More changes in store for today's power rankings after another unpredictable week in the MIAC:
1. UST
2. SMU
3. GAC
4. Concordia
5. CSB
6. Bethel
7. St. Olaf
8. Augsburg
9. St. Kate's
10. Macalester
11. Carleton
12. Hamline
I think it was likely only a matter of time before the Tommies regained the king of the mountain status and I had to give it to them based on SMU's shocking home loss on Wednesday night to Augsburg. But again, the margin is razor-thin between these two at the moment and you can't dismiss the possibility of the Cardinals regaining the top spot. Both squads in fact got tougher challenges than expected yesterday as UST held off St. Kate's at home while SMU escaped the east side of Northfield with a 65-59 win over Carleton. And things don't get any easier for the Tommies as they head down U.S. Highway 169 and the Union Pacific's "Omaha Route" mainline to St. Peter this Wednesday night to take on a red-hot GAC squad while the Cardinals host said Wildcats squad on Wednesday and then make the trip to St. Joe on Saturday to take on CSB.
Speaking of those red-hot Gusties, the Black and Gold recorded a great week in knocking off Bethel in Arden Hills and then rolling at home against Macalester yesterday. While I did not see the game with the Scots, GAC may have played one of the best games they played all season long when they beat the Royals last Wednesday night. But now comes the big challenge: At home on Wednesday night to UST - a team they haven't beaten since 2010 - and then on the road to Moorhead to play Concordia on Saturday. As good as they were this last week, the Gusties could take a big hit this coming week. The opportunity is there for them. Now they have to make the most of it. I gave GAC a razor-thin edge over Concordia but the Cobbers I'm sure aren't paying too much attention or are bothered by it much. They've quietly and efficiently run off a five-game win streak and have a chance to extend it to six when they travel to Carleton on Wednesday night before Saturday's showdown in the friendly confines of Memorial Auditorium against GAC.
CSB looked to be rolling right along with a nice little four-game win streak and I had them in the third spot last Sunday but yesterday's stunning 55-50 loss to Bethel is a head-scratcher and I had no choice but to bump them down to the fifth spot in my power rankings today. On paper anyway, the Blazers should recover on Wednesday night as they travel to Macalester but then a big home date at Claire Lynch against SMU is in the offing for Saturday. Speaking of the Royals, I've left them for dead before and it seems like when I do they respond with an unexpected victory over one of the top teams. The thing is, those big road wins they've recorded mean little in terms of the big picture. They've GOT to find a way to get some consistency as both St. Olaf and Augsburg are nipping at their heels. The Royals are on the road this next week - at St. Olaf Wednesday night and then at Macalester on Saturday and they absolutely have to take care of business this week to get a stronger foothold on that sixth spot.
St. Olaf came away with a split this last week and they're still very much in play for that sixth spot and with two home dates this week - Bethel on Wednesday night and then crosstown rival Carleton on Saturday they have a big chance - maybe their last chance - to make a move. Augsburg got that big road win at SMU on Wednesday night but then followed it up with blowing another golden opportunity (again) at home against Concordia yesterday. On paper, they've got two winnable games this week - at home versus Hamline on Wednesday night and then at St. Kate's on Saturday. Simply put, the Auggies margin for error is nil. St. Kate's is a stretch at this point but when you go back and look at their schedule it's easy to think about what might have been with some of those games they lost and the fact that they had UST on the ropes in Schoenecker Arena yesterday shows that they are not a team you can take lightly. They just haven't been able to get the consistency needed that would take them a few notches further up.
Los Angeles Rams
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Concordia vs Augsburg Recap 1-30-16
Was over at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall on this Saturday afternoon to take in this match-up between visiting Concordia and host Augsburg. The Cobbers rolled into the Cities riding a four-game win streak while Augsburg was riding the coattails of its big road win at SMU on Wednesday night. While the Cobbers had put together a solid 12-6 overall record (8-3 in MIAC play), the Auggies were looking for not only some consistency but another big win to help position them to finish in the top six for a playoff berth.
Scoring came at a premium in the early going of this one. Concordia looked out of sorts on offense and the Auggies weren't exactly lighting the place on fire either. But with just under six minutes left with the Cobbers up 3-2, Augsburg senior point guard Maria Loughlin got on a hot streak. One jumper from the right wing by the Rogers native and one free throw by fellow senior forward Jessica Lillquist had the Auggies up 5-3. Then Loughlin went on her own personal 6-0 run. A pretty one-handed shot from the left wing with 2:46 left and a lay-up with 2:07 left made it 9-3 and a jumper from the left elbow area with 1:30 left now had Augsburg up 11-3 and Cobber Head Coach Jessica Rahman; not liking for one moment how this one was going, called a time out to give her squad a talking to. The Cobbers seemed to finally find a bit of a pulse after that timeout. Junior forward/post Jenna Januschka connected with a jumper from the free throw line with 1:13 left and a jumper from the left elbow area by senior guard Katie Rosenfeldt with just :05.5 before the end of the opening period helped slice some of the fat off of the deficit but with the Auggies up 13-7 Concordia was going to have to find a way to shake off the cobwebs from their long trip down U.S. Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline.
Augsburg looked to be in great shape when senior reserve guard Jenna Orth drilled a "3" from the right corner at the 9:48 mark of the second period that extended their lead to 16-7 but this is where the Cobbers put in second gear and turned the tables in this one. While Loughlin carried her Auggie teammates in the first period, junior guard Greta Walsh stepped up big time for her Concordia teammates. Back-to-back treys by the Litchfield native - one from the left corner at the 9:29 mark and another one from the right wing area at the 8:52 mark - suddenly cut Augsburg's lead down to 16-13. A Rosenfeldt lay-up in transition at the 8:26 mark cut the Auggie lead down to one and then a sweet reverse lay-up by Walsh underneath the basket gave the Cobbers the lead for good at 17-16. An offensive rebound and putback by Januschka at the 7:03 mark and another Walsh "3" - this one from the right corner at the 6:11 mark increased the Concordia lead to 22-16 and Augsburg Head Coach Ted Riverso; jolted by the 15-0 run, called a timeout to get his troops reorganized. It looked as if the Auggies had recovered from this temporary shock as they were able to gradually get the game back to within a single possession. A Lillquist score in the paint and a lay-up by freshman reserve guard Alaina Quaranta narrowed the Cobber lead down to four at 24-20 with 4:20 left and a jumper in the lane by sophomore forward Bridget Bednar with 3:34 left cut Concordia's lead down to 24-22. But the Cobbers were able dig in and keep the cushion at four points down the stretch. Two Januschka freebies and a short, turnaround jumper by senior forward Olivia "Dibs" Johnson had Concordia up 28-24 with 2:12 left. A Lillquist score in the paint momentarily made it a one-possession game again at 28-26 but Januschka provided the final points of an interesting first half with her lay-up with :51 left that gave the Cobbers a 30-26 lead going into the break at the half. Walsh's big second period really helped turn this one around for Concordia but the other statistic that certainly stood out like a sore thumb for Riverso and Assistant Coach Josh Hersch was that the Cobbers outrebounded Augsburg by a 23-12 margin and that was certainly going to have to change for the Auggies in the second half.
Augsburg looked as if they had figured out their problems in the early going of the third period. An offensive rebound and putback by Lillquist at the 7:50 mark and a "3" by senior guard Allison McKee from the left wing area at the 6:57 mark cut Concordia's lead down to one at 32-31. But the Auggie comeback bid curiously seemed to stall and the Cobbers once again righted the ship. A Januschka score in the paint and two Januschka free throws made it 36-31 with 4:02 left. Junior reserve forward Crystal Amundson connected with a short jumper from the left side with 3:16 left and two more charity stripe shots by Januschka who was controlling the paint upped the lead to 40-31 with 2:36 left. Augsburg would get a bit of a spurt as Bednar connected with a jumper from the free throw line off the glass with 2:19 left and on Orth's offensive rebound and reverse putback with 1:39 left but free throws by Januschka and Johnson and a short jumper in the lane by Januschka with just :01.2 left in the period got the lead to seven at 44-37 and the opportunities that the Auggies had let slip through their fingers were really coming back to hurt them now.
