MIAC Power Ranking For Sunday 1-5-25

 That time of the year again when my first Power Rankings come out so let's get to it:

1.  GAC

2.  Bethel

3.  CSB

4.  Concordia

5.  Hamline

6.  (tie) St. Scholastica & St. Kate's

7.  Macalester

8.  SMU

9.  St. Olaf

10.  Carleton

11.  Augsburg

Little doubt as to who's still ruling the roost here as the Gusties didn't necessarily bring their "A" game to Butler Center yesterday but found other means to get the tough dub against St. Kate's.  This coming week doesn't look terribly taxing for GAC as they make a return trip to the Cities to take on Macalester on Wednesday night and then return to the comfy confines of Lund Arena on Saturday to host St. Scholastica.....Bethel meanwhile recovered nicely after that tough home loss to UW-Stout on New Year's Eve by unceremoniously dumping St. Olaf yesterday down in Northfield.  But a tough roadie awaits the Royals on Wednesday night as they head to St. Joe to take on a rejuvenated CSB team before coming back to Butler Center next Saturday to host Macalester......And speaking of the Bennies, I didn't expect them to be 9-2 overall at this point but here they are and they got a big home win yesterday against Hamline.  Now the question is if they can sustain this newfound momentum.  We'll find out more this coming week as they host aforementioned Bethel team in Claire Lynch on Wednesday night before coming down to the Twin Cities on Saturday to take on St. Kate's.

Without question, the biggest disappointment on here at the moment is Concordia.  The four-game losing skid that they endured back in late November and early December was bad enough.  But just when you THOUGHT that the Cobbers were on the verge of making amends for these transgressions by going down to Kentucky and popping both perennial powerhouse Washington & Lee and then Case Western Reserve in succession right before the first of the year, they returned home to cavernous Memorial Auditorium yesterday and somehow lost to SMU.  The one step forward-two steps back approach that the Cobbers have seem to taken up this season is not the way to earn a return trip to the Big Dance.  And if there was still any lingering doubt as to whether or not the Cobbers still had any wiggle room left in terms of an at-large bid, that was taken care of emphatically yesterday as Concordia has now effectively backed itself into a corner that they may not be able to get out of.  The reality now is that if you're the Cobbers, you've got one way - and one way only - of getting back and that's to make sure you get to the MIAC Playoffs and then win the whole ball of wax there.  It would have been one thing if they could have kept their losses strictly to a GAC or a Bethel but that's out the window now and there's simply no more margin for error.  No lifelines left and it's only early January.  For the Cobbers, it has to start this week as they host St. Kate's on Wednesday night and then travel down to Northfield this next Saturday to take on St. Olaf......Hamline meanwhile remains as unpredictable as ever as they've got to find a way to put the heartbreaking loss to CSB yesterday behind them.  Logic would suggest they'll do just that as they go to Carleton on Wednesday night before hosting Augsburg this next Saturday.

The biggest surprise for me - at least so far anyway - is having St. Scholastica in the sixth spot in my Power Rankings.  Granted, it's only early January as I mentioned earlier and we need to see more of this team and how they perform over the next few weeks.  But given where they've been and where they are now certainly suggests that this team is headed in the right direction under Head Coach Jason Schmitz and they found a way to withstand a tough challenge at home from Macalester yesterday.  This coming week appears to be a 50/50 proposition for the Saints as they host St. Olaf on Wednesday night before going down to St. Peter this coming Saturday to take on GAC.  Coming away with a split this next week wouldn't be a terrible proposition at all for this squad.......Sharing the sixth spot this week is St. Kate's as they dropped a defensive slugfest with GAC yesterday and arguably aren't clicking on all cylinders offensively at the moment.  Some key injuries (notably to junior Kaylee Miron) have contributed to that but the Wildcats have got to find a way to pull out of their doldrums and soon.  And this week may be the most taxing yet for the 'Cats as they have to make the trip up US Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline to Moorhead to face a Concordia team that's likely going to be out for blood given what happened to them yesterday before coming back to Butler Center this coming Saturday to host a rising CSB team.

Two other teams to mention here that I wouldn't have necessarily thought to be in this position at this time but are.  Macalester has certainly made some strides thus far this season with a 7-4 overall record and they dropped a heartbreaker yesterday on the shores of Gitche Gumee to St. Scholastica.  Unfortunately for the Scots, they host GAC on Wednesday night before making the run over to Bethel this coming Saturday.  And I have to give props to new SMU Head Coach Courtney Shelton as her team pulled off a huge upset yesterday on the road at Concordia.  This latest conquest could be something of a launching pad for the Cardinals as they make the trip up US Highway 61 and the CPKC River Sub mainline to the Twin Cities to face Augsburg on Wednesday night before hosting Carleton this coming Saturday so definitely a huge opportunity for them.  

So that's how things are shaping up here at the moment.  As always, feel free to fire away with thoughts.  

GAC vs St. Kate's 1-4-25

 Made my way over to St. Paul on this sunny but very cold early January Saturday to first run over to El Burrito Mercado off of Cesar Chavez to get stocked up on their fabulous salsa fresca (and if you truly love Mexican food as I do, you need to get your butt over there) - and THEN over to Butler Center on the campus of St. Catherine University for today's pivotal match-up between visiting GAC and host St. Kate's.  The Gusties were coming into this contest with an unblemished 11-0 record including 3-0 in conference play while the Wildcats have had a bit harder time than expected coming into this game; trying to stay over .500 with a 6-4 overall record but only 1-3 in conference play and were wanting desperately to get off on the right track in 2025.

Considering how GAC cruised to easy wins in their last two visits to Butler Center, I was more or less expecting the trend to continue but the 'Cats had vastly different ideas.  Still, the Gusties would draw first blood in this contest at the 9:08 mark of the opening period when fifth-year senior guard Emma (not evil) Kniefel buried a "3" from the left wing area before St. Kate's started showing its worth.  Junior guard Maddie Young used her strong 5'9" frame to muscle into the paint for a score at the 8:11 mark and then sophomore guard sensation Hattie Fox drained a "3" from the right top area at the 7:18 mark to push the Wildcats ahead by a 5-3 count.  This unexpected and early 7-0 push by St. Kate's would be capped on a pair of free throws by lanky senior forward Greta Schimnowski after she was fouled at the 5:46 mark that had them up 7-3.  It would take long for GAC to answer the call as Kniefel would knock down a short pull-up jumper in transition with 4:17 left that cut the deficit to two.  Then fellow fifth-year senior Izzy (Izzy Izzy, you're making me dizzy) Quick would connect on a lay-up with 3:11 left that also drew a foul and the ensuing "and one" by the former Champlin Park standout put the Gusties out in front 8-7.  Right back came the Wildcats as senior forward Rachel Randleman banged home a "3" from the left top area with 2:54 left that put St. Kate's out in front 10-8 before GAC got this game leveled at ten a piece on a pair of free throws by another fifth-year senior - guard Syd Hauger - after she was fouled with 1:58 left.  But what was standing out more than anything in this game thus far was defense - and a lot of it - particularly from the GAC side as the Gusties were using pressure and trapping to slow down this fast-paced Wildcat team that loves to get out and run.  And for GAC it was a good thing that they were as this normally-potent Gustie team was not exactly setting the world on fire with their shooting.  The Gusties and Wildcats would trade pairs of free throws - two by GAC senior guard Kylie Baranick after she was fouled with 1:22 left and two by St. Kate's Randleman after she was fouled with 1:07 left - that had this game knotted again at 12-all.  The Gusties hoped that they would at least have their nose out in front when senior reserve forward Morgan Kelly connected on a tough lay-up off of an inbounds pass with :56 left that had them up 14-12 but St. Kate's would get this one leveled again when slender junior forward Emme Golembiewski knocked down a jumper from the left top area just inside the arc and with :20 left and there was just a lot of uncertainty about how this game was going to go at this point.

GAC seemed to wipe away whatever uncertainty there was in this contest once the second period got underway as they reeled off a 10-1 run.  A short jumper by Kniefel at the 9:25 mark got the Gusties out in front at 16-14 and a lay-up in transition by slender sophomore reserve guard Kendyl Queensland at the 8:12 mark and two free throws by senior forward Rachel Kawiecki at the 7:08 mark after she was fouled had GAC up 20-14.  Kawiecki would come up big again at the 5:24 mark by grabbing an offensive rebound for a putback and then Morgan Kelly would connect on a smooth jumper from the right top area just inside the arc with 4:19 left that seemed to have the Gusties in command with a 24-15 lead.  St. Kate's; held in check by that suffocating Gustie defense in this second period, finally dusted off the cobwebs on its basket when junior reserve guard Kristen Oberle sneaked into traffic to connect on a lay-up with 2:45 left but GAC extended its lead to ten when Queensland drained a "3" from the right top area with 1:33 left that made it a 27-17 ballgame.  But just when you thought that the 'Cats might have been beyond reach in this contest with their trademark drive-and-dribble game stymied by this suffocating Gustie defense, Fox would unleash a three-point bomb from the left wing area with 1:18 left that not only got St. Kate's back to within single digits again down 27-20 but also gave them a little bit of momentum going into the locker room at the half.

