MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[ScotsFan]

Wooster wins handily over the host school down in Puerto Rico today by a final of 78-50.  They led by as many as 30 in the 2nd half.  Nice way to end a successful holiday trip to the tropics.     Wooster is now off until the 29th when they host Thiel at the Mose Hole.

[smedindy]

Excellent win, to say the least, for the LGs!

And along with Houston Hodges, Wabash gained the services of a footballer, backup QB Andy Walsh. This Wabash team is deep and unselfish.

Nick Curosh led Wabash with 11, while Brian Shelbourne added 10. Grant Fairhurst was on fire for the Yellow Jackets, netting six three-pointers and leading everyone with 20 off the bench. But it wasn't enough.

Wabash will move on to play the host, Translyvania, tomorrow.

[smedindy]

Wittenberg also shows the OAC who's the boss, besting Ohio Northern in Ada 75-66. Five of the old Tigers scored in double figures led by Michael Cooper's 17.

The NCAC is now 39-24 in non-conference play.

[seinfeld]

What these two wins tonight continue to show from the Wooster perspective is that despite how poorly we might have perceived the Scots playing in their two losses, they lost to two pretty good teams. B-W crushed Marietta, and ONU just beat Marietta in Marietta, the team expected to be the best in the region. I think, as Wooster fans, we should consider the fact that it isn't that the Scots aren't a very good team, it's that we have company near the top like we maybe haven't seen in a while. And that has to do with some really good seniors on Wabash, Witt and OWU. It is rare that Wooster's seniors aren't elite, but I think it's the case this year.

[smedindy]

I think this will be more the norm than the exception. Wabash, OWU and DPU have sustained programs now and the rest of the NCAC is improving. Wooster's reign as undisputed top dog may be over, but the Scots will always be in the conversation to be the champs.

This, of course, is great for the league as a whole - to have five teams capable of winning the title and having most of the rest of the league good enough to spring an upset.

I say this by acknowledging that DePauw isn't as good as I thought they would be - but their recent history is pretty stellar and you never can count out those rascals.

[smedindy]

Some big games coming up before Christmas:

Wednesday, December 21

Wabash (9-0) @ Transylvania (8-0) - Two unbeaten teams enter. One leaves unblemished. Wabash has played a stout schedule and has won games in almost every permutation (coming back, holding on to big leads, blowing teams out, battling a tough opponent nip and tuck). Transylvania has coasted through many of their games, but their schedule hasn't been that stellar. According to Massey, even before beating B-W, Wabash was #3 in power and had the #42 SOS. Transylvania was #32 and the #196 SOS before Hendrix. I say that Wabash's toughness and schedule make it the favorite, even on the road. But it'll be a heck of a contest.

Thursday, December 22

Westminster (PA) (2-6) @ Hiram (5-3) - Hiram is our PrAC redeemer! Ok, so they haven't played the top teams and Westminster is no one's definition of a conference contender. But it still will be nice to see another win against that conference. Hiram definitely will need a good result before some tough games come calling.

Otterbein (3-5) @ Wittenberg (5-2) - The Tigers are feeling good, no doubt, after recent big wins. Both the Cards and Witt beat ONU, who beat Marietta. But Otterbein lost to Marietta and aside from that win against the Polar Bears have been rather meh all season long. I can see another NCAC win over the OAC, and that'll feel really good coming into Christmas!

[Wabash2011]

Wabash really had to work hard to grind out the win tonight against BW.  Key takeaways.....BW is the best team Wabash has played. (sorry Wooster and DePauw) and senior leadership on Wabash is huge.  Zinnerman and Bailey have a subpar game, enter Shelborne and Kurosh....along with Walsh and Oetting and Surenkamp...Balance is key for Wabash, very unselfish bunch. 

Another takeaway is..... These guys know not to panic and no one gets on anyone else, they leave that to Coach Carpenter, they just continue to work as a unit.  Defense is their staple.

[kyballr]

Don Lane Classic @ Transylvania   7 pm
Wabash (9-0) vs host Transy (8-0)

live stats
http://www.sidearmstats.com/transy/mbball/index.htm

live video
http://tupioneers.nmtvsports.com/main.php?eventId=21802

[smedindy]

Bashbro's concern come to fruition. Even though Wabash dominated the glass (outrebounding Transy 44-26) they fell 66-61. Wabash shot just 34% from the floor and took 36 of their 64 field goal attempts behind the arc! Aaron Zinnerman had a tough night hitting just 4-16 from the floor (including 1-9 from three).

Brian Shelbourne led Wabash with 14. Transylvania was led by Brandon Rash with 25 and Ethan Spurling with 19.

Wabash is now 9-1 and has a few days for the holidays before playing host to Franklin on the 29th.

NCAC now 39-25 in non-conference action.

[woosterbooster]

That's not a combination of stats that you often see, a team owning the boards but not taking the ball inside.  Now that I think about it, though, Wooster has done the same thing on occasion.  Damn Bigs.  Call for the ball!

Bigs.  I like that term for inside players.  Pivotman has gone out of style, but the men's game has picked up some new words, and we have the women to thank.  We've always had "post up", but I think the women were first to call inside players "Posts", which I also like.  And "Wings" may have come from them, too.  Let's just not let the phrase "Quarter-court offense", as one overly-creative female announcer says, go viral.  Half-court offense.  Always has been, always will be. 

[smedindy]

Shooting threes leads to long rebounds at times. Opportune teams can snatch those. Still doesn't make up for not being able to shoot it from two. But there is time to correct this. The fact is the offense was not stellar, yet they still were in the game with a darn good team on the road.

I think I'm seeing a trend in the NCAC this year - it won't be pretty basketball but it will be gritty.

Curosh had an interesting stat line. 0-2 from the floor. 10 boards, five offensive and four assists.

[Wabash2011]

Nick Curosh was injured (shooting wrist) in the BW game. By the second half (tonight)Nick could not handle the ball, thus the weird stat line, he owned the glass in the first half and really limited Rash in the first half.  But the injury limited his minutes in the second half.

Transylvania was the better team tonight, cold shooting night for Wabash.  Nice adjustment by Transylvania coach at half time, bringing Rash to perimeter on the offense.

BW game was very physical and it was taking its toll on Wabash in the second half.

[Wabash2011]

Nick Curosh was injured (shooting wrist) in the BW game. By the second half (tonight)Nick could not handle the ball, thus the weird stat line, he owned the glass in the first half and really limited Rash in the first half.  But the injury limited his minutes in the second half.

Transylvania was the better team tonight, cold shooting night for Wabash.  Nice adjustment by Transylvania coach at half time, bringing Rash to perimeter on the offense.

BW game was very physical and it was taking its toll on Wabash in the second half.

Update, Nick will miss some time with a fractured hand....

[ste24vie]

Witt gotta shut down the inside game of Davis to win. Otterbein is not a good shooting team and seem to be continually losing more key players.

[smedindy]

Hope Curosh heals quickly. LG's need his inside presence.