MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[sully309]

Halftime update from Eureka...
Eureka 35, Blackburn 32

Howard and Hammond with 8 for BC
Peffer with 12 for EC

BC led 32-22 with 5:30 left and didn't score the rest of half.

I'll have the stats on out web site ASAP after the game.

[Mike Owl]

Bunchtime

I am not trying to downplay Coach Bunch.  I don't know him and I have never seen him coach, but as you know Webster was coming off of a 2 win season, +12 wins was one of the largest turn arounds in the NCAA's that year.  Coach Randall built the program to the level of conference contenders.  Kano and Bunch have maintained the level that it was build to.  Neither one of them has taken the team to the next level.  It takes very good coaches to maintain a top tear program (ask the Tar Heels about that), but what has not occured at Webster since Randall's departure is the "Next Step".  It is much easier to recruit to a team that has a history, however brief, of winning.  I believe that if Randall were to have stayed at Webster he would have taken the next step.  Consistantly being at the top of the SLIAC is an accomplishment, no doubt.  However, Webster has not, as of yet, taken that next step without Randall.

As for Hettinga... he like Randall took over a poor team with only 5 wins.  The next year they jumped to 16.  +11 is not a bad turn around either.  If you have ever stepped foot on Olivet's campus or walked into their gym you would understand exactly how difficult Olivet is to recruit to.  It could be, quite possibly, the worst campus in D III.  Despite the recruiting difficulties he always brought in exceptional talent.  During Hettinga's tenure at Olivet he had the most wins in school history for a 7 year span.  Again, there is no 7 year span in school history where their team had either more wins or a higher winning percentage.  I believe that Hettinga left olivet with the highest winning percentage in school history.  He did not ever win a conference regular season or conference tourny, that honor usually went to Calvin, Hope, or Albion.  While Hettinga was at Olivet they were usually just below the top teir teams.  If fact since Soderberg took over at Olivet his  cumulative record is 18-39.  To do what he did at olivet he qualifies as having the "it" factor. 

[pantherpride06]

Amazing Game for Greenville / Fontbonne.  I'm live from HJ.

LaPhonso Ellis hits a last second 3 pt shot to win the game at the horn.

79-77 Final.  Greenville Wins.

More Later.

[Daryl L Lloyd]

Webster 83 Maryville 67

Y_jack: if you were able to make the game, perhaps you can give us the run down.  Thanks.

[Mac Attack]

MacMurray 71
Lincoln Christian 70

Near death experience for the Highlanders. Mac busted out to an 8-0 lead and looked like they were going to run them out of the gym. Five minutes later it was 14-14. Mac led almost the entire game and had a 10 point lead with five minutes to play, but once again let it slip away. LC took the lead by one with less than two minutes to play, but Mac hit some big free throws and LC turned the ball over and when the smoke cleared, Mac had its first win of the season.

The Prechers had a couple of kids who could flat out shoot, along with a couple of bruisers inside that gave Mac trouble all night long. If LC plays everyone else in the SLIAC this tough, it will be interesting. Hipshir, Robertson, and Greene had big games for MacMurray. Long hit back to back 3s in the first half that were huge. But poor ballhandling, poor passing, and lack of weakside defensive help kept this game a lot closer than it should have been. But MacMurray really stepped up when it needed to tonight. Congratulations to Coach Hettinga on his first Highlander win. 

MacMurray suffered a blow when their biggest player, 6'6" senior Zach Kowa, chose to leave the team. Kowa played and contributed quite a bit the last two years and I really thought he was the key to a successful season for us. Not sure what the deal was. He was coming back from a leg injury and working himself back into playing shape. Now he's gone. An undersized Highlander team just got quite a bit smaller.

[Mac Attack]

Eureka 81
Blackburn 72

This was much closer than I thought it would be...

[Mac Attack]

Wheaton 112
Principa 52

[y_jack_lok]

To Daryl Lloyd et. al., the Webster-Maryville game was not very well played by either team. I'd be surprised if either coach is happy with his team's performance. Maryville had a horrendous shooting night. I'll be interested to see their field goal pecentage. Also, Webster missed a ton of shots right under the basket. Hopefan was there, too, so you might get a better overall description of the game from him as he keeps stats on the lineup cards. I'm too tired to search for a box score and analyze things any further.

[pantherpride06]

Final from Greenville, Ill.

Greenville 79, Fontbonne 77.

Greenville jumped out to an early 10 point lead off great play by Levi Mattingly.  Mattingly made his first collegiate start tonight and won the heart of the "Orange Crush" at Greenville.  It slowly dwendled away due to Greenville seemly getting away from the game plan and Fontbonne picking up on what Greenville was doing.  41-40 halftime lead for Greenville was what to expect w/ these two teams.

