Hamline vs Augsburg 1-7-23

 Made the relatively easy drive over to Si Melby Hall on the campus of Augsburg University on this sunny (and not too cold) early January Saturday to take in an important clash between two in-town MIAC rivals on the opposite sides of town as Hamline made the trek from the St Paul side of town to face off against host Augsburg.  I couldn't help but flash back to that wild MIAC Playoff Semifinal game this last season that these two teams played at this very same site and, to almost no one's surprise on this day, it was pretty much the same deal this time around as well.  Both teams were coming off wins to start off the new year as the Pipers held off a pesky SMU team on Wednesday night at Hutton Arena while the Auggies dispatched St. Scholastica here at Si Melby Hall.

Augsburg Head Coach Ted Riverso probably couldn't have asked for a better start by his team in this one as the Auggies raced out to an early 11-2 lead.  Junior phenom forward Anja Smith started things out with her short, turnaround jumper at the 9:50 mark and a pretty drive and lay-up by fellow junior guard Katie Manecke at the 9:07 made it 4-0.  Then, willowy senior forward Jaley Coplin would unleash one of her trademark three-point bombs - this one from the left corner at the 8:29 mark - to make it 7-0 and Coplin would follow that up with a score in the paint at the 7:51 mark to make it 9-2.  Speedy junior guard Kalena Myers would connect with a lay-up at the 7:30 mark to forge the aforementioned score before the Pipers finally awakened from their extended scoring slumber but they awoke with a vengeance.  Junior sharp-shooting guard and former Rosemount standout Larisa O'Neil would bury a "3" from the top of the key at the 7:11 mark that sparked an equally-impressive 11-0 blitz by Hamline.  Electrifying junior forward Lydia Lecher would make a hard drive for a finish at the 6:39 mark that cut the deficit to four at 11-7 and not long after that, Lecher would uncork one of her lefty three-point bombs - this one from the top of the key at the 6:02 mark that suddenly reduced the deficit to one at 11-10.  Then at the 5:30 mark, O'Neil would drain her second trey of the ballgame - this one from the right wing area - that now had the Pipers back out in front 13-11.  Both teams would go into a bit of a dry spell but the Auggies finally broke the ice when senior guard Grace Eastman banged home a "3" from the top of the key with 2:51 left that pushed Augsburg back out in front at 14-13 but right back came Hamline as Lecher would connect with a lay-up with 2:30 left that had the Pipers back up at 15-14.  The Auggies would get the game tied at 15 when senior reserve guard Samaiya Buchanan knocked down one free throw after getting fouled but Hamline would poke its nose out in front again when senior guard Chan'el Anderson-Manning knocked down a pair of free throws with 1:12 left to make it a 17-15 game.  That would take care of the scoring in an opening period that featured big runs by both teams and some already wild momentum swings.  

Augsburg would quickly get the game tied again at 17 a piece when Eastman snared an offensive rebound for a putback at the 9:45 mark of the second period but then the Pipers would get things in gear again as Lecher unleashed more terror from behind the arc with a "3" from the right top area at the 9:21 mark and a pretty, one-handed runner by senior point guard Alyssa Williamson at the 8:12 mark had Hamline up by five at 22-17.  Not to be outdone, the Auggies responded as two scores by Smith - one in the paint at the 7:51 mark and a lay-up in transition at the 7:21 mark - reduced the deficit to one at 22-21.  Junior reserve forward Moriah McLendon would get in on the act as well with her offensive rebound for a putback at the 6:25 mark that pushed Augsburg back out in front at 23-22.  The Pipers would then make another bid to snare control of this contest as junior reserve guard Michaela Stamer drilled a "3" from the right wing area at the 6:06 mark that had Hamline back out in front at 25-23 and a steal and lay-up the other way by the crafty Anderson-Manning at the 5:55 mark increased that lead to four at 27-23.  A score in the paint by freshman reserve guard and former Centennial standout Camille Cummings with 4:35 left maintained the four-point edge at 29-25 but right back came the Auggies as two scores by Smith - a lay-up with 4:19 left and a pretty drive along the left baseline and finish with 3:22 left - knotted the contest at 29 a piece.  Augsburg would get back out in front again when Coplin knocked down a jumper from the right wing area with 2:42 left but predictably the Pipers would answer the bell as they had done all this first half.  Williamson would connect with a lay-up with 1:51 left to tie the game at 31 and two Williamson freebies after she was fouled with :05.4 left put Hamline back out in front 33-31 and it seemed as if the Pipers were set to take that lead into the locker room at the half.  But Hamline made an egregious error just before the buzzer sounded as the Auggies' Manecke would be fouled with just :00.1 left on the clock and the former Mounds View standout got both free throw attempts to go down that fittingly leveled this wild affair at 33 as both team retreated to their respective locker rooms for the intermission.  A quick check of the first half box score doesn't reveal too much that would have made either Riverso or Hamline Head Coach Alex Focke cringe although the Auggies arguably left some points on the table by going only 3-9 for 33.3% from the charity stripe.  And the top guns for each side - Lecher for Hamline and Smith for Augsburg - both finished this first half with 10 points so things were definitely up in the air.

The Pipers seemed to have the upper hand once the third period got underway as a drive and nifty finish off the glass by Anderson-Manning at the 9:01 mark and a score in the paint by strong senior forward Iyanna Wieland at the 7:31 mark had Hamline up 37-34.  Lecher would maneuver into the paint for a score at the 6:41 mark that gave the Pipers some more breathing room up 39-34.  Augsburg would get back to within a single possession when Coplin made a pretty spin move and lay-up with 4:38 left but Hamline would get its lead back to five when Lecher knocked down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 3:43 left and boosting the Pipers outlook at this juncture was the fact that they were now in the bonus the rest of the way in this period.  But just when you thought Hamline might be safe, right back came the Auggies as a "3" from the right top area - off the glass no less - by slender reserve freshman forward Alli Born with 3:16 left and a short, turnaround jumper by Smith with 1:44 left knotted this contest again at 41 a piece.  A short time later, Myers would snare a steal of an inbounds pass like a thief in the night and race the other way for a lay-up with 1:26 left that pushed Augsburg ahead 43-41 so it seemed like momentum now rested with the home team, right?  Wrong.  Piper reserve guard/forward Josie Wiebusch muscled into the paint for a score with 1:09 left that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" pushed Hamline back out in front 44-43 and with :42 left, sophomore reserve forward Kate Van Helden got into the paint for another score to make it a 46-43 ballgame and Anderson-Manning would add one free throw after getting fouled in a transition opportunity with :20.4 left in the period as the Pipers would take a 47-43 advantage into the fourth frame. 

But Hamline's margin for error seemed to narrow more and more once the fourth period got underway.  The Auggies' Smith would reinforce that notion when she casually drained a cold-blooded "3" from the right wing area at the 9:37 mark that cut the Piper lead to one at 47-46.  Hamline's Lecher would temporarily give her team some more breathing space when she knocked down a short jumper in the lane off of her own miss at the 7:04 mark but the one weapon that the Pipers have relied on often with their stable of sharp-shooters - the three-point bomb - consistently failed them throughout much of the second half and especially in the fourth period when they were getting open looks from the land of plenty.  This effectively opened the door for Augsburg; albeit slowly.  Smith would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 6:15 mark that had the deficit at two at 49-47.  Smith would continue her drives into the paint and that tactic would pay off at the 5:56 mark when she was fouled and her two free throws not only tied the contest at 49 but, perhaps just as important, now had the Auggies in the bonus as well.  Hamline would again attempt to snare the momentum away as Anderson-Manning would make a drive into traffic and get a nifty finish off the glass at the 5:28 mark that pushed the Pipers back out in front 51-49 but that lead was short-lived as Augsburg's Coplin would drain a "3" from the right top area with 4:31 left toat now had the Auggies back out in front by a 52-51 count.  Undaunted, Hamline would come right back as Williamson would knock down a pair of charity stripe shots after getting fouled with 4:12 left to push the Pipers back out in front 53-52 and when O'Neil was finally able to get a three-point bomb to go down from the left wing area with 2:40 left to make it 56-52, many inside Si Melby Hall thought that Hamline had pretty much closed the door on any comeback attempt by the home team.  Augsburg's Riverso would call a timeout to set up strategy for the next possession and whatever play he called sure worked to a "T" because Coplin; the former Shakopee standout, would break the hearts of Hamline's fans with her cold-blooded "3" from the left corner with 2:21 left that cut the deficit to one and definitely changed the dynamics for the Auggies in this latest comeback attempt.  After a failed possession by the Pipers, the Auggies' Manecke would be fouled with 1:52 left and she would get both free throw attempts to go down that now had Augsburg out in front 57-56.  Again, Hamline would manage to take a brief lead when Wieland connected with a lay-up with 1:06 left but a lapse on the defensive side would cost the Pipers dearly as Augsburg's Coplin again unleashed more terror from behind the arc with a three-point bomb from the left wing area with :46.4 left that put the Auggies back out in front - this time for good - at 60-58.  With :31 left, Hamline's Lecher would put up a three-point attempt that missed its mark and Augsburg's Manecke would promptly get fouled with :27.6 left and Manecke would get one of two free throw attempts to go down to make it a 61-58 game.  Hamline's Focke would then call a timeout and on the Pipers' ensuing possession, Anderson-Manning would get fouled with :23.1 left.  but the former Cretin-Derham Hall standout could only get the back-end free throw attempt to go down which reduced the deficit to two at 61-59.  Hamline's hopes now pinned on either getting a much-needed stop on the other end or hoping that a foul would result in two missed free throws.  The latter scenario is what transpired when Augsburg's Myers was fouled with :21.6 left - Myers was unable to get either free throw attempt to go cooperate but when the Pipers needed a defensive rebound, the Auggies' Smith made perhaps the play of the game when she was able to outmaneuver the potential box-out and snared the missed freebie and got a putback out of it with :19 left that sealed the deal for Augsburg as they got a thrilling 63-59 victory.  

