MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hopefan]

Two good games tonight.. both run pretty much the same.. underdogs Fontbonne and Webster take leads in the first half, work hard to maintain them, only to have Eureka and Mac come back to nab close wins.... feel worse for Fontbonne, they really had the opportunity, but the frosh are getting better and better... hats off to Yadi Demisse and Andrew Chisum for working so well with all the young guys....Griffs, don't get down, you are so close......

[hopefan]

McAfee is held to below 40 vs Prin... he doesn't play

[hopefan]

revised hopefan standings

Standings based on 3 principles..
Teams that are contenders should not lose at Home  if they do, it is a -1
Teams that are contenders would hope to beat other contenders on the road... if they do, it is a +1
Teams that are contenders should never lose to Blackburn or Prin... if they do, it's a -1
When contenders win at home, lose on the road, or beat PRin and BC anywhere, it's = 0
Do what you are supposed to, you'll finish 10-6, with no guarantees... it's the teams that win that 1 extra game on the road, and defend home, that will finish ahead.....

Hopefan standings based on above

Mac +2  (won at Eureka) (won at Webster)
Spalding +1  (won at Westminster)
Webster 0   (won at Greenville) (lost at home vs Mac)
Westmin  0  (won at Fontbonne)  (lost at home vs Spalding)
Eureka  0  (lost at home vs Mac) (won at Fontbonne)
Greenville  -1 (lost at home vs Webster)
Fontbonne -2 (lost at home vs Westminster) (lost at home vs Eureka)

[GC Panther 01]

Greenville at WIU in Macomb tonight.  WIU is improved this year (12-3 and currently in the picture for the big dance in March projected as a 15 seed currently) under Jim Molinari and should have no problem with GC.  It's a school night and the youngest daughters 4th Birthday today so not sure if I will make it up to Macomb tonight or not.

[hopefan]

YES, I would think that Birthday would be pretty high up the priority list!!!!   Happy Birthday to her!!!!

[GC Panther 01]

of course it is, but when Mom asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday she replied "go watch a baskteball game with Dad"  They learn so fast!

[WUPHF]

of course it is, but when Mom asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday she replied "go watch a basketball game with Dad"  They learn so fast!

+1  So, if we see a new poster on the boards with the moniker GC Panther 32, then we know that is your daughter commenting?

[hopefan]

Thought I would give a review of the two games I saw last night...   the other two games in conference ended in landslide wins for Greenville and Spalding over Blackburn and Prin, and offer up little to write about... lots of guys got lots of time for Gville and Spalding, and got lots of points....
One interesting thing I noticed... not only did DeWhon McAfee not play for the Spalding men, but Spalding women's high scorer Kelly Harrod did not suit up against Prin women either.....  now both could have been hurt or ill, but both played at Westmin on Saturday and had very good games... so my assumption is that they were held out of what would obviously be onesided games versus outmanned Prin by coach's decision....  some might consider this a slap in the face of Prin, but in this case I would disagree... I think first class move on Spalding's behalf....

