South. West. Southwest. Southwest State. Southwest Minnesota State. You know, the NSIC men's basketball playoff champion. Southwest State.
Oh! OK, I get it now. Southwest State. But, they what? They...champion...what?
Men's basketball playoff champion!? I did not see that coming. Picked for 8th place in the pre-season coach's poll, the Mustangs won 9 of 10 down the stretch to sneak into the #3, er, ah, make that #2 seed in the NSIC. But the #2 seemed a little bit tainted. I mean, they were really #3 but bumped up a slot due to the penalties to Winona State that dropped the Warriors from #1 to #6.
Not to mention that in a topsy turvy NSIC race, Bemidji State and Moorhead State were making moves at the same time as Southwest State. Bemidji won 10 of 12 from the middle of January to steal the #1 seed, and Moorhead won 5 in a row in the 1st 2 weeks of February to move up in the ranks.
So I totally missed South...ah, who? But indeed they won 9 of 10 including wins at Mankato State and St. Cloud State and there they were, #2. But, it's gotta be said, nobody with anywhere near a 1st team all-conference resume. Juniors Jordan Miller and Nick Smith are the leading scorers with 14 and 12 ppg. Smith gets 5 rebounds and sophomore Vinard Birch 3 assists. But, wait, here's something. Smith is #3 with 1.6 blocks, and Birch is #4 in assist-turnover ratio, also at 1.6.
But nobody is indispensible, or so it seems. Miller leads the team in minutes at 28 per game, ranked just #30 in the conference.
But there it is. #2. And with that comes a winnable 1st round game vs. #7 UMD at home, and indeed a 99-92 win. UMD led 81-77 with 6:22 remaining but a 7-0 run gave SMSU a lead that it never relinquished. Matt Zager and Lavione West scored career-highs of 21 and 19 points.
SMSU was expected to bow out gracefully in round 2 against #1/#6 Winona State, who had already beaten the Mustangs twice. But you know what they say, and Southwest prevailed in a 69-64 shocker. The Mustangs again trailed for long parts of the game, but this time they took the lead for good at 41-40 with 14 minutes to go. West scored 17 points including 7-of-7 FTs. Miller and Smith added 13 and 11.
So, in today's final SMSU faced Moorhead State, another team whom the Mustangs had failed to defeat during the regular season. No matter. Trailing 59-48 with 10 minutes remaining, Southwest went on a 24-4 rampage which it extended to 40-18 over 16 minutes. Smith scored 13 points with 6 boards during the big run, en route to his 1st career double-double with 21 points and 10 boards. West, named tournament MVP, added 16 points and 5 boards.
NCAA D2 Pairings
The NCAA D2 pairings were announced tonight. 4 Minnesota men's teams advance, though they'll be down to 2 lickity split. Southwest State will face Moorhead again and Bemidji will play St. Cloud, both at Golden, CO. Augustana of the NSIC is in Golden as well, along with 3 teams from the Rocky Mountain Conference. Colorado Mines is the #1 seed and host for this pod.
Winona State, for its part, ended up being treated like a #6 seed and not a #1 seed. They, in short, were left out despite winning the regular season NSIC title.
I'm picking 2 upsets with Moorhead and St. Cloud making it to the regional final, and St. Cloud to take it all.
And Among the Women
Well, you'll recall that schools outside of Minnesota dominated both the regular season and the playoffs among the NSIC women. And so it's a bit of a surprise that Minnesota teams Mankato State and UMD both got invited to the Wayne, NE, pod. #8 Mankato gets #1 and host and NSIC champion Wayne State, while #7 UMD gets #2 seed Metro State. These 2 have a very very tough row to hoe.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
The Big Game 3-3-12: Girls Sectionals Go Mostly According to Plan
Who says the folks doing the seeding don't know what they're doing? It was the biggest day of girls post-season play, and the favorites (and the folks who made them so) came away smelling like roses.
The only major upset came in Class AAA where #7-rated Holy Family upset #4 Benilde-St. Margaret's 55-53, barely holding on to a 12 point half-time lead. Hannah Schonhardt had 19 for Holy Family, Josie Dillon the same for Benilde. Benilde has been without Gopher recruit Grace Coughlin down the stretch and remained so last night. The Red Knights finish up at 23-5.
Otherwise, the big double-headers went according to plan. Meaning Hopkins and Wayzata advance in section 6AAAA and Eden Prairie and Edina do the same in 2AAAA,
Hopkins 80 Minnetonka 51. I have been unable to find any details on this game but at 80-51, what is there to say?
Wayzata 53 Cooper 48. This one was close, Cooper trailing 49-47 inside of 1 minute with the ball and a chance to tie. Mariah Grossfeld led Wayzata with 24 points and 14 boards.
Eden Prairie 65 Kennedy 51. Jackie Johnson scored 25 with 10 boards and Shayne Mullaney 23 wth 7 for EP, Kanesha Bell had 17 for Kennedy.
Edina beat Prior Lake 66-52 in a game that was closer than that. Katybeth Biewen and MC McGrory led Edina as always with 23 and 22 points. Biewen added 8 boards.
