thirty-second timeout to make some adjustments before this game got out of hand.  This stoppage proved to be beneficial for the Yellowjackets as they managed to go on a 6-2 spurt.  Freshman reserve forward Abby Johnson maneuvered into the paint for one score with 4:56 left and a short, turnaround jumper as the shot clock was expiring by lanky junior reserve guard Hope Carlson with 3:16 left kept UW-Superior in that seven-point range down 11-4.  Fellow junior guard Maddie Reott would cap this surprising push with a daring drive into the lane for a finish with 2:44 left before Concordia could get out of its offensive rut.  Junior reserve guard Olivia Hanson was able to get a short jumper off the glass to go down with 2:05 left and two free throws by strong sophomore forward Maya Metcalf with 1:23 left restored the earlier nine-point advantage at 15-6.  But then the Yellowjackets showed their ability from behind the arc as senior guard MyKenzie Leccia buried a "3" from the left top area with 1:09 left.  Concordia would attempt to restore order inside cavernous Memorial Auditorium as lanky junior post Maci Wheeldon would snare an offensive rebound for a putback with :24.6 left that also drew a foul and the former Fargo Davies standout would cash in on the "and one" that again restored the earlier nine-point lead at 18-9.  But this pesky UW-Superior team would continue to show its worth as strong junior forward Charlotte Ferstl knocked down a jumper from the free throw line area with just :00.3 left on the clock that at least kept the 'Jackets in the thick of things down 18-11.  

And UW-Superior would manage to make further inroads at the beginning of the second period when Ferstl was able to use her 6'3" frame to snare an offensive rebound for a putback of her own miss at the 9:08 mark that cut the deficit to five at 18-13.  Alarmed, the Cobbers went right back to work to restore the separation they once enjoyed with a 7-2 push.  Metcalf would bury a "3" from the left top area at the 8:09 mark and then Gruba would drain her second trey of the evening from the right corner area at the 7:20 mark that again restored the nine-point lead at 24-15.  Speedy freshman reserve point guard Kaitlyn Rohloff would give Concordia its first double-digit lead of the night when she was able to get one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 5:54 mark that made it a 25-15 ballgame.  The Yellowjackets would try and counter as Reott connected on a nifty reverse lay-up at the 5:23 mark but the Cobbers restored the ten-point edge on their subsequent possession on a score in the paint by Metcalf at the 5:10 mark.  Undaunted, UW-Superior would try again thanks to senior reserve forward Kylee Hewitt as she would slither into the paint for one score with 4:51 left and would then get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 3:55 left that had the deficit down to seven at 27-20.  With 2:50 left, the Yellowjackets would continue to stay in this seven-point range at 29-22 when Johnson was able to grab an offensive rebound for a putback.  But Concordia was able to end this second period with a 7-2 push that restored the double-digit lead.  Sophomore reserve forward Kaia Gack knocked down a short jumper with 2:38 left to start this run and then Kaitlyn Rohloff would bury a cold-hearted "3" from the right corner area with 1:06 left that gave the Cobbers their largest lead yet at 34-22.  A score in the paint by Metcalf with :29 left maintained the twelve-point lead at 36-24 which is what Concordia took into the locker room at the halftime break.  

The Cobbers looked like they might be in position to start running away with this thing in the early moments of the third period when Musland buried a "3" from the right corner area at the 9:47 mark that now had Concordia up with a cozy 39-24 lead and a score in the paint by Jeffrey at the 8:57 mark maintained the fifteen-point cushion at 41-26.  And two free throws by Metcalf after she was fouled at the 7:49 mark kept the separation at fifteen with a 43-28 advantage before UW-Superior could find solid footing.  But once they did, the Yellowjackets came back with a vengeance befitting of their nickname.  Senior guard Elsa Olson; quiet in the first half, came through with back-to-back scores that helped spark a shocking 14-2 run.  The former Park of Cottage Grove standout first buried a "3" from the left corner area at the 7:27 mark and would follow that up a short time later with a lay-up at the 6:44 mark that had the deficit down to ten at 43-33.  Less than a minute later, Ferstl would knock down a short jumper from the left side at the 5:57 mark that got UW-Superior back to within single digits at 43-35 and with 3:48 left, Olson would come through again with a daring drive into the lane for a finish that cut the deficit down to six at 43-37.  A Carlson score in the paint kept the 'Jackets in that six-point range down 45-39 and less than a minute later Johnson would muscle into the paint for a score with 2:33 left that now cut the deficit down to four at 45-41 and by this point, Concordia Head Coach Kim Wagers had seen more than enough to know that a thirty-second timeout was warranted.  Still, UW-Superior would get back to within a single possession a short time later when Carlson got one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 2:13 left before the Cobbers could finally climb out of their offensive doldrums.  Metcalf would get a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled with 1:55 left and junior reserve guard Olivia Hanson would get one free throw to go down after she was fouled with 1:44 left that got Concordia some more breathing room up 48-42.  Gack would get one free throw to go down as well after she was fouled with 1:20 left and a short time later with :54.1 left, Hanson would come up with a pretty pull-up jumper from the free throw line area with :54.1 left that upped the lead to nine at 51-42 and now it was the Yellowjackets' Parsons turn to take a match to a thirty-second timeout after seeing her team fall behind again after being so close a short time ago.  But Concordia would get the double-digit advantage rebuilt when Gack got two more freebies to go down after getting fouled with :20.5 left that made it a 53-42 game.  So this third period was arguably something of a mixed bag for both teams - the Cobbers enjoying a cozy double digit advantage only to see that vaporize when their opponent made an unexpected run at them and then having to go through the arduous process of rebuilding that lead again and the Yellowjackets arguably being in between a rock and a hard place to start this period and then unleashing a big run that injected new life into them only to see it slip away and get firmly placed back to Square One again.  

