MIAC Predictions For The 2025-26 Season

 Here we are again - on the brink of a brand new season.  And with it comes hopes, dreams and expectations that aren't always met by everyone involved.  Still, there's a lot of excitement as always as we embark on a new beginning so I suppose that it's time for me to break out that old, cracked crystal ball of mine and lay out my fearless predictions for the 2025-26 season.

Title Contenders

1.  Bethel

2.  GAC

What a season it was for the Royals last year.  Even though the early part of the schedule for them was arguably something of a roller coaster ride, Bethel recovered once conference play started and would suffer only one blemish on its way to a regular season co-championship with GAC.  And although the Gusties would take the rubber match in the MIAC Championship Game, the Royals got their invite to the Big Dance and would claim a first round win over DePauw before falling to eventual Final Four participant UW-Oshkosh in the second round.  Despite the loss of two talented graduate seniors to graduation (Lydia Hay and Anna Garfield), the 2025-26 roster is loaded.  Leading the way for the Royals this season is 5th year senior forward Elly Schmitz who was named to the D3 Hoops Preseason Second Team All America squad who can score, rebound and play defense not to mention provide excellent leadership on the floor as well.  Another senior on this Bethel team who doesn't get the recognition she deserves is point guard Colette Duininck who can be an absolute pest on defense for opponents and can also come through in the clutch on the offensive end and is an excellent facilitator as well.  Providing stability and strength in the backcourt is senior combo guard/forward Rosalie Penke who's not afraid to mix it up down low and her 78 total rebounds from last season reflects that.  Three more players that Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer can interchange frequently that helps make the Bethel front court so formidable include senior combo guard/forward Ali Born, junior forward Emily Erickson and junior forward Cally Peterson.  Junior guard Macey Littlefield gained valuable experience last season getting quality minutes off the bench but perhaps the most intriguing piece to this Bethel team is fifth-year senior guard Lexi Schermann who sat out last year after four seasons at GAC.  With her ability and experience, she'll almost certainly figure prominently in the overall scheme of things for the Royals.  And Bethel certainly isn't shying away from competition this year with early tilts against quality teams as they take a trip to Menomonie, WI to face UW-Stout of the WIAC; one of the Final Four participants from last season on Wednesday (11-12) and twelve days after that, the Royals take the dreaded trip up US Highway 10 and the BNSF Staples Sub mainline to Moorhead to face conference rival Concordia.  Three more conference games follow and then the Royals face three more big-time opponents - hosting UW-River Falls out of the WIAC on Saturday (12-13) before a trip to Wisconsin Dells where they'll take on another WIAC team that made the Dance last season - UW-La Crosse on Friday (12-19) and the following day (Saturday 12-20) they'll face Coe which is favored to win the ARC this season.  If that wasn't enough, then the Royals head down to Kissimmee, FL right before the first of the year where they'll face two more NCAA Tournament teams from last year - Messiah (out of the MACC) on Sunday 12-28 and then Illinois Wesleyan (out of the CCIW) on Monday 12-29.  So with all that, you can bet that Herbrechtsmeyer, his staff and team will want to come back with more than just suntans as they'll delve back into conference play at GAC on Saturday (1-3).   

What can you say about a team with a group of three fifth-year seniors and three four-year seniors that battled through so much adversity over the years, won FOUR straight MIAC Championship Games and FINALLY made that long-awaited deep run in the Dance last season.  Even though you hated to see it all come to an end in the Elite Eight, this GAC program has made its way into the elite status of D3 Women's Basketball thanks to this fabulous group  - Emma Kniefel, Izzy Quick, Syd Hauger, Kylie Baranick, Morgan Kelly and Rachel Kawiecki.  Now comes a new era; a new beginning of sorts and a lot of questions to be answered now that this group has graduated.  But all is not doom and gloom down in St. Peter as a new crop of players are now poised to try and pick up from where they left off.  The key elements of this new group appear to include junior guard Peyton Stevermer, sophomore guard Olivia Grothaus, junior forward Whitley Ronn, junior guard Ella Peters, junior guard Kendyl Queensland and (now) sophomore sensation point guard Anna Goodman who has some serious, serious swag.  Senior guard Bobbie Bruns and junior guard Kaitlyn Schaefer also provide depth along with stability and experience in the backcourt for Head Coach Laurie Kelly so it's not exactly like the cupboard is bare here.  At the same time, there are also a lot of new unproven pieces to this team so I'm not going to be shocked or surprised if there's a few blips early on in the season.  And you look at the very early portion of the schedule and you can easily see where there might possibly be a few blips as the Gusties open the season in Milwaukee - first taking on Wisconsin Lutheran which will almost certainly be looking for some payback after the first round NCAA Tournament loss to GAC on Friday 11-14 and then DePauw out of the NCAC the next day on Saturday 11-15.  Then UW-River Falls from the WIAC comes to St. Peter on Wednesday 11-19 before the Gusties face Bethany Lutheran in Mankato on Tuesday 11-25.  Three conference games follow before GAC faces two more formidable opponents from the WIAC at home in St. Peter - UW-Eau Claire on Saturday 12-13 and then UW-Whitewater on Tuesday 12-30.  So the Gusties will get their mettle tested early.  However, I feel strongly that this is a team that will get better and better as the season progresses and will at the very least be the biggest challenger to Bethel for conference honors.

Solid MIAC Playoff Contenders

3.  Concordia

4.  CSB

5.  Hamline

I have to think that there's little question that the one team that's simply itching to make amends from last season's disappointing finish is Concordia.  Last year's team was a squad that would look like world-beaters one day and then totally lost on another.  Even securing the fourth seed in the MIAC Playoffs wasn't enough as the Cobbers would fall to CSB in the quarterfinal round.  Then you look at the losses to graduation that Concordia had - Makayla Anderson, Carlee Sieben, Jordyn Kahler and Greta Tollefson - and at first glance it'd look like that the Cobbers were totally starting from scratch again.  However, the prospects brightened considerably up in Fargo-Moorhead during the offseason with the addition of incoming players who transferred in; most notably Maya Metcalf from DII Moorhead St. along with Tatum Findley who was at CSB last season.  Along with that, you also have a pretty solid core of returning players such as senior guards Molly Musland and Taylor Safranski and junior forward Genevieve Gruba.  Senior guard Taya Jeffrey got quality minutes last season as a junior and provides depth and experience in the backcourt.  The youngsters from last year - Peyton Breidenbach and Brooklyn Christianson could both be big for Head Coach Kim Wagers; particularly Breidenbach who's coming back from a knee injury suffered last season.  Players like sophomore forward Kaia Gack and junior forward Maci Wheeldon bring the length that help make Wagers' front court that much more formidable.  All in all, I feel considerably better about this team and its immediate future than I did, say, five or six months ago and one might be able to make the argument that this team could forge its way into title contention if all these pieces come together and work they way they should.  I just want to take a somewhat more cautious approach with this team and see how things unfold for them in November and December before I start making any wild predictions here.  The Cobbers certainly aren't shying away from competition as notable early non-conference matchups have both UW-River Falls and UW-Stout out of the WIAC making trips up US Highway 10 and the BNSF Staples Sub mainline on Saturday 11-15 and Sunday 11-16, respectively.  Just before Thanksgiving on Tuesday 11-25, Bethel pays a visit to cavernous Memorial Auditorium and just before the first of the year, Concordia makes a trip to Texas where they'll take on two teams out of the ASC -  Howard Payne on Sunday 12-28 and then host Hardin-Simmons the next day on Monday 12-29 before delving back into conference play.  