Among the boys, Mpls. Washburn beat St. Paul Johnson in the TC game 90-89. Johnson led most of the 2nd half after a 26-6 run turned a 12-point deficit into an 8-point lead. Washburn got within 80-78, then fell back to 89-82 with 1:30 to play. But Washburn's Jerry Pratt rebounded his own miss and put it back in with 1 second remaining. Marcus Marshall scored 30 for Johnson, Pratt 22 for the Millers.
Player of the Day
Cannot choose 1. How about a starting 5? Jackie Johnson, Mariah Grossfeld, Shayne Mullaney, Katybeth Biewen, MC McGrory.
Coach of the Day
Reggie Perkins, Mpls. Washburn boys
The only major upset came in Class AAA where #7-rated Holy Family upset #4 Benilde-St. Margaret's 55-53, barely holding on to a 12 point half-time lead. Hannah Schonhardt had 19 for Holy Family, Josie Dillon the same for Benilde. Benilde has been without Gopher recruit Grace Coughlin down the stretch and remained so last night. The Red Knights finish up at 23-5.
Otherwise, the big double-headers went according to plan. Meaning Hopkins and Wayzata advance in section 6AAAA and Eden Prairie and Edina do the same in 2AAAA,
Hopkins 80 Minnetonka 51. I have been unable to find any details on this game but at 80-51, what is there to say?
Wayzata 53 Cooper 48. This one was close, Cooper trailing 49-47 inside of 1 minute with the ball and a chance to tie. Mariah Grossfeld led Wayzata with 24 points and 14 boards.
Eden Prairie 65 Kennedy 51. Jackie Johnson scored 25 with 10 boards and Shayne Mullaney 23 wth 7 for EP, Kanesha Bell had 17 for Kennedy.
Edina beat Prior Lake 66-52 in a game that was closer than that. Katybeth Biewen and MC McGrory led Edina as always with 23 and 22 points. Biewen added 8 boards.
Among the boys, Mpls. Washburn beat St. Paul Johnson in the TC game 90-89. Johnson led most of the 2nd half after a 26-6 run turned a 12-point deficit into an 8-point lead. Washburn got within 80-78, then fell back to 89-82 with 1:30 to play. But Washburn's Jerry Pratt rebounded his own miss and put it back in with 1 second remaining. Marcus Marshall scored 30 for Johnson, Pratt 22 for the Millers.
Player of the Day
Cannot choose 1. How about a starting 5? Jackie Johnson, Mariah Grossfeld, Shayne Mullaney, Katybeth Biewen, MC McGrory.
Coach of the Day
Reggie Perkins, Mpls. Washburn boys
Friday, March 2, 2012
The Big Game 3-2-12: Gopher Women Fall Short vs. #1 Penn State 78-74
Well, the Gopher women went out with a bang. All in all, it has been a disappointing and frustrating season--with a huge win over Ohio State; other nice wins over Michigan State, Nebraska and Arkansas; and 2 very close losses to conference champion Penn State on the one hand; and devastating, embarrassing losses to Illinois, Wisconsin and Quinnipiac on the other.
And, no, it wasn't a young, inexperienced team. They just played that way. But, yes, their best player, their undisputed leader--some would say the only player with a real leadership attitude--is/was a freshman, Freshman of the Year in the Big 10, as a matter of fact, Rachel Banham.
But, well, all of that aside. The 2012 Gopher women went out with a bang: An 81-49 shellacking to revenge that home loss to the 9th place Badgers. And, now, a 2nd very close loss to Big 10 champion Penn State.
The Gophers led 31-18 with 8 minutes remaining in the 1st half. By half-time it was 36-29, and with 10 minutes remaining in the 2nd half Penn State had turned an 13-point deficit into an 13-point lead at 58-45. Yes, they had had their way with Minnesota over an 18 minute period, out-scoring their opponent 40-14!
But the Gophers fought back with a 9-0 spurt triggered by a pair of Banham steals and a Buford offensive rebound. 5 minutes later it was 71-67 after a Banham 3 (from Loberg) and a Buford 2. Then came the play of the game:
Loberg blocked a Penn State shot, and Banham grabbed the rebound. Minnesota had the ball and a 4-point deficit. But Banham turned it over and, then, after a Penn State miss, the Nittany Lions grabbed the offensive board and scored on a put-back. 73-67 now at 1:03.
Even so, Minnesota got within 74-71 at 0:26 but Banham missed a 2. Penn State made a pair of throws and then Banham hit a 3. 76-74 at :08. Penn State made 2 more FT for the final.
Minnesota out-shot the Lions 47 percent to 36 but lost the possession game. Penn State had 14 offensive rebounds and 15 turnovers. Minnesota had 8 and 22. In the 2nd half Minnesota had 7 more turnovers (11-4) and 6 fewer offensive boards (9-3). Given the shooting percentages, if the 2 teams had taken the same number of shots, Minnesota wins 79-69. Take away the points off turnovers and 2nd chance points and Minnesota wins--oooh, this one hurts--56-36. But no, Penn State scored 26 points off Minnesota turnovers and 16 2nd chancers. Minnesota's numbers are just 12 and 6.
