MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[fighting_scots]

Anyway, I want DETAILS on Artie. Not just simple colors. What hue of blue? What about the shirt! My gosh, people! Details!

It was a blue-violet hue, with a red shirt and red tie--unreal.  I'm guessing the red suit with a black shirt/tie will be the suit of choice for the Championship--

Where's the "Artie's Suit de jour" thread?  I'd love to see the results of the poster's predictions!

Should be a great Woo/Witt III tonight--

GO SCOTS!

[WoosterBNel]

I would expect the bright red out of coach T tonight. One of my personal favorites that is usually used for the big games. I spoke to a few bookies who had differing opinions on the spread tonight. They are as follows.

Big C----- Woo -3.5
Little Mookie----- Witt -2

My money is on Witt all the way. No way we drop 3 to these guys in one season.

[Li'l Giant]

Seriously, does no one own a digital camera? We need some photos of this suit!

[ScotsFan]

Speaking of Championship Saturday, and Witt/Woo Part 3, there was a qoute in today's Daily Record that could be construed as some possible "Bulletin Board Material".  This comes courtesy of Mr. Russ:

Wittenberg's players sat in postgame interviews following the second contest and swore they'd get one more shot. Now they say they're ready to take advantage of it.

"They got the first two on us and we don't think that's gonna happen again," said Tigers center Dan Russ. "They shot well both those games and we still think we're the better team going into this one."

I would imagine Wooster has some different thoughts as to who the better team is, seeing as how they hold a 2-0 lead in the season series...

[David Collinge]

Regarding the $8 ticket charge for the game sessions, this from the DR:

CASH COW — The Wooster athletic department sold 1,551 tickets for last night's games and figures to do a little over $15,000 in business this weekend. Too bad it can't keep the money.  All of the proceeds from this weekend's NCAC tournament will go directly to the conference office, which will in turn use it to pay its expenses for the year. Anything left over is distributed evenly among the NCAC's 10 schools.

------------

Speaking of Championship Saturday, and Witt/Woo Part 3, there was a qoute in today's Daily Record that could be construed as some possible "Bulletin Board Material".  This comes courtesy of Mr. Russ:

Wittenberg's players sat in postgame interviews following the second contest and swore they'd get one more shot. Now they say they're ready to take advantage of it.

"They got the first two on us and we don't think that's gonna happen again," said Tigers center Dan Russ. "They shot well both those games and we still think we're the better team going into this one."

I would imagine Wooster has some different thoughts as to who the better team is, seeing as how they hold a 2-0 lead in the season series...

How dare Dan Russ think his team is the better team!  Blasphemer!  Heretic!  Infidel! 

[ScotsFan]

How dare Dan Russ think his team is the better team!  Blasphemer!  Heretic!  Infidel! 

Wow, that's pretty impressive DC.  How you got from point A: my take on Russ' comment in today's Daily Record and how it could easily be construed as possible Bulletin Board Material for Wooster, to point B:  basically, interpreting my take as  condemning his comments is pretty impressive.  Well done indeed...

Actually, I have no problem with Witt believing that they are the better team.  I just didn't feel Russ was very wise in the timing and outwardness of his statement.  In this day and age where it seems almost taboo to say anything that might have the slightest chance to make the Bulletin Board Material cut, I'd say his statement certainly qualifies.   Blasphemous, not quite, but possible BB Material, most definately.

[smedindy]

Or he could have said it KNOWING it would get all bulletin boardy and have an effect that way.

[ScotsFan]

This is true.  A bit of reverse psychology perhaps...

Coach Brown seems to be a master at this, so maybe it has rubbed off on some of his players?

Anyways, I'm off to pick up some half baked Coccia House pizzas before heading up to Timken.  I'm hopeful of enjoying them in celebration of another NCAC Tournament championship and NCAA automatic bid for the Scots after the game.  In any event, I can't wait for tipoff for what should be another battle between these two great rivals!!!

[WoosterFAN]

Other GLAKES Scores:
With 9:41 left in the first HOPE over CALVIN 19-8

With about 10 mins left in the first half ONU leads BW by 11, 25-14

[WoosterFAN]

Hope up big at halftime over CALVIN 39-21!!