Concordia's Gruba would expand on her team's lead when she got one free throw to go down at the 8:52 mark of the fourth period but the 'Jackets would launch another push in hopes of getting close again.  Leccia would drain a "3" from the left wing area at the 8:08 mark that got UW-Superior back to within single digits at 54-45 and an offensive rebound and putback by Johnson at the 7:33 mark provided more hope with the deficit cut to seven at 54-47.  But this time around, the Cobbers were not as generous to their opponent as they were in the third period and quickly went about restoring separation.  Two scores by Metcalf - one in the paint at the 7:12 mark and a three-point bomb from the left corner area at the 6:11 mark - got the lead back to twelve at 59-47 and a "3" by Gack from the right top area at the 5:18 mark increased the lead to thirteen at 62-49.  The 'Jackets would try again as Carlson connected on a pretty reverse lay-up at the 5:00 mark but then Concordia would inflict more damage from behind the arc as Jeffrey would bury a cold-hearted "3" from the left top area with 4:46 left that increased the Cobber lead to 65-51.  Once again, UW-Superior would try to launch an offensive as Johnson would grab an offensive rebound for a putback with 2:48 left but that would be negated with 1:59 left when Kaitlyn Rohloff knocked down a jumper along the right baseline that kept Concordia's safety net in good shape with a 69-56 advantage.  Still, the Yellowjackets would attempt one last gasp in trying to draw closer as Carlson would get a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled with :35.6 left and a three-point bomb by Leccia from the left corner area with :19.2 left got UW-Superior back to within single digits again down 69-61 but the sands of time were now quickly running out for this young team and Cobber senior point guard Taylor Safranski made sure there were no further inroads by the opponent as she would sink pairs of insurance free throws with :14.3 left and :02.7 left in regulation as Concordia notched its first NCAA Tournament victory since 1995 with a 73-61 victory to advance into the second round.  

The postgame press conference on the Concordia side was attended by Wagers along with Metcalf and Safranski while the UW-Superior portion was attended by Parsons along with Hewitt, Olson, Leccia and senior reserve guard Colleen Claude.  The URL for this press conference is:  https://miacsportsnetwork.com/concordia/?B=3779929

There's definitely some items that stand out when you look at the final box score of this one.  The two primary items are (1) points in the paint where the Yellowjackets had a whopping 34-10 advantage and (2) rebounds where UW-Superior had a slight advantage at 39-37.  At least for me, I had to think that going into this game that the Yellowjackets were going to have to be strong in both of these areas to have a chance in this game and they were.  But, as Wagers alluded to during the press conference is that they were able to offset the points in the paint deficiency with being strong at the charity stripe - which they were going 17-21 for a straight 81% which is much more in line with how this team normally shoots free throws.  The trips to the free throw line for UW-Superior in contrast were few and far between as going 4-6 for 66.7% would suggest.  But the other thing that impressed me from the UW-Superior side was that they committed only 11 turnovers in this game which really isn't bad at all considering who they were playing.  In my mind, that's actually playing a relatively "clean" game.  While both teams were pretty even shooting from FG range (UW-Superior going 26-65 for a straight 40% and Concordia going 23-59 for a straight 39%), the Cobbers were much better behind the arc as they were 10-27 for a straight 37% compared to the Yellowjackets going 5-23 for 21.7%.  And as I mentioned prior to this game, I thought that Concordia's depth would ultimately wear on UW-Superior and the fact that the Cobbers had 28 bench points compared to 22 for the Yellowjackets reflects that.  I will say this about UW-Superior:  This is a much, much better team than what their final 12-16 overall record suggests.  True, they took their lumps in the early portion of the season but they slowly got better and better after they delved into conference play after the first of the year and peaked at exactly the right time - during the UMAC Playoffs - that allowed them to get the conference's AQ and a chance to dance in the Dance and even though they came up short in this particular outing, they made the most of their opportunity, IMHO.  Now the challenge for Parsons and her staff is to build on this particular experience and sell the program to recruits during the offseason.  Always a challenge of course and they will lose four seniors on this team to graduation.  But a solid nucleus remains in place and it'll be interesting to see how they build on this.  As for Concordia, it was just so critical for them to capture this game - their first NCAA Tournament win since the Clinton Administration and helps to ease some of the frustrations this program has had to endure over the last few seasons.  And to do it on their home floor was even better.  

You knew that UW-Superior's Ferstl was likely going to do damage in this game and she certainly did just that as her 14 points paced the Yellowjackets on this night.  Both Leccia and Carlson finished with nine points a piece as well.  Meanwhile for Concordia, who else but Metcalf and she delivered once again as her 18 points led all scorers while Gack had a solid outing on this night as well as she finished with 12 points.  

