WBB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[FlightofthePetrel]

THE SCAC was well reprsented this week as two players made the D3Hoops.com Team of The Week. 
Oglethorpe Junior Guard  Anna Findley made the team for the second straight week.

Colorado College's Melanie Auguste made her first debut, almost averaging a triple double.

http://www.d3hoops.com/tow/

[frank_ezelle]

Southwestern won at Millsaps 64-42 last night, scoring the last 16 points of the game to expand a 48-42 score to the final margin.  Rather than try to rewrite what has already been written, here's the link to the Millsaps story about the game and to the box score:

Story:  http://www.millsaps.edu/athletic/basketball-w/010408release.shtml
Box Score:  http://www.scac-online.org/basketball_womens/sumc.htm

[pbrooks3]

Birmingham Southern beat Rhodes rather easily 67-58 in Memphis this afternoon.  Reba Ross had a big game and Rhodes had no answer for her.  Rhodes is missing Kristin Lyle, a key contributor for the next 5-6 weeks (fractured tibia).  Looks like they're going to struggle through the SCAC in 2008.

[frank_ezelle]

Most of the folks who will check out this thread have probably already check out the scores from last night so you know that Trinity beat Millsaps 85-71.  In a pattern that has been repeated in the last three games and other games from early in the season, Millsaps made a nice run in the second half to get back in the game, but then they ran out of steam or they had to take quick shots or try low percentage plays at the end and the final victory margin goes back to a wider gap.  Last night it was Trinity leading Millsaps by 42-32 at the half, Millsaps cutting that lead to 52-48 with 12:25 to play, and then Trinity going on a run to rebuild a comfortable lead.

Game Story:  http://www.millsaps.edu/athletic/basketball-w/010508release.shtml
Box Score and Play-by-play:  http://www.millsaps.edu/athletic/basketball-w/mcw-010508.htm

Just on a general note about Millsaps basketball, this is a team that plays hard and will compete for the entire 40 minutes, they have made huge strides since last year, and they are laying a solid foundation for a program that has been down for quite a while.  That being said, they don't have all the pieces they need to consistently compete with the Trinity, OU, DePauw type teams for an entire 40 minutes.  They need more height in the middle, they need better outside shooting (currently last in the league in 3-pt percentage), and they need more depth--all things that will be greatly helped by another year of experience for the current players and another strong recruiting class.

I'm just saying, for those who are interested, that some might look at the Millsaps record of 2-8, 0-3 in the SCAC, and think that it is the same old Millsaps.  I look at Millsaps and I see a team and a coaching staff that shows the potential to be like the old, old Millsaps, a team that stayed at or near the top of the league standings.  While Millsaps has been a dismal 30-126 in SCAC play over the last 10 full seasons, they started out as a program that was 63-19 in the SCAC over the first 6 seasons in the conference.  Give them a year or two and they might just start looking like the teams of the early and mid-90's.

[DPU3619]

i believe his first at OU in 4 years.. i know depauw is a great team.. but are they that much better that they earned 20 more free throws than OU.. i highly doubt that.. hopefully OU can make a late run and get back in the game..

Instant live update!  75-63 Final.

I just finished watching the game.  I certainly sell your highfalutin conspiracy therory, there.  DePauw committed only 6 fewer fouls.  OU fouled shooters.  DePauw fouled ball handlers.  There's your free throw differential.  DePauw's slashing guards were getting hacked on the way to the rim all afternoon.  Oglethorpe was getting fouled 20 feet from the rim.

Since you asked if DePauw was that much better, I would say that were that much better today.  In Dorough, it may be different.  DePauw started slow, but played the final 20 minutes in dominant fashion.

[pbrooks3]

Centre Girls chalked up their first SCAC victory at home today 66-61 over UOS.  This team, similar to Millsaps, is rebuilding.  This is a good win for a team that is working hard to improve its game.  This should build some good momentum for the road trip to Birmingham & Memphis next weekend.  Congrats to the Lady Colonels!

[DPULefty22]

Major statement delivered by the DPU women in Greencastle today. The SCAC (and NCAA) crown belongs to them, thank you, and they don't plan on relinquishing it.

Ron Sattele has himself a real good team, but they've got one glaring problem that DPU exploited: a lack of size. OU just doesn't defend the post very well - or didn't today, at least - and when you're playing a team like DePauw who rotates 6-footers in and out of the game with frequency, not having any major rotation players over 6 feet means real trouble for defending the paint. The Tigers didn't shoot the ball very well today, failing to make a three pointer, but they were able to get inside whenever they wanted, usually drawing a foul in the process (which, as Wes stated earlier, accounted for the free throw differential - it seems pretty aberrant on paper, but if you saw the game live it makes perfect sense). All those free throws and layups were what enabled the Tigers to pull away.