Concordia methodically and purposefully got Augsburg into even deeper doo-doo in the early stages of the fourth and final period. A fadeaway jumper by Johnson at the 9:18 mark and another Walsh "3" - this one from the right corner at the 8:52 mark - got the lead to ten points at 49-39. Free throws by Januschka and senior guard Hannah Jeske increased the lead to twelve at 51-39 at the 7:15 mark before the Auggies finally found a sense of urgency. Loughlin; who had been relatively quiet since that great first period that she had, decided it was time to put the team on her shoulders for a comeback bid. A drive and finish at the 7:02 mark and a jumper along the left baseline at the 5:30 mark reduced the deficit back into single-digit range at 51-43. Then the former Rogers standout unleashed a "3" from the left wing area with 4:52 left that cut further into the Cobber lead at 51-46. Concordia was able to get the lead back to eight points on a short jumper by Walsh and a Jeske lay-up at 56-48 with 2:54 left but Loughlin's single-handed attempt to bring her squad back was not done yet. One free throw with 2:37 left and back-to-back treys - both from the right top area - suddenly made it a one possession game again as the Cobbers lead was down to a precarious two points at 59-57 with :30.1 left. Riverso called a timeout to set up strategy and the Auggies immediately fouled Johnson who promptly stepped to the charity stripe with :26.2 left and cooly dropped both attempts for a 61-57 Concordia lead. Loughlin struck again with just :17.6 left when she drove along the left baseline for a finish to get Augsburg back to a single possession game again trailing 61-59. On the ensuing Cobber possession, Jeske was immediately fouled and she connected with her first free throw attempt. The second attempt rolled off but Johnson was there for the offensive rebound and now the Auggies had to foul her. With :13.3 left, Johnson got the first attempt to go down for a 63-59 lead but the second attempt went awry. But, just like before, the Auggies could not come up with the defensive rebound. Instead, Januschka was there to snare it way and that effectively killed any hope Augsburg may have had. Januschka connected on both charity stripe shots with :10.8 left for a 65-59 lead and although Loughlin had one last score left in her in the form of a short jumper with :03 left, her magic on this afternoon was not enough as Concordia took a 65-61 road win back to Moorhead with them.
A happy Rahman said afterward that she needed someone to step up for her squad after a sluggish start. Walsh did just that in the St. Olaf game from Wednesday night and did the same on this afternoon. The thing that really makes the Cobbers an interesting and fun team to watch is that they've got so many moving and interchangeable parts that there really isn't any noticeable drop-off as such when one of the starters come out. At the same time, it's obvious who the three "go to" players are on this team - Januschka, Walsh and Johnson and it's no surprise that they led the way in this game with 23, 17, and 12 points respectively. In fact, both Januschka and Johnson each recorded a "double-double" on this day as Januschka's 13 rebounds and Johnson's 12 rebounds were the main reason that Concordia owned the glass over the Auggies in this contest by a 43-28 margin. And the really cool thing about this squad is that they get the job done with a true team effort. Nothing flashy or glitzy with this group. They each go out and work together as a team no matter who's out on the floor and that's one of the main reasons that Rahman and Concordia have been so successful over the years.
As for the Augsburg, it's definitely a letdown after Wednesday night's huge road upset of SMU. They're not out of the playoff race by a longshot but the road ahead for them is treacherous at best and they've simply got to find a way to make the most of the opportunities that are laid out in front of them. No doubt about it - Loughlin is probably the best play maker in the conference and her ability to create something out of nothing is truly amazing to watch. She led all scorers on this day with her 26 points. The thing is, the Auggies margin for error is so small that they can't rely solely on her carrying the team. Others need to step up and even Hersch admitted as much afterward.
Scoring came at a premium in the early going of this one. Concordia looked out of sorts on offense and the Auggies weren't exactly lighting the place on fire either. But with just under six minutes left with the Cobbers up 3-2, Augsburg senior point guard Maria Loughlin got on a hot streak. One jumper from the right wing by the Rogers native and one free throw by fellow senior forward Jessica Lillquist had the Auggies up 5-3. Then Loughlin went on her own personal 6-0 run. A pretty one-handed shot from the left wing with 2:46 left and a lay-up with 2:07 left made it 9-3 and a jumper from the left elbow area with 1:30 left now had Augsburg up 11-3 and Cobber Head Coach Jessica Rahman; not liking for one moment how this one was going, called a time out to give her squad a talking to. The Cobbers seemed to finally find a bit of a pulse after that timeout. Junior forward/post Jenna Januschka connected with a jumper from the free throw line with 1:13 left and a jumper from the left elbow area by senior guard Katie Rosenfeldt with just :05.5 before the end of the opening period helped slice some of the fat off of the deficit but with the Auggies up 13-7 Concordia was going to have to find a way to shake off the cobwebs from their long trip down U.S. Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline.
Augsburg looked to be in great shape when senior reserve guard Jenna Orth drilled a "3" from the right corner at the 9:48 mark of the second period that extended their lead to 16-7 but this is where the Cobbers put in second gear and turned the tables in this one. While Loughlin carried her Auggie teammates in the first period, junior guard Greta Walsh stepped up big time for her Concordia teammates. Back-to-back treys by the Litchfield native - one from the left corner at the 9:29 mark and another one from the right wing area at the 8:52 mark - suddenly cut Augsburg's lead down to 16-13. A Rosenfeldt lay-up in transition at the 8:26 mark cut the Auggie lead down to one and then a sweet reverse lay-up by Walsh underneath the basket gave the Cobbers the lead for good at 17-16. An offensive rebound and putback by Januschka at the 7:03 mark and another Walsh "3" - this one from the right corner at the 6:11 mark increased the Concordia lead to 22-16 and Augsburg Head Coach Ted Riverso; jolted by the 15-0 run, called a timeout to get his troops reorganized. It looked as if the Auggies had recovered from this temporary shock as they were able to gradually get the game back to within a single possession. A Lillquist score in the paint and a lay-up by freshman reserve guard Alaina Quaranta narrowed the Cobber lead down to four at 24-20 with 4:20 left and a jumper in the lane by sophomore forward Bridget Bednar with 3:34 left cut Concordia's lead down to 24-22. But the Cobbers were able dig in and keep the cushion at four points down the stretch. Two Januschka freebies and a short, turnaround jumper by senior forward Olivia "Dibs" Johnson had Concordia up 28-24 with 2:12 left. A Lillquist score in the paint momentarily made it a one-possession game again at 28-26 but Januschka provided the final points of an interesting first half with her lay-up with :51 left that gave the Cobbers a 30-26 lead going into the break at the half. Walsh's big second period really helped turn this one around for Concordia but the other statistic that certainly stood out like a sore thumb for Riverso and Assistant Coach Josh Hersch was that the Cobbers outrebounded Augsburg by a 23-12 margin and that was certainly going to have to change for the Auggies in the second half.
Augsburg looked as if they had figured out their problems in the early going of the third period. An offensive rebound and putback by Lillquist at the 7:50 mark and a "3" by senior guard Allison McKee from the left wing area at the 6:57 mark cut Concordia's lead down to one at 32-31. But the Auggie comeback bid curiously seemed to stall and the Cobbers once again righted the ship. A Januschka score in the paint and two Januschka free throws made it 36-31 with 4:02 left. Junior reserve forward Crystal Amundson connected with a short jumper from the left side with 3:16 left and two more charity stripe shots by Januschka who was controlling the paint upped the lead to 40-31 with 2:36 left. Augsburg would get a bit of a spurt as Bednar connected with a jumper from the free throw line off the glass with 2:19 left and on Orth's offensive rebound and reverse putback with 1:39 left but free throws by Januschka and Johnson and a short jumper in the lane by Januschka with just :01.2 left in the period got the lead to seven at 44-37 and the opportunities that the Auggies had let slip through their fingers were really coming back to hurt them now.
Concordia methodically and purposefully got Augsburg into even deeper doo-doo in the early stages of the fourth and final period. A fadeaway jumper by Johnson at the 9:18 mark and another Walsh "3" - this one from the right corner at the 8:52 mark - got the lead to ten points at 49-39. Free throws by Januschka and senior guard Hannah Jeske increased the lead to twelve at 51-39 at the 7:15 mark before the Auggies finally found a sense of urgency. Loughlin; who had been relatively quiet since that great first period that she had, decided it was time to put the team on her shoulders for a comeback bid. A drive and finish at the 7:02 mark and a jumper along the left baseline at the 5:30 mark reduced the deficit back into single-digit range at 51-43. Then the former Rogers standout unleashed a "3" from the left wing area with 4:52 left that cut further into the Cobber lead at 51-46. Concordia was able to get the lead back to eight points on a short jumper by Walsh and a Jeske lay-up at 56-48 with 2:54 left but Loughlin's single-handed attempt to bring her squad back was not done yet. One free throw with 2:37 left and back-to-back treys - both from the right top area - suddenly made it a one possession game again as the Cobbers lead was down to a precarious two points at 59-57 with :30.1 left. Riverso called a timeout to set up strategy and the Auggies immediately fouled Johnson who promptly stepped to the charity stripe with :26.2 left and cooly dropped both attempts for a 61-57 Concordia lead. Loughlin struck again with just :17.6 left when she drove along the left baseline for a finish to get Augsburg back to a single possession game again trailing 61-59. On the ensuing Cobber possession, Jeske was immediately fouled and she connected with her first free throw attempt. The second attempt rolled off but Johnson was there for the offensive rebound and now the Auggies had to foul her. With :13.3 left, Johnson got the first attempt to go down for a 63-59 lead but the second attempt went awry. But, just like before, the Auggies could not come up with the defensive rebound. Instead, Januschka was there to snare it way and that effectively killed any hope Augsburg may have had. Januschka connected on both charity stripe shots with :10.8 left for a 65-59 lead and although Loughlin had one last score left in her in the form of a short jumper with :03 left, her magic on this afternoon was not enough as Concordia took a 65-61 road win back to Moorhead with them.