Things were looking very good for CSB last season as the Bennies were in good shape with a solid 9-2 record right around the first of the year.  But then CSB went into a tailspin with a four-game skid that had them between a rock and a hard place at quite possibly the worst time of the season.  Still, to their credit, the Bennies recovered with an impressive 5-game win streak and even though it was a bit of a rough patch down the stretch, CSB still finished 11-7 in conference play and would pull off a big upset of Concordia in the quarterfinal round before bowing to Bethel in the semifinals.  And, to be sure, the Bennies lost some very good pieces to graduation or the transfer portal - Morgan Chmielewski (who was out the whole season after suffering a preseason knee injury), Sophia Jonas, Tatum Findley (now at Concordia) and Olivia Boily (now a 5th year grad senior at UW-River Falls).  Fortunately for Head Coach Mike Durbin, he's got some very good pieces back including senior wing/guard Megan Morgan who can slay you from downtown and fellow senior wing/guard Megan Driste.  Senior combo forward/post Kira Young is capable of swatting away shots down low and sophomore point guard Lauren Arnold showed a lot of promise last year.  There's also a very solid group of younger players on this team that deserve mention and will likely figure into the overall scheme of things for the Bennies including sophomore guards Natalie Gates, Alyssa Sadlovsky and Drew Buslee along with junior wing/guard Emily Crandall.  In the front court, junior the junior twin sister duo of Cora Beeler and Ella Beeler along with junior post Kristen Hilbert and freshman forward Annika Schafer provide some much needed depth down low.  Like Concordia, one might be able to make the argument that this squad could find themselves in the title mix if things go right for them.  The early part of the schedule is interesting as a big game looms this Wednesday night (11-12) as UW-Eau Claire out of the WIAC pays a visit.  Then this weekend CSB makes a trip down to US Highway 30 and the Union Pacific Overland Route mainline at Mount Vernon, IA (Cornell) as they'll take on two opponents out of the ARC - Dubuque on Saturday 11-15 and then Nebraska Wesleyan on Sunday 11-16.  Thanksgiving weekend will find the Bennies out along the Front Range in Colorado Springs, CO where they'll take on two teams from the NCAA Tournament last season:  host Colorado College out of the SCAC on Friday 11-28 and then Whitman out of the NWC on Saturday 11-29 so CSB will have a big opportunity to build that NPI ranking early on.  But again, can the Bennies avoid some of the pitfalls that held them back last season?  

And you have to absolutely include Hamline in this grouping as well.  Head Coach Joshua Hersch has so many different offensive weapons at his disposal that it's downright scary when you stand back and take a look at what he has.  Leading the way once again for the Pipers will be senior guard Camille Cummings who can take a blow torch to opponents with her three-point shooting prowess.  Fellow senior combo guard/forward Sophie Stork can both score and rebound as can fellow senior combo guard/forward Josie Wiebusch.  Junior combo guard/forward Anna Rynkiewich is starting to come into her own and junior guard Lauren Cooper is always a threat on the offensive end.  And I would guess that junior forward Marina LaFreniere is poised to step up her game as well.  The thing with Hamline is that this is a team that has been hovering in playoff contention for the last few years now but once in, they've never been able to take that proverbial next step to where they can actually contend for a MIAC title.  Can this year's version take that next step?  I honestly don't know although my guess here is that with the teams I have listed above them, it's going to be a hard row to hoe.  If you look at the Pipers schedule, they're not exactly doing themselves any favors SOS-wise with the non-conference section as games with three UMAC opponents - at Northwestern (tonight 11-11), UW-Superior at home on Saturday 11-15 and at Martin Luther on Wednesday 11-19 gets things started.  However, one WIAC opponent is the exception to this as UW-Stout pays a visit to venerable Hutton Arena on Tuesday 11-25.  Then three conference games are on the slate - GAC on Wednesday 12-3, Macalester on Saturday 12-6 and then a trip down US Highway 61 and the CPKC River Sub mainline to Winona to take on SMU on Wednesday 12-10.  One more roadie before Christmas break as the Pipers go down US Highway 169 and the Union Pacific Mankato Sub to take on Bethany Lutheran at Mankato on Saturday 12-13.  Then, right before the first of the year the Pipers head out to the Motherland in suburban Claremont, CA to take on two SCIAC opponents - host Claremont-Mudd Scripps on Sunday 12-28 and then Pomona-Pitzer on Tuesday 12-30.  If the Pipers can come out of this early stretch and get dinged only once, they at least give themselves a chance.

Fighting For That Sixth Spot

6.  SMU

7.  St. Scholastica

8.  St. Kate's

The Cardinals shocked everyone last season (including yours truly) by coming out of nowhere to snare the sixth spot last season and, in the process, pull some upsets along the way in doing so - particularly knocking off Concordia up in Moorhead - and second year Head Coach Courtney Shelton hopes that trend will continue this next season and then some.  The first thing that grabs you when you look at this roster is how incredibly young this team is - two seniors and a bunch of youngsters but it's the young ones that are already making a name for themselves and I expect that trend to continue this season.  Leading the way for SMU this season will likely revolve around two of these youngsters:  Sophomore guard Brianna Nusbaum and fellow sophomore forward Rylie Sternquist.  But the Cardinals also have other pieces to augment this duo.  Junior forward Kali Olson had a solid year last season and sophomore combo guard/forward Julia Koch can make things happen on both ends of the floor.  One of those seniors, guard Lindsey Lettner, brings much-needed experience to help guide this young group.  SMU arguably had the element of surprise working for them last season so while that element is gone, they are still a very confident group that could do some significant damage this season.  The Cardinals easily dispatched North Central of the UMAC last night but a much, much tougher task awaits SMU as UW-La Crosse out of the WIAC makes the quick run up US Highway 61 and the CPKC River Sub mainline to take on the Cardinals on Saturday 11-15.  The Cardinals travel to St. Bonifacius to take on Crown on Wednesday 11-19 before hosting another UMAC opponent - Bethany Lutheran - on Saturday 11-22.  What's really interesting is that SMU goes to Platteville, WI on Thanksgiving weekend to first take on Grinnell out of the MWC on Saturday 11-29 and then Simpson out of the ARC on Sunday 11-30 so the Cardinals are going to have to make the most out of the early portion of the schedule before delving back into conference play.

Things were looking very good for St. Scholastica and their playoff hopes last season until February came around and things quickly went to hell in a handbasket for the Saints.  But the good news for Head Coach Jason Schmitz is that he returns all three of his leading scorers from last season - junior forward Kloey Lind, sophomore guard Ava Haus and fellow sophomore guard Evie Schmitz.  Like SMU, this is a very young team as well with only one senior - guard Jackie Johnson.  Undoubtedly, Jason Schmitz will rely on junior guard Jada Bierschbach and fellow junior guard Savannah Schlueter to provide depth and stability.  One youngster who might rise up and prove to be a huge addition to this St. Scholastica roster is freshman guard Ryaan Speer.  The Saints have already recorded a couple of wins thus far against two UMAC opponents this last weekend - Bethany Lutheran and UM-Morris but they have a huge date tomorrow night (Wednesday 11-12) against another UMAC opponent as UW-Superior makes the short hop across the western end of Gitche Gumee to Reif Gym.  Another notable opponent will be waiting in the wings after that as the Saints travel to take on UW-Eau Claire out of the WIAC on Tuesday 11-18.  Three winnable conference games at home (on paper anyway) await before St. Scholastica takes a pre-Christmas trip to California where they'll take on two teams out of the SCIAC - California Lutheran on Saturday 12-20 and then Chapman on Sunday 12-21.  So, like SMU, it'll be important for the Saints to delve into MIAC play after the first of the year with a full head of steam.

St. Kate's appeared to be making a late push down the stretch last season before two late regular season losses killed their chances of making the MIAC Playoffs.  The Wildcats may very well be making another uphill trip this season but if there was ever a coaching staff and team that can find ways to do more with less, it's St. Kate's.  Head Coach Don Mulhern welcomes back two of his top scorers from last season; do-it-all junior guard Hattie Fox and rising star sophomore guard Jordyn Peed.  But in addition to the players he lost to graduation from last season (Greta Schimnowski, Rachel Randleman and Maddy Manger), there are three others that aren't back this season - Kaylee Miron, Emme Golembiewski and Maddie Young - that's forced Mulhern and his staff to tinker with his lineup.  But that's not to say that there aren't other pieces on this team that aren't able to step up - there's definitely some who are more than ready to step to the plate and make their presence known.  Junior forward Lily Peper, senior guard Kristen Oberle and junior post Julia Harmon are all poised and ready to fill the void.  Sophomore forward Elle Covey along with fellow sophomore guard Raya Cassidy could also figure heavily into the equation for this team this season as well.  In what seems to be a recurring theme year after year for this team, Mulhern will have to develop depth quickly and stay relatively injury-free as well if the 'Cats hope to position themselves for a playoff run.  With two early wins under their belt already, it would behoove St. Kate's to take advantage of this good start to finish off the early part of the schedule on a good note.  The Wildcats go on the road for two games against UMAC opponents this week - at UM-Morris on Friday 11-14 and at Martin Luther on Saturday 11-15.  The first conference game of the season will have the 'Cats taking the dreaded trip up US Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline to Moorhead on Wednesday 11-19 before an interesting run down to the Quad Cities at Rock Island, IL where they'll first take on host Augustana out of the CCIW on Friday 11-21 and then will take on either Concordia (Wisconsin) out of the NACC or Greenville out of the SLIAC.  Then the week of Thanksgiving they'll make the quick hop over the St. Croix River to take on a UW-River Falls team out of the WIAC that will almost certainly have revenge on their minds on Tuesday 11-25 before settling into MIAC play.  