NCAA Tournament 1st Round Game - UW-River Falls vs Ripon 3-6-26

The celebration was on for Ripon when the buzzer sounded as they outlasted UW-River Falls in an NCAA Tournament first round game thriller at Concordia. 

 Made a relatively fast trip up US Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline up to Fargo-Moorhead on this overcast, rainy, icky Friday that got considerably colder the further north I got.  Was able to get checked into my motel room on the Fargo side of town and then make the quick trek over to cavernous Memorial Auditorium on the campus of Concordia College for this first-round NCAA Tournament pod being hosted by Concordia between UW-River Falls out of the WIAC and Ripon out of the MWC.  Just from looking at these two teams, I couldn't help but feel that this could be a very tough battle.  It had been a ten-year drought for this Falcons program since they had last been able to put on their dancing shoes but this team had more than earned its way into this little party by getting through an unbelievably tough WIAC regular season where they took some punches and threw some punches back at some very good teams.  The Red Hawks meanwhile were a perfect 16-0 in the MWC and rolled over Lawrence in the MWC Championship Game to get that conference's AQ into the Dance.  Needless to say, of all the NCAA Tournament games on this opening night, there was going to be a lot of eyes on this one and rightfully so.

These two teams would trade small leads from the outset in the opening period.  Strong junior forward Sophie Schlieve would get Ripon on the board first with a pair of free throws after she was fouled at the 9:23 mark but right back would come the Falcons as senior point guard Zoey Buchan would bury one of her trademark cold-hearted three-point bombs; this one from the right corner area at the 9:01 mark that pushed UW-River Falls out in front 3-2.  But the Red Hawks made sure that that didn't last long as Schlieve would come through again with a tough score in the paint at the 8:44 mark and a score in the paint by sophomore guard Halle Van Horn a short time later at the 8:13 mark had Ripon up 6-3.  At the 7:16 mark, Schlieve would strike again with a jumper from the free throw line area to get the lead to 8-3 and two free throws by senior guard Natalie Rauwolf after she was fouled at the 6:50 mark extended Ripon's lead to 10-3.  The Falcons worked quickly to try and get this one tightened up as slender freshman forward Emily Anderson would bang home a "3" from the left top area at the 6:32 mark and then fifth-year senior reserve forward Olivia Boily would knock down a jumper from the left top area just inside the arc at the 5:53 mark that got UW-River Falls back to within a single possession down 10-8.  But right back came this explosive Red Hawks team as they went back to work to create some separation.  Rauwolf would bang home a "3" from the right corner area at the 5:41 mark that got the lead to five at 13-8 and a lay-up by sophomore guard Karsyn Nelson at the 5:02 mark maintained the five-point edge at 15-10.  Then Ripon would get its lead to seven when junior guard Laney Havlovitz grabbed a defensive rebound and raced coast-to-coast for a lay-up with 3:59 left that made it a 17-10 ballgame.  With 1:41 left, that lead would grow to eight at 19-11 when Schlieve knocked down a jumper from the right wing area before the Falcons got the deficit cut down to six when Boily connected with a lay-up with :32 left but so far anyway, UW-River Falls definitely looked like it might have its work cut out for itself.

That notion became even more apparent in the early going of the second period as the Red Hawks got back-to-back scores.  Nelson would connect on a lay-up at the 8:47 mark and then Van Horn would connect on a lay-up in transition after a steal that now gave Ripon a ten-point cushion at 23-13 and Falcons Head Coach Shelby Lyman felt compelled to take a match to a timeout in hopes of making some quick adjustments as to what was ailing her squad.  Still the Red Hawks would increase their lead to twelve as Nelson slithered into the paint for one score at the 5:47 mark to make it 25-13 and a lay-up by Laney Havlovitz at the 5:20 mark maintained the twelve-point edge at 27-15 before UW-River Falls could find some solid footing.  Strong senior post Jocelyn Plonski muscled her way into the paint for a score with 4:58 left and a three-point bomb by Anderson from the left top area with 4:11 left had the deficit down to seven at 27-20.  With 3:23 left, the Falcons got the deficit down to six at 29-23 when Anderson unleashed her third trey of this game with a bomb from the right wing area and with 2:04 left, junior reserve guard Annamarie Aue got a short, turnaround jumper to go down that now had the deficit down to four at 29-25 and it looked as if UW-River Falls might stay in this four-point range down 31-27 when Plonski was able to knock down a tough jumper along the right baseline with 1:06 left.  But the Red Hawks managed to save their best for last as Rauwolf would bang home a cold-hearted "3" from the left corner area with :11.1 left and one free throw by Laney Havlovitz after she was fouled with just :00.7 left allowed Ripon to take a bit more separation to the locker room with a 35-27 advantage.  A quick check of the halftime box score showed that even though the Falcons had a slight edge on the boards 16-14, that small advantage was negated because UW-River Falls had thus far been guilty of 11 turnovers played a big role in their first half struggles.  That along with the fact that Ripon was enjoying a decided edge in points in the paint by a 20-10 count meant that the Falcons' Lyman and her staff were going to have to make some serious adjustments during the halftime break to plug up the leaks in their boat.