Special teams. The power play and the goal line stand. The Gophers were great between the 20s and at equal strength. But the special teams and the red zone--no go.
Still, we will miss Kiara Buford, Jackie Voigt and Brianna Mastey. They'll be replaced next year by Shayne Mullaney, Jackie Johnson and Kayla Hirt who, I hope, will be better. Or, maybe not. They need to be better. Because with all the players who are returning and Buford and Voigt and Mastey, the Gophers finished 15-17. They've got to be better.
But congrats to the Gophers for showing some spine in Indy and finishing up with a pair of great efforts.
Player of the Day
Rachel Banham 25 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals
Coach of the Day
Johnny Tauer, St. Thomas men, who just escaped Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in the 1st round of NCAA D3 play 76-74 at Whitewater, WI.
Gustavus lost to Wheaton, IL 68-60.
To come.
And, no, it wasn't a young, inexperienced team. They just played that way. But, yes, their best player, their undisputed leader--some would say the only player with a real leadership attitude--is/was a freshman, Freshman of the Year in the Big 10, as a matter of fact, Rachel Banham.
But, well, all of that aside. The 2012 Gopher women went out with a bang: An 81-49 shellacking to revenge that home loss to the 9th place Badgers. And, now, a 2nd very close loss to Big 10 champion Penn State.
The Gophers led 31-18 with 8 minutes remaining in the 1st half. By half-time it was 36-29, and with 10 minutes remaining in the 2nd half Penn State had turned an 13-point deficit into an 13-point lead at 58-45. Yes, they had had their way with Minnesota over an 18 minute period, out-scoring their opponent 40-14!
But the Gophers fought back with a 9-0 spurt triggered by a pair of Banham steals and a Buford offensive rebound. 5 minutes later it was 71-67 after a Banham 3 (from Loberg) and a Buford 2. Then came the play of the game:
Loberg blocked a Penn State shot, and Banham grabbed the rebound. Minnesota had the ball and a 4-point deficit. But Banham turned it over and, then, after a Penn State miss, the Nittany Lions grabbed the offensive board and scored on a put-back. 73-67 now at 1:03.
Even so, Minnesota got within 74-71 at 0:26 but Banham missed a 2. Penn State made a pair of throws and then Banham hit a 3. 76-74 at :08. Penn State made 2 more FT for the final.
Minnesota out-shot the Lions 47 percent to 36 but lost the possession game. Penn State had 14 offensive rebounds and 15 turnovers. Minnesota had 8 and 22. In the 2nd half Minnesota had 7 more turnovers (11-4) and 6 fewer offensive boards (9-3). Given the shooting percentages, if the 2 teams had taken the same number of shots, Minnesota wins 79-69. Take away the points off turnovers and 2nd chance points and Minnesota wins--oooh, this one hurts--56-36. But no, Penn State scored 26 points off Minnesota turnovers and 16 2nd chancers. Minnesota's numbers are just 12 and 6.
Special teams. The power play and the goal line stand. The Gophers were great between the 20s and at equal strength. But the special teams and the red zone--no go.
Still, we will miss Kiara Buford, Jackie Voigt and Brianna Mastey. They'll be replaced next year by Shayne Mullaney, Jackie Johnson and Kayla Hirt who, I hope, will be better. Or, maybe not. They need to be better. Because with all the players who are returning and Buford and Voigt and Mastey, the Gophers finished 15-17. They've got to be better.
But congrats to the Gophers for showing some spine in Indy and finishing up with a pair of great efforts.
Player of the Day
Rachel Banham 25 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals
Coach of the Day
Johnny Tauer, St. Thomas men, who just escaped Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in the 1st round of NCAA D3 play 76-74 at Whitewater, WI.
Gustavus lost to Wheaton, IL 68-60.
To come.
The Third Season: MIAC Wrap-Up/D3 Preview
The MIAC doesn't fool around when it comes to hanging up their sneakers and moving on. Half the conference hung it up almost 2 weeks ago. The rest, except for 3 teams, did so last weekend. Today, the all-conference awards were announced. Batter up!
The 3 still playing are the St. Thomas men and women, and the Gustavus men. We'll come back to them momentarily. But 1st:
All-Conference and Etc.
The MIAC got this much right. Players of the year are Seth Anderson of Gustavus,who led the men in scoring at 21.4, and Taylor Sheley of Bethel, who did the same at 19.3.
Coach of the Year honors went to 1st place winners Mark Hanson of Gustavus (tied for 1st) and Ruth Sinn of St. Thomas. It's hard to argue that, especially Sinn, whose team became just the 5th women's team ever to finish undefeated in the conference in 20 or more games (in this case, 22-0).
Still, the best stories as always are some of those underdogs who rose up to bite somebody sometime during the year. I especially liked the Augsburg women under brand new coach Billy McKee beating St. Ben's for the 1st time in Bennies' coach Mike Durbin's 26 years on the job! The Auggies hadn't won more than 5 games since 2002 and hadn't had a .500 season in the conference since 1985. Under McKee they went 11-11 and missed the playoffs by 1 game. With all due respect to Ruth Sinn--and I respect Ruth a lot--this (McKee, the turnaround at Augsburg) is my definition of a Coach of the Year.