The Not-Quite-Ready-For-Primetime Teams

9.  St. Olaf

10.  Augsburg

11.  Carleton

12.  Macalester

St. Olaf is a team that seems to be right on the brink of getting themselves into play for that sixth spot but I feel that we need to see more from this team before I get on that ledge.  Second-year Head Coach Megan Lueck did lose four very good players to graduation last year (Paige Yagodinski, Sophia Kormann, Sarah Tangen and Ziling Zhen) but she does have a good nucleus back for this season in players such as junior forward Chloee Smith, fellow junior guard Joy Brandenstein and fellow junior combo guard/forward Bree Wilkerson.  But there's also a lot of unproven sophomores and freshmen on this team that will need to provide the depth necessary if the Oles are indeed able to get themselves into the mix.

Augsburg wasn't dinged quite as bad on the graduation from as some of the other teams in the MIAC but it's always tough to replace experience and both Katie Manecke and Cassidee Thorvig had that.  Yet second year Head Coach Mallie Doucette has a solid nucleus of players returning that could boost the Auggies chances this season.  Senior forward Amira LaDuke paced the Augsburg attack last season and she's undoubtedly poised to do big things again this season.  Sophomore guard Lani Fonoti could be one of the big surprises in the MIAC this season and she's exciting to watch.  Senior guard Wakinyela Bear is the glue that holds this team together and junior guard Saylor Gallagher started coming into her own last season.  Senior guard Melanie Delestrez, junior forward Maecee Alexander, junior guard Kate Aman-Lavicky and junior guard Sydney Hazuga who transferred in from Anoka-Ramsey will all be important pieces for Augsburg this season.  I'm awfully tempted to think that this Augsburg team, IF they stay healthy and IF they can get some things to go their way, could possibly find themselves in the mix for the playoffs this season.  But, let's remember too that this team has got to shore up things on the defensive side of the ball as the Auggies came in dead last in team defense last season and that has to change this time around.   

Youth is the watchword over on the east side of Northfield as veteran Head Coach Tammy Metcalf-Filzen of Carleton does have three seniors on this year's squad but the Knights also have a ton of unproven freshmen and sophomores that will likely have to contribute early and often if Carleton wants to get themselves into the mix for playoff contention. Sophomore guard Addy Huss led the Knights in scoring last season as a freshman and sophomore guard Audrey Whitney wasn't far behind.  Fellow sophomore forward Liesl McCallum figures to be another big piece for Carleton as well.

It's a new beginning over on the south side of Snelling Avenue as new Head Coach AD Donovan takes over the reigns at Macalester.  And while the Scots are heavy on youth as well, there are some notable veteran returnees that you'll want to keep your eyes on; most notably junior guard Mary Daley, perhaps one of the most underrated and under-appreciated players you'll find in the MIAC.  Given that Macalester lost Peyton Starks, Katherine Norquist and Nicole Norton to graduation, Donovan will also be relying heavily on junior guard Sydnee Smith and fellow junior guard Kendall Bernbaum to pick up the slack.  While this team may take their lumps early on in the season, they're going to be one of those teams that will be very dangerous as the season progresses; especially for any opponent that's counting on a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. 

So, there you have it with my fearless predictions for this season.  As always, please feel free to fire away with thoughts.    

UW-River Falls Practice 11-3-25

 One of the nice things about being on the retired side is that I now can do more things and go more places on the basketball front and this day was no exception as I made the trip across the St. Croix River on this sunny and decent early November afternoon to River Falls, WI and the Falcon Center on the campus of UW-River Falls.  The Falcon Center is an absolutely beautiful facility (and I'll have more on this later) and an awesome place to visit.  I was greeted by Falcons Head Coach Shelby Lyman shortly after I entered the facility.  Lyman led me to the home of the UW-River Falls Falcons - Don Page Arena; an absolutely gorgeous home floor if there ever was one.  After we were able to get caught up on some things, Lyman had to meet with her team for a quick film session and then Lyman and her staff came out onto the floor of the arena a bit later.  

To start things off, Lyman and the team met at center court after the players had a chance to stretch a bit and get some shots up as well to go over the agenda on this day.  For the first drill on this day, Lyman had the team split into three groups where the players first have to perform a crossover dribble and then get to the hoop for a lay-up.  After the requisite number is made, the drill is modified to finish with a floating jumper in the lane.  A little later, the drill is modified even more as the players now have to finish with a lay-up with their non-dominant hand.  The last modification includes finishing with a jumper from the elbow areas.

Next, Lyman has the team in two groups at each end of the floor and here the players start working on 1-on-1 situations.  Then, after a few minutes, these two groups start working on 3-on-3 situations in the half court.

Next, Lyman has her team do an interesting drill where you have two players at one end of the floor and three coming from the other end with the ball in a simulated transition opportunity (3-on-2) One of the three players does a lay-up coming down but one of the two players feeds a ball to one of the other three and they have to knock down a pull-up jumper.  After this drill is completed, Lyman then has the team run lines from one end and back again.  

Another interesting drill follows with players at each end of the floor.  One player shoots a free throw and then you have a 2-on-1 situation in transition the other way.  This drill then morphs into a 3-on-2 situation to a 4-on-3 situation and then a 5-on-4 situation.  Another round of running lines awaits the team after this drill is completed.  

Next, Lyman has the team work on free throws for a bit in groups of four.  Still another intense round of lines comes afterward and then the players get a well-deserved water break.  

Next, Lyman shifts the focus to the defensive side of the ball.  Here, she has the team split into two groups - one group works on proper rotation and switching while the other group works on handling screens.

Next is some 5-on-5 half-court where Lyman and her staff hope to put some of the things they worked on earlier all together.  The losing group of players has a round of lines to run afterward.

After that, Lyman has the team in groups of four again to work on free throws and then the team gets to run another round of lines before a well-deserved water pit stop.

Next is another interesting drill (called "lo-po" I believe) where guard and wing players have to run down the floor to shoot "3s" from each corner while the forwards have to work on shots from the elbow and free throw line area and behind the arc at the top of the key.  It's very interesting to watch.

Then Lyman and her staff have the team going 5-on-5 full court to see where the players are and what areas still need work.

Lastly on this day, Lyman has the team split into two groups where the players work on a variety of shots and situations.  With the Falcon volleyball team itching to take the floor for their practice, Lyman and her staff and the team call it a day.  After that, Lyman and Assistant Coach Cassie Heinrichs take me on a tour of the Falcon Center and I was just wowed at all of the excellent facilties at Falcon Center.  The huge weight room area, the training facilities with full-time athletic trainers who help keep athletes healthy and injury-free and just so much more.  If you're a high school athlete, it's easy to see why you might be easily enticed to attend UW-River Falls with the Falcon Center and all that it provides.  It's one of the realities of college athletics these days and in ultra-competitive conference such as the WIAC, you have to keep up with the Joneses.  