And UW-River Falls appeared to be in a tough spot again at the beginning of the third period when the Red Hawk's Rauwolf knocked down a jumper from the right wing area at the 9:35 mark that re-established the ten-point cushion for Ripon at 37-27 before the Falcons could take some nibbles off of the deficit.  Sophomore reserve guard Taylor Clarey would knock down a jumper from the left elbow area at the 9:18 mark and a score in the paint by Plonski off of an inbounds pass at the 7:43 mark got the deficit down to seven at 38-31.  The Red Hawks' Nelson would get the lead to nine when she connected on a pretty one-handed jumper off the glass at the 6:53 mark but UW-River Falls would stay the course as Plonski would get a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled at the 6:41 mark and then at the 6:09 mark junior reserve guard Savannah Leopold took the spotlight by draining a "3" from the right wing area that suddenly cut the deficit down to four at 40-36 and Ripon Head Coach Lauren Busalacchi; becoming a bit concerned at how the tide had suddenly turned in this one, instinctively took a match to a timeout to get her troops reorganized.  The Red Hawks initially appeared to have a positive tone out of this latest stoppage as Laney Havlovitz would get a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled at the 5:18 mark that upped the lead to six at 42-36 and a lay-up off of an inbounds pass by Van Horn with 4:28 left maintained the six-point edge at 44-38.  But UW-River Falls had seemingly had found new life infused into it as they had so many times this season and they went right back to work.  Leopold would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 3:15 left and with 2:52 left, Plonski would knock down a jumper from the free throw line area that suddenly had the Falcons back to within a single possession down 44-41.  With 1:32 left, UW- River Falls got into the bonus and even though Anderson couldn't complete the deal from the charity stripe after she was fouled, it nonetheless posed a problem for the Red Hawks as Van Horn now had to retreat to the pine with her fourth foul of the night.  Then with 1:05 left, the Falcons cut the deficit to a scant point as Boily would knock down a jumper from the top of the key just inside the arc and for a Ripon team that had been enjoying a ten-point cushion early on in this third period, things were suddenly looking perilous as this one moved to the fourth period.  

The Red Hawks tried to increase their safety net from the get-go of the fourth period as Rauwolf would bury another cold-hearted "3" - this one from the left corner area at the 9:40 mark but Ripon was immediately met with resistance from its opponent as the Falcons battled right back.  Anderson and her 6'0" frame would slither through traffic for a tough score in the paint at the 9:23 mark that quickly had the deficit back to a single possession down 47-45 and even that was remedied a short time later when Buchan was sent to the charity stripe after getting fouled at the 8:57 mark and she calmly sank both freebies that had this game leveled again at 47 a piece.  Undaunted, the Red Hawks relied on Rauwolf and she would again unleash terror from behind the arc with a bomb from the top of the key at the 8:50 mark that pushed Ripon back out in front again at 50-47 and when Van Horn connected on a short, turnaround jumper at the 7:59 mark that upped the lead to five at 52-47, it looked as if the Red Hawks may have solved their immediate problems.  But they soon found out that their opponent had no intention of going quietly into the night as UW-River Falls shocked the fans inside cavernous Memorial Auditorium by unleashing a 6-0 push.  Plonski would connect on a short, turnaround jumper off the glass at the 7:41 mark that got the Falcons back to within a single possession down 52-49 and less than a minute later, Clarey would connect on a nifty lay-up off of an inbounds pass at the 7:01 mark that cut the deficit to a scant point.  Finally, at the 5:40 mark, UW-River Falls pushed ahead for the first time since the opening minutes of the ballgame when Leopold connected on a pretty lay-up as the shot clock was winding down to give the Falcons a 53-52 lead.  That prompted Ripon's Busalacchi to take a match to a thirty-second timeout to get her team calmed down a bit and that short stoppage in play appeared to help as the Red Hawks took the lead back.  Schlieve would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 5:19 mark that tied things up at 53 a piece and a score in the paint by Van Horn with 4:45 left pushed Ripon back in front 55-53.  But that wouldn't last long as UW-River Falls' Buchan was up to her old tricks again and she got an acrobatic lay-up to go down with 4:30 left that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" had the Falcons out in front again at 56-55.  Right back came the Red Hawks as senior reserve guard Natalie Bestor would bury a "3" from the right wing area with 4:15 left to put Ripon ahead again at 58-56.  This back-and-forth trend would continue as UW-River Falls' Leopold would connect on a lay-up with 3:50 left that also drew a foul and Leopold would cash in on the obligatory "and one" that gave the lead back to the Falcons at 59-58.  Not to be outdone, the Red Hawks took the lead back on a short, turnaround jumper from Van Horn with 3:33 left.  But the Falcons would respond on their subsequent possession as Buchan would unleash her brand of terror from behind the arc with a bomb from the right wing area with 3:21 left that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" completed this big four-point play for UW-River Falls that now had them up 63-60.  But Ripon wouldn't wait long to make a response on their next possession as Laney Havlovitz used her quickness to dart into the paint for a score with 2:52 left that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" fittingly leveled this contest at 63 a piece.  And Laney Havlovitz would come through again at the charity stripe for the Red Hawks a bit later after getting fouled with 2:23 left in regulation and her two freebies kept this game on even terms at 65.  With 2:02 left, the Falcons' Buchan would do her thing from the charity stripe after getting fouled with a pair of free throws that pushed UW-River Falls ahead again by a 67-65 count but Ripon was not going to let themselves be denied as Van Horn would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 1:46 left and after getting a stop on the other end, the Red Hawks pushed ahead at 68-67 when Nelson connected on a lay-up with 1:16 left.  With :49.5 left in regulation, Ripon's Busalacchi called a thirty-second timeout to set up strategy and when Schlieve connected on a short jumper from the right side with :36.2 left to make it 70-67, things appeared to be in the bag for Ripon.  The Falcons' Lyman would immediately take a thirty-second timeout to set up things for their subsequent possession and when they were unable to find an opening, Lyman would take a match to another thirty-second timeout with :21.9 left.  With the shot clock then winding down, UW-River Falls' Buchan would attempt a three-point bomb from the right wing area with :12.1 left and although the shot wasn't true, the groans from the Ripon crowd were more than audible when Laney Havlovitz was called for the foul which sent Buchan to the line with three free throw attempts to tie this game.  With the weight of the world on her shoulders and the tension filling the air inside cavernous Memorial Auditorium, Buchan took a deep breath before each attempt and nailed all three attempts as calmly as a butterfly might land on a plant that made it 70 a piece.  But there was still plenty of time for the Red Hawks to deliver a dagger and Busalacchi quickly took a timeout in hopes of drawing up a potential winning play.  And, to be sure, Ripon had three halfway decent looks on their final possession in regulation.  Schlieve had a lay-up attempt that went awry with :05.2 left but Van Horn was there for the offensive rebound and she couldn't get her putback to go down.  But Rauwolf was there for the offensive rebound and she quickly kicked the ball out to Laney Havlovitz who launched a three-point bomb attempt with :03.3 left.  With both fan bases holding their collective breaths, that shot attempt rattled out.  UW-River Falls managed to get the rebound this time around and the buzzer sounded with this contest still tied at 70 a piece so off to overtime we went.

