MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[smedindy]

Well, it is getting even more interesting this afternoon.  The Big Red take down the Tigers by three 63-60 and the Yeomen pull the big upset over the New Tigers in Oberlin!

February basketball

So much for the big four being undefeated against the struggling six.

[David Collinge]

Wooster struggled mightily against Wabash, as well. Only OWU seems to have had an easy day.

[David Collinge]

Kenyon dumps Hiram at the Doggie Dome, 84-75. Two road wins for the Lords this weekend makes it almost worth missing Puppy Bowl X.

KC now has a 2-game cushion on rival Denison for 5th place, while Hiram sinks into an 8th-place tie with Oberlin.

[seinfeld]

Maybe this is the game we see a little bit of Milt Davis again, since he went for 12 points and four rebounds in just 13 minutes of action against Kenyon last time. As soon as Wingard left the team, Davis filled at least some of his minutes in the rotation. For the five immediate games after Wingard left, Davis averaged nearly 11 minutes a game, averaging 4.6 ppg while shooting 7-of-13 from the field and 3-of-6 from three. Then they just stopped playing him. I know this is a small sample, but Davis has the high school pedigree that this is the kind of production that we should expect, if not more. And if Purcell and Goodwin were playing better, then I'd understand, but they aren't. After leading the NCAC in three-point field-goal percentage last year, Goodwin is shooting 23% from three and just 28% from the field. Defenses can completely ignore him. Purcell's overall numbers are pretty solid, but lately his shooting has been erratic, as he's riding an 1-for-11 streak from three-point range.

I guess my larger point is that the Scots need/should have done a better job of developing other offensive options outside of Thorpe and Brown. It's hard to imagine them making any kind of deep run in the tournament when you rely on two players so heavily, especially in the second half of games. And with that, they need to at least make defenses defend the paint once in a while. Even when teams were playing man-to-man, Wooster almost never throws the ball into the post, even if to try to get the defense to sag off the guards. When teams play zone, Kipfer and Fanelly might as well just stay on the defensive end for as many touches they are going to get. Wooster's offense runs through its guards, and that can be a winning formula. But if you don't even make the other team defend the paint, the perimeter defense can extend itself even farther out on the three-point shots, which is part of the reason Wooster's three-point shooting has been lagging lately.

[David Collinge]

New poll...
OWU flying, up four slots to #13
The other three sinking; Wooster down 6 to #11; Wittenberg down 5 to #23; DePauw down to nowheresville, barely clinging to 5 measly points. Losing to Oberlin will do that to you.

Still no non-NCAC Great Lakes teams in the poll, although Calvin is getting close.

[Urban For Prez]

Tigers come out hot...for once and force an OWU timeout.  Up in Delaware 14-5 in the early going.

[Urban For Prez]

Nice pace to the game here at OWU.  Leahy and Rogers playing well for the Tigers and Bishops, respectively.  Witt leads 34-26 at half.

[woosterbooster]

Holy cow, listening to the Wooster video broadcast tonight is an unexpected pleasure.  A professional duo.  I wish I knew the name of the lead man, but I don't.  He, along with color man John Finn, are doing a terrific job.

[wooscotsfan]

At the Half:  Wooster 48  Kenyon 30

Hot shooting by the Scots who are being led by Xavier Brown with 15 points and Doug Thorpe with 10.

[wooscotsfan]

Final:  Wittenberg 66  Ohio Wesleyan 55

Tigers with the big road win at Delaware.  Both Witt and OWU are now 10-3 in the NCAC.  Zach Leahy led Witt with 27 points.

[wooscotsfan]

Final:  Wooster 86  Kenyon 56

Wooster with a convincing win over Kenyon tonight.  Scots were led by Xavier Brown with 21 points, Doug Thorpe with 15, Evan Pannell with 10 and Scott Purcell also with 10.  Scots shot 52% from the floor and made 9 three pointers.  Wooster also outrebounded Kenyon 41 to 30.

Wooster takes over sole possession of first place in the NCAC with this win.

Wooster is now 17-3, 11-2 NCAC     Next game is at Denison on Saturday afternoon 2/8.

[David Collinge]

The only other scheduled game, Denison at Oberlin, was postponed until tonight. DePauw, Wabash, Hiram, and Allegheny were idle as they prepare for the semi-annual Long Trip this weekend, this time in Indiana.

aside: yes, I believe in the Oxford comma.

[smedindy]

aside: yes, I believe in the Oxford comma.

Hear! Hear! Harumph!

[woosterbooster]

aside: yes, I believe in the Oxford comma.

Dog bites man.  The question is, do you believe in the Oxnard comma?

[David Collinge]

Denison 81, Oberlin 75. Appears to be final.