WBB: American Southwest Conference

[inthepaint]

HPU 91 Dallas Christian 35.

From every indication involving last year what has been seen thus far this season, HPU is without question the team to beat.   Coach K has put together a championship-calibre program.

[fanstand]

Not to burst anyone's bubble, but looking at the stats from last night, Dallas Christian only played 5 players all 40 minutes.  Doesn't sound like much of a challenge.  I agree HPU is the team at the moment to beat, but be careful boasting too soon. They blew lots of teams out at the beginning of last season too. 

[dballa]

I don't think we'll get a true reading on where everybody is until we play common opponents and play each other.  I do like where HPU is headed.  Their seniors are stepping up and providing solid leadership to the younger players.  The newcomers are playing really well early on and that's always a good sign. 

Last night against Dallas Christian the game could have been a lot worse.  Watching them play it seemed like they were holding back some, whether it was not to run up the score too bad or that it was just hard to get up for a game that you know you can win easily.

Everybody scored except for one and she's been battling an injury so she didn't get to play much.  HPU is really young on the bench but those players are very talented and will not only help this year but will keep the program strong in the next few years.

[inthepaint]

I agree HPU is the team at the moment to beat, but be careful boasting too soon. They blew lots of teams out at the beginning of last season too. 

Tell me what I'm missing here.  Didn't HPU pretty much handle everyone in the conference last year?

[fanstand]

I'm not doubting HPU is good.  But lots of talk about championships and final four last year, didn't get them there.  There is lots of ball to be played. Stuff happens. They are the defending conference champs, that puts a big 'ol' target on them.  We have some great games to go, and if I remember last year, the LIB did give them a conference loss, if they blow by everybody in the conference, then I'll give them their due.  I hope it is close because the better the games, I believe it prepares you more for the post season.

[jmnaseum]

Final from Alpine:
HPU 73
SRSU 53

6 point game at halftime!
HPU still undefeated

[Ralph Turner]

Halftime:   McM  41, HSU  26

[Ralph Turner]

McM 69, HSU 38  5mins left.

[Ralph Turner]

McM 72, HSU 45.  Final.

HSU has too many new players for me to make a judgment about the team.  We jumped on them early and they did not recover.

We have to watch what it will be like at the Mabee Center in January.

[Ralph Turner]

In the interview with Coach Snow at the halftime of the men's game, she was pleased with the way that LIB has been responding to her emphasis to play tougher defense.

She said that the defense would be the key to improving their offensive production.

McMurry leaves for Louisiana College next Sunday Dec. 16th, after taking finals next week.

The 27 point margin of victory was the most ever for LIB over the Cowgirls.  The previous high was a 70-51 win in 1991.

[golden_dome]

Mississippi College lost 58-56 to Piedmont today. MC trailed by as many as 17 in the second half but came back to take a late lead. Piedmont hit a shot with four seconds remaining to win and improve to 9-2.

[mcmfan]

Ralph,
It wasn't just the point spread that was interesting.  This is the first time I've ever seen McM play the whole bench against HSU.  Everyone got to play.  And what you probably didn't realize from the radio program was the shift in the HSU fan loyalties.  It used to be the HSU fans would come for the women's game and then leave before the men's game began.  Tonight, there were more HSU fans at the men's game than at the women's.  And the HSU student section was standing from the very beginning of the men's game.  They sat through all of the women's round. 

[fanstand]

I was impressed in how relaxed we were from the beginning of the game, the girls did not seem to be uptight, just excited to play..  I know a rematch will probably be a little tougher. We will be at HSU and they will have more time to gel as a team.  HSU has some good players, but LIB is more experienced especially with each other. Defensively, we have really improved and really pressed the turnovers.  HSU will get better, I was surprised by their fans, the gym wasn't near to capacity and there were more fans for the guys game.  Long road trip coming up, rest up and get after them LIB.  We are proud of you.

[mcmfan]

It was fun to watch, but I'm sure the rematch will be a cat fight.  We shot 60% from the field in the first half, which is simply not the kind of percentage that is sustainable.  HSU will be gunning for revenge when we meet again, no doubt about it.

