WBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletics Association

[gordonmann]

I watched parts of the game and, whatever adjustments Hope made at the half, they worked.

Despire the close score, Wheaton looked good against the press in the first half. They moved the ball well, got a ton of offensive rebounds and held Hope to a lot of off balanced shots. Then they came out in the second half and couldn't duplicate that. I don't know if Hope did something different or Wheaton just crumbled under the pressing defense.

Whatever the reason, that's a nice win for the Flying Dutch.

[gordonmann]

Thomas More 85
Calvin 69

I watched this one online today.  Thomas More controlled what may be the toughest game on its schedule with the starters playing late into the game despite a double-digit lead. The Saints play one more non-conference game against Illinois Wesleyan, which uses a pressing style similar to Calvin. Then they go back into conference play where they've lost one game in five seasons, dating back before Sydney Moss arrived.

Thomas More looked really good. I don't know if Moss practiced with the team during the NCAA's compliance review, but the five starters played really well together for just their second time in game action this season. The guards trust the forwards on defense and release down the floor to trigger the fast break. On offense they seldom overpass and keep each other involved. The point guard Owings is more aggressive offensively and Kiernan is playing like an All-American. They're better this season than last.

Of course, that's all easier when you have Moss. She's so superior in size, strength and skill.  She finishes three assists shy of a triple double and scores 20 points during the first half when the game is in question. She makes perfect entry passes from the wing to her teammates in the post. She's athletic enough to turn tough, off balance shots into high percentage attempts. At one point TMC ran an alley-oop play for her, with a layup instead of a dunk. She didn't convert because she got fouled. But I don't what other team has a player where you can even try that.

As for Calvin, I've never seen them get outworked. Their players hustle all game, regardless of score, and they did it again today. They got nine 3-pointers from two players (Spayde and Karger) but only two in the first half when it was still a game. I've watched the Knights a couple times now and their guards seem to take a lot of tough shots. They are either threes or some kind of off-balance runner. I thought they had a good game plan to press Thomas More (which they usually do regardless of opponent), but they would've needed to shoot a really high percentage from three to keep this one close.

[oldknight]

Certainly a real pre-Christmas treat this afternoon to see the top women's team in D3 take on the Lady Knights. It's hard to believe this is the first basketball game I've seen at Van Noord Arena since Thomas More won the national championship there in March. TM is the better team but I actually came away more encouraged than I expected about Calvin, a team still trying to come to grips with the many changes from last season, all while taking on a far more veteran squad, the defending champs, and a club working on a 40+ game winning streak. Given the likelihood that Calvin will improve the cohesiveness of their team play, and slowly mold their young talent into effective college level players, I think this Lady Knights team might compete very well against the best in D3 by March.

Calvin needed a better shooting game than they got today in order to keep it close, and suffered through a lengthy drought that started in the second quarter and lasted much of the third. That's almost always death against a top team, but especially the Saints who have a terrific transition game and turned many of those missed shots into uncontested layups and other easy scores on the other end. Calvin had a chance to take a one point lead when the game was 29-27 but missed a good looking three pointer. From that point, TM went on a 28-6 run to ruin any Calvin hopes of an upset. Springer had a miserable game (1-13 from the floor and several turnovers) and it would have been nice to see what would have happened if Calvin could have kept the game in single digits going into the fourth quarter. As Gordon Mann noted, it's tough to outwork the Lady Knights and there was no quit in them, though it must be said that if the game remains close, Sydney Moss is probably going to take over the game down the stretch. There simply is no one in D3 like her.

I'm wondering how long John Ross will need before he will be able to move his two tall and talented freshmen--VanVliet and Warners--into major roles on this team, and what it will look like when he does. Neither of them played a lot of minutes and they looked like freshmen for whom the pace of the game looked to move more quickly than their instincts allowed them to play. But they are good prospects and Coach Ross has a track record of developing talent so there are reasons to be optimistic for the long term.

[pointlem]

And kudos to Calvin for scheduling Thomas More, a team that looks destined for a second undefeated season, and for doing respectably well.

Although Hope's dominating performances this weekend partly reflect the lesser competition, I do think the Hope women are better than last season . . . and helped by the return of Gaddy and Perkins and the addition of two super frosh. With the second five virtually on a par with the first five, their depth seems to wear teams down.