St. Mary's is another perennial also-ran, though the drought wasn't quite as long as the Auggies.' The Cardinals last had a winning season in 2005 and last year they surged to 9 wins. This year they went 13-9 and upset St. Olaf on the road in the 1st round of the playoffs. Coach Mandy Pearson also deserves a gigantic pat on the back.
Among the men I'm going to shift gears and stump for the "haves." That would be St. Thomas. Defending national champs. Incredible senior class, moving on. New coach. Their best player, Tommy Hannon, goes down. But through it all, well, they're St. Thomas, damnit. And "interim coach" Johnny Tauer didn't let 'em forget that, and so here they are--regular season co-champs, post-season champs, defending their D3 championship beginning tomorrow night. I'm not sure Tauer didn't do the best job of coaching this year.
Still, Hanson and Sinn are good choices. Not as good as Anderson and Sheley. But good, solid choices.
When it comes to all-conference, they pick 15 honorees. Well, sorry, that's too many, I'm not gonna repeat 30 names here. But out of 15 names--15 men, 15 women--they did manage to get the best 5, and I'll repeat those.
Men
Anderson
Pierce Peters, Macalester
Stu Neville, St. Olaf
Mike Campbell, Hamline
Andy Grzesiak-Grimm, Augsburg
The one quibble is Paul Blacklock, Gustavus, makes the all-defensive team but not all-conference. He's all over the leader board but only scores about 4 ppg. Still, he was the co-champions' 2nd most valuable player.
Looking ahead, St. Thomas has 4 honorees coming back next year, while Carleton has 3.
Women
Sheley
Taylor Young, St. Thomas
Mackenzie Wolter, St. Olaf
Jessica Thone, St. Mary's
Maggie Weiers, St. Thomas
I had a hard time not picking Molly Geske, Gustavus, and Serenae Levine, Augsburg, but all 7 of these players are on the all-conference team.
I have a lot of heartburn over women who didn't make the top 15. That's not to say there's 5 I'd leave out, but there might to 2 or 3 or even 4 that I'd have rated below the following. And all of these got Honorable Mention, so things are too broken.
Ali Johnson, St. Thomas, forward
Alexandra Lippert, Concordia, post
Jessica Rene, Macalester, guard
Abby Rothenbuhler, Gustavus, post
Jordan Sammons, Hamline, guard
Looking ahead, St. Thomas and Concordia have 4 honorees coming back next year, while Carleton, St. Mary's, St. Olaf and Bethel each have 3.
NCAA D3
St. Thomas Women
So, St. Thomas and Gustavus are still playing? For how long?
On paper, the St. Thomas women have the best shot. They're 26-1 and rated #12 nationally. They're at home for the 1st and 2nd rounds. They could face Wisconsin-River Falls (21-6, #21) in the 2nd round. First it has to get by UMAC champion Martin Luther (New Ulm, MN, 20-7), while River Falls will face Coe (20-7). The 1st round is Friday at 5:30 and 8 p.m., the 2nd is Saturday at 7.
The Tommies are led by sophomore all-conference players Taylor Young and Maggie Weiers, who score 13 and 12 points, while senior Sarah Smith scores 10, and Smith and Weiers each corral 7 rebounds. St. Thomas has excellent depth, outshoots it opponents 46 percent to 36 and out-rebounds them 37-29. As a result, they outscore their opponents 67-51.
Martin Luther is led by UMAC Player of the Year Erica Babinek, a 5-8 senior guard, who does it all--16 points, 7 boards, 3 assists, 2.5 steals. They outscore their opponents 70-62, outshoot them 40-37 percent, and out-rebound them 42-39.
I wouldn't underestimate Luther. Last year the Northwestern (Roseville) men gave the Tommies men fits at St. Thomas in this same game. But I figure St. Thomas 69 Luther 56.
Meanwhile UWRF should handle Coe, let's say 64-63. I mean, Coe shoots 45 percent, RF just 40, but RF outrebounds its opponents a huge 42-31. Kayla Waskow does it all for Coe--15 points, 7 boards, 3.5 assists and a block. But RF has better depth, or hopes it does.
St. Thomas should manage UWRF on Saturday but the Wisconsin state universities have good, solid athletic programs that have out-performed the MIAC in recent years. Of course, RF is just the 3rd place team from the WIAC. Still, it will be competitive, no question about that. Let's say 56-50.
St. Thomas Men
The men have a tougher row to hoe, traveling to Wisconsin-Whitewater (23-4) for 1st and 2nd round action. They get Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (25-2) 1st, hardly a slam dunk. CMS goes 6-6, 6-5, 6-3 in front, not bad for D3, and outscores its opponents 70-58. It out-shoots 'em 49 percent to 41, but the rebounds are even at 32. The Tommies, meanwhile, out-score their opponents 74-65 and out rebound them 31-28. St. Thomas by 1.
UW-Whitewater (23-4) will man-handle Northwestern (Roseville) in the 2nd game. Whitewater out-scores its opponents 71-58 and shoots better than 50 percent. UWW 69 Northwestern 62.
