MIAC Predictions For The 2023-24 Season

 Have been putting this off a bit longer than I would have liked although the recovery from my surgery back in early September played a part in it.  That and the misfortunes of both my LA Rams and UCLA Bruins this fall haven't helped matters either.  Plus the fact that it's USC week as well.  Anyway, it's time to get down to business and break out that slightly cracked/scratched proverbial crystal ball and unleash some guesses as to how this brand-new season is going to shake out.  So let's get to it.

Title Contenders:

1.  GAC

2.  Concordia

I keep these two at the top - and rightfully so given what they accomplished this last season and what they have coming back.  Naturally, the smart money rides on GAC again and we got a bit of a preview of what to expect from them last night after they rolled past UW-Stout down in St. Peter (11-15).  The thing with the Gusties - at least to me anyway - is that you don't really have one or two players who stand out.  Rather, this is a true collective team effort with a lot of players contributing to the overall success of this team in their own special way.  You've got junior point guard Kylie Baranick who's as steady as they come at running the show and can also slay you from downtown and play great defense on the other end.  Then you've got willowy senior combo guard/forward Emma (not evil) Kniefel who loves to drive and penetrate into the paint for scores along with fellow senior forward Izzy (Izzy Izzy, you're making me dizzy) Quick who can use her length to grab rebounds and wreak havoc on defense and senior guard Syd Hauger who always seems to be in the right place at the right time on either end of the floor.  Head Coach Laurie Kelly also has the luxury of having a great pair of players for duties down low that she can rotate when and where she has to in lanky junior forward Morgan Kelly and fellow junior forward Rachel Kawiecki.  Throw in a pretty solid supporting cast of seniors Riley Queensland and Lexi Schermann and you've got one helluva good team that can not only run roughshod through the conference but could (and probably should) do similar beyond.  I know it's only November and it'd probably be unfair to place a whole lot of pressure on this group but the core returning group knows this may very well be their best shot at making a big run in the postseason and they've got the goods to do it.

Concordia is a tougher team to figure out here and the fact that they dropped a tough one against UW-Whitewater last Friday night and followed that up by getting run out of the gym by host UW-Stevens Point this last Saturday afternoon certainly doesn't bode well for the Cobbers in the big picture.  Yet, I feel like I at least have to give this group the benefit of the doubt here given that we're still in November and a lot of things can still happen.  Unlike GAC, this team does tend to lean on one player but there's good reason to do that as senior guard Emily Beseman proved that last year time and time again as she more than once came to the rescue of her team when they were in deep trouble.  IMHO, she's arguably the best player in the MIAC and the Cobbers will likely lean on her again for point production.  But Head Coach Kim Wagers also surrounds Beseman with pretty good backcourt mates as well in fellow senior guard Maddie Guler and junior guard Carlee Sieben.  And you've got strong junior forward Makayla Anderson who can be a load to handle down low with her quick moves.  The supporting cast is pretty solid as well with sophomore guards Taylor Safranski and Molly Musland along with junior forward Greta Tollefson.  To me, the real disappointment is the absence of junior Symone Beld who had a promising year last season.  However, Wagers may have an answer for that with 6'2" freshman post Maci Wheeldon who hails from the Fargo-Moorhead area (Fargo Davies HS).  You may remember that it took this Concordia team a bit to hit its stride last season and obviously they haven't hit it yet but there's no reason that the Cobbers shouldn't at least be in the conversation as a title contender. 

Battling For The 3rd Spot:

3.  Hamline

4.  CSB

5.  Bethel  

If you're looking for a team that can provide flash and pizazz and light up the scoreboard, you need look no further than the Hamline Pipers and you should expect to see that scoreboard smoking this coming season as Hamline has a variety of ways of coming at you.  They're led by electric senior forward Lydia Lecher who can not only get up and down the floor but can do a lot in the halfcourt as well with all the moves she has at her disposal.  Providing help along the way is fellow senior guard Michaela Stamer who's not afraid to mix it up down low with bigger bodies if she has to.  What's really cool about this team and you can bet that new Head Coach Joshua Hersch really appreciates is that you've got a group of up-and-coming players who are now an integral part of the Piper attack in junior guard Kate Trachsel, sophomore guard Camille Cummings and fellow sophomore guard Sophie Stork.  The supporting cast is solid too with sophomore combo guard/forward Josie Wiebusch and junior forward Kate Van Helden providing some much-needed depth off the bench.  So there's no doubt that Hersch has a lot to work with here.  The bigger question in my mind is can they find improvement on the defensive end where there were obviously issues last season which may have cost them a few games.  If they can strengthen up that end, this may be the team that has the best chance of upsetting the apple cart and getting themselves into position to do something really big.  Of all the three teams I've listed in this group, Hamline is the one team that I trust the most.

At the same time, you cannot count out this CSB team either and Head Coach Mike Durbin obviously has enough weapons in his arsenal to at least be in the conversation and have a decent chance of grabbing that third spot as well.  One of those weapons would be junior guard Sophia Jonas whom Durbin will rely on heavily this season for scoring production.  Then you've also got senior guard Carla Meyer who's as tough as they come in the MIAC.  Lanky junior forward Olivia Boily has improved her game over the summer and will be a much-needed threat down low for the Bennies as well.  But the gnawing issue for this CSB team has been consistency.  This is a team that reeled off five straight wins back in January this last season and promptly followed that up with three straight losses.  So, if the Bennies are to take that next step forward - and they definitely have the capability of doing so - they've got to find some consistency along the way.  

