MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[ChairmanYao]

Pipers get a big win at Skoglund tonight 60-58. Maybe this season can get turned around with two home games this weekend.

[TommieHoops4Life]

Pipers try to give one away at St. Olaf, but escape with a 60-58 victory over Olaf tonight. Thrasher got off to a hot start, then virtually disappeared in the second half offensively. Clute and Hipp stepped up in his absence. Thrasher's black leg sleeve is unbelievably ugly.

Oles started slow and could never really recover. They played from behind all night, but they have potential with Jaryan and Fong. Jaryan has a tendency to force things and throw up wild shots with the hope of getting a foul, but he didn't get the whistle tonight. Fong could be a star in this league if he learn to take over a game. He also got mugged in the closing seconds after winning a race to a loose ball with a chance to tie or win the game, but there was no foul. Koz was hot at the official as he left the floor.

An exciting finish tonight, but neither of these teams will be in the post-season.

[TommieHoops4Life]

Tommies put up 52 in the second half and blow a close game open in Minneapolis, whipping the Auggies 87-57. Scott leads five in double figures with 19. Can anyone beat these guys?

[oldjammer]

Gac takes SMU 66-59.  Close and back and forth all game.  Not a pretty game for GAC.

Will Wright is a phenomenal player--at least for 30 minutes.  Outside of Holland SMU just has no supporting cast.  Wright took the ball to the hoop at will until halftime.  He only sat maybe 30 seconds and I think ran out of gas the last 10 minutes of the game as there was no penetration or even movement from him down the stretch.

No doubt SMU will be a tough team next year--more so if they secured any bigs.

[Willy Wonka]

Tommies put up 52 in the second half and blow a close game open in Minneapolis, whipping the Auggies 87-57. Scott leads five in double figures with 19. Can anyone beat these guys?

In the MIAC? Probably not, but the league is clearly way down this year. Heck, there isn't even a legit contender to challenge them.

In the nation? No doubt, and you might only have to look as far as Storm Lake for that opponent. It would be a classic battle, though I'd hope that rematch doesn't take place in the first round.

A little one-stop shopping for those looking for game recaps. Hopefully I make it out in one piece tomorrow morning because I've got an interesting bit I'm going to add as soon as I'm physically able. Yes, I'm already addicted to blogging...

[Drake Palmer]

I tell you, if the Tommies' senior chemistry professor, Coach Steve Fritz can keeping coming up with all these various dynamic team combinations, the Tommies are going to be just fine, even without a designated go-to guy.  Tonight it was Lonnie Robinson taking on the go-to role on the offensive end in the first half & coolly burying treys like -

Lonnie: What - you're surprised?
Old fan:  Yeah Lonnie, yes I am. 
Lonnie:  This is what I do.  I play mad D, I'm an assist guy, & every now then & when the team needs me to score – I'll knock down the trey.

For the night Robinson was 3-4 from behind the arc.

Here's my take on how a very tight game erupted into a big win by the Tommies.  First from the Tommies' website:

St. Thomas led just 35-32 at halftime, but Scott hit two 3-pointers and converted a traditional three-point play to start a 19-2 run over the first 6:45 of the second half.

Tommie SID Gene McGivern took the professional highroad in describing this portion of the game but I'll tell you what - that was one nasty, bada$$ 4-5 minutes of basketball that broke open a very tight ball game.  A couple of sweet presses that forced the Dawgs into (2) 10 second count violations, and then for 5 minutes Joe Scott impersonated a first team All American as the Tommie go-to guy.  He was that cold – in a good way.   

First Al McCoy wheels, deals, pivots in the paint then passes back out to Scott on the wing.  Scott fires up a trey that hits the front of the rim, back of the rim, the ball bounces up high in the air before it softly bounces through the net for a luck of the Irish triple - 3 points.  Not content to rest on his laurels, on the very next UST possession Scott made up for the lucky trey by cleanly dropping through another trey – 6 points.

UST continued to play some relentless half court defense, Tyler Nicolai grabbed a defensive rebound, quickly spun & spotted Lonnie Robinson on the leakout down court.  Robinson took one or 2 quick dribbles, drew the defenders over & passed back to Scott coming down on the left hand side of the court.  Scott caught the ball & made a very athletic layup in traffic with his right hand on the left –hand side of the basket, got fouled in the process & made the FT – 9 points.

A minute or so later, Scott is defending Augsburg's David Olson when Olson tried to sneak a layup by Scott. BAM! Scott blocked the shot, gathered the loose ball, drove back up the left side of the court, stopped in the middle of the lane when the Auggie defenders stepped up to block his drive, pivoted & spotted Nicolai trailing the play for the open trey which Nicolai buried. 

That was the key surge of the game & pretty much took the wind out of a very solid Augsburg team.  In 4:50 minutes, Scott had a hand in or directly scored 12 of UST's points to Augsburg's 2 points.  Pretty impressive 5 minute blitz which just kept rolling the remainder of the game over the tough, but out manned Auggies.  One key stat of the night:  24 Augsburg TOs = 35 UST points.

[Russian Mig AK47]

Not to sound like a broken record....