A happy Rahman said afterward that she needed someone to step up for her squad after a sluggish start. Walsh did just that in the St. Olaf game from Wednesday night and did the same on this afternoon. The thing that really makes the Cobbers an interesting and fun team to watch is that they've got so many moving and interchangeable parts that there really isn't any noticeable drop-off as such when one of the starters come out. At the same time, it's obvious who the three "go to" players are on this team - Januschka, Walsh and Johnson and it's no surprise that they led the way in this game with 23, 17, and 12 points respectively. In fact, both Januschka and Johnson each recorded a "double-double" on this day as Januschka's 13 rebounds and Johnson's 12 rebounds were the main reason that Concordia owned the glass over the Auggies in this contest by a 43-28 margin. And the really cool thing about this squad is that they get the job done with a true team effort. Nothing flashy or glitzy with this group. They each go out and work together as a team no matter who's out on the floor and that's one of the main reasons that Rahman and Concordia have been so successful over the years.
As for the Augsburg, it's definitely a letdown after Wednesday night's huge road upset of SMU. They're not out of the playoff race by a longshot but the road ahead for them is treacherous at best and they've simply got to find a way to make the most of the opportunities that are laid out in front of them. No doubt about it - Loughlin is probably the best play maker in the conference and her ability to create something out of nothing is truly amazing to watch. She led all scorers on this day with her 26 points. The thing is, the Auggies margin for error is so small that they can't rely solely on her carrying the team. Others need to step up and even Hersch admitted as much afterward.
Thursday, January 28, 2016
GAC vs Bethel 1-27-16
Made my way over to Bethel University's Robertson Center on this Wednesday night armed with a small supper and God's nectar (aka Pepsi) to take in this important conference clash between visiting Gustavus Adolphus and host Bethel. The Gusties were coming into this contest right in the thick of things in the highly competitive MIAC while the Royals were looking for some sort of a jump start in what so far has been an incredibly disappointing season considering the sky high expectations back in November.
As expected, things were tight in the early going. With the game tied at 4-all, Bethel senior post Rachel Parupsky connected with a short jumper along the right baseline at the 6:41 mark that gave the Royals a 6-4 lead but that advantage didn't last long. An offensive rebound and putback by sophomore point guard Mikayla Miller at the 6:14 mark and a score in the paint by freshman reserve newcomer post Olivia Hass at the 5:38 mark gave GAC an 8-6 lead. Freshman reserve guard Justine Lee's score in the paint with 4:35 left and two free throws by the former Dawson-Boyd standout gave the Gusties a 12-8 lead with 4:26 left. Fellow freshman reserve guard Taylor Anderson connected with a jumper from the left elbow with 3:11 left and a drive and lay-up by Mikayla Miller with 2:41 left now gave GAC a 16-9 advantage. The Royals tried to counter as sophomore reserve guard Abby Miller drained a "3" from the left corner with 2:24 left and one free throw by senior point guard Hannah Niewald reduced GAC's lead down to 16-13. But the Gusties came right back as Lee banged home a "3" from the left wing area with 1:40 left and one Hass charity stripe shot got the lead back up to seven at 20-13 with 1:16 left. Bethel again tried to counter as junior guard Shanni Moorse drove into the lane for a finish with :36 left and an offensive rebound and putback by freshman reserve post Hannah Johnson with :08 left shaved the Gustie lead down to four at 22-18 but once again, Bethel appeared to be out of sync on offense and looked a bit shell-shocked on how the Gusties were taking the battle to them.
It appeared early on in the second period that the Royals had figured out their problems and were well on their way back to getting into the thick of things again. One free throw by junior forward Kalli Zimmerman at the 9:50 mark and a score in the paint by sophomore reserve guard Angie Kirchoff at the 8:22 mark brought Bethel back to within one possession trailing 24-21 but things took a change for the worse for good for the Royals shortly thereafter. GAC sophomore forward Miranda Rice snared an offensive rebound for a putback and drew a foul in the process and her free throw made it 27-21 and then sophomore reserve post Stephanie Klockmann connected on a lay-up at the 6:55 mark that suddenly made it a 29-21 ballgame and Bethel Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer; whose team takes so much pride in its defensive tactics, realized that trouble was brewing and he called a timeout in hopes of quickly turning things around. But the Gusties were just getting into their groove. Free throws by Anderson and Klockmann not only gave GAC a ten-point cushion at 33-23 but, even worse for the Royals was that now the Gusties were in the bonus as well. A lay-up by Mikayla Miller with 4:41 left and pairs of free throws by the former Goodhue standout expanded the lead to 39-23 with 3:34 left. A "3" by senior guard Sydney "Bam Bam" Schultz from the right corner took some of the fat off of the deficit for Bethel trailing 39-28 but the Royals simply could not seem to generate any kind of sustained run that might have changed things up going into the home stretch of the first half. Two free throws by junior guard Hannah Howard with 1:14 left and a pretty "3" by Mikayla Miller from the left wing stretched GAC's lead to 44-28 and a Howard lay-up with :12.4 left punctuated a fabulous second period for the Gusties as they took a 46-29 lead into the locker room at the half. A glance at the first half box score shows that more than just the score stood out in this one. GAC absolutely hammered the Royals on the glass by a 31-18 count and while the Gusties didn't necessarily shoot that great from FG range, Bethel shot even worse; 33.3% from FG range and an icy 22.2% from three-point land.
If the Royals wanted to get back into this thing and turn this game - and quite possibly their season around - they simply had to come out of the gates on fire at the beginning of the third period. While the flames weren't exactly blazing, Bethel finally did show some signs of life that hinted that this contest could get interesting again. Zimmerman started things off at the 9:46 mark with an offensive rebound for a putback and Niewald did the same at the 8:49 mark that shaved the Gustie lead down to 46-33. Free throws by both Schultz and Parupsky pulled the Royals closer and hopes appeared even brighter when GAC's Mikayla Miller picked up her third foul at the 8:04 mark. Pairs of freebies by both Parupsky and Moorse reduced the Gustie lead down to 50-39 at the 5:24 mark and a lay-up by sophomore reserve forward Molly O'Toole with 4:18 left finally got Bethel back to within single-digit range trailing 50-41 and GAC Head Coach Laurie Kelly; determined to not let another lead get away from her young squad, called a timeout. The Royals still threatened, however, and drew even closer. One Niewald free throw with 3:48 left and an O'Toole "3" from the top of the key with 3:07 left cut the Gustie lead down to 52-45 and Niewald a minute later got loose on a fast break attempt lay-up that hung precariously on the rim before gravity got the best of the ball and allowed it to fall harmlessly off into the arms of GAC senior reserve forward Lindsey Johnson. That lay-up; had it gone in, might have greatly changed the complexion of this one but this is precisely where the Gusties were able to dig in and get the ship sailing in the right direction again. A "3" by Lee from the right wing area with 1:54 left and one Lee charity stripe shot with :52.8 left got the lead back out to nine at 56-47 and then it was Lindsey Johnson stealing the spotlight with her jumper from the free throw line right before the buzzer with just :00.7 left for a 58-49 lead that seemed to suck the air out of the comeback balloon for Bethel.
Things just seemed to go from bad to worse for the Royals in the fourth and final period as they were not only trying to once again claw back from the brink but were now also facing foul trouble as well. Moorse picked up her fourth foul at the 9:04 mark and Parupsky got tagged with her third foul at the 8:44 mark. Gustie freshman reserve forward Kendall Thompson connected with a short shot off of an inbounds pass at the 8:01 mark to give GAC a 62-49 lead and at the 6:20 mark Parupsky got whistled for her fourth foul of the evening. Bethel tried desperately to find a way - any way possible - that might somehow get this thing turned around but it simply was not happening on this night. Junior guard Kelsey Carpenter put down two freebies at the 5;13 mark and a lay-up in transition by Mikayla Miller with 4:58 left made it 67-52 which, for all intents and purposes, was the ballgame. Hass got into the paint for a score with 3:41 left as did Rice with 2:03 left. Lindsey Johnson gracefully drained a "3" from the left wing area with 1:46 mark and free throws by Lee down the stretch gave the Gusties a big 79-65 win on the road.
As you can imagine, Kelly was bursting at the seams with pride and joy over her squad's triumph on this night. "I felt like we came out as the aggressors" Kelly said and I think that second period was perhaps the best ten minutes of basketball I've seen the Gusties play in a long, long time; certainly from a defensive and rebounding standpoint. I think more importantly, this young team took a big step forward overall as they not only got a big road win but it was also against a team that many, including yours truly, looked to be as early favorites in the conference race. On another front, I also think that Mikayla Miller is hands down the best point guard in the conference and she's only a sophomore. She obviously can score but it's more than just that. She can defend and she's also got an uncanny ability to be able to get in the paint and mix it up with bigger, taller players fighting for a rebound. She's very strong and deceptively quick and simply tough to guard and she knows how to take care of the rock as well. Lindsey Johnson as a senior is the glue that holds this team together. She's got great leadership ability and does all the things on the court that you want from a senior. Recovering from a bout of mono has limited her time on the court and even Kelly admitted that it's been and still is a process of slowly bringing her back and having her get to feeling the way she wants to feel out there. Kelly couldn't help but lament about the game a week ago at home against CSB; a decision that they dropped in OT and what could have been but, at the same time, they're right in the thick of things and they're right where they want to be. At the same time, we all remember how things went south for this team down the stretch last year but I do think that this squad has taken a huge step forward. Let's see what they do with it.
