MBB: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[y_jack_lok]

Fontbonne gets off to a good start with a 92-82 win over Waldorf 4-1 coming in.
Fogerty - 34pts and 10 rebs
McCoy - 20 pts and 5 assists
Branch - 19 pts (5-8 from 3's)
Storandt - 10 pts and 10 rebs
Forrest - 9 pts and 4 assists

fc, if you add up those points it comes to 92, which means only 5 players scored. Sounds like the strategy is in place and it worked well tonight. Congrats.

[fcnews]

Yjak - Ben Rapp played 15 good minutes dishing 5 assists, Mike Riva looked good off the bench playing good defense and rebounding. Zeollner and Scheetz got minutes. FU's going to score, it needs role players. Lovette's injury in the APSU game was wordt then first expected. He could miss several weeks. Shame he had a great first half against the big boys.

Benedictine 81 EC 68 - I thought EC had a chance in this one.

[AndOne]

I have no familiarity with the Neb Wes team or Ozark. So it should be interesting.  Good luck to the players and coaches this weekend.

Nebraska Wesleyan is affiliated with both the NAIA and NCAA-D3 (as an independent). They play in an NAIA conference but also schedule D3 schools in various sports. Their women's soccer team came down to play Webster in 2007. Webster won 3-0. Last season their men's basketball team played games against the following D3 schools: Austin College, University of Dallas, Concordia-Moorhead, St. Mary's (MN), Simpson, Redlands, La Verne, and UC Santa Cruz

I know next to squat about NebWes, but they did have at least one outstanding year.  They were IWU's opponent in the title game of our only d3 ring (1997).

Nebraska Wesleyan has had many outstanding years. The Prairie Wolves (ne Plainsmen) have a 24-16 record in D3 tournament play and have made four trips to the Final Four, including three in a four-year period (1985, 1986, and 1988). Check out the icon on former NWU hoopster AndOne's posts: Those are NebWes's D3 Final Four trophies.

My impression is that they have gone back to NAIA for post-season competition, but I haven't checked it out.  (Or perhaps they just haven't made post-season anywhere lately.)

The Prairie Wolves have not "gone back" to NAIA competition. They've declared for NCAA D3 since the very inception of the division back in the mid-seventies, and they've been here ever since. NebWes simply hasn't been good enough to land a Pool B berth in recent seasons.

Thank you for that unsolicited testimonial Greg. Very nice. Yes, I am a former Nebr. Wesleyan Plainsmen (prior to the name change to Prairie Wolves), and my D3Hoops icon is indeed a pic of the three 3rd place and one 2nd place trophies Ne Wesleyan has won. Just a note for those of you into name changes, Nebr Wesleyan changed their name from Plainsmen to Prairie Wolves (which I think is a piss poor nickname) because of gender equality. When women's sports came into vogue, many of the ladies had problems with being referred to as the Plainsmen. Understandable. But why not the Plainsmen and Plainswomen? Todd Raridon, currently head coach of North Central College of the CCIW (where I usually post) came to NCC from Nebr. Wesleyan in the 04-05 season.

Anyway---for SLIAC fans:

I have been reading about how MacMurray is supposedly improved this year. However, they were beaten by 26 by Elmhurst Colllege of the CCIW in their 1st game, and by North Central, also of the CCIW, by 39 tonight. I am not real familiar with the SLIAC teams, but what kind of improvement is this. Where is MacMurray expected to finish in this conference?

One of MacMurray's main problems that I observed tonight is turnovers. They had 30 against a team picked to finish 6th in the conference. MacMurray's ballhandling is atrocious. Just reporting what I observed, FWIW.   

[y_jack_lok]

Anyway---for SLIAC fans:

I have been reading about how MacMurray is supposedly improved this year. However, they were beaten by 26 by Elmhurst Colllege of the CCIW in their 1st game, and by North Central, also of the CCIW, by 39 tonight. I am not real familiar with the SLIAC teams, but what kind of improvement is this. Where is MacMurray expected to finish in this conference?

One of MacMurray's main problems that I observed tonight is turnovers. They had 30 against a team picked to finish 6th in the conference. MacMurray's ballhandling is atrocious. Just reporting what I observed, FWIW.   

I think there is someone from MacMurray who posts here occasionally, so maybe you'll hear from him (her?) in response to the above. As for what I know from that poster's comments, MacMurray has a lot of new players. Their head coach is young and in only his second year as a head coach. I can't locate the pre-season coaches poll, but I'm pretty sure MacMurray was in the bottom half.

The SLIAC in general has always been one of the weaker conferences overall in D3. Webster and Westminster, two of last year's top four teams are in a bit of a rebuilding mode, mixing some experience with some guys who didn't play much last year or are new. Fontbonne returns four starters -- three seniors and a junior -- and are the clear favorite in the conference. Greenville has some good returning players. Maryville is in its last year in the conference as it is in the transitional/provisional (whatever they call it) year from D3 to D2. They return a solid core of players. Blackburn, Eureka, and Principia are teams I don't know much about this year. Eureka_sid posts here and I'm sure, if he has time, will gladly share information about their team.

[Gregory Sager]

True ECSID!!