Both teams would come up empty on their initial possessions of the overtime period but with 4:10 left, Ripon's Schlieve would get fouled and she got both free throw attempts to go down to push the Red Hawks ahead at 72-70 but that was answered a short time later by UW-River Falls as Anderson made a nifty move and connected on a pretty reverse lay-up with 3:49 left that again had this game on even terms at 72 a piece.  Ripon would again turn to Schlieve on their subsequent possession and she would come through with a short jumper off the glass that pushed the Red Hawks back out in front at 74-72 but on the Falcons next possession, Leopold would get an open look from the left corner area and drain a "3" that now had UW-River Falls up by one at 75-74.  But the turning point in this game would come a short time later when Ripon's Schlieve connected on a tough jumper along the right baseline area that got the Red Hawks back out in front again at 76-75.  The Falcons would come up empty on their next possession and with 2:33 left, Ripon's Schlieve would get sent to the charity stripe after getting fouled and she would get both free throw attempts to go down to make it a 78-75 game.  UW-River Falls still had plenty of time to make up for lost ground but they would suffer a costly turnover on their subsequent possession and with 2:24 left in this first overtime period, the Falcons' Lyman would call a thirty-second timeout in hopes of finding some sort of remedy for this situation.  To their credit, UW-River Falls would then get a stop on the other end and then Plonski would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 1:50 left that kept the Falcons ever so close down just 78-76.  But the Red Hawks would then change the complexion of this one for good on their subsequent possession when Schlieve connected on a short, turnaround jumper with 1:30 left that now had Ripon up by four at 80-76 and now UW-River Falls suddenly saw their window of opportunity closing ever so slowly.  And sure enough, on the Falcons next possession, Buchan was unable to get a lay-up attempt to cooperate with 1:06 left and although UW-River Falls got a stop on the other end, they would promptly turn the ball over with :42.1 left in this first overtime period and now the Red Hawks' Busalacchi called a timeout to set up the end-game strategy.  With :39.3 left, Ripon's Bestor would get one free throw to go down after getting foul that expanded the Red Hawks lead to five at 81-76.  Now arguably in desperation mode, UW-River Falls' Lyman had to take a match to her last timeout of this contest in hopes of dialing up a miracle.  The Falcons appeared to get something of that prescribed miracle after the stoppage in play as Buchan would bury her third trey of this night - this one coming from the left top area with :36.4 left that cut the deficit down to two at 81-79.  The Red Hawks' Busalacchi would then use her final timeout knowing full and well that the Falcons would have to foul to preserve clock and with :29.1 left, Nelson would get sent to the charity stripe after getting fouled and she was cool as a cucumber as she got both free throw attempts to go down that made it a two-possession game again at 83-79.  Now UW-River Falls was down to its last option and with :18.4 left, Clarey's three-point bomb attempt would go awry and was quickly rebounded by Ripon's Laney Havlovitz.  With :06.8 of life left in this game the Red Hawks' Nelson would get fouled and she would get one free throw to go down that essentially made it game over with an 84-79 score.  Interestingly enough, the Falcons' Anderson would get a three-point bomb to go down with just :00.3 left but all that did was make it a one-possession game as Ripon held on for a thrilling 84-81 overtime victory to advance into the second round of the Dance.

