Concordia vs Augsburg 1-12-22

 Working from home like I am for the time being definitely does have its benefits and one of those allowed me to get over to Si Melby Hall on the campus of Augsburg University on this late Wednesday afternoon for the early (5:15 P.M.) tip-off between visiting Concordia and host Augsburg.  The Cobbers had put together a two-game win streak in getting dubs over both St. Olaf and St. Scholastica.  For Augsburg, everything has come up roses for them since their last defeat back in November and came rolling into this contest on an eight-game win streak and the Auggie Express definitely looked to have a head of steam coming into this game.  

That became all the more obvious in the first few minutes of the opening period as Augsburg quickly took control.  Senior forward Jen Masello started things off by beating her defender off the dribble and getting a lay-up at the 8:54 mark and sophomore sensation guard Kalena Myers would do likewise at the 8:31 mark.  Masello would strike again at the 7:41 mark with another lay-up and when Myers connected with a short jumper from the left side off the glass at the 7:13 mark, Cobber Head Coach Kim Wagers had seen enough to know that a thirty-second timeout was warranted to get her troops reassembled.  Still, the Auggies would complete this early 10-0 run when Masello muscled into the paint for a score at the 6:36 mark before Concordia could finally dust off the forming cobwebs on its basket when senior guard Autumn Thompson connected with a lay-up at the 6:18 mark.  Augsburg's Myers would then do her part to stretch out the home team's lead even more.  The former Apple Valley standout would first drain a "3" from the left wing area at the 5:55 mark and follow that up with a lay-up at the 5:26 mark to make it a 15-2 game before the Cobbers could begin the arduous task of trying to cut into this deficit.  Senior post Vanessa Kedl would connect with a pretty drive and finish off of an inbounds pass with 4:18 left and freshman reserve guard Taylor Jordan would knock down a jumper from the left elbow area with 2:31 left that cut the deficit down to ten at 16-6.  But the Auggies would get two more scores before this first period was over.  Sophomore reserve forward Anja Smith would connect with a sweet reverse lay-up with 2:11 left and two free throws by senior point guard Selena Lor with :42.2 left on the clock had the home team in great shape up 20-6 going into the second period.  

Augsburg continued to put the Cobbers in a deeper and deeper hole once the second period got going.  After Masello knocked down one free throw after getting fouled at the 9:43 mark, she would follow that up with yet another pretty drive and finish at the 9:06 mark to make it 23-8.  Then junior forward Jaley Coplin got herself involved into the scoring fray in a big way.  The former Shakopee standout would nail her first trey of the evening from the left wing area off of an inbounds pass at the 8:20 mark and although Concordia would try and counter when junior guard Emily Beseman snared an offensive rebound for a putback and drew a foul in the process and got the obligatory "and one" at the 7:55 mark, the Auggies' Coplin would strike again from behind the arc - this one from the left top area at the 7:21 mark to make it a 29-11 ballgame.  Concordia; despites all of its offensive woes thus far, finally started finding some semblance of consistency in the midway portion of this second quarter.  Sophomore reserve guard Jordyn Kahler would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 5:47 mark and freshman reserve forward Makayla Anderson would connect with a short jumper off the glass at the 5:18 mark that had the deficit down to fourteen at 29-15.  With 3:31 left, Anderson would connect with a lay-up that drew the Cobbers even closer down 29-17 and provided a momentary ray of hope for the Fargo-Moorhead gang.  But that ray of hope quickly dissipated when Augsburg went on another offensive foray right before the halftime break.  Coplin would unleash her third dagger three-point bomb of the evening; this one coming from the right wing area with 3:15 left and a routine drive and finish by the speedy Myers with 2:25 left had the Auggies up 34-19.  Then, with :45.6 left, Lor would drain a "3" from the left top area that allowed Augsburg to take a cozy 37-19 lead into the locker room at the halftime break.  A quick check of the first half box score must've made Concordia's Wagers and her staff shudder - Concordia shot 7-30 from FG range for 23.3% and were 0-8 from behind the arc plus the fact that the Auggies were owning the boards as well by a 22-16 count.  Perhaps the only bright spot for the Cobbers at this juncture was that they were perfect from the charity stripe going 5-5 but they were going to need much more than that if they wanted to get back into this game.  

One change that Concordia had made in that second period was switching up to a 2-3 "matchup" zone defense and Wagers decided to carry that strategy over into the third period as well in hopes of slowing down the potent Auggie offensive attack.  Still, Augsburg would draw first blood again as Coplin unleashed her fourth dagger "3" of the evening; this one from the left wing area at the 9:40 mark to make it 40-19 before the Cobbers could find some more flow to their offensive attack.  Thompson would connect with a jumper from the right elbow area at the 7:29 mark and Kedl would get one free throw to go down at the 5:25 mark after getting fouled that slimmed down the deficit a bit at 42-24.  The problem was that they simply were not getting the stops on defense that they needed that might have changed the complexion of this contest a bit.  Junior guard Grace Eastman; an often overlooked component of this Augsburg team, would connect with a jumper along the right baseline with 4:57 left and one free throw by Masello after she was fouled with 4:01 left made it 45-24.  Still, Concordia would make another bid to try and get back into this contest before this third period was in the books.  Kahler would drain a "3" from the right wing area with 3:40 left and freshman reserve guard Taylor Jordan would make a splash when she banged home a "3" of her own from the left wing area with 1:38 left to get the deficit down to seventeen at 47-30.  Senior forward Mary Sem; who had been quiet up to this point, would connect with a lay-up with :26 left that had the deficit down to fifteen at 47-32 entering the fourth period.  

A quick 7-0 push by the Auggies at the start of the fourth period effectively extinguished any fading hopes that the Cobber faithful may have had.  Two free throws by Myers at the 9:31 mark and a tough, one-handed shot by Masello at the 8:45 mark pushed Augsburg's lead to 51-32.  Fitting, Coplin's fifth three-point bomb of the night - this one from the left corner at the 8:17 mark - pushed the lead to 54-32 to cap this burst.  Concordia would attempt one more bid to try and draw closer, however.  Beseman would connect with a lay-up in transition at the 7:31 mark and lanky freshman guard Symone Beld would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 6:21 mark.  Anderson would bang home a "3" from the right top area at the 5:46 mark and a pretty drive and finish by Thompson with 4:57 left did have the deficit down to fourteen at 54-40 but this is where Augsburg slammed the door shut for good.  Back-to-back three-point bombs - one by Eastman from the left wing area with 4:30 left and another one by Myers from the left corner with 3:28 left - quickly got the lead back up to twenty at 60-40.  Masello would also knock down a short shot off the glass with 1:47 left and one free throw by junior reserve guard Samaiya Buchanan with :26.6 left made it 63-42 and although Cobber freshman reserve guard Sophia Tobin would collect the last points of the night with her pretty reverse lay-up with :16 left, it would be way too little, way too late as the Auggies collected a convincing 63-44 victory.  

