MBB: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[sciac_is_fun]

I have no clue what happened in the game tonight, but I have to defend CLU's backcourt a little bit.  Inniss and Acerboni are two of the best they've had back there in a while, and the experience they got during a tough year last year is showing with their play this year.  The Assist/Turnover ratio isn't bad: better than 2:1 for both starting guards before tonight.  The two big men actually have more TO's than the gaurds at this point.  Again, for all I know they may have gotten killed tonight, but in my opinion CLU is every bit as "balanced" as Oxy.  They just may not be quite as good....yet.  CLU gets virtually everybody back next year, so watch out. 

Just checked the CLU's website:  Oxy 68 CLU 56.  There ya go.  Probably about what most people expected.

[DIIIghetto]

Congrats to the Tigers.  Sweeping the Big 3 ain't easy.  Right now, my head is spinning with what is going on in the conference.  CMS losing to Redlands, at home?!?  That one just didn't make any sense to me.  I'm sorry to take away from the job Redlands did there, because clearly they earned the W, but as good as the Stags were pre-Oxy, it seems pretty clear that their coaching staff suffered a major let-down after going to Hersey Park-West and getting beat.  Coaching beats Redlands and for whatever reason, they couldn't rebound in time.  Big disappointment when you view the non-conference performances and have to think that the SCIAC had the best chance of getting two in with the CMS-Oxy ticket.  That loss to Redlands at home may kill that opportunity- but then again, it is too early to make too much about that. 

I get the PP loss to Redlands, that happens every 4 years or so.  Oxy, Redlands, CLU sitting on top.  Very rare that we get almost to the half-way point and have that scenario. 

A couple tidbits:

1.  Oxy is playing some serious ball (Betty is being the stud we all expected but I'm most impressed with the play of Mills & Kostic.  Whitman, Zebb, McBride and on down the squad, Oxy is playing on all cylinders and answering my criticism fir showing up early this season lacking a chip on their shoulders for finishing the conference play last year with a whimper.   
2.  Redlands is coming back to Hersey Park-West next week - will they have a guard put up Stilt-like numbers against the Tigers this time?
3.  Kats against Scali next week has a heck of a lot riding on it (Scali trying to fight back into contention & PP trying to make sure CMS doesn't start more of a streak than 2 over them.
4.  This thing is still capable of getting very interesting.
5.  Can UPS and Whitworth come down to the southland next year and schedule CMS or Oxy and not Whittier, Cal tech, La Verne or a young CLU team?  PC, here is a plea for a couple of more votes for our boys based on their scheduling sack and UPS/Whitworth's lack thereof. 

[sciac_is_fun]

a couple notes from T.O. tonight:

Miller & Meier for CLU: combined 2-12 at the line
CLU only 5 turnovers for the game
Oxy shoots 62%, Betty 6 assists

700 in attendance

[bucs77]

d3ghetto,
     As a Whitworth Fan and an NWC fan in general I have to call you on your statement.  Every year nwc teams try to get any sciac team to come and play up north.  There are NEVER any takers.  I know for a fact that Whitworth has tried to get CMS and OXY up north even this year but they will never agree.  WW and UPS went down to l.a. this year and played the only teams that would play them from the sciac.  Hopefully one of our teams gets to beat you in the playoffs yet again.

[OxyFan21]

I must have missed something, but why are we calling it "Hershey Park West"?

[DIIIghetto]

OB, the reference is to the name of only of the gym where Wilt put up a Franklin on the Knicks. 

http://www.hoophall.com/exhibits/chamberlain_game.htm

After Redlands had a guard put up 80 points against Oxy at the Rock last year, the gym was unofficially renamed "Hershey Park-West".

 

[Browneagle64]

Awesome job by the guys in Orange and Black.
I had planned on heading out to the land of the Who to claim my doughnuts from Scandii but fell ill; due to this wild global warming that hit So.Cal. However, I was really glad to read the updates that you guys put up and was thrilled to read that the game started off good and then headed in favor for the tigers. Thats an awesome job and great statement for Oxy's plan in winning the SCIAC this year. I hope that this does not make any player on the squad get way over their heads, as they still got ways to go to keep the lead and play good.