Then comes the Tommies vs. UWW. Whitewater's Chris Davis is a difference-maker with 22 ppg and 8 boards. It's worth remembering that the Tommies seemed no more likely to win a national champion last year than this. It was not until they won in the 2nd round in Wisconsin that it seemed they might have something special going on. Still, UWW should win with relative ease, say, by 60-54.
Gustavus Men
Gustavus somehow has drawn a little bit easier row to hoe. If it wins 1 game it will face host Wisconsin-River Falls (20-7) in the 2nd round. UWRF can really put the size on the court at 6-8, 6=7 and 6-3, and it out-rebounds opponents a whopping 37-30. Still, it's not UWW.
And game 1 against Wheaton, IL (21-6) is no slam dunk. The Gusties out-scored their opponents 69-63 this year, Wheaton out-scored its 72-60. Gustavus out-shot its opponents 49 percent to 43. Wheaton out-shot its 49-41. Still, I'm liking Gustavus in game 1, but game 2 is a big problem.
The 3 still playing are the St. Thomas men and women, and the Gustavus men. We'll come back to them momentarily. But 1st:
All-Conference and Etc.
The MIAC got this much right. Players of the year are Seth Anderson of Gustavus,who led the men in scoring at 21.4, and Taylor Sheley of Bethel, who did the same at 19.3.
Coach of the Year honors went to 1st place winners Mark Hanson of Gustavus (tied for 1st) and Ruth Sinn of St. Thomas. It's hard to argue that, especially Sinn, whose team became just the 5th women's team ever to finish undefeated in the conference in 20 or more games (in this case, 22-0).
Still, the best stories as always are some of those underdogs who rose up to bite somebody sometime during the year. I especially liked the Augsburg women under brand new coach Billy McKee beating St. Ben's for the 1st time in Bennies' coach Mike Durbin's 26 years on the job! The Auggies hadn't won more than 5 games since 2002 and hadn't had a .500 season in the conference since 1985. Under McKee they went 11-11 and missed the playoffs by 1 game. With all due respect to Ruth Sinn--and I respect Ruth a lot--this (McKee, the turnaround at Augsburg) is my definition of a Coach of the Year.
St. Mary's is another perennial also-ran, though the drought wasn't quite as long as the Auggies.' The Cardinals last had a winning season in 2005 and last year they surged to 9 wins. This year they went 13-9 and upset St. Olaf on the road in the 1st round of the playoffs. Coach Mandy Pearson also deserves a gigantic pat on the back.
Among the men I'm going to shift gears and stump for the "haves." That would be St. Thomas. Defending national champs. Incredible senior class, moving on. New coach. Their best player, Tommy Hannon, goes down. But through it all, well, they're St. Thomas, damnit. And "interim coach" Johnny Tauer didn't let 'em forget that, and so here they are--regular season co-champs, post-season champs, defending their D3 championship beginning tomorrow night. I'm not sure Tauer didn't do the best job of coaching this year.
Still, Hanson and Sinn are good choices. Not as good as Anderson and Sheley. But good, solid choices.
When it comes to all-conference, they pick 15 honorees. Well, sorry, that's too many, I'm not gonna repeat 30 names here. But out of 15 names--15 men, 15 women--they did manage to get the best 5, and I'll repeat those.
Men
Anderson
Pierce Peters, Macalester
Stu Neville, St. Olaf
Mike Campbell, Hamline
Andy Grzesiak-Grimm, Augsburg
The one quibble is Paul Blacklock, Gustavus, makes the all-defensive team but not all-conference. He's all over the leader board but only scores about 4 ppg. Still, he was the co-champions' 2nd most valuable player.
Looking ahead, St. Thomas has 4 honorees coming back next year, while Carleton has 3.
Women
Sheley
Taylor Young, St. Thomas
Mackenzie Wolter, St. Olaf
Jessica Thone, St. Mary's
Maggie Weiers, St. Thomas
I had a hard time not picking Molly Geske, Gustavus, and Serenae Levine, Augsburg, but all 7 of these players are on the all-conference team.
I have a lot of heartburn over women who didn't make the top 15. That's not to say there's 5 I'd leave out, but there might to 2 or 3 or even 4 that I'd have rated below the following. And all of these got Honorable Mention, so things are too broken.
Ali Johnson, St. Thomas, forward
Alexandra Lippert, Concordia, post
Jessica Rene, Macalester, guard
Abby Rothenbuhler, Gustavus, post
Jordan Sammons, Hamline, guard
Looking ahead, St. Thomas and Concordia have 4 honorees coming back next year, while Carleton, St. Mary's, St. Olaf and Bethel each have 3.
NCAA D3
St. Thomas Women
So, St. Thomas and Gustavus are still playing? For how long?
On paper, the St. Thomas women have the best shot. They're 26-1 and rated #12 nationally. They're at home for the 1st and 2nd rounds. They could face Wisconsin-River Falls (21-6, #21) in the 2nd round. First it has to get by UMAC champion Martin Luther (New Ulm, MN, 20-7), while River Falls will face Coe (20-7). The 1st round is Friday at 5:30 and 8 p.m., the 2nd is Saturday at 7.