I did get to talk to Augsburg Assistant Coach (and former Minnesota/Park standout) Jackie Voigt afterward for a few minutes and told her that the thing that stood out most to me in this contest is that this team has grown so much from early on in the season.  What I meant by saying that is that, before, beyond the starting five of Masello, Lor, Myers, Eastman and Coplin, you really didn't know what to expect once Head Coach Ted Riverso started digging into his bench.  But tonight, you saw Riverso going to his bench much earlier than you might have thought that he would and you now see players such as sophomore guard Katie Manecke and freshman guard Mercedes Romo not only getting quality minutes but also looking incredibly confident out there as well.  And we've also seen what Smith is capable of as well.  I just told both Voigt (and Lor as well afterward) that each time I watch this Augsburg team play, I become more and more impressed with them each time.  Just as important, (and I know I've touched on this before) I think this team has carved its own niche; it's own identity in it's own way.  Maybe they're not the "Fab 5" from a couple two or three years ago but this group meshes quite well together and in some ways, might even be a more consistent team offensively than the Fab 5 squad of a few short years ago.  In the final analysis, their undefeated conference record speaks for itself and Voigt maintains that this group just keeps working hard every day in practice.  Meanwhile, another rough night at the O.K. Corral for this Concordia team which continues to struggle on a number of fronts which, given the talent they had coming back from last season when things started to appear to come together for them, is quite puzzling indeed.  And you can bet it was a long, dark, tiring ride back up to Fargo-Moorhead for this group as well.  A check of the final box score reveals that it was just a bad outing for Concordia on this night (although Augsburg's defense had a lot to do with that) as the Cobbers finished going 17-52 from FG range for 32.7% and 3-15 from downtown for 20% and the Auggies owned the boards on this night as well by a 38-28 count.  Balanced scoring played a key in Augsburg's win on this night as Masello's 17 points (and 16 rebounds for a "double-double") led all scorers.  Myers was right behind with her 16 points and what a night it was for Coplin; finishing with 15 points and going 5-8 from behind the arc.  

MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 1-9-22

 It seems like it's been forever since I've done my MIAC Power Rankings that I normally do; COVID-19 took care of that last year to be sure.  Things are still a bit sketchy right now but I think it's high time I unveil my first rankings of the 2021-22 season:

1.  Augsburg

2.  Hamline

3.  GAC

4.  Bethel

5.  (tie) CSB & St. Kate's

6.  Concordia

7.  SMU

8.  Macalester

9.  Carleton

10.  St. Olaf

11.  St. Scholastica

Notice I didn't deviate too much from the actual conference standings right now - and, particularly at the top four/five positions anyway, we obviously need to see a few more things shake out.  But it would be unfair to the Auggies to not have them in the top spot right now as they've done what they've needed to do so far to hold that spot; including yesterday's 69-55 win over Macalester.  The big disappointment from yesterday was having the Hamline at GAC game scratched due to activities at GAC being on pause for the moment due to COVID protocols.  Given that scenario, I'll keep those two teams at the second and third spots, respectively.  But the team turning (or that should be turning) heads right now is Bethel as they've now ripped off five straight wins (including yesterday's 102-47 trouncing of St. Olaf) after an uncharacteristically shaky start that had them at 1-5 by the first part of December.  They've been getting previously injured players back and having younger players step up and so far it's worked out pretty well for them.  At the very least, they're going to be a factor in the MIAC race.

It was not a good week for either CSB or St. Kate's this last week as the Bennies took it on the chin this last Wednesday night against said Bethel team at home in St. Joe and then was forced to pull the plug yesterday in their scheduled game with St. Kate's due to COVID protocols; thus awarding St. Kate's a 2-0 win in the standings.  Given that St. Kate's was forced to take similar measures this last Wednesday before their slated game at Augsburg, at least the 'Cats were able to come out with a split on the whole mess.  

Without question, the biggest disappointment this season so far (at least in my mind anyway) has been Concordia.  I had the Cobbers right in the mix for the MIAC's top spot with the talent they had coming back but it just hasn't worked out for them thus far.  Throw in a trip out to Vegas that got wiped out due to COVID concerns and you can understand that there's obviously been a lot of frustrations on a number of fronts.  Still, the Cobbers got home wins against two teams they were supposed to beat - St. Olaf on Thursday night and then St. Scholastica yesterday - to at least keep them in the mix for a playoff spot.  Assuming things stay on schedule, Concordia has a big one at Augsburg this coming Wednesday before hosting SMU next Saturday so a split doesn't seem too far-fetched here.  

SMU snapped a three-game losing streak with yesterday's big win over Carleton in Winona yesterday and two home games loom big for them this week - Monday night vs Augsburg and Wednesday night vs St. Kate's before the long, long roadie up to Moorhead next Saturday against Concordia.  Macalester's fortunes don't appear too bright either after losses this last week to Carleton (at home) and then at Augsburg yesterday as the Scots are slated to play at St. Kate's on Monday before taking the trip up Snelling Avenue to Hamline on Wednesday night and then hosting Bethel this next Saturday.  Ditto for Carleton after yesterday's loss at SMU as they are at Hamline on Monday night and then host Bethel on Wednesday night before taking a visit to their crosstown rival St. Olaf next Saturday.

Dancing Around the Omicron/Delta Variants

I just wanted to touch on this matter and resisted the temptation to do it this last week after St. Kate's was forced to forfeit it's scheduled game this last Wednesday night vs Augsburg giving the latter a 2-0 win.  Today, we saw CSB having to pull the plug on its scheduled game at St. Kate's due to COVID protocols giving the latter a 2-0 win.  I hate this stuff as much as the next person and the last thing I want to see happen is COVID wrecking a second consecutive season with no conference tournaments or an NCAA Tournament.  Unfortunately, it's still something we're dealing with.  So, all I can say is (1) mask up and (2) if you haven't been vaccinated yet - GET VACCINATED (I'm slated to get my booster shot this coming Monday (1-10).  

I don't know all the details but it's my understanding that MIAC Athletic Directors will vote on this next Tuesday (1-11) to have no forfeits retroactive and have the ability to reschedule games.  Given that roughly over 400 athletes in all MIAC sports right now have tested positive, I think it's the right thing to do.  It would really blow to have a game lost that might cost you a spot in the MIAC Playoffs or, even worse, a sport in the NCAA Tournament.  We'll see what happens.  