When I caught up with Augsburg's Riverso afterward, I had to point out to him some of the big plays his squad made coming down the stretch that not only kept them alive but helped pave the way to a thrilling victory.  "It's a team game" he replied but I think what he really liked about this win was that some of his bench players (freshman Wakinyala Bear, Samaiya Buchanan, Born, senior Nikole Gullerud and McLendon) are now getting more and more comfortable out on the floor in relief minutes for his main chain-gang and for a team that lost last year's MIAC POY (Jen Masello) to graduation, that's huge for this squad.  The puzzling thing to me about this game is when I look at the final box score of this one and you just see red flags all over the place with neither team escaping blame.  I pointed out how Hamline was ice-cold from behind the arc in the second half but was absolutely stunned to see that they were 1-14 from three-point land for 7.1% (!) in that second half alone.  To me, it's kind of indicative of how much they miss the inside presence that injured senior forward Tess Hauer provided and, at some point, Focke and his staff will have to find some answers in how to balance out their offensive attack if they hope to prevail in what is already becoming an incredibly unpredictable and wild regular season ride in the MIAC (more on that in my first Power Rankings).  Now, to be sure, Riverso and has staff had to cringe when they saw that they were (again) pounded on the boards by a 54-37 count.  At the same time, Hamline was guilty of 18 turnovers in this contest and Augsburg was able to 19 points off of those turnovers.  That's substantial in a close game.  Both sides struggled at the charity stripe as well as Hamline finished going 11-17 for 64.7% and Augsburg was 10-23 for 43.5%.  The Auggies got away with it this time around but will undoubtedly catch up with them sooner or later.  

Little doubt as to who had high-scoring honors in this game as Smith's 20 points led all scorers and Coplin's 18 points - with much of that damage coming late in the contest from behind the arc - proved to be a difference-maker.  Hamline's Lecher was solid as she always is; getting a "double-double" with her 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead the way for the Pipers and Anderson-Manning finished with 10 points.  

Eden Prairie vs Champlin Park 12-20-22

 Made the relatively easy trip up to Champlin Park High School on this cold, cold Tuesday night to take in another intriguing non-conference tune-up featuring visiting Eden Prairie and host Champlin Park.  The Eagles were coming into this contest looking to make amends after the incredibly heartbreaking loss at Becker on the previous Friday while the Rebels were hoping to build on the good start that they had to this season.  

Eden Prairie would hold the upper hand for most of this first half; looking confident and sharp in their offensive sets that helped them build an early 8-2 advantage.  Senior point guard Molly Lenz would get things going with her drive and short jumper at the 17:44 mark and a lay-up off of an inbounds pass by fellow senior guard Ashley Fritz at the 17:16 mark had the Eagles up 4-0.  Lenz would connect with a lay-up at the 16:11 mark and sophomore guard Vanessa Jordan would make a pretty drive and finish at the 15:25 mark for the aforementioned score.  Champlin Park would cut the deficit down to four on a jumper from the right elbow area by senior guard Ashlee Burchette at the 12:37 mark but Eden Prairie would then widen the gap even more with a 7-0 push.  A pair of free throws by slender sophomore reserve guard Remington Ehrman after she was fouled at the 12:14 mark and an Ehrman offensive rebound and putback at the 11:55 mark made it a 12-4 game and then the Eagles' silent assassin; senior guard Annika Anderson, would unleash a three-point bomb from the right wing area at the 9:35 mark that grew Eden Prairie's lead to 15-4 and by this point the host Rebels looked to be in a heap of trouble.  

Things would continue to look dire indeed for Champlin Park as this first half progressed.  A lay-up by senior forward Kylie Bamlett with 8:57 left maintained the 11-point edge at 17-6 and another Anderson trey - this one from the top of the key with 8:11 left - upped the lead to 20-8.  Strong sophomore reserve guard Ella Hardwick would make a big contribution for the Eagles as well with her nifty reverse lay-up with 7:23 left and when Lenz connected with a lay-up in transition with 5:46 left that made it 24-8, the Rebels definitely looked like they were in over their head.  It was here that Champlin Park was finally able to break out of its prolonged slumber and get some semblance of offensive production.  Burchette would nail a "3" from the left corner with 4:13 left and fellow senior guard Nicole Lillard would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 2:28 left.  Junior guard Mariah Pates would connect with a short, one-handed shot with 1:50 left and Burchette would drain her second trey of the contest - this one from the right top area with 1:30 left.  Junior guard Ava Holman would also snare an offensive rebound for a putback with :35.3 left that got the deficit back to ten points for the Rebels at 29-19 by the halftime break so while there was still obviously a lot of work to do, it was still a darn sight better than what it was six minutes ago. 

Champlin Park would finally get back into single-digit range by the 16:24 mark of the second half when Burchette connected with a lay-up and although the Eagles' Anderson would connect with a lay-up of her own on Eden Prairie's subsequent possession at the 16:08 mark to protect the ten-point advantage at 31-21, the Rebels came out with a renewed spirit and determination as a 7-0 push had them right back in this contest.  Lillard would connect with a lay-up at the 15:28 mark and then a Burchette "3" from the left wing area at the 15:00 mark had the deficit down to five at 31-26.  Less than a minute later, Burchette would get sent to the charity stripe after she was fouled in a transition opportunity at the 14:29 mark and she would cash in on both attempts that now had Champlin Park back to within a single possession down 31-28 after trailing by as many as sixteen in the latter stages of the first half.  Seeing their safety net dwindle as much as it did could have easily sent Eden Prairie into panic mode but this battle-tested and mentally tough Eagles team dug their heels in and went about building it back up.  Two lay-ups in transition by Fritz - one at the 13:44 mark and another one at the 13:12 mark - had Eden Prairie's lead back up to seven at 35-28 and then free throws - one by Lenz after she was fouled in a transition opportunity at the 11:53 mark and two more by Bamlett after she was fouled at the 11:09 mark - restored that double-digit advantage that the Eagles enjoyed earlier by a 38-28 count.  Lenz would also connect with a short, pull-up jumper in transition at the 9:48 mark and with a 40-30 Eden Prairie lead, order looked as if it had been restored.  

