MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[Li'l Giant]

For Wabash to get to the semis after the way the conference season started showed a lot of heart and guts. I'm proud of the LGs for the effort they showed over the course of the season. I hope next year is better. Too bad for Ryan Stephens to end his career with a broken nose. Way to go LGs. Wabash Always Fights!

[WooMix]

When I was at Wooster, I always dreaded the drives to Wabash, Earlham, and Allegheny especially for midweek games when we had to drive back after the games.  Seeing Wabash's schedule this week, I can not help but sympathize with them.  I think the amount of travel they did for the Allegheny and the Wooster games finally caught up with them during the Wooster game today.  There were moments during the beginning of the second half when Wooster went on a scoring binge that I thought the Wabash players gave up.  Only Andrew Zimmer was giving it all.  At least that's how I saw it.

To win the game, I think Wabash needed at least three players of Zimmer's caliber.  Even though he played for a losing team, I will crown him my player for the game.  His team-mates led him down.

Congratulations on the season to Wabash.  10-16 is not  such a terrible point to build on for next season.  I look forward to seeing them next season.

Now let's wait and see if OWU can hand us another upset tomorrow versus the Scots.

[WoosterFAN]

When I was at WOO, NCAC did not include a team from Springfield or teams Indiana.  However, covering the Scots for the Voice, that trip from PA was a tough one. 

For some reason, I dreaded the trip to OWU, too but Kenyon was always a fun trip.  I once went with the football team to Rochester, NY and that was a blast (loss though).

[wooscotsfan]

Saturday's matchups for 4 Automatic NCAA Bids in the Great Lakes Region:

NCAC:  Wooster vs. Ohio Wesleyan

OAC:  John Carroll vs. Capital

MIAA:  Calvin vs. Hope

AMCC:  Lake Erie vs. Penn St.-Behrend

[jscwittfan]

I know some around Wittenberg are still optimistic, but I think that this concludes the season for the Tigers.  While it sucks that a 22-5 record probably won't be good enough for a tournament berth, the fact still remains that Wittenberg simply didn't get it done down the stretch.  Losing 2 of your last 3, including one to an Allegheny team that probably really hurt Witt's QoWI, is not the way to impress the selection committee.

And, as much as it pains me, I guess I have to root for Wooster tomorrow night, because if OWU wins the tournament title, we all know Wooster would then lock up a Pool C, all but officially ending Witt's slim chances for a spot.

Oh well...at least I still have my Mavericks....

[WoosterFAN]

Also of note, a couple of quality GLakes region senior are going home probably.

Dane Borchers and Torri Davis are probably done.

Borches (an COW thorn in the side) for 10 pts, 20rbs and 3 blks in his likely last game and Davis goes for 15 pts and 19 rbs...two All-Region quality players that will be missed in the region!!

Unfortunately, ONU's Greg Badenhop did not go out as gracefully:

2-10  shooting and 1-6 from 3pt land for 7 pts in loss to Otterbein that I did not see coming. 

[smedindy]

So what happened on the play where Stephens broke his nose. I see he got a T, was that the play, or did it happen after.

Ryan is an outstanding young man and I wish him the best.

[Li'l Giant]

So what happened on the play where Stephens broke his nose. I see he got a T, was that the play, or did it happen after.

Ryan is an outstanding young man and I wish him the best.

From what I heard on the broadcast he took an elbow to the nose and then after the play was over shoved the Wooster player to whom the elbow belonged. Obviously, someone who was there could give a better account.

[wally_wabash]

So what happened on the play where Stephens broke his nose. I see he got a T, was that the play, or did it happen after.

Ryan is an outstanding young man and I wish him the best.

From what I heard on the broadcast he took an elbow to the nose and then after the play was over shoved the Wooster player to whom the elbow belonged. Obviously, someone who was there could give a better account.

That's pretty much how I saw it on the video stream tonight.  The Wooster player in question was Melick I believe.  We can thank our lucky stars Stephens didn't get aggressive with Super Marty...no telling what could have happened there.   

[David Collinge]

I think it might have happened under the opposite basket on the previous play.  Stephens was obviously very agitated; he bumped into a Wooster player at the Woo end after the Wabash bucket, growled his way up the court, then got bumped hard by one of his teammates cutting through the lane at the offensive end, then had his little fracas with Melick; and it looked like he had something choice to say to the ref after he was whistled for fouling Melick.  The ref promptly teed him up, and Stephens walked angrily to the bench, stopping briefly to put a cloth to his nose, and then left the floor.  At the time, I though he was just venting his frustration, being a senior getting thumped in his last game, but having a nose broken to trigger the whole sequence makes more sense.

[David Collinge]

Congratulations to the Wittenberg seniors on their very successful college careers, which included two NCAC tournament titles and one trip to the Final Four, and likely ended tonight.  Special congratulations to Dane Borchers, who had an outstanding career and will soon be named an all-NCAC 1st teamer.  Although he played for my team's arch-rival, I think he always played hard, skillfully, and with class, and I've enjoyed watching him play.  Best of luck to Dane and all the other graduating seniors on all of the NCAC teams. 

[jscwittfan]

Borchers (an COW thorn in the side) for 10 pts, 20rbs and 3 blks in his likely last game ... 

The 20 boards for Borchers is an NCAC tourney record.  At least he'll have that to hang his hat on.

[kiltedbryan]

Congratulations to the Wittenberg seniors on their very successful college careers, which included two NCAC tournament titles and one trip to the Final Four, and likely ended tonight.  Special congratulations to Dane Borchers, who had an outstanding career and will soon be named an all-NCAC 1st teamer.  Although he played for my team's arch-rival, I think he always played hard, skillfully, and with class, and I've enjoyed watching him play.  Best of luck to Dane and all the other graduating seniors on all of the NCAC teams. 

I add my congratulations!  The "Great Dane" usually brought his best against Wooster, and as to that, I can't say that I'm too sad to see him go!   

[imderekpoe]

For what its worth, Wooster's QOWI may (or may not) be 10.000 after tonight's games. Possibilities for the final rating are:

Wooster and Calvin win: 10.091
Wooster and Hope win: 10.000
OWU and Calvin win: 9.727
OWU and Hope win: 9.636

While I think that the Scots should probably make the tourney win or lose tomorrow, those ratings if they lose are awfully low.  Actually, the rating if they win isn't all that great either!

[smedindy]

Well, it just seemed out of character for Ryan, but I can see the frustration at an elbow catching you in the nose, breaking it, having the official say he didn't see it, and then thinking he was jostled again by the same player. He deserved to end his career on a better note than a T and a busted schnozz, especially when no foul was called when he got his nose broken because the refs didn't see it.

The NCAC's weakness is probably going to work against Wooster. It's already probably bitten Wittenberg in the tuchus, since most of the rest of the conference were pretty miserable in-region out-of-conference.

I bet that Witt is better than half or 2/3 of the "C" teams, but thanks to this infernal system won't get a sniff. I could be wrong...but...I doubt it.