WBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[tommycorn]

update on the tommie/gac game:

the tommies took a big developmental step, holding a lead with 5 minutes to go.  the freshman played liked veterans down the stretch, waiting for quality shots, not turning the ball over.  they're a young team, but it's good to note that 3 players from starting line-up last year did pretty much all of the scoring.  opdahl with 23, gotch with 16 and keiser with 13 or so, so this is definately about coaching, and not personnel.

i have now watched the gusties, bethel and carleton play, and i feel the same way about them all.  their players are too tentative!!!!  ahlberg is in a situation where her coach thinks the only way to score is either designed three-point plays, or strictly hi-low, let ahlberg loose!!  same with vadnais and monahan, i kept breathing a sigh of release when they turned away opportunity after opportunity to go to the basket.  i've already said my piece about vig. 

seriously though, bethel is a team to be reckoned with, i can only hope that the coach keeps using the schemes he has going, that being hi-low, hi-low, hi-low (and a couple quick hits) because they are sorely under-using their arsenal, but that's just my opinion

go tommies!

[scorekeeper]

I need to get back into action with some posts.  It's amazing how much you miss if you just turn your head for a few days. 

On 5:45 starts: I understand the GAC fans frustrations with the start times because like CSB, GAC is on the outside looking in on the metro area schools.  This rule smells of metro bias.  Teams in the metro (and I'll include St. Olaf and Carleton with this) don't have to worry about getting out of class early or getting back late when they play 75% of their games within a few miles of each other.  Do the math, of the 8 teams (including MAC), they will play about 145 of 200 games combined within 45 miles of campus (including their home games). Actually, CSB and GAC are at least somewhat close to the cities, but Concorida and St. Mary's are at a distinct disadvantage.  I would hate to be traveling from Moorhead and Winona all the time. 

On the MIAC so far: I think the conference continues to close the gap between the top and bottom teams.  At this point, I consider CSB, Carleton, Bethel and UST to be at the head of the class with Hamline, Gustavus and Concordia right behind them.  Of course, St. Kate's and St. Olaf are good enough to win on any night and you cannot overlook games with St. Mary's and Augsburg, especially in their gyms.  It will be a long dogfight for the 6 playoff spots this year and nobody will be safe come February. 

I am excited that UST will be at SCSU on Sunday.  What a nice way to keep my attention diverted from the Toilet Bowl on Sunday night between my Packers and the Lions.   I don't think it will be a pretty sight though.  The Huskies are very good with the trio of Hansen, Carlson and Quigly.  Normally I would cheer for the DIII team to upset the DII team, but this is the Tommies, and I will never cheer for Purple. 

[Willy Wonka]

I watched GAC look absolutely awful against the Tommies - who played very well - on Wednesday and decided not to go watch them play the team that beat the Bennies tonight. Somehow, they managed to bounce back and defeat Carleton by 9.

Monahan with 23 and 6 in 24 minutes and Vadnais with 26, 9 and 4. The PG spot is still getting very prediction though.

The top six will be a dogfight to the end.

[peachbasket]

"Concordia's Anne Keeley scores 25 points in Concordia's 78-73 win over the St. Olaf Oles. The Cobbers 78 points is the most points Concordia has scored in a single game all season."
YEE HAW!!  Annie and the scoring gets on track, just in time for winter break!

[gacbacker]

The Gusties get a great win over Carleton tonight by nine, after barely showing up on Wednesday against St. Thomas.

Monahan was great, and Vadnais took over during a key stretch late in the game when Monahan was on the bench with four fouls.

I'd also like to personally congratulate the official who gave Tammy a technical foul late in the game. It's about time that happened because she's deserved one in just about every GAC/Carleton game I've ever attended. Even after the game she couldn't let it go, as she and a Carleton dad were whining about the officiating.

A strange year so far in the MIAC...glad the Gusties can head into the holiday break with some momentum....big games against Bethel and St. Ben's in January.

[Willy Wonka]

Was it the Freeman's dad come back for kicks?

[peachbasket]

they're a young team, but it's good to note that 3 players from starting line-up last year did pretty much all of the scoring.  opdahl with 23, gotch with 16 and keiser with 13 or so, so this is definately about coaching, and not personnel.