That notion was emphasized even more when Eden Prairie's Fritz would connect with a lay-up in transition with 7:58 left that also drew a foul and allowed Fritz to knock down the obligatory "and one" along with a lay-up in transition by Anderson with 7:36 left for good measure that seemingly had the Eagles in the "safe" zone again with a sizable 45-32 advantage.  But the host Rebels were not finished with their trickery just yet.  Lillard would make a hard drive for a finish with 7:06 left as would Holman with 6:08 left that cut the deficit down to nine at 45-36.  Holman would also knock down one charity stripe shot after getting fouled with 5:38 left and senior guard Rian Giles would then bury a "3" from the left corner with 5:11 left to keep Champlin Park in that nine-point range down down 49-40 with plenty of time left.  Then, when the flashy Burchette connected with a lay-up in transition with 4:46 left that reduced the deficit down to seven points at 49-42, there was every reason to believe that the Rebels had one more run left in them.  But Champlin Park could never find that one spark again that would allow them to get back to within striking distance that could have changed the outlook on this game.  The Eagles again steadied the ship as Ehrman would knock down a pair of freebies after getting fouled with 4:26 left and then the crafty Lenz would get a three-point play the old-fashioned way with her drive and finish that drew a foul resulting in the obligatory "and one" with 3:46 left that now had Eden Prairie's safety net back in double-digit range again with a 54-42 advantage.  With 2:04 left, Lenz would strike again with a short jumper in the lane to make it a 56-45 ballgame.  The Rebels would attempt one last gasp as Pates would drain a "3" from the left wing with 1:41 left and Burchette would have one last round of heroics for Champlin Park with her three-point bomb from the left top area with 1:07 left that cut the Eagles lead down to seven at 58-51 but Eden Prairie's Fritz would seal the deal with her score in the paint with :51.4 left that also drew a foul and resulted in the "and one" that would give the Eagles their final margin of victory with a 61-51 triumph.  

Given the incredibly tough loss at Becker just a few short nights ago, you had to think that this was a solid response by Eden Prairie and they never panicked when Champlin Park made a serious run at them early on in the second half.  Champlin Park meanwhile is an intriguing team; maybe not yet quite ready for prime time but always dangerous and athletic and they can cause a lot of problems with their pressure and trapping defensive ploys.  It was a very balanced scoring attack for the Eagles that helped pave the way to victory on this night - and what a night it was for Fritz as her 18 points led the way for her team (and tied for high-scoring honors on this night as well).  The steady as a rock Lenz was right behind with 17 points and Anderson; although she didn't have one of her better nights from behind the arc, still more than made up for that as she tallied 12 points.  Bamlett meanwhile had "only" four points on this night but was an absolute monster on the boards with 10 rebounds.  No surprise that Burchette led the way for Champlin Park on this night with her 18 points while Giles finished with 10 points.    

Eden Prairie vs Becker Recap - 12-16-22

 Made the trek on this somewhat snowy Friday evening up US Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline up to Becker to take in this highly-anticipated intersectional matchup between 2AAAA powerhouse Eden Prairie and host 5AAA Becker.  Both teams were coming into this contest with unblemished records and both wanted to make statement on this snowy, cold Friday night so it was something of an understatement that Becker High School was where you wanted to be on this Friday evening.  

It took a little bit for Eden Prairie to shake off the initial cobwebs but the Eagles would eventually have the upper hand in this contest; building a 7-2 advantage thanks largely in part to senior guard Annika Anderson as her pretty drive and finish off the glass at the 15:39 mark of the first half and her three-point bomb from the top of the key at the 14:36 mark had them in good shape.  But the host Bulldogs were unfazed by all of this as the ripped off an 11-0 spurt over a little more than a two minute period; highlighted by a "3" by senior guard Marin Westin at the 14:16 mark and two scores by fellow senior guard Ayla Brown and a short jumper from the right side by junior guard Alexis Rose.  Becker would maintain a six-point edge as a lay-up in transition by Westin at the 11:12 mark to make it a 15-9 ballgame and although the Eagles would get back to within a single possession thanks to a three-point bomb by sophomore reserve guard Remington Ehrman from the left wing area at the 10:56 mark, Becker was not finished with its offensive as a lay-up in transition by senior reserve post Evelyn Kreft at the 10:23 mark and a short jumper in transition by Brown at the 10:04 to make it 19-12 Bulldogs mark prompted Eden Prairie Head Coach Ellen Wiese to call a timeout to assess the situation.  

Becker, however, still seemed to have a firm grip on the situation as a three-point bomb by senior guard Dani Nuest from the top of the key with 8:36 left and a lay-up by Westin with 7:35 left had the Bulldogs in good shape up 24-16.  But this Eden Prairie team was not going to be held down for long and the Eagles' Ehrman made sure of that as back-to-back three-point bombs - one from the right wing area with 7:10 left and another from the left wing area with 6:49 left - suddenly had Eden Prairie back to within a single possession down just 24-22.  The Bulldogs would make another bid to create some more breathing room for themselves as Brown would muscle into the paint for a score with 6:33 left that drew a foul in the process and her ensuing "and one" had Becker up by five at 27-22.  But the Eagles were just getting started with their counter-offensive and it would be Anderson doing major damage from behind the arc that helped turned things around for Eden Prairie coming down the stretch of this first half as she would unleash FOUR three-point bombs in the span of about four minutes that propelled a 16-5 Bulldog push - back-to-back treys with 6:16 and 5:07 left, one from the left top area with 2:58 left and another from the left corner with 2:07 left - that allowed the Eagles to take a surprising 38-32 advantage into the locker room at the half that had the Becker contingent wondering if their team could come back from that late onslaught.  

Eden Prairie would put the Bulldogs in an even bigger hole at the outset of the second period when senior point guard Molly Lenz; relatively quiet from a scoring standpoint in the first half, drained a "3" from the right top area at the 17:36 mark to make it a 41-32 game but now it was Becker's turn to ratchet things up on offense after going into a slumber late in the first half.  A tough drive and finish by Brown at the 16:57 mark followed by a score in the paint by senior forward Elizabeth Mackendanz at the 16:39 mark had the deficit cut to four at 41-37 and a couple of minutes later, a lay-up in transition by Nuest now had the Bulldogs back to within a single possession down 41-39 and Eden Prairie's Wiese; perhaps sensing a danger spot for her squad, called for a timeout to try and stop the bleeding.  But Becker kept demonstrating that this latest comeback on their part was no fluke.  Nuest would unleash a "3" from the left wing area at the 14:00 mark that pushed the Bulldogs back out in front 42-41 and then Brown would do the same from that left wing area as well at the 13:20 mark to give Becker a 45-43 advantage.  The Eagles' Anderson would soon get this game knotted at 45 with her short jumper in the lane at the 12:49 mark.  Both teams would trade small leads over the next minute and a half and after Eden Prairie got the game tied up again at 49 a piece after two free throws by Ehrman at the 11:02 mark, Becker got an unexpected lift when Rose would bang home a "3" from the left top area at the 10:46 mark that drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" suddenly gave the home team a 53-49 lead.  But a four-point deficit was not going to faze this Eagle team as a strong drive into traffic and finish off the glass by senior guard Ashley Fritz at the 10:31 mark and a strong offensive rebound and putback by sophomore reserve guard Ella Hardwick at the 9:41 had this game leveled again at 53 a piece and needless to say, the tension and uncertainty inside the Becker Gymnasium was present.  

And given some of the offensive fireworks displays that both teams had exhibited up to this point, with a tie game at 53, it was now time for defense to take center stage in this contest and both teams showed they could play at as the cobwebs would gather on both baskets for the next five minutes with both teams missing out on easy opportunities in the process.  Finally, after much adieu, two free throws by Westin with 5:18 left in regulation broke this scoreless duel to push the Bulldogs back out in front by a 55-53 count.  But before Becker to do any early celebrating, the Eagles came right back thanks to the slender sophomore reserve, Ehrman, as she would knock down a pair of freebies after getting fouled with 4:30 left and follow that up shortly thereafter with a pretty drive into traffic for a finish with 4:02 left that now pushed Eden Prairie back out in front by a 57-55 count.  Then it was time for the Bulldogs to make a move and a three-point bomb by Nuest from the left top area with 3:45 left pushed Becker back out in front 58-57 and a pretty drive and finish by Westin a bit later with 2:59 left consolidated on that as the Bulldogs increased their lead to 60-57.  But against a team like Eden Prairie, three points is nothing and the Eagles quickly reduced that deficit to one when Lenz connected with a jumper from the free throw line area with 2:46 left.  Becker's Brown would up the lead to three again by knocking down a pair of charity stripe shots after she was fouled with 2:32 left but here Eden Prairie relied on Anderson and she calmly drained a cold-blooded "3" from the right wing area with 2:09 left that knotted this contest again at 62 a piece.  Becker's Brown would come through on the Bulldogs' subsequent possession with a pretty drive and finish to give the home team a 64-62 lead but the Eagles' Anderson would strike again with 1:25 left with a pretty drive and finish of her own that had this contest leveled at 64 a piece.  Becker Head Coach Dan Baird would call a timeout to set up strategy for this last 1:25 in regulation and it was here that the Bulldogs really showed their mettle on both ends of the floor with the game hanging in the balance.  With 1:13 left, Nuest would connect on a lay-up to push Becker back out in front and a bit later it would be Rose making perhaps the play of the night with her steal and lay-up the other way with :51 left that made it a two-possession game at 68-64.  Still, Eden Prairie had one last gasp in them.  Lenz would be fouled from behind the arc with :15.2 seconds but could get only one free throw to go down which at least got the Eagles back to within a single possession down 68-65.  On her last free throw attempt that missed, Eden Prairie sophomore guard Vanessa Jordan would sneak through traffic to snare the offensive rebound and with :09.5 left, she would be fouled and she would cash in on both free throw attempts that reduced the deficit to a scant point at 68-67.  Becker's Baird would again take a timeout to set up strategy for his team's next possession and with :07.2 left, Rose would get fouled and the slender junior; with pressure abound, calmly sank both free throw attempts to make it a 70-67 game.  Now Eden Prairie's Wiese had to burn a timeout to try and set up a three-point play to force overtime.  With just :01 left on the clock, the Eagles' Ehrman got a brief look behind the arc and let a three-point bomb attempt fly but it rattled off the rim and Becker escaped with a tough and exciting 70-67 victory in a well-played contest by both teams.  