In the second half, it was close all the way down the stretch.  Greenville is up 76-75 with less then 20 seconds to go.  Fontbonne worked the ball around and miss a shot but got the board.  Called a TO and tried again.  I believe it was Cartez Parker who put the Griffins up 77-76.  Greenville had plenty of TO's left but didnt burn one.  WIth 9 seconds left the ball is inbounded to Chris Simmons who tosses the ball up to LaPhonso Ellis who drills a 3pt shot with 1.3 left of the Clock.  Nearly 250 students in attendance on Orange Crush night start to spill into the floor, but see the ball is still in play by Fontbonne.  They roll the ball down the floor about to the 10 foot line (VB) on Greenville's end and Mattingly forces the pick up and the lauch.  Semi good looking shot but not good.  Greenville wins and go crazy.

STAT OF THE NIGHT: 57.7

Greenville Shot 57.7 from the field.

STATS PLEASE

Fontbonne (40 37 = 77)

Sotrandt - 6 reb, 9 pts
McCoy - 14 pts
Parker - 8-18, 18 points
Fogerty - 11 pts
White - -10 pts

NOTABLE BENCH
Fournie - 5 reb, 9 pts

Total FG 30-64 (46.9) / Total 3FG 4-17 (23.5) / Total FT 13-25 (52.0)

Greenville ( 41 38 = 79)

Simmons - 22 pts, 2 ast, 2 st
West - 4 reb, 2 pts
Hensold - 4 reb, 10 pts
Taylor - 6 ast, 13 pts
Mattingly - 4 reb, 8 pts

NOTABLE BENCH
Conquest - 13 pts
Ellis - 5 reb, 11 pts, GW 3-PT w/ 1.3 remaining

Total FG 30-52 (57.7) / Total 3FG 4-8 (50.0) / Total FT 15-19 (78.9)

So, the question becomes... are the Panther for real?  Two outstanding wins v. Blackburn and v. Fontbonne?  Only time will tell.  As Nuke LaLoush was taught by Crash Davis, "We'll take it one game at a time."

Great Conversations with SLIAC Commish and FC News tonight.  FC said the first team to 80 would win.  It was close to 80.  Thanks for coming to the game SLIAC Commish.  Enjoyed having you in the house and I hope you enjoyed a absoutely amazing game.

The Greenville/Fontbonne rivialry is an absoutely outstanding battle.  All time marks are Fontbonne 14, Greenville 12.  Here are how the last few have ended...

2001-2002
Fontbonne 114-109, Fontbonne 72-78

2002-03
Fontbonne 105-94, Fontbonne 110-89

2003-04
Fontbonne 120-117 (F/3OT), Fontbonne 114-107 (F/OT)

2004-05
Greenville 90-83, Greeville 68-53

2005-06
Greenville 82-67, Fontbonne 75-63

2006-07
Greenville 79-77

Fontbonne has come out on top since 2001 alot, but Greenvile has won 4 of the last 5.  The series have just been packed with good games.  Probably my most favorite series of the year.

Greenville will take their 2-0 conference record into the new year and hope to improve on that.  Greenville host the Habit for Humanity Classic this weekend as they bring in Robert Morris - Springfield & Harris Stowe.  North Park will be the other team playing at Greenville.

[Gregory Sager]

Greenville will take their 2-0 conference record into the new year and hope to improve on that.  Greenville host the Habit for Humanity Classic this weekend as they bring in Robert Morris - Springfield & Harris Stowe.  North Park will be the other team playing at Greenville.

No, not North Park. The fourth entry in the HfH Classic is North Central.

[sully309]

Tonight was my first time watching Blackburn in person. After watching the game, I was surprised at how many people were predicting an easy win for Eureka. Blackburn appeared to be a very dangerous team and I'm confident they will win their fair share of conference games this season. I'm not sure if Howard played much or at all for Blackburn last year, but this guy can light it up. I noticed he had almost 30 against Greenville and he had 21 tonight. Hammond settled for too many jumpers for as good of an athlete as he is. EC did a good job of taking away the inside (Eureka had a decided height advantage), but Allen still was able to get to the basket on occasion, so Hammond could have too I would think.

It is obvious that Eureka is gaining more confidence playing with the lead. It's not something that happened a lot last year. As great of a win as it was to beat Millikin on the road (wait, I can't talk about scheduling or the CCIW on here anymore, can I), laying an egg to open conference play would have been two steps back. It wasn't Eureka's best game, but they played well enough to fend off a pretty good team.

As for the stats issue, it is an advantage if one team's stats are available and another's aren't. There were guidelines sent out before the season began for sending in stats to the conference office. I'm not going to get in to them here, but thankfully it wasn't an issue tonight as Blackburn stats were sent to our coach before the game. The women's game is another matter, but after 41 fouls and 56 free throws, let's just to that game to bed.

