WBB: Northwest Conference

[rimshot]

I don't know who is hurt for GFU but it seems to me every single team has lost a player this year.  At least 4 ACL's, stress fractures things of that nature---it is indeed very very sad but the teams must move forward---I also agree the back to back games the NWC play are very tough on a team--especially with the balance of the league no resting starters.

As for "best" list--
S/S from Whitworth
Kim/Robyn-GFU
Ewart/?-Whitworth

Point guard
Franza pretty darn good

Post
What about that Jenny person from Willamette?

Let's make a new list---best 'undersized' post player
LIZ-gfu
shogren-whitworth
Lizzy-whitman

Best post combo-
you forgot
Straw/May-UPS---pretty good the year they made the NCAA's
Whitworth had a really good post a few years back maybe 8+ strong--can't think of her name at all---any help out there?

Underdog wins
PP--good choices---but you must believe UPS over GFU this season must be a late consideration.
what about the willamette-plu game last year or willamette crushing UPS-when UPS was ranked.

Okay so as Big-al said I too wish for everyone to get healthy again---and I am sure each coach who has a player out wishes that as well.

[parklandpride]

After reading the Fox fans voting only for Fox players and my own vote going to Fox, but from years ago, and Rim Shot breaking out the Ewart/ ? (Jamie Wakefield) vote, i thought i would actually find out who is the best 1-2 scoring punch from the past 7 years. Before i list them from #5 to #1 I will say that it is too early for the Taylor/Leith combo to be on the list and they still have some work to do. This list also wont include NWC POY's Katie Lacey or Erica Ewart or the two programs with the most NWC titles. Note: These numbers are NWC games only, I don't think scheduling Cal Tech or some weak area teams is a good representation of the true ability of the NWC. Common opponants seems like a more fair comparison.


#5 Puget Sound (2005) - Lindsey May/Angie Straw: This combo combined for 31.5 point per game and 49% of the Loggers total offense. May (15.9PPG) and Straw (15.9PPG) finished #6 and #7 respectively in conference scoring. They both relied on high percentage shots finishing the season shooting 50 and 51% from the field. May also led the league in FT attempts with 104, making 88 from the line. Neither player hit a 3pt basket.

#4 - Willamette (2001) - Kelly Sorenson/Heather Ludwig: This inside outside combo averaged 32.5 PPG while leading Williamette as the top scoring offense in the league that year. Sorenson a shooting guard averged a league high 18.6 PPG while Ludwig, ranked #9 at 13.9 PPG. The two accounted for 45% of the Bearcat offense. That Willamette team is best known for their late season upset of national #1 George Fox, and did it without Sorenson who's season ended prematurely due to apendacitus.

3, 2, and 1 to follow.....

[parklandpride]

#3 Puget Sound (2001) - Tina Garrett/Julie Vanni: Somewhat of a forgotten pair as the Loggers started the season 7-1 but finished a distant 4th in the NWC at 9-7 behind Willamette, PLU and Fox. Garrett and Vanni combined for 32.7 PPG. Garrett finished 2nd in the scoring race by only a half point bringing in 18.1 PPG while Vanni finished #7 with 14.6 PPG. The duo accounted for an astounding 51% of the UPS offense. Garrett wasn't in the top 15 in FG% but got to the line more than anyone 119 times, hitting 80% and complimented that with a 38% clip from deep. Vanni got to the line almost 100 times herself nailing 73% from the stripe.

#2 Whitworth (2004) Tiffany Speer/Dani Belic: This is not a typo, that says Dani Belic who stepped up big when teammate Sarah Shogren went down with an injury that kept her out of several NWC games. Of course the anchor of this duo was Speer who tallied 21.1 PPG that season and combined with Belic (13 PPG) made for a deadly combo that torched the league for 34.1 PPG. Their combined average tabbed 51% of the Pirates offense. While Speer walked away with her 2nd NWC POY award, the Pirates finished a disappointing 4th place in the NWC and Speer was actually 2nd fiddle to NWC scoring leader, Pacific's DeeDee Arnall. (Note: Arnall's 21.9 PPG in conferece is the highest season total in NWC's 7 year history)