St. Olaf vs Bethel 1-8-22

 Made the short run over to Arden Hills on this overcast but considerably much nicer early January Saturday afternoon to get into Robertson Center on the campus of Bethel University as host Bethel was getting set to take on visiting St. Olaf.  After a rocky start with so many different players out with a variety of ailments, the Royals struggled mightily from the start.  In December, however, Bethel finally started getting things turned around and was coming into this game with four straight victories under their belt.  Meanwhile, the Oles have been in a tailspin as of late as they've been riding a four-game losing streak coming into this contest on this day and, to make matters worse, St. Olaf would be without their leading scorer today in junior forward Rachel Kelly who did not make the trip up to the Twin Cities for this game.  

Somewhat predictably, Bethel would quickly gain the upper hand once this contest got underway; building a 7-2 lead early on in the opening period.  Freshman forward Hayden Glander would start things off with an offensive rebound and putback at the 9:16 mark and a crafty steal by fifth-year senior forward Makenna Pearson of an Ole inbounds pass and subsequent lay-up at the 8:34 mark followed by sophomore guard Anna Garfield's lay-up at the 8:03 mark that drew a foul that resulted in the obligatory "and one" had the Royals looking good.  Surprisingly, however, St. Olaf would come right back and take a one-point lead on two three-point bombs - one by senior guard K'Lynn Lewis from the right wing area at the 7:43 mark and another one by freshman guard Sarah Tangen at the 7:01 mark from the same right wing area - pushed the Oles out in front 8-7.  That was probably the lone bright moment in an otherwise dreadful day for St. Olaf as the Royals quickly answered with a 14-0 run to put them back out in front for good.  Freshman guard and former Becker standout Courtney Nuest would start this run with her offensive rebound and putback at the 6:46 mark and a Pearson lay-up in transition at the 6:17 mark had Bethel up 11-8.  A bit later, Pearson would strike again at the 5:55 mark with a lay-up that drew a foul and the former Blaine standout's "and one" made it 14-8.  Garfield would connect with a short shot off the glass at the 5:14 mark and when freshman reserve guard Kendal Cox connected with a lay-up with 4:51 left to make it 18-8, St. Olaf Head Coach Kelly Mahlum had seen enough to know that a full timeout was warranted in hopes of finding some solution to the Bethel defense that was causing so many problems for her squad.  Still, the Royals would finish up this first major run as junior reserve forward Emma Schultz would knock down one freebie after getting fouled with 4:12 left and Pearson would connect with a lay-up off of an inbounds pass with 2:52 left to make it 21-8 before the Oles finally found some semblance of offense.  Tangen would connect with a lay-up with 2:21 left and Lewis would make a hard drive for a pretty finish with 1:56 left but Bethel would land two more blows before this first period went into the books.  Glander would bang home a "3" from the left top area with :43.6 left and with just :00.3 left, Pearson would get sent to the charity stripe after she was fouled behind the arc and knocked down all three free throws as Bethel carried a 29-12 lead going into the second period.

A quick 7-0 spurt by the Royals widened this gap even more once the second period got underway.  Glander would score in the paint at the 9:15 mark and Pearson would uncork a "3" from the top of the key at the 8:45 mark to make it 34-12.  Less than a minute later, Pearson would strike again; knocking down a short jumper from the right side in transition to make it 36-12 and once again St. Olaf's Mahlum had to take a match to a timeout to try and slow down this Bethel onslaught.  To their credit, the Oles were able to respond as Lewis made a nifty drive for a finish off the glass at the 7:51 mark and junior reserve forward Sarah Howdeshell snared an offensive rebound for a putback at the 6:36 mark.  Lewis would connect with a short jumper in the lane at the 5:08 mark and would also snare an offensive rebound for a putback with 4:31 left.  Freshman forward Sophia Kormann would add a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 3:00 left as well but the trouble was, they just weren't getting enough of these opportunities that might've reasonably closed the gap some.  And Bethel's defense had a lot to do with that and they showed no signs of slowing up either.  Holding a 42-22 lead, the Royals went back to work as Nuest would connect with a short, one-handed shot in the lane with 2:48 left and one free throw by Garfield with 2:27 left pushed the lead to 45-22.  Just before the halftime break, Nuest would strike twice - first, snaring a steal and dashing the other way for a lay-up with 1:04 left and also getting a score in the paint with :24 left as Bethel took a sizable 49-23 lead into the locker room at intermission.  A quick glance of the first half box score tells you pretty much everything you need to know on the how/what/why of this game up to this point.  The Oles committed 15 turnovers to the Royals six and Bethel had 13 steals to just two for St. Olaf.  Going 9-28 from FG range as St. Olaf did in the first half along with just 3-9 from the charity stripe didn't help their cause either.  Compare that with Bethel's 18-39 from FG range for 46.2% and and 11-13 from the free throw stripe for 84.6%.  

And in case anyone thought that the Royals didn't mean business in this one, that notion was quickly put to rest once the third period got going as Bethel launched a 12-2 run.  Nuest would start it off with a lay-up in transition at the 9:26 mark and the former Becker standout would add another lay-up at the 9:05 mark to make it a thirty-point cushion at 53-23.  Glander would get a score in the paint at the 8:27 mark and then Pearson would heat up from behind the arc - dropping one three-point bomb from the right corner at the 7:32 mark and banging home another "3" from the right top area at the 7:04 mark - that would up the Royals lead to 61-25.  The answers from St. Olaf were coming too few and far between although Lewis; enroute to a solid afternoon on this day, would connect with a lay-up at the 6:43 mark as would Howdeshell at the 5:16 mark.  But already down 65-29, the Oles were going to need a lot more than that and it just wasn't happening on this day.  Bethel's Cox would knock down a short jumper with 4:55 left and a Nuest "3" from the right wing area with 4:28 left made it 70-29 and a Nuest lay-up in transition with 2:57 left pushed the lead to 72-29.  Junior reserve forward Emma Schultz would get a score in the paint with 2:11 left as would Glander with 1:42 left to make it 76-33.  Freshman reserve guard/forward Lauren Johnson would be fouled with 1:14 left and would get the first free throw attempt to cooperate but the back-end attempt missed its mark.  No big deal for the Royals as Glander would be there for the offensive rebound and putback to push the lead to 79-33.  Fifth year senior guard Bella Williams would connect with a lay-up in transition with :46 left and Garfield's lay-up with just :10 left gave Bethel an insurmountable fifty-point cushion up 83-33 going into the fourth period.