GAC again appeared to take the bull by the horns, so to speak, once the third period got underway as they were able to rebuild the double-digit cushion.  Kawiecki; the former Holy Angels standout, would start this latest push on a lay-up at the 8:35 mark and would also get sent to the charity stripe after getting fouled a bit later at the 8:03 mark where her two free throws had the Gusties seemingly in very good shape with a 31-20 lead and GAC would maintain this eleven-point edge when Quick made a hard drive into the lane and lost her balance and started falling to the floor - and STILL got a one-handed shot to go in (!) at the 7:08 mark to make it 33-22.  But there was little time for the Gusties to feel safe just yet as St. Kate's discovered newfound energy and embarked on a 7-0 push of their own.  Schimnowski would start this run when she connected with a short jumper off the glass at the 6:33 mark and one free throw by Young after she was fouled at the 6:05 mark had the 'Cats back in single digit range again down 33-25.  With 4:50 left, Fox would knock down a pair of freebies after getting fouled and when sophomore reserve forward Lily Peper connected with a lay-up with 2:19 left that reduced the deficit to four at 33-29, GAC Head Coach Laurie Kelly had seen enough with this run and the fact that her squad had suddenly gone into an offensive funk to know that a thirty-second timeout was warranted.  This short stoppage in play seemed to get the Gusties attention as they went back to work in trying to make amends.  Quick would knock down a jumper from the left elbow area with 1:57 left and with :35.4 left, Baranick would drill a "3" from the left top area that gave GAC some needed breathing room with a 38-29 advantage.  However, this cushion lost a good chunk of its foundation when Wildcat freshman reserve guard Jordyn Peed buried a "3" from the top of the key with just :08.4 left that not only whittled the deficit down to six at 38-32 but also gave St. Kate's another shot of momentum with this one transitioning to the fourth period.  

Probably the best window of opportunity for the Wildcats came early on in the fourth period when they cut the deficit to just four points on a short jumper along the right baseline off of an inbounds pass by Golembiewski at the 9:44 mark that saw the GAC lead cut to 38-34.  Alarmed at the dreaded possibilities, the Gusties went right back to work.  Morgan Kelly would connect with a jumper along the left baseline at the 9:25 mark that upped GAC's lead to six at 40-34.  St. Kate's had another opportunity to crawl back to four points when Golembiewski was fouled at the 9:04 mark but both free throw attempts went awry and that proved costly for the 'Cats as the Gusties would then consolidate on their lead.  Kniefel would bury a heartbreaking "3" from the right top area at the 8:49 mark and the former Medford standout would follow that up a short time later at the 8:23 mark with a jumper from the left elbow area that pushed GAC's lead to eleven at 45-34 and St. Kate's acting Head Coach Paul Richie; perhaps seeing the window of opportunity close for good, called a timeout in hopes of rectifying the situation.  To their credit, the Wildcats were able to close the gap a bit but it was done in a an unexpected fashion.  Confusion would reign at the 7:11 mark when officials stopped the game and, after a discussion with GAC's Laurie Kelly - who was not at all amused with the situation - a technical foul would be assessed to GAC (more on that later).  St. Kate's Young would get a pair of charity stripe shots to go down out of that mess and when the Gusties were temporarily stymied on the offensive end, the Wildcats managed to cut the deficit to seven at 45-38 when Golembiewski connected on a tough turnaround jumper along the right baseline at the 5:04 mark.  Again, St. Kate's had a golden opportunity to pull closer when Randleman was fouled with 4:29 left but both free throw attempts did not cooperate and the Wildcats could never get closer.  GAC would make the 'Cats pay dearly for that as they proceeded to but the finishing touches on this game.  Quick would maneuver into the paint for a score with 4:01 left and then Baranick would drain a killer "3" from the right corner with 3:26 left left that gave the Gusties a ten-point cushion at 50-40.  With :50.3 left, Kniefel would knock down a pair of insurance free throws as the Gusties came out a bit bumped and bruised but more importantly collected a 52-41 victory in this defensive slugfest.  

When I was finally able to corral GAC's Laurie Kelly afterward, the first thing I mentioned to her is that this is not about winning a beauty contest.  When things aren't clicking offensively the way you'd like them and you're getting tested by your opponent, you resort to your other strengths to help lead you to ultimate victory.  She was quick to concur that this one was on the ugly side and the shooting numbers underscore what a rather dreadful day it was from a shooting standpoint for the Gusties - going 18-60 from FG range for a straight 30% (uff da) and 5-16 from behind the arc for 31.3%.  But, you keep looking at the box score and you see how GAC pulled this one off without bringing their "A" game - owning the boards by a whopping 40-24 count, having a decided advantage in points in the paint at 16-8 and in those all-important second-chance points at 9-2.  But here's what I really love:  GAC was a perfect 11-11 from the charity stripe for 100%!  How often do you see THAT happen?  Anyone who reads this blog knows that I harp on free throw shooting all the time.  Well, guess what?  This is a perfect example of where solid free throw shooting helps you win games!  It's not rocket science folks.  Here's the other thing that caught my eye on this day:  I didn't expect many of Laurie Kelly's younger reserves to get much playing time - if any - in such a close, hard-fought contest but we saw players like Queensland, freshman guard Anna Goodman and sophomore guard Peyton Stevermer get some quality minutes out there that allowed some of the main chain-gang group to catch breathers when they needed it.  Goodman caught my eye this last summer at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League and I was raving about her to Laurie Kelly back then.  "She's got some serious swag" Laurie Kelly said.  Now, regarding that technical foul that was called at the 7:11 mark of the fourth period.  Apparently, the officials had warned Quick about flopping earlier in the contest and, according to the officials, she didn't heed their earlier warning when she fell to the floor again - hence, the technical being assessed.  First off, I've got to say that I was, shall we say, less than impressed with the officiating on this day.  It wasn't great for either side.  I try like hell not to comment on the officiating too much but it just wasn't very good on this day.  And, as an official, you've got to know the difference between getting knocked to the floor in a competitive situation and genuine flopping.  It's really not that difficult.  As Sonny Corleone said to Clemenza in The Godfather Part I, "Hey, cut the crap, eh?  I've got more important things for you to do."

When you look at this from a St. Kate's standpoint, you come away encouraged given how games against GAC in the last two years resulted in you getting run out of your own gym.  Yet it's got to be incredibly frustrating, too, because you know that you had chances, had opportunities in this one that could have possibly turned the tide for you.  Again, I've got to harp on the free throw shooting.  We know what the Gusties did on this day on that front.  The 'Cats meanwhile were 11-18 from the charity stripe for 61.1% and in a close game like this, that's going to cost you big time.  I'm not saying that replicating what GAC did would have necessarily got you over the top but it would have at the very least changed the complexion of this one significantly.  And yeah, that darned Gustie defense did indeed wreak havoc as the Wildcats shot 13-45 for 28.9% from FG range and were only 4-15 from downtown for an icy 26.7%.  So, yeah, there ya go.  But, unlike the Gusties, the Wildcats weren't able to make up for these deficiencies when they had to and essentially were in the position of having to play catch-up for most of this game.  Probably just as important, St. Kate's had their trademark drive-and-dribble into the paint aspect taken away from them on this day and the Gusties made them more or less one-dimensional.  But, to be sure, there's some bad luck hovering over this St. Kate's program at the moment.  Head Coach Don Mulhern; as I found out afterward, recently had surgery and is likely going to be out of action for the next couple two or three weeks as his top assistant, Richie, has had to assume the reigns for the time being.  But Richie is more than capable of leading this team and he's got a couple of top-notch guys at his side in Geno Bullard and Ben Fleming who'll help keep this team on course (BTW, I touched base with Mulhern last night and he's in good spirits).  On top of that, junior point guard Kaylee Miron was on crutches as she suffered an injury and is apparently out for the season.  But this St. Kate's team is one tough cookie and woe to the opponent who thinks they're ripe for the taking.  

It's not surprising at all that Kniefel would be the one stepping up for GAC on this day when they needed someone to step up on the scoring front as she led the way for the Gusties - and all scorers - with her 14 points and Quick just missed out on a double-double as she tallied nine points and had 10 rebounds.  She was just all over the place on this day.  St. Kate's was paced by Fox's 11 points.  

UW-Stout vs Bethel 12-31-24

 Made the short run over the Robertson Center on the campus of Bethel University on this New Year's eve afternoon to take in this enticing non-conference game between UW-Stout of the WIAC and host Bethel.  The Blue Devils were coming into this game on a four-game win streak; the last two in a pre-Christmas classic down in St. Petersburg, FL where they knocked off Berry on a last-second buzzer-beater and then demolished Grove City the next day.  The Royals had just come back from Florida from an after-Christmas classic down in Daytona Beach but with mixed results - knocking off Amherst but then getting boat-raced by perennial powerhouse Scranton the next day.  So for the Royals, it was a quick trip home and little time for preparation for this important non-conference clash that likely would have big implications on both teams SOS (strength of schedule) later on in the season.

Defense would take center stage in the first few minutes of the opening period but it would be UW-Stout finding an easier path to offensive efficiency.  Senior forward Amanda Giesen would get the Blue Devils going with a lay-up at the 7:48 mark and would add a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 6:10 mark to put UW-Stout up 4-2.  Then do-it-all senior guard Raegan Sorensen would make a quick slash into the paint for a score to get the lead to 6-2 before the Royals cut the deficit to two on a pair of free throws by senior combo guard/forward Elly Schmitz after she was fouled with 4:35 left but Bethel would continue to struggle on the offensive end of the floor which allowed the Blue Devils to slowly grow their lead.  Freshman reserve guard Mary Berg got into the paint for one score with 4:19 left and a lay-up by senior reserve guard Elissa Lodermeier with 3:20 left gave UW-Stout at 10-5 lead.  By this time, Royals Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer, very concerned with the ineptness on the offensive end of the floor, took a timeout with 2:26 left in hopes of finding a few quick fixes.  But the Blue Devils would get their cushion to double digits as Sorensen would connect on a lay-up with 2:16 left and slender senior guard Sam Schaeffer would bang home a "3" from the right top area with 1:50 left that gave UW-Stout a 15-5 advantage before Bethel could finally get things tightened up a bit.  Sophomore reserve forward Cally Peterson got into the paint for one score with 1:31 left and then fifth-year senior Anna Garfield did likewise with :49 left that trimmed the deficit to six at 15-9 but that's as close as the Royals would get the rest of this first period.  The Blue Devils would get their lead to eight on a pair of free throws by strong senior guard Anna Mutch with :34.2 left and although Bethel sliced a point off of this deficit on one free throw by fifth-year senior Lydia Hay with :20.8 left, not much went right for the Royals in this first period and they definitely looked to be out of their element on their home floor.