Meanwhile, for Bethel, exactly where do you go from here? All those high hopes and expectations have long since flown out the window and now the Royals suddenly find themselves fighting for their playoff lives with a 6-5 conference record and 10-8 overall. I think the really scary aspect of all this - from my view anyway - is that I really, truly don't know where to point the finger for this mess. I can't fault just one or two players nor can I specifically place the onus on Herbrechtsmeyer and his experienced-laden staff who know their X's and O's. I just don't know. I really don't. And when you look at their remaining schedule things definitely do not get any easier down the stretch. A roadie at CSB on Saturday as well as back-to-back home games with both SMU and UST in February await and it's not out of the realm of possibility that the Royals could be on the outside looking in once the regular season concludes on February 20.
So it comes as no shock that Mikayla Miller led all scorers on this night with her 17 points followed closely by Lee's 16 points and followed by Rice with her 10 points. Parupsky and Schultz led Bethel in the losing effort with 13 points a piece while Niewald, Zimmerman and O'Toole each added 8 points. Again, the one glaring stat that will undoubtedly have Herbrechtsmeyer reaching for the Tylenol PM for the next few nights was the rebounding - in the form of a 52-38 advantage for the Gusties. And, as I mentioned before, the Gusties didn't shoot that great on this night but with the huge advantage on the boards, they really didn't have to.
As expected, things were tight in the early going. With the game tied at 4-all, Bethel senior post Rachel Parupsky connected with a short jumper along the right baseline at the 6:41 mark that gave the Royals a 6-4 lead but that advantage didn't last long. An offensive rebound and putback by sophomore point guard Mikayla Miller at the 6:14 mark and a score in the paint by freshman reserve newcomer post Olivia Hass at the 5:38 mark gave GAC an 8-6 lead. Freshman reserve guard Justine Lee's score in the paint with 4:35 left and two free throws by the former Dawson-Boyd standout gave the Gusties a 12-8 lead with 4:26 left. Fellow freshman reserve guard Taylor Anderson connected with a jumper from the left elbow with 3:11 left and a drive and lay-up by Mikayla Miller with 2:41 left now gave GAC a 16-9 advantage. The Royals tried to counter as sophomore reserve guard Abby Miller drained a "3" from the left corner with 2:24 left and one free throw by senior point guard Hannah Niewald reduced GAC's lead down to 16-13. But the Gusties came right back as Lee banged home a "3" from the left wing area with 1:40 left and one Hass charity stripe shot got the lead back up to seven at 20-13 with 1:16 left. Bethel again tried to counter as junior guard Shanni Moorse drove into the lane for a finish with :36 left and an offensive rebound and putback by freshman reserve post Hannah Johnson with :08 left shaved the Gustie lead down to four at 22-18 but once again, Bethel appeared to be out of sync on offense and looked a bit shell-shocked on how the Gusties were taking the battle to them.
It appeared early on in the second period that the Royals had figured out their problems and were well on their way back to getting into the thick of things again. One free throw by junior forward Kalli Zimmerman at the 9:50 mark and a score in the paint by sophomore reserve guard Angie Kirchoff at the 8:22 mark brought Bethel back to within one possession trailing 24-21 but things took a change for the worse for good for the Royals shortly thereafter. GAC sophomore forward Miranda Rice snared an offensive rebound for a putback and drew a foul in the process and her free throw made it 27-21 and then sophomore reserve post Stephanie Klockmann connected on a lay-up at the 6:55 mark that suddenly made it a 29-21 ballgame and Bethel Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer; whose team takes so much pride in its defensive tactics, realized that trouble was brewing and he called a timeout in hopes of quickly turning things around. But the Gusties were just getting into their groove. Free throws by Anderson and Klockmann not only gave GAC a ten-point cushion at 33-23 but, even worse for the Royals was that now the Gusties were in the bonus as well. A lay-up by Mikayla Miller with 4:41 left and pairs of free throws by the former Goodhue standout expanded the lead to 39-23 with 3:34 left. A "3" by senior guard Sydney "Bam Bam" Schultz from the right corner took some of the fat off of the deficit for Bethel trailing 39-28 but the Royals simply could not seem to generate any kind of sustained run that might have changed things up going into the home stretch of the first half. Two free throws by junior guard Hannah Howard with 1:14 left and a pretty "3" by Mikayla Miller from the left wing stretched GAC's lead to 44-28 and a Howard lay-up with :12.4 left punctuated a fabulous second period for the Gusties as they took a 46-29 lead into the locker room at the half. A glance at the first half box score shows that more than just the score stood out in this one. GAC absolutely hammered the Royals on the glass by a 31-18 count and while the Gusties didn't necessarily shoot that great from FG range, Bethel shot even worse; 33.3% from FG range and an icy 22.2% from three-point land.
If the Royals wanted to get back into this thing and turn this game - and quite possibly their season around - they simply had to come out of the gates on fire at the beginning of the third period. While the flames weren't exactly blazing, Bethel finally did show some signs of life that hinted that this contest could get interesting again. Zimmerman started things off at the 9:46 mark with an offensive rebound for a putback and Niewald did the same at the 8:49 mark that shaved the Gustie lead down to 46-33. Free throws by both Schultz and Parupsky pulled the Royals closer and hopes appeared even brighter when GAC's Mikayla Miller picked up her third foul at the 8:04 mark. Pairs of freebies by both Parupsky and Moorse reduced the Gustie lead down to 50-39 at the 5:24 mark and a lay-up by sophomore reserve forward Molly O'Toole with 4:18 left finally got Bethel back to within single-digit range trailing 50-41 and GAC Head Coach Laurie Kelly; determined to not let another lead get away from her young squad, called a timeout. The Royals still threatened, however, and drew even closer. One Niewald free throw with 3:48 left and an O'Toole "3" from the top of the key with 3:07 left cut the Gustie lead down to 52-45 and Niewald a minute later got loose on a fast break attempt lay-up that hung precariously on the rim before gravity got the best of the ball and allowed it to fall harmlessly off into the arms of GAC senior reserve forward Lindsey Johnson. That lay-up; had it gone in, might have greatly changed the complexion of this one but this is precisely where the Gusties were able to dig in and get the ship sailing in the right direction again. A "3" by Lee from the right wing area with 1:54 left and one Lee charity stripe shot with :52.8 left got the lead back out to nine at 56-47 and then it was Lindsey Johnson stealing the spotlight with her jumper from the free throw line right before the buzzer with just :00.7 left for a 58-49 lead that seemed to suck the air out of the comeback balloon for Bethel.
Things just seemed to go from bad to worse for the Royals in the fourth and final period as they were not only trying to once again claw back from the brink but were now also facing foul trouble as well. Moorse picked up her fourth foul at the 9:04 mark and Parupsky got tagged with her third foul at the 8:44 mark. Gustie freshman reserve forward Kendall Thompson connected with a short shot off of an inbounds pass at the 8:01 mark to give GAC a 62-49 lead and at the 6:20 mark Parupsky got whistled for her fourth foul of the evening. Bethel tried desperately to find a way - any way possible - that might somehow get this thing turned around but it simply was not happening on this night. Junior guard Kelsey Carpenter put down two freebies at the 5;13 mark and a lay-up in transition by Mikayla Miller with 4:58 left made it 67-52 which, for all intents and purposes, was the ballgame. Hass got into the paint for a score with 3:41 left as did Rice with 2:03 left. Lindsey Johnson gracefully drained a "3" from the left wing area with 1:46 mark and free throws by Lee down the stretch gave the Gusties a big 79-65 win on the road.
As you can imagine, Kelly was bursting at the seams with pride and joy over her squad's triumph on this night. "I felt like we came out as the aggressors" Kelly said and I think that second period was perhaps the best ten minutes of basketball I've seen the Gusties play in a long, long time; certainly from a defensive and rebounding standpoint. I think more importantly, this young team took a big step forward overall as they not only got a big road win but it was also against a team that many, including yours truly, looked to be as early favorites in the conference race. On another front, I also think that Mikayla Miller is hands down the best point guard in the conference and she's only a sophomore. She obviously can score but it's more than just that. She can defend and she's also got an uncanny ability to be able to get in the paint and mix it up with bigger, taller players fighting for a rebound. She's very strong and deceptively quick and simply tough to guard and she knows how to take care of the rock as well. Lindsey Johnson as a senior is the glue that holds this team together. She's got great leadership ability and does all the things on the court that you want from a senior. Recovering from a bout of mono has limited her time on the court and even Kelly admitted that it's been and still is a process of slowly bringing her back and having her get to feeling the way she wants to feel out there. Kelly couldn't help but lament about the game a week ago at home against CSB; a decision that they dropped in OT and what could have been but, at the same time, they're right in the thick of things and they're right where they want to be. At the same time, we all remember how things went south for this team down the stretch last year but I do think that this squad has taken a huge step forward. Let's see what they do with it.