To me, the team in this particular group with the most questions and the most to prove is Bethel.  This is a team that stumbled out of the gate last year; found some solid footing in January but then went into a total tailspin down the stretch; losing nine of their last ten games.  Head Coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer is now back on the sideline after missing most of last season on medical leave but he's got an incredibly young team that's littered with sophomores and freshmen.  The good news is that senior guard Anna Garfield is back and the Royals will lean heavily on her for point production and guard Colette Duininck is one of those aforementioned sophomores who had a promising freshman season and with a year's worth of experience under her belt, that should help make the Bethel backcourt known for its defensive prowess that much better.  But again, just so many questions about this team that need to be answered here.  Yet I'd probably be selling them short if I didn't at least have them in the conversation.  

Fighting For That Sixth Playoff Spot:

6.  St. Kate's

7.  Augsburg

Things were looking good for St. Kate's coming down the home stretch last season before two losses to close out the regular season dashed their MIAC Playoff hopes.  They lost a lot to graduation obviously but Head Coach Don Mulhern's cupboard isn't exactly bare either.  They return perhaps one of the more under-appreciated players in the conference in senior guard Karis Zezza but a trio of younger players bolsters Mulhern's starting line-up as well:  Junior forward Rachel Randleman, fellow junior forward Greta Schimnowski and fellow junior forward Sydney Elliott along with lanky sophomore forward Emme Golembiewski.  But there's also a fresh face on this Wildcat squad who's primed to add a big scoring dimension to this team in freshman guard Hattie Fox who hails from Osceola, WI.  As always, this team can be extremely dangerous and lethal when they're clicking on all cylinders.  But again, as it always seems, depth and the injury bugaboo has haunted this team more than once.  Still, I think Mulhern has enough for his squad to be in the mix here and if they can find some consistency coming down the stretch, this could be a team to keep your eye on.

Augsburg slipped badly last year and the stretch from mid-January to mid-February proved to be a killer for the Auggies.  However, hopes are seemingly somewhat renewed on the east side of Minneapolis as Head Coach Ted Riverso has his primary weapon back and presumably healthy again in senior forward Anja Smith who can seemingly do it all on both ends of the floor with that unique "takeover" ability that few players possess.  Riverso's backcourt appears to be strong as well with speedy senior guard Kalena Myers and fellow seniors Samaiya Buchanan and Katie Manecke.  A supporting cast of senior forward Moriah McLendon and sophomore guard Wakinyela Bear and fellow sophomore forward Amira LaDuke will provide needed relief off the bench.  But there's still a lot of questions surrounding the youngsters and whether this team can shake off the struggles it went through last season to get itself back into the conversation.  You just never know quite for sure what you're going to get from this team and we may have to wait until perhaps mid-January to get a better idea of where they're headed.  Still, a heckuva lot of talent on this team and you can't dismiss that.  

Bringing Up The Rear:

8.  Macalester

9.  St. Olaf

10.  SMU

11.  St. Scholastica

Macalester may very well be the biggest mystery team in the MIAC.  The Scots finished 7-18 last year overall but finished reasonably strong winning three of their last four games.  And Head Coach Katie Kollar has been hitting it hard on the recruiting front as well.  Given this and what they have on the roster this year would suggest that Macalester should be even better this year.  How much "better" does that mean?  Hard to tell right now but they're probably the last team you want to play if you go in with the attitude that you think you're going to get an easy W.  Players to keep your eye on here would include junior guard Jessica Sabbagh and fellow junior combo guard/forward Peyton Starks (the latter who had a big game in their win against Lake Forest last weekend).  

St. Olaf shocked everybody last year (including yours truly) by making an unpredictable run to snare that sixth MIAC Playoff spot last season.  But the Oles arguably had the biggest losses of all to graduation and, on top of that, Interim Head Coach Jasmine Borgmann has now been given the keys to lead the Oles this season.  A trio of juniors to keep your eye on here:  forward Sophia Kormann (the former Maple Grove standout who has the unenviable task of replacing Rachel Kelly down low), guard Sarah Tangen and combo guard/forward Paige Yagodinski who can be deadly behind the arc with her unorthodox shooting style.

Down in Winona, Head Coach David Foley has the unenviable task of trying to replace graduated senior Brooklyn Paulson - and finding some consistency along the way as well.  However, a promising crop of newcomers does provide some hope for the future.  Players to keep your eye on here would include junior guard Izzy Goettelman and lanky sophomore forward Riley Schiernbeck out of Ida Grove, IA who had a solid outing a couple of nights ago against Northland.  

Along the shores of Gitche Gumee up in Duluth, things can only get better for a St. Scholastica team that found wins hard to come by last season.  But Head Coach Jason Schmitz and his squad have already got off on the right foot this season with a win over Crown earlier this month and even though you have to take those so-called "baby steps" in a tough conference like the MIAC, you can bet the Saints are going to be ready to battle each and every outing.  Players to keep your eye on here would include senior guard Katie Vaske and sophomore guard Lexi Imdieke.   

So there you have it.  This should be another fun season with unpredictable twists and turns along the way.  Feel free to fire away with thoughts...... 

Breaking News - Carleton Cancels Its 2023-24 Season

 Just saw on Twitter here a bit ago that Carleton has released an official announcement that it has cancelled its 2023-24 season.  Per the explanation given in the announcement, the decision was made due to the fact that the program had only ten players on the roster and due to injuries at the present time, it only leaves them with six medically-cleared players to operate with - obviously a number too low work with and could possibly compromise the health and safety of the remaining student athletes on the team.  Here's the link for the official announcement:  https://d3hoops.com/notables/2023/11/carleton-women-cancel-season

It's cruelly ironic that, given my own situation after having had surgery on my left foot right after Labor Day and being laid-up as long as I was and that I'm now on the last lap to full recovery that this type of situation would crop up - especially since I'm on vacation this week and was JUST in the process of putting humpty-dumpty together to make my MIAC predictions for the upcoming season - during USC week no less.  First off, my heart aches for the student-athletes involved here on the Carleton team who won't get a chance this season to do what they love doing - through no fault of their own here.  And especially for the designated seniors on this team - Jasmine Choi and Margie Clauss - who may not get a chance to make up for this lost opportunity and that just sucks for them.  If you're AD Gerald Young, you're obviously caught between a rock and a hard place and he had to make the hard decision to pull the plug on the upcoming season knowing that there was simply no way around the situation.  And if you're Head Coach Tammy Metcalf-Filzen who doesn't have to apologize to anyone given her success over the last 20+ years, it's incredibly tough as well because you're trying so hard to keep a delicate situation together as best you can and you've put so much time and work and planning into this season only to see it all crumble due to situations beyond your control.  It's just disappointing and gut-wrenching.  There's no other way to describe it.  