When I was able to catch up with Becker's Baird after the win, I had to congratulate him and his team on an exciting victory and how this program just keeps the beat going.  The first group he had finally broke through a couple of seasons ago and won a state tournament and this group is well on the way to carving its own identity and the culture here and the younger athletes below this current group want to emulate what they're doing.  Baird noted that, just like the first group he had, this current group is just very competitive in every aspect - both on and off the floor and he noted that it's just so easy for him because these players come from good families and that they have their priorities correctly in place and it's obvious how much he enjoys leading this program.  

What a night it was for Becker's Brown as her 25 points led all scorers but she also got a lot of help as Nuest poured in 16 points while Westin had 13 points and Rose was right behind tallying 12 points on this Friday night.  For Eden Prairie, it was Anderson doing most of the damage as her 21 points led the way in a tough loss and the unheralded Ehrman surprised everyone on this night with her spirited play - and 16 points while Lenz finished with 13 points.  Interestingly, Eden Prairie had a decided edge on the boards on this night by a 32-25 count and Becker was a perfect 8-8 from the charity stripe.   

CSB vs Hamline 12-10-22

 Made my way over to venerable Hutton Arena on the campus of Hamline University on this dreary early December Saturday afternoon to take in this pivotal early season clash between visiting CSB and host Hamline.  The Bennies were coming into this contest on a three-game win streak after the loss to GAC back on 11-22 while the Pipers were a perfect 7-0 and were coming off a resounding home win over Carleton on Wednesday night so you knew this one had all the makings for a pretty good contest and it's safe to say that attendees got their money's worth.  

CSB would draw first blood in this contest; both on the scoreboard and literally and figuratively as well as a "3" from the left wing area by senior point guard Gabby Martin put the Bennies on the board first at the 9:08 mark of the opening period and just less than a minute later at the 8:10 mark, Hamline's electrifying junior guard Lydia Lecher suffered an inadvertent blow to the face which resulted in an apparent bloody nose for the former Concordia Academy standout and a trip to the trainer.  Still, the Pipers seemed to be okay despite all that as speedy senior guard Alyssa Williamson made a daring drive into the lane for a finish at the 6:21 mark and her fellow senior backcourt mate, Chan'el Anderson-Manning would snare a steal near mid-court and race back for a lay-up to give Hamline a 4-3 advantage.  But the Bennies would take the upper hand back as senior post Tori Szathmary connected with a short, turnaround jumper in the lane at the 5:20 mark and free throws - one by sophomore reserve forward Olivia Boily with 4:33 left and two more by senior reserve guard Hannah Johnson - now had CSB back up by an 8-4 count.  But things would seem to fall back into the Pipers favor once they got into the bonus with 2:49 left in this opening period and when junior sharp-shooting guard Larisa O'Neil drained a "3" from the left wing in a transition opportunity with 2:02 left, Hamline was right back in business down only 8-7.  But the Bennies showed they meant business themselves as they created some more breathing room before this first period was over.  Junior guard Carla Meyer would connect with a lay-up with 1:05 left and Szathmary would do the same with :37 left as CSB took a somewhat surprising 12-7 lead going into the second period.  

And the Bennies showed they were just getting started as they went on a 7-2 push once the second period got going.  Willowy sophomore reserve guard Sophia Jonas started this run by burying a "3" from the right top area off of an inbounds pass at the 9:41 mark and a tough score in the paint by junior forward Lydia Hay at the 9:00 mark put CSB up 17-9.  Less than a minute later at the 8:03 mark, Hay would get sent to the charity stripe after she was fouled and two free throws by Hay; the former Wayzata standout, gave the Bennies their first double-digit lead at 19-9.  A short shot off the glass by Szathmary maintained the ten-point advantage at 21-11 and a short jumper in the lane by Hannah Johnson pushed that lead to 23-11 at the 5:02 mark.  Hamline would continue to struggle on the offensive end and CSB freshman reserve guard Megan Morgan would connect with a lay-up in transition to keep the lead at twelve at 25-13.  With 2:08 left, Meyer would give the Bennies their largest lead yet at 28-14 when she buried a "3" from the left top area.  Freshman reserve guard/forward Josie Wiebusch would finally dust off the cobwebs that had collected on the Pipers basket with two free throws after getting fouled with 1:51 left and one more with 1:27 left but going into the locker room down 28-17, Hamline Head Coach Alex Focke and his staff knew that the Pipers had a lot of work to do in the second half.  

Hamline knew that they had to get the gears shifted to try and turn the momentum in this one and a 10-0 run to start the third period went a long way in doing so.  Lecher; apparently feeling no ill-effects from the bloody nose she suffered early on in the contest, started things off by banging home a "3" from the left top area in a transition opportunity at the 8:57 mark and a lay-up a short time later by junior reserve guard Michaela Stamer at the 8:28 mark had the deficit cut to six at 28-22.  Then at the 7:53 mark, Williamson would dart into the lane and get a finish to pull the Pipers even closer down 28-24 and CSB Head Coach Mike Durbin had seen enough to know that a stoppage in play was warranted.  Still, Hamline's Lecher would strike again at the 6:29 mark with a drive into the lane for a finish and drew a foul in the process and her ensuing "and one" now had the deficit reduced to a scant point at 28-27 and had the Pipers right back where they needed to be.  That finally got the attention of the Bennies and they responded with consecutive scores to give them a bit more breathing room.  Hannah Johnson would knock down a jumper from the left elbow area at the 6:02 mark and then Meyer would snare a steal and race the other way for a lay-up at the 5:41 mark that had CSB in a bit better shape up 32-27.  Right back came the Pipers, however, as Stamer would get sent to the charity stripe for a couple of freebies after being fouled with 4:55 left and then Anderson-Manning would work her magic in the half-court with a pretty drive and finish with 2:47 left to again reduce the deficit to one at 32-31.  Now it was time for the Bennies to kick it into higher gear with a 7-0 spurt.  Jonas would connect with a short jumper along the left baseline with 2:21 left and a short, turnaround jumper by Hannah Johnson with 1:45 left pushed the CSB lead back up to five at 36-31.  With 1:12 left, Jonas; the former Hudson, WI standout, drained a "3" from the left top area to stretch the Bennie lead up to eight at 39-31.  Hamline would manage to trim the deficit down as senior forward Iyanna Wieland would get a three-point play the old-fashioned way with a lay-up that drew a foul along with the obligatory free throw with :54.5 left and a coast-to-coast lay-up by the flashy Anderson-Manning with :20.5 left had the Pipers back to within a single possession down 39-36 but two free throws by CSB's Boily after she was fouled with 13.3 left got the Bennie's safety net better again with a 41-36 advantage.

