MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[chmarx]

Lots to think about, PS.  Thanks.

[John Gleich]

Matt Moses WIAC Player of the Week  LINK

[phoenix_rising]

I think Superior's Marcus Helland would have been a good candidate for player of the week after Saturday's game against Platteville. He scored, he played sterling defense, he hustled. I think he kept the team's head above water until they came to, some time in the second half. He makes a wonderful complement to Jake Smith.

I had to write this before going to tonight's game. There's always the possiblity that the high from the last game will get crushed under the disappointment of the next. I hope it doesn't happen, but there are such glaring holes in the game, that every one is a toss-up: could be good, could be awful. Maybe Helland and Smith will lend some consistency to the game, the maturity of play the team needs to overcome those goofball moments.

I tend to blame their losses on lack of rebounding, but the stats from the Stout game don't point there. Must be the gym; they just can't win in that gym.

[John Gleich]

I think Superior's Marcus Helland would have been a good candidate for player of the week after Saturday's game against Platteville. He scored, he played sterling defense, he hustled. I think he kept the team's head above water until they came to, some time in the second half. He makes a wonderful complement to Jake Smith.

I had to write this before going to tonight's game. There's always the possiblity that the high from the last game will get crushed under the disappointment of the next. I hope it doesn't happen, but there are such glaring holes in the game, that every one is a toss-up: could be good, could be awful. Maybe Helland and Smith will lend some consistency to the game, the maturity of play the team needs to overcome those goofball moments.

I tend to blame their losses on lack of rebounding, but the stats from the Stout game don't point there. Must be the gym; they just can't win in that gym.

Just purely looking at the stat sheet, I think Jake Smith was the better candidate from that night.  19 points (1 more than Helland), 10 rebounds (5 more than Helland) and 7 assists (7 more than Helland).  I don't have any stats on WIAC triple doubles... but this is the closest I remember. 

I think Player of the Week accolades typically look more at the tangible stats than intangible (with the exception being game winning shots, probably... if you turn out decent performances and win a couple games at the buzzer, it might bring you over the top)

Back to triple doubles...  I know Kalsow never got one... though he was 2 assists away in the National Semi-final in 04-05 against York.  He was 2 assists and 2 rebounds away at La Crosse that year too, and 1 assist and 3 rebounds away in 03-04.

[Greek Tragedy]

You guys were wondering if there was ever a time when all four home teams or all four away teams won on the same game day.  It didn't take long for me to find one.  Last year, Game Day 2 was on Wed, Dec. 10.  Platteville beat Eau Claire at home, River Falls defended home court against Stout and Point topped La Crosse at Quandt.  Because of some scheduling issues, the last Game Day 2 matchup between Whitewater and Oshkosh wasn't played until a week later, when no other games were played.  Whitewater made it a home sweep.  That's really as far as I got, but I'll work on it more later!

[Greek Tragedy]

Wow. 7 points in 14 minutes for Stevens Point in the 2nd half...

[John Gleich]

Wow. 7 points in 14 minutes for Stevens Point in the 2nd half...

Down 6 and going to the line for 1 and 1.  just 5/10 from the line, Tillema needs to nail these.

[John Gleich]

Whitewater beats Point 61-58.  Point had an 18 point lead in the first half and was leading 36-21 at the half.

Point absolutely couldn't score then.  At the 6:17 mark, Point had only scored 7 points and Whitewater had scored 32.  At 6:07, Whitewater took a 55-43 lead.

Point then battled back and went on a 15-2 run, retaking the lead on two Ross Forman free throws 58-57 with :27.  Then, as Dupree Fletcher brought the ball up the floor, Jared Jenkins took a stab at the ball and Fletcher went by him.  Nobody stopped him and he drove all the way to the bucket and scored.  Point only had 3 team fouls, so someone could have stepped up and fouled him and the ball would have just gone out of bounds, but this didn't happen.  Matt Moses took the ball down and got it poked away.  He fouled with :09.9... but Point still had 3 fouls to give before Whitewater went to the line.