With that all said, now you have to look at the big picture and get an understanding of what this does to everyone else in the conference.  As of the moment, it effectively robs everybody else of two games - two games that, on paper anyway, likely would have been Ws.  From having touched base with a few coaches and others "in the know", I am aware of one idea that's being bandied about is filling those gaps with a conference opponent as a non-conference game.  I'm also aware that there's been some contacts with teams in the UMAC or other neighboring conferences about possible openings that might be able to be filled as well.  Given where we're at time-wise with the beginning of the season, my best guess is that the latter-option might be a tough one to put together with date/time availabilities being extremely limited.  From a discussion that I had with a former coach in the MIAC, the best possible solution might be that first option.  However, to make something like that work effectively, what you'd probably have to do would be to have the top teams play one of the other top 2-3 teams and then pair the middle-of-the-pack teams against each other and then also have the lower-echelon teams do likewise.  Now, again, how effective something like this might be, I don't know.  However, I would be willing to say that doing something like this may prove to be the most beneficial for the upper-echelon teams when it comes to improving their SOS which is so critically important when you're thinking in terms of trying to get into the NCAA Tournament and, at the same time, knowing full and well that with only three non-conference games, your opportunities are limited at best.  Consider, even in a normal situation, your SOS from just conference play alone is never going to be over .500.  And only three non-conference games really doesn't do that much for your SOS - even if you win all of them or go like 2-1.  So, in a back-handed way, this might be one opportunity to take advantage of something that may have not been there before.  

Obviously, if I here any more developments on this situation, I'll definitely let you know.  Feel free to fire away with thoughts.  

Another Season Is Here!

 Another October 15th has come with DIII teams preparing for a brand new season not only in the MIAC and nearby WIAC, ARC and UMAC but all over the country and it's always an exciting time!  I normally am preparing to take in some early season practices this time of year but because I had surgery on my left foot back in early September, I've been hobbled up the last six weeks on crutches and have effectively been a prisoner in my own home.  However, I have my third post-op appointment this coming Thursday (10-19) and will presumably get a modified walking boot that will at least get me mobile again so I can finally get around at get out of the house for a change - own my own.  Hopefully by sometime in early November I should be fully healed up and back to my old self.  I can tell you that these last six weeks have not been a pleasant trip by any stretch.

So I'm hoping I can get to attend a few practices here and there and provide some updates as to what I'm seeing for this upcoming season.  And, of course, I'll break out that proverbial crystal ball and reveal my predictions for this upcoming season in the MIAC.  Stay tuned!   

Great Article From D3Hoops.Com Regarding Selection Criteria For the NCAA Women's DIII Tournament

 As some of you may know, I'm currently recuperating at home after having had surgery back on 9-5 to have a rather bothersome bunion removed from my left foot.  While there's arguably worse things to have surgery for, it's still been incredibly frustrating just getting around my place to do even the simple things.  I'm hopeful that by early/mid-October, I'll be close to as good as new and doing the things that I enjoy once again without the use of crutches which will be nice - including covering the women's basketball scene.  

As you can imagine, I've had ample time to fiddle around on my desktop at home and, in the process, came across an interesting article that was recently posted on the D3 Hoops site regarding the selection criteria for the NCAA DIII Women's Tournament that touches on the areas that I talked about late this last February and early March and it's a good read. 

https://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2023/09/sos-low-key-selection-criterion

One item that's pointed our rather quickly in this article is how the selection and seeding process has shifted over the last few years; where it had seemed to rely more in winning percentage in years past but now has obviously shifted toward the direction of SOS (strength of schedule).  Consider, some of the at-large teams from six or seven years ago had an SOS of .496-.498.  This last season, we saw that the lowest SOS among the at-large teams was at .545 which is telling to say the least.  

But what's interesting is that the author of this article - Scott Peterson - delves deeper into this by pointing out that it's the larger conferences (such as the MIAC) that tend to be more vulnerable as they play 22 regular season games which leaves room for only three non-conference games and makes it much more difficult to raise the overall SOS.  When I look at the GAC schedule for this upcoming season, I really like like the tough, non-conference schedule where they'll open with UW-Stout at home in St. Peter on 11-15 and then a trip to Florida right before the holiday season has them facing a Rhode Island College team that finished 28-4 and made it to the Final 4 last season on 12-20 and then taking on perennial ARC powerhouse Simpson the next day on 12-21.  So there's three games against quality opponents that does give them ample opportunity to strengthen that SOS.  I look at some of the other teams that have their schedules out and right away I can't help but notice that they're not giving themselves enough opportunities to raise that SOS when that becomes a bigger item come mid/late-February.  It's like, yeah, you MAY be able to get away with doing that IF (1) you don't have any "bad" losses during the season and (2) you get to your conference championship game.  A classic example is what happened to Concordia this last season which saw them split their games against regionally-ranked opponents AND get to the MIAC Championship Game which should have been good enough to get them in.  But those "bad" losses to Bethel, Augsburg and St. Kate's ultimately weighed them down in the end.  Which is why I'll feel infinitely better about the following season when the MIAC finally breaks away from the idiotic 22-game regular season which will open up more opportunities on the non-conference front.  

