MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[pbrooks3]

Congrats to the SCOTS for making it to the Final Four and playing a tough game against Amherst.  You had a wonderful season.  Good luck in tomorrow's 3rd place game.

[senatorfrost]

 According to what I heard on the webcast Coach Hixon when asked said that Vanderwaart was your best player. Certainly looked that way to me and the guy has a bad hand!!
  I gave McLaughlin my player of the game award and of course Vanderwaart would have gotten it if Wooster had won. Wooster is a very nice team and I appreciated the fans who came over to NESCAC and participated. I liked the Box Score which incorporated stats. ( I assumed) You have pretty good fans.
Best of luck for tomorrows game and may all arrive home safely.
   
   

[David Collinge]

Well, phooey.  I'm much too tired to say anything intelligent tonight (I have no excuse the rest of the time ) except congratulations to the Scots.  Another dig-deep gutty comeback, but Amherst had the moxie to hold off a couple of Scot runs and hang on.  It was closer than 7 points; a shot rimming out here or a bad pass there was the difference.  Tough loss for our heroes, but a great tourney run, and still a chance for the record-tying (I think) 30th win tomorrow against Wash U.

The Wooster contingent here is larger than anyone else's, even Va. Wesleyan.  It's a very impressive turnout by the fans (if I do say so myself ).

[jscwittfan]

The Wooster contingent here is larger than anyone else's, even Va. Wesleyan.  It's a very impressive turnout by the fans (if I do say so myself ).

It was the same way with Witt last year.  You would think VW would have more fans considering it is in their home state, but that just shows you the dedication of NCAC fans.

[wooscotsfan]

Tough loss for Wooster tonight as it looked like the Scots might get the win when they led 59-56 with about 4 minutes remaining.  Amherst finished the game with a 11-1 run to garner the victory.

Terrific performance by Tim Vandervaart as he led the Scots with 20 points and was unstoppable in the lane tonight.  Turnovers hurt Wooster tonight and some cold shooting stretches at inopportune times (only made 5 three pointers tonight and the Scots missed a number of open shots).

David is quite correct that Wooster has the biggest fan contingent in Salem and we made plenty of noise tonight.

Let's hope that Wooster can get a 3rd place win tomorrow afternoon vs. Washington University.  It would be great to have Tom Port, Tim Vandervaart and Andy Van Horn finish their collegiate careers with a "W".

GO SCOTS!

[Amherst95]

I want to offer some respect to Wooster's team and its fans.  The difference between victory and defeat in a game like that is razor thin, as we all know from previous trips to Salem.

It is a distinct privilege for us to compete against a program like yours.  Tonight we were the better team, but it would take us years to match the sustained excellence of your program.  I hope we will have the opportunity to match up again soon.

Good luck next season.

[Titan Q]

I know all about the heartbreak that comes with watching your team lose in the national semifinal game.  IWU lost to Rowan in 1996, William Paterson in 2001, and Virginia Wesleyan in 2006.  The Titans looked to have the games vs Rowan and VWC won, which made it even tougher when the final horn sounded.  When the dream of a national championship dies, it's tough.

Sometime early Saturday afternoon the sting starts to wear off and you realize how special it's been to watch your team play and how great it will be to see the seniors take the floor in your school's uniform one final time.  You go to the Salem Civic Center and enjoy a game that becomes sort of a celebration, but also one where the guys will be playing as hard as if it's the late game Saturday.  Whether they raise the 3rd or 4th place trophy, it hits you how special of a accomplishment it was to get to Salem, Virginia and how many great memories you have of that group of young men...

http://www.iwuhoops.com/3rd.jpg

This group of Wooster players has nothing to hang their heads over.  They've been special for a long time. 

[PraiseTheLords*]

More props here from an opposing fan for Vandervaart and his (forgive unavoidable Boston reference) Kevin McHale imitation. The drop-steps, spins, over-under moves...you don't see post work like that very often anymore. Even better than his shooting percentage was the fact that by the time he'd finished his footwork, the shots were actually easy. I didn't think Amherst was going to survive him.