Outtakes:  First, I just want to say that there's so much to like about this team.  It's obvious that they're a class act on the floor as well as off and that goes for the coaching staff as well.  I can't thank them enough for their wonderful hospitality and I definitely NEED to cover some of their games this season (am glad I can FINALLY get the time to get a little WIAC action in my blog for a change 😄).  Okay, first I think this team has a TON of potential and that was easy to see just watching this practice.  I asked Lyman about the up-and-down nature of this team from last season and she admitted that there were instances where the team didn't handle adversity as well as they could have.  When I look at the statistics provided by the WIAC website, there are some things that catch my eye right away - and also provides some answers (I think) as to what ailed this team last season.  For instance, you'll see that the Falcons were dead last in team FG percentage at 0.374% and sixth in team offense averaging 59.4 ppg.  UW-River Falls was much better in team defense; in fourth place giving up an average of 59.2 ppg but in team free throw percentage they were in sixth place at 0.686%.  Combined team rebounds was another area that hampered the Falcons as they were tied in last place with 33.7 rebounds per game and they were dead last in the WIAC in combined opponent rebounds at 36.9 rebounds per game.  Things weren't any better in team offensive rebounds with the Falcons bringing up the rear with an 8.4 average per game.  Throw in the fact that UW-River Falls was dead last in the rebounding margin at -3.2 and you can see that there's a number of items that the Falcons have to shore up in order to give themselves a better chance.  That said, I strongly believe that the pieces may be in place this time around to do just that.  Senior combo guard/forward Olivia Hoerl led the team last season in scoring at 14.9 ppg and senior guard Zoey Buchan wasn't far behind averaging 13.6 ppg and it's easy to see from this practice that she can be incredibly disruptive on the defensive end as well.  She doesn't back down from a challenge and definitely gets after it on the floor.  Senior guard Karleigh Creasey will also be an important piece in the Falcon backcourt once she is fully recovered from an injury suffered last season.  Where this team really gets a boost are the new players who recently transferred in - senior forward Emily Kulstad (Southern Utah) fifth-year senior Olivia Boily (CSB), sophomore guard Sammie Buss (Bemidji St), and sophomore guard Taylor Clarey (Lake Superior St) that not only adds length but also augments an already-very experienced team.  The catch?  Well, when you play in a conference like the WIAC that last year sent FIVE of its eight teams to the NCAA Tournament and then two of those five teams made it all the way to the Final Four, that gives you a pretty good idea of how crazy competitive this conference really is.  It's almost like every conference game is like an NCAA Tournament game.  As many of the players on the team told me on this day, you just never know what to expect.  That said, this team certainly is not shying away from any challenges this season if you look at the early part of their schedule.  They open up things this weekend at home against two powerhouse opponents from the MIAA - and NCAA Tournament teams from last season - Calvin on Friday 11-7 and then Hope on Saturday 11-8.  Then the Falcons go on the road - first down to Pella, IA to take on Central out of the ARC on Wednesday (11-12) and then the dreaded trip up US Highway 10 and the BNSF Staples Sub mainline to Moorhead to take on a Concordia team from the MIAC which is itching to make amends from last season's disappointment on Saturday (11-15).  If that wasn't enough, UW-River Falls then goes down US Highway 169 and the Union Pacific's Mankato Sub mainline to take on four-time MIAC Champion (and Elite Eight participant) GAC in St. Peter on Wednesday (11-19) before finally getting something of a "respite" with home dates against UM-Morris out of the UMAC on Saturday (11-22) and St. Kate's of the MIAC on Tuesday (11-25).  Thanksgiving weekend finds the Falcons at Carthage in Kenosha, WI on Saturday (11-29) before a trip to Mad-town to play Edgewood on Wednesday (12-10).  But two more MIAC teams await UW-River Falls - most notably a quick trip to the Twin Cities to take on another MIAC powerhouse - Bethel on Saturday (12-13) before hosting Augsburg on Saturday (12-20) before Christmas break.  After the first of the year, the Falcons delve into the meat-grinder otherwise known as the WIAC.  So this team does have a huge opportunity to build up that all-important SOS but as we all know, the caveat is that you have to win some of these games too.    

Northwestern vs CSB Scrimmage 10-29-25

 Made the trip up US Highway 10 and the BNSF Staples Sub mainline to the St. Cloud area on this Wednesday afternoon to take in the scrimmage that would take place at Claire Lynch Hall on the campus of CSB in suburban St. Joseph between visiting Northwestern out of the UMAC and host CSB.  I arrived in plenty of time to meet and talk with both Northwestern Head Coach Aaron Kahl and CSB Head Coach Mike Durbin beforehand and get settled into the stands to get prepared.  This was a unique opportunity to watch both of these teams and to see their overall makeup.  This particular scrimmage would consist of four 10 minute periods with normal timekeeping and one 10 minute period with running time.  Also, free throws would be limited to one free throw attempt in an effort to help speed things along. 

In the first ten minute stanza, the Bennies would break the ice first at the 9:23 mark as senior guard/wing Megan Morgan banged home a "3" from the right wing area at the 9:23 mark but Northwestern would cut the deficit to one on a lay-up by freshman guard Lydia Schmitter at the 8:22 mark.  The Eagles' Kahl had his squad employing his trademark 2-3 "matchup" zone defense which initially stymied the normally potent CSB attack and it wasn't until the 6:00 mark that the Bennies finally started to figure out how to attack it as sophomore guard Drew Busbee connected on a jumper along the left baseline and a lay-up by lanky freshman reserve forward/post Emma Theisen at the 5:39 mark extended the CSB lead to 7-2.  Northwestern was able to get things tightened up a bit as one free throw by junior forward Carli Elrod after she was fouled with 4:45 left and a nifty lay-up by freshman reserve guard Ella Frazier with 4:20 left cut the Bennie lead down to 7-5.  Northwestern's hopes appeared to brighten when freshman reserve forward Karley Loven got one free throw to go down after getting fouled with 3:51 left that cut the deficit down to one at 7-6 but CSB would control things the rest of the way in this first scrimmage as Busbee would unleash a three-point bomb from the right corner with 3:22 left and Morgan would follow suit with back-to-back three-point bombs - one from the left top area with 1:58 left and another from the left wing area with 1:27 left - that now had the Bennies up 16-6.  Northwestern would get two more scores on a pretty steal and lay-up the other way by sophomore guard Brenna Vogel with 1:02 left and a short jumper from the right side by junior combo guard/forward Katelyn Lindberg with :21 left but my tally on this had CSB winning this one by a count of 16-10.

Northwestern would get off to a very good start in the second ten minute stanza with a 6-0 burst.  Frazier would make a pretty drive for a finish at the 9:10 mark as would Schmitter at the 8:44 mark.  A short time later, the Eagles' Schmitter would strike again with a tough score in the paint that capped this initial run before CSB could get things tightened up.  Busbee would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 7:45 mark and sophomore point guard Lauren Arnold would snare a steal and race the other way for a lay-up at the 7:10 mark that had the Bennies back to within a single possession down 6-3.  Busbee would also manage a steal and lay-up the other way that cut the deficit down to a point at 6-5 and that prompted Northwestern's Kahl to call a timeout to get his team calmed down a bit and to emphasize protecting the rock.  But even that stoppage in play failed to deter CSB as Busbee would snare an offensive rebound for a putback at the 5:11 mark to push the Bennies into the lead at 7-6 one one free throw by willowy senior forward Kira Young after she was fouled with 4:40 left had CSB up 8-6.  Senior guard Megan Driste would connect on a lay-up in transition with 4:23 left that capped this 10-0 Bennie run to make it 10-6 before Northwestern finally patched up some of the bleeding on an Elrod lay-up with 3:25 left.  But the Bennies would continue to get some cushion as Morgan would get a tough score in the paint with 3:14 left and an offensive rebound and putback by Driste with 1:15 left had CSB up 14-10.  The Bennies would extend the lead to 16-10 on a jumper from the right wing area by Young with :48 left and one free throw by Busbee after she was fouled with :13.2 left got CSB's lead to 17-11.  The Eagles would get a late score by sophomore reserve combo guard/forward Emma Korinek with :02 left but I had CSB taking this second scrimmage by a 17-13 count.  