The Royals showed no signs of letting their collective foot off the gas pedal anytime soon once the fourth period got under way going on an 8-2 push.  Glander would get a score in the paint off of an inbounds pass with 9:33 left and Pearson would snare an offensive rebound of her own miss for a putback at the 9:00 mark to make it 87-33.  Nuest would add a lay-up in transition at the 7:50 mark as would Glander at the 7:16 mark to make it 91-35 before St. Olaf's Lewis would drain a "3" at the 6:31 mark to make a dent in this already mountain of a deficit.  Lewis would uncork another "3" from the left wing area at the 5:32 mark and Tangen's drive and finish with 4:57 left helped make a few more dents but nothing was stopping this Bethel Royal steamroller on this day as they put the finishing touches on this one down the stretch.  Cox would make a pretty drive and finish with 4:34 left and two free throws by junior reserve guard Lindsey Tschetter with 3:37 left along with a Tschetter jumper from the left wing area with 2:57 left got the Royals to the century mark with a 100-43 lead.  Freshman reserve forward Jenny Wibholm got into the paint for a score with 1:12 left and although St. Olaf's Tangen would get the last points on this afternoon with her jumper from the right wing area with :11.7 left, Bethel would get the blowout victory by a final count of 102-47.  

I was able to catch up with Bethel Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer afterward and although this game was more or less a forgone conclusion, I asked him about what getting this victory today meant for this team going forward.  He was very pleased with his team's defensive effort on this day and added "We finally look like we're playing Bethel basketball."  He added that they've been able to get things turned around with the consistency on defense and getting some of their injured players - notably Garfield - back but he has had some of his younger players step up for him as well (personally, I think Nuest has made huge strides as a freshman and adjusting to a new system - not an easy thing for a first-year player to do) and he really likes how Cox is coming along as well.  "She's a very crafty left-handed player and she's going to be a very good defender as well" added Herbrechtsmeyer.  To be sure, Bethel is still without junior guard Kat Brown-Erdal and freshman guard Autumn Earney and although Herbrechtsmeyer wouldn't delve into specifics, getting them back - whenever that is - will be huge.  Although only sporting a 6-5 overall record right now and 5-3 in the MIAC, it's becoming clearer and clearer that the Royals will undoubtedly be a factor in the conference race if they can keep performing at a high level as they did today.  Balance would be the key word when you look at the final box score on this one for Bethel.  Pearson's 25 points led all scorers on this day and Glander wasn't behind with her 21 points.  Nuest tallied 19 points and Garfield finished with 12 points.  Despite the lopsided loss, St. Olaf's Lewis had a solid day with her 19 points and Tangen finished with 11 points.  Undoubtedly, St. Olaf's Mahlum might need a couple of Tylenol PMs on this Saturday night as her squad was guilty of 30 turnovers on this afternoon which led to 34 points for Bethel.  The Royals also enjoyed a whopping 66-24 advantage in points in the paint and although the rebounding margin wasn't that big of a factor on this day with Bethel holding a 35-28 advantage, the Royals did enjoy a 33-4 edge in fast break points.       

Sioux Falls vs Concordia St Paul 12-18-21

 Made my way over to the St Paul side of town on this cold December Saturday night to Gangelhoff Center on the campus of Concordia St Paul University to take in a crucial mid-season clash between visiting Sioux Falls and host Concordia St Paul in my first DII coverage of this 2021-22 season.  Both teams were coming off emotionally tough games from the night before that saw the Golden Bears record a tough home win against Southwest Minnesota St while the Cougars saw a late rally fall short in a tough loss at Minnesota St down in Mankato.  Both teams were coming in with very solid records and both were still in the thick of things in the NSIC South Division so it would be interesting to see how both teams would recover from an emotionally draining contest the night before and get focused for the task ahead.  

Things would be tight early on in this contest and although the Cougars would draw first blood on a lay-up off of an inbounds pass at the 9:54 mark of the first period, Concordia St Paul would soon have things knotted up at two when slender junior point guard and former Park Center standout Meghan DuBois connected with a lay-up in transition at the 9:07 mark.  The Golden Bears would forge ahead when freshman forward Lindsey Becher got into the paint for a score off of an inbounds pass at the 8:20 mark but right back came Sioux Falls as freshman guard Megan Fannin connected with a lay-up at the 8:05 mark.  Concordia St Paul's Becher would again slither into the paint for another score at the 7:48 mark to make it a 6-4 ballgame but right back came the Cougars as junior guard Dallie Hoskinson snared an offensive rebound for a putback at the 7:31 mark.  The Golden Bears did get some more breathing room thanks to DuBois as she would make a hard drive for a pretty finish at the 6:20 mark and then craftily snare a steal and dash the other way for a lay-up at the 5:26 mark that had Concordia St Paul up 10-6.  Right back came the gang from Sioux Falls, however, as junior reserve forward Kiara James connected with a short, turnaround jumper at the 5:06 mark to close the gap to two points and with 3:24 left, Fannin would bang home a "3" from the right wing area to push the Cougars back out in front 11-10.  Sioux Falls would increase that lead to 12-10 when freshman guard Brecli Honner got one free throw attempt to go down after she was fouled with 2:45 left.  The Golden Bears would soon get things knotted again as sophomore guard Jadyn Hanson knocked down a short, turnaround jumper with 2:25 left and although Sioux Falls' Fannin would push her squad ahead one more time with 2:03 left on her jumper from the right wing area, Concordia St Paul would get this thing leveled at 14 a piece when Hanson connected with a lay-up in transition with :57 left so off we went to the second period with seemingly neither side willing to give an inch. 

While it seemed like this would be a relatively even contest considering how the first period went, things would slowly start going south for the Cougars once the second period got underway as Concordia St Paul made its first significant push.  Junior forward Sydney (I can't say her last name) Zgutowicz started this Golden Bear assault when she drained a "3" from the top of the key at the 9:46 mark and although Sioux Falls would answer this particular call with a three-point bomb from freshman reserve guard Madison Wuebben from the right wing area at the 9:20 mark, Concordia St Paul had more tricks in their pocket.  DuBois would go coast-to-coast for a lay-up that drew a foul in the process and her ensuing "and one" pushed the Golden Bears ahead at 20-17 at the 8:17 mark.  Junior reserve guard Sydney Schultz would connect with a lay-up in transition at the 6:43 mark that would grow the lead to 22-17 and Cougars Head Coach Travis Traphagen; perhaps sensing the first sign of danger, called a timeout to get his troops reset.  That stoppage in play initially seemed to pay dividends as Sioux Falls' Honner would connect with a short, turnaround jumper in the lane at the 6:03 mark to get the Cougars back to within a single possession down 22-19.  It was here, however, that Concordia St Paul embarked on a key 10-0 run that changed the course of this game for good.  Zgutowicz would uncork another three-point bomb from the top of the key at the 5:39 mark and one Becher freebie after she was fouled with 4:54 left made it a 26-19 game.  Then DuBois would unleash more terror from three-point land with her bomb from the right top area with 3:43 left that gave the Golden Bears a ten-point cushion at 29-19.  One free throw by freshman reserve forward and former Becker standout Megan Gamble after she was fouled with 3:12 left and two more by Zgutowicz with 2:35 left made it 32-19 before Sioux Falls finally broke its dry spell on an offensive rebound and putback by freshman reserve guard Sydney White with 2:21 left.  Still, the damage had been done and given how the Cougars had missed a fair share of easy lay-ups and "bunnies" during this critical stretch, it seemed unlikely by this point that they'd be able to make up for that.  The Golden Bears would only add more problems down the stretch as Zgutowicz made a hard drive for a finish with 1:52 left and two free throws by Hanson after she was fouled with :21.1 left allowed Concordia St Paul to take a sizable 36-22 lead into the locker room at the half.  Just to give you an idea of how badly the the Cougars faltered in the second period alone, they shot 3-17 from FG range for 17.65% and were only 1-5 from downtown for 20% and you don't have to be a coach to know that that won't get the job done. 