Meanwhile, for Bethel, exactly where do you go from here? All those high hopes and expectations have long since flown out the window and now the Royals suddenly find themselves fighting for their playoff lives with a 6-5 conference record and 10-8 overall. I think the really scary aspect of all this - from my view anyway - is that I really, truly don't know where to point the finger for this mess. I can't fault just one or two players nor can I specifically place the onus on Herbrechtsmeyer and his experienced-laden staff who know their X's and O's. I just don't know. I really don't. And when you look at their remaining schedule things definitely do not get any easier down the stretch. A roadie at CSB on Saturday as well as back-to-back home games with both SMU and UST in February await and it's not out of the realm of possibility that the Royals could be on the outside looking in once the regular season concludes on February 20.
So it comes as no shock that Mikayla Miller led all scorers on this night with her 17 points followed closely by Lee's 16 points and followed by Rice with her 10 points. Parupsky and Schultz led Bethel in the losing effort with 13 points a piece while Niewald, Zimmerman and O'Toole each added 8 points. Again, the one glaring stat that will undoubtedly have Herbrechtsmeyer reaching for the Tylenol PM for the next few nights was the rebounding - in the form of a 52-38 advantage for the Gusties. And, as I mentioned before, the Gusties didn't shoot that great on this night but with the huge advantage on the boards, they really didn't have to.
Sunday, January 24, 2016
MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 1-24-16
Another interesting week in MIAC women's basketball and a bit of reshuffling of the deck in my latest power rankings.
1. SMU
2. UST
3. CSB
4. Concordia
5. GAC
6. Bethel
7. Augsburg
8. St. Olaf
9. St. Kate's
10. Macalester
11. Carleton
12. Hamline
I still give the Cardinals a razor-thin edge over UST at the top spot as both teams recorded easy wins this last week and, on paper anyway, both should continue the trend this coming week as well. Easily the biggest climber this week was CSB as the Blazers recorded two huge road wins - at GAC in OT and at St. Olaf yesterday. CSB has a huge opportunity this coming week to keep the beat going as they host Hamline Wednesday night and then Bethel next Saturday. A good week as well for the Cobbers as they dispatched both Macalester and Bethel and if the Corn can keep the trend going this next week they could be very tough to beat the rest of the way.
I think you had to figure that, somewhere along the line, the youth and inexperience of the Gusties would come back to haunt them and that was clearly the case this last Wednesday when they dropped a 70-61 overtime decision at home in St. Peter to CSB. I still think GAC is a solid playoff team but again, the nagging question: WHEN does this squad finally put it all together? When will they go from being "We're young but fun!" to "We're experienced and by God we expect to win championships"? I think it's a fair question. Bethel's confounding season continues to unravel as they had to settle for a split this last week and anything but two wins for the Royals this last week is yet another huge step backward for them. Augsburg is still very much in the hunt for the sixth spot but the Auggies have an incredibly tough week coming up for them: At SMU on Wednesday and then home to Concordia on Saturday. The Oles had a bad week dropping two games and they've got to find a way to turn things around quickly before this thing gets away from them - again.
1. SMU
2. UST
3. CSB
4. Concordia
5. GAC
6. Bethel
7. Augsburg
8. St. Olaf
9. St. Kate's
10. Macalester
11. Carleton
12. Hamline
I still give the Cardinals a razor-thin edge over UST at the top spot as both teams recorded easy wins this last week and, on paper anyway, both should continue the trend this coming week as well. Easily the biggest climber this week was CSB as the Blazers recorded two huge road wins - at GAC in OT and at St. Olaf yesterday. CSB has a huge opportunity this coming week to keep the beat going as they host Hamline Wednesday night and then Bethel next Saturday. A good week as well for the Cobbers as they dispatched both Macalester and Bethel and if the Corn can keep the trend going this next week they could be very tough to beat the rest of the way.
I think you had to figure that, somewhere along the line, the youth and inexperience of the Gusties would come back to haunt them and that was clearly the case this last Wednesday when they dropped a 70-61 overtime decision at home in St. Peter to CSB. I still think GAC is a solid playoff team but again, the nagging question: WHEN does this squad finally put it all together? When will they go from being "We're young but fun!" to "We're experienced and by God we expect to win championships"? I think it's a fair question. Bethel's confounding season continues to unravel as they had to settle for a split this last week and anything but two wins for the Royals this last week is yet another huge step backward for them. Augsburg is still very much in the hunt for the sixth spot but the Auggies have an incredibly tough week coming up for them: At SMU on Wednesday and then home to Concordia on Saturday. The Oles had a bad week dropping two games and they've got to find a way to turn things around quickly before this thing gets away from them - again.
St. Kate's vs Hamline Recap 1-23-16
Was back over at venerable Hutton Arena on the campus of Hamline University on this nice January afternoon to take in the contest between visiting St. Kate's and host Hamline. It always seems as if unpredictable is the watchword whenever these two teams meet as wild and crazy things always seem to happen and today was no exception. Today was also "Family Day" at Hamline as parents and family were recognized before tip-off.
It would be the Pipers who came out of the gate fast; much like they did when they hosted GAC earlier in the month. Two scores by senior guard Emily Behrman and a "3" by always-dangerous junior sharp-shooting guard Chelsey Bonsante from the left wing in transition had the Pipers up 7-2 by the 5:47 mark and Hamline increased the lead to as many as nine points at 13-4 with 3:25 left on scores by sophomore forward Alex Peterson, fellow sophomore guard Allison Bartak and a steal and putback by freshman forward Haley Greene. The 'Cats; who looked sluggish in the opening minutes and unable to get much going offensively, gradually worked their way back into the contest. Flashy junior reserve guard/forward LaShay Holt got one score in the paint with 3:08 left and dropped two free throws with 2:45 left that sliced the Hamline lead down to 13-8 which is how the first period ended. Considering how poorly St. Kate's shot the ball in the opening period, they were probably pretty fortunate to be in the position they were in.
The Pipers still looked to be in good shape in the opening moments of the second period as a Bonsante score in the paint at the 9:37 mark and a short jumper by Behrman from the left side had Hamline up 17-11 by the 8:52 mark. But St. Kate's would quickly close the gap as free throws by junior forward Kennedy Jennings and two more by fellow junior forward Mari Lee cut the Pipers lead down to 17-15 and a steal and lay-up the other way by Jennings at the 6:50 mark knotted the issue at 17-all. Senior guard/forward Shauna Horsch's freebie at the 6:13 mark gave the 'Cats their first lead of the afternoon at 18-17 although that didn't last long. Behrman's lay-up in transition after a steal at the 5:47 mark gave Hamline the lead back at 19-18 and the two teams traded small leads with each other down the stretch before halftime. A lay-up off of an inbounds pass by junior guard Chloe Graves with 2:41 left and a pretty reverse lay-up by Bonsante with 2:16 left plus one Graves charity stripe shot seemed to momentarily give the Pipers some momentum up 29-25 with 1:50 left but a resourceful St. Kate's squad dug in late. Horsch uncorked her first three-point bomb of the day from the top of the key with 1:33 left and a free throw by Jennings with just :12 left tied the game at 29-all which how things stood with both teams going into the locker room with a bunch of unanswered questions. The Wildcats shot an abysmal 25% from FG range and were frigid from three-point land with 1-10 for 10%. What likely saved St. Kate's from being in a big hole was that they got into the bonus at the 8:12 mark and were able to cash in from the charity stripe.
Hamline again appeared to grab some early momentum in the opening minutes of the third period as two scores by Peterson gave the Pipers a 33-29 advantage. But some of that momentum was again lost when Greene picked up her fourth foul of the afternoon at the 6:46 mark and consecutive scores by Wildcat sophomore guard Meg Clark had the issue tied up again at 33-all. But right back came Hamline and two three-point bombs - one by Graves from the right top area off of an inbounds pass at the 5:23 mark and another one by Behrman from the left corner with 4:12 left - seemed to light that spark that Piper Head Coach Kerri Stockwell was looking for as it gave Hamline a 39-33 advantage. St. Kate's tried to make inroads on free throws by both Holt and Jennings and a "3" from the right wing area by junior reserve guard/forward Alexis Garcia had the 'Cats back in the four-point range trailing 42-38 with :48 left but Hamline closed out the third period strong. Two free throws by Graves with :37 left and a "3" from the left wing area with just :03 left on the clock before the end of the period gave the Pipers a nice little cushion at 47-40 and it looked as if St. Kate's might have hit another proverbial wall going into the fourth and final period.