In the third ten minute stanza, Northwestern would again strike first as Korinek would drill a "3" from the right wing area at the 8:53 mark but that was quickly met as the Bennies' Arnold unleashed a three-point bomb of her own from the right corner area at the 8:33 mark.  Arnold would follow that up with a lay-up in transition after a turnover by the Eagles that now had CSB up 5-3.  Undaunted, Northwestern would embark on a 6-0 push.  Elrod got one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 6:54 mark and a lay-up in transition by Schmitter at the 6:21 mark had the Eagles in front 6-5.  Northwestern would cap this run as Loven muscled her way into the paint for a score that drew a foul and her ensuing free throw made it 9-5 but the Bennies would quickly recover thanks to back-to-back three-point bombs by Driste - one from the left corner at the 5:06 mark and the other from the right corner with 3:11 left - that pushed CSB back out in front 11-9.  The Eagles would level this stanza at 11 a piece on a score in the paint by Lindberg with 2:50 left but the Bennies still appeared to have the upper hand as a short jumper by Morgan with 2:36 left and one free throw by junior reserve forward Emily Crandall after she was fouled with 2:12 left had CSB up 14-11 but Northwestern would quickly get this stanza knotted up at 14 when freshman reserve combo guard/forward Aubrey Langrehr banged home a "3" from the left wing area with 1:54 left.  But the Bennies' Morgan had other ideas and she quickly answered with one of her trademark lefty three-point bombs - this one from the top of the key with 1:45 left - that had CSB up 17-14.  The Eagles would close to one point on a lay-up by Korinek with 1:28 left but the Bennies would once again lean on Morgan and her heroics and she came through with yet another three-point bomb - this one from the right top area with :37.6 left as I had CSB coming away with a 20-16 win in this one.  

The Bennies would control things from the outset of the fourth ten minute stanza; bolting out to a 6-0 lead.  Young would connect on a lay-up at the 9:43 mark and a pretty drive and finish by Driste at the 8:24 mark had CSB up 4-zip.  An offensive rebound and putback by Busbee at the 8:02 mark capped this early burst by the Bennies before Northwestern could cut into the deficit on a three-point bomb by sophomore guard Marin Blom at the 7:41 mark.  Unfortunately for the Eagles, they were unable to find the same spark that they had in both the second and third stanzas which allowed CSB to build on its advantage.  Freshman reserve guard Kate Ebert would connect on a lay-up with 4:06 left to make it 10-4 and a lay-up by Crandall with 1:47 left maintained the six-point edge at 12-6.  With 1:31 left, Ebert would snare an offensive rebound for a putback and with 1:00 left, freshman reserve combo forward/post Annika Schafer slithered into the paint for a score that stretched the Bennies lead to 16-6.  Northwestern would get a late score on a lay-up by freshman reserve forward Olivia Heikes with :23 left but I had this one tallied in CSB's favor by a 16-8 count.

The fifth stanza on this night was in running time and CSB would control this one from start to finish.  Busbee would start things off for the Bennies on a lay-up in transition at the 9:34 mark and a pretty drive and finish by Morgan at the 8:30 mark had CSB up 4-0.  Arnold would get one free throw to go down after getting fouled at the 7:03 mark and a pretty drive along the right baseline and finish by Young with 3:00 left stretched the Bennie lead to 7-0.  Lanky freshman reserve combo forward/post Emma Theisen would bury a "3" from the left top area with 1:19 left and with :16.3 left, Arnold would drain a "3" of her own from the right corner area to make it 13-0 before Northwestern got a late score with just :01.6 left on a score in the paint by Heikes as CSB took this one as well by a 13-2 count.

Northwestern Outtakes:  If you take a look at the Eagles roster, you'll see that it's dominated by freshmen and sophomores with only two juniors.  Kahl, in fact, was quick to point out to me afterward that Lindberg (who transferred in from UM-Morris) is the only one on the team with considerable college basketball experience under her belt.  So it's no wonder why you'll likely see the Eagles be a very up-and-down team this season and Kahl was quick to point that out.  Yet, when you watch this team, you do see potential for this squad to do some very positive things.  The big thing is, can they gain some consistency as this season progresses that will allow them to at least be a factor in the UMAC title chase?  That's something that remains to be seen.  Kahl even told me afterward that he felt that his squad did better on this night than even he thought they might although he also admitted that CSB's length proved problematic for them and this Northwestern team doesn't have a lot of size.  In any event, Kahl and his staff will have to develop depth quickly by the time they delve into UMAC play.  Besides this scrimmage with CSB on this night, the Eagles will play a string of MIAC opponents in the non-conference portion of their schedule with Hamline, Carleton, Augsburg, Macalester and GAC all in the offing in November and December.  Additionally, Northwestern will open with Central College out of the ARC next weekend at Ericksen Center and in early December they'll also host Maranatha Baptist out of Wisconsin.  Shortly after that is an interesting home contest with Emmaus University out of Dubuque, IA and they'll also get to go out to Massachusetts for three games in late December/early January to play Lasell University, UMass-Boston and Regis College.

CSB Outtakes:  Save for the three seniors on this squad (Driste, Morgan and Young), this is also a very young team dominated by freshmen and sophomores.  However, the backcourt is solid as a rock with both Morgan, Driste and the sophomore - Arnold - running the point guard spot and this team has length and a lot of it.  I think overall Durbin was pleased with his team's performance for the most part but he did admit there were instances when they tried to rush things which invariably led to errors.  Still, when you look at the overall makeup of this team, it's hard to envision them not being a factor in the MIAC race.  Again, it's all going to boil down to consistency when it comes to CSB and if they can keep things on an even keel.  Last year we saw CSB starting off the season going 8-1 in their first nine games but then had to endure a brutal four-game skid in January before righting the ship for the most part the rest of the way.  The Bennies start things off next weekend with UM-Morris and Bethany Lutheran coming to St. Joe (St. Scholastica is the fourth team in this four-team get-together).  Then a very challenging home game on Wednesday 11-12 with UW-Eau Claire out of the WIAC paying a visit to Claire Lynch.  The weekend of 11-15/16 will see CSB going down to Mt. Vernon, IA on US Highway 30 and the UP Overland Route mainline as the Bennies will take on two teams out of the ARC - Dubuque on 11-15 and Nebraska Wesleyan on 11-16.  A conference game against St. Olaf down in Northfield gets squeezed into the schedule on 11-19 but for Thanksgiving, CSB goes out to the Front Range at Colorado Springs where they'll face two teams who were in the NCAA Tournament this last season - Colorado College out of the SCAC on 11-28 and perennial powerhouse Whitman out of the NWC the next day (11-29) so those two games should provide something of a measuring stick for CSB before they delve full-time into conference play.   

St. Kate's Practice - 10-20-25

 Made the trip over to the St Paul side of town on this cool late October afternoon to take in one of the early practices at St. Kate's.  I arrived early enough so I could meet with Head Coach Don Mulhern and catch up with him and talk about various happenings on the MIAC scene.  Shortly after 5:00 PM, we both headed upstairs to the Butler Center Gym where the squad had already been getting a good shoot around in and getting loosened up for a day of work.

Assistant coaches Geno Bullard, Paul Richie and Ben Fleming were also on the floor and ready to go as well.  After having the team in a circle at the middle of the floor to go over the day's details of what they were going to go over, Mulhern first has the team do a 5-on-0 "shell" drill entitled "Winona Horns 1 &2 and 14 & 21.  This half court drill emphasizes ball movement.  Coach Bullard has a pad and acts as a defensive player in the post.  This drill eventually transitions into a full court drill.  

The next drill is something I've seen Mulhern and his staff do before in the early part of practices which is called "Kentucky Shooting".  Here, players start off with a required number of layup shots off the glass.  After that, the players then have to make a required number of short jumpers from the elbow area.  Then, the drill starts becoming more challenging as it transitions to mid-range jumpers.  After the required number of made shots is met, then the drill becomes even more challenging as it transitions to behind the arc for a required number of three-point shots to be made.

The next drill is an interesting one which is called "Victory Shooting".  In this drill, players are on both ends of the floor and here players get to work on layups first and they then run to the other end of the floor to make three-point shots.

Next, Mulhern has the team split into two groups.  Mulhern has one group work on post defensive tactics while Bullard's group works on tactics for guard and wing players making drives into the lane as Bullard has a pad and acts as a defensive post player to make things challenging for the players making the drives into the lane.  

After Mulhern has players work on defensive tactics out on the wing and perimeter areas for a bit, the next big drill is called a "5 On 4 Scramble" (5 offensive players with 4 defensive players).  It appears that the primary purpose of the drill is to emphasize proper switching on defense in addition to getting into the passing lanes as well in hopes of disrupting opponents in the half court.  To make things even more challenging for the players on the offensive side, each players has to run to one end of the floor and back if they're guilty of a turnover.  

The next drill is a 5-on-0 half court "shell" drill that starts with a sidelines inbound pass with Coach Bullard acting as a lone defensive player in the post with a pad.  After a bit, Coach Fleming modifies this drill as the inbounds player then has to throw a skip pass to the offensive player on the opposite side of the floor in the corner; presumably for either a quick pass to the post or for an easy three-point shot attempt.

