MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Titan Q]

Final from downstate Jacksonville:

Augustana 78
MacMurray 73

No box posted yet. I wonder if this one was really as close as the final score makes it appear? The Highlanders were only 1-6 coming into this game.

It was tied at 70 with 3 minutes to play.  The Highlanders almost shocked the nation.

Deavis Johnson played for MacMurray.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

At this point this season... nothing is probably going to be a shock!

[Titan Q]

Augie/MacMurray box - http://www.athletics.augustana.edu/custompages/Men's%20Basketball%20Stats/2014-15mbbstats/15mbb09.htm

[iwu70]

Good win for the Titans at home over Loras.  Some bench/rotational players really coming into their own, as Titans had 40 bench points.  Stempel, Pennington, and Bausch all playing very well.  No Jordan Nelson at all tonight.  Clearly, in terms of minutes, production and stats, Dolan, Sodemann, Stempel and Pennington, all playing better than Nelson on the perimeter at this point.  Just say'in.  Trevor Seibring continues to impress and Bausch perhaps the most pleasant overall surprise in the broader scheme of things for the Titan rotation through the first third of the season, after Seibring.  Ryan Coyle putting together a very solid season so far at the 4.  Let's get Marietti and Heyen back for the conference run.  Let's hope Nelson gets back on track with his shooting, finds his stroke.  So far, he seems in a bit of a funk. 

Titans now at 7-2 for the season, ranking down to #9 after the loss to new #1 Wash U.  Perhaps "a good loss" in terms of learning curve and motivation for the rest of the season.

Go TITANS!

********

On a non-basketball related topic, perhaps many of you saw that President Dick Wilson has decided to retire next July, so IWU will be in search mode for a new President.  Dr. Wilson has been an excellent leader and President, with many advances and achievements at IWU during his tenure, not least greater internationalization and increased recruitment of many good international students -- as well as major developments and improvements to IWU's athletic complex and facilities.  The new addition to The Shirk will start construction very soon.  He would be the first to say this was possible due to the work and dedication of the overall IWU community and the support of the broader Titan nation, especially the alums.  My warm congratulations to Dick and Pat Wilson on their very successful tenure at IWU.  They will be greatly missed. 

IWU70

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

I nominate TitanQ...

[iwu70]

MacMurray over Augie would have been a shock!  For sure.

IWU70

[Gregory Sager]

At this point this season... nothing is probably going to be a shock!

Are you kidding, D-Mac? A MacMurray win over Augustana tonight would've been this kind of a shock:



(Hat tip to Mel Brooks on yesterday's 40th anniversary of the release of Young Frankenstein.)

Final from downstate Jacksonville:

Augustana 78
MacMurray 73

No box posted yet. I wonder if this one was really as close as the final score makes it appear? The Highlanders were only 1-6 coming into this game.

It was tied at 70 with 3 minutes to play.  The Highlanders almost shocked the nation.

Deavis Johnson played for MacMurray.

It was actually tied at 70 with four minutes left. Augie was ahead by a slender one-point margin with three minutes left. It looks as though Augie's vaunted defense finally kicked in towards the end, after a long night of giving up 70 points and 50+% shooting to a 1-6 SLIAC team. The Doggies got three steals within the space of a minute and a half in crunch time that resulted in five points that proved to be the winning margin.

Deavis Johnson made his debut for the Highlanders. He scored nine points, but he missed a key layup attempt with 1:40 left that would've cut the Augie lead to three, and he ended up fouling out with 11 seconds left.

[iwu70]

When the Search Committee is constituted in January, I'll submit Q's name.  "President Q" -- it has a certain ring.

Perhaps Ypsi can give us the odds on a Quillman Presidency.  I think Korey Coon, or is it Corey Koon, has a better shot.

IWU'70

[iwu70]

My nomination will be Olivia Lett for President -- "President Lett"  -- after 165 years of ministers and males, I think it is time for a woman President, or a person of color to lead IWU.  IMHO.  Let the speculation, and nominations begin . . .

