Top 25 talk

[Greek Tragedy]

Eau Claire and Stevens Point used to be big rivals, especially in their NAIA days.  Wednesday, Point beat Eau Claire for the 19th straight time.

[Gregory Sager]

Mugsy, Great video. What a great atmosphere for a D3 hoops game. The fans went crazy. Is that a big rivalry game?

If you were to ask basketball players from Wheaton who their top rival is in the CCIW, they'd say IWU.  Over the past 15 years, it seems as if almost every game between these two teams goes down the the wire - several with the CCIW championship on the line.

Football would be North Central and Augustana.

Ask Mugsy's wife who the big rival is.

To NPU, but that wasn't the question.  Doesn't a rivalry require that the 'rival' occasionally wins a game?

(And, yeah, since NPU beat Wheaton just 5 days ago, bad timing.  But how many consecutive losses preceded that game? )

Doesn't matter. We're on a one-game winning streak, and that's all that counts.

Besides, when's the last time that Wheaton brought in the local cops because of the visiting fans? You don't bring in cops when the Titans come to your gym -- you bring in EMTs who have specialized training in gerontological emergencies.

Well played, oh mighty one!

[For those in the dark, IWU has a reputation for just about the best traveling fan base around, but also for the average traveling fan being 80+.  Don't know about now, but when I attended, IWU always sent at least 100 students, even if we did have to go by mastodon-drawn sleighs. ]

Former IWU center and occasional CCIW Chat poster titanhammer had the all-time best line about the age level of the Titans' traveling fan contingent: "At other schools, the back of the fan bus to away games has a keg. On the back of the IWU fan bus, they have a defibrillator."

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Unless teams can both keep a solid level of play from year to year, rivalries will fluctuate, especially with the turnover of students every four years.

I went to Eastern Nazarene, whose main rival was Gordon College since they are the only two Protestant schools in New England. It's a long rivalry; they used to play in the old Boston Garden before Celtics games in the 70's.

Even when I was there in the late 90's early 2000's both teams were decent and the games were real rivalries.  ENC played in the conference championship game one year, which had half as many in attendance as either ENC-Gordon game during the regular season.

The past 5-6 years have been a bit unkind to the ENC basketball team (I think ENC's 1-8 since 2004).  At the same time Endicott (about 2 miles from Gordon's campus) has been very good.  If you ask a Gordon student today who their biggest rival is, they say Endicott.

I'm not sure even a resurrgence from ENC basketball could save what has become a very one-sided rivalry; geographic proximity is a hard thing to overcome.

[John Gleich]

Eau Claire and Stevens Point used to be big rivals, especially in their NAIA days.  Wednesday, Point beat Eau Claire for the 19th straight time.

I still think there's plenty of rivalry between Point and Eau Claire...  I remember when this streak started, back in 01-02.  It was actually Coach Bennett's first victory at the Zorn (it was his 6th try).  Since that year, though, it's been all Point, and EC hasn't finished higher than 5th and hasn't had a winning record in the league.  

01-02 T 8th (missed conference tournament)
02-03 6th
03-04 8th
04-05 6th
05-06 8th
06-07 8th
07-08 7th
08-09 5th

I've got no love for the Blugolds... I can find it in my heart to root for just about every other WIAC team (even Platteville, which has been a stretch), but I haven't shed a tear for the recent plight of Eau Claire!

[magicman]

#8 MIT loses to Wheaton (Mass) 60-57.

[Mr. Ypsi]

#8 MIT loses to Wheaton (Mass) 60-57.

As Wheaton was 5-10 entering the game, and it was AT MIT, that is a VERY bad loss.

[toooldtoplay]

Yes, bad loss.  They shot 4-20 from 3 vs. 10-19 for Wheaton. That was the difference.  Kates (point) hurt ankle in  Springfield game and did not practice all week although played well in second half. Two other starters in hospital getting fluids for stomach flu. No excuse though, should have still pulled it out.

[Jeremybozz]

Bridgewater up 72-62 on #7 E. Mennonite with 4:16 left in regulation.

[Jeremybozz]

Bridgewater 89,#7 EMU 83 Final

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Ugly game in Virginia.  EMU shot less than 20% from deep (and took a lot of shots) and there were 68 combined fouls between the two teams with seven guys at 4 or more (five fouled out).

[deanslist]

I was at the EMU-BC game. What a difficult and disappointing game to watch. With 68 fouls and a combined 94 free throws the game had very little rhythm.  For such a big rivalry (these schools only separated by about 10 miles), sold out crowd (they stopped allowing people in the gym ) it was really disappointing the game was called so tight. Unfortunately, EMU was cold from beyond the arc tonight. Thursday night the Runnin' Royals have a rematch against the other opponent that handed them there first loss, Southern Virginia University. Keep up the good work Royals! Go EMU!

[magicman]

I was at the EMU-BC game. What a difficult and disappointing game to watch. With 68 fouls and a combined 94 free throws the game had very little rhythm.  For such a big rivalry (these schools only separated by about 10 miles), sold out crowd (they stopped allowing people in the gym ) it was really disappointing the game was called so tight. Unfortunately, EMU was cold from beyond the arc tonight. Thursday night the Runnin' Royals have a rematch against the other opponent that handed them there first loss, Southern Virginia University. Keep up the good work Royals! Go EMU!

deanslist,
How long did that game last? The play by play statistics page was the longest one I think I've ever seen for a game of regulation length. The double overtime game last night between Brockport St and Plattsburgh was 3 screens shorter than this one. I'm surprised the refs eyes weren't bugging out of their heads when they finally walked off the court, from all the whistle blowing that went on in that game. Game had to be a minimum of two and a half hours long.

[Mr. Ypsi]

It's only one game, but note the Chapman win over U of Dallas: they coasted to a 61-29 win after leading 38-3 at the half!   While Dallas is no powerhouse, they were 8-8 entering the game.  I can't recall the last time a men's college team scored three points in a half.

[Ralph Turner]

It's only one game, but note the Chapman win over U of Dallas: they coasted to a 61-29 win after leading 38-3 at the half!  While Dallas is no powerhouse, they were 8-8 entering the game.  I can't recall the last time a men's college team scored three points in a half.

Massey had UDallas at #263 coming into the game.

Teams that were in that Massey range included LaVerne, Keene St, Scranton, Kean and Otterbein.

[wooscotsfan]

#25 Wooster registered a nice road win last night at Wittenberg, knocking off the Tigers by a 66-56 score.

Wooster is now 13-4 overall and with a 8-0 record in their conference, they have a two game lead in the standings.