I hope to visit some practices later on this fall and give you full reports of what I'm seeing along with breaking out that trusty old crystal ball with my fearless predictions.   

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 7-26-23

 Another season of the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League came to a close on this Championship Night and here's the results of all the games that took place on this night:

6:15 P.M. Games

GAC Black - 51

Anoka-Ramsey - 44

CSB - 54

UW-River Falls - 47

GAC Gold - 57

Hamline - 45

7:15 P.M. Games

GAC Black - 55

CSB - 45

UW-River Falls - 66

GAC Gold - 47

8:15 P.M. Championship Game

Wash-Ups - 54

Lady Hustlers - 37

This final night of the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League certainly didn't disappoint and an exciting contest took place over on Court 1 in the 6:15 P.M. slot that saw the free-wheeling Anoka-Ramsey team take on the battle-tested and experienced GAC Black team.  Being a decided underdog in this contest didn't bother the young Anoka-Ramsey team as they held a 3-2 advantage at the 6:40 mark of the opening period and they would still hold the upper hand with a 10-8 lead with 2:50 left.  But a 5-0 push down the home stretch gave the speedy and athletic Anoka-Ramsey team a 15-8 lead by the end of the first period.  While a seven-point deficit this early on wasn't necessarily that much to worry about, things grew much more concerning for the GAC Black team once the second period got underway as the Anoka-Ramsey team stretched their lead to 21-12 at the 7:00 mark and by the midway point of the second period, the Anoka-Ramsey team established a ten-point cushion at 25-15 and it looked as if the GAC Black team might be in some serious trouble.  But the GAC Black team refused to break out the proverbial panic button and instead unleashed a 6-0 push that had them right back in the thick of things again down 25-21 with 2:10 left and they would stay within striking distance down 28-23 by the halftime break.  Still, the Anoka-Ramsey team would show some more spunk; upping their lead to 33-26 at the 7:25 mark of the third period and they would still have some breathing room up 35-29 with 3:35 left.  But again the GAC Black team refused to panic and quickly got the deficit down to two points at 35-33 with :30 left and were still within a single possession down 36-33 at the end of the third period.  Unlike the night before, the Anoka-Ramsey team was unable to sustain its earlier momentum and this allowed the GAC Black team to exploit the situation; going on a 12-3 run that changed the complexion of this game for good and gave them a 45-39 lead by the midway point of the fourth period.  The GAC Black team would use its trademark defense to choke off any opportunities for the Anoka-Ramsey team as they still held that same 45-39 lead with 2:52 left.  Insurance free throws by junior-to-be Kylie Baranick upped the GAC Black team's lead to 49-42 with 1:15 left as they got an impressive come-from-behind victory........Another wild and wooly affair was taking place over on Court 2 in the 6:15 P.M. time slot that saw the CSB team taking on the UW-River Falls team in a clash of two evenly-matched opponents.  The UW-River Falls team would hold a 3-2 advantage by the midway portion of the opening period as both teams struggled a little bit out of the gate but the UW-River Falls team would recover quicker as they built their lead to 7-2 with 3:25 left although the CSB would finally shake off its cobwebs and get some offense going down the stretch to close the gap to four down 14-10 by the end of the first period.  The UW-River Falls team would get a big boost early on in the second period on a three-point bomb that got their lead out to 17-10 but the CSB team was not going to be going quietly into the night on this occasion as they closed the gap to four down 19-15 near the midway juncture of the second period and by the halftime break, the CSB team was down only a single possession at 25-22.  The CSB team had momentum on its side by this point and they quickly got this game leveled at 25 at the 9:15 mark of the third period and this contest would still be tied at 33 a piece near the midway point.  With 4:15 left, the game would still be knotted at 36 before the UW-River Falls team could take a brief 38-36 lead with 1:35 left.  But "brief" is probably the word for it as the CSB team unleashed a key 8-0 run that now had them up 44-38 by the end of the third period.  To their credit, the UW-River Falls team got this one tightened up again as they closed the gap to two points down 44-42 by the 7:45 mark of the fourth period and they would eventually get this contest leveled again at 44 a piece by the 6:10 mark.  But down the stretch, the UW-River Falls team ran out of gas and that allowed the CSB team to assume the lead again for good at 46-44 with 4:15 left and they were able to close this one out to claim a hard-earned victory.........Over on Court 3, two old MIAC rivals were going at it with the Hamline team taking on the GAC Gold team.  The GAC Gold team would hold a 5-2 lead near the midway point of the opening period but they would get things stretched out to 14-6 with 2:10 left and they would maintain this eight-point cushion at 16-8 by the end of the first period.  The GAC Gold team would gradually get its lead to double-digits once the second period got going; enjoying a 25-13 advantage midway through the second period and a tough score in the paint by junior-to-be Rachel Kawiecki gave the GAC Gold team a 27-13 lead with 4:17 left.  But the Hamline team, which had struggled on both ends of the floor thus far, finally found its trademark spunk and unleashed a 9-0 run down the stretch that cut the GAC Gold advantage to 27-22 by the halftime break.  Even though the GAC Gold team was able to establish a bit more breathing room with a 31-22 lead by the 8:00 mark of the 3rd period, this pesky Hamline team again would make inroads and get things slimmed down again to just five down 33-28 near the midway point of the third period.  With 3:50 left, it looked as if the GAC Gold team might be in some serious trouble clinging to a 33-30 advantage but the momentum ride that the Hamline team was riding on suddenly ran out of fuel and that allowed the GAC Gold lead to get on a run that saw them re-establish a double-digit advantage at 44-36 by the end of the third period.  The GAC Gold team upped their lead to 50-36 midway through the fourth period as they coasted to the win.