Ripon's Busalacchi was joined by Schlieve, Rauwolf and Laney Havlovitz in the postgame press conference.  UW-River Falls' Lyman was joined by both Buchan and Plonski for their portion of the postgame press conference.  The URL for this press conference is:  https://miacsportsnetwork.com/concordia/?B=3779938

In a game like this that's so close and winds up going into overtime, it's tough to find fault with what ultimately transpired for UW-River Falls at the most crucial juncture of this game.  Let's keep in mind here, this is a team that went through a plethora of ACL injuries to start the year and was sporting a rather unimpressive 7-4 overall record when they delved into WIAC play right after the first of the year.  But more than once in conference play, they kept finding ways to win big games when they really needed to have them to help boost their NPI ranking.  Though they were swept by both UW-La Crosse and UW-Oskosh, they split with UW-Whitewater and they swept UW-Platteville in addition to UW-Eau Claire.  And because of the emotional roller-coaster season they had, it's easy to see why the Falcons Lyman was emotional in that press conference afterward.  But I think over the next few days, the biggest regret for this team and coaching staff when they look back on this game is that they went 15-22 from the charity stripe for 68.2% and that includes Buchan's bravado performance when she nailed those three critical free throws late in regulation just to force OT.  Anyone who views this blog knows full and well that I will harp on free throw shooting until the cows come home and I've got no choice but to do that here in this case as well.  And it was costly in this case.  And that was exacerbated by the fact that Ripon had a 40-35 edge on the boards and a decided advantage in points in the paint at 38-28.  And although the Falcons shot reasonably well from FG range going 29-56 for 51.8%, Ripon was better from behind the arc as they were 5-12 for 41.7% compared to 8-21 for 38.1% for UW-River Falls.

The Falcons' Buchan capped a great collegiate career as she paced the UW-River Falls attack on this night with her 20 point and going 9-9 from the charity stripe - WOW!  Anderson was solid on this night with her 15 points but what was impressive was that Leopold contributed 15 points as well off the bench and Plonski was usual reliable self as she closed out her collegiate career with 13 points.  But the Red Hawks had ALL FIVE of their starters in double figures scoring-wise on this night.  Schlieve's 23 points paced all scorers on this night but as I said, she also had plenty of help as well as Rauwolf poured in 17 points including going 4-6 from downtown while Van Horn had 15 points.  Nelson finished with 13 points on this night and Laney Havlovitz wasn't far behind with her 12 points.   

Looking Ahead To Friday Evening's 1st Round Matchups For MIAC Teams 3-4-26

UW-Superior is back in the NCAA Tournament and although they'll be in the underdog role against host Concordia, the Yellowjackets could be dangerous as they'll be playing with nothing to lose.

 As we edge closer to Friday evening's opening round games, I wanted to provide something of a synopsis of the first-round matchups for each MIAC team and give a bit of a breakdown on each game.

Bethel Pod

Bethel vs Millsaps 

This is the first-ever meeting between these two programs.  Millsaps; champions of the SAA, comes into the NCAA Tournament with a 21-7 record.  A glance of the Majors roster reveals that they have a very nice blend of experience and youth.  Millsaps' leading scorer is junior guard Garin Freeman who averages 17.8 ppg but she normally gets a lot of help from fellow junior forward Tia Anderson (16.4 ppg) and senior post Elyse Warren (14.9 ppg).  A quick check of the SAA stats shows that the Majors do indeed know offense as they're second in the conference in total team offense and they're tops in the SAA in scoring margin at 8.8.  They're also near the top in FG percentage and opponent FG percentage and while the Majors aren't what you'd necessarily call a great three-point shooting team, they're tops in the conference in combined team rebounding and both team offensive and team defensive rebounds.  But interestingly, Millsaps is middle of the pack in turnover margin and assist/turnover ratio.  Ultimately what could prove fatal to the Majors hopes on Friday evening is that they're listed as dead last in team free throw percentage and that's not something you want to have bringing you down in an NCAA Tournament setting.  Given the home floor and student/fan advantage that they'll enjoy in this one, I expect that Bethel gets through this first round matchup unscathed but they'll have their hands full on Saturday night between the winner of Coe and UW-Platteville.

Concordia Pod

Concordia vs UW-Superior  

To my knowledge, this is also the first meeting between the Cobbers and the Yellowjackets; certainly the first time in the NCAA Tournament anyway.  While UW-Superior certainly didn't set the world on fire during the regular season, they got hot when it counted in the UMAC Playoffs where the Yellowjackets took down UM-Morris on the road and then dumped North Central in the UMAC Championship Game at home to claim the conference's AQ into the Dance.  UW-Superior also has a nice mix of veteran leadership and youth on their roster and they also have a first-year Head Coach as well in Eveline Parsons.  When the Yellowjackets need offense, they usually turn to junior guard Hope Carlson (9.1 ppg) and fellow junior guard Maddie Reott (8.8 ppg).  Looking at the broader picture, one could say that UW-Superior's offense isn't of the high-octane variety as they rank near the bottom in the UMAC in three-point FGs made and are middle of the pack in team 3-point FG percentage.  And they're middle of the pack in free throw percentage.  But where the Yellowjackets do excel is on the defensive side of the ball as they're numero uno in team defense in the UMAC and they're also tops in opponent FG percentage as well.  On the rebounding front, there's nobody better than UW-Superior as they're first in combined team rebounds, team offensive rebounds and combined opponents rebounds and 6'3" junior forward Charlotte Ferstl (7.0 rebounds per game) knows how to keep the glass clean.  That particular aspect could pose some problems for Concordia but I think the Cobbers simply have too many weapons and their depth will likely wear down UW-Superior as the game progresses.  But there'll be little time to celebrate as they would get the winner between UW-River Falls and Ripon and that game should be an absolute battle.