The next drill is a full court 5-on-0 "shell" drill with Coach Bullard on the finishing end acting as a lone defensive player in the post with a pad.  A bit later, this drill is modified as five defensive players come onto the floor from the sidelines on the way back down and it's interesting to see how the offensive players have to react to that as that aspect makes it much more challenging for them.  

The next drill is a very interesting drill which is called the "Tim Kjar Helpside Ballside Drill" in honor of former St. Kate's Coach Tim Kjar.  In this drill, there are two lines of players with Coach Bullard and Coach Fleming throwing the ball to each other from sideline to sideline with the two lines of players reacting to the ball movement.  

Next, Mulhern has the squad do another 5-on-0 "shell" drill in the half court with Coach Bullard acting as a lone defender in the post with a pad.  It appears that the two main purposes of this drill is to have players move and space properly and come off screens correctly as well.  

To finish things off on this night, Mulhern has his squad go 5-on-5 full court to get a better idea of what his likely primary five players as well as reserves look like.

Outtakes:  First, I think it's important to keep in mind that this is a vastly different team from last year's squad.  Gone to graduation are Rachel Randleman, Greta Schimnowski and Maddy Manger.  Unfortunately for St. Kate's, it didn't end there either as juniors from last year - Kaylee Miron, Emme Golembiewski and Maddie Young are not on this year's roster and neither is Lainey Draack; a sophomore from last season.  That in itself is a big blow for a program that has been trying so hard over the last several seasons to move into the upper echelon of the MIAC.  However, that's not to say that this team is totally depleted of talent - far from it in fact.  Junior guard Hattie Fox is back and presumably more than ready to be the leader for this team and the former Osceola, WI standout has definitely put in the work in the weight room as was easy to see.  Sophomore guard Jordyn Peed is another player who I think is more than ready to assume a bigger role this season as well.  Junior forward Lily Peper will undoubtedly have an expanded role this season as well.  Senior guard Kristin Oberle will also be a key piece in this mix with her ability and experience and leadership.  Junior post Julia Harmon along with sophomore guard Raya Cassidy could be important pieces here as well.  To me, I think the big thing is that this team knows who they are; they know their identity is the drive and dribble, getting into transition opportunities and applying pressure defense in order to force turnovers and I don't expect this team to deter from that.  It seems like a recurring theme for this squad but Mulhern and his staff will have to develop depth and soon and keep the primary pieces healthy in order to contend for a playoff spot.  Scrimmages are planned with both Bethany Lutheran and Concordia St Paul and the season officially begins on Friday 11-7 when UW-Superior from the UMAC pays a visit to Butler Center.  They then turn around the very next day and host a conference game with Macalester on Saturday 11-8.  Two more games with UMAC opponents on the road - UM-Morris and Martin Luther - the following weekend and then the dreaded trip up US Highway 10 and the BNSF Staples Sub mainline to Moorhead to take on Concordia on Wednesday 11-19.  Then the weekend of 11-21/22, they head down to the Quad Cities for the Augustana College Tournament in Rock Island, IL.  Then on Tuesday 11-25, they make the short hop across the St. Croix River to take on UW-River Falls before fully delving into MIAC play after Thanksgiving.  If the 'Cats can come out of this early stretch on a reasonably good note, they should at the very least contend for a MIAC Playoff spot.

A New Season Is Here!

Well here we are, just four days into the brand new 2025-26 season.  Was on a little road trip with one of my best buddies this last week but am back in the saddle here at home again and my plan is to get out to visit some practices these next few weeks which is a little easier now since I "pulled the pin" from CPKC back on August 1.  Am hoping to catch a few scrimmages as well in the coming weeks which should segue quite nicely into the regular season.  Meanwhile, both my LA Rams and UCLA Bruins are making for a very interesting fall - especially with UCLA's recent resurgence after the dreadful 0-4 start.  In any event, I'll have full reports on what I'm seeing at these practices and my views of what to expect.  And, hopefully in the not too distant future, I'll break out that old crystal ball of mine for my fearless picks for the upcoming MIAC Women's Basketball season.  

I think another fun and exciting season is in store..... 

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 7-30-25

 Here are the results of the games I was able to cover on the final night of this year's version of the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League:

6:15 PM Games

Curry Crew - 91

Arden Hills - 75

Beavs - 65

Swish - 53

St. Olaf - 43

GAC Black - 33

CSB - 47

Anoka-Ramsey - 45

7:10 PM Games

Alumni - 68

St. Kate's - 44

MN-NYCE - 66

Beavs - 48

GAC Gold - 62

She Got Game - 26

Curry Crew - 83

Rusty Buckets - 45

Horrible bumper-to-bumper traffic resulted in it taking over an hour for me to get from my place in the northwest suburbs over to the Midtown YWCA to catch the last night of action.  I finally arrived between 6:15 and 6:30 PM with the games in the 6:15 PM slot already well-underway.  On Court 1, the Curry Crew team was taking on the Arden Hills team and by the midway point of the second period, the Curry Crew team had already established a double-digit advantage at 33-20 and they would maintain this cushion up 47-34 with 1:05 left and by the halftime break, the Curry Crew team was in good shape up 47-36.  The Curry Crew team would still have the eleven-point lead at 54-43 by the 8:05 mark of the third period but they would then open up more distance after that and build a 77-56 lead by the end of the third period.  The Curry Crew team would hold a 79-61 lead by the 7:30 mark of the fourth period and would outscore the Arden Hills team down the stretch to claim the dub on this one.........Things were significantly tighter over on Court 2 in this time slot between the Beavs team and the Swish team as the Swish team held a slim 29-27 advantage with 1:15 left in the second period and the Swish team would increase the lead to 32-29 by the halftime break.  But the Swish team would see its lead cut to 36-35 by the 6:20 mark of the third period and soon thereafter the Beavs team would grab the upper hand and hold a 40-36 advantage with 4:30 left.  A key 11-4 push by the Beavs team down the stretch would have them up double digits at 51-40 by the end of the third period.  The Swish team was unable to find any answers once the fourth period got underway as the Beavs team grew its lead to 58-44 near the midway point and they were able to put things in cruise control the rest of the way to snag the win.........Two long-standing MIAC rivals were going at it on Court 3 as the GAC Black team was taking on the St. Olaf team.  By the looks of things once I got settled in, this one was a close battle from the initial tip as the St. Olaf team was holding a slim 21-19 lead by the halftime break.  The St. Olaf team would manage to get a bit more breathing room with a 23-19 advantage by the 7:30 mark of the third period but then the St. Olaf team would launch a big run that had them up double digits at 37-25 with 1:25 left and the St. Olaf team would hold onto this lead by the end of the third period.  The GAC Black team would manage to climb back into single-digit range down 40-31 with 3:15 left in the fourth period but they could never get any closer than that down the stretch as the St. Olaf team closed out their summer league schedule with a good win.........Likely the best game on this night was taking place over on Court 4 that saw the Anoka-Ramsey team battling the CSB team.  With 3:40 left in the second period, the Anoka-Ramsey team held a 20-16 lead and they would maintain this four-point cushion down the stretch to own a 22-18 advantage by the halftime break.  But the Anoka-Ramsey team would see its lead cut to just one at 26-25 by the 6:45 mark of the third period and a 7-0 run by the CSB team suddenly had them up 32-26 near the midway point.  The CSB team would own a 34-29 lead with 1:25 left and they still held this five-point edge up 39-34 by the end of the third period.  But just when you thought the CSB team had things going its way, their fortunes appeared iffy in the fourth period as they saw the Anoka-Ramsey team claw back to within a single possession down 41-38 by the 6:15 mark and by the midway point, the Anoka-Ramsey team had this game leveled at 43-all.  With 1:20 left in regulation, this game was still up for grabs tied at 45-all.  With :33 left, the Anoka-Ramsey team was called for a foul and the CSB team got two free throws to go down to assume a 47-45 advantage.  The Anoka-Ramsey team had two good opportunities in the waning moments of the game but couldn't get a shot to go down as the CSB team got out of Dodge with the win.