Two interesting games in the 7:15 P.M. slot.  Over on Court 1, two winners from the earlier time slot - the GAC Black team and the CSB team - two old MIAC rivals that know each other very well went at it.  And the GAC Black team would get a big early lift on a three-point bomb by the aforementioned Baranick at the 7:50 mark of the opening period that put them up 3-2 but a battle-tested CSB team would come right back and forge a 12-7 advantage by the midway point and they would stretch that lead to 15-7 with 3:45 left.  By the end of the first period anyway, things were pointing the CSB team's way with a 19-13 lead.  But it wouldn't take long for the GAC Black team to shake whatever doldrums had been holding them back as they quickly closed the gap to one on a 5-0 push by the 8:20 mark of the second period down just 19-18.  A lay-up by senior-to-be Syd Hauger would keep the GAC Black team right in the thick of things down 22-20 at the 6:55 mark.  Then the GAC Black team would embark on a 6-0 push that would put them up 26-22 near the midway point of the second period and although the CSB would close the gap to just one down 26-25 with 3:33 left, the GAC Black team would finish up this second period on a 4-0 push that gave them a bit more breathing room up 30-25 at the halftime break.  The CSB team would make another bid to close the gap once the third period got going; closing to within a single possession down 35-32 by the 8:00 mark but then the GAC Black team would launch a game-changing run that had their lead to 39-32 by the midway point of the third period and the CSB team was never able to fully recover from that.  With 2:30 left, the GAC Black team had upped its lead to 45-36 and they still had a seven-point advantage at 47-40 by the end of the third period.  It didn't take the GAC Black team to start pulling away once the fourth period started as they established a cozy fourteen point lead at 54-40 by the 7:30 mark and with 4:00 left, they enjoyed a 55-43 lead and got the win to close out a strong summer league for them........Over on Court 2, the GAC Gold team was taking on the UW-River Falls team and the latter was looking for some redemption after the disappointment in the earlier time slot.  Both teams would trade three-point bombs in the early going of the opening period and by the midway point of the first period, the GAC Gold team would hold a slim 8-7 advantage.  But the UW-River Falls team would get its high-octane offense rolling and with 2:00 left they would hold a 14-10 advantage and they would increase that lead to 19-13 by the end of the first period.  The UW-River Falls team would up its lead to 21-13 in the early moments of the second period and by the midway point of the second period, the UW-River Falls team had a ten-point cushion at 25-15.  Meanwhile, the GAC Gold team finally shook off the cobwebs that had been hampering them and cut the deficit down to seven down 27-20 with 1:00 left and by the halftime break, the GAC Gold team managed to slice one more point off that deficit down 27-21.  The GAC Gold team managed to squeeze further; getting the deficit down to five points down 29-24 at the 8:00 mark of the third period and stayed in that five-point range down 37-32 with 3:30 left.  With 2:25 left, the GAC Gold would get a big boost when sophomore-to-be Rylie Schnell drained a "3" that helped cut the deficit down to four down 39-35 and there still seemed to be hope when the GAC Gold was in the six-point range down 41-35 by the end of the third period.  But any momentum that the GAC Gold team may have had vanished into thin air once the fourth period got going as the UW-River Falls team turned up the heat and started getting separation; upping their lead to 44-37 by the 8:10 mark and by the midway point, the UW-River Falls team was putting the finishing touches on this one with a sixteen-point advantage up 53-37 as the cruised to an easy win to end a good summer league for them.  

Of course, the big enchilada on this night was the Championship Game in the 8:15 P.M. slot on Court 1 that pitted arguably the two best teams in this year's Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League - the Lady Hustlers team and the Wash-Ups team.  A nice crowd had gathered for this one and you could just tell by the vibes that both teams were ready to rock and roll.  But it would be the Wash-Ups team with the swag coming out of the gate as they totally befuddled their opponent as they came out on fire with two three-point bombs that had them up 6-0 by the 8:36 mark of the opening period and by the midway point of the first period, the Wash-Ups team would increase that lead to 8-0.  A bit later, the Wash-Ups teams would up its lead to 10-0 when Macy Hatlestad (UST '21) knocked down a mid-range jumper from the top and the situation would continue to become even more dire for the Lady Hustlers team as they kept misfiring and missing seemingly easy lay-ups.  With 4:36 left, the Wash-Ups team increased its lead to 13-0 and with 2:00 left, that lead would increase to 15-0.  The Wash-Ups team would eventually get their lead up to a shocking 20-0 before the Lady Hustlers team finally dusted off the net on its basket at the tail end of the opening period.  The Lady Hustlers team finally found some semblance of offense once the second period got going but they were unable to slow down the potent attack of the Wash-Ups team that kept throwing daggers on this night as they would enjoy a 24-10 advantage at the 7:45 mark and would maintain this fourteen-point edge with a 26-12 lead near the midway point of the second period.  The Lady Hustlers team was able to trim the deficit down to eleven points at 26-15 with 2:45 left but they could not get back into single-digit range.  And the Wash-Ups team got a big insurance three-point bomb by former UST and Lester Prairie standout Madi Radtke at the buzzer from the left corner that gave them a cozy 33-17 lead at the halftime break.  The Lady Hustlers team would make another bid to crawl back into this contest as they had the deficit trimmed back down to eleven points again down 33-22 by the 8:10 mark of the third period but once again they would be turned back by a determined Wash-Ups team and Radtke would come through big time again with a sweet steal and lay-up the other way that would give them a 38-22 lead at the 6:13 mark.  With 2:40 left in the third period, the Wash-Ups team would still be in firm control with a 40-25 advantage and they would still hold a commanding 42-29 lead by the end of the third period.  The Lady Hustlers team would desperately try and find one more burst of magic once the fourth period got going but making a serious dent in the cushion was slowly but surely becoming a bridge too far as they would still trail by thirteen down 45-32 by the 7:45 mark and they could only shave off one point off the deficit near the midway juncture of the fourth period down 45-33.  By this point, the Wash-Ups team could smell blood and closed in for the kill; increasing their lead to 49-33 with 4:02 left and 53-35 with 1:10 left and the celebration was on for them with sweet victory at the end!

