MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hopefan]

I'm assuming Wash U Friday and Saturday  (gonna pass on Mac and Webster), Webster Sunday, Fontbonne on Monday....    I hope.......

[BunchTime]

Good luck to the Gorloks as they enter conference play.

Also, fellow SLIAC posters, the Gorlok athletic webpage has been significantly upgraded over the last two seasons.  It can be found at www.websterathletics.com.  They have a lead-in page to remind viewers of the next home game.  Also, the webpage has a link for each game titled "Men's Notes."  It includes just about every stat for the two teams.  Apparently they do the Game Notes for road games as well.  Accordingly, they have one posted for the Webster-Westminster game tonight.

[y_jack_lok]

Couldn't make it to Fulton for WU - WC. Must have been an exciting game. Decided to go to FU for what turned out to be a very good game against BC. Anybody who has already chalked up a W for themselves against BC had better get out their eraser. A word to the wise -- don't give BC's #23 an inch on the perimeter or three more points will go up on BC's side of the scoreborad.

[pantherpride06]

I'll let eureka_sid expound on the Eureka/Greenville game as I wasn't there.  My source tells me the Panthers played super great.  Greenville up 19 at halftime (50-31).  Ben Cochran had 23.  Ellis with 16, Fischer with 12, Gregornik with 13, Ellis and Hohm with 10.  Panthers win 95-88...

eureka_sid may also need to double check this, if his achieves are better than ours at Greenville (I've spent the last four years working on ours), this is the first Greenville win at Eureka since the 1980s.  Either the 1987-88 or 1980-81 season...  I have an errant score with throws off my count.

This was an early MUST-WIN game for Greenville.  This will be a huge win later in the season!

[sully309]

Panther,

Greenville did play very well tonight. This game was really decided in the last 5 minutes of the 1st half. Maybe EC got a little tired defensively or maybe Greenville just hit a hot streak, but GC put 22 points on the board in the last 5 minutes and took a 3 point game up to 19 at the half.

Kudos to the Red Devils for making a game of it late. They got within 5 with 2:30 left and missed a FT to cut it to 4. Greenville shot exceedingly well from 3-point range (11-17).  They coughed up a few turnovers, but then they also forced EC to do the same, so you can't really hold that against them.

I think Greenville is going to struggle against athletic big men (then again, who doesn't?) because they had quite a bit of trouble in post defense against EC's small lineup in the 2nd half. But if they play like what I saw tonight, the Panthers are in for a great season. They completely took Eureka out of what it wanted to do coming into the game a forced a hyper tempo. A lot of guys saw a good amount of minutes without much drop off in production. That should serve them well over the long haul.

I should also mention (though I'm sure some EC fans will disagree with me) that this game was among the best officiated I've seen since EC joined the SLIAC.

Finally, to follow up on my scheduling post from earlier...I wasn't really trying to quash any discussion on scheduling. My point was I personally don't think it's that big of a deal. I don't think it helps teams any by the time you get to Feb. and March, but I do think it's something fans like to talk about, so why not let them?

[fcnews]

Prides just a little excited.

Interesting nite in the SLIAC.
Westminster holds Home court over Webster
Greenville goes into EC and wins
Fontbonne beats an improved BC team

BC - Rod Sykes can play 16 pts and 8 rebs, As Yjak stated #23 Blake Doehring can get hot from deep.
Fontbonne gets:
Fogerty 15 pts and 13 rebounds
Storandt 12 pts and 11 rebounds
McCoy 12 pts and 5 assists

Newcomer Chris Foresst has 18 pts and 9 rebounds (6 off.) and 7-8 from the line. Good nites work.
Mike Riva 8 pts and 4 rebounds in 10 min.

FU's interior force 35 pts and 28 rebounds (Fogert, Storandt and Riva)
FU won battle of the boards 53-26 and only allowed 4 off. rebounds


EC will be in a nasty mood on Saturday. FU will need to play well if they want to see 5-0

[y_jack_lok]

A word to the wise -- don't give BC's #23 an inch on the perimeter or three more points will go up on BC's side of the scoreborad.

So I look at the FU-BC box score and it shows #23 only hitting 3 of ten 3 pointers. #34 was 4 of 11 and the team was 8 of 26. So let me revise my statement to read "--don't give BC's #23 an inch on the perimeter or he will take a 3 and it might go in." Don't know how my perception was so different from reality. Old age, I guess.

[fcnews]

Easy Yjak, your ok. Most of those 7 3's came at the end of the shot clock. Those are more memorable then. Sykes is the player to stop. Yjak's better half was there and her Dad was a prof at BC. I think she was there loudest fan....LOL

Reasonably priced entertainment.

[hs_pg_qb]

(This is a repost...sorry)

Longtime reader, first time poster.  Not able to get to a lot of games so I am definitely NOT the most knowledgeable person about SLIAC.  In fact, what I learn and know is primarily what I read through the board.  So please don't jump all over me if I lack any of the insight that  the regs have..   At any rate, I do have a question:

Fontbonne beats an improved BC team

fc-  improved from what?  BC is 1 and 4 with the lone win coming from Robert Morris (S) by just 2.

Comparatively, MacMurray, blew out RM by 30...

Are you sure BC is improved, or is Fontbonne just playing down to that level?  Should I really read anything into those scores this early in the season?

[fcnews]

HS_PG - Welcome aboard. BC is improved as compared to last years squad. Rod Sykes is a vast improvement. Scores this time of year. Read into what you want. A win is a win. And they won't all be pretty.

FU has the dreaded preseason bulls eye. Teams do play up against FU. Every night.

I don't look at Webster being out for losing at Westminster.