#1 Whitworth (2005) Tiffany Speer/Sarah Shogren: A year delayed but not to be denied the most prolific scoring duo in NWC history would be Speer and Shogren. In their senior year, Speer (17.1 PPG) the 2 time POY and All American seemed to almost take a back seat to Shogren in the scoring department (18.1 PPG). The two of them used a balanced attack and ripped the NWC for this highest point total by a duo at 35.2 PPG accounting for 55% of Whitworth's offense. Despite one of the most impressive individual careers ever (Speer) in the NWC and the most impressive scoring duo to take the floor,  Speer and Shogren would again be denied a chance to play on the national stage suffering two devistating losses to PLU and allowing Fox to claim the NWC title. With no conference tourney, the Pirates were left to chance with an at-large bid at 22-3, which has to this day never been issued to an NWC team.


On an individual note, Pacific's DeeDee Arnall is on pace to be the first player to ever lead the NWC in scoring 3 straight years.

[swiss]

Thanks PP for your research. 

One stunning truth that is inescapable is that none of these "scoring duo's" produced a conference title.  It may go to my point that a balanced scoring attack in which everyone on the floor is capable of putting the ball in the basket is more helpful than a strong one-two punch.  Even Magic and Kareem, Shaq and Kobe, or Michael and Scottie, needed a cast of capable characters surrounding them to produce championships.  Boston and Detroit have multiple championships specifically because they were "team" oriented teams.  Basketball has always been about playing together, making your teammate better by the way you played, seeing to whole court, making the extra pass, etc.  Even average fans know this intuitively.  Listen to the crowd when someone makes a great individual shot.  Then listen to them when someone makes a great assist.  I'll bet it's the latter that raises the roof and gives people chills. 

Individual performances will sometimes win games but very seldom championships.  Good "teams" will sometimes have an off night, but generally they will be the ones celebrating at the end of the season.

[rimshot]

Parkland-

you continue to amaze me with your ability to gather stats, remember names and "do math!" 

swiss-
and that is why at present PLU is the team to beat---check out their scoring totals--- (if in fact GFU has some key players out or their rotation)

[parklandpride]

I have applied to be an SID at two NWC schools in the past 5 years...both times denied....so maybe my memory skills aren't as good as it appears.

As for the math...well you can thank one of the fine NWC academic institutions for that...and the calculator on my lap top.

I would argue that balance scoring (while important) isnt the main factor in winning conference, it is team defense. Check out my supporting artifacts.

Year - Final Standings - Defensive Rankings (PPG Allowed):

2000 - #1 Fox / #1 PLU - #1 PLU (46.3 PPG) / #2 Fox (53.7 PPG)
2001 - #1 Fox / #2 PLU - #1 PLU (47.6 PPG) / #2 Fox (53.7 PPG)
2002 - #1 PLU / #2 Whitworth - #1 PLU (51.1 PPG) / #3 Whitworth (57.1 PPG)
2003 - #1 Whitworth / #2 PLU - #1 PLU (47.4 PPG) / #4 Whitworth (54.7 PPG)
2004 - #1 UPS / #1 Whitman - #2 Whitman (56.9 PPG) / #3 UPS (57.5 PPG)
2005 - #1 Fox / #2 Whitworth - #1 Fox (49.4 PPG) / #2 Whitworth (56.8 PPG)

Defense is the key, scoring is just the iceing on the cake. Anyone want to take a stab at why under Gil Rigell PLU has never finished lower than 3rd place in the NWC? Because 5 of the 6 completed seasons in the NWC PLU has been #1 in team defense. The only year they were not number 1 was 2005 when the finished 3rd, PLU's worst year under Rigell and they still finished 10-5 in conference. In 2000 PLU was also the number one defense in the entire nation.

Best D doesnt always win conference titles, but it sure is a nice foundation to work on.