The Bennies would get their lead to eight at 44-36 thanks to Hannah Johnson who snared down an offensive rebound for a putback that also drew a foul with the ensuing "and one" at the 8:28 mark of the fourth period but a pesky Hamline team was not conceding anything anytime soon.  Freshman reserve guard Camille Cummings; the former Centennial standout, knocked down a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 6:44 mark and a three-point bomb by Stamer from the left wing at the 5:11 mark had the Pipers right back within a single possession down 44-41.  CSB would try again to widen the gap as Jonas unleashed a three-point bomb of her own from the right wing area with 4:23 left to make it 47-41 and a score in the paint by Hay with 3:47 left maintained the six-point edge at 49-43.  But right back came the Pipers as a score in the paint by Stamer with 3:22 left and a short jumper in the lane by Lecher off of a nifty inbounds pass with 1:42 left now reduced the deficit to two at 49-47 and the Bennies' Durbin wasted no time in calling a timeout to get his squad calmed down a bit and for a strategy primer as well.  On CSB's subsequent possession, Boily would have a chance to give her squad a bit more breathing room after she was fouled with 1:14 left but the former Hudson standout was unable to cash in on either attempt so that finally gave Hamline the opportunity they were waiting for.  With :59 left, Stamer unleashed a huge three-point bomb from the left wing area that suddenly had the Pipers up for the first time in this contest since the early minutes of the opening period at 50-49.  The Bennies could have easily broken out the proverbial panic button right then and there but instead brought the ball back up the court efficiently and were able to set up their half-court offense and Meyer would get a decent look from the left free throw line area and promptly knock down the go-ahead jumper with :30.3 left to make it 51-50 CSB.  On its next possession, the Pipers got the ball across the half-court line and Focke would call a timeout with :15.4 left to set up the potential go-ahead score.  Hamline would then get the rock to its go-to weapon - Lecher - with under :10 left and Lecher would wheel and deal and get a short, turnaround jumper to go down with :08.5 left to propel the Pipers back out in front 52-51 that had the partisan Hamline crowd and student section in a full frenzy.  But again, CSB refused to flinch.  Durbin would immediately call a timeout and set up the Bennies next play and it worked to perfection.  CSB's Jonas would break free after getting the inbounds pass and calmly connect with a lay-up with :07.3 left that again pushed the Bennies ahead 53-52.  Still one last chance for Hamline after Focke called for another timeout but the drawn up play in the team huddle did not work nearly as well as hoped.  With precious seconds ticking away, the Pipers Wiebusch was forced to launch an off-balance three-point attempt that missed its mark with :00.8 left and CSB escaped venerable Hutton Arena with an equally precious 53-52 road win.

It took a little while but I was actually corralled first by former CSB standout and now-Assistant Coach Alison Kendall and I had to ask her about that last play where Jonas scored that proved to be the game-winner.  "We actually ran that play in high school" she said with a wide grin.  Whether she had any input on what was going to be run I'm not sure but it sure worked to perfection.  I asked Durbin about it when he was finally able to break free from well-wishers and asked him if there was a screen set that allowed Jonas to get so open.  "No, no screen at all" he said.  It was just a play that they've worked on in practice and it obviously paid dividends on this day.  When I look at the final box score on this one, I normally find some things that might have a big hand in leading to a team's downfall.  In this one, however, it's kind of tough because rebounds were almost even and Hamline had only six turnovers compared to CSB's 14.  Hamline had a 26-20 edge in points in the paint although CSB was a bit better in those all-important "second chance" points at 8-4.  I'm pretty much left with looking at Hamline's shooting on this day which wasn't great by any stretch - 18-73 from FG range for 24.7% and 4-26 from downtown for for 15.4% which hurts obviously.  But the fact that they were in position to win this game still speaks volumes as to how resourceful they can be even when things aren't going their way.  You also have to consider as well, I think, the loss of senior forward Tess Hauer who's likely out for the season with a knee injury and you just hate to see that happen; I hope there's a chance she can come back next year because she really showed how good she can be last season.  That said, despite the loss, I'm not going to write off the Pipers yet because it's too early in the season and I think we just need to see more; you can't evaluate on just one game.  Even if they had come away with the "W", I wouldn't have been able to go out on a limb and project them as a possible conference title contender either.  We just need to see more.  Ditto for CSB but I think you'd be hard-pressed to disagree that this team is trending in the right direction despite the home loss to GAC back on 11-22 and they've got some good young players that are blending in quite well with the veterans such as Meyer, Hannah Johnson and Martin.  The Bennies get to go to Hawaii this coming weekend where they'll face two very good teams in Worcester St and DePauw.  

It was a pretty balanced attack by CSB on this day and I suppose it's no surprise that it was Jonas not only leading the way but also led all scorers with her 13 points to pace the Bennies and Hannah Johnson had a monster day with a "double-double" of 11 points and 13 rebounds.  Both Lecher and Stamer would lead the Hamline attack with their 12 points a piece.      

Concordia vs Bethel 12-3-22

 Made the relatively short trip over to Robertson Center on the campus of Bethel University on this cold early December Saturday to take in this critical early season clash between visiting Concordia and host Bethel.  The Cobbers were coming in as arguably one of the hottest teams in MIAC Women's hoops in this early season with a 4-0 record - including a stunning 64-63 upset of GAC up in Moorhead last Saturday.  The Royals meanwhile were stumbling out of the gate much like they did last season with a 2-3 overall record and 2-1 in conference play after dropping a tough decision to Hamline this last Wednesday evening.  And while it's still early in the season, of course, you had to think from a Bethel standpoint that this was about as close to a "must win" game for them as there is.    

As expected, things would be tight in the opening minutes of the first period as two scores by junior guard Anna Garfield - a lay-up at the 9:27 mark and a score in the paint at the 8:45 mark - had the Royals up 4-2.  Concordia, however, would get the game leveled at four a piece when senior guard Emily Beseman connected with a lay-up at the 8:36 mark.  But Bethel would grab some early momentum thanks to its trademark defensive work that caused the usually-potent Cobber attack to falter a bit.  Garfield, stealing the early spotlight in this contest, would snare an offensive rebound for a putback at the 7:36 mark to push the Royal back out in front 6-4 at the 7:36 mark and a pair of Garfield free throws after the former Blaine standout was fouled at the 6:46 mark upped Bethel's lead to 8-4.  Freshman reserve guard Colette Duininck would make a daring drive into the lane for a finish at the 6:13 mark to maintain the four-point edge at 10-6 as would sophomore reserve forward Lydia Hagstrom at the 5:08 mark with her score in the paint that had Bethel up 12-8.  It was here that Concordia went into its first serious offensive funk on this Saturday afternoon as the Royals stingy defense in the half court took the Cobbers completely out of their comfort zone and allowed Bethel to go on a 7-0 push.  Hagstrom would start this push with her lay-up off of an inbounds pass with 3:56 left and one free throw by sophomore guard Kendal Cox with 2:50 left had the Royals up 15-8.  With 2:11 left, Cox would again get sent to the charity stripe after getting fouled and got one more free throw to go down to make it 16-8 and with exactly 1:00 left in this opening period, senior forward Emma Schultz would drain a "3" from the right top area that stretched Bethel's lead to 19-8.  Ironically, the Cobbers would get a bit of a reprieve in the most unexpected fashion as sophomore guard Carlee Sieben let loose with a half-court Hail Mary shot that found nothing but cotton with just :00.1 left that helped take some of the sting out of the team's offensive woes and narrow the deficit some as well with Bethel's lead trimmed to 19-11.

Duininck would give the Royals a 20-11 lead with one free throw after she was fouled in a transition opportunity at the 9:45 mark of the second period before Concordia could finally break out of its offensive slump that it suffered down the stretch of the opening period.  Sieben would unleash her second trey of this afternoon - this one from a bit more reasonable range from the right wing area - to cut the deficit to six at 20-14 and would also add free throws - one after getting fouled at the 7:08 mark and again at the 6:53 mark - that got the Cobbers back to within striking distance down 20-16.  Two more free throws by sophomore forward Makayla Anderson at the 5:37 mark kept Concordia in that four-point range down 22-18 and a tough score in the paint by sophomore reserve forward Greta Tollefson at the 5:03 mark suddenly had the Cobbers back to within a single possession down 22-20.  That was something of a wake-up call for Bethel as they went right back to work to create some more breathing room.  Garfield would collect with a lay-up with 4:41 left as would Duininck with 4:14 left that gave the Royals a 26-20 lead and Duininck would add one free throw after getting fouled with 2:14 left to make it 27-20.  A lay-up by Schultz with 1:43 left maintained this seven-point edge at 29-22 before the Cobbers could narrow things up again on two free throws by Beseman when she was fouled with :36.6 left so while Concordia Head Coach Kim Wagers could feel a bit better about her squad turning up the heat a little bit in the second period, there was still work to do and they had to find a way of neutralizing that Bethel defense as well.  