The Tommies are led by sophomore all-conference players Taylor Young and Maggie Weiers, who score 13 and 12 points, while senior Sarah Smith scores 10, and Smith and Weiers each corral 7 rebounds. St. Thomas has excellent depth, outshoots it opponents 46 percent to 36 and out-rebounds them 37-29. As a result, they outscore their opponents 67-51.
Martin Luther is led by UMAC Player of the Year Erica Babinek, a 5-8 senior guard, who does it all--16 points, 7 boards, 3 assists, 2.5 steals. They outscore their opponents 70-62, outshoot them 40-37 percent, and out-rebound them 42-39.
I wouldn't underestimate Luther. Last year the Northwestern (Roseville) men gave the Tommies men fits at St. Thomas in this same game. But I figure St. Thomas 69 Luther 56.
Meanwhile UWRF should handle Coe, let's say 64-63. I mean, Coe shoots 45 percent, RF just 40, but RF outrebounds its opponents a huge 42-31. Kayla Waskow does it all for Coe--15 points, 7 boards, 3.5 assists and a block. But RF has better depth, or hopes it does.
St. Thomas should manage UWRF on Saturday but the Wisconsin state universities have good, solid athletic programs that have out-performed the MIAC in recent years. Of course, RF is just the 3rd place team from the WIAC. Still, it will be competitive, no question about that. Let's say 56-50.
St. Thomas Men
The men have a tougher row to hoe, traveling to Wisconsin-Whitewater (23-4) for 1st and 2nd round action. They get Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (25-2) 1st, hardly a slam dunk. CMS goes 6-6, 6-5, 6-3 in front, not bad for D3, and outscores its opponents 70-58. It out-shoots 'em 49 percent to 41, but the rebounds are even at 32. The Tommies, meanwhile, out-score their opponents 74-65 and out rebound them 31-28. St. Thomas by 1.
UW-Whitewater (23-4) will man-handle Northwestern (Roseville) in the 2nd game. Whitewater out-scores its opponents 71-58 and shoots better than 50 percent. UWW 69 Northwestern 62.
Then comes the Tommies vs. UWW. Whitewater's Chris Davis is a difference-maker with 22 ppg and 8 boards. It's worth remembering that the Tommies seemed no more likely to win a national champion last year than this. It was not until they won in the 2nd round in Wisconsin that it seemed they might have something special going on. Still, UWW should win with relative ease, say, by 60-54.
Gustavus Men
Gustavus somehow has drawn a little bit easier row to hoe. If it wins 1 game it will face host Wisconsin-River Falls (20-7) in the 2nd round. UWRF can really put the size on the court at 6-8, 6=7 and 6-3, and it out-rebounds opponents a whopping 37-30. Still, it's not UWW.
And game 1 against Wheaton, IL (21-6) is no slam dunk. The Gusties out-scored their opponents 69-63 this year, Wheaton out-scored its 72-60. Gustavus out-shot its opponents 49 percent to 43. Wheaton out-shot its 49-41. Still, I'm liking Gustavus in game 1, but game 2 is a big problem.
The Big Game 3-1-12: Gopher Women Still Relevant
Just when you thought you'd seen or heard the last of the Minnesota Gopher women, they beat the unholy tar out of arch-rival Wisconsin 81-49 in the 1st round of the Big 10 tournament. Suddenly a season that seemed destined for an ignominious end finds one more burst of happiness. Now, a decent showing (within double figures) against #1 seed Penn State today, and Gophers everywhere can feel pretty good about their team through another off-season.
It was really not even that close. The Gophers led by as many as 39 (77-38) at 3:35.
It started with the Badgers leading 15-14. Minnesota ripped off 14 straight points--Kiara Buford and Jackie Voigt 4 each--then stretched their lead to 16 at the half (39-23). The Gophers then opened the 2nd half with runs of 6-0, 14-3 and 22-8. making it 61-31.
Buford led all scorers with 19, Rachel Banham and Kionna Kellogg 11, and Micaella Riche, making just her 2nd career start, 10. Banham added 10 rebounds and 4 assists, Riche added 8 boards, and Buford 2 steals.
Player of the Day
Cayla McMorris scored 34 points to save Park Center from an upset big by Mpls. Roosevelt.
Coach of the Day
Michael Wright, Mpls. Roosevelt girls, really had his girls ready to play ball.
It was really not even that close. The Gophers led by as many as 39 (77-38) at 3:35.
It started with the Badgers leading 15-14. Minnesota ripped off 14 straight points--Kiara Buford and Jackie Voigt 4 each--then stretched their lead to 16 at the half (39-23). The Gophers then opened the 2nd half with runs of 6-0, 14-3 and 22-8. making it 61-31.
Buford led all scorers with 19, Rachel Banham and Kionna Kellogg 11, and Micaella Riche, making just her 2nd career start, 10. Banham added 10 rebounds and 4 assists, Riche added 8 boards, and Buford 2 steals.
Player of the Day
Cayla McMorris scored 34 points to save Park Center from an upset big by Mpls. Roosevelt.