Looking at the box score, once again the Tommies forced 24 turnovers off 16 steals.  Only turning the ball over 10 times.  That kind of disparity in possessions, along with the easy buckets in the transition game, and the balanced scoring is a recipe for sustained success.  Not too mention that playing that fast paced style, up and down, of basketball doesn't lend itself to choking or nervousness.  I am assuming the opponents in the natty tournament will be of higher caliber, so they may not get as many strippies or TOs, but as long as they take care of the ball, and play their game, they should do fine.

[VOJ]

Piranhas:  Any of several tropical American freshwater fishes of the genus Serrasalmus that are voraciously carnivorous and often attack and destroy living animals. Also called caribe also called 2008-09 UST basketball team

Drake what you described is similiar (in a bad way) to what happened up at SJU... up 12 at the half the Toms forced turnovers and converted and shot well from the field...good to see that they did not fall like Duke last night the other new number 1

By the way it was good to see Duke fall...its always a good night when Duke gets beat, helped soften the blow from my Orange losing at Providence.  Saw most of the second half of the FSU-North Carolina game...gotta feel tough for the Seminole kids, played well enough to win, bad execution with their final possession, great drive and shot by Lawson to steal that one...

Anyone headed to the Barn tonight to see the matchup with the Illini?  With trips to Michigan State and Ohio State up next its a must win...

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

DP--- NICE recap of the exlosive stretch. I'd almost think you were there! Also, how are you able to quote my postgame convo with Lonnie?  Points off turnovers was an impressive stat, but the points in the paint(46-18) impressed me more, especially in light of Augsburg's having done very well in the paint all season.  Excellent defensive job kept Alm under wraps. Quammen is a sweet 3 shooter!

VOJ--- +K for the piranha definition. But, having seen both UST outbursts in the 2nd half vs SJU & last night, I think the one you saw was more impressive. Both totally deflated the opposition.

I can't remember the last time a UST foe did NOT get whistled for 10-seconds. I'm pretty sure there has been at least one in every game. That speaks volumes about the press and defense in general.

[BBTommie]

Tommies put up 52 in the second half and blow a close game open in Minneapolis, whipping the Auggies 87-57. Scott leads five in double figures with 19. Can anyone beat these guys?

That was impressive.  Game had a playoff feel to it, too.

[John Galt]

I can't remember the last time a UST foe did NOT get whistled for 10-seconds. I'm pretty sure there has been at least one in every game. That speaks volumes about the press and defense in general.


Short memory--that would be January 19th---versus Hamline---due to Barnhill and Wenrich as well as the rest of the Hamline crew !!!

[columbianmaffia]

Piranhas:  Any of several tropical American freshwater fishes of the genus Serrasalmus that are voraciously carnivorous and often attack and destroy living animals. Also called caribe also called 2008-09 UST basketball team



Anyone headed to the Barn tonight to see the matchup with the Illini?  With trips to Michigan State and Ohio State up next its a must win...

1. Nicky P Nasty (Nick Punto...i call him Nicky P Nasty cuz we have a good vibe) just called me and he is very upset about your comparison of the pirahnas to the UST bball team...he has offerred me a 25lb bag of coffee beans to sabotage you...i told him you made an honest mistake and it wont happen again...he told me to warn you that if you do it again he will slide head first into your shins when you are not looking...BEWARE!!

8. I will be at the barn tonight and i will boooo and hissssssss the illinois team as then climb up on the floor of the barn...i have hired jesse venture to flex at them as they come up the tunnel

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

I can't remember the last time a UST foe did NOT get whistled for 10-seconds. I'm pretty sure there has been at least one in every game. That speaks volumes about the press and defense in general.


Short memory--that would be January 19th---versus Hamline---due to Barnhill and Wenrich as well as the rest of the Hamline crew !!!

I seem to remember one in the first half (but could be mistaken) and the Hamline box score shows one "team" turnover in the first half, which is usually a 10-second or 5-second inbound call.

Strangely, the play-by-play does not list a TURNOVR by TEAM (and only shows 9, not 11 (as the box score indicates) TOs on Ham in the first half).

Suffice to say, while there may/may not have been a 10-second violation, the Pipers clearly had trouble with the press. Hayes had 3 quick TOs all when trying to bring the ball upcourt, and looked like a deer in headlights from that point on.  Wenrich & Barnhill each coughed up the ball vs the press, too.

CMOB-- tell Nicky P he better earn that big salary and hit at least his weight this year! 

[John Galt]

The UST/ Hamline turnover diiferential was 3
UST-14
Hamline-17

The Whitmore freshman recruits played the rolls they were given--and exceeded the expectations of most--and I thought they handled the press as well as any other MIAC team if not better.

[Gregory Sager]

In the nation? No doubt, and you might only have to look as far as Storm Lake for that opponent. It would be a classic battle, though I'd hope that rematch doesn't take place in the first round.

It very well might. Buena Vista is so geographically isolated that there are some definite limits upon where the Beavers can play in the first round within 500 miles of campus. Of course, if UST keeps winning it'll draw a first-round bye and make the point moot.