[David Collinge]

Congratulations to Wittenberg, the 2006 NCAC Champions!

I'm encouraged by Wooster's late-second-half play, despite the outcome.  I think they have righted the ship, and will take some confidence into the tournament.  If they can get a draw that keeps them away from teams with two dominant inside players like Borchers and Russ, they can go far. 

As for Witt, they need to work on their free-throw shooting, and get a little help from outside, but they're looking pretty good for a deep tournament run. 

Wouldn't a Woo/Witt IV in Salem be nice? 

[WoosterFAN]

WITTENBERG wins over the SCOTS in another thriller in which they controlled the entire game 71-69.  Borchers and Russ go off for combined 42 points and 24 rbs.

Simple game really, you gotta make baskets and at critical times (like the start of the second half) the SCOTS did not.

Scots probably fall to #3 in the regional rankings and the road to Roanoke just got tougher.

Congrats to NCAC Tourney Champs.  

[wooscotsfan]

Just got back from Timken where I watched another Wooster - Witt classic game.

Congratulations to Wittenberg as the NCAC Tournament Champs!

This was a real battle that could have been won by either team.  As usual, Russ and Borchers were huge inside for the Tigers while Cooper and Vandervaart carried the scoring load for the Scots.

Wooster probably gave this game away at the free throw line where they missed 11 shots (ouch).  The other major difference was the shooting percentage.  Wooster shot 42% from the floor while Witt was over 50%.  Some of the difference was attributable to Witt's tough defense but Wooster also missed a number of open shots, including some three pointers that could have made a big difference.

Good luck to both teams in the NCAA tournament.    Let's hope that the NCAA bracket doesn't match up these two fine teams until they get to Salem, as DC noted, but I am not counting on it!

GO SCOTS!!

[woosterbooster]

Congratulations, Wittenberg, on winning the NCAC Tournament and good luck in the big one.

Game Notes

DC may have been on to something when he threw Dane Borchers name into the mix for NCAC POY.  He was certainly the player of this game, and according to the "Board of Whoever Decides This Stuff" he was also the MVP of the tournament.  Deservedly so.

It wasn't just his scoring, although that certainly helped Witt's cause along.  But his offensive rebounding, especially when the Scots forced Russ to miss, just killed Wooster.  Time and again he got loose on the baseline to either grab the board or to tip it deep back to a Witt guard.  Gotta box him out, guys.

And the combination of Borchers and Russ on defense presents problems that you rarely see in DIII.  I'm reminded of a statement by Hall of Fame baseball manager Earl Weaver, who lamented, after losing a world series to the Pirates, "Sometimes there are moves you can make, but you don't make them, because you know the other guy has an answer."  

Weaver was talking about batter/pitcher matchups, but his words translate neatly to basketball.  The Scots have nearly a handful of players who could have beaten their man off the dribble.  But if they did that, then they're up against a shot blocker, or two, when they get into the paint.  So, what was to be gained?

Still, there were opportunities.  But the Scots couldn't ever get over the hump, missing a foul shot here, a three-pointer there.  If a few of those fall, that game might still be going on.

The officiating

For about the first 2/3 of the ballgame, I felt that Wittenberg got away with being overly aggressive.  But then, as if a gun went off, suddenly fouls were being called on Witt, fouls that I've not often seen called at Timken on an opponent.  Holds, pushes, hacks.  Mostly, they seemed to be called by the older ref, who just stepped forward and did the right thing.  It was nice to see, and from that point on I thought it was one of the better officiated DIII games that I've seen.

The Scots made a valiant comeback effort.  A few shots fell, a few Wittenberg free throws missed.  But Wooster needed to make those shots earlier, and they just wouldn't go.  Their three attempts were mostly just misses, but so many of the free throws just lingered, tantalizingly, around the rim before falling off.  It just wasn't their night. You really don't need to play these Wooster-Witt games, you could just flip a coin.  But then we'd all miss some real entertainment.  Here's hoping that the Scots get some more home games, so the Wooster fans can again come out in force.

And I tell ya, some women just can't hold their popcorn...  

[hope1]

hope won tonight  63  to 44 over calvin  i dont think hope will get the 1 seed  i think witt will   or baldin wallace what do you think