Sioux Falls did draw first blood early on in the third period as senior forward Krystal Carlson connected with a lay-up at the 9:48 mark but then the Golden Bears applied more pain with a 10-2 run.  Senior guard Riley Wheatcraft would drain a "3" from the left wing area at the 8:45 mark to make it 39-24 and then Becher would connect with a lay-up off of an inbounds pass and would also draw a foul in the process and her obligatory free throw push the lead to 42-24.  Two more free throws by Zgutowicz at the 7:38 mark got the lead to twenty at 44-24 and a Becher lay-up at the 5:59 mark maintained the twenty-point cushion to cap this latest run and make it a 46-26 ballgame.  Perhaps the only disconcerting moment for Concordia St Paul up to this point would come with 3:43 left when Wheatcraft took an inadvertent elbow to the face and had to come out of the game.  Zgutowicz would promptly drop two free throws in her place and then Zgutowicz would bang home another trey - this one coming from the right wing area with 3:32 left to make it 51-27.  The Cougars Wuebben would finally offer some relief for her team with her own "3" from the right wing area with 3:05 left but two free throws by Golden Bear DuBois with 2:58 left had Concordia St Paul up 53-30.  It was here that Sioux Falls finally found a spark of sorts and it was led by none other than reserve graduate senior guard and former Golden Bear and Park Center standout Danielle Schaub who transferred to Sioux Falls this last summer.  She would first get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 1:54 left and two more by James with 1:29 left had the deficit back down to twenty at 53-33.  Then with just :58.9 left, Schaub would race from coast-to-coast for a lay-up and a lay-up in transition by freshman guard Olivia Gamoke with :24.6 left suddenly had the deficit down to sixteen at 53-37 and offered a ray of hope for the Sioux Falls contingent.  

But any hopes that the Cougars and their faithful fans had died quickly once the 4th period got underway as Concordia St Paul wasted little time by launching a 9-1 run that put this one out of reach for good.  Schultz would start this run by knocking down a pair of freebies after getting fouled at the 9:33 mark and Hanson would follow that up with a pretty drive and finish off of an inbounds pass at the 8:50 mark to make it 57-30.  Then DuBois would unleash a dagger "3" from the right wing area at the 7:40 mark.  Two more Hanson charity stripe shots at the 7:01 mark completed this run that made it 62-38 and from that point it was pretty much academic.  Still, Sioux Falls' Schaub would fight valiantly until the end in this one as she basically put the Cougar team under her wing.  She would first connect with a lay-up at the 6:44 mark and a short turnaround jumper by James at the 6:04 mark had the deficit down to twenty-one at 63-42.  At the 5:24 mark, Schaub would get fouled in a transition opportunity and both free throw attempts were true.  With 4:37 left, Schaub would rely on her three-point prowess to nail a bomb from the left wing area that had the deficit down to sixteen at 63-47.  Unfortunately for the Cougars, Schaub's heroics would not be enough on this night as Concordia St Paul would apply the finishing touches on this game.  Becher would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 4:12 left and redshirt freshman reserve guard Alyssa Daugherty would drain a "3" from the right wing area with 3:52 left that got the Golden Bears safety net back up to twenty at 67-47.  Wheatcraft, seemingly recovered from any ill effects she may have felt from that inadvertent elbow back in the third period, made a pretty drive and finish as the shot clock expired with 2:22 left and Gamble would apply the coup de grace in this one with her offensive rebound and putback with :55.3 seconds left as Concordia St Paul recorded a 71-51 victory to head into the Christmas break on a high note.

When I finally got to glance at the final box score on this game, it was really puzzling because I normally look for things such as rebound totals, turnovers, "second-chance" points, points in the paint and that kind of stuff.  But you look at this one and none of these items hold any water with how this one turned out at all.  Consider:  Sioux Falls outrebounded Concordia St Paul by a 37-35 count.  And the Golden Bears had a slim advantage in points in the paint by a 28-26 count.  And the Cougars had a 10-7 advantage in "second-chance" points.  Even more striking to me was that Sioux Falls had a 30-10 advantage in bench points (thanks in large part to Schaub's heroics which I'll speak more of in just a bit.  I think, inevitably anyway, you have to look at points off turnovers where the Golden Bears had an 11-6 advantage but, just as important, you also have to compare the actual shooting numbers as well.  Here, we saw Sioux Falls finish by going 18-58 from FG range for 31% and only 4-15 from downtown for 26.7%.  That isn't even close enough to getting it done - especially on the road.  Free throw shooting could have been better for Sioux Falls as well (not that it would have made a difference in this one but still.....) going 11-16 for 68.8%.  Concordia St Paul was 22-49 for 44.9% and 7-14 from three-point land for a straight 50%.  Free throw shooting was solid - 20-24 for 83.3%.  You can win games shooting from the charity stripe like that.  

And it was a very balanced attack for Concordia St Paul on this night with both DuBois and Zgutowicz tallying 17 points to lead all scorers while Hanson and Becher both finished with 11 points.  You put that kind of balanced attack with the numbers above and that's a recipe for winning basketball.  Meanwhile, Schaub's 10 points on this night led the way for Sioux Falls with Fannin's seven points being the only one to come close to her.  I just want to say something about Danielle Schaub as this Saturday night contest might very well be the last time I ever get to cover her in action.  I've watched this young woman grow up from a young bench player at Park Center behind older sisters Nicole and Hannah but she never had to worry about playing in their shadows.  She was able to carve her own niche at Park Center and who can ever forget that Saturday night at the Barn in the Class AAA State Championship Game in 2014 when her, DuBois and Ann Simonet (of UM-Duluth) had to rescue the Pirates from what appeared to be almost certain defeat into an unforgettable overtime victory over Marshall.  That's still the best damn game I've EVER seen and it's difficult to imagine something topping that.  She's worked awfully hard at her game and she may not be the biggest player out there but her heart is unmatched.  She had a solid career at Concordia St Paul as well and was able to find greener pastures out at Sioux Falls and she's making the most of this season while she can.  I'm incredibly lucky to be able to call her a friend and what she was able to do on this night for her Cougars team; even when the game was pretty much already decided, shows what a fierce competitor she really is no matter what the situation and if Traphagen and his staff haven't figured this out already, they bloody well better pretty damn soon.  