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Tuesday 7-25-23

 Here's a review of the opening playoff games I was able to cover on this last Tuesday evening over at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League:

6:15 P.M. Games

Anoka-Ramsey - 47

Northwestern - 42

Hamline - 44

Luther - 30

7:15 P.M. Games

GAC Black - 59

UW-Eau Claire - 44

UW-River Falls - 58

Bethel - 35

GAC Gold - 50

St. Scholastica - 37

Only two games in the 6:15 P.M. slot on this night but the drama that unfolded on Court 1 more than made up for it and was easily the best game on this Tuesday night as the Anoka-Ramsey team and the Northwestern team went at it.  The Northwestern team would have the upper hand early on; grabbing an early 3-0 lead on a three-point bomb right off the bat and they would hold a 3-2 advantage by the 7:30 mark of the first period.  But this tricky and unpredictable Anoka-Ramsey team would provide a hint of things to come later on as they would forge ahead 6-4 near the midway point of the first period.  The Northwestern team would have a strong response to this first challenge as they would go on a 7-0 push to hold an 11-6 advantage lead with 1:20 left and they would maintain this five-point edge up 13-8 by the end of the first period.  The Northwestern team would hold this same lead at the 7:30 mark of the second period and they would be able to gradually stretch this lead out a bit up 19-11 with 3:10 left although the pesky Anoka-Ramsey team would manage to whittle the deficit back down to five points at 20-15 by the halftime break.  The Northwestern team would again up its lead once the third period got underway at 22-15 by the 8:00 mark and they would be holding this same 22-15 advantage by the midway juncture of the third period.  For a brief moment, it appeared that the Northwestern team had finally managed to shake their opponent when they got their lead to nine at 26-15 but once again, the Anoka-Ramsey team had vastly different ideas and they would unleash back-to-back three-pint bombs to cut the Northwestern team's lead to 26-21 with 3:40 left.  Even though the Northwestern team would build a bit more breathing room by the end of the third period up 33-27, you just had a feeling that this would be a tenuous lead.  That notion was reinforced once the fourth period got going as the Northwestern teams lead would be cut to four at 38-34 by the 7:45 mark and by the midway point of the fourth period, the Anoka-Ramsey team had finally crawled back to within a single possession down 40-37.  With 3:45 left, things definitely started looking dangerous for this Northwestern team as their lead was down to a scant point at 40-39 and even though they would hold a 42-40 lead with 1:20 left in regulation, this Anoka-Ramsey team which had come up short on several other occasions would finally break through.  With just under a minute left, they would get this game tied at 42 a piece and a nifty lay-up and an "and one" with :35 left finally pushed the Anoka-Ramsey team up for good at 45-42.  They would add one insurance score in the waning moments as they came away with a big upset victory........Over on Court 3, an interesting clash was taking place between the Hamline team and the Luther team and although it lacked the drama that was going down on Court 1, it still was a fun one to watch.  The Hamline team would assume an early 4-2 lead by the 8:15 mark of the opening period and they would eventually get that lead stretched out to 8-2 when sophomore-to-be and former Centennial standout Camille Cummings connected on a pretty lay-up near the midway point of the first period.  With 1:20 left, the Hamline team established a ten-point cushion at 14-4 and by the end of the first period, the Hamline lead was at 16-7.  Things would continue to go the Hamline team's way once the second period got going and they would enjoy a 25-11 advantage midway through the second period and by the halftime break, that lead would grow to 28-11.  By the 8:00 mark of the third period, the Hamline team was now sitting on a cushy twenty-point cushion up 31-11 that would only continue to grow as they would be up 35-13 with 3:20 left in the third period and by the end of the third period, the lead had ballooned to 40-15.  The Luther team finally found some semblance of offense once the fourth period got going as they had the deficit down to eighteen points at 40-22 but they had dug themselves into way too deep of a hole as the Hamline team had things in cruise control the rest of the way.