[Gregory Sager]

As great of a win as it was to beat Millikin on the road (wait, I can't talk about scheduling or the CCIW on here anymore, can I

LOL!

[hopefan]

As noted, Webster defeats Maryville

As a Maryville fan (whose interest is on a slow decline), this was hard to watch.
First half held out hope for the Saints, as Webster attempted to play as ugly as Maryville did  -  Maryville tough defense and Webster's uncanny lack of ability to make shots around the hole kept the score within 5 at half, and I admit to having thoughts of a duplication of Maryville's upset win over Rinehardt.   BUT, it was pretty obvious that eventually Webster would find their shooting touch, and they did in the second half.  MU had no  - I mean ZERO - post defense - and Webster took advantage by getting the ball into Darren Hoggit.  I've liked Hoggit ever since he ate up Maryville as a Frosh, and he continues to feast on the Saints.  If he doesn't miss 4 or 5 gimmees, he ends with 25-30 points.  Another great thing regarding Hoggit's power game - he has an outstanding touch from the foul line- he will get to the line alot -shooting 80% from the line will be a real asset.  Ryan Turk dominated the 2nd half, and at this level can generate a shot most of the time he wants to.  Spinner was quiet because MU's Teddy McGrath played him tough, but Scott played smart and got the ball to others - he knows his job.  Cory Kuhn was invisible in the first half, but found his touch in the 2nd - he is a very unselfish player, and benefits when the defense has to concentrate on Hoggit and Turk.
other points - Webster got a large number of offensive bounds - Maryville has no athletic jumpers
I like Coach Bunch's substitution pattern  -  he used a large number of subs in the middle of the game, all the way to the end of the bench, but had his bread and butter on the court in the last 10 minutes to make sure there was no comeback by MU

As for MU - I already mentioned A solid game played by Teddy McGrath  -  But the team was 2 for 18 from 3 point land  until 5 minutes left, when they took a flurry of long shots and hit 4 more.  The three point shot seems to be their offense, and they are not a good 3 point shooting team  (they're not missing in and outers, they're shooting downright klunkers).  The inside game is non existent, especially with the absence of senior Jason Rezebeck - I can't comment because I don't know, but it's disappointing to me as a fan to see a kid who has worked so hard over the years to get healthy, all of a sudden give it up.
To me, Maryville has to score one of two ways - beating the defense up the floor, or better ball movement to generate the 10 to 15 shot -  they will not win shooting 20 3 pointers per game.  They are at the point now where several times they passed up the path to the basket in order to put the ball back out on the perimeter, only to throw up another miss.   GO TO THE BASKET, Casey, Aaron, Teddy, Turp... PLEASE

As an aside  -  what a nice kid Cory Kuhn is  -  he knows I'm a Maryville fan, but always has a hello and a pleasant comment for this old guy - same catagory as Maryville good guy Steve Bash  -  most kids don't realize how much peripheral fans like myself appreciate those little interactions.

[hopefan]

In my "see the best game" mentality, I'm looking forward to watching Fontbonne -Eureka on Saturday.   Poor FC is likely suffering after another nail biting loss by the Griffs - hang in there FC - with the talent the Grifs have, it's only a matter of time before the rookies learn how to convert these experiences into wins.

And Panther, YOU are the reason I am high on Greenville right now - gotta think you are on top of the world at this point - couldn't happen to a better guy!!

[pantherpride06]

Hopefan, you are right.  I am pretty much on top of the world today. So much, that I took the morning off to rest from last night's activities!  I talked to the guys after the game and I seen a glow on their faces like I have never seen before.  They were all just so excited to get a big win in the type of atmosphere that we did.  Our kids are a special group.  In my five years with the program, i think these 11 work the best togeather.  I know our 03-04 team that went 19-8 was pretty good and probably would have beat this years squad, but this team plays as a team, as a unit.  Simmons does a great job being the leader of the team.  Mattingly, West, and Ellis have grown up so much since fall open gyms.  Taylor has worked to improve himself in a couple areas during the off season.  Conquest and Hensold just continues to shoot lights out.  Atchison, Mutton, Williams, and Hobbie are seeing the roles they can play and are making use of the minutes they get and working hard in those minutes.  For those four guys, I'm sure it's not the minutes they want, but without those guys in practice hitting the guys hard and the quality minutes they play here and there, we probably don't beat Blackburn.

Again, no over confidence here about Greenville.  I have got hyped up one too many times of a team and got my heart broken.  One game at a time for my Panthers.  Talk to me in February and I'll give you my confidence.

For you Panther Ballers who are reading this, Great job last night guys!  Pride loves ya!