GAC vs St. Kate's 12-11-21

 Winter Storm Atticus had dropped 5-6" of new snow in my neck of the woods on Friday afternoon/evening but by daylight, the roads were fine and I made my way over to the St Paul side of town and Butler Center on the campus of St. Catherine's University University for this important early-season match-up between host St. Kate's and visiting GAC.  The Wildcats had won three of their last four games; including a 71-55 home win against Carleton on Wednesday night.  The Gusties meanwhile were coming into this contest with a so-so 5-2 record; and, more importantly, on the heels of a loss at Augsburg on Wednesday night where they got off to a horrible start that found them down 23-8 at the half.  Obviously, GAC could ill-afford another slow start in this contest like they had a few nights ago over at Si Melby Hall if they wanted to get their ship sailing straight again.  

Both teams would trade lay-ups in the early going of this opening period.  Slender sophomore guard Emma Kniefel slithered through traffic for one for the Gusties at the 9:12 mark and senior forward Sam Orth would do likewise for the 'Cats at the 8:56 mark.  Former Maple Grove standout and freshman point guard Kylie Baranick would then strike from downtown from the left wing area at the 8:37 mark for GAC to put the Black & Gold up 5-2 but right back came St. Kate's junior forward Bree Glynn connected with a jumper along the right baseline at the 8:14 mark that slimmed the deficit down to one at 5-4.  Two lay-ups by Glynn; the former Totino-Grace standout - one at the 7:09 mark and another at the 6:06 mark - had this contest knotted at eight a piece but then the Gusties were finally able to open a little breathing space as freshman reserve forward/post Morgan Kelly would connect with a lay-up in transition at the 5:24 mark and then junior guard Anna Sanders would drain a "3" from the right wing area with 3:55 left that now had GAC up 13-8 and Wildcat's Head Coach Don Mulhern opted to take a thirty-second timeout to try and make some quick adjustments.  St. Kate's would seem to have some new life when sophomore reserve guard Karis Zezza banged home a "3" from the right wing area with 3:33 left but that was quickly answered by the Gusties when Sanders again found her touch from downtown - this time from the left corner with 3:14 left to make it 16-11.  Still, the 'Cats would get back to within a single possession again when senior post Katie Benjamin got into the paint for one score with 2:36 left but the Gusties would widen the lead once more with a jumper from the free throw line by strong senior forward Grace Benz with 1:42 left along with one charity stripe shot by freshman forward Rachel Kawiecki with 1:17 left.  Both teams would miss out on opportunities in the final minute so off we went to the second period with GAC holding a rather uncertain 19-13 advantage.  

The Gusties grabbed their largest lead of the day thus far early on in the second period when Morgan Kelly connected with a short, turnaround jumper along the left baseline at the 9:45 mark to make it a 21-13 game.  Two free throws by Benz at the 7:46 mark after she was fouled and an offensive rebound and putback by Kawiecki at the 5:58 mark maintained that eight-point edge at 25-17.  At the 5:02 mark, things really seemed to be going GAC's way when sophomore reserve guard Syd Hauger uncorked a three-point bomb from the right wing area to give the Gusties a ten-point lead at 27-17.  GAC would continue controlling the tempo and with 3:30 left, Kniefel, with the incredibly quick first step that she has, made a hard drive for a lay-up to maintain the ten-point edge at 29-19 and although the Wildcats would get a reprieve when freshman reserve forward Greta Schimnowksi drained a "3" from the right corner with 2:47 left, GAC's Baranick would continue her heroics with another three-point bomb from the right corner that put the Gusties back up by ten again at 32-22.  But never count St. Kate's out when they're down and Mulhern's squad showed again how dangerous they can be as they unleashed a 7-0 run to end this second period.  Freshman reserve forward Sydney Elliot would drill a "3" from the left corner with 1:48 left and then senior guard Brooke Torvik would connect with a lay-up with :42 left that had the deficit down to five at 32-27.  The Gusties had a chance to widen their lead with :31.4 left when Hauger was fouled but the Springfield native was unable to get either free throw attempt to go down.  That effectively opened the door for the 'Cats and with just :02 left, Torvik would strike again on a lay-up off of an inbounds pass that now had St. Kate's going into the locker room back to within a single possession down just 32-29 and feeling much better about themselves than they had just a few minutes before.   

GAC Head Coach Laurie Kelly decided to switch things up a bit on the defensive end coming out of the halftime break by having the Gusties employ a 1-2-2 zone defense which, in theory anyway, would take away what the Wildcats like to do best - the dribble and drive.  But that strategy backfired as St. Kate's came out with renewed energy and focus and went right to work.  Orth would first muscle into the paint for one score at the 9:27 mark that cut the deficit down to one point and then Torvik; the graduate senior who played her high school ball at Sauk Rapids-Rice, casually drained a three-point bomb from the top of the key at the 9:02 that suddenly propelled the Wildcats out in front by a 34-32 count and GAC's Laurie Kelly, not taking any chances of another Augsburg-like letdown, quickly called a timeout to get her troops reorganized.  Still, the 'Cats would be able to stretch the lead to four thanks to Benjamin; the former Walker-Hackensack standout as she would first connect with a lay-up at the 8:30 mark to make it 36-32 and then get a score in the paint as well at the 7:10 mark to make it 38-34 and at this juncture, things were suddenly looking very bright for St. Kate's.  But on this particular day, the Gusties would not falter or panic as they instead hunkered down and embarked on a game-changing 16-0 run that changed the complexion of this game for good.  Kniefel would start this rampage as she would skillfully slither into traffic and get a finish off the glass at the 6:47 mark and then junior reserve guard Maddy Rice would unleash a three-point bomb from the left wing area at the 6:03 mark that propelled the Gusties back into the lead for good at 39-38.  With 4:16 left, Hauger would take her cue and bang home a "3" from the left top area and a bit later, sophomore reserve forward and former Champlin Park standout Izzy Quick would get a score in the paint off of an inbounds pass with 3:39 left that put GAC up 44-38 and the Wildcats' Mulhern had seen enough to know that things were getting away from his team and forced him to take a match to a timeout.  But even this stoppage in play did not deter the Gustie Express.  Senior reserve guard Rachel Skyberg would knock down a jumper from near the free throw line with 3:06 left and then Hauger would unleash more three-point terror with a bomb from the top of the key with 2:34 left.  One free throw by Rice with 2:09 left after she was fouled capped this run to make it 50-38 and although St. Kate's would finally break its drought when Benjamin grabbed an offensive rebound for a putback that drew a foul along with the obligatory "and one", two more free throws by the Gusties' Hauger with :28.4 left in the third period had GAC carrying a 52-41 advantage going into the fourth period.  