Coach of the Day
Michael Wright, Mpls. Roosevelt girls, really had his girls ready to play ball.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
February Awards
Player of the Month
Player of the Month candidates were all Player of the Day sometime during the month of February. There is no obvious, dominant choice like Ricky Rubio last month, not to say that Rubio has continued to play well for the Wolves. But the choice is Rubio's teammate and last year's Player of the Year....
Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves. He has continued to lead the Wolves in getting better and better. I thought improvement would be winning 33 percent of the time. But, no, the Wolves are above .500 and beating quality teams on the road. Then there's his win in the 3-point shooting contest at the All-Star game, and 17 points in the All-Star game itself. Love is clearly 1 of the top 10 players in the NBA, and is back ahead of Rubio in the Player of the Year sweepstakes.
Team of the Month
It is tempting to pick the Timberwolves but, hey, they're a .500 team! Surely there's better out there. I'll take....
St. Thomas women. They completed the regular season + MIAC playoffs at 26-1, and they'll host 1st and 2nd round action in the NCAA D3 tournament this Friday and Saturday. They seem to have the potential of duplicating what the St. Thomas men did last year. So far they're more dominant. But the going gets a lot tougher from here on out.
Coach of the Month
Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves. There are lots of good candidates including Ruth Sinn of our Team of the Month. And yet the work Adelman has done with the Wolves is nothing short of miraculous. Yes, they've got Rubio and Derrick Williams and J.J. Barea this year. But they've also still got Love and Michael Beasley and Luke Ridnour and others of the same pieces that Kurt Rambis pushed around the chess board so unsuccessfully the past 2 years. Yes, coaching matters in the NBA.
Game of the Month
Wayzata girls 66 Hopkins 58. So, somebody is not unbeatable after all. In fairness, of course, the Royals have had injuries. Nia and Sydney Coffey have missed games, and Nia's back in fact continues to be a problem. And Mikaala Shackleford is out for the duration, I think. And with Wayzata peaking at just the right time--the Hopkins upset was followed by a rout of #3 Edina--section 6AAAA suddenly seems competitive.
February All-Stars
Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
Nikola Pekovic, Minnesota Timberwolves
James Ellisor, Bemidji State men
Tyus Jones, Apple Valley boys
Anders Broman, Lakeview Christian boys
Second Team
Marissa Grossfeld, Wayzata girls
Tyseanna Johnson, DeLaSalle girls
Tia Elbert, Tartan girls
Jackie Johnson, Eden Prairie girls
Third Team
Aimee Pelzer, Upsala girls
Taylor Hall, Bethel men
Will DeBerg, St. Thoman men
Fourth Team
Coach of the Month Runners-Up
1. Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves
2. Ruth Sinn, St. Thomas women
3. Matt Bowen, Bemidji State men
4. Dave Montbriand, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa boys
5. Jeff Westlund, Bethel men
6. Mark Gerber, Eastview boys
7 (tie). Dave Thorson, DeLaSalle boys
Faith Johnson Patterson, DeLaSalle girls
9. Mike Leaf, Winona State
10. Johnny Tauer, St. Thomas men
Team of the Month
1. St. Thomas women
2. Bemidji State men
3. St. Thomas men
6. Moorhead State men
9. Gustavus men
10. Benilde-St. Margaret's boys
Game of the Month
1. Wayzata girls 66 Hopkins 58
2. Moorhead State men 90 Winona State 72
3. Benilde boys 60 DeLaSalle 59
4. Minnesota Timberwolves 92 Philadelphia 76ers 91
Player of the Month candidates were all Player of the Day sometime during the month of February. There is no obvious, dominant choice like Ricky Rubio last month, not to say that Rubio has continued to play well for the Wolves. But the choice is Rubio's teammate and last year's Player of the Year....
Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves. He has continued to lead the Wolves in getting better and better. I thought improvement would be winning 33 percent of the time. But, no, the Wolves are above .500 and beating quality teams on the road. Then there's his win in the 3-point shooting contest at the All-Star game, and 17 points in the All-Star game itself. Love is clearly 1 of the top 10 players in the NBA, and is back ahead of Rubio in the Player of the Year sweepstakes.
Team of the Month
It is tempting to pick the Timberwolves but, hey, they're a .500 team! Surely there's better out there. I'll take....
St. Thomas women. They completed the regular season + MIAC playoffs at 26-1, and they'll host 1st and 2nd round action in the NCAA D3 tournament this Friday and Saturday. They seem to have the potential of duplicating what the St. Thomas men did last year. So far they're more dominant. But the going gets a lot tougher from here on out.
Coach of the Month
Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves. There are lots of good candidates including Ruth Sinn of our Team of the Month. And yet the work Adelman has done with the Wolves is nothing short of miraculous. Yes, they've got Rubio and Derrick Williams and J.J. Barea this year. But they've also still got Love and Michael Beasley and Luke Ridnour and others of the same pieces that Kurt Rambis pushed around the chess board so unsuccessfully the past 2 years. Yes, coaching matters in the NBA.
Game of the Month
Wayzata girls 66 Hopkins 58. So, somebody is not unbeatable after all. In fairness, of course, the Royals have had injuries. Nia and Sydney Coffey have missed games, and Nia's back in fact continues to be a problem. And Mikaala Shackleford is out for the duration, I think. And with Wayzata peaking at just the right time--the Hopkins upset was followed by a rout of #3 Edina--section 6AAAA suddenly seems competitive.