A full slate of games in the 7:15 P.M. slot and over on Court 1, a much-anticipated match-up between the GAC Black team and the UW-Eau Claire team was taking place.  The UW-Eau Claire team would hold a slim 4-3 advantage at the 7:50 mark of the opening period and they would still be clinging to that one-point edge at 12-11 with 3:10 left.  But the GAC Black team would turn the tables on their opponent as they would fight back and grab a one-point lead of their own at 14-13 by the end of the first period.  But the GAC Black team was leaving nothing to chance and they started to get some separation once the second period got underway; and a key 12-1 push had them up 26-14 midway through the second period.  With just 1:00 left in the second period, the GAC Black team had grown its lead to 33-17 and by the halftime break, they would add one insurance score to be holding a 35-17 advantage.  But before anyone could count out the UW-Eau Claire team, they were able to make a big run of their own once the third period got underway; trimming the deficit to fourteen at 37-23 by the 8:15 mark and with 3:30 left in the third period, the once-sizable lead by the GAC Black team had been cut to four at 41-37.  Things definitely looked precarious for the GAC Black team when the UW-Eau Claire team finally crawled back to within a single possession down 41-39 with 2:55 left but when challenged, the GAC Black team held firm and a big "3" by senior-to-be Syd Hauger helped get the GAC Black team a bit more breathing room up 46-39 by the end of the third period.  Curiously, the UW-Eau Claire team was never able to recover from that near-miss and the GAC Black team was able to grow its lead again; up 50-39 midway through the fourth period enroute to the victory.......The battle ensuing over on Court 2 was another MIAC/WIAC clash - a rematch between the Bethel team and the UW-River Falls team from just a few weeks ago.  And this game would pretty much follow the same pattern as the one before; although you didn't exactly need an abacus to keep track of things at the beginning.  The UW-River Falls team would hold a 2-0 lead at the 6:50 mark of the first period and would be up 5-2 by the midway point.  By the end of the first period, both teams started showing more offensive prowess but it would be the UW-River Falls team holding a 13-8 advantage.  The UW-River Falls team kicked things into second gear in the second period; getting their lead to 23-12 near the midway point and by the halftime break, they had increased that lead to 27-15.  The Bethel team continued to struggle offensively and the UW-River Falls team would take advantage getting their lead to 31-18 by the 7:10 mark before the Bethel team could finally launch a bit of a push to get things back into single-digit range down 31-23 near the midway point of the third period.  But the Bethel team was unable to sustain this momentum and the UW-River Falls team got things going again down the stretch to get a double-digit advantage once again at 39-27 by the end of the third period.  The UW-River Falls team would hold a 43-30 lead by the 7:45 mark of the fourth period and would stretch it out to 50-34 by the midway point of the fourth period as they would roll to an easy win...........Over on Court 3, the GAC Gold team was taking on the St. Scholastica team and the latter would hold a 4-3 advantage at the 6:12 mark of the opening period but the GAC Gold team would have the better of things down the stretch of this opening period as they would be up 11-8 by the end of the first period.  The GAC Gold team would maintain this three-point edge up 13-10 midway through the second period but the St. Scholastica team would get this contest leveled at 13 a piece with 3:50 left on a pretty drive and finish by graduated senior Katie Vaske.  But again it would be the GAC Gold team finishing strong as they would hold a 19-15 lead by the halftime break.  This game would continue to be close with the GAC Gold team holding a 21-17 lead by the 7:30 mark of the third period but things would start getting away from the St. Scholastica team as the GAC Gold team would get on a bit of a run that stretched their lead to 32-23 by the end of the third period.  The GAC Gold would start running away with this one once the fourth period got underway; holding a twenty-point cushion at 43-23 midway through as they cruised down the stretch.  

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 7-12-23

 Definitely a fun night with some great games on this Wednesday night!  

6:15 P.M. Games

Hamline - 40

St. Kate's - 39

CSB - 66

Retired Athletes -38

GAC Black - 38

Anoka-Ramsey - 34  OT

7:15 P.M. Games

UW-Eau Claire - 90

Guards Of The Galaxy - 76

Wash-Ups - 78

Luther - 28

UW-River Falls - 61

Bethel - 35

The 6:15 P.M. slot on this Wednesday nigh certainly didn't disappoint with two great games going on - one of them on Court 1 that saw the St. Kate's team taking on the Hamline team in a battle of MIAC rivals that know each other very well.  The St. Kate's team got off to a solid start in this one; grabbing a 4-0 lead by the 8:45 mark of the opening period and they would still have that four-point edge up 6-2 with 3:50 left in the first period.  The Hamline team; which struggled out of the gate in this one, finally found its shooting touch and got some offense going down the stretch of the opening period but still trailed 11-8 by the end of the first period.  Undeterred, the Hamline team would poke its nose out in front by the midway juncture of the second period at 15-13 and they get some more breathing room with a 20-15 advantage with 1:25 left.  But the St. Kate's team was not going to stay down for long as they embarked on a 6-2 push down the stretch that had them right back in the thick of things down just 22-21 by the halftime break.  With its newfound momentum, the St. Kate's team would go on a 9-2 run that had them up 30-24 near the midway point of the third period but you knew the Hamline team wasn't going anywhere either and they quickly clawed their way right back into it as they had the deficit down to two at 32-30 with 1:45 left in the third period and by the end of the third period, the St. Kate's team was still clinging to that two-point lead at 34-32.  The St. Kate's team would still hold a slight upper hand once the fourth period got going and by the midway point of the fourth period, they would still have that two-point edge up 39-37 but the never-say-die Hamline team got this one leveled at 39 with just over 3:00 remaining in regulation and with 1:45 left things were still up in the air with this contest still deadlocked at 39.  The Hamline team would be the benefactor of a free throw that would put them up 40-39 and although the St. Kate's teams would have a handful of opportunities to steal the W - including a heave-ho desperation shot in the waning seconds, the Hamline team held on for a thrilling and fun win.......Over on Court 2, the Retired Athletes team was taking on the CSB team and although the Retired Athletes team got off to a good start in this one; taking a 5-0 lead early on thank to a "3" by Danielle Schaub (Sioux Falls '22) and would manage to grow that lead to 9-2 by the 6:50 mark of the first period, things started to go slowly south for them as the CSB cleverly worked their way back into this one; leveling the contest at 13 a piece with 3:50 left and just before the buzzer that ended this first period, the CSB team would connect on a lay-up that would put them ahead to stay at 15-13.  Things would still be relatively close once the second period got going with the CSB team up 17-14 by the 6:08 mark of the second period and they would hold a 23-17 lead with 3:50 left but the home stretch saw the Retired Athletes team dig themselves into a hole they would not be able to crawl out of as the CSB team would hold a 28-19 advantage with 1:50 left and by the halftime break, the CSB team had established a cozy 34-21 lead.  The CSB team would hold a 28-16 lead by the 7:45 mark of the third period and by the midway point of the third period, the CSB team's lead had ballooned to 42-26.  By the end of the third period, the CSB team was enjoying a 48-33 advantage and at the midway point of the fourth period, there was little doubt as to how this one was going to end with the CSB team up 55-35 as they cruised to an easy win.......The other wild game of the night took place on Court 3 that featured an intriguing matchup between the Anoka-Ramsey team and the GAC Black team.  The Anoka-Ramsey team would use its speed and athleticism to grab a 4-0 lead by the 8:00 mark of the opening period and they would maintain this four-point edge with a 6-2 lead near the midway point of the first period.  The Anoka-Ramsey team would hold a 13-8 lead with :45 left in the first period but a daring coast-to-coast drive and finish by junior-to-be Kylie Baranick in the closing seconds got the GAC Black team back to within a single possession down 13-10 at the end of the first period.  But the Anoka-Ramsey team would still manage to hold the upper hand in this contest as they would be up 15-11 near the midway point of the second period and would hold a 21-16 lead with 1:15 left.  A resourceful GAC Black team, however, would get a late score to stay within a single possession down just 21-18 by the halftime break.  The Anoka-Ramsey team's lead would be cut to 21-20 by the 7:50 mark of the third period and the GAC Black team would finally poke its nose out in front when senior-to-be Izzy (Izzy Izzy, you're making me dizzy) Quick connected on a lay-up in transition at the 6:30 mark that now had the GAC Black team up 23-22.  The GAC Black team would still be clinging to this one-poing edge at 24-23 with 1:55 left but the Anoka-Ramsey team would retake the lead at 25-24 with 1:20 left and they would hold this lead by the end of the third period.  The GAC Black team would come right back and snare that lead away at 30-29 by the 7:30 mark of the fourth period and they would hold the upper hand with 3:30 left up 32-30.  But a gamey Anoka-Ramsey team would not go quietly into the night without a fight and they would retake the lead at 34-33 with just :44 left in regulation.  Baranick would come through for the GAC Black team; getting one free throw to go down with :34 left that leveled the contest and neither team could connect in the waning seconds so off to overtime we went.  In the extra session, the GAC Black team would get a big lift from Quick as the former Champlin Park standout would make a hard drive for a finish with 1:50 left to make it a 36-34 ballgame and Baranick would get a couple of insurance free throws with :19 left as the GAC Black team held on for an exciting and fun win.