Blowouts were the buzzword in the 7:10 PM slot on this night.  On Court 1, the Alumni team was taking on the St. Kate's team and the Alumni team would own a 7-3 advantage by the 7:30 mark of the opening period and by the end of the first period, the Alumni team had grown its lead to 19-10.  The Alumni team would get its lead to double digits at 27-16 by the 7:20 mark of the second period and with 3:45 left, the Alumni team had doubled-up its opponent with a 36-18 advantage.  By the halftime break, the Alumni team had a cozy 38-22 lead.  Not much changed once the third period got underway as the Alumni team's lead grew to 43-22 by the 7:00 mark and they would get their lead stretched out to 51-29 with 2:55 left.  By the end of the third period, the Alumni team was rolling with a 53-29 advantage.  The Alumni team's lead would balloon to 57-34 by the 7:00 mark of the fourth period and they would be up safely 64-39 with 3:35 left in regulation as they rolled home with a big win.........Over on Court 2, the MN-NYCE team was taking on the Beavs team which was doing double-duty on this last night.  Things would be close in the opening period with the MN-NYCE team holding a slim 10-8 lead near the midway point but down the stretch of this first period, the MN-NYCE team was able to establish more breathing room and by the end of the first period they would own an 18-12 advantage.  The Beavs team would up its lead to 23-14 by the 8:55 mark of the second period and by the midway point, the Beavs team got its lead to twelve at 28-16 and they would maintain this cushion up 32-20 with 2:20 left.  But the Beavs team appeared to have new life as they went on an 8-2 run down the stretch that at least had them back in the thick of things down 34-28 by the halftime break.  But the Beavs team appeared to run out of gas once the third period got underway as the MN-NYCE team rebuilt its lead to 38-28 by the 7:00 mark and increased the lead to 40-28 near the midway point.  The MN-NYCE team would be up 46-33 with 2:40 left and that lead would grow to 56-37 by the end of the third period.  The MN-NYCE maintained this sixteen-point spread at 56-40 by the 6:10 mark of the fourth period and ran away with things the rest of the way to claim an easy victory.........Over on Court 3, the GAC Gold team was taking on the She Got Game team and it was all GAC Gold from the beginning as they would own an 11-4 advantage with 4:05 left in the opening period and even though the She Got Game team got the deficit slimmed down a bit at 13-8 with 1:20 left, the GAC Gold team would stretch its lead to 16-8 by the end of the first period.  Up 16-9 by the 8:05 mark of the second period, the GAC Gold would get their lead to 24-11 near the midway point and would stretch it to 28-11 with 1:50 left.  By the halftime break, the GAC Gold team would hold a 30-11 advantage.  The GAC Gold team would slowly stretch its lead once the third period got underway; up 34-12 by the 7:15 mark and up 36-12 with 4:05 left.  A 7-2 run down the stretch by the GAC Gold team had them up handily at 43-14 by the end of the third period.  By the midway point of the fourth period, the GAC Gold team was running away with this one up 56-18 as they romped to an easy win.........Over on Court 4, the Rusty Buckets team was taking on the Curry Crew team.  The Curry Crew team established an 18-10 lead with 3:30 left in the opening period but the Rusty Buckets team would embark on an 8-2 run that had the Curry Crew team's lead cut to just two at 20-18 by the end of the first period.  This game seemingly had all the makings of a close one as the Rusty Buckets team grabbed a 25-24 lead by the 8:05 mark of the second period and they still had the upper hand near the midway point with a 28-26 advantage.  The Curry Crew team would get this one tied at 28 a piece with 1:50 left and would then go on a game-changing 7-0 push that had them up 35-28 by the halftime break.  The Rusty Buckets team never recovered from that and the Curry Crew team stretched its lead to 39-28 by the 8:55 mark of the third period and by the midway point, the Curry Crew was sitting pretty up 48-30.  Things would only get worse for the Rusty Buckets team from then on as the Curry Crew team would own a 56-35 lead with 2:00 left and that lead would balloon to 60-37 by the end of the third period.  By the 7:00 mark of the fourth period, the Curry Crew team had all but put the daisy on this one with a 72-41 advantage as they also romped to an easy win on this night.

Just want to give a shout out to Bruce Smith and his crew over at the Midtown YWCA for putting on another excellent Women's College Summer League this years that saw a lot of good teams, players and games.  Was glad to cover another fun season of it!  

MIAC Women's College Summer League Results For Tuesday 7-29-25

 Here are the results of the games I was able to cover this last Tuesday evening over at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League:

6:15 PM Games

Blue Devils - 56

MN-NYCE - 35

Sara's Shooters - 58

Hammies - 57

Baddies Elite - 57

GAC Black - 56

Washed-Up Warriors - 62

St. Olaf - 60

7:10 PM Games

Hammies - 68

GAC Alumni - 61

Swish - 68

She Got Game - 32

Blue Devils - 37

Rusty Buckets - 30

Scrubs - 65

GAC Gold - 54

There wasn't much in the way of drama over on Court 1 in the 6:15 PM slot that saw the MN-NYCE team take on the Blue Devils team as the Blue Devils team would draw first blood at the 9:05 mark of the opening period for a 2-0 lead and then race away with a 12-2 burst that had them up 14-2 near the midway point.  By the end of the first period, the Blue Devils team had established a hefty 17-4 advantage.  The MN-NYCE team could only get nibbles once the second period got underway as they would trail 17-6 by the 8:45 mark and they would still be on the wrong end of a 19-7 score near the midway point.  Down the stretch, however, it looked as if the MN-NYCE team had finally found itself as they got the deficit down to tean at 22-12 with 2:50 left and they got on a 7-1 push in the late going that made this one a ballgame again with the Blue Devils team's lead cut to 23-19 by the halftime break.  But the Blue Devils team refused to panic and they slowly took control of things again once the third period was underway; getting their lead to six at 25-19 by the 7:10 mark and extending the lead to 27-19 near the midway point.  Then the Blue Devils team would embark on an 11-4 run down the stretch that re-established the earlier double-digit cushion at 38-23.  By the 6:20 mark of the fourth period, the Blue Devils team had things in cruise control mode as they coasted to an easy win.........The best games of the night meanwhile were easily on Courts 2, 3 and 4 in this time slot.  On Court 2, the Hammies team was taking on the Sara's Shooters team and this one would be knotted at two a piece at the 9:35 mark of the opening period.  The Hammies team would then get on a push and would establish a 9-4 advantage near the midway point but then the Sara's Shooters team would respond with a push of their own that had them down only by one at 11-10 at the end of the first period.  The Sara's Shooters team would build on their newfound momentum and gain a 23-18 lead by the 7:10 mark of the second period but right back came the Hammies team as they would get this game leveled at 23 a piece by the 6:15 mark and they would poke their nose out in front again at 26-25 near the midway point.  This cat-and-mouse game would continue as the Sara's Shooters team would regain the lead at 27-26 with 1:20 left and they would get a bit more breathing room with a 31-28 lead by the halftime break.  But the Hammies team certainly wasn't going anywhere anytime soon and they would cut the Sara's Shooters team's lead to just one at 31-30 by the 8:45 mark of the third period and the Sara's Shooters would at least hang onto this one-point edge at 37-36 by the 6:05 mark.  But they wouldn't hold onto this for long as the Hammies team would take the upper hand once again; getting a 40-37 lead near the midway point and they would hold onto this three-point lead at 49-46 by the end of the third period.  But before the Hammies team could get too comfortable with this three-point edge, the Sara's Shooters team would again be nipping on their heels as they cut the Hammies' team's lead down to one at 50-49 by the 7:50 mark of the fourth period and the Hammies team would still be clinging to that one-point lead at 52-51 near the midway point.  With 3:15 left in regulation, the Sara's Shooters team took a 54-52 lead but the Hammies team would soon get this one leveled again.  With :41 left in regulation, this one would still be unresolved at 57-all but with :15 left, the Sara's Shooters team would get a big break as a foul was called on the Hammies team.  The Sara's Shooters team got one free throw to go down out of the deal and although the Hammies team had one chance left, they were unable to convert as the Sara's Shooters team held on for a fun and exciting win.........Another good one was going down over on Court 3 in this time slot between the Baddies Elite team and the GAC Black team.  The GAC Black team would manage to grab a 5-3 advantage by the 7:55 mark of the opening period and they would extend their lead to as many as seven at 13-6 with 4:05 left.  But the Baddies Elite team would then go on a 7-0 run to level the game at 13-all with 2:00 left and this one would still be tied at 13 a piece by the end of the first period.  The Baddies Elite team would manage to poke its nose out in front by a 25-23 count at the 6:00 mark of the second period and they would get a bit more breathing room with a 27-23 advantage near the midway point.  With 1:05 left, the Baddies Elite team got some more separation with a 32-26 lead but a 4-0 push down the stretch by the GAC Black team cut the Baddies Elite team's lead down to 32-30 by the halftime break.  Undaunted, the Baddies Elite team would resume its offensive and get a 37-30 lead by the 8:20 mark of the 3rd period and they would maintain this cushion with a 41-34 advantage with 3:50 left.  Once again, however, the GAC Black team would manage to get things in gear and go on a push that cut the Baddies Elite team's lead to a single possession at 43-40 by the end of the third period.  By the 8:00 mark of the fourth period, the GAC Black team made further inroads as the Baddies Elite team's lead was cut to just one at 43-42 and a bit later at the 6:10 mark, the GAC Black team got this game leveled at 48 a piece.  The Baddies Elite team would regain the lead at 54-51 with 3:30 left in regulation but yet again, the GAC Black team would manage to get this game knotted at 55 a piece with just 1:40 left in regulation.  The Baddies Elite team got bailed out on a foul call with :30 left in regulation and got one free throw to go down out of the deal to take a 57-56 lead.  Despite a handful of chances in the waning moments, the GAC Black team was unable to convert on subsequent possessions as the Baddies Elite escaped with a thrilling win.........Another wild affair was taking place over on Court 4 between the Washed-Up Warriors team and the St. Olaf team.  The St. Olaf team would get off to a solid start in this one; taking a 9-2 lead by the 7:15 mark of the opening period before the Washed-Up Warriors could tighten up things and reduce the deficit down to four at 15-11 near the midway point.  The St. Olaf team would maintain this four-point cushion down the stretch and a late score just before the buzzer had them 19-13 by the end of the first period.  The St. Olaf team would then grow its lead to eight at 25-17 by the 7:00 mark of the second period but that lead would slowly but surely dwindle as the Washed-Up Warriors got things going again on their end that had them down only by a single possession at 33-30 with 1:05 left.  By the halftime break though, the St. Olaf team got its cushion rebuilt to six at 36-30 and that cushion would grow to seven at 39-32 by the 8:40 mark of the third period.  By the midway point of the third period, the St. Olaf team had built a ten-point cushion at 45-35 and by the end of the third period, the St. Olaf team appeared to be in control of things with a 56-45 advantage.  But a wily and experienced Washed-Up Warriors team would pick away at this deficit once the fourth period got underway and with 2:50 left in regulation, the St. Olaf team's lead had been cut to five at 60-55.  The St. Olaf team was unable to stem the tide of the Washed-Up Warriors team as they went on a 5-0 push down the last two minutes to level this contest at 60-all at the end of regulation so off to an extra two-minute overtime period we went.  The Washed-Up Warriors team would finally push ahead at 62-60 with 1:05 left in the extra session and held off late attempts by the St. Olaf team to claim an exciting comeback victory.