Bethel appeared to make amends for all of their early transgressions once the second period got underway.  Schmitz would make a hard drive for a finish at the 9:15 mark and a score in the paint by Hay a bit later at the 8:47 mark suddenly had the Royals back to within a single possession down 17-14 and all appeared to be good again.  But UW-Stout had vastly different ideas and they went on the offensive again with a 10-0 run.  Sorensen would make another quick slash for a lay-up at the 8:22 mark and a pair of freebies by Giesen after she was fouled at the 7:50 mark got the Blue Devil lead up to seven at 21-14.  Less than a minute later at the 7:07 mark, Sorensen would strike again - this time on a pretty score in the paint off of an inbounds pass and one more free throw by Giesen after she was fouled in a transition opportunity at the 6:33 mark rebuilt that earlier ten-point cushion at 24-14.  Then at the 5:20 mark, senior reserve guard Allison Letcher would cap this run after getting fouled behind the arc and the former Windom Area standout would cash in on all three free throw attempts to make it 27-14.  Bethel's Herbrechtsmeyer at this point was forced to take a match to another timeout as he knew his team was possibly in a hole that they couldn't climb out of.  This stoppage in play might've been exactly what the doctor ordered for the Royals as they were slowly able to crawl their way back into single-digit range again.  Junior point guard Colette Duininck would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled in a transition opportunity with 4:10 left and sophomore reserve forward Emily Erickson would also cash in on a pair of freebies after getting fouled with 3:34 left that had the deficit down to eleven at 29-18.  UW-Stout looked to be off and running again when Sorensen connected with a jumper from the right elbow area after a steal with 2:15 left that pushed the Blue Devil lead up to 31-18 but Bethel kept clawing and scratching away.  Garfield would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 2:01 left and less than a minute later, Peterson would connect on a lay-up in transition with 1:33 left that cut the deficit to ten at 31.21.  With :57 left, Erickson would connect on a lay-up that had the Royals back to within single digits at 31-23 and with just :02.2 left before the halftime buzzer, Garfield would bury a cold-blooded "3" from the right top area that had the deficit down to seven at 33-26 so although outplayed for the most part thus far, there did seem to be some hope on the horizon for Bethel as both teams headed to their respective locker rooms for the halftime break.  

UW-Stout was able to at least maintain this seven-point advantage in the early going of the third period.  Junior forward Rosella Wille connected on a short jumper in the lane to make it a 35-28 game and Giesen would convert on a pair of free throws after getting fouled at the 6:47 mark that maintained this seven-point cushion at 37-30.  But maintaining this cushion became a tougher proposition for the Blue Devils as this third period wore on as Bethel's Herbrechtsmeyer changed things up on the defensive side by going to either a 1-2-2 or a 2-3 "match-up" zone defense that effectively bottled things up in the middle and made it considerably more difficult for the Blue Devils to penetrate inside as they had done in the first half.  This also provided an opening for the Royals to start chipping away as well.  Pairs of free throws by Garfield - at the 6:39 mark and again at the 6:15 mark after she was fouled in a transition opportunity - had Bethel back to within a single possession down 37-34 and two more by Erickson after she was fouled with 4:41 left kept the Royals in single-possession range down 39-36.  With 4:27 left, Bethel clearly had momentum on their side as Garfield connected on a lay-up in transition that sliced the deficit to a scant point at 39-38 and that prompted Blue Devils Head Coach Hannah Iverson to call a timeout in hopes of stemming this newfound energy that the home team had.  Still, the Royals were not letting up on the accelerator as Schmitz knocked down one free throw after getting fouled with 3:20 left that not only leveled the contest at 39 a piece but also saw UW-Stout's Wille retreat to the bench with three fouls.  With 1:32 left, Bethel finally poked its nose out in front by a 41-39 count on an Erickson lay-up and they would maintain this two-point edge on a pretty drive and finish by Garfield with :51 left.  UW-Stout would regain the lead on a fantastic tip-in play by the athletic Mutch with :24.9 left that also drew a foul and, along with the obligatory "and one", put the Blue Devils back out in front by a 44-43 count but still Bethel seemed to be right where they needed to be.

And that notion seemed to be reinforced when the Royals' Schmitz muscled into the paint for a score at the 9:43 mark of the fourth period that shoved Bethel back out front by a 45-44 count.  The Blue Devils would counter as Letcher would uncork a "3" from the left corner at the 9:06 mark and one free throw by Sorensen after she was fouled at the 8:31 mark pushed UW-Stout back on top 48-45.  But things appeared to sour once more for the Blue Devils as Wille collected her fourth foul of the afternoon at the 8:06 mark and Bethel appeared to consolidate on this opportunity as Erickson would connect on a lay-up at the 8:02 mark and one free throw by sophomore reserve guard Macey Littlefield after she was fouled at the 6:47 mark had this game leveled again at 48.  But it was here where the senior leadership of the Blue Devils really stood out as they proceeded to take over this game.  Mutch would bang home a "3" from the left wing area at the 5:44 mark and two free throws by Giesen after she was fouled at the 5:20 mark gave UW-Stout a five-point advantage at 53-48.  A critical sequence took place right about the 5:00 mark when the Royals' Hay was in the process of making a hard drive for a lay-up and it appeared as though she may have been fouled.  However, the officials saw things differently and called Hay for traveling - much to the chagrin of Bethel's Herbrechtsmeyer and his staff who protested the call vociferously to no avail.  That opened the door for this experienced and seasoned Blue Devils team to stretch out its lead which they did.  Mutch would follow-up on her earlier heroics by knocking down a jumper from the right elbow area with 4:42 left to make it 55-48 and Mutch would repeat this feat with a jumper from the same right elbow area with 3:56 left that maintained this seven-point edge at 57-50.  The Royals meanwhile were unable to rekindle the earlier magic that they had in the third period on the offensive end and UW-Stout would put its opponent behind the proverbial 8-ball when Berg connected on a short jumper in the lane with 2:00 left to make it a 59-50 ballgame.  Bethel would make one last-ditch attempt at narrowing this deficit as Erickson would slither into the paint for one score with 1:35 left and two free throws by Garfield after she was fouled with :35.7 left got the deficit down to six at 59-53 and a pretty reverse lay-up by Schmitz with :10.6 left had the deficit down to five but bringing this one all the way back would prove to be a bridge too far for the Royals on this day.  UW-Stout's Schaeffer would get sent to the charity stripe after getting fouled with :08.9 left and she dropped a pair of insurance free throws as the Blue Devils got out of Dodge with a hard-earned 62-55 victory.

As much as I've watched this UW-Stout team play online this last season when the Blue Devils made their magical run to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament last season, it wasn't easy to appreciate how incredibly resourceful and resilient this team is.  But now; finally getting to watch them in action and seeing what they do and how they do it, I have a newfound appreciation for just how efficient and smart this team plays.  Not that they're always perfect at times but they almost always know what to do and when to do it and they found a way again on this day when things threatened to go against them on the road against a very good opponent.  But here's the other thing you have to understand too.  This is a team that's already been beset with injuries to key players in this young season.  The aforementioned Sorensen was out back in late November and fifth-year senior guard Lexi Wagner - arguably their best three-point shooter - has been out for a spell as well although from talking to some parents on the UW-Stout side after the game, she may possibly be back by this coming weekend which would be welcome news for Iverson and her staff.  Because of the injuries, there was some tough sledding for the Blue Devils back in November as they lost home games to the two top favorites in the MIAC - GAC and Concordia.  But UW-Stout responded as an experienced and senior-laden team would - beating Hamline and UW-Superior and then going down to Florida and knocking off Berry on a thrilling buzzer-beater and then rolling over Grove City in the Championship Game.  Now, to be sure, the road ahead for the Blue Devils is a challenging one as they go to UW-Oshkosh (b'gosh) on Saturday and have a date with a tricky UW-River Falls team, and then roadies at WIAC favorite UW-Whitewater and at up-and-coming UW-La Crosse.  But, with this newfound head of steam the UW-Stout seems to have, you've got to at least consider them one of the favorites to challenge UW-Whitewater for WIAC honors.  But here's the other thing that catches my eye when it comes to the Blue Devils:  They're so guard-oriented but they're long, too.  They're just so darned athletic and skilled that they're able to create several match-up problems for opponents.  And what can you say about Sorensen; the Centuria, WI native who practically willed this team to the WIAC Championship Title and a berth in the NCAA Sweet 16 last season.  She's just simply out of this world in what she can do on both ends of the floor.  Good luck trying to guard her one-on-one.  She keeps finding ways to burn opponents and she's going to continue to do so.  Bottom line here - buy stock in the UW-Stout women's basketball team.  

On the other side of the coin, it's certainly a disappointing setback for the Royals who, as I mentioned earlier, basically had Tuesday AM to really "prepare" for this game after the trip back from Florida and despite the lopsided loss to Scranton on Sunday which they followed up with the loss on this day, I still think Bethel's in a good place with a 7-3 overall record.  And things seem to be on their side schedule-wise with the Royals delving into conference play against St. Olaf, CSB, Macalester and Carleton in their first four games before hosting GAC on Saturday (1-18).  So they've got a very good opportunity to build themselves back up for that important clash at Robertson Center.  But they've got to get some things cleaned up in the meantime, too.  You look at the final box score on this one and you'll see that the Royals were guilty of 22 turnovers on this day which is almost unheard of for a Herbrechtsmeyer-coached team as they're usually doing that to opponents.  And considering the fact that UW-Stout got 25 points off of those boo-boos seemed to be the big difference in this one.  Another stat that stands out:  UW-Stout had an 8-2 advantage in those all-important second-chance points and we saw that one unbelievable tip-in by Mutch that contributed to that.  Bethel was 22-28.  The Royals could shore up the charity stripe shooting as they were 22-28 from the line for 78.6% which isn't terrible but in a close game like this, you're still leaving points on the table.  Contrast that with UW-Stout going 25-28 for 89.3% which is pretty solid and that's what senior-laden and experienced teams normally do.