Of course, OU's foul trouble didn't help. Kulavic was the best player on the floor for the Petrels when she was out there, but she sure wasn't out there long: 15 minutes before fouling out midway through the second half. Give credit to DPU's Kalei Lowes for absolutely locking down Anna Findley and, along with Kulavic's foul trouble, effectively rendering moot OU's one-two scoring punch.

Should be a different game when these two lock up in Atlanta in a month and a half. I'm excited for it.

[vozdelospetrels]

Defending the post has always been an issue for the Lady Petrels, they do give up a lot of size. I didn't see the DePauw vs OU game last weekend, but a general observation I've made this season about the Lady Petrels is that they're a fastbreak team, or they want to be one, but they seem to struggle with forcing that tempo against good teams. For them to become a great team, they're going to have to learn how to force their tempo against anyone.

[pbrooks3]

Defending the post has always been an issue for the Lady Petrels, they do give up a lot of size. I didn't see the DePauw vs OU game last weekend, but a general observation I've made this season about the Lady Petrels is that they're a fastbreak team, or they want to be one, but they seem to struggle with forcing that tempo against good teams. For them to become a great team, they're going to have to learn how to force their tempo against anyone.

I've not seen OU play this year, but have witnessed several games in the past.  They are a tempo-driven team that thrives on steals and beating the defense.  I tend to disagree on the idea of a 'great team".  The mark of a great team is being able to shift gears so to speak to meet the challenge of the opponent.  I've seen many great basketball teams that could shift tempo successfully even though they might prefer to play fast.  Maybe to be great Oglethorpe needs to add a true post player? 

[frank_ezelle]

SCAC Schedule for this weekend:

Jan. 11 
   6:00 PM  Hendrix   Austin     
   7:00 PM  DePauw   Rhodes     
   7:00 PM  Centre   Birmingham Southern     
   8:00 PM  Millsaps   Colorado Col.     
Jan. 12 
   4:00 PM  Southwestern (Tex.)   Trinity (Tex.)     
   6:00 PM  Hendrix   Colorado Col.     
   7:00 PM  Oglethorpe   Sewanee     
Jan. 13 
   2:00 PM  DePauw   Birmingham Southern     
   2:00 PM  Centre   Rhodes     
   2:00 PM  Millsaps   Austin 

As with the men's games, it looks like DePauw will have a radio broadcast of their games and Birmingham will have live stats.  Also, according to the Colorado website, they will have streaming video of their games and live stats.  Here's the link to the Colorado College site:

http://www.coloradocollege.edu/athletics/varsity_sports/wbasketball/

[FlightofthePetrel]

I agree with you on the point of adding a true post player Brooks.  Brightwell, a sophmore transfer from last year, has been injured much of this year  as well as Richmann being hurt the past 2 games.  Coach Satelle did recruit a 6'2" post this year but she is only a freshman and continues to develop every day.  Maybe this might not be Oglethorpe's year, I still think they'll make it to the NCAA's again and will most likely win a first round matchup but for the 3rd straigh year they only lose one senior- they'll be back again next year with the same core.... and maybe another post player or two!

[pbrooks3]

DPU leading Rhodes at the half 39-15. Not much of a contest; Tigers should be up 30. Bad news for Lynx - Ashley Farrell tore ligaments in right ankle Tuesday night so she won't suit up for at least 3 more games. Too bad because they could use her tonight. 

[FlightofthePetrel]

76-39 Final score... Rhodes could have used Crystal Jessee and Taylor Cook in addition to Farrell and I don't think it would have mattered much.  Depauw is just too good as they hand Rhodes their worst defeat of the year (well tied for worst loss   OU 96 Rhodes 59 from earlier in the year).  Hopefully Farrell's injury isn't to bad and she can get back soon.  It's been a while since Rhodes has been 0-3 to start the SCAC season.

[pbrooks3]

FlightofthePetrel, Rhodes really is hurting missing a true post player like Crystal Jessee. In addition, the Lynx are missing Kristin Lytle to an injury. So they're almost at rock bottom as far as strong senior leadership goes. I look for a  competitive game tomorrow between Rhodes and the young team from Centre.

[frank_ezelle]

In a halftime score that may not surprise some, BSC is leading DePauw 39-26 with about a minute gone in the 2nd half:

Live stats:  http://livestats.internetconsult.com/bsc/wbball/