MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hopefan]

It couldn't have anything to do with coaching.

Coach McKinney may have made his best coaching move at practice on Jan 18

[Into_the_Blue]

If Fontbonne dismisses the conference leading scorer's 20 points and beats 1.2.3 straight, does that say something about the level of competition this year?

I think it says something about the parity that almost always exists in this league.  You never really do know how a SLIAC night is going to turn out. 

I could see close games won tonight by either team OR blowouts won tonight by either team, although usually the team getting blown out isnt the home team.  I dont see it happening to WC tonight in the nest. 

I predict WC wins by 15, FU wins by 5 to tighten this thing up. 

Mac has won some big games recently (@ EC and WU in OT) but also lost their last at Spalding. 

[I_HAD_GAME]

Into the Blue. With Westminster hosting this year, will we have discussion of the gym be cleared between games? Like they did at Blackburn.

It will be a heck of a road trip for Eureka and MacMurray fans. Will it be a friday/saturday set up? I would guess either IL. team would stay in Fulton over night.

Westminster is a tough place to win. But, I think Webster will make a good showing for themselves this evening. Just a hunch.

[watchdog]

Unless I'm mistaken, this year the men play Thursday and Saturday, with the semi-finals at 6:00 and 8:00, and the championship at 1:00.

[hopefan]

I Had Game called it   -   fantastic performance by Webster   -   but they just fall short.....   26 from Moore, 15 from Restoff, double digits from Bradfish and whitcombe.....

The dream ends for Fontbonne...  pull it together for no. 800 now.

Greenville now only a game back, but they barely beat Logan Chiro....

[Into_the_Blue]

I guess I had my point spreads wrong.  Didnt see Mac winning by 20, they're playing inspired ball.  

It will be interesting to see how Webster bounces back after a tough loss.  Doesnt look like theyve given up at all.  

GC is one and a half back right now but with a game at Prin Saturday they should find themselves only one back going into next week (WU is off Saturday)

We could have the potential tournament championship preview this weekend when WC travels to Mac.  I wish I could make it over there.  

WC only needs one win to host but they go to Mac and Eureka and then finish with Prin at home.  Hope WC doesnt pull an Indianapolis and have its sights set on Prin and the tourney and lose momentum at EC and Mac.  I think they'll battle through those games and win at least one.  

After looking at tiebreak scenarios if three teams end 12-4 I still think WC hosts...

WC, Mac and Eureka will have all split with each other.
Therefore it would come down to record against the next best team (if theyre all 12-4 it'd be Webster**)
WC vs Webster 2-0
Mac vs Webster 2-0
EC vs Webster 1-1 so EC gets 3rd

Then we look at WC and Mac vs Spalding
WC 2-0 vs SU
Mac 1-1 vs SU

So WC 1
    Mac 2
    EC 3
    WU 4

Correct me if Im wrong.

**for Eureka and Mac to go 12-4 theyd both beat WC and GC to get there, knocking GC out.

[hopefan]

Blue, I think the more likely scenario is a tie for 4th involving Webster, Greenville, and yes still even Fontbonne

Webster has 3 games left....  Prin, Spalding, at Font
Greenville has 4 games left.... at prin, BC, at Mac, Eureka
Fontbonne has 4 games left... BC, at Spalding, at Prin, Webster

IF
Webster beats Prin loses to Spalding, they would have 7 losses going int the Fontbonne game
Greenville beats Prin and BC, but loses at Mac, they would have 8 losses going into Eureka game
Fontbonne beats BC, Spalding, and Prin, they would have 8 losses going into Webster game

Then that last night if font would beat Webster and Gville beat Eureka, bang, 3 way tie for 4th....
and because they were each 1 and 1 vs each other, low and behold, Fontbonne's win over Westmin would give them the tiebreaker....

But, it seems a reach to think font can win at Spalding, or That GC could beat eureka (or Mac), so to me it looks like Webster only needs to beat Prin in order to be in great shape....

Now then if Greenville and Webster ended tied, Greenville's win over Mac could be the critical tiebreaker....   Webster would do well to win 2 of 3 to virtually guarantee its spot... meaning beat Spalding!!

[hopefan]

Sorry  -  minor complaint time....   Why is it that our SLIAC schools can't consistently get boxscores to either their own site or the SLIAC site so that those of us who are interested can access them.  Here it is noon next day and we have nothing on either Webster-Westmin game last night.  It would seem to me, that besides a brief check, that the same push of a button that feeds the final score would be sufficient to send the box score.   There was an article regarding the game shortly after completion on the Webster site, but no box.   SIDs - that's what you are supposed to be doing!!!   and if not an SID, someone is obviously responsible.   And I hate to say it, but Webster seems week in and week out, to be a culprit....I know they were on the road, but if there ia a way to get an article, there's a way to get a box....

This is to apologize up front if a box is out there but I missed it....

[Into_the_Blue]

Who runs they sliac.org site?  They seem rather proficient at getting scores and things updated so it is probably someone from the schools that doesnt send the sliac.org contact the info. 

Ive enjoyed having the halftime scores and overtime updates on the site this year too. 

[Into_the_Blue]

Mac had 23 assists last night?  Wow. 

Randle continues to be a beast inside. 

This could be a very fun tournament...

I have the semifinals marked on my calendar!

[hopefan]

Interesting to note, Blue  -  Randall had TWO monster games against Fontbonne... quite likely his two best games of the year  -  could tell us about one of the factors leading to fontbonne's demise this year.....

1st game vs fontbonne  Randall   7 for 11 from field 15 points 17 rebounds...

2nd game vs Fontbonne Randall  10 for 15 from field 23 points 14 rebounds

average in 13 conference games  10.9 ppg, 10.5 rbs per game....   Fontbonne makes him look like an All American!

[hopefan]

Webster Westmin box is now up on Westmin site  -  not on SLIAC or Webster.....

Wondering aloud.....   Why did it take 20 games into the season for Reggie Smith to get playing time for Webster  -  was he dressing on the team first semester?...    I thought he looked comfortable in a brief appearance at home last week, and he had a very decent game over at Westmin... double digit scoring and playing 40 minutes, more than anyone else on the team....

[watchdog]

To help clarify some concerns about score and stat reporting:

* Most SLIAC schools do not have a full-time SID, which can cause some problems.

* Each school normally posts (or can post) their scores directly to the SLIAC & D3 Hoops scoreboards, not the SLIAC SID.

* When games go beyond 10:00 p.m., stats are normally not posted on the SLIAC site until the next day (the SLIAC SID lives in N. Carolina, EST).

* Also, forwarding stats it is not always as easy as punching a button (software or computer problems, entry or human error, etc.).

[hopefan]

Well Watchdog.... retirement isn't too far away, and my wife is gonna make me do SOMETHING....

[watchdog]

Good luck finding a school with the budget to pay you, unless you don't mind working for free!