It was a very balanced scoring attack that helped the Blue Devils get the dub on this day as both Sorensen and Giesen poured in 15 points a piece and Mutch wasn't far behind with her 11 points.  And Sorensen and her 5'7" frame led the team in rebounds as well with seven.  Garfield and Erickson had to shoulder the load for Bethel on this day as Garfield finished with 17 points to lead all scorers and Erickson tallied 14 points.

Anoka-Ramsey Holiday Classic - Bismarck St vs Anoka-Ramsey 12-20-24

 Made the trek up to Coon Rapids on this clear but cold December day with fresh snow on the ground - just in time for Christmas - to take in the 5:00 PM game up at Anoka-Ramsey's annual Holiday Classic - this one featuring visiting Bismarck St out of the Mon-Dak Athletic Conference taking on host Anoka-Ramsey of the newly-renamed Minnesota College Athletic Conference.  The Mystics were coming into this contest with a rather impressive 10-2 record with the only blemishes coming against Williston St and Northwest College.  The Golden Rams meanwhile were trying to steady the ship so to speak as they were sporting a 6-4 record into this young season and were definitely hoping to grease the skids for some bigger numbers on the correct side of the ledger.  I got settled into the Anoka-Ramsey Gymnasium early enough at the half of the men's game between Joliet Community College and RCTC.

To be completely honest, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from either side even though I had visited one of Anoka-Ramsey's early practices back in mid-October.  The Golden Rams would finally find some solid footing beginning at the 8:45 mark of the opening period when strong sophomore combo forward/post Bella Kanz muscled into the paint for a score which would be followed up less than a minute later at the 7:58 mark when lanky freshman post Mariam Alowonie connected with a lay-up off of an inbounds pass to make it 4-0.  Anoka-Ramsey would get its lead to 6-0 when Alowonie used her 6'0" frame to snare an offensive rebound of her own miss for a putback at the 7:04 mark before the Mystics were finally able to shake off the early cobwebs on a three-point bomb by freshman guard Aleah McPherson at the 6:50 mark.  Bismarck St closed the gap to one point at 6-5 when sophomore guard Jaiden Baker connected with a lay-up at the 6:30 mark and pushed ahead by one at 7-6 when Baker made a daring drive into traffic for a finish at the 5:42 mark.  The Golden Rams struck right back on a drive and finish by Kanz at the 5:25 mark that also drew a foul and Kanz made good on the "and one" to put Anoka-Ramsey back up to a 9-7 count.  Bismarck St would answer in this instance, however, as freshman guard Kali Dauenhauer would bury a "3" from the left top area at the 5:19 mark for a 10-9 Mystic lead and Bismarck St would increase its lead to two points when Baker unleashed a three-point bomb from the right corner with 3:16 left to make it 13-11.  Anoka-Ramsey would end this first period with a 4-0 push as one free throw by freshman reserve guard Tereya Vaughn after she was fouled with 2:59 left and one more by Alowonie after she was fouled with 1:37 left leveled the contest at 13 a piece and the Golden Rams would nudge ahead by a 15-13 count when sophomore point guard Sydney Hazuga connected with a pretty lay-up with just :02.4 as Anoka-Ramsey appeared to gain a head of steam.  

The above-referenced head of steam was no mirage once the second period got underway as Anoka-Ramsey unleashed a 16-4 burst that really changed the outlook of this contest.  One free throw by Alowonie after she was fouled at the 9:50 mark and a lay-up in transition by slender freshman combo forward/post O'Ciana Johnson at the 8:51 mark gave the Golden Rams an 18-13 lead.  Johnson would strike again for Anoka-Ramsey at the 7:21 mark with a short jumper in the lane and a three-point bomb by freshman guard Jade Lussier from the right wing area at the 6:47 mark upped the Golden Ram lead to 23-15.  Then Hazuga; the former Eau Claire Memorial (WI) standout, unleashed back-to-back three-point daggers from the top of the key - one at the 5:45 mark and the other at the 5:12 mark - that now had Anoka-Ramsey up 29-17 and Mystics Jason Harris; not at all liking how this one was unfolding, decided to take a thirty-second timeout to get his troops reorganized.  Still, Anoka-Ramsey would cap this run with 3:46 left on a lay-up by Vaughn with 3:46 left before Bismarck St could patch up some of this massive bleeding on a three-point bomb from the left top area by McPherson with 3:10 left.  Unfortunately for the Mystics, they would have to withstand some more three-point artillery by the Golden Rams.  Lussier would uncork one three-point bomb from the left corner with 2:48 left and Hazuga would uncork another one from the left top area with 2:17 left that stretched the Golden Ram lead to 37-20 before Bismarck St could finally whittle the deficit down a bit thanks to McPherson as she would first knock down a jumper from the left wing area with 2:06 left and then unleash a three-point bomb from the left top area with 1:36 left that had the gap cut to twelve at 37-25.  The Mystics would stay within that twelve-point range on a pair of free throws by Maya Vibeto with :17.9 left after she was fouled but on the wrong end of a 39-27 score and considering how things were going Anoka-Ramsey's way since the second period got underway, Bismarck St looked to be between a rock and a hard place as both teams headed for their respective locker rooms for the halftime break.

The outlook for the Mystics certainly didn't improve one iota once the third period got underway as Anoka-Ramsey unleashed a 12-1 run from the get-go.  Hazuga would bury one three-point bomb from the right top area at the 9:24 mark and Lussier would follow suit with a bomb from the left top area at the 9:05 mark that stretched the Golden Ram lead to 45-28.  Back-to-back lay-ups by Alowonie - one at the 8:30 mark and another at the 7:36 mark - got Anoka-Ramsey's lead to 49-28 and a tough score in the paint by sophomore guard Lynae Walker at the 7:11 mark capped this latest run as the Golden Ram lead ballooned to 51-28.  Bismarck St finally started finding some semblance of offense as one three-point bomb from the right top area by sophomore reserve combo forward/post Brynnlee Murdock at the 6:22 mark and another "3" by sophomore reserve forward Brooklyn Brendel from the right wing area at the 5:35 mark had the deficit down to nineteen at 53-34 but it was difficult for the Mystics to make much in the way of significant inroads on this cushion that Anoka-Ramsey had established.  A jumper along the right baseline by Vibeto with 3:15 left had the deficit down to 18 at 56-38 but the Golden Rams went right back to work as two scores by Alowonie - a score in the paint with 3:00 left and a lay-up with 2:29 left - got the lead to 60-38 and although Bismarck St was able to slice a few points off of this at the charity stripe on one free throw by sophomore reserve combo forward/post Trinidi Clarke after she was fouled with 2:15 left and two more by Vibeto with 1:09 left after she got fouled got the deficit down to nineteen at 60-41, things looked awfully blead at juncture for the Mystics.

It was pretty much the same story for Bismarck St once the fourth period got going as well.  Slender sophomore combo guard/forward/post Harys Beauchamp - who had been bottled up for the most part by the Golden Rams and held scoreless - finally got into the books with one free throw after getting fouled at the 9:25 mark but Anoka-Ramsey quickly made up for that as Johnson would get a tough score in the paint at the 9:10 mark and would also get one free throw to go down after getting fouled giving the Golden Rams a seemingly comfortable 63-42 lead.  Strangely enough, when things looked absolutely hopeless for Bismarck St, the Mystics finally started finding a way to get their high-octane offense into high gear.  Baker would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 7:11 mark and Beauchamp used her 6'0" frame to make a hard drive into the lane for a finish at the 6:28 mark that cut the deficit to eighteen at 63-45.  Then McPherson got into the act as she would first connect on a lay-up in transition at the 5:31 mark and less than a minute later with 4:52 left the Bismarck native would drain a "3" from the left top area that narrowed the gap to thirteen at 63-50 and sensing newfound life in his team, Bismarck State's Harris called for a timeout to reset strategy.  The Mystics cut into this cushion even more when Vibeto snared an offensive rebound for a putback with 4:16 left that cut the deficit down to eleven at 63-52 before an alarmed Anoka-Ramsey team seemed to come awake again.  Kanz would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 2:31 left and would get one more freebie to cooperate after getting fouled in a transition opportunity with 2:15 left that seemed to make things "safe" again for the Golden Rams with a 67-52 lead but Bismarck St wasn't about to go away so easily.  One free throw by Vibeto with 2:00 left after she was fouled and then pairs of free throws - two by Murdock after she was fouled with 1:39 left and two more by the diminutive Vibeto after she was fouled with 1:24 left - got the deficit down to tenat 67-57.  Then after the Mystics forced an Anoka-Ramsety turnover with pressure defense, Bismarck St crawled back to within single-digit range on a nifty lay-up off of an inbounds pass by McPherson that had the Mystics down 67-59.  Again the Golden Rams would attempt some patch-up work on the boat as Alowonie got one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 1:11 left and then Kanz got a three-point play the old-fashioned way with a strong offensive rebound for a putback that also drew a foul and the obligatory "and one" by the former Maple Grove standout got the lead to 71-59 and one more free throw by Johnson with :58.3 left appeared to seal the deal for Anoka-Ramsey with a 72-59 advantage.  Still the Mystics refused to break out the proverbial white flag.  Brendel would bury a "3" from the right corner with :55 left and even though the Golden Rams responded on two free throws by Hazuga with :53 left after she was fouled, Bismarck St fought to the bitter end.  Vibeto would connect with a lay-up with :16.2 left and with just :06 left, Brendel would bury a "3" from the left wing area that had the deficit down to seven at 74-67 but the Mystics ultimately saw the sands of time run out on them as Anoka-Ramsey held on for a somewhat harrowing 74-67 victory.  