In the 7:10 PM slot, an interesting contest was going on over on Court 1 between the GAC Alumni team and the Hammies team which was doing double-duty on this night.  But the Hammies team showed no ill-effects from the earlier contest and would get a 2-0 lead by the 8:40 mark of the opening period and would soon take control of things; getting a ten-point cushion at 20-10 with 2:45 left.  By the end of the first period, the Hammies team was in very good shape with a 25-16 advantage.  The Hammies team would get its lead back to ten near the midway point of the second period at 32-22 but the GAC Alumni team finally was able to shake off its earlier struggles in this contest with a push and a late score just before the halftime break had the GAC Alumni team back in the thick of things down by only six at 37-31.  The Hammies team would go back to work once the third period got underway; maintaining the six-point edge at 40-34 by the 9:05 mark and growing the lead to seven at 43-36 near the midway point.  With 1:20 left, the Hammies team looked to be in full control again with a 52-44 advantage but two late three-point bombs by the GAC Alumni team had the Hammies team in a somewhat precarious spot with a slim 52-50 advantage.  By the 6:10 mark of the fourth period, the GAC Alumni team seemed to have completed its long-awaited comeback as they assumed at 58-55 advantage but they curiously would start running out of gas as the Hammies team wasted little time getting this one leveled at 58 a piece near the midway point.  The GAC Alumni team would falter down the stretch as the Hammies team retook the lead and held a 65-61 lead with 2:00 left and they got out of Dodge with the dub in this time slot.........Over on Court 2, the She Got Game team took on the Swish team and it certainly didn't take long for the Swish team to assume full control on this one as they would hold a 6-3 lead to by 7:30 mark of the opening period and with 2:00 left, the Swish team already had a double-digit cushion up 24-10 and they would hold this lead at the end of the first period.  By the midway point of the second period, the Swish team owned a 32-19 advantage and a 10-0 run by the Swish team down the stretch would balloon that lead to 42-19 by the halftime break.  By the 8:40 mark of the third period, it was a full-fledged blowout with the Swish team up 47-19 and the She Got Game team could only make incremental bites on this deficit as the Swish team owned a 48-21 lead near the midway point.  By the end of the third period, the Swish team was enjoying a 59-25 advantage and by the 6:20 mark of the fourth period, the Swish team was cruising up 62-29 as they ran away with this one.........A much tighter, defensive struggle was underway over on Court 3 between another squad doing double-duty on this night - the Blue Devils team - and the Rusty Buckets team.  Both teams would be at deuce by the 7:20 mark of the opening period before the Blue Devils team could push ahead 7-4 with 3:50 left.  But the Rusty Buckets team had a few answers of their own and they would get this game tied at seven-all with 1:10 left and by the end of the first period, the Rusty Buckets team would hold a slim 9-7 advantage.  The Blue Devils team would respond once the second period got underway as they would get this game leveled at 11 a piece by the 8:20 mark and they would eventually get a 17-14 advantage with 3:50 left.  but the Rusty Buckets team would cut the deficit down to one at 17-16 with 2:25 left and by the halftime break, the Blue Devils team was trying to hang onto that one-point lead at 19-18.  Not much would change once the third period was underway as the Blue Devils were trying to protect a slim 22-20 advantage at the 8:20 mark and it didn't take long for the Rusty Buckets team to get this contest leveled at 22-all by the 7:30 mark.  This one was still up for grabs by the 6:00 mark with things knotted up at 25 a piece and this score would still hold with 3:50 left.  But then the Blue Devils team would embark on a game-changing 7-0 push that not only changed the complexion of this game but also had them up 32-25 by the end of the third period.  The Rusty Buckets team would manage to close the gap to five at 32-27 near the midway point of the fourth period but could never get any closer as the Blue Devils team claimed the tough win in this one.........Another good one was going on over on Court 4 in this time slot between the GAC Gold team and the Scrubs team.  The Scrubs team would own a slim 11-10 advantage near the midway point of the opening period but the GAC Gold team would get this game back on even terms at 16 a piece with :45 left and by the end of the first period, the GAC Gold team would find itself up 17-16.  The GAC Gold team would hang onto this one-point edge at 19-18 by the 7:40 mark of the second period but a three-point bomb by former Park Center and Concordia-St Paul standout Meghan DuBois (CSP '22) put the Scrubs team up 21-19 at the 6:45 mark.  Undeterred, the GAC Gold team would bounce back to grab a 27-25 advantage with 3:00 left and a 5-0 push would grow that lead to 32-25 with 2:10 left.  The GAC Gold team was able to maintain this cushion down the stretch and looked to be in good shape with a 34-29 lead by the halftime break.  But the GAC Gold team's fortunes would shift once the third period got underway as an experienced Scrubs team started to assert itself.  The GAC Gold team's lead would be cut to 34-31 by the 7:20 mark of the third period and the Scrubs team would eventually get this one leveled at 41-all with 3:30 left.  A key 9-2 run by the Scrubs team down the stretch now had them in good shape up 50-43 by the end of the third period.  The Scrubs team would get its lead to nine at 54-45 by the 8:30 mark of the fourth period and they would build an eleven-point lead at 59-48 near the midway point.  The Scrubs team was able to maintain this cushion down the stretch to claim the dub on this night.