But the Wildcats; who have struggled in the second half in several contests this season thus far, finally found a way to turn up the heat as they embarked on a key 9-0 run. Consecutive scores by sophomore guard Audra Clark trimmed Hamline's lead down to 47-44 by the 8:59 mark and then consecutive scores by Holt - a steal and lay-up the other way at the 8:27 mark and a "3" from the left wing area now had St. Kate's up 49-47 by the 7:46 mark. A score in the paint by Greene at the 7:35 mark and a lay-up by Graves at the 7:12 mark gave the Pipers the lead one more time at 51-49 but this is where fatigue may have started becoming a factor for Hamline and their short bench. A decisive 13-4 run by the Wildcats over the next four and a half minutes changed the tone of this one for good. One Horsch freebie along with a Holt lay-up and an Audra Clark rebound and putback of her own miss at the 4:50 mark now had St. Kate's up 54-51 with 4:50 left but the purple-clad 'Cats were far from finished. Greene's offensive rebound and putback allowed Hamline to inch closer trailing 54-53 with 4:29 left but that was negated when Green fouled out less than a minute later. Two Holt free throws and a Meg Clark lay-up in transition after a steal gave St. Kate's a 60-55 lead with 3:22 left and a Horsch lay-up in transition after a steal with 2:55 left expanded the cushion to seven points at 62-55 and Stockwell quickly realized this one was slipping away and called a timeout to try and prevent the inevitable. But now the Pipers were forced to foul and with St. Kate's in the bonus by this time there was little that Hamline could do. Audra Clark got a three-point play out of her lay-up in transition that drew a foul and sent her to the line for the obligatory freebie for a ten-point 65-55 lead and insurance free throws by both Horsch and Audra Clark gave St. Kate's not only a 71-57 win but a big shot of confidence as this snapped a six-game losing skid.
It would be the Pipers who came out of the gate fast; much like they did when they hosted GAC earlier in the month. Two scores by senior guard Emily Behrman and a "3" by always-dangerous junior sharp-shooting guard Chelsey Bonsante from the left wing in transition had the Pipers up 7-2 by the 5:47 mark and Hamline increased the lead to as many as nine points at 13-4 with 3:25 left on scores by sophomore forward Alex Peterson, fellow sophomore guard Allison Bartak and a steal and putback by freshman forward Haley Greene. The 'Cats; who looked sluggish in the opening minutes and unable to get much going offensively, gradually worked their way back into the contest. Flashy junior reserve guard/forward LaShay Holt got one score in the paint with 3:08 left and dropped two free throws with 2:45 left that sliced the Hamline lead down to 13-8 which is how the first period ended. Considering how poorly St. Kate's shot the ball in the opening period, they were probably pretty fortunate to be in the position they were in.
The Pipers still looked to be in good shape in the opening moments of the second period as a Bonsante score in the paint at the 9:37 mark and a short jumper by Behrman from the left side had Hamline up 17-11 by the 8:52 mark. But St. Kate's would quickly close the gap as free throws by junior forward Kennedy Jennings and two more by fellow junior forward Mari Lee cut the Pipers lead down to 17-15 and a steal and lay-up the other way by Jennings at the 6:50 mark knotted the issue at 17-all. Senior guard/forward Shauna Horsch's freebie at the 6:13 mark gave the 'Cats their first lead of the afternoon at 18-17 although that didn't last long. Behrman's lay-up in transition after a steal at the 5:47 mark gave Hamline the lead back at 19-18 and the two teams traded small leads with each other down the stretch before halftime. A lay-up off of an inbounds pass by junior guard Chloe Graves with 2:41 left and a pretty reverse lay-up by Bonsante with 2:16 left plus one Graves charity stripe shot seemed to momentarily give the Pipers some momentum up 29-25 with 1:50 left but a resourceful St. Kate's squad dug in late. Horsch uncorked her first three-point bomb of the day from the top of the key with 1:33 left and a free throw by Jennings with just :12 left tied the game at 29-all which how things stood with both teams going into the locker room with a bunch of unanswered questions. The Wildcats shot an abysmal 25% from FG range and were frigid from three-point land with 1-10 for 10%. What likely saved St. Kate's from being in a big hole was that they got into the bonus at the 8:12 mark and were able to cash in from the charity stripe.
Hamline again appeared to grab some early momentum in the opening minutes of the third period as two scores by Peterson gave the Pipers a 33-29 advantage. But some of that momentum was again lost when Greene picked up her fourth foul of the afternoon at the 6:46 mark and consecutive scores by Wildcat sophomore guard Meg Clark had the issue tied up again at 33-all. But right back came Hamline and two three-point bombs - one by Graves from the right top area off of an inbounds pass at the 5:23 mark and another one by Behrman from the left corner with 4:12 left - seemed to light that spark that Piper Head Coach Kerri Stockwell was looking for as it gave Hamline a 39-33 advantage. St. Kate's tried to make inroads on free throws by both Holt and Jennings and a "3" from the right wing area by junior reserve guard/forward Alexis Garcia had the 'Cats back in the four-point range trailing 42-38 with :48 left but Hamline closed out the third period strong. Two free throws by Graves with :37 left and a "3" from the left wing area with just :03 left on the clock before the end of the period gave the Pipers a nice little cushion at 47-40 and it looked as if St. Kate's might have hit another proverbial wall going into the fourth and final period.
But the Wildcats; who have struggled in the second half in several contests this season thus far, finally found a way to turn up the heat as they embarked on a key 9-0 run. Consecutive scores by sophomore guard Audra Clark trimmed Hamline's lead down to 47-44 by the 8:59 mark and then consecutive scores by Holt - a steal and lay-up the other way at the 8:27 mark and a "3" from the left wing area now had St. Kate's up 49-47 by the 7:46 mark. A score in the paint by Greene at the 7:35 mark and a lay-up by Graves at the 7:12 mark gave the Pipers the lead one more time at 51-49 but this is where fatigue may have started becoming a factor for Hamline and their short bench. A decisive 13-4 run by the Wildcats over the next four and a half minutes changed the tone of this one for good. One Horsch freebie along with a Holt lay-up and an Audra Clark rebound and putback of her own miss at the 4:50 mark now had St. Kate's up 54-51 with 4:50 left but the purple-clad 'Cats were far from finished. Greene's offensive rebound and putback allowed Hamline to inch closer trailing 54-53 with 4:29 left but that was negated when Green fouled out less than a minute later. Two Holt free throws and a Meg Clark lay-up in transition after a steal gave St. Kate's a 60-55 lead with 3:22 left and a Horsch lay-up in transition after a steal with 2:55 left expanded the cushion to seven points at 62-55 and Stockwell quickly realized this one was slipping away and called a timeout to try and prevent the inevitable. But now the Pipers were forced to foul and with St. Kate's in the bonus by this time there was little that Hamline could do. Audra Clark got a three-point play out of her lay-up in transition that drew a foul and sent her to the line for the obligatory freebie for a ten-point 65-55 lead and insurance free throws by both Horsch and Audra Clark gave St. Kate's not only a 71-57 win but a big shot of confidence as this snapped a six-game losing skid.
Sunday, January 17, 2016
MIAC Power Rankings For Sunday 1-17-16
Another somewhat unpredictable week in the MIAC with some unexpected results here and there but a few more things are clearing up as well:
1. SMU
2. UST
3. GAC
4. CSB
5. Bethel
6. Concordia
7. St. Olaf
8. Augsburg
9. Macalester
10. St. Kate's
11. Carleton
12. Hamline
I grudgingly give the Cardinals the nod at the top of my power rankings this week but the gap between them and UST is almost non-existent by virtue of the Tommies 76-67 win yesterday down in Winona. I'm not saying that SMU can't recover from this and you still have to think that they'll be in the mix for top honors but it's likely only a matter of time before UST regains the king of the mountain status. The Gusties did what they were supposed to this last week; knocking off both St. Kate's and Carleton and they have two winnable games at home this next week with CSB on Wednesday and Augsburg on Saturday.
Speaking of the Blazers, they came away with a split this last week but a big win at Augsburg yesterday bolstered their hopes. But two stern road tests await them this coming week - at GAC on Wednesday night and then at St. Olaf on Saturday. Bethel remains mired in the fifth spot on this day. Just when you THOUGHT that they had turned the corner with that big win at UST last weekend, they turn around on Wednesday night and drop a 58-56 heartbreaker at Augsburg. They recovered nicely as expected and took care of business against Hamline but those high expectations coming into this season have to be out the window now. The Cobbers came away with a split as well last week but they have a big opportunity to make amends with their next three games all in the friendly confines of Memorial Auditorium and this is where Concordia absolutely has to take care of business to solidify their shaky playoff status.
St. Olaf capped off a good week with their win at St. Kate's yesterday and they showed they can be very dangerous if Afton Wolter is on fire from behind the arc and if Betsey Daly can keep the glass clean. The Oles have two home games coming up this week but, unfortunately for them, they're against two of the upper echelon teams - UST on Wednesday night and CSB on Saturday. My feeling is that the Oles are going to have to come away with at least a split this coming week to keep the flame of their playoff hopes flickering. Augsburg had yet another golden opportunity to record a huge week. They upset Bethel on Wednesday night for their third straight win and seemingly had momentum going their way but then came out on the short end of the stick yesterday at home with CSB. They have to at least come out with a split this next week as they go on the road to Macalester on Wednesday night and then go to GAC on Saturday.