When one looks at the final box score for this one, you have to believe that Bismarck State's Harris could only shake his head in dismay at his team's inability to convert from the charity stripe wound up shooting only 50% for the game and anyone will tell you that that's simply not even close to being good enough and in a game like this that had things turn in their favor down the home stretch, this was exceptionally costly.  It wasn't just free throw shooting either as the Mystics shot 26.8% from FG range and were an ice-cold 21.3% from behind the arc.  And keep in mind that this Mystics team does have three-point shooting as its MO so when those three-point shot attempts were off the mark as they were for most of the contest, they were pretty-much one-dimensional.  Now, of course, you have to give credit to Anoka-Ramsey here too as their defense and overall athleticism created a lot of match-up problems for Bismarck St.  And consider too, Anoka-Ramsey had a whopping 38-20 advantage in points in the paint.  At the same time, the Golden Rams can't be completely absolved of any transgressions here either as their free throw shooting was suspect in this outing and the Golden Rams were guilty of 19 turnovers in this game and the Mystics had a 20-15 edge in points off of those turnovers.  But in the end, Anoka-Ramsey was able to do enough to make up for whatever mistakes they did make and come away with an important win and when I talked with Anoka-Ramsey Head Coach Samantha Doucette afterward, I got the feeling that this team still has a lot of work ahead of it but at the same time, they're on the right track.  And Doucette knew full and well of Bismarck State's ability to hit the three-point shot but the Golden Rams defense and athleticism had the Mystics befuddled on that end for a good chunk of the game.  Just as important, Anoka-Ramsey held Bismarck State's Beauchamp to just four points on this day.

One obvious bright spot for Doucette and her Anoka-Ramsey team is the sophomore point guard, Hazuga as her 18 points led all scorers and paced a very balanced Golden Ram attach. She's also a very good leader on the floor for this Golden Ram team as well.  Alowonie came up big as well for Anoka-Ramsey on this day with her 17 points while Lussier was solid with her 12 points and the Kanz tallied 10 points.  Surprisingly, it was Vibeto's 17 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double that paced Bismarck St on this day while McPherson wasn't far behind with her 15 points but she was only 3-12 from behind the arc on this day.  Brendel also poured in 12 points while tallied 10 points.     

Concordia vs Augsburg 12-14-24

 Made the relatively short haul over to Si Melby Hall on the campus of Augsburg University on this icy/rainy/snowy/icky Saturday afternoon to take in the last weekend of play before Christmas break as Concordia made another trip back down US Highway 10 and the BNSF Staples Sub mainline to the Twin Cities to take on host Augsburg.  Even though it was only mid-December, this game was crucial for the Cobbers as they've been on the skids as of late riding a four-game losing streak and needed desperately to get back into the win column and regain their confidence.  It's arguably been a struggle for the Auggies thus far as they were coming into this game with a 1-5 record and not a lot right going for them lately but today was another opportunity for them to get headed in the right direction.  I got settled into Si Melby Hall plenty early and watched an exciting finish in the men's game as the Auggies pulled off a thrilling last-second buzzer-beater to claim the dub.

Augsburg would break the ice in this game (slight pun intended with the icy weather that was gripping much of the upper Midwest on this day) as junior guard Wakinyela Bear would make a hard drive for a pretty finish at the 8:20 mark of the opening period but the Cobbers would respond.  Senior guard Carlee Sieben would bury a "3" from the top of the key at the 7:47 mark and two free throws by junior guard Taylor Safranski after she was fouled at the 6:40 mark upped the lead to 5-2.  Then senior guard Jordyn Kahler got a three-point play the old-fashioned way by snaring a steal in the backcourt and getting a lay-up out of it that also drew a foul and the ensuing "and one" by the former Wahpeton, ND standout pushed the Cobber lead to 8-4.  But Augsburg's lanky junior forward Amira LaDuke would start her big day at the 5:10 mark as she knocked down a pair of freebies after getting fouled that closed the gap to two points at 8-6.  More concerning for Concordia was the fact that sophomore reserve forward Genevieve Gruba picked up her second foul of the afternoon in this sequence and Cobber Head Coach Kim Wagers had little choice but to sit the former Enderlin, ND standout for a spell.  Still Concordia responded to this initial setback by embarking on a 7-0 run that opened up some more breathing room.  Strong senior forward Makayla Anderson started this push with a long jumper from the top of the key just inside the arc with 4:55 left and then a short jumper in the lane by junior reserve guard Molly Musland with 4:15 left boosted the lead to six at 12-6.  Then up-and-coming sophomore reserve guard Alexa Snesrud would get one free throw attempt to cooperate after getting fouled with 3:40 left and would get two more to go down after getting fouled again with 2:40 left that seemed to have the Cobbers in pretty good shape with a 15-6 advantage.  With 1:55 left, Snesrud would get to the charity stripe again after getting fouled and two more free throws by the former Cloquet standout maintained that nine-point lead at 17-8.  But things would quickly go to hell in a handbasket for the Fargo-Moorhead faithful as Augsburg did get things tightened up.  Junior reserve post Emma Kanz would make a hard drive for a finish with 1:45 left that also drew a foul and although she couldn't cash in on the "and one" attempt, the Cobbers' Anderson picked up her second foul of the day as well and Wagers wasted little time getting the former Bismarck Century (ND) standout yanked back to the bench for preservation purposes.  Then the Auggies would get the defit cut to four when sophomore standout guard Saylor Gallagher drained a "3" from the left corner with 1:01 left that made it a 17-13 game.  Again, Concordia would respond and get its lead back to nine as strong senior forward Greta Tollefson knocked down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with :48.8 left and a three-point bomb by Kahler from the left wing area with :27.2 left re-established the cushion that the Cobbers had but there was a price that was extracted from Concordia for that lead with both Anderson and Gruba with two fouls a piece in the first period alone.

A nine-point deficit; while not ideal, certainly didn't deter the Auggies from fighting back in this one and they slyly picked away at Concordia's lead once the second period got underway.  Sophomore forward Maecee Alexander would get a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled at the 9:23 mark and Gallagher would add one freebie after she was fouled at the 9:00 mark that got the deficit down to six at 22-16.  The Cobbers would get their lead back to eight on two free throws by Safranski after she was fouled at the 8:39 mark to make it 24-16 and a lay-up by sophomore reserve post Maci Wheeldon at the 8:08 mark maintained the eight-point edge at 26-18.  And Concordia still appeared to be in full control when Kahler connected with a jumper from the left wing area at the 7:34 mark to keep things at an eight-point spread at 28-20.  But oh those young and tricky Auggies do have a way about them and they went right back to work.  Bear would drain a "3" from the right top area at the 7:17 mark but the real gut-punch for Concordia came at the 6:58 mark when the officials slapped the Cobbers with a technical foul (I'll have more on this later) and fifth-year senior guard Katie Manecke got one free throw to go down that reduced the lead to 28-24.  A bit later at the 6:46 mark, Bear would connect with a lay-up that got Augsburg back to within a single possession down 28-26.  LaDuke would use her length to snare an offensive rebound for a putback at the 5:19 mark to keep the Auggies within a single possession down 30-28 and would repeat this feat with 4:45 left that kept Augsburg within a single possession down 32-30.  Less than a minute later, LaDuke's heroics would get this game leveled as the former Cass Lake-Bena standout would connect on a short, turnaround jumper in the lane with 3:51 left to make it 32-all.  Then Gallagher would come through on Augsburg's subsequent possession as she made a hard drive for a finish to put the Auggies back on top in this one at 34-32 and with her team reeling once again, Concordia's Wagers took a thirty-second timeout to try and put out the flames.  The Cobbers regained the lead on a gutsy play by Snesrud as she snared an offensive rebound for a putback and drew a foul in the process and her obligatory freebie got Concordia back out in front by a 35-34 count.  But that lead didn't last long as Augsburg's Gallagher would again unleash terror from behind the arc with a three-point bomb from the top of the key with 2:28 left that pushed Augsburg back into the lead at 37-35.  Right back came the Cobbers as Wheeldon would get on free throw to go down after getting fouled with 2:20 left and a three-point bomb by Kahler from the right top area with 1:36 left got Concordia back out in front with 1:36 left at 39-37.  The Auggies' LaDuke would get this game knotted at 39 a piece with 1:07 left with her jumper from the left elbow area and although the Cobbers would get their nose out in front with just :00.5 left on an offensive rebound and putback by Wheeldon, the momentum swing sure seemed to be with this young Augsburg team at the moment and the Cobbers definitely had to get something cooking if they wanted to snare it back as they took a slim 41-39 lead into the locker room at the half.