Fontbonne-Eureka
Jordan Kindred didn't play... foootball injury I think... .... no, there was an excused personal conflict, and he'll be back to play vs Westmin on Thursday... Jordan is one of my favorite SLIAC players, very flashy, and without him, I felt Eureka played very flat... The driver to the win for Eureka surprisingly was DT Thornton, as well as Mark Lessen... Fontbonne's young inside corps, all of whom will likely be hitting weights this summer to put on some needed mass, were liberally pushed around inside by Lessen and Thornton, especially in the 2nd half... there was no denying Thornton offensive position in the lane, and he had several keep hoops in the Eureka comeback... not only that, but the 6'4", 340 lb lefty showed a very reasonable touch from the foul line, 5 of 7, most at the end of the game when the decision was up for grabs.... the stats showed the difference, Fontbonne outrebounded 42-31.... and eureka knew to keep going inside, and getting fouled 25-36 from the line, while Fontbonne was a woeful 6-17
Now then... while there is little communication about what happens in games, I want to give first hand reporting on what I thought I saw in a Technical Foul situation.. there was a loose ball, scramble, whatever, that ended with Fontbonnes small guard Rich Dorhauer being low, probably off balance, brushing Eureka's Dustin Fritsch's side, leg knee area.. seemingly by reaction, Fritsch LIGHTLY, SLIGHTLY raised his knee into Dorhauer, just to get him away.. if he had used his hand, it would have been a slight shove... BUT, it was wide in the open, it looked much worse than it was, and the refs called a T... Coach Wilde pulled Fritch (maybe 7 minutes left in a close game, and Fritch played no more....    I personally don't think that was necessary, I felt bad for Fritch, but also admire Coach Wilde for getting a point across.... but I view this as the most MINOR of incidents...
Fontbonne had a chance to take a one point lead with 2 free throws with 12 seconds left, but missed both, had to foul and Eureka makes there shots to win the contest
The frosh are really playing well for Fontbonne, held together by 'old man' Yadi Demisse who is the glue of the team.. more is coming out of the offense, Greenlee and Rucker are going stronger to the basket and making more hoops... Stephens and woods have to show that same strength and maneuverability around the hoop.. Dorhauer plays very solid, it's a shame he had to miss the 2 FTs, as it was his best game of the season, and against good competition... I like Carrel at point too, smart, not flashy, get the ball where it needs to go, but needs to improve his shooting, which to me is a little flat.... I hope this gang all stays at Fontbonne for four years...it is a heck of a group.....

Webster vs Mac.... Webster just played really well, but ran out of gas, got dominated in the last 6 minutes giving up a 7 point lead... turnovers hurt, and Webster's inability to guard the big men was a problem... Brady Slagle came up big in that comeback...

Watching these games back to back, I think Webster could compete with eureka for a tourney spot, but I'm not sure how they'll stop the 1-2 punch of Lessen and Thornton....

[hopefan]

of course it is, but when Mom asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday she replied "go watch a baskteball game with Dad"  They learn so fast!

+++++++++ OUTSTANDING!!!!!!

[augie77]

Well done!

[y_jack_lok]

I am going to disagree with my buddy hopefan on the Fritsch technical. Interesting how two people can be sitting right next to each other, see the same thing, and interpret it so differently. I saw it as totally deliberate, a frustrated reaction by Fritsch for whatever reason. And while it wasn't anything like throwing a punch, I instantly reacted thinking the refs should call a technical. Now in fairness to hopefan, the play took place in the 2nd half on the FU end of the floor (we were on the Eureka end of the floor) and hopefan was sitting to my right, so he was a wee bit closer than I was and thus might have had a wee bit better view of it.  In any case, Kudos to Coach Wilde for sitting Fritsch the rest of the game.

[hopefan]

I am going to disagree with my buddy hopefan on the Fritsch technical. Interesting how two people can be sitting right next to each other, see the same thing, and interpret it so differently. I saw it as totally deliberate, a frustrated reaction by Fritsch for whatever reason. And while it wasn't anything like throwing a punch, I instantly reacted thinking the refs should call a technical. Now in fairness to hopefan, the play took place in the 2nd half on the FU end of the floor (we were on the Eureka end of the floor) and hopefan was sitting to my right, so he was a wee bit closer than I was and thus might have had a wee bit better view of it.  In any case, Kudos to Coach Wilde for sitting Fritsch the rest of the game.

Neither one of us can see that far!!!!

[augie77]

Was there a reason cited for why McAfee didn't play?  They did survive without him

[hopefan]

Was there a reason cited for why McAfee didn't play?  They did survive without him

Haven't heard anything... i'm just speculating in my earlier post...

[y_jack_lok]

I am going to disagree with my buddy hopefan on the Fritsch technical. Interesting how two people can be sitting right next to each other, see the same thing, and interpret it so differently. I saw it as totally deliberate, a frustrated reaction by Fritsch for whatever reason. And while it wasn't anything like throwing a punch, I instantly reacted thinking the refs should call a technical. Now in fairness to hopefan, the play took place in the 2nd half on the FU end of the floor (we were on the Eureka end of the floor) and hopefan was sitting to my right, so he was a wee bit closer than I was and thus might have had a wee bit better view of it.  In any case, Kudos to Coach Wilde for sitting Fritsch the rest of the game.

Neither one of us can see that far!!!!

That's why they have refs on the floor.