The Wildcats would try and rekindle the magic they had found early on in the third period as a 4-0 burst had them back into single-digit range again.  Glynn would connect with a lay-up at the 9:01 mark and then Benjamin would connect with a short shot off the window at the 8:06 mark that had St. Kate's potentially knocking on the door again down 52-45.  The Gusties' Laurie Kelly; again not taking any chances, called a timeout and got her squad calmed down and the ship sailing straight again.  Kawiecki would drop a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 6:53 mark and then Sanders would connect with a jumper in the lane with 4:52 left that got the lead back up to nine at 56-47.  A bit later with 4:36 left, Skyberg would connect with a lay-up in transition that got the lead back into double-digit range again for GAC at 58-47.  The 'Cats would make one more attempt to get the deficit slimmed down as freshman reserve guard Kylie Wood would sneak into the paint for one score with 4:14 left and an offensive rebound and lay-up by Glynn with 3:01 left had the deficit back down to seven again at 58-51 and still left a ray of hope for the Wildcat faithful.  But the 'Cats could not get any closer down the stretch as the Gusties went to work to put the finishing touches on this contest.  With 2:38 left, Kniefel; in arguably one of her best moves of the day, got her trademark first step burst and got into the hole for a finish to make it 60-51 and Hauger would add one freebie after getting fouled with 2:11 left to make it a ten-point game at 61-51.  Baranick would add two free throws of her own after getting fouled with 1:52 left and Kniefel would put the daisy on this one with another drive and lay-up with :25.7 left as the Gusties got back on the winning track with a 65-55 victory.  

I was able to speak with GAC Assistant Coach Dan Wolfe both before and after the game and one of the things that he pointed out was that it's really been a grind - certainly academically anyway - for the team as of late and that aspect kind of spilled over on their trip to the Cities on Wednesday this last week when the Gusties dug themselves into a canyon against Augsburg and although they made a remarkable effort to get themselves back into it and get the deficit down to two points early in the fourth period, the effort inevitably ran out of gas.  "It's not always about who you play but when you play them" he said, referring to the Augsburg game.  Still, Wolfe pointed out that the Gusties came out flat at the beginning of the third period and that's something that they've got to guard against.  But I think that the Gusties were much better prepared for this contest on this day and came into this game with a much better mindset than they did on Wednesday night.  But it's been something of an uphill battle for this team and coaching staff as I think they're still coming to grips with the fact that there's no Caitlin Rorman or Paige Richert to lean on.  Plus the fact that arguably their best guard, sophomore Riley Queensland, is out for the season with that ACL injury she suffered shortly after practice began in October (Queensland told me before the game when I got to speak with her that she's likely looking at a 9-10 month recovery period).  All this has effectively forced Head Coach Laurie Kelly to get her younger players into action quickly and it's arguably been a learning process at times but I think we're slowly seeing players such as Baranick, Hauger and Kawiecki earning their "wings"; a baptism by fire so to speak.....I was able to speak with Kniefel briefly afterward and congratulated her on a very well played game.  Laurie Kelly hinted that Kniefel is still in the process of trying to do more as she's such an unselfish player and, if that's indeed the case, look out MIAC!  Meanwhile on the St. Kate's side, Mulhern was left to ponder what might've been had they been able to maintain that lead they had gained early on in the third period when the Wildcats seemingly had the energy.  Mulhern was in agreement with my assertion that, in a close game, it's usually the little things that come back to haunt you - a missed lay-up here, a missed easy bunny there, a silly turnover or two.  I think that was definitely the case for St. Kate's today and although GAC had a distinct advantage in being able to insert 4-5 fresh players when needed, you still have to find ways to overcome these things to win these close games against a quality opponent.  

Oddly enough, the final box score shows that the Wildcats actually shot "better" than what GAC did as St. Kate's went 23-47 for 48.9% from FG range compared to GAC's 23-49 for 46.9%.  The Wildcats shot "better" from behind the arc too going 4 of 8 for an even 50% while the Gusties 7-16 for 43.8% from downtown.  St. Kate's didn't get to the charity stripe very often in this game but when they did, they were perfect from there going 5 for 5 for 100% compared to GAC's 12-18 for 66.7%; a figure that GAC's Laurie Kelly will tell you that needs to get better.  But that's about where any "advantages" for St. Kate's ended as the Gusties held a whopping 34-15 edge on the boards along with a 15-3 advantage in those all-important "second chance" points; a figure that St. Kate's Mulhern could only shake his head in utter disdain.  GAC also had a sizable advantage in bench points at 27-19 as well. 

Carleton vs Augsburg 12-4-21

 After catching some of the morning action of Girls HS basketball at the Breakdown Tip-Off, I made the late morning run over to Si Melby Hall on the campus of Augsburg University to take in the 1:00 P.M. game between visiting Carleton and host Augsburg.  The Knights were coming off the throngs of a 76-50 loss at Gustavus on Wednesday night while the host Auggies had strung together a nice little three-game win streak; the latest being a resounding 82-55 up on the shores of Gitche Gumee in Duluth against newest MIAC member St. Scholastica.  Now in the comfy confines on Si Melby Hall, the Auggies were looking to extend that win streak and stay in the heat of the upper echelon of the MIAC standings as well.  

The Auggies would certainly get the start they wanted - bolting out to a 5-0 lead thanks to two of their seniors:  5'11" post Jen Masello's score in the paint at the 9:11 mark and point guard Selena Lor's three-point bomb from the right top area at the 8:36 mark.  Carleton got on the board at the 7:46 mark when senior guard Jill Yanai snared an offensive rebound and got a short jumper from the right side to go down but two more scores in the paint by Augsburg's Masello - one at the 6:45 mark and another at the 6:01 mark - gave the home team a bit more breathing room up 9-4.  The Knights would crawl back to within a single possession when sophomore forward Jasmine Choi knocked down a jumper from the right wing area at the 5:42 mark but then Auggie fans would start getting a glimpse of fun things to come in this contest.  Sophomore guard Kalena Myers drained a "3" from the top of the key at the 5:22 mark and sophomore reserve guard Katie Manecke would follow suit with her own three-point bomb from the right corner with 2:19 left that grew Augsburg's lead to 15-6.  Before things could get out of hand, Carleton would manage to trim the deficit down just a bit as junior guard Aina Whitfield connected with a jumper from the top of the key, just inside the arc with 1:39 left and a Choi lay-up in transition with :41 left had the Knights down by seven at 17-10 going into the second period.  But it was become clear that Carleton would really have to make a concerted effort to shut off the many offensive weapons that the Auggies possessed if they wanted to stay reasonably close.  