Whatever was said in the Cobber locker room during the halftime break certainly seemed to have the desired effect as Concordia finally got its offense going once the third period got underway.  Senior guard Autumn Thompson would bang home a "3" from the left wing area at the 8:34 mark and a lay-up in transition by sophomore forward Symone Beld at the 7:56 mark suddenly had this game tied at 29 a piece.  The Royals woke up from their brief slumber to get themselves out in front again as Schultz would muscle into the paint for one score at the 7:18 mark and a lay-up in transition by sophomore guard Courtney Nuest at the 7:02 mark gave Bethel a four-point edge at 33-29.  But right back came the Cobbers with a 6-0 spurt.  Beseman would start this push with a nifty drive into traffic and finish off the glass at the 5:47 mark and would also add two free throw after getting fouled a bit later at the 5:14 mark that knotted this contest up again at 33-all.  Shortly afterward, Beld would connect with a jumper from the left wing area with 4:46 left that finally allowed Concordia to poke their nose out in front by a 35-33 count.  Then things started getting wild as three-point bombs were unleashed from both sides.  Bethel sophomore reserve guard Autumn Earney would unleash a "3" from the right wing area with 4:29 left to push the Royals back out in front 36-35 but then the Cobbers would come right back with some artillery of their own when Beseman uncorked a "3" from the right wing area with 4:11 left that put Concordia back out in front 38-36.  But right back came Bethel's Earney on the Royals subsequent possession as she would drill her second trey of this afternoon from the right top area with 3:57 left as Bethel grabbed the lead back at 39-38.  But Concordia would take that lead right back as Beld would connect with a lay-up with 3:18 left to put the Cobbers back up at 40-39 and a jumper from the left elbow area by freshman reserve guard Molly Musland with 1:54 left would keep Concordia on top by a 42-40 count.  Not to be outdone, the Royals would counter as Nuest would connect with a jumper from the left corner just inside the arc with 1:33 left to tie the game at 42 and Garfield would make a hard drive for a finish off the glass with 1:08 left to put Bethel back out in front by the end of this somewhat wacky third period by a 44-42 score.  So even though Concordia couldn't hold that small lead coming down the stretch, the general thought was that they now finally gained some much-needed confidence on the offensive end as this third period suggested. 

Whether it was the perceived confidence that suddenly waned or if it was fatigue that finally settled in or if it was that Bethel defense just absolutely shutting down its opponent - or even perhaps a combination of all of the above may not be know but the brakes got applied to that normally potent Cobber offense as they came to an almost standstill once the fourth period got underway.  And not that the Royals were exactly lighting up the scoreboard themselves but Concordia just went absolutely stone cold.  And considering the fact that they were right there within striking distance made it even more maddening from a Cobber standpoint.  Tollefson would come up empty on a lay-up attempt at the 8:40 mark as would Thompson a bit later at the 7:44 mark.  Bethel meanwhile was able to gradually get a bit more breathing room thanks to the Cobbers struggles.  Schultz would knock down a pair of charity stripe shots after getting fouled at the 8:16 mark and a daring drive into traffic and a lay-up by Nuest at the 6:43 mark had the Royals up 48-42.  Still a manageable deficit in most cases but the fact that Concordia was unable to dust off the cobwebs off of its basket until the 2:08 mark on a lay-up by Beseman, it seemed much bigger than it was.  And Bethel would pretty much seal the deal on this one when Schultz maneuvered into the paint for a score that drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" now had the Royals up 51-44 with 1:38 left.  Cox would add an insurance free throw with 1:31 left after getting fouled as would Duininck with :38.5 left plus a couple more by Garfield with :21.5 and :05.5 left as Bethel took an important 55-48 victory.  

When I was finally able to catch up with Bethel Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer afterward, he talked about the need to "uglify" things - if such a term could be used but whatever term or phrase you want to use - the tactics worked.  Again, it was the Bethel defense setting the tone in this contest and they simply shut down Concordia in that fourth period right when it looked as if the Cobbers had shaken off all of their troubles and they seemed out of their comfort zone for a good chunk of the contest.  Herbrechtsmeyer did offer up some hope on the return of sophomore forward Hayden Glander who's still out with an unspecified injury and said that she may see some minutes in another week and that, perhaps after Christmas or the first of the year, she should be fully ready to go - adding yet another dimension to this Bethel team that they definitely could use.  Meanwhile, it was a disappointing day at the office for Concordia's Wagers and her team and Wagers said that "We're normally a very good shooting team."  But it was obvious that they ran into a buzzsaw on this day and you can bet that it must've been a long, dreary cold ride back up US Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline to Moorhead.  

When you look at the final box score for this one, it can be easy to understand why Wagers and her staff likely had to reach for the Tylenol PM once they got back.  The Cobbers were 14-53 from FG range for only 26.4% and 4-16 from downtown for 25% - OUCH.  And free throw shooting wasn't really that great either as the Cobbers were 16-22 for 72.7%.  Turnovers were almost even (Concordia 23 and Bethel with 20) but what made it bad from a Concordia standpoint was that Bethel got 12 points off of those turnovers.  Bethel had a whopping 30-18 advantage in points in the paint as well so, in a game like this, those numbers tell much of the story.  Garfield and Schultz really carried the Royals this day on the scoring front with their 14 and 12 points, respectively.  Concordia actually had a reasonably balanced attack on this day as Beseman; the former Swanville standout led the way for the Cobbers with her 14 points while Anderson tallied 11 points and finished with a "double-double" with her 10 rebounds and Sieben finished with 10 points.    

Augsburg vs Bethel 11-22-22

 Made the short drive over to Robertson Center on the campus of Bethel University on this Tuesday evening to take in this important early season clash between visiting Augsburg and host Bethel.  The Auggies opened up this new 2022-23 season on a solid note with two wins - one at home vs UW-River Falls a week ago and then this last Saturday at Macalester.  The Royals on the other hand had to absorb two "Ls" on opening weekend over at Eau Claire, WI - 78-71 defeat to UW-Oshkosh and a 55-52 setback to host UW-Eau Claire - two teams that will undoubtedly be in the forefront in the WIAC.  Bethel got the ship righted last week Wednesday with a tough win at Carleton and hoped to carry that momentum into tonight's contest.  

Both squads had to feel each other out in the first few possessions of the opening period but Augsburg was finally able to assume a 4-0 advantage as a lay-up in transition by junior guard Katie Manecke at the 8:48 mark and a lay-up by sophomore sensation forward Anja Smith a bit later at the 8:15 mark seemed to have the Auggies loosened up a bit.  Despite some sluggishness initially, Bethel managed to shake off the early cobwebs and get the contest knotted at four a piece as sophomore guard Kendal Cox made a tough drive for a finish off the glass at the 7:14 mark and a score in the paint by senior forward Emma Schultz at the 6:26 mark had this game back on even terms again.  The Auggies would again poke their nose out in front as a three-point bomb by Manecke from the right corner at the 5:49 mark and a Manecke free throw after she was fouled with 4:30 left helped give Augsburg an 8-6 advantage.  It was here where the Royals made their first significant move of the night in the form of a 6-0 push.  Cox would start this push with her lay-up with 3:31 left and then freshman reserve guard Colette Duininck would connect with a lay-up in transition with 3:05 left to push Bethel out in front for the first time in the evening at 10-8.  Junior guard Anna Garfield would maneuver into the paint for another score that now had the Royals up 12-8.  Perhaps somewhat alarmed at this development, Augsburg got back to work with Smith carrying the load as she would drop one free throw after getting fouled with 1:08 left and then would connect on a graceful lay-up in transition with :47.6 left that cut the deficit down to one at 12-11.  But Bethel would get more breathing room as sophomore reserve forward Lydia Hagstrom would snare an offensive rebound for a putback that drew a foul in the process with just :05.6 left and her ensuing "and one" allowed the Royals to take a 15-11 lead into the second period.  

