WBB: Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference

[WLCALUM83]

Other 2/14 Finals:  Edgewood 52, Rockford 41. (Regents outshot all around yet again--source is Edgewood's box score). With that win, the WI Eagles squad clinches a spot in the NAthCon post-season tournament.

WLC 77, Lakeland 67. (WLC's Laete had a big night point-scoring wise. Muskies' Boehm was held below her usual scoring average.)

Aurora 70, Alverno 53.

Concordia-Chicago 73, Dominican 64. (28 turnovers did the Stars in. Cougars had 6 blocked shots--source is Concordia-Chicago's box score.)
 

[WLCALUM83]

Final:  Concordia-WI 68, Marian 55. (That result does WLC a big favor). A few minutes in, Concordia-WI started hitting shots and controlling the boards. The Falcons raced out to a big lead, Marian cut it down to around 10, but couldn't get much closer. Falcons garner their first win at Marian in several seasons.)

[WLCALUM83]

With both Lakeland and Marian losing tonight, they play each other in the regular season finale at Lakeland on Saturday. Unless there's something I'm missing, the loser of that game is out of contention for the NAthCon Tournament.

[WLCALUM83]

2/15-17/07 NAthCon Projections:

2-15:  Aurora over Maranatha:  (Spartans jockeying with Edgewood for playoff positioning).

2-17:  Concordia-Chicago over Alverno:  (Cougars have height advantage. Inferno will need to score a boatload of points off turnovers to have a chance in the finale.)

          Aurora over Rockford:  (See note on 2-15 projection).

          Edgewood over Benedictine:  (Only because its' a home game for the WI Eagle squad).

          Concordia-WI over Dominican:  (Falcons figure to keep momentum going before prepping up for NAthCon second round game.)

          Lakeland over Marian:  (Oh, to be a fly on the wall in either one of these squad's locker rooms pre-game, half-time and post-game for this one! Muskies are at home, and if the Sabers keep Boehm below her usual scoring average, it'll come down to who brought more of their shooting eye. The loser is eliminated from NAthCon post-season contention).

         WLC over Maranatha:  (The Warriors won't take this one too lightly. A--It's WLC's Winterfest B--They remember the battle the Crusaders gave them on the road. 'Natha gave WLC a good run for its' money before the Warriors pulled away late in the previous match-up between these squads.)

[libero]

The Lakeland-Marian match-up has the makings of a great game. There is no love lost between these schools even when the game means nothing.

[WLCALUM83]

WLC women split with Lakeland on the regular season and beat Marian at home the only time the Warriors met the Sabers.

(Libero, are you going to Milwaukee to see your Crusaders give my Warriors a run for their money?)

[WLCALUM83]

2/15/07 Women's Final:

Aurora, IL 77, Maranatha Baptist 55. (Spartans clinch a post-season tournament spot.)

[WLCALUM83]

2/15-17/07 NAthCon Projections:

2-17:  Lakeland over Marian:  (Oh, to be a fly on the wall in either one of these squad's locker rooms pre-game, half-time and post-game for this one! Muskies are at home, and if the Sabers keep Boehm below her usual scoring average, it'll come down to who brought more of their shooting eye. The loser is eliminated from NAthCon post-season contention).
         

When Maranatha went on the road to play Alverno in the LMC play-in game last season, I attended that game live, and the following is what I saw in terms of pro-Inferno fan support:

1--  Someone had taken a pair of full-size hockey sticks and fastened some small wooden planks to the stick-ends of them ("D" on one and a drawn picket fence on the other.)

2--  The mascot was there in uniform, (full flame, and all.)  Just wonder how long it took those who designed that uniform to put it all together.

This poster can only imagine the following Lakeland will have tomorrow vs. Marian. (I'd be surprised if any Muskie fan had any voice left after this and the men's game.)

[libero]

I used to go to more games when I was single and had no kids. If the 'Saders ever qualify for a playoff spot, I will do everything I can to make it.

This is going to be a fun NAC tourney to follow. It will be even more interesting when there is an AQ on the line.

[WLCALUM83]

Barring any last-minute mix-ups, I'm going to be catching both of WLC's games in person. Lakeland's got Marian at home tomorrow, so live stats should be available for that "winner move on" women's battle.

I hope WLC's women don't have a let-down. 'Natha gave them a good run for their money in the earlier meeting.

[libero]

You know what I am rooting for... however I think the Lady Saders are ready to move on with their lives and aren't really focused on playing intense basketball at the moment.

[WLCALUM83]

2/17 Final (game I caught live):  WLC 81, Maranatha 73.

Believe it or not, this was a back and forth game at first, until WLC's Emily Laete picked up her second foul midway through the first half. Colleen Goff hit several shots inside, and Amber Lang and a couple of other Crusaders were hitting their 3's, so much so that Maranatha actually broke out to a 40-29 lead. The Warriors shaved 3 points off that before half-time. In the second half, Emily Laete was able to get to the line quite a bit, and although the Warriors weren't hitting too many of their 3's, one of the Miller ladies was hitting on several mid-range shots, the Crusaders' shooting cooled off and WLC got the victory in the end.

[WLCALUM83]

Other 2/17 NAthCon Finals:

Concordia-Chicago 65, Alverno 32 (Atoi Sinclair & Co, get a win in her last game.) (Alverno had 29 turnovers to the Cougars' 14 and the Inferno had a poor shooting day from the floor, per box score off CU-Chicago web site.)

Aurora 57, Rockford College 44.  (Regents shot 22% in first half and never recovered--source is Rockford box score.)

Benedictine 63, Edgewood 57  (Edgewood outshot from the field in the game-WI Eagle box score.)

Concordia-WI 83, Dominican 45. (18 and 1 with at least one more game to play--is a bid to Nationals in this teams' future??)

Lakeland 57, Marian 50. (Muskies rallied from a 5-point half-time deficit-Boehm held to 11 pts. but Duranceau had 24. Lakeland got to the line quite a bit in second half--per Muskie box score.)

[WLCALUM83]

2/19 NAthCon Playoff Projections:

Edgewood over WLC: (Warriors can win this if they bring their "A" game and cut down on turnovers. They had several traveling violations after leading by 7 points with some 8 minutes left in 2nd half, which turned out to be a partial factor in Edgewood's comeback win in the earlier meeting.) (WLC needs to stay even on the boards and if the Warriors manage to get points off turnovers and/or on the break, the better their chances.)

Benedictine over Lakeland:  (Curtis vs. Boehme should be interesting. IL Eagles figure to prevail at home.) (Lakeland can win this if the Muskie outside shooters are hitting their 3's. If the Eagles slow Boehm down, Curtis has a big-scoring night, and Lakeland's not hitting from outside, the Eagles win.)

[WLCALUM83]

Anyone else want to chime in as to who should get the Freshman of the Year Award?

My first reaction on that is that CUW's Asia Beckum should get it:

(If my parameters were "Newcomer of the Year"  WLC's Lauren Lanza would surely be in the running.)