Finally with :04.3 to go, Dustin Mitchell went to the line for a 1 and 1 and nailed 2 FT's.  Matt Moses' half court heave missed and Whitewater took home the victory and first place in the WIAC at 8-1.

Team	Record
Whitewater	8-1
Point	8-2
La Crosse	6-4
Superior	5-5
Platteville	4-5
Eau Claire	4-6
Stout	4-6
Oshkosh	3-7
River Falls	2-8

The schedule really favors Whitewater... they play 5 at home and just 2 on the road, at River Falls and Oshkosh, the two bottom teams in the league.  Point has to travel to La Crosse, Platteville, and Stout, two of which are in the top half of the conference.

[John Gleich]

Home win = +0
Road win = +1
Home loss = -1
Road loss = +0

Whitewater	+5	(3-0 at home, 5-1 on the road)
Stevens Point	+3	(4-1 at home, 4-1 on the road)
Platteville	+0	(3-1 at home, 1-4 on the road)
La Crosse	+0	(3-3 at home, 3-1 on the road)
Superior	-1	(4-2 at home, 1-3 on the road)
Stout	-1	(3-2 at home, 1-4 on the road)
Eau Claire	-2	(3-3 at home, 1-3 on the road)
River Falls	-2	(0-4 at home, 2-4 on the road)
Oshkosh	-2	(2-3 at home, 1-4 on the road)

The schedule really favors Whitewater...

The above info really proves this statement, I think.  Whitewater has taken care of things on the road (and they've played most road games thus far in the conference schedule).  Point's needs to win out, which will be difficult with the remaining schedule... starting with Saturday.  They barely beat Superior up in Canada.

[Barber Greene]

I quit listening to the Whitewater-Point game at halftime because the Hawks were getting it handed to them. I turn it back on with 3 minutes left and the Hawks had a ten point lead! I couldn't believe it. Wow!

[John Gleich]

I quit listening to the Whitewater-Point game at halftime because the Hawks were getting it handed to them. I turn it back on with 3 minutes left and the Hawks had a ten point lead! I couldn't believe it. Wow!

I wish I'd turned the game off at half and turned it back on at about the 6 minute mark... Point didn't do anything for the first 14 minutes of the second half!

[cubs]

I've been watching a certain player in this league since he was a freshman in high school.  There have been times where I may have questioned things about his game and how it would translate to success at this level, but I must say I have NEVER questioned his desire and toughness.  Well tonight just backs up my point!!!

The kid has heart surgery on Monday, can't even practice on Tuesday, yet is able to come of the bench tonight and play 21 minutes (8 points) and give UWO a MUCH needed spark....  If you are one his teammates, how can that not get you to raise your level of play just a bit?

Here's to you Greg Schrimpf!!!  You showed tonight what NCAA D-III athletics is all about!!!

[02 Warhawk]

Wow...Congrats to the 'Hawks on the sweep! Hopefully we can finish out the season strong and take the WIAC regular season outright. I thought for sure Point would man handle Whitewater today, especially after how well they've been playing since these two teams last met in Whitewater.

Way to battle back after a rough first half, and steal a HUGE road win. Apart from last years playoff win at Elmhurst, this has got to be one of the biggest road wins in quite sometime for the 'Hawks.

Keep it rolling all the way into the conference tourny!!!

[uww4ever]

i heard the starting lineups. havent kept up like i should be. darn it

[bgbacker]

cubs ... I want to add my congrats to Greg Schrimpf ... had a chance to talk with him for a few minutes before tonight's game ... said he went home after practice last night and slept for about 15 hours. Amazing what a good night's sleep can overcome!

Now, having said that, Phoenix rising, you want to talk about lack of consistency. This EC team cannot possibly have been the same bunch of players that beat Whitewater...battled Point and dominated La Crosse in the last week. About the only positive was the defensive job Nick Bartlett did on Marsh. Other than that, with all due respect to TVD's guys, it was a very disappointing follow-up to last week.

I guess it's a good time for them to head north ...and then head north some more ...and play Finlandia at the Paavo Nurmi Center.