Whitewater Pod

GAC vs Chicago

Still another first time meeting between these two teams.  The Chicago program is certainly no stranger to this stage and although they finished the season at 17-7, let's remember that in the highly-competitive UAA, you're playing top-notch teams such as #1 NYU, Wash U, Carnegie Mellon, et al and the Maroons had NYU on the ropes just two short weeks ago and probably should've beaten them.  Not only is this a veteran team, they've got size to boot.  Chicago is led by sophomore forward Annabelle Spotts (11.8 ppg) and fellow sophomore guard Chris Sanders (10.0 ppg).  And while the Maroons won't blow anyone away with their overall offensive prowess, one should know that the Maroons are right up there in the UAA from the charity stripe which is bad news for any opponent if/when Chicago gets in the bonus.  No, where the Maroons excel is on defense and they're right behind said NYU team in overall defense in the UAA and they're also second in the conference in opponent FG percentage.  But I was surprised to see Chicago at the bottom of the pack in turnover margin and they're near the bottom in combined team rebounds - something I wouldn't have expected.  And while their defense is solid, they're also toward the bottom in steals.  How much that all means, I don't know for sure right now but given the fact that they were one of only two teams to thus far give NYU a real run for their money, that alone should be validation as to how good they are.  No doubt about it - this young Gustie team will likely have to play the game of their life on Friday evening - and the road ahead if they do manage to get through won't be any easier as they'd have to face off against the winner of host UW-Whitewater and Transylvania.

Oshkosh Pod

SMU vs Wisconsin Lutheran

The Warriors; who bowed to GAC in the first round last year, are back again in the Dance with an impressive 23-5 record which includes a 48-29 blasting of St. Norbert in the NACC Championship Game this last Sunday.  To be sure, this is a young team as well that's dominated by freshmen and sophomores but that aspect certainly hasn't held Wisconsin Lutheran back one iota.  And Head Coach Klay Knueppel definitely has some scorers on his squad as the Warriors are led by junior forward Margie Stevens (14.8 ppg) along with freshman guard Kenly Frey (12.4 ppg) and sophomore forward Abby Cole (11.0 ppg) and I suppose it's no surprise that the Warriors were third in total team offense in the NACC and second in team FG percentage and third in team 3-point FG percentage.  And although Wisconsin Lutheran could arguably be better at the charity stripe, they're very solid on the defensive side of the ball as they're second in overall team defense and second in margin of victory at 18.7 which is a very scary proposition.  They're tops in opponent FG percentage and opponent 3-point FG percentage as well.  Need more proof?  They're tops in combined team rebounds and team defensive rebounds as well and both Cole and senior combo guard/forward Jayden Hill are very good at their trade in this particular department.  This first-round matchup with SMU could truly be a dandy as they have very similar styles and they're both green around the gills so to speak so this one could really be fun.  Just how much "fun" there will be to be had is uncertain as whoever escapes this potential bloodbath with the dub will get the winner of host UW-Oskosh (b'gosh) and Webster and I think we know who's going to be favored in that one. 

So there's something of a breakdown on the opponents that the four MIAC teams will face on Friday night to get you a bit more familiar with these teams.  I think that, more than anything, the unfamiliarity aspect of playing unfamiliar opponents with way different playing styles than what you're normally accustomed to is one of the toughest things to overcome in the NCAA Tournament.  You can watch game videos and pore over stats and rosters but you really don't know what you're getting for sure until you get on the floor with them and get at it.  And how well each team adjusts to the other is crucial as well.  Guess that's what always makes this time of the year so fun and so interesting.  

Come on Friday night!       

 

An Exciting And Incredibly Memorable Day For MIAC Women's Basketball - Four Teams Headed For The NCAA Tournament!

SMU had a nervous weekend but made it into the Field of 64 to become one of the four MIAC teams headed for the NCAA Tournament!  

Maybe the anticipation and tension wasn't there because we knew that the NPI rankings had the top 64 teams determined - including the four MIAC teams - but still, what a thrill it was to see the brackets unveiled a bit ago and to see the four conference teams that made it - Bethel, Concordia, GAC and SMU - get their opponents and destinations determined.  So, before we go any further, I'd first like to raise my glass of champagne and give a rousing toast to the Royals, Cobbers, Gusties and Cardinals!!!  Way to go!!!

So, for starters, both Bethel and Concordia will be hosting 1st/2nd round pods.  In the Bethel Pod, the Royals have a very interesting first-round matchup with Millsaps which is located in Jackson, MS and is a member of the SAA (Southern Athletic Association).  The other first-round matchup on Friday night at Robertson Center is a humdinger as well that pits Coe which is located in my old stomping grounds of Cedar Rapids, IA (two of my brothers played tennis at Coe and graduated from there as well) which won the ARC Championship Game against UW-Platteville out of the WIAC.