[Ralph Turner]

Let's look at how successful the women's coaches were at scheduling valuable non-conference (in-region) games.

I commented on the men's side earlier this season.

ASC-West

Concordia -- Texas State (D-1); Carnegie Mellon and #3Messiah PA (out-of-region DIII) in Cancun MX; Concordia Mich (NAIA over Christmas)  No in-region games.  This doesn't help the conference.  Maybe the money game with TSU-SM paid for the Cancun trip, but the only way that the Cancun trip helps the ASC is if CTX pulls off the upset over #3 Messiah.

HSU -- Excellent Schedule;  Benedictine IL and Trinity TX in one tourney;  Buena Vista IA and the foe in the other tourney bracket at Southwestern.  This gives in-region games so we can boost the reputation of the conference.

HPU --  Good schedule in that they went to California and played Chapman, which was in the Tourney last year and Redlands, a good SCIAC team.  These are in-region games.  HPU picks up a game with Dallas Christian in the "travel partner" slot opposite UOzarks and D-2 UT-Permian Basin over the Christmas Holiday.  It can be tough to find games when you are #2 in the country!

UMHB -- Excellent schedule; at Trinity, Carthage IL, a tourney game TBD, and Austin College.  That is at least 3 in-region games.  Helping fill the brackets when Trinity and Southwestern host holiday tournaments is a win-win for everyone.

McM -- Excellent schedule.  Went to Colorado College to play in a Classic and picked up two in-region wins over St Thomas and St Olaf, both MIAC.  LIB then went to Maryville TN, which pitted McMurry versus 2007 USASAC tourney team Greensboro NC and former D-1 (first-year provisional SCAC member) Birmingham-Southern.  I wish that McMurry could have played in-region Maryville TN, but the BSC game gives us some comparison when BSC plays strong SCAC teams, DePauw, Oglethorpe, Trinity, etc.

Schreiner -- Playing in Hawaii, Pacific (NWC) is in-region, and Misericordia PA is another D-III.  They also play Southwestern and D-1 UT-PA.  If UT-PA is a money game that paid for the Hawaii trip then good.  We need strong showing in Hawaii to boost the conference.

SRSU -- D-2 UT-PB, D-3 U Dallas, and NCCAA Dallas Christian.  Only able to fill three and went on the road for those three!

TLU -- Pacific Lutheran (D-3, NWC) and Concordia-Portland.  UDallas and NAIA Concordia-Michigan over Christmas (see CTX).

ASC-East

ETBU -- No D3 games!  This doesn't help ETBU or the ASC.  The ASC-East has not had an NCAA  tourney team since the Pools began in 2000.  I hope the new coach can find some South Region opponents in 2008-09.  ETBU played D-1 UL-Monroe in an exhibition, crosstown NAIA-1 Wiley home and away, NAIA-1 Belhaven and NAIA-1 LSU-Shreveport.

LeTU -- Pretty good schedule for the ASC-East.  They traveled to Huntingdon AL, (500 miles), beat Huntingdon and then played LaCollege in the winner's bracket of the tourney.   They played at NAIA-1 Jarvis Christian College, played at NAIA-1 Wiley  around dead week and catch U Dallas in the UOzarks travel slot.

LaCollege -- Great Schedule!  Beat Rust and LeTU at Huntingdon.  Lost to D-3 Provisional Birmingham-Southern but swept Millsaps (SCAC).

Miss College -- Great Schedule! SCAC teams Rhodes, Hendrix and Millsaps twice, and a strong Piedmont (GSAC).  I just wish that Miss College were stronger this year! 

Ozarks -- Only played two games versus D3 schools, home and away versus Hendrix.  Went to a tourney to play 2 NAIA schools Tennessee Temple and Montreat NC.  That tourney did not help.  If you are going to as far as Tennessee, then playing some of the GSAC or SCAC schools might have given wins.

UT-Dallas -- Great Schedule!  Five in-region D-3 games!  At Trinity TX (their only loss), Benedictine IL, Austin College twice and UDallas. 

UT-Tyler -- Two D-3 in-region games, Austin College and Southwestern.  Also played NAIA-1 LSU-Shreveport and Jarvis Christian, and D2 Texas A&M Commerce over the Christmas break.