MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hopefan]

3 hours after the Spalding-Greenville game is scheduled to be over, no score posted anywhere... can anyone help?

Webster handles Fontbonne... Fontbonne hung around in the second half, and had cut it to 10 when they missed 2 3 point attempts on the same possession that would have made it seven.... Webster gets a couple of hoops at that point, and it's all over... Roman Robinson was terrific again......he can really elevate going to the hoop....  Stefon whittingham shut out at half, but gets 14 in the second half.... good to see the jerrod Huskey of old make a couple moves around the hoop for baskets.. MORE PLEASE!!!!   If Huskey can get it going like last year, it's a whole new dimension for this year's Webster team....  Don't believe the boxscore... Saliu Dioum has not returned to Fontbonne..rather it's a new face at point guard last name Gentry who had 10 points.... The box score is WRONG....  Don't think Fontbonne's going to win many games shooting 31 3's....Demisse and Curtis were largely responsible for keeping the Griffs in the game.....

While some commented on a good crowd, I thought very few students were in attendance....  Greenville student section the other night puts the combined Webster-Fontbonne student numbers to shame...

Mac beats BC by only 5 on the road... they win it from the line, going 30 for 35... and turn the ball over only 5 times

Eureka clobbers Prin

and... still no news from Spalding

[y_jack_lok]

Here you go, good buddy: http://spaldingathletics.com/mens-sports/basketball/blakemore-knocks-down-clutch-free-throws-to-beat-greenville-74-72/

[MacHighlander]

Conference games this coming week include:

Jan. 24   
Greenville @ Blackburn   (Is this the night for BC?)       
Principia @ Westminster (Jays roll)

Jan. 25   
MacMurray @ Eureka (Game of the Week?)
          
Jan. 26   
Principia @ Greenville (G'Ville claws itself back into the post-season mix)          
Spalding @ Fontbonne   (Can Fontbonne dig deep enough to get it done?)
       
Jan. 28   
Eureka @ Greenville (Game of the Week #2?)          
Fontbonne @ MacMurray (Mac really needs this one)          
Webster @ Blackburn   (When will the Gorlocks slip?)   
Spalding @ Westminster (Westy can't afford to lose any more in Fulton)

Mac at Eureka will be a dandy and a game the Highlanders really need. Will the team that won at Westy and did what it had to to do to win at BC show up? If it does, should be a nice ride back to Jacksonville. Devils play well at home and have the players to get it done. Probably a  game that will be decided in the last minute.

Eureka and Greenville and Spalding at Westy are the two other games that seem to jump out, in terms of impact on the standings. At this point, it appears Webster is in the driver's seat. The battle for the remaining three post-season slots will be a real scrum.
   

[hopefan]

Current Standings

Webster   8-0
Eureka     7-2
Mac         5-3
Westmin   4-4
Greenville  3-4
and Spalding  not yet eligible  6-4

for simplicity  let's assume each team wins it's remaining home games against each other (Therefore they lose when they are away), and each team wins any remaining games with BC, Font, and Prin

Ending standings would look like this:

Webster      13-3
Eureka         10-6
Mac            11-5
Westmin       10-6
Greenville     11-5
Spalding       10-6

Interesting, eh.... one critical fact in this set of standings, is that Greenville only has one more away game against the other top 5...  Eureka still has to play all the contenders but Spalding Away!!!.... 

Just shows every game at home is critical to win; teams have to beat Webster if they still have them at home; DON't LOSE TO BC, FONT, PRIN  (Mac lost to Fontbonne and played BC close.....)

[hopefan]

There could be some misperception out there regarding tonight's Webster game...   the game, as I originally thought, is against the Lindenwood MAIN campus team, in St. Charles!!!!   The SLIAC page says Belleville, but both the Webster site and D3hoops say St Charles, Mo.... Finally, I went to the Lindenwood site, and indeed, it is Lindenwood St.Charles hosting the Gorlocks tonight

note, Lindenwood St Charles is Provisional D2 and has former SLU Coach Brad Soderburg as Head Coach, and his son Kramer Soderburg as a player.....   if I can get things done, I just might go up to St Charles...

[hopefan]

For you students of SLIAC standings, let me present you with another interesting fact.....

The Mac at Eureka game this Wednesday comes closer to being a MUST WIN game for ... Eureka.... when you look at my previous scenario....  why, you ask....  because in the 2nd half of the conference season, Eureka has the unenviable task of playing AT Webster, AT Greenville, AT Westmin, and AT Mac.... a loss  at home to Eureka, and tough times on the road versus playoff level competition could conceivably put Eureka on the outside looking in.... A win in that game by Mac conversely would put them in great shape.....

[MacHighlander]

Excellent breakdown, hopefan. Kind of gives a snapshot of what the post-season would look like if the favorites win out and teams hold home court. But both of us know there's better than a 50-50 chance that won't happen, particularly because so many of these teams are evenly matched. Throw in an injury, illness, academic casualty, etc., and some these games could turn on a dime. Stakes will be high, as they should be, for all of the head-to-head games between the contenders, starting with Mac's game at Eureka. You're 100% correct on this being a critical game for Eureka, in terms of protecting the home court advantage.