Concordia appeared to be back on track offensively once the third period got going but it was still difficult to open up much in the way of breathing room.  Sieben would get things going with her jumper from the left wing area at the 9:37 mark to make it 43-39 but right back came the Auggies and LaDuke as she connected on an incredibly tough reverse lay-up underneath the basket at the 9:17 mark to keep Augsburg within a single possession.  The Cobbers would get their lead to four again at 45-41 when Anderson connected with one of her patented turnaround jumpers at the 9:01 mark.  Augsburg would again close the gap to two as - guess who - LaDuke dropped a pair of charity stripe shots after getting fouled at the 8:06 mark.  Concordia's Sieben tried a different tactic - burying a three-point bomb from the left top area to make it 48-43 but unfortunately for the Cobbers it was met with the same result as the Auggies' Gallagher would drain a trey of her own from the left wing area at the 7:23 mark that again closed the gap to just two points at 48-46.  Concordia was then finally able to shift gears and establish some more breathing room.  Two free throws by Anderson after she was fouled at the 6:35 mark and two more by Kahler after she was fouled at the 6:00 mark stretched the lead to six at 52-46 and although that wasn't that big of a deficit for the home team, Augsburg's position grew a bit more complicated a short time later at the 5:56 mark when LaDuke collected her third foul of the day and new Auggie Head Coach Mallie Doucet wasn't going to take any chances at this stage and had LaDuke retreat to the pine for a spell.  That provided a slightly larger opening for the Cobbers and they wasted little time in taking advantage of the situation.  Kahler would unleash one of her trademark three-point bombs from the left top area at the 5:51 mark and would follow that up a bit later with a short jumper at the 5:24 mark that gave Concordia a ten-point cushion at 57-47.  The Cobbers also got a boost when they got into the bonus with 4:52 left and Sieben would cap this key 11-1 run when she connected with a jumper from the left wing area with 4:44 left that grew the lead to twelve at 59-47 and Augsburg's Doucette knew the time was now to take a match to a thirty-second timeout in hopes of getting her troops reorganized.  The Auggies had their hopes revived a bit when freshman reserve guard Lani Fonoti drained a "3" from the left corner with 4:27 left but Concordia was not letting up on its grip for the moment as Wheeldon connected with a tough jumper along the right baseline with 4:12 left and two free throws by freshman reserve guard Brooklyn Christianson with 3:20 left gave the Cobbers their largest lead yet at 63-50.  To their credit, Augsburg got on a bit of a push that tightened things up a bit.  Bear would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 2:07 left and a short, turnaround jumper by LaDuke - carrying those three fouls - with 1:35 left got the Auggies back to within single-digit range down 63-54.  Junior reserve guard Melanie Delestrez would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled with :59 left as Augsburg cut into the deficit further.  Concordia would recover from this as Sieben would snare a steal and race the other way for an easy lay-up with :16.3 left but the Cobbers certainly weren't out of the woods just yet with a 65-55 lead.  

Augsburg's situation meanwhile would grow even more delicate once the fourth period got underway.  LaDuke picked up her fourth foul of the afternoon at the 9:18 mark and a bit later at the 9:01 mark, Gallagher collected her fourth foul as well and with Doucette's two primary scoring weapons sitting at the bench, the Auggies prospects dimmed considerably.  Concordia's Sieben would get a pair of free throws to go down after Gallagher's foul to make it 67-55 and Kahler would connect on a lay-up at the 8:45 mark to make it 69-55.  A three-point bomb by Musland from the left top area at the 5:47 mark maintained the status quo for a 72-58 Cobber lead.  With time now becoming a factor, Augsburg's Doucette had little choice but to roll the dice in hopes of tightening things up.  Manecke would connect with a lay-up at the 5:26 mark and a "3" by Fonoti with 3:50 left from the right corner got the Auggies back to within single-digit range again down 72-63.  Concordia's Anderson would re-build the double-digit advantage with a tough score in the paint with 3:07 left and one free throw after getting fouled with 2:45 left that made it a 75-63 ballgame.  The Auggies would climb back into single-digit range again but could never get close enough to truly threaten.  Delestrez would connect on a lay-up with 2:27 left and LaDuke would continue with her heroics despite the foul situation with a three-point bomb from the top of the key with 1:16 left that got the deficit down to seven at 75-68.  But LaDuke would be done for the day a bit later when she fouled the Cobbers' Sieben with 1:05 left and Sieben would calmly respond by dropping two free throws.  Snesrud would also come up big for Concordia in the waning moments as she dropped two pairs of free throws after getting fouled - with :29 left and again with :21.2 left to put Concordia up 81-70.  The Auggies would add to their ledger when Alexander was fouled behind the arc with :14.6 left and got a couple of free throws out of it but it wasn't nearly enough as the Cobbers got out of town with an 81-72 victory.  

You could kind of sense the relief on the Concordia side after this one as the last couple of weeks have been a rough one for the Cobbers who had to endure a somewhat unexpected four-game losing streak and things were definitely not looking bright after the loss to Bethel a mere ten days ago.  Just getting a win to break that skid as you go into the holiday break at the very least has to give you a boost.  Still, there's some things that you can't help but be concerned about from a Cobber standpoint when you look at the final box score.  True, Concordia was "better" in the turnover department today with "only" 13 (although it seemed like it was more than that) but there's still plenty of room for improvement as there's still some careless turnovers that shouldn't be happening.  More concerning, however, is the fact that the Cobbers were outrebounded by a 37-32 count and Augsburg also had a 24-20 advantage in points in the paint.  The Auggies also had an advantage in those all-important second-chance points at 13-10 but Concordia was able to withstand all that.  To be sure, there were positives out there for Concordia as well today.  Stellar free throw shooting was huge for the Cobbers on this day as they were 31-35 for 88.6% which is pretty solid.  The big one was the 17 turnovers for Augsburg and the fact that Concordia was able to cash in for 24 points off of those turnovers which was huge on this day.  The other thing that really stood out to me on this day from a Concordia standpoint was Snesrud.  She's really stepped up her all-around game and as I mentioned to Wagers and her staff afterward, she's just tough and that's something that the Cobbers desperately need right now.  One other item:  It was interesting to see Christianson get quality minutes out there on this day for Concordia and with fellow freshman guard Peyton Breidenbach out for an unspecified period of time after the injury she suffered at GAC last weekend, Wagers will need Christianson and others to step up.  

I really wasn't sure what to expect from Augsburg on this day with such a young team save for Manecke (5th year senior) and Cassidee Thorvig (senior).  But even with another L on the ledger, you do see potential for this squad and Doucette has some nice weapons to work with.  LaDuke has just grown her game so much and it doesn't matter whether she's out on the perimeter or down low.  She can do damage.  Ditto for the young sophomore, Gallagher, who's fitting in nicely with this team.  I think the big thing for the Auggies right now is that they've got to find some consistency which I know is not an easy thing for such a young team.  And they had there chances in this game.  The one big stat for them that stood out for me was from the charity stripe where Augsburg was 18-24 for a straight 75% which isn't terrible but you're still leaving some crucial points on the table that could have changed the complexion of this game at the very least.  

What a day it was for Concordia's Kahler as her 20 points not only led all scorers but paced a very-balanced Cobber attack on this day.  Sieben came up big in the second half of this contest and finished with 16 points.  The aforementioned Snesrud was pretty solid on the scoring front as well as she tallied 12 points while Anderson was her usual steady, solid, reliable self finishing with 11 points and just missing out on a double-double with nine rebounds.  Augsburg relied heavily on LaDuke's heroics and she responded with 19 points while both Bear and Gallagher finished with 14 points a piece.

Concordia vs GAC 12-7-24

 Made the trip down US Highway 169 and the Union Pacific's Mankato Sub mainline to St. Peter to catch this early season clash between visiting Concordia and host GAC.  I arrived early so I could enjoy a great lunch at the world-famous GAC Cafeteria (still the best food in the MIAC) and then got settled into Lund Arena to catch the second half of the men's game and get myself ready for the women's game.  The Cobbers have been on the skids as of late; dropping their last three games after a 3-0 start while the Gusties were coming into this contest with an unblemished 6-0 record.  So while GAC came into this game as a heavy favorite, they still had to guard against complacency.  

The Gusties would draw first blood in this contest as fifth-year senior forward Izzy (Izzy Izzy, you're making me dizzy) Quick would connect on a jumper from the right elbow area at the 9:36 mark of the opening period but right back came Concordia on its ensuing possession as strong senior forward Greta Tollefson buried a "3" from the right corner at the 9:17 mark to push the Cobbers out in front 3-2.  GAC would retake the lead a minute later at the 8:17 mark on a short jumper from the left side by senior point guard Kylie Baranick but the Gusties immediate fortunes seemed to take a hit a bit later at the 7:31 mark when fifth-year senior guard Syd Hauger collected her second foul of the afternoon and GAC Head Coach Laurie Kelly was not going to take any chances and quickly got her yanked to the bench.  This cat-and-mouse game would continue as the Cobbers regained the advantage on a pretty drive and finish by senior guard Jordyn Kahler to make it 5-4 but the Gusties would come right back as willowy fifth-year senior guard Emma (not evil) Kniefel would connect on a short jumper in the lane in transition at the 6:48 mark and also would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 6:15 mark to put GAC out in front 7-5.  But right back came the Cobbers as Kahler would bang home a "3" from the right wing area at the 5:47 mark that had Concordia back out in front 8-7.  A bit later at the 5:16 mark, Kahler - the former Wahpeton, ND standout - connected with a jumper from the left wing area that pushed the Cobber lead to 10-7.  Not to be outdone, GAC would strike back as Kniefel connected with a short jumper off the glass off of an inbounds pass with 4:26 left and then senior reserve forward Morgan Kelly would knock down a short jumper off the glass with 3:09 left to put the Gusties out in front again by an 11-10 count.  Now it was time for Concordia to answer and they did as freshman reserve guard Peyton Breidenbach drained a "3" from the top of the key with 1:26 left as the Cobbers regained the advantage at 13-11.  Fittingly, GAC would get this game leveled at 13 a piece when sophomore reserve guard Emily Bowron connected on a lay-up with 1:15 left as this game morphed into the second period with a lot of questions left to be answered.  

The Gusties finally found some semblance of offensive efficiency once the second period got underway as a quick 6-0 push gave them a little bit of separation.  Strong senior forward Rachel Kawiecki muscled into the paint for one score at the 9:20 mark to put GAC out in front and a trademark steal and lay-up the other way by Kniefel at the 8:53 mark along with a pretty lay-up by sophomore reserve guard Kendyl Queensland at the 8:14 mark had the Gusties up 19-13.  Concordia quickly got things tightened up thanks to Kahler as she would knock down a jumper from the free throw line area at the 8:00 mark and would also get a pair of free throws to go down after getting fouled at the 7:23 mark to get back to within a single possession down 19-17.  The Gusties would once again attempt to open up some space as a short jumper off the glass by Kniefel at the 7:02 mark and one free throw by Morgan Kelly at the 5:48 mark gave GAC a bit more breathing room with a 22-17 lead but the Cobbers would come right back and get within a single possession again.  Breidenbach would connect on a pretty pull-up jumper in transition at the 5:00 mark to cut the deficit to three at 22-19 and an offensive rebound and putback by senior guard Carlee Sieben with 3:37 left kept Concordia in that three-point range down 24-21.  The Gusties' Kniefel would come up big a short time later on a lay-up by Kniefel that also drew a foul and the ensuing "and one" by the former Medford standout upped GAC's lead to 27-21.  Concordia would trim a point off of the deficit on one free throw by sophomore reserve guard Alexa Snesrud with :36.7 left when she was fouled and both teams would head for their locker rooms with the Gusties holding a 27-22 edge and it was arguably a glass half-full proposition for both sides.  Yes, you had the lead if you were GAC but there was a lot about this first half that just didn't seem "right" somehow.  And if you were Concordia, yes, your effort looked good and you were most definitely still in the thick of things but there were still opportunities and points left on the table that may have had you out in front had you converted on them.  