Here's hoping that V. and his teammates will eventually feel the satisfaction they deserve from a strong final game and a great season. Wooster was a pleasure to watch.

[jscwittfan]

Wash. U defeats Wooster 92-84 in the consolation game.

Tough weekend for Wooster, and while I'm sure it stings now, this team can always remember they finished in the top 4 in the nation.

[Li'l Giant]

I know it's small consolation to Scots fans but you guys had a great run and represented the NCAC well. It may hurt now but keep in mind there are literally hundreds of programs that would love to have the sustained success you've enjoyed. Getting to Salem is just a fantasy for a lot of us but was your reality this year.

Congrats on your great season.

[David Collinge]

I hope I'm not wrecking a state secret, because I don't see the All-American teams posted anywhere.  I think the tradition has been that they are announced during the championship broadcast, and I assume that happened today as well.  So congratulations to Wooster's Tom Port and James Cooper, both named to the D3Hoops.com All-America second team today, and to Wittenberg's Dane Borchers, who was named to the third team (IIRC).  It's great to have three NCAC players with national recognition, just like it's great to have the NCAC represented in the Final Four (even if the weekend was less than satisfying.)  Go Scots, Go Dane, and Go NCAC! 

Also I would like to congratulate Tim Vandervaart who played a tremendous couple of games and was quite deservedly named to the all-Final Four team.  I'm told that it's not automatic that one player from each team gets on the team, and even if it were, Tim clearly deserves this honor.  I doubt that anyone on Amherst or Wash U. would dispute that.

Finally, congratulations and thanks to Tom Port, Tim Vandervaart, and Andy Van Horn for allowing up to share in their successes these past four years.  It's been a real thrill ride with this group of seniors, with both highs and lows but overall a fantastic record of success, culminating in a special senior year here in Salem.  You've done the school and conference proud.  Thanks and good luck in your futures! 

[woolax]

While my Alma Mater fell in both games this weekend, I have never been prouder to say that I am an Wooster Alum. The heart I witnessed in person Friday Night in Salem during Wooster's furious comeback vs Amherst, and the tenacity and class they demonstrated in the 3rd place game today, playing less then 24hrs after such a emotionally deflating loss, left me possibly prouder of Wooster then I would have been had they won the National Championship.

[David Collinge]

If I may be permitted to stray off-topic a wee bit for a moment, I'd also like to say congratulations to the swimmers and divers at Kenyon and Denison for their performances at the D3 nationals these past two weekends. 

Last weekend, the Kenyon Ladies captured the D3 national swimming and diving championship, their 21st team national title in the past 24 seasons.  Kenyon had finished second to Emory each of the past two years, but this year the Ladies swamped the competition, amassing 538 points, nearly as many as 2nd place Amherst (320) and third-place Emory (295) combined.  Denison, the 2001 champion and 4 times a runner-up to Kenyon, finished fifth this year with 267 points. 

This weekend, the Kenyon Lords captured their amazing 28th consecutive national championship, winning an astounding nine of 20 events to outdistance second-place Denison by a 570-351 margin. 

Congratulations to the Kenyon and Denison swimmers, and thanks for doing the NCAC proud! 

[Toph]

Congrats to Wooster on another fantastic season!

[AndersDY]

Finally back in Michigan. It was good to see some of you guys out in Salem and, though I don't remember 2003 too well, I think more fans in black and gold than were brought on the last trip. I'm sorry to report that next time the Scots make the Final Four, I will probably make every effort to return, despite Wooster now having a 1-6 record in road games I've attended.

Wooster certainly belonged on the floor with all three teams, but I'm guessing that neither of those performances represented the full 40 minute effort they usually brought this year. In past trips to Salem, there often appears to be one of the four teams that snuck in and was not quite up to Final Four caliber, but all four squads looked up to the competition this year. Seeing the seniors that Washington U sent to get their trophy, (no starters, and only one reserve I recall seeing the floor) they must have an inside track to the top of next season's preseason poll.

The Wooster seniors certainly went out firing every shot they had. Always a fun weekend in Salem and hopefully there will be another one soon.