WBB: American Southwest Conference

[fanstand]

Wow what a game LIB. So very proud of you. Came up just a little short, but wow.

[mcmfan]

Congratulations to LC for winning the conference.  Is it accidental that to do it LC had to beat all the previous conference champions, McM, HPU, and HSU, in the tournament?  Keep it up in the post-season, and make the ASC look good.

And as for the LIB, I can only repeat fanstand's comment -- Y'all gave it everything you had, which you've done all season.  You should be proud of this game even though we lost, and we're proud of you.  Have a safe trip back to Abilene!

[millie]

McM ya'll played a great game...too bad the clock ran out when ya'll were behind...glad to see that the behavior today was better then Sat...i hope that LC will continue to represent the ASC with class.

[Ralph Turner]

What I liked about the video stream is that the internet company that streamed the game used the McMurry chief avatar on the web page where the stream displayed.



I won't care if CTVT never updates their files.   

[Ralph Turner]

This was my first chance to see H.O. West Fieldhouse.

I only count 9 rows of seats courtside and not much more than 12 rows of seats above the aisle.

I do not see seating at either end.  The Courtside seating is only about 94' (minus the footage allocated to the aisles).

If one squeezes in a person every 20", then that only allows 60 people to be squeezed into each row.

2 sides times (9 rows plus 12 rows) times 60 people per row ,

2 times 21 times 60 = 2520.

It looks to me that the capacity of HO West may be closer to 2600-2800 fans, max, instead of the stated 4500 fans.

[Ralph Turner]

One other comment...

In the post-season interviews, the LC players commented about the pace that McMurry set for the game.  We were pushing them, and they said that it took them out of their game to a degree.  The announcers said that Givens played all 125 minutes of the tourney.

It reminded me of the mid-decade McMurry teams that were in such superior condition to most of the teams that they faced.

[mcmfan]

During the LC-HPU game yesterday, one of the webcast commentators thought the reason HPU gave up so many points at the end of the game was because their key players were in foul trouble and had to go easy on their defense.  Curious, I checked the stat sheets for the final three games that gave LC the championship.  If I read the data correctly, free throws were a key factor in all three games, with LC getting double the free throw opportunities of its opponents:

HSU      LC
12         23

HPU     LC
10        18

McM     LC
14        27

The FTs were key in the LC-McM game; McM got 0 FT opportunities in the overtime game, compared to LC's 9.  This would support Ralphs' observation that LC simply wore down its opponents until they committed fouls that they would have avoided earlier in the games.

[Ralph Turner]

On the Hoopsville webcast this evening,  Pat Coleman thinks that HPU did not get to the table because they were behind Roanoke on the Wednesday Regional Ranking.  All of the ASC runners-up lost before the finals of the ASC which may have kept them from leapfrogging Roanoke.  Roanoke may have been one of the last Pool C teams to be selected (almost 18th or 19th).

[Ralph Turner]

One other aspect of the LaCollege game is to push the ball inside where they would draw fouls.

McMurry was hitting from the outside, where you are less likely to get the blocking foul.  Especially Kelsey Lindemuth who was hitting 3's well.

Coach Snow also said on the post-game show that the refs were going to let them play.  Coach Snow also commented on how few fouls LC received, which meant that McMurry was not in the bonus late in the game.

[Ralph Turner]

LaCollege only loses one senior, who is playing 20 mpg and scoring 4 ppg.

I hope that LaCollege can schedule some high profile non-conference games against in-region D-3 opponents.

My suggestions would include Christopher Newport and a Hope, a DePauw or an OAC team.

(Louisiana College is in the South Region and administrative region #3 which includes these states: VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, LA, AR, TN, KY, IN, MI, OH and WV.)

[bcal]

Congratulations to LIB for a strong season.  Coaches Snow and Rainbolt have to be proud of what this team achieved this season.  It is my observation the team improved as the season progressed.  This is certainly true this past month.  Our 1,2, and 3s show promise and LIB went deep into the bench often.  This meaningful plalying time will help the players mature.  We need to add depth at 4 and 5 for next year.  It was a good Ride!  Thanks to the coaches and players.  Alacumba!

[The Jinx]

mcmfan, regarding the foul count being 2:1.  Thats what you call "home field advantage".  But, thats why we play the game.  Good job McM.  Good luck to LC, make the ASC proud. 

[Kelly Boggs]

Ralph's observation about LC's strategy is correct - they pound the ball inside.  The strength of the Lady Wildcats is in the paint. They have a junior and freshman playing at the post positions that are hard to stop inside. LC gets to the line a lot in every game. In the second half of Saturday's game McMurry scored mainly  from the outside (McMurry's great inside player #23 was in foul trouble much of the game and most of the second half) or on layups when they broke the LC press.

#20 for McMurry put on a 3-point shooting clinic in the game and #10 showed great poise under pressure by hitting 3 free-throws with .4 seconds on the clock  to send the game into OT. It was a great game and LC was very fortunate to win. McMurry played inspired b-ball throughout the tournament

[ShouldaBeenAnIndian]

Great game LIB. You played hard and it showed.

Congratulations to the Lady Wildcats on their victory and best of luck in the tournament. Make the ASC proud!

[mcmfan]

On the Hoopsville webcast this evening,  Pat Coleman thinks that HPU did not get to the table because they were behind Roanoke on the Wednesday Regional Ranking.  All of the ASC runners-up lost before the finals of the ASC which may have kept them from leapfrogging Roanoke.  Roanoke may have been one of the last Pool C teams to be selected (almost 18th or 19th).

Wouldn't UMHB have had a better chance than HPU?  The UMHB conference record is 17-4, while HPU's is 16-5.  Or is the difference that HPU was beaten in the conference by LC rather than by McM?