So what's the story with the personnel and/or coaching tonight, tommy? Opdahl has 26, and the rest of the team has 27. SCSU stomp the Tommies, any of you St. Joe-ites see the game? What's the report?

[gacbacker]

Peach- are you really ribbing tommcorn because the Tommies lost to a D2 team that stuck with the Gophers for most of the first half earlier this year? I think everybody knew the Tommies would get "stomped" today by SCSU.

In my opinion UST is the second or third best team in the conference right now.

[peachbasket]

I agree gacbacker, just playing a little.  I would guess the top of the league would have lost by at least 32 to this team.  SCSU are solid!
After the first few games of the conference, anyone changing their minds about where everyone will finish?

[Collegeville Magic]

"the Rams"- I caught a glimpse of you on ESPN last night after Fitzgerald's TD gallop, too bad your Harvard QB couldn't tell white jerseys from purple ones yesterday.    

I think this year in the MIAC will be as competitive as it's ever been.  The rough part of the relative balance is that I'm nervous about the NCAA messing up what should be 3 MIAC teams in the tournament this spring.  Even with the expanded tournament, I always expect the "Nincompoops, Chimpanzees, And Apes" to find a way to make sure that D3 championships don't represent the actual best teams in the country.

Right now, CSB, Bethel, Carleton and UST appear to be the strongest, but nobody's immune to an upset, as has clearly been proven.

Bethel fans- any tips on UM-Morris's squad?  What can my Blazers expect tomorrow night?

[Willy Wonka]

As I think I mentioned before, SCSU was picked nearly unanimously to finish second in the NCC behind UND. They have a returning all-american in Quiggly. I doubt many/any D3 team could beat them at their place.

[Ghost of MIAC Past]

CM- a good friend of mine coaches at Morris, and since I am the lone BU supporter on this site, I guess I will have to fill you in.  Morris is a very scrappy/physical team.  They play hard, and maybe a tad dirty.  They are not a super fundamentally sound team, but this is Coach Peterson's first year at the helm after being an assistant coach for two years there.  She has some talent as a coach, and once she can get the talent at the players positions, they may become a decent team.  You should have no problems winning, you just need to avoid any "injuries."

[tommycorn]

Peachbasket, I take your posts in good fun, and yes Erica scored most of the points.  After the first few posessions I wasn't sure if we would score 26 as a team.  Quigley had 4 blocked shots in the first 5 minutes. 

That team is good.  I was really impressed by their Senior guard Hansen, who ended up with 24 going 6-8 behind the arc.  I remember her when she played in High School with Shannon Bolden at Marshall, that was a real good team, but she is at least ten times quicker these days, and her ability to change direction on a dime is unlike anyone i've seen in DII or III.

I agree with the sentiment on the board though.  The league is about as balanced as I can remember.  A team cannot afford to overlook anyone.  It will make for a exciting couple of months, with big match-ups every game (kind of like the condition of the NFL right now).   

I still think St. Ben's is the team to beat, and they've proved to be beatable, but I think the teams that are on the floor now are going to be much different than the teams we see come February, especially my Tommies, who each week has made improvements.  (And yesterday, well everyone needs to learn how to take a butt whooping once in their life)

[gacbacker]

Balance is obvious, but I agree that St. Ben's is clearly still the team to beat. Until Saturday I was convinced that Carleton was clearly the second best team, but after watching them play I don't think it's that definite. When you rely on four freshman to play as many minutes as they do, they are going to have games where they struggle. I was expecting more out of Oken-Berg than she showed me as well.

Right now I would rank the teams like this:
1. St. Ben's
2. St. Thomas
3. Carleton
4. Bethel
5. Concordia
6. Gustavus

I think these six teams will be the playoff teams and that St. Ben's will be the #1 seed. Two through six is a crapshoot though.

[peachbasket]

T-corn, glad you get my humor, not everyone does!!
I sure hope my Cobbers are one of the 6 left standing at the end.  I still am a little afraid of Hamline and Olaf popping in there at the end.