1. SMU
2. UST
3. GAC
4. CSB
5. Bethel
6. Concordia
7. St. Olaf
8. Augsburg
9. Macalester
10. St. Kate's
11. Carleton
12. Hamline
I grudgingly give the Cardinals the nod at the top of my power rankings this week but the gap between them and UST is almost non-existent by virtue of the Tommies 76-67 win yesterday down in Winona. I'm not saying that SMU can't recover from this and you still have to think that they'll be in the mix for top honors but it's likely only a matter of time before UST regains the king of the mountain status. The Gusties did what they were supposed to this last week; knocking off both St. Kate's and Carleton and they have two winnable games at home this next week with CSB on Wednesday and Augsburg on Saturday.
Speaking of the Blazers, they came away with a split this last week but a big win at Augsburg yesterday bolstered their hopes. But two stern road tests await them this coming week - at GAC on Wednesday night and then at St. Olaf on Saturday. Bethel remains mired in the fifth spot on this day. Just when you THOUGHT that they had turned the corner with that big win at UST last weekend, they turn around on Wednesday night and drop a 58-56 heartbreaker at Augsburg. They recovered nicely as expected and took care of business against Hamline but those high expectations coming into this season have to be out the window now. The Cobbers came away with a split as well last week but they have a big opportunity to make amends with their next three games all in the friendly confines of Memorial Auditorium and this is where Concordia absolutely has to take care of business to solidify their shaky playoff status.
St. Olaf capped off a good week with their win at St. Kate's yesterday and they showed they can be very dangerous if Afton Wolter is on fire from behind the arc and if Betsey Daly can keep the glass clean. The Oles have two home games coming up this week but, unfortunately for them, they're against two of the upper echelon teams - UST on Wednesday night and CSB on Saturday. My feeling is that the Oles are going to have to come away with at least a split this coming week to keep the flame of their playoff hopes flickering. Augsburg had yet another golden opportunity to record a huge week. They upset Bethel on Wednesday night for their third straight win and seemingly had momentum going their way but then came out on the short end of the stick yesterday at home with CSB. They have to at least come out with a split this next week as they go on the road to Macalester on Wednesday night and then go to GAC on Saturday.
St. Olaf vs St. Kate's 1-16-16
Traveled over to Butler Center on the campus of St. Catherine's University on this frigid Saturday afternoon to take in the contest between visiting St. Olaf and host St. Kate's. The Oles were coming off a home win over Macalester earlier in the week while the Wildcats were in another one of those funky slumps; dropping their last four games including Wednesday night's game at GAC. So somehow St. Kate's had to get this thing turned around - now.
Both teams came up empty on their first few possessions before sophomore guard Meg Clark knocked down a "3" from the left top area at the 7:45 mark. That was matched by Ole senior sharp-shooting guard Afton Wolter with one of her patented three-point bombs from the right top area that tied the score at 3-all. But the Wildcats seemed to settle down once Head Coach Sean Pinkerton shed his sportcoat. Junior forward Mari Lee's score in the paint at the 6:41 mark and a "3" from flashy junior guard/forward LaShay Holt at the 5:12 mark had St. Kate's up 8-3. Holt continued with her hot hand in the latter stages of the opening period. One free throw after being fouled in transition with 3:59 left and her second trey of the day - from the right top area with 3:23 left - opened up a 12-5 advantage and another three-point bomb from the right corner with 2:17 left gave the 'Cats their largest lead of the game at 15-7. A score in the paint by freshman reserve forward Makenna Ash cut St. Olaf's deficit down to five trailing 15-10 but Wildcat senior guard/forward Shauna Horsch connected with a lay-up with :22 left in the first period for a 17-10 St. Kate's lead - just the kind of start that Pinkerton had hoped for.
But Ole Head Coach Dave Stromme had no plans in breaking out any panic button and St. Olaf resourcefully got themselves back into the contest in the opening minutes of the second period. Consecutive scores in the paint by Ash - one at the 9:34 mark and again at the 8:55 mark - cut the Wildcat lead down to three at 17-14. Holt was still feeling it, however, as another "3" - this one from the left corner at the 8:31 mark - got the St. Kate's lead back up to six at 20-14. But the Oles would again respond. One score in the paint by senior forward Zoe Hansen and another Wolter three-point bomb - this one from the right top area at the 7:44 mark - cut the Wildcat lead down to a scant point at 20-19. Meg Clark tried to stave off this comeback attempt from St. Olaf as her "3" from the right top area off of an inbounds pass at the 7:27 mark pushed the St. Kate's lead back up to four at 23-19. But Wolter was just getting warmed up and her teammates knew they had to get her open. Wolter unleashed her third trey of the afternoon - this one coming from the right corner at the 7:01 mark - that pulled the Oles close again trailing 23-22. Two Wolter free throws at the 5:37 mark gave St. Olaf its first lead of the afternoon at 24-23. Fellow senior guard Woo Bandel dropped another freebie with 4:05 left that gave the Oles a 25-23 lead but the Wildcats knotted the issue at 25 when Lee connected with a short jumper from the left side with 3:50 left. St. Olaf would hold small leads of two points over the next minute and were up 29-27 when Holt tied the game for the 'Cats with her lay-up with 2:29 left. Things really got wild in the home stretch after Ash put the Oles up 31-29 with her score in the paint with 2:12 left. Holt hit her fifth trey of the first half when she uncorked a bomb from the right top area with 1:53 left that gave St. Kate's the lead back at 32-31. That lead was short-lived, however, when Ole junior reserve guard Brooke Nyenhuis drained a "3' from the left top area with 1:41 left that put St. Olaf back up 34-32. Holt's lay-up in transition with 1:28 left tied the game for the Wildcats at 34-all. Ole junior reserve guard Kari Keogh banged home a "3" from the top of the key with 1:11 left that put St. Olaf up 37-34 but St. Kate's was able to respond as Lee drilled a "3" of her own from the left top area with :48 left to forge another tie at 37 a piece which is how this wild period ended going into the halftime break. Thanks to Holt's heroics in that first half of being 5-of-5 from three point land and Meg Clark's 2-3 record from behind the arc, the Wildcats shot a blistering 72.7% from behind the arc. But perhaps the most important statistic - at least in my mind anyway - was that St. Olaf held a 20-14 edge in the rebounding department and you could tell that they were having their way in the paint on both ends of the floor.
Despite the problems that St. Kate's was experiencing matching up in the paint with the Oles, they managed to stay right in the thick of things in the early going of the third period. A Meg Clark lay-up at the 9:11 mark and another one by twin sister sophomore guard Audra Clark at the 7:02 mark had the contest knotted at 41 a piece. But the 2-3 "match-up" zone that St. Olaf employed in the second half effectively clogged up the middle and forced the 'Cats to try to beat them with perimeter shooting. Moreover, junior forward Betsey Daly; held scoreless in the first half, broke out of her shell in this second half and gave St. Kate's yet another problem to deal with. The former Rochester Lourdes standout gave the Oles the lead for good at the 6:46 mark with her jumper from the left elbow area at the 6:46 mark and her lay-up with 5:14 left had St. Olaf 45-41. The Wildcats would try to respond when Audra Clark connected with a lay-up of her own at the 5:02 mark but another Daly lay-up with 4:45 left got the lead back up to four at 47-43 and then Wolter uncorked a "3" from the top of the key off of an inbounds pass with 3:31 left that suddenly made it a seven-point game at 50-43. A Holt "3" from the right wing area with 3:01 left closed the gap for St. Kate's down to four trailing 50-46 but senior point Lauren Gutierrez connected with a jumper from the top of the key with 2:46 left and Daly swished a "3" from the top of the key and now St. Olaf was up 55-46. Hansen connected on a jumper in the lane off the glass off of an inbounds pass with 1:21 left and the youngster, Ash, got another score in the paint with :50 left that put the Oles up double digits 59-48 and St. Kate's was clearly under the gun when the third period ended.
St. Olaf wanted to shut the door quickly in the opening minutes of the fourth and final period. Hansen connected with a short jumper off the glass at the 9:39 mark and Wolter showed she was far from finished on this fabulous afternoon for her. She drained a "3" from the right wing area at the 8:56 mark and unleashed her final three-point bomb of the day at the 6:37 mark of the right corner that now had the Oles up 67-51. When Bandel was able to get control of a loose ball and get a lay-up out of it at the 6:13 mark the lead was expanded to 69-51 and the Wildcats were clearly in desperation mode. A Lee score in the paint at the 5:03 mark and another Holt "3" from the left corner with 4:27 mark trimmed the deficit down to thirteen at 69-56 and Pinkerton called a thirty-second timeout in hopes of being able to stave off defeat. But those hopes were quickly dashed when Daly connected with a jumper in the lane off of an inbounds pass with 3:51 left and two Bandel free throws with 2:32 mark made it 73-56 Oles. Holt tried to come to St. Kate's rescue again as she drained her eighth trey of the contest; this one coming from the top of the key with 2:24 left and then also connected with a lay-up in transition with 2:06 left that trimmed the deficit down to twelve at 73-61. The Wildcats were forced to foul now as well and with St. Olaf safely in the bonus it was now time for insurance free throws to seal the deal. Bandel, Wolter, Gutierrez, Daly and Hansen did just that as the Oles took home a 79-69 victory.