The Cobbers hopes definitely brightened in the early moments of the third period when Kahler drilled a "3" from the left wing area at the 8:27 mark that pulled them back to within a single possession down just 27-25 but that score may have been the wake-up call that GAC needed as they reeled off a 6-0 push.  Consecutive scores by Kawiecki - a short turnaround jumper from the right side at the 8:12 mark and a score in the paint at the 7:34 mark - pushed the Gustie lead to six at 31-25 and a short jumper in the lane by Quick at the 7:01 mark increased the lead to 33-25 and Concordia Head Coach Kim Wagers; perhaps seeing visions of what happened to her team on Wednesday night over at Bethel, called a thirty-second timeout to get her squad calmed down for two reasons:  (1) To try and get things tightened up again and (2) get them calmed down a bit as well because the heart and soul of this team; senior forward Makayla Anderson, went down with an apparent ankle injury at the 7:19 mark so the Cobbers were arguably dealing with a double whammy in a relatively short span of time.  Concordia would get a momentary reprieve when junior guard and three-point sharpshooter Taylor Safranski connected on a tough running jumper as the shot clock was expiring at the 6:01 mark that trimmed the deficit to six but then the Gusties would respond with a 9-0 push.  Quick would get on free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 5:41 mark and a lay-up by the always-reliable Baranick at the 5:25 mark had GAC up 36-27.  Then Kniefel would deliver one of her trademark dagger three-point bombs - this one coming from the left top area with 4:37 left that gave the Gusties their first double-digit advantage at 39-27.  If that wasn't bad enough for Concordia, they then had to watch the youngster Breidenbach go down with an apparent knee injury with 2:04 left and she had to be helped off the floor.  GAC's Quick would book-end this latest run by dropping a pair of freebies after getting fouled with :59 left to make it a 41-27 game and although the Cobbers got a score from Kahler when she snared an offensive rebound of her own miss and got a putback to go in with :23.5 left, it was about as nightmarish a third period for Concordia as you could imagine, not to mention they were on the wrong end of a 41-29 score.

The Cobbers would get a bit of a lift once the fourth period got underway as (1) Sieben would bury a "3" from the left wing area at the 9:45 mark and (2) Anderson was now back on the floor for Concordia as well.  The bad news was that there was still a lot of deficit to make up for and that would grow even more when the Gusties' Baranick uncorked a three-point bomb from the left top area at the 8:03 mark to make it 44-32.  The Cobbers would trim the deficit down to ten when Anderson connected with a short turnaround jumper at the 7:37 mark but at this point Concordia needed a sustained run with stops and they just couldn't get it.  GAC would continue to consolidate on its gains as Kniefel connected on a tough jumper along the right baseline at the 7:14 mark and one free throw by Queensland after she was fouled at the 6:27 mark gave the Gusties a 47-34 advantage.  Concordia's Tollefson would attempt to take matters into her own hands as she got one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 5:29 mark and got a short turnaround jumper to go down as well as the shot clock was expiring with 3:14 left.  But again, not enough to significantly alter things significantly with the Cobbers still staring at a ten-point deficit at 47-37 with time now becoming a factor as well.  And now GAC was in position to put the finishing touches on this one which they did.  Hauger would knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 2:56 left as would Kawiecki after she was fouled with 2:14 left.  Quick would put her mark on this game with a daring drive into traffic for a finish with 1:29 left and Kawiecki would get a lay-up off of an inbounds pass with :51.4 left.  Hauger's two free throws after she was fouled with :34.3 left would put the daisy on this one as the Gusties bagged a 57-42 victory.

When I was able to catch up with GAC's Laurie Kelly afterward, we were both in agreement that this wasn't what you would call a stellar offensive performance by the Gusties on the offensive end as there were struggles at time (but credit the Cobbers with some of that which I'll get to in a bit).  But whatever struggles they had at times, they made up for it on the defensive end.  "You can't have off-days on defense" Kelly said and she's absolutely spot-on with that assessment.  I think this game kind of exemplifies what makes GAC so good is that even if there are struggles in some aspects of their overall game, they can find ways to make up for that with their defense and today was no exception.  And I think what makes that possible is the great leadership that they have on the floor with three fifth-year seniors - Kniefel, Quick and Hauger.  Then you have seniors like Baranick, Kawiecki, and Morgan Kelly and from a pure leadership perspective, it just doesn't get much better than this.  Here's the other thing that I discussed with Kelly afterward as well.  I really like how the younger players are getting opportunities to grow and get experience as well and here I'm talking about players like Queensland, Bowron, sophomore forward Whitley Ronn and the new kid on the block, freshman guard Anna Goodman who could be the next big thing for the Gusties.  There's several other players who'll get their chance to prove themselves as well so things are definitely bright down in St. Peter.  The good news at the moment is that, on paper anyway, the short path to the first of the year isn't that taxing with St. Olaf and two teams out of the UMAC - Nortthwestern and Bethany Lutheran in the offing before GAC delves back into conference play in January.  

Meanwhile, another disappointing setback for Concordia but with much different overtones compared to this last Wednesday night.  First, I saw a MUCH-improved defensive effort from the Cobbers on this day and I think that effort played a big part in GAC shooting only 16-50 from FG range for 32% and 6-21 from behind the arc for 28.6% which together would normally put you in a much more favorable situation.  Just the overall energy - especially after the opening tip - was just so much better on this day and you saw how the Cobbers were getting into the passing lanes and causing a fair amount of disruption on a normally-potent Gustie offense.  Overall, many more positives on this day as compared to last Wednesday evening.  However, there's still some issues that Concordia has got to find a way to fix - most importantly taking care of the rock as the Cobbers were guilty of 24 turnovers on this day which is far too many against a team like GAC.  The Gusties had a slight overall rebounding edge at 28-25 which may or may not mean that much depending on your point of view.  However, the Gusties were able to get 20 points off of those Cobber turnovers and GAC also enjoyed a whopping 28-14 advantage in points in the paint.  Wagers and her staff have to feel some angst as well about the fact that Concordia didn't get to make much of a dent at the charity stripe on this day as they were 4-6 for 66.7%.  GAC can't be totally absolved here of transgressions either as the Gusties shot only 13-19 for 68.4% and Kelly and her staff certainly don't want that aspect to come back to bite them come February or March.  But from a Concordia perspective, you at least come away with a heckuva lot more positives from this game than you ever did this last Wednesday night.  And the good news for Wagers and her staff is that these issues can be worked on and fixed.  As I explained to Assistant Coaches Lauire Sieben and Terry Porter, when you play a team like GAC - especially on the road - your margin for error is so small that you almost need the "perfect" game; have almost the perfect "storm" to steal a game of this magnitude.  Two immediate concerns for Concordia right now are Anderson who aggravated an ankle sprain that she suffered a couple of weeks ago and Breidenbach who had ice on that knee after she came out of the locker room so let's keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best for both of them.     

Another stellar outing for GAC's Kniefel on this Saturday as she led her team - and all scorers - with her 19 points and she also got plenty of help from Kawiecki with her 10 points in a reasonably balanced offensive effort.  Quick may have struggled a bit at times on this day but when you look at the box score, it wasn't all doom and gloom for her as she finished with nine points and eight rebounds; just barely missing out on a double-double.  The Cobbers were paced by Kahler and her 16 points.  

Concordia vs Bethel 12-4-24

 Made the short run over to Robertson Center on the campus of Bethel University on this frigid early December evening for my very first game coverage of the 2024-25 season - and a critical early season clash between visiting Concordia and host Bethel.  The Cobbers; after a strong 3-0 start, suddenly and inexplicably hit the skids as they followed that up with road losses to both UW-River Falls and UW-La Crosse.  The Royals meanwhile were coming into this contest on relatively stable footing having dropped only one contest to aforementioned UW-La Crosse team.  I personally felt coming into this game that this was for all practical purposes a MUST win for Concordia if they wanted to re-establish themselves as a conference front-runner but also vitally important for Bethel as well as they were looking to climb back into contender status.  But the urgency of the situation for the Cobbers seemed to be the main headline for me coming into this contest and I felt like they had to set the tone early on.

Unfortunately for Concordia, it was the Royals who came out with the hot hand from the opening tip-off.  Junior guard Colette Duininck drove in (virtually unguarded) for an easy lay-up at the 9:48 mark of the opening period that got Bethel on the board and an offensive rebound for a putback by fifth-year senior Lydia Hay at the 9:16 mark and a lay-up by senior combo guard/forward Elly Schmitz at the 8:23 mark had they Royals on top 6-0.  To their credit, the Cobbers came back with a 8-0 run of their own.  Senior guard Jordyn Kahler would connect with a lay-up at the 7:20 mark and fellow senior forward Makayla Anderson would follow that up with a lay-up of her own at the 5:37 mark.  Junior reserve guard Molly Musland would get a tricky lay-up to go down with 4:16 left as the shot clock was expiring that leveled this game at six a piece.  Concordia would finally poke its nose out in front with 3:41 left when sophomore reserve guard Peyton Breidenbach knocked down a pair of free throws after getting fouled with 3:41 left to make it an 8-6 ballgame The Royals would retake the lead as fifth-year senior guard Anna Garfield would snare an offensive rebound for a putback with 3:32 left and would also knock down a pair of free throws after getting fouled in a transition opportunity with 3:16 left that gave Bethel a 10-8 advantage.  The Cobbers would again get this game on even terms as Musland would connect on a mid-range jumper from near the left elbow area with 2:54 left that had this game tied at 10 a piece and Concordia would eventually regain the lead at 12-11 when lanky sophomore reserve post Maci Wheeldon got a short, turnaround jumper to go down with 1:49 left.  But the Royals would own a one-point lead when slender junior reserve forward Ali Born snared a steal in the backcourt and got a lay-up out of it with :17 left to make it a 13-12 game as this one transitioned to the second period.