Greenville lost to DU 75-63

I saw the game. Greenville is fun to watch. For a team that plays such an up-and-down style and subs in everyone but the student manager at one point or another during the game, the Panthers are actually a pretty fundamentally sound team. What they aren't is athletic, and that's why Dominican -- a less disciplined team that is still learning how to play together -- was able to win by a dozen. Greenville just couldn't defend the perimeter players of the Stars one-on-one, and although the Panthers did a very good job of trapping in the corners they were helpless to stop DU star Dan Borys whenever the Stars did manage to get the ball into the low post. The Panthers should match up much better today against a Concordia (IL) team that is sort of their mirror image.

I couldn't help but notice that every time a foul was called on a Panther he raised his arm for the scorer's table to see -- an old-school gesture that I really appreciated. You never see that anymore. And I was equally impressed by LaPhonso Ellis; at one point he knocked down a Dominican player while the Panthers were getting a long rebound and transitioning into a fast break. Rather than sprint down the floor with his teammates, he reached back and helped the Dominican player to his feet before heading down the court. That may not be sound basketball, but it's certainly good sportsmanship. Someone raised that kid right.

[fcnews]

To put MU's win and WU's opponent tonite. U. of the Ozarks beat Hendrix in their season opener. Hendrix beat WC by 30+ last nite on a nuetral floor. Good win for MU. Good Luck to Webster.

Can't find an MU v. U of the Ozarks boxscore.

Fontbonne plays MBI in the Championship game of the Big Four Classic today @ 2pm.

[y_jack_lok]

fc, I'm not sure that tells us much about what to expect today in the Ozarks-Webster game. Certainly doesn't speak too well of Westminster, though, and makes you wonder how they could  have won the exhibition against SIUE

[pantherpride06]

I couldn't help but notice that every time a foul was called on a Panther he raised his arm for the scorer's table to see -- an old-school gesture that I really appreciated. You never see that anymore. And I was equally impressed by LaPhonso Ellis; at one point he knocked down a Dominican player while the Panthers were getting a long rebound and transitioning into a fast break. Rather than sprint down the floor with his teammates, he reached back and helped the Dominican player to his feet before heading down the court. That may not be sound basketball, but it's certainly good sportsmanship. Someone raised that kid right.

As a graduate of that program (as a manager/student-administrator..), it's good to see someone notice this about the ball club.  Coach Barber, in the six years that I've worked for him and had a relationship with him has always taught every ball team to show this kind of sportsmanship on the floor.  From fouls to picking the other guy up.  As an alum, I say thanks for those kind words.

As for the other depiction of Greenville Basketball, that's accurate too!  The Panthers are always an enjoyable team to watch.  The pace that we/they play is great.  Much of that comes from Coach's time with Rick Pitino at Kentucky (now at Louisville).  Athleticism is something we've always struggled with though!

[y_jack_lok]

Webster 78 - Ozarks 75. An exciting game, as the score would suggest. When it was crunch time the last 5-6 minutes of the game Webster had its most experienced, and I think its best five players on the floor for much of those minutes -- and 3 of them didn't start last night or today. Webster came back from 29-20 midway thorugh the first half to go to halftime tied at 37. They fell behind by at least 8 points several times in the 2nd half, but pulled off another comeback. They looked better today than yesterday, but I also think Nebraska Wesleyan is a better team than Ozarks. They run a more disciplined offense than Ozarks and had better low post talent. Anyway,  nice to get the first W of the season.

[y_jack_lok]

Can't find an MU v. U of the Ozarks boxscore.

Here you go, fc. From the Ozarks website.
http://eagles.ozarks.edu/mbasketball/stats/08-09/mu.htm

Congrats to the Griffins on starting out 2-0.

[fcnews]

Thanks yjak. FU gets 70-66 win today behind Branch with 19 and McCoy with 17. FU was in serious foul trouble through out. Storandt fouled out after only about 8 minutes playing time in the 2nd. Fogerty and McCoy played basiclly the entire 2nd half with four fouls. Chris Forrest had another steady game netting 12 pts (I think). First time this senior group has started 2-0. Last three seasons have started with loses to MSOE, Hannibal-LaGrange and Wm. Penn.

Congrats to the Gorlok's on a good win.

[fcnews]

Looks like EC had a close win against Earlham. Congats ECSID.

[pantherpride06]

Concordia (Ill.) 80, Greenville 67 (F)

From my source, it sounds like the Panthers started slow.  Concordia opened up the game with a 13-1 run.  Panthers tied it up and was down 3 at half.  Second half was Concordia's.

[y_jack_lok]

I also think Nebraska Wesleyan is a better team than Ozarks.

Nebraska Wesleyan 61 - Maryville 51. Almost the identical victory margin for NWU as last night's game against Webster. And Maryville and Webster both get close wins over Ozarks. Somethimes things do play out like they might based on those assumptions about comparative scores, which usually mean nothing.

Also a nice recovery for Westminster with a 68-57 win over Rhodes.

[fcnews]

When it was crunch time the last 5-6 minutes of the game Webster had its most experienced, and I think its best five players on the floor for much of those minutes -- and 3 of them didn't start last night or today.

Yjak - I like that comment. Fits my philosophy also, play your best players.

I think WU will fing their line up by conference time. And, will be tough to beat.
I still haven't seen any news out of the big recruit from CA. Any insight?