February All-Stars
Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
Nikola Pekovic, Minnesota Timberwolves
James Ellisor, Bemidji State men
Tyus Jones, Apple Valley boys
Anders Broman, Lakeview Christian boys
Second Team
Siyani Chambers, Hopkins boys
Marissa Grossfeld, Wayzata girls
Tyseanna Johnson, DeLaSalle girls
Tia Elbert, Tartan girls
Jackie Johnson, Eden Prairie girls
Third Team
Rachel Banham, Minnesota Gopher women
Isaiah Zierden, Benilde boys
Aimee Pelzer, Upsala girls
Taylor Hall, Bethel men
Will DeBerg, St. Thoman men
Fourth Team
Bobby Fong, St. Olaf men
Katybeth Biewen, Edina girls
Madison Guebert, Eastview girls
Michael Beasley, Minnesota Timberwolves
Derrick Williams, Minnesota Timberwolves
1. Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves
2. Ruth Sinn, St. Thomas women
3. Matt Bowen, Bemidji State men
4. Dave Montbriand, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa boys
5. Jeff Westlund, Bethel men
6. Mark Gerber, Eastview boys
7 (tie). Dave Thorson, DeLaSalle boys
Faith Johnson Patterson, DeLaSalle girls
9. Mike Leaf, Winona State
10. Johnny Tauer, St. Thomas men
1. St. Thomas women
2. Bemidji State men
3. St. Thomas men
4. Wayzata girls
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
6. Moorhead State men
7. Eastview boys
8. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa boys
9. Gustavus men
10. Benilde-St. Margaret's boys
1. Wayzata girls 66 Hopkins 58
2. Moorhead State men 90 Winona State 72
3. Benilde boys 60 DeLaSalle 59
4. Minnesota Timberwolves 92 Philadelphia 76ers 91
5. Bethel men 68 Gustavus men 52
6 (tie). Winona State men 84 St. Cloud State 74 (regular season) and Winona State 63 St. Cloud State 54 (NSIC playoffs)
6 (tie). Winona State men 84 St. Cloud State 74 (regular season) and Winona State 63 St. Cloud State 54 (NSIC playoffs)
8 (tie). St. Thomas men 75 Augsburg 72 (regular season) and St. Thomas 66 Gustavus 62 (OT) (MIAC final)
10 (tie). Some more great high school games:
Benilde-St. Margaret's boys 67 Spring Lake Park 65
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa boys 73 Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 66 (OT)
Benilde-St. Margaret's boys 67 Spring Lake Park 65
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa boys 73 Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 66 (OT)
Upsala girls 82 Parkers Prairie 78 (OT)
The Big Game 2-29-12: Winona State men leap forward
Apropos of leap day, the Winona State men leaped past a formidable challenge in St. Cloud State to open the NSIC playoffs. Winona is of course the best team in the NSIC with a 19-3 regular season record. But because the Warriors used an ineligible player, they were penalized by being knocked down to a #6 seed. Ergo, the trip to St. Cloud.
But frankly, this works more like a penalty for St. Cloud. After busting their hump all season long and coming up with the #3 seed, they ended up playing #1 instead of a real #6 seed. Hopefully, they get some dispensation from somebody when it comes time to evaluate their season and to determine who gets a bid to the NCAAs.
The final was Winona State 64 St. Cloud State 53. Winona closed the game on a 19-5 run to erase a St. Cloud advantage of 48-45. Clayton Vetter had 22 points and 11 boards for the Warriors.
Elsewhere in the NSIC the top seeds all won: Among the men, #1 Bemidji State, #2 Southwest State, #4 Moorhead State. Among the women, #1 Wayne State, #2 Augustana, #3 Mary. #4 and 5, Moorhead and Augustana, play tomorrow night.
Player of the Day
Tia Elbert, Tartan girls, 37 points in upset win over Stillwater.
Coach of the Day
Charlita Williamson, Tartan girls. Hey, I saw her out-coach the other side and beat a team that had better talent from #2 through #10. She knows what she is doing.
But frankly, this works more like a penalty for St. Cloud. After busting their hump all season long and coming up with the #3 seed, they ended up playing #1 instead of a real #6 seed. Hopefully, they get some dispensation from somebody when it comes time to evaluate their season and to determine who gets a bid to the NCAAs.
The final was Winona State 64 St. Cloud State 53. Winona closed the game on a 19-5 run to erase a St. Cloud advantage of 48-45. Clayton Vetter had 22 points and 11 boards for the Warriors.
Elsewhere in the NSIC the top seeds all won: Among the men, #1 Bemidji State, #2 Southwest State, #4 Moorhead State. Among the women, #1 Wayne State, #2 Augustana, #3 Mary. #4 and 5, Moorhead and Augustana, play tomorrow night.
Player of the Day
Tia Elbert, Tartan girls, 37 points in upset win over Stillwater.
Coach of the Day
Charlita Williamson, Tartan girls. Hey, I saw her out-coach the other side and beat a team that had better talent from #2 through #10. She knows what she is doing.
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