Both Pinkerton and Assistant Coach Tim Kjar could only point to defensive lapses and other mistakes that cost the 'Cats dearly on this day. There was hope for this team when they started out 5-0 and also upset UST back in December but this latest January swoon now has St. Kate's backed up against a wall and it's going to take a Herculean effort to get out of this mess. Meanwhile, St. Olaf finished off a good week by winning games that, on paper anyway, they should win. The question now becomes can they find some consistency and big performances by Wolter with her three-point shooting and Daly with her prowess down low to do the dirty work to beat some of these upper-echelon teams? We'll find out this next week as home dates with both UST and CSB await. Wolter led the way for St. Olaf in this contest with her 22 points and going 6 of 10 from behind the arc. Daly; quiet in the first half, exploded onto the scene in the second half and got a double-double; scoring 12 points on the day and, perhaps even more important, snaring 11 rebounds. Despite Holt's ridiculous 33-point performance on this day, the 'Cats cooled off considerably in the second half; shooting only 31.6% from three-point land in the second half and 35.3% from FG range. The Oles easily owned the boards on this day by a 37-26 count as well.
Both teams came up empty on their first few possessions before sophomore guard Meg Clark knocked down a "3" from the left top area at the 7:45 mark. That was matched by Ole senior sharp-shooting guard Afton Wolter with one of her patented three-point bombs from the right top area that tied the score at 3-all. But the Wildcats seemed to settle down once Head Coach Sean Pinkerton shed his sportcoat. Junior forward Mari Lee's score in the paint at the 6:41 mark and a "3" from flashy junior guard/forward LaShay Holt at the 5:12 mark had St. Kate's up 8-3. Holt continued with her hot hand in the latter stages of the opening period. One free throw after being fouled in transition with 3:59 left and her second trey of the day - from the right top area with 3:23 left - opened up a 12-5 advantage and another three-point bomb from the right corner with 2:17 left gave the 'Cats their largest lead of the game at 15-7. A score in the paint by freshman reserve forward Makenna Ash cut St. Olaf's deficit down to five trailing 15-10 but Wildcat senior guard/forward Shauna Horsch connected with a lay-up with :22 left in the first period for a 17-10 St. Kate's lead - just the kind of start that Pinkerton had hoped for.
But Ole Head Coach Dave Stromme had no plans in breaking out any panic button and St. Olaf resourcefully got themselves back into the contest in the opening minutes of the second period. Consecutive scores in the paint by Ash - one at the 9:34 mark and again at the 8:55 mark - cut the Wildcat lead down to three at 17-14. Holt was still feeling it, however, as another "3" - this one from the left corner at the 8:31 mark - got the St. Kate's lead back up to six at 20-14. But the Oles would again respond. One score in the paint by senior forward Zoe Hansen and another Wolter three-point bomb - this one from the right top area at the 7:44 mark - cut the Wildcat lead down to a scant point at 20-19. Meg Clark tried to stave off this comeback attempt from St. Olaf as her "3" from the right top area off of an inbounds pass at the 7:27 mark pushed the St. Kate's lead back up to four at 23-19. But Wolter was just getting warmed up and her teammates knew they had to get her open. Wolter unleashed her third trey of the afternoon - this one coming from the right corner at the 7:01 mark - that pulled the Oles close again trailing 23-22. Two Wolter free throws at the 5:37 mark gave St. Olaf its first lead of the afternoon at 24-23. Fellow senior guard Woo Bandel dropped another freebie with 4:05 left that gave the Oles a 25-23 lead but the Wildcats knotted the issue at 25 when Lee connected with a short jumper from the left side with 3:50 left. St. Olaf would hold small leads of two points over the next minute and were up 29-27 when Holt tied the game for the 'Cats with her lay-up with 2:29 left. Things really got wild in the home stretch after Ash put the Oles up 31-29 with her score in the paint with 2:12 left. Holt hit her fifth trey of the first half when she uncorked a bomb from the right top area with 1:53 left that gave St. Kate's the lead back at 32-31. That lead was short-lived, however, when Ole junior reserve guard Brooke Nyenhuis drained a "3' from the left top area with 1:41 left that put St. Olaf back up 34-32. Holt's lay-up in transition with 1:28 left tied the game for the Wildcats at 34-all. Ole junior reserve guard Kari Keogh banged home a "3" from the top of the key with 1:11 left that put St. Olaf up 37-34 but St. Kate's was able to respond as Lee drilled a "3" of her own from the left top area with :48 left to forge another tie at 37 a piece which is how this wild period ended going into the halftime break. Thanks to Holt's heroics in that first half of being 5-of-5 from three point land and Meg Clark's 2-3 record from behind the arc, the Wildcats shot a blistering 72.7% from behind the arc. But perhaps the most important statistic - at least in my mind anyway - was that St. Olaf held a 20-14 edge in the rebounding department and you could tell that they were having their way in the paint on both ends of the floor.
Despite the problems that St. Kate's was experiencing matching up in the paint with the Oles, they managed to stay right in the thick of things in the early going of the third period. A Meg Clark lay-up at the 9:11 mark and another one by twin sister sophomore guard Audra Clark at the 7:02 mark had the contest knotted at 41 a piece. But the 2-3 "match-up" zone that St. Olaf employed in the second half effectively clogged up the middle and forced the 'Cats to try to beat them with perimeter shooting. Moreover, junior forward Betsey Daly; held scoreless in the first half, broke out of her shell in this second half and gave St. Kate's yet another problem to deal with. The former Rochester Lourdes standout gave the Oles the lead for good at the 6:46 mark with her jumper from the left elbow area at the 6:46 mark and her lay-up with 5:14 left had St. Olaf 45-41. The Wildcats would try to respond when Audra Clark connected with a lay-up of her own at the 5:02 mark but another Daly lay-up with 4:45 left got the lead back up to four at 47-43 and then Wolter uncorked a "3" from the top of the key off of an inbounds pass with 3:31 left that suddenly made it a seven-point game at 50-43. A Holt "3" from the right wing area with 3:01 left closed the gap for St. Kate's down to four trailing 50-46 but senior point Lauren Gutierrez connected with a jumper from the top of the key with 2:46 left and Daly swished a "3" from the top of the key and now St. Olaf was up 55-46. Hansen connected on a jumper in the lane off the glass off of an inbounds pass with 1:21 left and the youngster, Ash, got another score in the paint with :50 left that put the Oles up double digits 59-48 and St. Kate's was clearly under the gun when the third period ended.
St. Olaf wanted to shut the door quickly in the opening minutes of the fourth and final period. Hansen connected with a short jumper off the glass at the 9:39 mark and Wolter showed she was far from finished on this fabulous afternoon for her. She drained a "3" from the right wing area at the 8:56 mark and unleashed her final three-point bomb of the day at the 6:37 mark of the right corner that now had the Oles up 67-51. When Bandel was able to get control of a loose ball and get a lay-up out of it at the 6:13 mark the lead was expanded to 69-51 and the Wildcats were clearly in desperation mode. A Lee score in the paint at the 5:03 mark and another Holt "3" from the left corner with 4:27 mark trimmed the deficit down to thirteen at 69-56 and Pinkerton called a thirty-second timeout in hopes of being able to stave off defeat. But those hopes were quickly dashed when Daly connected with a jumper in the lane off of an inbounds pass with 3:51 left and two Bandel free throws with 2:32 mark made it 73-56 Oles. Holt tried to come to St. Kate's rescue again as she drained her eighth trey of the contest; this one coming from the top of the key with 2:24 left and then also connected with a lay-up in transition with 2:06 left that trimmed the deficit down to twelve at 73-61. The Wildcats were forced to foul now as well and with St. Olaf safely in the bonus it was now time for insurance free throws to seal the deal. Bandel, Wolter, Gutierrez, Daly and Hansen did just that as the Oles took home a 79-69 victory.
Both Pinkerton and Assistant Coach Tim Kjar could only point to defensive lapses and other mistakes that cost the 'Cats dearly on this day. There was hope for this team when they started out 5-0 and also upset UST back in December but this latest January swoon now has St. Kate's backed up against a wall and it's going to take a Herculean effort to get out of this mess. Meanwhile, St. Olaf finished off a good week by winning games that, on paper anyway, they should win. The question now becomes can they find some consistency and big performances by Wolter with her three-point shooting and Daly with her prowess down low to do the dirty work to beat some of these upper-echelon teams? We'll find out this next week as home dates with both UST and CSB await. Wolter led the way for St. Olaf in this contest with her 22 points and going 6 of 10 from behind the arc. Daly; quiet in the first half, exploded onto the scene in the second half and got a double-double; scoring 12 points on the day and, perhaps even more important, snaring 11 rebounds. Despite Holt's ridiculous 33-point performance on this day, the 'Cats cooled off considerably in the second half; shooting only 31.6% from three-point land in the second half and 35.3% from FG range. The Oles easily owned the boards on this day by a 37-26 count as well.
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