The Auggies would get this game knotted in the first few minutes of the second period as speedy junior guard Kalena Myers connected with a lay-up at the 9:35 mark and two free throws by senior reserve guard Samaiya Buchanan at the 7:16 mark after she was fouled leveled this game at 15.  But Augsburg would go into a bit of a funk offensively after that and that was largely in part due to the trademark stingy defense that the Royals employ.  Bethel would retake the lead on a brazen coast-to-coast lay-up by Duininck at the 6:11 mark and a "3" from the left wing area by sophomore reserve guard Autumn Earney with 4:43 left suddenly had the Royals up by five at 20-15.  The Auggies would momentarily get back to within a single possession on a pretty drive and finish off the glass by Samaiya Buchanan with 4:20 left but Bethel re-established the five-point lead on a drive and finish by Duininck with 3:55 left and a short shot from the left side by Schultz with 2:10 left stretch the Royals lead to seven at 24-17.  Augsburg's Smith would take matters into her own hands at this point as she would drain a "3" from the right wing area with 1:51 left that cut the deficit down to four at 24-20 and two Smith free throws after she was fouled kept the Auggies in that four-point range down 26-22.  Bethel would stretch its lead to seven once again when Earney banged home a "3" from the right corner with :53 left but Augsburg got a bit of a reprieve when slender freshman reserve forward Alli Born drained a "3" of her own with :36 left that kept the Auggies in that four-point range again at 29-25 as both teams retreated to their respective locker rooms for the halftime break.  A check of the first half box score revealed some worries for Augsburg Head Coach Ted Riverso and his staff as Bethel enjoyed a 17-10 edge in the rebounding department and while turnovers were basically even, the Auggies shot only 3-7 from downtown for 42.9%.  And Smith was having to shoulder a large share of the burden up to this point.

Bethel would hold the upper hand once the third period got going as an offensive rebound and putback by Schultz at the 9:38 mark pushed the lead to six at 31-25 and two Schultz free throws after she was fouled at the 7:26 mark maintained the six-point edge at 33-27.  One free throw by the youngster, Duininck, after she was fouled at the 6:13 mark upped that lead to 34-27 before the Auggies finally got untracked offensively.  Senior sharpshooting guard Jaley Coplin finally got into the books with her short, turnaround jumper at the 5:29 mark and a lay-up in transition by Myers with 4:02 left finally had Augsburg back to within a single possession again down 34-31.  With 3:38 left, Myers would get Augsburg closer with one free throw after she was fouled that trimmed the deficit down to two at 34-32 and there was every reason to the think the Auggies could get this one turned around.  But Bethel had vastly different plans as a 7-1 run down the home stretch of this third period showed.  Freshman reserve guard/forward Rosalie Penke would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 3:19 left and then Schultz would use her muscle in traffic to snare an offensive rebound for a putback that drew a foul and her obligatory "and one" had the Royals up 39-32.  With 1:46 left Hagstrom would muscle into the paint for a score that now had the Royals up by eight at 41-33 and the previous momentum that Augsburg had seemed to vanish into thin air.

The Auggies prospects became even more dire in the early moments of the fourth period as Bethel established its first double-digit lead of the even at 43-33 when Garfield would make a hard drive along the right baseline and connect with a finish at the 9:19 mark and although Augsburg's Coplin would drain one of her trademark three-point bombs - this one from the right wing area at the 8:54 mark - the math was starting to work against the Auggies as they were unable to string together a series of scores that would have them back within striking distance again.  Bethel's Schultz would knock down a pair of freebies after getting fouled at the 8:28 mark as would Garfield at the 8:03 mark to make it 47-38.  But now making matters even worse for the Auggies was that Smith had now picked up her fourth foul of the night and Augsburg's Riverso decided to roll the dice and keep his star player in.  To her credit, Smith was still being aggressive (but careful at the same time) and she would connect with a lay-up at the 7:39 mark that cut the deficit to seven at 47-40.  But again, not being able to get stops and put together a string of scores would doom the Auggies on this night.  The Royals would extend their lead to ten again when Garfield unleashed a "3" from the left top area at the 6:14 mark to make it 50-40 and an Earney three-point bomb with 3:14 left now had Bethel up 53-42.  Augsburg would make one last bid to try to get back into this one as Coplin banged home a "3" from the right wing area with 2:37 left but after a subsequent timeout by the Auggies' Riverso, Augsburg's hopes were dashed when Smith fouled out with 2:28 left.  Still, Augsburg tried to throw one last scare into the home team when Myers slyly snared a steal and raced the other way for a lay-up with 1:46 left that had the deficit down to five at 53-48.  But that's as close as the Auggies would come and Bethel was now in prime position to put this one on ice.  Garfield would drop a pair of free throws with 1:41 left and Cox would get one more after getting fouled with 1:33 left to make it 56-48.  Sophomore guard Courtney Nuest would slither into the paint for an insurance bucket with 1:01 left and the Royals secured an important 58-52 victory.  

When I was able to catch up with Bethel Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer afterward, I termed this a "gritty win" for this club and Herbrechtsmeyer concurred with notion.  I mentioned to Herbrechtsmeyer that I thought that a big key to his squad's win on this evening was that they pretty much controlled the tempo of the game to their style; i.e., they limited Augsburg to very few fast break opportunities (their strong suit).  Herbrechtsmeyer also pointed out that his squad's defense also took away a lot of things that the Auggies like to do in their half-court offense as well.  I mentioned to Herbrechtsmeyer that this team of his is a very young team; dominated by freshmen and sophomores and, to be sure, there were some freshman/sophomore mistakes mixed in from time to time.  Herbrechtsmeyer could only laugh and remark "Really?  Ya think?!"  In all seriousness, however, Herbrechtsmeyer is very high on this young group and he knows full and well that there has to be a little baptism by fire, so to speak.  At the same time, while there is arguably some work in progress for this young group, he's hopeful that they'll have made some big strides once January rolls around.  And he's also hopeful that sophomore forward Hayden Glander, who had to sit out this game with an unspecified injury, will be back in action again soon.  Meanwhile, a tough loss for Augsburg's Riverso and his staff to absorb and there's little doubt that Riverso had to wince a little when he saw the final box score that revealed that the Auggies got pounded on the boards (again) on this night by a 38-23 count (ouch) and though they were better than Bethel in the turnover department, Augsburg was only able to get 17 points off of those turnovers.  Another area where Bethel dominated was in points in the paint - another indicator of how they controlled the tempo of the game - by a sizable 30-22 margin.  Still another area where Bethel dominated on this night was in those all-important "second chance" points by a 14-4 margin.

Bethel did have a pretty balanced attack on this night as they were paced by Schultz's 13 points and Garfield wasn't far behind with her 11 points.  Smith was the workhorse for Augsburg on this night as she led all scorers with her 17 points.  It took longer than she would have liked but Coplin did start heating up in the second half and finished with 10 points.  

MIAC Predictions For The 2022-23 Season

 That time of the year again where I have to break out the old crystal ball and polish it off to see if it will come to life or not to provide some insight on how this upcoming season of MIAC Women's Hoops will go.  So while I'm kind of immersed in the fortunes (or sadly, the misfortunes) of my LA Rams and UCLA Bruins (along with the alma mater, Iowa) this fall, I think it is time to take a look ahead and predict how I think things will turn out in MIAC Women's Hoops this time around.  So, without further adieu, let get this started.  

The Title Contenders

1.  GAC

2.  Bethel 

The fact that the Gusties; practically left for dead in the early part of February 2022 after a bad road loss, somehow found a way to turn things around down the stretch and catch fire when it counted that helped them earn their first-ever MIAC Championship Game title this last season is impressive enough.  Now, when you add this experience to this talent-laden squad, I think it just makes them the clear favorites in this upcoming season.  Of course, there's a caveat that comes with that:  They'll be wearing a much, much bigger target on them this time around than they ever did last year when they came out of nowhere to pull off the unthinkable.  Then again, when you look at this roster and the talent they have, they may just welcome that bigger target.  The two leading scorers from this last season - junior guard Emma Kniefel and senior guard Anna Sanders are both back but bolstering the Gustie starting line-up will be junior guard Riley Queensland who missed all of last season with an unfortunate ACL injury just the third day into practice back in October 2021.  Senior forward Grace Benz is back as well and sophomore Rachel Kawiecki will also have a presence on the GAC front court.  The other cool thing about this team is that you also have a lot of nice interchangeable pieces in key positions as well such as sophomore Kylie Baranick who filled in just great the PG spot last season and sophomore forward Morgan Kelly adds depth and stability in that front court.  Juniors Syd Hauger, Lexi Schermann and Izzy (Izzy Izzy, You're Making Me Dizzy) Quick can all provide solid minutes in relief duty.  To put it plain and simple, Head Coach Lauire Kelly's team is LOADED and ready for battle and if all the main pieces can stay healthy this time around, another MIAC Championship Game title might just be starters for this team as they have the ability to go far, IMHO......The other team I think that you at least have to have in the conversation for title honors is Bethel.  To be sure, Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer has an incredibly young team with just one senior on his roster - senior forward Emma Schultz.  One player from last year's team - Kat Brown-Erdal - is not and that's a significant loss.  However, this squad is dominated with freshmen and sophomores; notably sophomore guard Courtney Nuest along with fellow sophomore guards Kendal Cox and Autumn Earney.  Junior guard Anna Garfield is back as well and presumably fully healthy now as well.  Sophomore forward Hayden Glander can wreak havoc both down low and out behind the three-point line if she has to.  And I would expect sophomore guard Lydia Hagstrom to play an important role on this team as well.  Last year, we saw Bethel get off to an unusually rough start before getting the ship righted somewhat before getting bounced in the MIAC Playoffs by said GAC team.  I think we kind of need to see how the Royals get things started this year before we draw too many conclusions but I have to believe that this team will at least play a factor in how things shake out this season.