Meanwhile, at the Concordia Pod (where I plan to be) up in Moorhead is also setting up to be a potentially exciting four-team get-together as well.  The Cobbers will face UMAC Championship Game winner UW-Superior while the other first round game will feature highly-regarded and MWC Championship Game winner Ripon taking on UW-River Falls out of the WIAC.  That game will be a war for sure!  

GAC meanwhile is heading over to UW-Whitewater again (they were there back in 2018 when they made a run to the Sweet 16) where they'll have a very interesting matchup of their own as they'll face off against Chicago - a perennial powerhouse program out of the UAA.  The other first-round game at the Whitewater pod will feature host UW-Whitewater taking on Transylvania.  

The new kid on the block; SMU, is getting shipped over to another WIAC host at the Oshkosh (b'gosh) Pod.  Here, the Cardinals will take on a very good Wisconsin Lutheran team that won the NACC Championship Game and this game has the potential to be a barn-burner for sure.  The other first-round game will feature host UW-Oshkosh taking on Webster.  

I'll be breaking this all down more as the week progresses but right now, let's enjoy this unbelievable - and long-awaited moment for MIAC Women's Basketball.  How cool is this?!  

Oh, here's the URL for the released brackets for the Field of 64.  Let's get it on!

https://www.d3hoops.com/playoffs/women/2026/bracket

 

  

Sunday Night Update And A Look At The Bigger Picture - Looks Like An Exciting Time For MIAC Women's Basketball! 3-1-26

The Field of 64 is set and this time, the MIAC has FOUR teams primed to have their names called Monday afternoon beginning at 1:30 PM.  Get the champagne ready and be ready to raise your glasses to Bethel, Concordia, GAC and SMU!     

So I wanted to get something out on this Sunday night as the last day of conference playoff championship games wrapped up.  Going into the MIAC Championship Game yesterday, we knew that there were at least three teams from the MIAC that were certain to receive bids into the NCAA Tournament - Concordia, Bethel and GAC.  Bethel, of course, received the conference's AQ with their win over Concordia.  The Cobbers as of yesterday morning (Saturday 2-28) were at #10 in the NPI rankings while the Royals were #17.  With Bethel's win over Concordia, the Royals saw their NPI ranking shoot from #17 all the way up to #13 so "Herbie" was indeed correct when he told me afterward that they most definitely expected to be in a position to host.  Concordia meanwhile did not fall precipitously as some may have feared; only down to #12 which is safely within the top 16 teams so the Cobbers are still in excellent position to host.  

The big uncertainty meanwhile has swirled around SMU's chances and since their loss to Concordia this last Thursday night (2-26) in the semifinal round, their hopes of being able to receive one of the 21 at-large bids seemed, well, uncertain at best.  At one point yesterday morning (Saturday 2-28), their NPI ranking was at #39 which seemed to have them positioned to get that very last at-large bid.  However, there were still a number of moving pieces still in play as of this morning with the remaining conference championship games to be played and possible "bid thieves" that could potentially steal that at-large bid that SMU was desperately trying to hang onto.  In fact, it looked as if the Cardinals' hopes might've gone up in smoke at one point this afternoon when TCNJ knocked off William Paterson in the NJAC Championship Game.  However, from subsequent posts on X by Scott Peterson (@scott_peterson4), my initial fears of SMU's demise proved to be premature (thankfully) and, if you take a look at the latest NPI rankings that were released earlier this evening, you'll see that the Cardinals are indeed still at #39 which allows them to secure that last at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament.  You can bet that Head Coach Courtney Shelton, her staff and her team must've been sweating bullets big time earlier today but they can now all heave a collective sigh of relief and look forward to an exciting Selection Monday tomorrow.  Congratulations indeed to SMU!!

And this leads to the bigger point that I was making over the last few years when the MIAC was only getting one team into the Dance because of the idiotic round-robin conference schedule that allowed you to play only three non-conference games.  It was bad enough when we were having to deal with an equally-idiotic regional ranking system that thankfully died a swift death.  But in the new world with NPI, coaches and administrators finally realized that the MIAC had to adapt to the new reality that we're now living in and adjust the conference schedule that allows teams to schedule more games against non-conference teams; specifically against those that have reasonably high NPI rankings that allows more teams to have a chance to position themselves to get into the NCAA Tournament and now we FINALLY see the rewards being reaped.  And what this does in turn is that it gives the conference much more visibility and much more credence than it ever had before and you have to believe that this is also a big boost for all the schools in the conference in terms of recruiting.  How cool is it now to see the MIAC positioned to get FOUR teams into the Dance - especially when you see across the River where the WIAC - for the second year in a row - is positioned to once again get five teams into the NCAA Tournament.  Now the MIAC is FINALLY positioned to run with the big dogs and it's high time if you ask me.  

So, the URLs to not only the current NPI rankings but also the D3 Hoops website that lists the 64 teams are listed below.  The only things we don't know right now are the brackets and actual pairings but that will all come out tomorrow afternoon (Monday 3-2) at 1:30 PM Central time.  

I don't know about you but this is ALWAYS my favorite time of the year.  😉 

https://stats.ncaa.org/selection_rankings/nitty_gritties/48990

https://www.d3hoops.com/playoffs/women/2026/projected-womens-bracket