Augsburg gained their first double-digit advantage early on in the second period on two quick scores within the first minute.  Masello; whose game has grown tremendously over her career with the Auggies, snared a steal and raced the other way for an easy lay-up at the 9:48 mark and then Myers; the deceptively quick guard out of Apple Valley, made a crafty move along the left baseline for a finish at the 9:04 mark that had Augsburg up 21-10.  The Knights managed to get back into single-digit range when willowy sophomore guard Isabelle Henry snagged a steal and whizzed downcourt the other way for a lay-up that also drew a foul and her obligatory "and one" had the deficit cut down to eight at 21-13 and gave a ray of hope for the Carleton faithful.  But that ray of hope quickly faded into the gloomy early winter air outside as the Auggies unleashed a 14-0 blitz that changed the complexion of this contest for good.  Masello started this push with a score in the paint at the 8:09 mark and then two scores by Myers - a short jumper along the left baseline at the 7:41 mark and a three-point bomb from the top of the key at the 7:03 mark - suddenly had the lead up to fifteen at 28-13.  Then slender sophomore reserve forward Anja Smith got involved in a big way for Augsburg as she would connect with a lay-up in transition to make it 30-13 and Knights Head Coach Tammy Metcalf-Filzen had seen enough to know that a thirty-second timeout was warranted.  Still, Myers would cap this big run with a steal and lay-up the other way at the 6:26 mark and a "3" from the left wing area at the 6:05 mark to make it 35-13 before Carleton could finally stop the bleeding on Yanai's jumper from the left wing area with 4:40 left.  But the Auggies' Smith was just getting warmed up as she would get four scores in a row to widen the gap even more.  The Kewaskum, WI native got one score in the paint with 4:11 left and then would nail a cold-blooded "3" from the right corner with 3:41 left to make it 40-18.  With 3:14 left, Smith would strike again with a forceful drive along the right baseline for a finish and with 2:18 left, Smith would drain another "3" - this one from the right with area that ballooned Augsburg's lead to 45-18.  Although the Knights would record the last bucket of this second period on Choi's short jumper in the lane with :32 left, Carleton had to feel a bit KO'd going into the locker room at the half down 45-20 and a check of the first half box score would certainly underscore that notion.  Thanks to the heroics from the triumvirate of Masello/Myers/Smith, Augsburg shot 19-30 from FG range for 63.3% and the Auggies were also 7-13 from downtown for a 53.8% clip.  Carleton meanwhile went 9-28 from FG range for 32.1% and was an icy 1-12 from behind the arc for 8.3%.  That pretty told the story right there.  Twelve first half turnovers by the Knights did not help their cause either. 

The Auggies showed no sign of letting their foot off the gas pedal anytime soon once the third period got underway either with a 9-4 burst to start things off.  A Masello lay-up at the 9:51 mark and another "3" by Myers at the 9:13 mark had Augsburg up by thirty at 50-20.  Another Masello lay-up at the 7:26 mark maintained the thirty-point lead at 52-22 and an offensive rebound and putback by junior forward Jaley Coplin at the 5:32 mark did likewise for a 54-24 Auggie advantage.  Carleton finally started finding some semblance of offensive efficiency as freshman reserve forward Aurora Davis would connect with a jumper from the left top area just inside the arc at the 5:17 mark and a pretty drive and finish by Yanai with 4:03 left trimmed the deficit down to twenty-six at 54-28 and a short jumper by freshman reserve post Bella Thomas with 2:39 left did the same with the Knights down 56-30.  But the offensive firepower of this Augsburg team would simply be too much to overcome on this afternoon as the Auggies started heating up again.  Junior guard Grace Eastman would make a hard drive for a finish that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" got the Auggie lead to 59-30 with 2:15 left.  Smith would make a drive along the left baseline for a finish with 1:30 left and Smith would cap this third period with a lay-up with :55 left as Augsburg took a commanding 63-31 lead into the fourth period.  

Perhaps the only down note for the Auggies on this day came early on in the fourth period at the 8:39 mark when Masello collected her fourth foul of the afternoon and had to go to the pine but with such a sizable lead at their disposal, it had no effect on the outcome of the contest for Augsburg.  The Knights meanwhile certainly weren't giving up by any means as Thomas would connect with a lay-up in transition at the 7:13 mark and Henry would drop two free throws after getting fouled at the 6:49 mark.  Yanai would also connect with a lay-up at the 6:24 mark but these scores were merely dents in an already sizable deficit.  This also gave Augsburg Head Coach Ted Riverso an opportunity to start inserting some of his reserve players to get them some valuable minutes on the floor.  Senior reserve forward Kevin Boysen knocked down one free throw after getting fouled at the 5:44 mark and after a Smith score in the paint at the 5:06 mark and one Smith free throw with 4:28 left that made it 67-37, junior reserve guard Chloe Kintop banged home a "3" from the left wing area with 2:15 left.  Freshman reserve guard Mercedes Romo would also knock down a jumper from the left top area just inside the arc with 1:21 left as the Auggies rolled to an easy 72-45 victory.  

While happy with the big win afterward, the Auggies' Riverso was cautious not to get too high or too excited about the outcome.  I did pose the question to Riverso if, given this performance today, if his squad could be considered a dark horse title contender.  Riverso more or less downplayed the idea stating that there's likely a lot of dark horse candidates given the current wide-open nature of the MIAC at the moment.  Still, you have to think that, given this performance today, the Auggies may easily be a lot better than a lot of people initially thought - including your's truly.  Riverso did say that they do need to work on the consistency aspect of things which is obviously important but there's still a lot of potential with this squad if this team can stay healthy.  And a big game looms for them on Wednesday (12-8) when they travel down US Highway 169 and the Mankato Sub portion of Union Pacific's "Omaha Route" mainline down to St. Peter to take on GAC which will obviously be another test for this team.  For Carleton meanwhile, it's obviously back to the drawing board as the Knights' Metcalf-Filzen could only say "We gotta get better; we'll be better."  What can you say about Augsburg's Smith on this day as she had something of a coming-out party; leading all scorers with 23 points.  Myers was not far behind with her 18 points and Masello just missed out on a "double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds.  Carleton's Henry was the only player in double figures scoring-wise with her 13 points.  The box score was one-sided in Augsburg's favor as well as the Auggies were 30-51 from FG range for 58.8% and 9-19 from three-point land for 47.4% companred to Carleton's 19-55 from FG range for 34.5% and 1-16 from behind the arc for 6.3%.  Ouch, indeed.  Augsburg held a sizable advantage in points in the paint by a 38-24 margin and a 13-6 advantage in second-chance points.  Throw in a 37-25 rebounding advantage plus the fact that Augsburg controlled the tempo for most of the game gives you an idea of how this game really went.