MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hopefan]

Unfortunately Lyon presents a very tough trip for any SLiAC school... over 7 hours from Eureka and Spalding, over 4 hours for St Louis area schools (Webster, Westmin, Greenville Fontbonne Principia) and over 5 hours for Blackburn.

Lyon is going to have extremely long trips no matter who they line up with.....SAA or ASC or SCAC....

[hopefan]

Great game last night Prin at Spalding... Prin's Clark Davidson was able to play, making this a very evenly matched contest... great comeback in 2nd half from 10 down to allow for a nail-biter... both teams make critical shots in last minute of regulation to take it to OT... Critical shots in OT to get down to last possession... unfortunately, Prin up one, misses 2 free throws with 14 seconds left, giving Spalding a chance to win... Spalding's Brian Tribble sticks a jump shot with 4 seconds left for the win..

Competition like this at any level, is so much fun to watch....

[y_jack_lok]

Just saw this  https://lyonscots.com/news/2022/2/8/general-important-information-for-lyon-college-athletics.aspx and wondered what conference they might affiliate with. Geographically they might work in the SLIAC or SAA, but I'm guessing institutionally the SAA is more likely.

We actually think maybe the ASC. Here's our story from yesterday:

https://d3sports.com/notables/2022/02/lyon-college-applying-to-d3

Thanks. Hadn't seen your story. As a football school, it doesn't make sense for them to affiliate with the SLIAC.

[WUPHF]

I am officially on the Fontbonne bandwagon.

They are winning games that they may have coughed up in previous seasons.  They got a nice win last night, knocking down two free throws with 1.6 seconds left after trailing by one.

The SLIAC game of the year will be Fontbonne at Eureka on Saturday.

[hopefan]

Also a last play decision at Webster last night... Fontbonne can't seem to lose these close games, Webster can't seem to win....

Webster led much of the game vs Eureka.. game is tied and Eureka's Logan Dorethy hits what I would consider a miracle shot at 10 seconds left... a turn around fade away jumper from the foul line, very well defended, so much so that it seemed to be a no-look throw.... but it went in.    Webster can't answer and Eureka gets the win.

[WUPHF]

Eureka drafted a great preview of the game on Saturday.  9-1 vs. 8-2 with four games left to play.

Eureka has never won the regular season title.

Fontbonne has not won the regular season title since 2008-2009.

http://eurekareddevils.com/sports/mbkb/2021-22/releases/20220211i86a3t

[WUPHF]

Fontbonne defeats Eureka by a score of 87-71. The Griffins should be able to close out the championship, holding a two-game lead with three games left.

[hopefan]

Extremely tough loss for Coach Matt Mitchell and the Westminster Blue Jays yesterday.   We know Coach Mitchell is retiring from Coaching this year... his entire coaching head coaching spent at Westminster.  Mitch entered into last night's game with a 2lifetime 299-299 record, 3 games left in the regular season, and the conference tourney remaining.  The 3 games remaining were yesterday at Spalding, Blackburn at home, and at Fontbonne.

To get to 300 wins, one win was necessary.... a possible candidate to get that win against was at Spalding who had played hot and cold in the conference, (but darn, a tremendous lengthy bus trip and playing in the tight, dark Spalding gym is always so tough).. Westmin couldn't make the adjustment and got beat.   
So now Coach Mitchell is at 299-300.....He needs 2 for 2 to guarantee a .500 career record including whatever happens in the tourney... more critical he needs a win on Wednesday night vs Blackburn for win no 300... if it doesn't happen, it's a highly unlikely chance at victory at Fontbonne, who has been playing outstanding ball in conference... then on to the conference tourney where they would likely play at Eureka... again a tough win..

Mitch needs the win at home vs Blackburn for win number 300..... Here's hoping the Westminster student body, admin, and community pack their historical gym on Wednesday night to see him get it....

[hopefan]

Hopefan's wild prediction as to how the conference standings will finish.... not reviewing tiebreakers...

Fontbonne      13-1
Eureka             11-3
Blackburn        8-6
Spalding            7-7
Principia          5-9
Webster            5-9
Westminster     5-9    (yes I'm predicting an upset win over Blackburn)
Greenville          2-12

Unfortunately with 3 teams at 5-9 and not having researched the tie breakers, I can't take this prediction further to forecast conference tourney matchups.

[WUPHF]

If Fontbonne finishes the season at 13-1, they would end up being one of several programs that absolutely dominated conference play.

Fontbonne Women's Soccer
Greenville Volleyball
Webster Men's Soccer
Webster Women's Basketball

And is it too early to predict that Webster baseball will cruise to yet another conference championship?

[GU1999]

If Fontbonne finishes the season at 13-1, they would end up being one of several programs that absolutely dominated conference play.

Fontbonne Women's Soccer
Greenville Volleyball
Webster Men's Soccer
Webster Women's Basketball

And is it too early to predict that Webster baseball will cruise to yet another conference championship?

Well if we are doing this:
- Greenville had 10 of the top 15 runners at the SLICA MCC meet this fall and they have won 18 of last 25 conference meets and the last 6 conference running
- Greenville Men's Track and Field (winners of last 4 conference meets, in '17 and '21 they outscored the rest of the teams combined) *

*Greenville's running programs are maybe the strongest thing going in the league over the past quarter century, despite being a part of a league that is not all that consistent even offering a conference meet in T&F.

[WUPHF]

Thanks for adding Greenville track and field.

I enjoy watching track, though it is one of the more challenging sports to follow in Division III for the obvious reasons.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

After several weeks of midday shows, we are back to our regularly scheduled time of 7:00 PM ET - and we are super-sizing the show tonight to make up for not being able to be on air Thursday AND the craziness that has happened in the last week!



Today is a day we celebrate those we love and for many of us that includes the student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and programs in Division III.

On Monday's Hoopsville, we super-size the show to cover everything that has happened in the last week while also trying to look ahead at conference tournaments which start soon. After all, we are just two weeks away from talking about who is in or out of the NCAA Tournaments.

Plus, we look at the latest Top 25 polls which will be released Monday evening and react to the men's poll which will clearly undergo some shakeup.

Guests included:

• Jenna Cosgrove, Rhode Island women's coach
• Jon VanderWal, No. 2 Marietta men's coach
• Lance Thornhill, Fontbonne men's coach
• James Wallace, LeTourneau men's coach
• Keri Carollo, No. 7 UW Whitewater women's coach
• Anthony Mason, Vassar women's coach
• Top 25 Double-Take Super Sized: Akiva Poppers, Bob Quillman, Mike Rejniak, Ryan Whitnable

Watch the show here: www.d3hoops.com/hoopsville/archives/2021-22/feb14

[WUPHF]

-Lance Thornhill, Fontbonne men's coach
-Top 25 Double-Take Super Sized: Akiva Poppers, Bob Quillman, Mike Rejniak, Ryan Whitnable

Bravo Dave!

[hopefan]

Eureka vs Prin.....When it boggles me enough, I gotta comment..... Prin's Jake Kampf is the top 3 point shooter in the SLIAC... one would think the offense might be geared for penetration by others and dish to Kampf on the perimeter.... instead I see Kampf penetrating and Dishing to Miles and Bird... and they keep shooting, and missing....