Side note on Lindenwood in St. Charles. Son #2 considered going there after Coach Hettinga left MacMurray. Went down for a visit and spent an afternoon playing some pick-up games with a few of the players. Beautiful facility and a very nice campus. Top-notch people. And they're pretty good. Looks like they've only lost a couple of games this season. Several kids from this area go to LU and love it there. My understanding is after LU completes its provisional transition period, it will join the MIAA, which will be two years from now. As you well know, the MIAA has a storied history in basketball. Followed many of the SMS (now Missouri State) games growing up, watching them play Kirksville, Maryville, Rolla, Cape Girardeau, Warrensburg, etc. Outstanding small college basketball back in the day. The MIAA today is still pretty salty, especially in football (Northwest Missouri State and Pittsburgh State are usually in the national picture). Not as good in basketball, but tough enough. The really good D2 basketball conference is the Great Lakes, which includes former SLIAC member Maryville. Several teams in that conference are nationally ranked.

I would think Webster will have its hands full at LU, but should be a good test. As I said, beautiful facility, and when we there, great people.

[hopefan]

I would think Webster will have its hands full at LU, but should be a good test. As I said, beautiful facility, and when we there, great people.

Agreed... I will be very surprised if Webster can keep it close, but the chance to see Sodeburg, Bassel and others play makes it interesting.... Scholarship kids should beat D3, but the opportunity to compete up a level can really fire up D3 teams.....

[hopefan]

Webster loses to Lindenwood 78-55,  Greater concern is absence of Cody Bradfish from the boxscore.....

[hopefan]

Congrats to Eureka's Mark Lessen for making D3hoops team of the week... this is an honor that has rarely been conferred on a SLIAC player... thanks D3hoops for recognizing the 'other guys' too....one of the reasons I love this site.... Lessen had a huge night against Blackburn that I hadn't mentioned previously.......

[Pat Coleman]

I suspect that's probably true about the SLIAC rarely getting a player on the Team of the Week. I know nominations are not particularly frequent.

[hopefan]

The Eureka SID is obviously doing a great job giving the kids exposure........THUMBS UP

[hopefan]

Good to see Greenville win by 19 at Blackburn... like MacHighlander pointed out, this was a potential landmine for a Greenville team that had a couple of very tough losses....I'm happy they responded and keep on track with the 'hopefan plan' of beating the bottom 3 and winning against the upper 5 at home.... no boxscore yet to see who was big in scoring 99.....

Huge game tonight as Mac travels to Eureka.... if the game was at Mac, I'd take a midweek sojourn and be very tired at work tomorrow, but Eureka Illinois is just too far from Eureka Missouri for me to hit the pavement...would be nice if there were live stats or video, but I see no mention of that on the eureka pages....   hopefully the Eureka SID submits some kind of running score to D3hoops so that there might be updates..... I don't know how that works....    My outlook..well when you match player to player, I gotta like Eureka on their homecourt... Lessen neutralizes Whitlock and Fritsch and Slagle are also at a similar level.... I see Riviera and Nailor consistently contributing more in the 2-3 slots than Best and Burton....
wild card, who plays better between Lee and Kindred...I've seen both play very well, both very bad...if one really controls the ball and gets it to people in scoring position, it's a huge advantage, but if either decides to take it over themselves, they're capable of multiple turnovers and bad shots.....

I think eureka wins this, if they don't turn the ball over 15-20 times, and if Lessen avoids foul trouble and can play 25-30 minutes....

I'd love to see it.. Machighlander, you should drive up and report to us....


A very quick look at thursday... I think this might be a Fontbonne upset over Spalding... as long as Brasheer does't go for 20 and 10.....

[hopefan]

Got be pleased... in the last 16 days, the SLIAC room is averaing just under 600 hits per day....  considerably more than the last time I did a calc.....  The SLIAC appreciates your interest.... if you are in the area, spread the word!!!!

VERY interesting number... I noticed that the Westmin ladies played at the other Fulton School, William Woods, on Monday night (and won) (no men's game that night)... the box score listed the attendance as 500....  if that is correct, it more than doubled Most william woods attendance figures, and likely surpassed any attendance listed this year in a SLIAC box score... must have been a fun time and shows what CAN happen if the student bodies and School faculties and administrations would support (en mass) their basketball teams.....

[MacHighlander]

Would love to make the trip over to Eureka tonight, but after a one-day-and-back business trip to Milwaukee, mixed in with some freezing rain, just can't pull the trigger.

I remember Mac going up to Eureka on a similar night a few years ago as the underdog. Eureka was very good that year, their first in the SLIAC I think. Mac just played terrific defense (something that Coach Hettinga really stressed), stayed close, and then hit big shots in the last minute. Some pressure free throws and Seth Whalen nailed a fadeaway from about 25 feet to seal the deal.

That's what it takes to win tough games on the road at any level. And there are a few things teams can do to equalize the talent, even if the opponent is bigger, faster, stronger, deeper, and better.

Things like making the extra pass to get a higher percentage shot, hitting free throws, grabbing the loose ball, blocking out, winning the turnover battle, avoiding the silly foul, great individual and team defense, hitting the high percentage shots and avoiding the low percentage shots, etc. I've seen many an "underdog" win games they weren't supposed to by mastering the art of doing the little things - that can all add up to an "upset" on any given night.

Mac is the underdog tonight - but if the Highlanders can do the above, I won't be surprised if they head back to Jacksonville with an important conference win under their belt. Wish I could be there.