MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Mac Attack]

I'm not sure now is the time to start comparing the CCIW and the SLIAC. Top to bottom, there's a light years worth of difference. That being said, Eureka beat Millikin and took North Park into overtime. Both MacMurray and Webster gave Millikin all they wanted. Obviously it will some time - maybe a long time - before the SLIAC will ever be able to compete with the upper tier CCIW teams. I for one would hope that MacMurray would schedule more CCIW teams in the future. Our players view games such as that as real opportunities to step up and be noticed - much more so than games against such teams as Grinnell and Rockford.

[BunchTime]

Then when is the time to make the comparison to the CCIW?  By comparing, it allows the SLIAC to see if progress has been made or if we continue to remain at the same level of play.  I am aware that there is a huge difference between the conferences, but when will the top SLIAC teams be able to beat the lower level teams out of the CCIW with some sort of regularity.  Heck, I am merely comparing the conferences by pointing out the fact that the predicted winner of the SLIAC got beat by a predicted bottom-half team out of the CCIW.

And, I wouldn't say that Webster gave Milliken all they wanted.  They beat us by a comfortable 15 point lead - probably closer than the score indicated, but nonetheless, Milliken led most of the game by 6-8 points.  That is just not good enough if the SLIAC wants to make a name for itself regionally. 

[pantherpride06]

Final from Carlinville, Ill.

Greenville 88, Blackburn 75 

First of all, the game of the week.  Wow.  Greenville played great the entire game.  Stat of the game.  Greenville shot 23-24 from the FT line in the 2nd half.  Only miss was by A. Conquest.  It was jinxed bc the official came to our bench and goes, "Man, you guys havent missed yet."  Damn SLIAC officials! 

Anyhow, Greenville jumped out to a quick 7-3 lead.  Zeb Hammond hit the first three of the game, and didn't score the rest of the half.  Greenville kept a sizeable lead, but Blackburn never let it get out of hand.  Closest margin was 7 and largest was about 15.  Not a real sloppy game by either team, 20 combined TO's for both squads and both shot well.  It was just how the game was excuted.  Greenville excuted their game plan to it's fullest ability and came out victorious. 

Players of the game would be Howard (29 pts on 11-21 shooting) of Blackburn and Christopher Simmons (28 points on 9-12 shooting) of Greenville.  Simmons has his best game in a Panther uniform and looked very good while doing it.  Along with his 28 points, he was acredited with 3 ast, 1 block, and 1 steal in his 28 minutes of game time.  He was benched mid-way through the 2nd frame in foul trouble.  Fouls did hurt Greenville a little, with Simmons, Mutton, and Williams all ending with 4.  For Blackburn, Waters fouled out late in the contest.

STATS PLEASE!!!!
STAT LINES PLEASE:::

Blackburn (30  45 = 75 )
L. Howard 11-21, 4 Reb, 29 pts
Z. Hammond 4-11, 2 reb, 10 pts
B. Waters 1-3, 5 pts
Z. Allen 2-8, 10 Reb, 11 Pts
G. Lamsargis 6-8, 1 Reb, 14 pts

BENCH
B. Bundren 0-1, 0 pts
F. Simmons 0-2, 0 pts
T. Baro 1-1, 4 pts
R. Smith 1-1, 4 pts

26-56 FG (46.4) / 6-21 3 FG (28.6) / 17-25 FT (68.0)

Greenville ( 40  48 = 88 )
C. Simmons 9-12, 8-9 FT, 7 reb, 28 pts
T. West 4-7, 4 reb, 11 pts
B. Hensold 4-5, 4 reb, 11 pts
B. Taylor 2-5, 6-6 FT, 4 reb, 10 pts
B. Mutton 0-2, 1 reb, 0 pts

BENCH
A. Conquest 6-14, 17 pts
B. Hobbie 0-0, 2 pts
L. Ellis 3-7, 4 reb, 9 pts
D. Williams 0-0, 4 reb, 0 pts

28-52 FG (53.8) / 4-12 3FG (33.3) / 28-31 FT (90.3) -- WOW

I got to say I'm glad I didn't miss game 106.  What a barn burner and big win for Greenville.  I know I was the only one who picked my Panthers.  Oh well.  We'll see FCNews in the house on Wednesday.  Wear your Orange FC, it's going to be another wild one between the Panthers and Griffins.

