After doing the color commentary with Tony Geer for the early afternoon clash between Hamline and Bethel, I hurried my way down Snelling Avenue and over towards St. Kate's for the 3 P.M. game between the Wildcats and the visiting Cobbers from Concordia. Obviously, it's a long-haul coming down from Moorhead whether you go on U.S. Highway 10 (my preferred way) or on I-94 (the boring way) but whichever way the Cobbers did go it didn't seem to affect them too much judging from the rather comfortable 38-26 lead they held at the half when I got myself there and settled in at the Butler Center arena. On the contrary, the Cobbers were just getting warmed up.
Indeed, it only took ten seconds into the second half to see that the Cobbers had it in full gear as senior forward Tricia Sorensen was able to manuever inside to get a score which was followed on the next possession by a "3" from sophomore guard Alley Fisher from the right corner that upped the lead to 43-26. St. Kate's sophomore forward Sarina Baker tried to halt the Cobber momentum with a "3" of her own from the right wing at the 18:48 mark but Fisher again struck into the heart of the Wildcat defense at the 17:25 mark with a drive and lay-up and then it was senior guard Emily Thesing with a jumper off the glass in transition at the 17:08 mark followed by a score inside by lanky 6'4" junior post Alexandra Lippert that effectively erased any hopes the Wildcats may have had at the half about getting back into this one as they now found themselves down by twenty at 49-29 at the 16:36 mark.
The Wildcats would brieftly cut into the bulge a bit as junior guard Kristen Lee knocked down two freebies after being fouled at the 16:19 mark and then connected with a jumper at the 15:26 mark. Then sophomore guard Amanda Padilla followed with a lay-up at the 14:31 mark but the Wildcats could never sustain anything substantive that would greatly cut into the Concordia advantage. Junior reserve post Kelsey Walloch was able to muscle inside for a score at the 14:21 mark and then Sorensen snared a rebound and got a putback at the 13:08 mark that upped the lead to twenty again at 54-34. After Walloch penetrated the Wildcat defense for another score inside at the 11:55 mark it was then time for the Tricia Sorensen Show (again) as she picked the pocket of a Wildcat for a steal and lay-up the other way at the 10:48 mark and then banged home a "3" from the right top at the 9:56 mark as the Concordia lead bulged to 61-34. But the Cobbers were far from satisfied. Fisher's jumper from the right wing at the 8:17 mark got the lead to thirty at 65-35 and got it to as much as 70-37 by the 6:22 mark after a Lippert score. By this time, Concordia Head Coach Jessica Rahman called off the dogs and began substituting liberally. The Wildcats never quit; they just ran into a superior team with great talent and depth. And they have some youngsters who figure to play prominent roles as this team moves forward and gets more and more experience. The Cobbers claimed an easy 82-49 win and have an extra day to prepare for their home clash against Carleton this next Tuesday before taking a break for the holidays.
When I asked Rahman about her team's chances of competing for a MIAC title this year, she craftily dodged the question to make the point that while some teams are struggling at the moment (a la St. Kate's, Bethel, St. Olaf) things could very well be much different come mid-January as she thinks the conference will be a mighty struggle for even the top teams. And I would have to concur with that notion. It's just too early to crown someone right now. Still, I like this Concordia team and I like how things are shaping up for them now after they dropped two decisions early in the season. This team has everyone back from last year and two great leaders in seniors Sorensen and Thesing (very similar to two years ago when they had Erica Nord and Lindsey Schultz - and it was Sorensen and Thesing who were learning from these two Cobber greats). A presence like what Lippert provides never hurts and she is definitely more experienced and less prone to get into early foul trouble as she did during her salad days wearing the maroon and gold. So we'll see. But you have to like where they're at right now.
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