Its great to hear that Pitcher is developing just fine since his debut as a starter just a couple of months ago.  With the help of Kostic, Zebb and others from the bench, be sure to look out for a decent rotation of guys that can get the job done and keep the tigers in pace for 1st place.

btw, D3, the guy only scored 50 something. I know thats bad, but to say that its close to 80 is not even close. Maybe we should call the Staples center, Hershey park of the west. Thats were Obiwon-Kanobi slapped 81 points on you know who.

[pineconefan]

OB -

"Our school doesn't budget us enough money" is the oldest and cheapest whine in the books, especially from a school with the financial resources of Oxy.  

Come on, the Northwest is not the midwest.  Southwest Air flies to Seattle, Portland, even Spokane.  With enough planning, a trip to the Northwest can be done fairly inexpensively (the NWC schools have learned how to do it well going the other way).  CMS figured out how to do it last winter.  But then the SCIAC champions lost to a couple of NWC also-rans.  

I have a feeling that has as much to do with it than anything else.

[TeeDub]

pineconefan, I directed you to the Oxy coach for the reasons why they don't travel. You prefer to have faith in the supposed superiority of the NWC, which is combined with your continued bitterness about Whitworth losing to Oxy and Pomona last season, and the Pirates not making the playoffs. I see that this season Whitworth downgraded to Caltech and UC Santa Cruz (twice!). Don't let the facts get in the way of what you believe.

OxyBob

On these mini-battles between SCIAC and NWC...I'm sure glad Oxy Bob is on our side.

[pineconefan]

Now Oxy - you know I quoted Coach Newhall almost exactly about why he doesn't travel.  And I even left out the part about how much money they get donated to the program.

I never mentioned the superiority of the NWC (you used those words), I just brought up the CMS results from last year.

Sure, you can bring up UCSC and Caltech, but that sword cuts both ways (La Sierra twice?)

Bitterness?  They name is OxyBob (its easy to smite when you know that the smiting cannot be returned).

I just agreed with Bucs77 that D3Ghetto has no clue who Whitworth/UPS tried to schedule for the trip down south.  All we really know is who agreed to play them.

Hey, a school can choose to travel, or not.  A school can choose to provide those great experiences to their student-athletes, or not.  A school can gain valuable road experience in preparation for later in the season, or not.

Just don't whine about it when you choose not to.

[pineconefan]

Hmm, putting words in my mouth again OB?  When did I say Whitworth tried to schedule Oxy and Oxy refused?  All I said was we don't know who the Pirates tried to schedule. 

[Gilbert McFinnegan]

PineCone may not be arguing league superiority and my be stepping lightly due to drama from the fun police (Hall of Famers) on our board, but I have to let the facts speak for themselves....

In the past 3 years the SCIAC is 2-4 in the tournament, including 4 first round games, with the two wins coming over Colorado College and CMS.  I know that everyone on this board knows that, but based on these performances it would naturally seem that the SCIAC should make the trek up North to make the challenge as opposed to the NWC going down.  La Verne gets the concept, that is why they got a home game against UPS this year.

As for UPS going down south and ducking competition, that is fallacious.  UPS did travel down south last year specifically to play the best competition....that is why they played Illinois Weslyan.

[UPSoundLogs]

OUCH...It's gotta be rough when you have to dig back in the record books five years to find some sort of tourney success for the SCIAC !!!

Just for the record, I was impressed with "OXY" from last year when they played at UPS in the tournament.  They weren't as good as WW was at the end of the year... but close.  Betty isn't as good as advertised in my opinion, but Phillips(I think he graduated though?) was very good. 

Just some observations from a circling sea gull

[Browneagle64]

Money and budgets from athletic depts. are sad when schools try to schedule good competition. I won't even get into that old and long conversation, but, there are schools (just like oxy) that don't have that money to do trips like that.
All I can say is that the schedule that oxy current;y has can at least give them a look at what they need to do to make it to the big dance.(just my opinion by the way)

Btw,Great research Bob.

[Gray Fox]

Money and budgets from athletic depts. are sad when schools try to schedule good competition. I won't even get into that old and long conversation, but, there are schools (just like oxy) that don't have that money to do trips like that.

How can schools send football teams out of state but not basketball?