MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[TigerFan_1973]

Congratulations to Pat Denbow and Kathy Hittle of the Witt basketball teams on their academic successes.  They both have 3.8 GPAs.  I can't imagine having a 3.8, let alone while playing a major sport.

A great accomplishment for them and other athletes named to the academic teams.

Go Tigers!  The Witt Worldwide radio network will be on the air at 4:00pm.

TF_1973

[TigerFan_1973]

How many Wabash posters will be in Springfield on Wednesday night?

I know it's Valentine's Day, but priorities, priorities.   

[Li'l Giant]

Halftime at Chadwick Court:

Wooster  38
Wabash  36  Halftime

A text message update from wally_wabash indicates that Coach Petty is wearing the sneakers on Coaches vs. Cancer suits and sneakers weekend.

[wooscotsfan]

5:49 left in 1st Half:  Wabash 27  Wooster 23
Marty Bidwell scored 8 points in a row for the Scots. 

[wooscotsfan]

At the Half:  Wooster 38  Wabash 36

Wooster started the game cold and only hit 5 of their first 18 shots as the Little Giants built a 10 point lead.  The Scots regained their shooting touch and eventually took the lead behind Marty Bidwell and Tom Port.

Wooster is being led by Tom Port with 13 points (3 three pointers), Marty Bidwell with 10 points and James Cooper with 6 points.

Wabash's leading scorers are Andrew Zimmer with 14 points, Andy Root with 6 points, Aaron Brock with 5 points and Brian Maloney with 5 points.

GO SCOTS!

[Li'l Giant]

New post for the second half:

Wooster   68
Wabash   63 Final

Wabash misses the shot coming off the time out and Zimmer commits his 3rd foul. Wooster drains the clock but misses the shot. Will steals the rebound from Stephens. Then a jump ball between Zimmer and Port. LGs get the ball.

Wabash shoots a 3, missed, Zimmer rebounds but stolen by Will and the LGs foul. Will missed the front end of the one-and-one but Wooster stepped out of bounds.

Wabash time out. Brock tosses into Haltom long 3 missed rebound Haltom who calls time out as he was falling out of bounds. After a lengthy discussion a full timeout awarded. There was some doubt as to whether Wabash had a time out left.

Okay, so they gave the timeout but also gave the technical foul. So this game is over.

I'm proud of Wabash for playing a close game against Wooster after the absolute annihilation that happened at Timken.

This was a good builder for the LGs but a win would have been better. Crap crap crap.

[ScotsFan]

Port and Zimmer are having quite the duel in this game.  Port already has 23 and Zimmer, not to be outdone, has 20 including 6 of Wabash's 10 2nd half points.  Wooster's lead is 7, 53-46.

[ScotsFan]

Wooster's got themselves a ballgame.  One point Wooster lead. Under 10 to play.

[wooscotsfan]

~5:00 remaining   Wooster 60  Wabash 54

Wooster's shooting is terrible today at less than 40% from the floor.  Scots are relying on their defense to maintain the lead in this game.

[ScotsFan]

Haltom nails a trey to give Wabash the lead 61-60.

Bidwell answers with a trey and is fouled and completes the 4 point play!!!

Zimmer makes 2 ft's.

Wooster 64  Wabash 63.

Will with a layup to put the Scots up 66-63.  Time out Wabash.  1:18 to play.

17 seconds to go and Wooster is finally in the bonus with Will at the line. 

Will misses the front end.  Wabash ball with 15 seconds left.

Haltom misses an NBA trey.  Tries to save the rebound by calling Timeout which Wabash had none remaining.  Should be a technical foul.

Now the officials gave Wabash a timeout, but Wooster still gets the technical.  Fulk sinks both ft's to give Wooster a 5 point lead with 5 seconds to play.

Game over and Wooster escapes from Crawfordsville by the skin of their teeth 68-63!!!

What a game effort by the Lil Giants today.  They gave Wooster all they could handle today!

[wooscotsfan]

Wabash takes the lead 61-60 and Marty Bidwell responds with a 4 point play!  Wooster 64-61

[wooscotsfan]

Final:  Wooster 68  Wabash 63

Wooster escapes Crawfordsville with the road win.  Scots won this game with their defense as they held Wabash to only 27 points in the 2nd half.  

Wooster was led today by Tom Port with 23 points, James Cooper with 17 points and Marty Bidwell with 14 points.

Leading scorers for the Little Giants were Andrew Zimmer with a game high 25 points, Chase Haltom with 12 points and Andy Root with 10 points.

Wooster is now 20-3, 13-1 NCAC

GO SCOTS!

[ScotsFan]

I think if you look at this game along with the Earlham game, it shows how important it is for the Scots to win out and give themselves a shot at hosting the sectional.  Wooster has struggled mightily lately on the road shooting from beyond the arc for some reason.  Wooster only made 8-27 in their game at Earlham, and today, they were only 8-23 from 3-point land.  They were also only 4-17 at OWU.  So they are a combined 20-67 from downtown in their last 3 road games for an unimpressive 29%.   If this trend continues and they happen to not be awarded the Sectional host, they could have an early exit from the tournament if their woeful shooting on the road continues.   Not to mention the fact that the quality of opponent they would be facing would be a little bit better than the likes of the EC and Wabash.  Not to take anything away from those teams, but it's just the facts.

Moving on, it could be argued that Marty Bidwell should get the gameball for Wooster today as he made 3 treys including the HUGE 4 point play right after Wabash grabbed the lead for the 1st time in the 2nd half.  He and Port combined for 7 of Wooster's 8 treys made today.  Without Bidwell's hot shooting afternoon, the Scots lose this game.

[Li'l Giant]

Moving on, it could be argued that Marty Bidwell should get the gameball for Wooster today as he made 3 treys including the HUGE 4 point play right after Wabash grabbed the lead for the 1st time in the 2nd half.

I totally agree. That 4 point play was the ball game. It totally destroyed Wabash's momentum. You could hear the air sucked out of the crowd at that point.

[goscots]

Coach Moore even says it in the post game interview - "If Marty (Bidwell) doesn't make that shot we probably lose the game".

Wabash really has improved since that low point trip to Hiram and Alleghany. And they are doing it with youth. Does Wabash get Simkus back next year? If they do they could really challenge for the league title next year.