Good win for IWU tonight vs. Loras. 

Happy holidays to all the CCIW chatsters!

IWU70

[Gregory Sager]

My nomination will be Olivia Lett for President -- "President Lett"  -- after 165 years of ministers and males, I think it is time for a woman President, or a person of color to lead IWU.  IMHO.  Let the speculation, and nominations begin . . .

On second thought, let's not.

Given the unofficial rule that you can't protest a thread without coming up with a new one of your own, here's my proposal: Let's see if we can come up with a bigger upset involving a CCIW team, conference or non-conference, than what a MacMurray win over Augie would've been had the Highlanders had pulled this one off tonight.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Honestly... anyone beating anyone this season is pretty much expected on my part. I guess I have already been desensitized by shocking results this season. Heck, Amherst has lost two in a row at home to Brandeis and Babson (yes, good teams - but by an average of 19.5?!) and there have been other "what?!" results. I guess I would have just said, "yep... of course MacMurray won" if it had happened.

[Gregory Sager]

Honestly... anyone beating anyone this season is pretty much expected on my part. I guess I have already been desensitized by shocking results this season. Heck, Amherst has lost two in a row at home to Brandeis and Babson (yes, good teams - but by an average of 19.5?!) and there have been other "what?!" results. I guess I would have just said, "yep... of course MacMurray won" if it had happened.

Granted, the size of those two losses by the Lord Jeffs was shocking, but, as you said, Brandeis and Babson are good teams. MacMurray was a 1-6 outfit that hails from the SLIAC, the punching-bag conference of this part of the country.

I honestly think that this would've been D3's biggest upset in years.

[iwu70]

Greg, if IWU lost to NPU?  LOL.    IWU shouldn't have lost to Benedictine in the season opener!

Yes, agree with Dave, there have already been a number of head-scratchers, esp. that loss by Amherst earlier to Brandeis @home, by 20?

MacMurray over now #2 Augie would have been a pretty big one, being MacMurray and all -- even with the Millikin transfer.

'70

[Gregory Sager]

Greg, if IWU lost to NPU?  LOL.

I'd learned to live with NPU's ineptitude over the past few seasons, so last year your gibe would've been water off of a duck's back as far as I'm concerned. But you're clearly not paying attention to what's going on this year, Mark. The Vikings are not a CCIW juggernaut by any stretch of the imagination -- yet -- but they're clearly no longer a patsy, either.

IWU shouldn't have lost to Benedictine in the season opener!

You're not seriously putting that game in the same category as a theoretical MacMurray upset of Augie, are you?

[AndOne]

Good win for the Titans at home over Loras.  Some bench/rotational players really coming into their own, as Titans had 40 bench points.  Stempel, Pennington, and Bausch all playing very well.  No Jordan Nelson at all tonight.  Clearly, in terms of minutes, production and stats, Dolan, Sodemann, Stempel and Pennington, all playing better than Nelson on the perimeter at this point.  Just say'in.  Trevor Seibring continues to impress and Bausch perhaps the most pleasant overall surprise in the broader scheme of things for the Titan rotation through the first third of the season, after Seibring.  Ryan Coyle putting together a very solid season so far at the 4.  Let's get Marietti and Heyen back for the conference run.  Let's hope Nelson gets back on track with his shooting, finds his stroke.  So far, he seems in a bit of a funk. 

IWU70

* Stempel and Seibring were at least mentioned a couple of times last season, but Pennington and Bausch seem to have come out of nowhere to play very well for the Greenies this season.

* Heyen back for the conference run? 

* "No Jordan Nelson at all tonight." Is it known why Nelson was MIA tonight? Illness (lots going around lately)? Injury? Another episode of Ron Rose just holding him out of action to "get his head in a better place," as TitanQ recently reported already occurred once previously this season?
Nelson has been an important weapon for IWU.