[pointlem]

With 9 minutes and 10 seconds left in the first half, the Hope women led Adrian 19 to 18. 11.5 minutes later (at 17:45 of the second half) they were ahead 57 to 18 . . . a 38 to 0 run in 11.5 minutes (unless I've made a mistake)

I doubt stats for biggest game scoring run exist (Sac? Alan Babbitt?) but I also doubt any Hope BB team has ever equaled that . . . or whether any future time ever will.  Freakish, especially since Adrian was good enough to outscore Hope in the other 28.5 minutes (albeit many of their points coming in the 4th quarter against less defensive pressure).

[sac]

With 9 minutes and 10 seconds left in the first half, the Hope women led Adrian 19 to 18. 11.5 minutes later (at 17:45 of the second half) they were ahead 57 to 18 . . . a 38 to 0 run in 11.5 minutes (unless I've made a mistake)

I doubt stats for biggest game scoring run exist (Sac? Alan Babbitt?) but I also doubt any Hope BB team has ever equaled that . . . or whether any future time ever will.  Freakish, especially since Adrian was good enough to outscore Hope in the other 28.5 minutes (albeit many of their points coming in the 4th quarter against less defensive pressure).

I kept thinking something was wrong with livestats. 

[oldknight]

Lady Knights come from behind to win a heart-throbbing 79-77 overtime affair at Olivet. Bre Luurstema's two free throws with 0.6 left (she was fouled in the backcourt) was the final margin of victory. I only saw the fourth quarter and the overtime but the for the most part Kally Verkaik appears to have bailed out the Knights as she made numerous big baskets and ended her day with 21 points.

Got to admit I was genuinely amused to see an unusual collection of Calvin and Hope fans seated side by side behind the Calvin bench--with Davelaar chatting it up with Jim Timmer in the corner--as the Hope faithful awaited the start of their men's game against the Comets. I could clearly see sac, FDF and CM about midway up. Kudos to them for not (openly) cheering that late missed free throw by Verkaik with 9 seconds left in overtime, a miss that nearly forced a second extra session.

[sac]

Calvin 77. Olivet 75 Ot

Knights super fortunate to pull this out.  Comets missed 4 point blank layups in the last 4 of reg. 1 more in ot blew a 10 pt lead after I walked in

[bballfan13]

Calvin 77. Olivet 75 Ot

Knights super fortunate to pull this out.  Comets missed 4 point blank layups in the last 4 of reg. 1 more in ot blew a 10 pt lead after I walked in

Sounds like you helped the Knights turn it around when you came in Sac.  Hopefully you'll be there when Calvin plays at Hope January 20th and can provide the same results 

[Roundball999]

Big Hope-Calvin Rivalry game at Devos tonight for sole 1st place in MIAA.  Despite records, I view this as a toss up.  Calvin has played a stronger schedule this year, has given the Dutch fits the past couple of years, and creates some matchup problems for Hope.  Devos may be the difference.

[Roundball999]

Yikes, looks like I missed that one badly.  Hope has Calvin nearly doubled up at the end of 3rd.  Knights are having one of those shooting nights that the Dutch have had vs. Calvin in the past couple of years.

[pointlem]

Yikes, looks like I missed that one badly.  Hope has Calvin nearly doubled up at the end of 3rd.  Knights are having one of those shooting nights that the Dutch have had vs. Calvin in the past couple of years.

We all were surprised, Roundball . . . by the combination of Hope playing as well as it could, and Calvin having an abnormally cold night (albeit without Hope giving them many easy looks at the basket).

[Roundball999]

Hope defense surely played a role but I'm also quite sure the Knights won't shoot like that at home.  Looks like season FG % is right around 44%, just like the Dutch.  Some nights that ball just won't go in. 

What's weirder to me though is the season long troubles at the foul line.  Knights aren't much over 50% for the season and were well under that last night.  Can't figure it for a team that otherwise shoots it pretty well.

[jspiii]

I think the biggest difference from last years' Hope/Calvin games was Hope's point guards beating the Calvin press and dictating the offensive play.

[jspiii]

What's weirder to me though is the season long troubles at the foul line.  Knights aren't much over 50% for the season and were well under that last night.  Can't figure it for a team that otherwise shoots it pretty well.

Andre Drummond of the Pistons could only hope for 50% free throw shooting per last nights 13 for 36 performance against Houston.