The Cobbers prospects definitely appeared to brighten when junior guard and three-point specialist Taylor Safranski drained a three-point bomb from the right top area at the 9:22 mark of the second period to put Concordia back on top by a 15-13 count but it was here where things first started to turn sour for Concordia as the Royals unleashed an 11-0 run that really turned this game around for Bethel.  Two scores in the paint by Schmitz - one at the 9:05 mark and again at the 8:32 mark - put the Royals back on top by a 17-15 count and although that alone wasn't that alarming for the Fargo-Moorhead crew, spirits definitely plummeted when Anderson; their primary anchor down low, picked up her second foul at the 8:12 mark on a charging call and Concordia Head Coach Kim Wagers wasn't in the mood to take any chances and she quickly yanked the former Bismarck Century standout to the bench for preservation purposes.  That's when the floodgates seemed to open up and Bethel took full advantage.  Sophomore reserve forward Cally Peterson slithered iinto the paint for one score at the 6:38 mark and then Duininck; the diminutive former Central Minnesota Christian standout, buried a "3" from the left wing area at the 5:57 mark to make it a 22-15 game.  Schmitz would cap this run at the 5:08 mark with her offensive rebound for a putback to make it 24-15 before the Cobbers could tighten this one up.  Wheeldon would connect on a lay-up attempt with 4:54 left and then senior point guard Carlee Sieben would finally get untracked and bury a "3" from the right top area with 1:28 left that made things a bit more manageable down 24-20.  Bethel would get its lead back to six on two occasions coming down the stretch as sophomore reserve forward Emily Erickson would snare an offensive rebound for a putback with 1:10 left and Born would make a daring drive into the lane for a finish with :42 left to give the Royals a 28-22 lead.  Concordia would get the deficit trimmed down to four again when Sieben made an almost-impossible score in the paint with just :02 left and although down only 28-24 - hardly an insurmountable deficit - it seemed larger than that because so much of the momentum was on Bethel's side.  Furthermore, the Cobbers were having all sorts of problems with Bethel's pressure defense and it had definitely taken Concordia out of its comfort zone.

The Royals would again push their lead to six when Hay; the former CSB and Wayzata standout, connected with a lay-up at the 9:34 mark of the third period but Concordia again appeared to stabilize things when Anderson would connect with a lay-up of her own at the 8:17 mark that also drew a foul and her ensuing "and one" had the Cobbers in decent shape down just 30-27.  But it was here where things once again fell apart for Concordia.  First, Kahler would pick up her third and fourth foul of the evening in succession - at the 7:24 mark and at the 7:06 mark - that forced Wagers to yank the former Wahpeton, ND standout and then Bethel would launch an 11-2 burst that put the Cobbers behind the 8-ball.  Schmitz would start things off with a routine score in the paint at the 6:26 mark and then Erickson would connect on a lay-up attempt at the 5:48 mark to make it 34-29.  Then sophomore reserve guard Macey Littlefield would bang home a "3" from the right wing area at the 5:07 mark and Erickson would follow that up with a score in the paint with 4:43 left that gave the Royals a ten-point cushion up 39-29 and Concordia's Wagers had seen more than enough to know that it was time to take a match to a timeout in hopes of getting her squad settled down.  Bethel would cap this run on a lay-up in transition with 2:09 left by Garfield before the Cobbers finally stopped some of the massive bleeding on a three-point bomb by junior reserve guard Taya Jeffrey from the left top area with :56.4 left but the damage had been done and down 41-32, Concordia was going to have to find some solutions - and quickly - if they were going to come back in this one.

The Cobbers would try once again to find tractive effort once the fourth period got underway as Safranski; the former Fargo Davies standout, connected with a jumper from the left elbow area at the 9:43 mark that cut the deficit down to seven at 41-34 with seemingly plenty of time left but the way things played out the rest of the way, it seemed like it was two steps forward and one step back proposition for Concordia as Kahler would collect her fifth and final foul of the evening at the 9:14 mark that sent her to the bench for good.  Then the Royals' Duininck would bang home a "3" from the top of the key at the 8:26 mark to re-establish the double-digit advantage at 44-34 before Concordia could try and peck away again.  Safranski would knock down a short jumper at the 7:26 mark and then Anderson would muscle into the paint for another score at the 6:41 mark that at least provided a ray of hope down 44-38 but the Cobbers could never get any closer as Bethel kept shutting off the valve.  Schmitz would knock down a pair of freebies after getting fouled at the 6:25 mark and Erickson would add a score in the paint to make it a ten-point game at 48-38 and an offensive rebound and putback by Born with 4:44 left maintained this ten-point cushion at 50-40.  Concordia would get a bit of a reprieve when Sieben drained a three-point bomb from the left wing area with 4:20 left but the Cobbers simply could not sustain any meaningful comeback attempt as Bethel was now in the process of putting the finishing touches on this one.  Erickson would snare an offensive rebound for a putback with 3:56 left and draw a foul in the process and her ensuing "and one" got the lead back to ten at 53-43 and Born would grab an offensive rebound for a putback as well with 3:02 left to make it a 55-46 game.  Schmitz would make her mark on this game by doing most of the damage the rest of the way for the Royals with two free throws after getting fouled with 2:18 left and an offensive rebound for a putback with :56 left.  Pairs of free throws by Schmitz with :42.2 and :34.8 left helped Bethel get an important early season 63-50 conference win under its belt when the final buzzer sounded.

I was able to catch up with Bethel Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer; on crutches because of recent knee surgery but that didn't hold him or his team back on this night and he was very happy with his squad after this win.  I had spoken with him over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend at the Pat Patterson Girls HS Tournament over at Hamline and he even told me then that his squad was significantly far ahead from where it was a season ago.  I mentioned to him from the get-go when I caught up with him after the game that this was the trademark Bethel defense that the rest of MIAC Women's Basketball has come to know and hate with a passion unbridled and it was incredibly efficient on this night.  His only disappointment thus far?  The loss at UW-La Crosse back in mid-November.  "I got after them after that game" he remarked.  And it's obvious that they've responded as this win over the Cobbers is their third straight after that setback.  I know it's early in the season (early December) and perhaps we need to see more of this team to get a better "feel" for them but after seeing them on this night, it's clear to me that I obviously undervalued them when I came out with my MIAC picks a while back.  I think I had reason to at the time......I stand by what I said that they had the most to prove of the rest of the contenders in the MIAC but they're already showing a night and day difference from last year's team.  You look at their roster and then you watch them in action on the court, the first thing that strikes you is just how darned big they are.  Schmitz, Born, and Hay at 6;0" and Erickson at 5' 10" can help give you a solid frontline no matter what combination Herbrechtsmeyer decides to go with.  And this backcourt is vastly improved as well with Duininck now an experienced junior backed up by the sophomore Littlefield.  And we know their identity - playing that classic Bethel defense that can trap and smother you to death and create an array of scoring opportunities on the other end.  I think they have a little way to go before one could say that they're back on the same level that the 2020 squad was but they're well on their way to getting there I think. 

Meanwhile, on the Concordia side of things, if there was ever a time for a team to sit down in the front of the proverbial mirror and do some serious soul-searching, this would be it.  I'll be honest with you:  I was just shocked at how disheveled and befuddled the Cobbers looked on this night as they simply had few - if any - answers for what Bethel threw at them.  I mean, all you need to do is look at the final box score on this one and when you do, I guarantee that it will not be pretty.  Consider:  Bethel with a whopping 42-24 advantage on points in the paint.  23 (twenty-three!!!!) turnovers.  Bethel with a 25-13 advantage in those all-important second-chance points.  Bethel with an 11-4 advantage in fast-break points and a 26-18 advantage in bench points.  I mean, there's your ballgame right there folks.  True, the Cobbers were 12-13 from the charity stripe for 92.3% which is pretty damn good but that means little when all these other stats that I've outlined here are way out of whack for you.  But it was more than that.  Defensive lapses including uncontested lay-ups, failure to box out and just plain mental toughness that simply wasn't there on this night not to mention the lack of a sense of urgency.  I don't want to sound too harsh here but that's what the eye test was telling me on this night.  Even Wagers admitted afterward when I spoke with her that this team does not handle the physicality aspect of other teams well right now and we know that's something that must improve.  I think, just as important, this team is still searching for an identity for itself and it's a struggle when you don't have that identity - whatever that may be.  And the real daunting aspect is the road ahead which includes a roadie at defending MIAC Champion GAC on Saturday; not to mention the Transylvania tournament right before the first of the year where they'll square off with powerhouse Washington & Lee out of the ODAC in their opening game.  In short, the Cobbers have got to figure out some things and they've got to figure them out pretty danged soon.  I think this team is capable of doing just that but time is of the essence.

What a night it was for Schmitz as she led the team (and all scorers) on this night with her 19 points and just missed out on a double-double with her nine rebounds.  She got plenty of help on this night as well but what's somewhat surprising is that it was Erickson - the sophomore reserve - pouring 13 points that helped bolster the Bethel attack.  Sieben led the way for the Cobbers with her 12 points and Anderson was right behind with 11 points.