[pantherpride06]

I also want to give a shout out the the folks at Blackburn in a couple different areas.  1) We bashed, including I, Blackburn's facilities last season with the Conf. Tourney and all.  They have made steps in making the facility nicer.  Moving bleachers and working on lightning.  Great job to the AD Curtis Campbell in getting this better.  I spoke with him eariler in the year for about and hour.  He's a super guy.

In talking w/ Mr. Campbell, I learned more about Blackburn and how the school is ran, by the students.  Im guessing most of you know about Blackburn and I did too, just not in total detail.  These kids work their tails off for the school along with doing their studies and some playing athletics.  It's amazing and I take my hat off to them.  Great job to the hard work and sacrafice it takes to go to Blackburn.

[y_jack_lok]

Just for the record, the Webster-Millikin game was played at Millikin, not at Webster, otherwise I'd  have been there.

[hopefan]

Good call by hopefan this morning in saying the similar styles of Blackburn and Greenville could result in a good game!!!!!  (After Talking up Fisk and seeing Webster skunk them, it was good for the ego to talk up Greenville and see them come thru.)

Did see Wash U win the Lopata tonite, beating Pomona - shot poorly in the first half, but lit it up in the 2nd.

[Mac Attack]

Northwest Missouri State d. Principia 111-36
Grace d. Lincoln Christian  81-61

Thought Webster was at home against Millikin. My mistake. But I think if a SLIAC is within two points of a CCIW team in the second half, that fits my definition of being competitive. My guess is Millikin hit a bucket load of free throws in the last minute or two to help them get to their final margin.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm not sure we can compare the top SLIAC teams to the lower tier CCIW teams, at least not for the last few years. Just not going to happen. Just a different approach and emphasis throughout their athletic programs, including men's basketball. Hopefully that will change. If/when MacMurray College could expand its enrollment to more than 1,000, then I think you'll see the Highlanders begin to move up. But that may be 10 years away. I can't speak for the other SLIAC programs, but after being on most of the CCIW campuses, I can tell you that it's a whole different ballgame. I know the SLIAC schools provide a quality education and have very aggressive financial aid departments. The key is find those young men who aspire to play college basketball and are comfortable in doing so at the D3 level. Those kids are out there, probably more so than people think. My sense is if SLIAC coaching staffs had more time and and bigger recruiting budgets (maybe some do), to identify these players, things would eventually change. Hope so.

Man, did Principia take one on the chin...
 

[Mac Attack]

...and I thought Grinnell had a high-powered offense!

D-III Record for Points in Game, Half

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2683783

[Mac Attack]

Correct Picks for Week #3

fcnews - 9
Mac Attack - 6
pantherpride - 6
beaver_sid - 5

Thru three weeks:

fcnews - 32
pantherpride - 28
beaver_sid - 28
Mac Attack - 25

Week #4

Monday, December 4   
Fontbonne @ Concordia 7:00 PM
   
Tuesday, December 5   
Westminster @ Central Mo. 7:00 PM
   
Wednesday, December 6   
Maryville @ Webster * 6:00 PM
Fontbonne @ Greenville * 6:00 PM
Principia @ Wheaton 7:30 PM
Blackburn @ Eureka * 6:00 PM
MacMurray @ Lincoln Christian * 6:00 PM
   
Friday, December 8   
DePauw @ Maryville 7:00 PM
Robert Morris @ Greenville 6:00 PM
   
Saturday, December 9   
Lincoln Christian @ Maryville * 3:00 PM
Harris Stowe @ Greenville 3:00 PM
MacMurray @ Webster * 3:00 PM
Principia @ Westminster * 3:00 PM
Eureka @ Fontbonne * 6:00 PM
   
Need picks in by noon Monday. Good luck!