Solid Playoff Contenders

3.  Hamline

4.  CSB

5.  Augsburg

I toyed with the idea of considering Hamline as a possible title contender and hey, they may very well turn out to be one.  This is a team that's as athletically gifted and talented as anyone in the conference.  They came within an eyelash of making it to the MIAC Championship Game this last season and they've got a ton of talent back from last year including senior point guard Chan'el Anderson-Manning and junior forward Lydia Lecher who's one of the most exciting and fun players in this conference to watch.  Senior forward/post Tess Hauer has shown what a solid player she is down low and senior guard Alyssa Williamson only helps make that Hamline backcourt that much more stable and stronger.  Head Coach Alex Focke also has a smattering of relief help coming off the bench as well who can not only get up and down the court but also provide a scoring punch, too.  Players such as senior guard Iyanna Weiland, junior guard Michaela Stamer and fellow junior guard Larisa O'Neil are all three-point threats.  So, while there's little doubt in my mind that this squad will be a force and right in the thick of things, I have to wonder as well if they're also able to take things a step further on the defensive front too; an area that was an issue from time to time last season.  They've proven that they can get themselves into position to take things to the next level.  Now it's just a matter of getting over that proverbial hump.......Another team that I'm kind of high on this year as well is CSB and I think this team has something prove and has a bit of a chip on their shoulder as well.  If you're looking for a team that's really, really strong at the guard/wing position, look no further than the Bennies because Head Coach Mike Durbin is set as well as any coach in the conference in the backcourt.  Junior PG Carla Meyer is as good as they come and and there's little question in my mind that she's going to be a driving force for this CSB team.  Another player to keep your eye on this season for CSB is sophomore guard Sophia Jonas out of Hudson, WI.  Presumably, senior forward Tori Szathmary will be the primary go-to player down low but there's still some question marks revolving around the Bennie front court.  Still, I think this team is destined to make a jump forward this season and the talent is certainly there to make it happen.....It somehow doesn't feel right not having Augsburg in the conversation for the title chase.  I'm not saying at all that they can't be but I feel like the cautious approach might be the safe way to look at this group at this particular juncture.  To be sure, Head Coach Ted Riverso has - without question - the best player in the conference in junior forward Anja Smith who set MIAC venues on fire last year with her 17.1 ppg average and her unbelievable athleticism and equally uncanny ability to take over games in crucial moments.  And the supporting cast isn't too bad either when you throw in sharpshooting senior guard Jaley Coplin who can make you pay in spades from three-point land and fellow senior guard Grace Eastman is an incredibly solid player on both ends of the floor.  Speedy junior guard Kalena Myers can wreak havoc on the defensive end and fellow junior guard Katie Manecke was a solid contributor off the bench.  The two items that do leave me some room for concern (and why I'm taking a cautious approach) is (1) graduation losses of both Jen Masello and Selena Lor and (2) the rocky start they got off to last season that saw the Auggies drop their first three games which proved costly after they lost to GAC in the MIAC Championship Game.  I have to believe that one day they'll finally get over the hump but I don't know if this is the year or not.  

Fighting For That Sixth Playoff Spot

6.  Concordia

7.  Carleton

8.  St. Kate's

After the promise that the Cobbers showed in that truncated 2020-21 season made me think last year at about this same time that the 2021-22 season would be their coming out party that would have them right in the thick of things in the MIAC title chase.  Instead, they stumbled out of the gate badly; going 1-7 in their opening games and they would finish with an incredibly disappointing 8-16 record; far from what was expected.  True, some untimely injuries played a role in last year's less-than-stellar season but signs point toward Concordia making amends for last year's transgressions.  Head Coach Kim Wager's cupboard certainly isn't bare as she's got a nice collection of athletes who can make things happen.  Sophomore guard Carlee Sieben; who transferred into Concordia this last summer after one season at UND is a real scoring threat and senior guard Autumn Thompson is a seasoned vet who can impact both ends of the floor.  Fellow senior guard Emily Beseman may very well be the most under-appreciated player in the conference and she's very solid on both ends of the floor.  Lanky sophomore forward Makayla Anderson hopes to bolster the Cobber front line as does fellow sophomore guard/forward Symone Beld.  So I think the Cobbers have the goods to be at least be a factor in the conference race........Down in Northfield, Carleton may have the most interesting mix of players you'll ever see and given how this team showed how dangerous it could be last year, you have to figure that they're going to be in the discussion at the very least.  Given the box score of their opening game on Wednesday night this week, freshman guard Amelia Solt out of Loveland, CO had a terrific outing with her 23 points to lead the way and senior guard Aiana Whitfield was solid as well with her 14 points and junior Emma Henry is just a wonderfully athletic and gifted player.  Knights Head Coach Tammy Metcalf-Filzen always knows how to get the most out of her teams and if there's one thing I've learned about Carleton over the more than 20 years I've been watching MIAC Women's Basketball, her teams are TOUGH - both physically and mentally and they play very smart.  Now, is that element alone enough to propel them to the top?  Probably not and remember too that depth could be an issue for this team as the season progresses.  But, at the same time, they're probably the last team you'll want to face come playoff time......I have to think that St. Kate's is going to be one of those teams lurking in this particular mix as well.  Their trio of senior leadership - guard Mackenzie Kurczek and forwards Bree Glynn and Sam Orth - is as good as any in the conference and Head Coach Don Mulhern has some key pieces to use in rotation as well with junior guard Karis Zezza along with sophomore forwards Sydney Elliott and Greta Schimnowski.  As it always seems like it, year after year, it all comes down to two things for the Wildcats:  (1) Can they establish some consistency once January rolls around and (2) can they find a way to stay healthy?  They haven't always been able to answer those two questions with a resounding "Yes" yet but I think this team has the goods to be dangerous enough to be in contention for one of those last two playoff spots.   

The Not Quite Ready For Prime Time Squads

9.  St. Olaf

10.  Macalester

11.  St. Scholastica

12.  SMU

In an expanded MIAC Playoff format last season, we saw Head Coach Kelly Mahlum's St. Olaf team take a big step forward with a first round playoff win on the road at SMU.  And although the joyride didn't last long, it was still an important and significant step for a program that's arguably been struggling for a while now.  I think this team is primed to make another step forward and be much more competitive in the MIAC and although being a playoff contender may or may not be in the offing for them, they're still a group that's going to have to be reckoned with when you have players like senior forward Rachel Kelly and fellow senior guards Grace Hegland and Cassie Fix.  This could be a team to keep your eye on - especially if a team or two ahead of them falter........While you may not necessarily think of Macalester of being a playoff contender, this squad is a lot better than what you think.  They may not be the most talented team in the conference but they make up for that with their smart play and they have the ability to give a lot of teams fits.  Senior guard Solana Cushing can be absolutely deadly from behind the arc and lanky senior forward Emma LaFrenz gives Head Coach Katie Kollar some much-needed length down low......Head Coach Jason Schmitz and his St. Scholastica had to wade into some rough waters last season in their first full year of MIAC play and the best guess here is that there'll be some more deep water to encounter this season as well although I definitely want to make it a point to cover this team this coming season......Down the CPKC River Sub mainline and US Highway 61 in Winona, SMU is looking to break out of its collective shell and they have a terrific scorer in guard/forward Brooklyn Paulson who can terrorize from three-point land but there's still some big hills to climb for this team in order to make it to the next level.   

So there you have it.  With the season just getting underway, it's time to watch this all unfold.