[swiss]

I wouldn't argue with the team defense theory.  Or even claim that balanced scoring is the single most important factor.  My point (and other's) is that TEAMS win championships, not individuals.  I'm not telling you something you don't know, I'm sure.  Great individual talent almost always falls short, if it isn't combined with the more "transcendent" aspects of being a "team."  But, it can be difficult to measure statistically because there are so many variables and some aspects of the game just aren't recorded.  How do you measure encouagement on the floor, or leadership, or intensity, or decision making, or quality of deception (ie. fakes)?  You can approximate it with some stats but alot of this stuff can be pretty subtle. 

You do have to put the ball in the basket to win and lots of easy buckets are born on the defensive end with a steal or a rebound and quick outlet.  Offensive rebounding teams do well too because second chance points are often closer to the basket with the defense out of position.  Balanced offenses do well because it is fairly easy to stop one or two offensively minded players (or let the star get his/her points and shut down everybody else), but much more difficult to stop all five of them. 

Anyway, I wish my best to all the players tonight and hope the game lives up to the hype. (and, of course, that Fox wins!  )

[sunny]

I'm listening to the KLAY broadcast of the PLU/George Fox game and ... WOW! ... Going into OT after the Lutes were down 16.  Great game!

And Turner just hit her eighth three ... 78-77 ... and now Taylor answers and its 79-78!

I'm envious of those of you who are at this game in person!

[sunny]

Long makes the game-winner with 1.2 seconds left. 85-84 PLU. Wow wow wow!

PS - Many thanks to the KLAY play-by-play man for making me feel like I was three time zones west of where I am!

[gordonmann]

Sunny:

I'm right with you on the great job KLAY's guy did.  I was listening from Philadelphia with no connection to either team and thoroughly enjoyed it.

[parklandpride]

Another epic battle between the two premier teams in the NWC. It's one of those games where you wish no one had to lose. There have been some amazing college basketball games between PLU and Fox at Wheeler and this was another one to add to the archive.

Whether you are a Bruin or a Lute or just someone that loves D3 hoops, this was one of the most amazing games to have been at and anyone in the gym should feel lucky to have witnessed the brand of basketball that was played tonight by two Top 25 programs and the two best teams in the NWC. The game was also complimented my some amazing individual accoplishments as well. It had a little of everything.

This is just game one of what will most likely be three between these teams, and as it has been in the past....fasten your seatbelts...

[swiss]

As bitter as the pill was to swallow, I have to agree with you PP.  Wow, what an amazing game!  Almost an exact duplicate in reverse of last year's Bruin win at PLU.  It almost seemed like it was meant to be.  PLU played incredibly well down the stretch.   They made every shot they had to with the game on the line.  I was very impressed with their confidence and cool in the final minutes.   Definitely a well coached team.  But, I was also very proud of the Bruins.  Every one of them played well, definitely a solid team effort.  Except for the ending, as perfect a game as you could hope for.  I'm already looking forward to the next one!

[swiss]

If anyone would like to see pictures of the Fox/PLU game and get a taste of the atmosphere, paste the following into your web browser:

http://homepage.mac.com/psyhub/PhotoAlbum8.html

Hopefully it will take you to the right place.

[parklandpride]

Props to a solid Lewis and Clack squad that took advantage of several opportunities and beat PLU. The Pios played a consistant game and never let the Lutes put together a major run. The Lutes certainly looked like a team that played an OT contest the night before.

No excuse, you gotta bring it every night in this conference and LC did a good job to capitalize on the opportunity. That program has come a long ways and they have had some huge wins to keep them in the hunt.

NWC 1st half is over....and there is lots more hoops to play.

[arforbes]

Swiss, thank you so much for the connection of great pictures.  I just got back from a trip to Austria with the ski team, and found some solitude in the Bruin loss through the great discussions and chance to view some pics.  As always, basketball truly is a team game for those teams that win.  It is impressive that PLU routinely hangs around games with their good team defense and will then lay it on you when they start shooting.  I have been watching it from afar for years.  I hope to catch a game in the next few weeks.  Sorry PP, time limitations demand that I watch the Bruins, besides, my GFU son really needs to see the quality of womens play in the NWC, since so far he has been going to the mens games only.  An additional educational opportunity is at hand.