Over on Court 1 in the 7:15 P.M. slot, the storyline here was who could light up the scoreboard the most as this battle between the Guards Of The Galaxy team and the UW-Eau Claire team was a scoring fest from the get-go with any real defensive tactics sitting in the audience.  The UW-Eau Claire team would hold a 6-5 lead by the 8:30 mark of the opening period and they would still have the upper hand with an 11-9 advantage by the midway point of the first period.  The UW-Eau Claire team would hold an 18-15 edge with 2:00 left and by the end of the first period, they would have a bit more breathing room with a 24-20 lead. Things appeared to be going good for the UW-Eau Claire team as they stretched the lead to 27-20 early in the second period but then the Guards Of The Galaxy team put things into second gear; going on a big run that enabled them to take a 35-31 lead by the midway point of the second period.  A lay-up by Alison Hinck (GAC '21) had the Guards Of The Galaxy team up 40-36 with 4:07 left.  Although that lead would be trimmed to 42-40 with 1:50 left, Hinck - the former White Bear Lake standout - buried a three-point bomb with :25 left to make it a 45-40 game but right back came the UW-Eau Claire team as they would get a "3" of their own to go down right before the buzzer that trimmed the Galaxy Of The Guards team's lead to 45-43 at the halftime break.  The Galaxy Of The Guards team got another big lift when Marisa Gustafson (GAC '21) drained a pretty "3" of her own that had them up 48-43 early on in the third period but the UW-Eau Claire team would come right back and grab a 58-56 lead midway through the third period.  The Guards Of The Galaxy team would answer and get this contest knotted up at 62 with 2:25 left and by the end of the third period, things were up in the air with this game leveled at 64.  But things would slowly go south for the Guards Of The Galaxy team as they seemed to run out of petro once the fourth period got going.  The UW-Eau Claire team would own a 72-68 lead near the midway point of the fourth period and that lead would grow to 76-68 with 4:15 left.  With 2:45 left, the UW-Eau Claire team was crusing up 83-68 as they would claim not only the win but likely the highest scoring output thus far in the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League.......No such drama over on Court 2 that saw the Luther team taking on the Wash-Ups team and it didn't take long to see how things were going to flow in this one with the latter up 5-0 by the 7:43 mark of the opening period.  With 2:20 left, the Wash-Ups team's lead ballooned to 20-2 and by the end of the first period, the Wash-Ups team was rolling up 25-4.  That lead would grow to 29-4 early on in the second period and with 3:15 left, the Wash-Ups team was enjoying a 38-11 advantage and although the Luther team would find some semblance of offense down the stretch, they were still staring at a 48-16 deficit by the halftime break.  Not much would change in this one with the Wash-Ups team up 46-20 midway through the third period and by the end of the third period, that lead had grown to 57-23.  By the midway point of the fourth period, things were pretty much academic with the Wash-Ups team enjoying a 69-23 lead as they had things in cruise control the rest of the way.......It was a similar story over on Court 3 in this time slot that featured a clash between MIAC and WIAC opponents that saw the Bethel team taking on the UW-River Falls team.  It didn't take long for the UW-River Falls team to unleash its offensive prowess as they took a somewhat surprising 7-0 lead by the midway point of the first period and by the end of the first period, the UW-River Falls team would be enjoying a 15-6 advantage.  By the midway point of the second period, the UW-River Falls team was cruising; up 26-8 and although the Bethel team finally got a little something going on offense, they still could not slow the potent attack of the UW-River Falls team as they would be up 34-16 with 1:20 left and by the halftime break, the UW-River Falls team had a seemingly insurmountable 37-18 advantage.  The UW-River Falls team would be up 39-18 early on in the third period and with 3:00 left, they would hold a 45-26 lead.  The Bethel team got a lift on a "3" by senior-to-be Anna Garfield late in the third period but they were still on the wrong end of a 47-33 score once the fourth period began.  The UW-River Falls team would be holding on to this same lead by the 7:20 mark of the fourth period as they rolled to a big win.

This coming night is the final night of the regular season and I'll have to miss this week as I'm on vacation enjoying myself 😁.  However, I'll be back as playoff action will commence the following Tuesday (7-25) with Championship night on Wednesday (7-26).