MBB: American Rivers Conference

[doolittledog]

Luther beating BV isn't a total shocker to me.  But the score is a tad eye popping to me!!!

[doolittledog]

Dubuque wins AT Wartburg 69-67

Don't spoil my joy by telling me Wartburg is bottom of the table.  Just let me savor a close win on the road against a traditional conference power. 

If I had just studied up on the schedule a bit better I would have taken the kids up to Waverly for the double header.  I'm a bit bummed we missed this one. 

[Klompen]

Congratulations to Coe for really taking the Dutch to the woodshed for a wooping yesterday.  Go figure, the Dutch made runs against Luther and were in it at the end, with 3 injured (?) players and the injured players all returned to the starting line-up yesterday and the Dutch couldn't do anything well.  Coe certainly wanted it more and played with a ton on confidence.  They shot better, rebounded better, played much better defense and played as a team.  None of which Central did yesterday.  The Central that played yesterday was what I might have expected from them at the start of the season with 5 graduated starters.

But I don't see any excuse for the way they played yesterday.  The three injured players who didn't dress against Luther all started last night.  Things that make you go, hum?  Regardless, the Dutch started the season out like a house of fire and last night was a difficult game to watch.  Why does a team doing well get worse as the season goes on?  Maybe it was just an off night for shooting, that happens, but they did not seem to play as a team last night and their defensive effort was truly sad.  Coe had one shot under the basket where I don't think anyone was within 5 feet of the guy.  I suggest no more Christmas breaks for Central if they come back looking like the season is just starting.  Central was in the driver's seat being undefeated prior to Wednesday.  Now they are in danger of FALLING to everyone's expectations of them.  

Sorry, Dutch, but when you play like that, even I can't defend you.  The only good thing is that we weren't playing UD.  Blum would have had a field day yesterday!  

[Klompen]

Hey Doolittle, I know how you feel.  It is great winning somewhere that you haven't been able to win at in a long time.  Right now Central's road win at Loras and home win against Wartburg aren't looking all that impressive. 

I am hoping my Dutch will be able to regroup and bring back the fire, but right now it isn't feeling so good.  I did think Jack Bruns was giving his all on Saturday, but he was getting hammered constantly, so the output didn't show up. 

I hope Juckems finds a new job soon.  Not because they beat us, but because I was getting exhausted just watching him run his half-court all night.  Reminded me of when Gary Boeyink was Central's women's head coach. 

[doolittledog]

Big week ahead for Dubuque.  Hosting games against BVU and  Loras. http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=308251

[IntramuralChamp]

Loras @ Wartburg- I really want to go with the home team tonight, but I think Gorton and the Duhawks got it figured out and find a way to win at Wartburg tonight- 75 to 70, Loras continues to play better.

BV @ Dubuque- BV can't play any worse can they? You would think not, but they are on on the road, in Dubuque with Taylor Blum running the show. I like the Spartans to win a close one down the stretch, BV is still in shock of the Norse beatdown. 73 to 70.

Central @ Simpson- Klompen is concerned what team is going to show up and Klompen will be concerned early as the the Swarming Storm jump all over Central, but Boschee fires them up at half and they win by 4. 78 to 74.

Luther @ Cornell- Luther goes back on the road, following the BV beatdown, but the Rams use their home court advantage as the Norse come out flat and the Rams pick up a big home win against the conference leading Norse. 67 to 60.

I was bad with the picks on Sat, hopefully be a little better tonight-  Thoughts, opinions! Let them fly!

[Klompen]

None of your predictions would surprise me, IC.  Also, it wouldn't surprise me if every one of them was wrong.  Fence sitting, I know, but what I mean to say is I think there are a lot of coaches and fans wondering which team will show up on which night.  I like to think that the Dutch will rebound tonight and beat Simpson.  They have to play better than they did on Saturday. 

I also think BV might use Saturday's game as a wake up call that you have to do more than show up to win the game. 

Which Luther team will show up tonight?  I really don't think the team that played Central is anything like the team that took it to BV.  No way!

Wartburg and Loras might be the two most consistent teams playing right now, but they are playing consistently poorly, which team wants to win.  I just don't like Wartburg, so I want to say Loras, but it's a real toss up.

[doolittledog]

UD up 23-20 over BVU in the 1st half.  Refs letting the boys play.  Lot's of bodies from both teams hitting the floor with the refs not blowing any whistles.

[doolittledog]

Dubuque leads BVU 35-32 at the half.  

UD football player Miles Hookstead with a solid 1st half for the Spartans with 10 points.  

[Klompen]

Simpson up 27-25 over Central at the half.  Not impressed with Simpson's video, very blurred if you enlarge it, tiny if you don't.  I listened to the end of the Simpson-Central women's game, blowout by Simpson, and was really impressed with how professional sounding the woman doing the play by play was for the Storm.  She kept it interesting and quite unbiased, which may have been easier given the score, but I was impressed anyway.  Not nearly as impressed with the guys announcing the men's game.  Not that it would be easy, you wouldn't want to hear me announcing, but all the same, I wish the women's announcer was doing both games.  Simpson has a mid year transfer the way it sounds.  Can't tell how good he is with the blurry or tiny video, but he has played a lot.

Doolittle, how does UD lead 32-32?  That sounds like the way I call it when I play cards and we're tied.   

[doolittledog]

I corrected it...35-32 at the half.  I guess that 1 beer I drank tonight with dinner has impaired my typing

[Klompen]

Glad to hear UD is ahead of BV, hope they still are at the half. 

How many times did SC announcer say the shot was "off the mark"?  Two less than the number of misses by both teams.  One shot was actually short and one was an airball by Simpson.

Oh, man, these guys are such homers!

[doolittledog]

BVU up 10 on UD with 10:00 left in the game.

Klompen, I know what you're talking about with the Simpson announcers.  Students doing the game.  When Simpson made a half court shot at the 1st half buzzer against UD, the kid announcing the game shouted out that he had "just crapped his pants".  At that point I headed to bed and hoped that his college instructors informed him later in the week that he might not want to talk like that over the air!!!

[Klompen]

Well at least against UD, the announcer was the idiot.  They called one of Central's players an idiot tonight.  Classy, as always.     Central is down by 10 also.  Maybe I will check in on Loras and Wartburg or Cornell and Luther.

[Klompen]

Luther up 62-49 over Cornell.