EC beat Concordia (IL.) by 5, GC lost to them by 13. And, GC goes in and beats EC at home. Is that playing down or just a great performance by GC?

[BunchTime]

Disappointing conference opener for my Gorloks.  Coach Bunch had this to say about the loss: "We gotta play better defensively. We gotta rebound better and it doesn't help when they shoot 32 free throw and we shoot just 15. That is not an indictment on the officiating. We put them on the free throw line early in double halves. If we play better defensively, they don't get 32 free throws. ... We can't allow 85 points, get outrebounded and have 16 turnovers and expect to win. We have to play better."

Now, the Gorloks must move on and rebound quickly against Mac.  Two losses this early in conference play is a big hole to climb out of.  I believe Coach Bunch and Seiner will be conducting some pretty tough practices this week.  I am sure the staff will be emphasising team defense. 

[hopefan]

Well the first round of league games is over - 3 single digit wins last night - exactly why I love the SLIAC  -  The team that everyone thinks is a lock for 7/8/9 in the conference comes within 5 on the road of the team that is considered a lock for the NCAA's  -  as FC noted teams get pumped up to play the projected champs.

Well, I haven't seen ANYBODY yet this year, but in studying the box scores of just last night, I'm mystified by the goings on of each of the St Louis schools -  I'll learn something when I see them play this weekend or in the future..

Maryville....  In the Prin game, won by 23 points, Maryville started two transfers and a frosh, played 6 other frosh, and a frosh that didn't  play, Chris Rebuck, was mentioned in the preseason as at a level not seen before (perhaps he's hurt).   People who played major roles last year are already gone, or are seeing limited minutes.  In the Prin game, JMac Mccoy, Drew Simmons, Jake Baechle didn't play - each was there in previous games - are they hurt, or worse?   Ben Koopman, who came on so strong and was a key player as a frosh last year, has seen limited minutes - and everybody's favorite, Tyler Saxton, goes 0 for 3 in 21 minutes vs prin  -  WHAt GIVES.    On the + side, Matt Baker has been very consistent in performance level, and Aaron Steincke also seems to be more active with his numbers...

Webster  ....  Wow, Coach Bunch seems to be taking a cue from Coach Rogers and is playing everyone but the team Manager   -yet expected contributors Whitcomb, Tiemann, Paradoski, Stiegenmeir and Hrdlicka have shown little production - hard to understand, as I though 2 or even 3 of those guys were good enough to be regular starters.   While Bunchtime quoted Coach as pointing toward team defense, I worry when Turk has 26 and shoots 12 3's  -  he was hot on Wednesday, but not hot enough to get a win - what happens when this streak shooter isn't hot?  Live by the 3, most frequently die by the 3  -  just ask Maryville.  Good sign - big night for John Ortwerth - he was  the one guy I thought could really compete in the middle - if he stays out of foul trouble - he plays hard, good to see a big night for him

Fontbonne -
per FC  -  the competition plays up when playing a projected champ

OR

are the projected champs playing down, missing the fire that Chad Fournie brought to the floor - So far the scores against the likes of BC, Moody, and Waldorf not too exciting   (although I have to admit, had Fonbonne run up 40 point wins, some one would have said so what, those schools are awful  -  moral  - schedule lousy programs  and you can't win on public opinion).  The good is that the 3 seniors have picked up right where they left off, playing well Storandt rebounding Fogarty scoring and McKoy being McKoy,  and Forest is giving a high level of consistant performance.  -  As long as the ironman 5 doesn't get into foul trouble and no one goes down with injury, the Font is in pretty good shape. 

Right now, who is number 2???   The teams that I expected to see on the floor for Webster and Maryville are NOT who we're seeing  -  how all the new faces will perform is an unknown.  Great win for Greenville on the road at Eureka, but with limited size, can they stay on the boards with the St Louis schools.  Westminster is a surprize so far - anxious to see how they do on the road against other SLIAC opponents.  Eureka despite a home loss has shown they will compete.   And Blackburn's close loss at Fontbonne is food for though for everyone   -  Especially Fontbonne.   I'd like to see Fontbonne DOMINATE - in their game at Eureka - and show that they are as good as they were last year.....

[BLA]

Not many teams in this league can give up 85 points and still win consistently.  In fact, only one comes to mind and it isn't Webster.  Although it can't be blamed entirely on the defense because obviously Westminster came out and smacked Webster in the mouth having them down almost 20 at some point in the first half.

Although Bunch has always used a deep bench I think last night he was searching for someone to do anything positive. Plus this was only their third game and with  a ton of new faces I'm not surprised that they haven't settled on their line up. Usually by the first conference game teams have at least 7 games to figure out their rotation.

But those are excuses.  I don't like them.  If one guy on Webster would have been able to say "you're not scoring or beating us tonight" in regards to Warnecke or Stanley Crawford then they could have won the game.  But BOTH of their best players went off for 20 each.   Those guys on Webster that are lucky enough to get minutes on a college team should check themselves.  There is no way that these two players for Westminster were left off the scouting reports or left out of any pre game talks.  A lot of these guys counted on to play major roles need to realize that it isn't enough to show up and take the floor to win road games or any game. There are no excuses for not getting yourself ready to go. NONE!!! Early or not, this was a conference game.  A higher level of focus is needed.  Disappointed in the report i heard about some of the older guys.

I look (hope) for a better effort against Mac.  Like BunchTme said earlier, 0-2 is tough to climb. 

[y_jack_lok]

Wow BLA. Them's some strong words. I like it.

[fcnews]

Is this the BCS, where margin of victory figures in. (actually it may not officially). What is DOMINATE mean? And, what is winning public opinion? And who is McKoy?

Just a couple of questions. Glad to have ya back Hopefan.