[y_jack_lok]

Just a bit more on Lincoln's incredible 201 points yesterday. This is from a sidebar on the front page of the sports section of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch this morning:

"POINTS GALORE" Sam Wylie makes an NCAA record 21 3-pointers and finishes with 69 points to help Lincoln University (Pa.) set a Division III scoring record in a 201-78 victory over Ohio State-Marion on Saturday in Salem, W. Va. Troy has the all time NCAA record with 258 points.

[y_jack_lok]

Oops. For any English teachers out there I want to acknowledge that I got my ending quotation mark in the wrong place in the above post. Should be at the very end after the final word. In other words, from "Points ....... points."

[fcnews]

12/4
FU

12/5
CMSU

12/6
WU
FU
Wheaton (what are they doing playing Prin)
EU
MAC

12/8
Depauw
GC

12/10
MU
GC
WU
WC
EU (I would be happy to forfiet my pick for a W)

[BunchTime]

Last comments regarding the comparison of the SLIAC and the CCIW.  The comparison needs to made NOW -- not between the CCIW 1,2, and 3 teams and the SLIAC 1,2 and 3 teams, but rather our top few teams versus there bottom tier teams.  This is half the problem - most SLIAC fans remain content playing these teams competitively.  Expectations MUST be raised!  The time is now!  I have been reading this same stuff on here about these two respective conferences now for years.  When will it be time to make comparisons?

[pantherpride06]

What was I thinking, picking Lincoln Christian 2 times last week.  Unbelieveable on my part.  I won't make that mistake again.  PICKS PLEASE!

Week #4

Monday, December 4  
Fontbonne
 
Tuesday, December 5  
Central Mo.
 
Wednesday, December 6  
Webster
Greenville ( FC NEWS, WHAT DO YOU SAY BABY!)
Wheaton (Wheaton could score 200 here)
Eureka (Blackburn 0-2 already?)
MacMurray
 
Friday, December 8  
DePauw
Greenville
 
Saturday, December 9  
Maryville
Greenville
Webster
Westminster
Eureka

[pantherpride06]

Last comments regarding the comparison of the SLIAC and the CCIW.  The comparison needs to made NOW -- not between the CCIW 1,2, and 3 teams and the SLIAC 1,2 and 3 teams, but rather our top few teams versus there bottom tier teams.  This is half the problem - most SLIAC fans remain content playing these teams competitively.  Expectations MUST be raised!  The time is now!  I have been reading this same stuff on here about these two respective conferences now for years.  When will it be time to make comparisons?

On Greenville's end, we have asked some of the CCIW schools to come here and play becasue we know it's a mess to go up there bc we will get trounced up there (1, 2, 3.)  I believe we did go up there a while back

Augustana: 0-0
Carthage: 4-4
Elmhurst: 0-1
Illinois Wesleyan: 0-0
Millikin: 1-0
North Park: 0-0
North Central: 0-0
Wheaton (Ill.): 0-11

5-16 over all since 1945 v. the CCIW schools...

We just can't compete with them and it's not worth it for Greenville atleast, to go play IWU or Augie every year and get wasted by these schools.  Heck, we go scrimmage Millikin and they are middle of the road CCIW and get beat by 40 the last two years.  The top SLIAC schools/big schools (Maryville/Webster) can go play them if they want.  It's not worth our while to do it.  The only reason we played Elmhurst two years ago was so Brandon Martin could play against his brother Chris Martin.  We've been trying to schedule some of those low tier CCIW type schools because we know it shoudl be a good game.

I'm sure if everyone in the SLIAC put up their all time records v. the CCIW on a sheet of paper.  It would be a mess.  I meann, in 60+ years of basketball at Greenville, we've won 5 times, and four of those were over Carthage and that was between 1955 & 1959.  SLIAC v. CCIW is like the ACC/Big 10 Challenge,  A wash every year when you compare the schools, records, and all.

NOTE: Greenville historical records from a book I spent 2 years complining of each school we played and our scores, records, and other Misc. information.