MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Greek Tragedy]

Bob,

Maybe after tonight's games, you can put together your early Central regional rankings again. 

[Gregory Sager]

Current Massey:

    7. Augustana
  10. North Park
  22. Illinois Wesleyan
  23. Carthage
  65. North Central
104. Wheaton
119. Carroll
183. Elmhurst
271. Millikin

Massey sez:

@ Wheaton 74, Millikin 62 (WC 86%, MU 14%)
@ North Park 88, Elmhurst 75 (NPU 88%, EC 12%)
@ Augustana 80, Carroll 67 (AC 88%, CU 12%)
@ Illinois Wesleyan 76, Carthage 70 (IWU 70%, CC 30%)

[Gregory Sager]

Tonight's game at the crackerbox will commence a stretch of four games in eight days for the Vikings that coincides with the beginning of spring semester classes on Tuesday. After tonight, NPU goes on the road to Manchester on Monday, to Millikin on Wednesday, and, if you can call it "the road", to Illinois Tech on Saturday. North Park will be favored in all three road games this week, but all three make me nervous. The Spartans have won three straight since they lost at the Park the day before New Year's Eve, and they're finally playing like a team instead of as a random collection of talented parts. Millikin is super-young, but the Big Blue are talented enough to have started turning things around now that all of their plebes have some playing time under their belts. And Illinois Tech's 10-5 record is no illusion, as the nail-biter that the Scarlet Hawks played in on Tuesday up in Kenosha demonstrated.

Meanwhile, the Vikings have to buckle down and focus today upon a battered Elmhurst squad that once more appears to be without Jake Rohde. You have to take every opponent seriously in this league, no matter where you play them and no matter how much they appear to be reeling. Even a hint of complacency tonight could cost NPU dearly.

[Titan Q]

We traveled to Ft. Lauderdale today and leave on a 10-day cruise tomorrow.  Hopefully cruise ship WIFI is decent...I guess we'll see.

I will probably miss the IWU/Carthage game tonight.  Certainly a must win for the Titans.

[AndOne]

Current Massey:

    7. Augustana
  10. North Park
  22. Illinois Wesleyan
  23. Carthage
  65. North Central
104. Wheaton
119. Carroll
183. Elmhurst
271. Millikin

Massey sez:

@ Wheaton 74, Millikin 62 (WC 86%, MU 14%)
@ North Park 88, Elmhurst 75 (NPU 88%, EC 12%)
@ Augustana 80, Carroll 67 (AC 88%, CU 12%)
@ Illinois Wesleyan 76, Carthage 70 (IWU 70%, CC 30%)

The Cardinals wings have been clipped with the loss of a pre-season All-American. Makes you wonder, considering the talent still available, where they would be with a full team.

Of the current top 4 above teams, I would rank Augie as the current best. They seem to have not only depth, but the most talented depth.

All the home teams should win tonight. Minus the very good Trevor Seibring, IWU should have the toughest time, but home court is a difference making advantage.

[iwu70]

Enjoy the cruise, Q.  Sounds lovely.

Big game for the Titans tonight at home.  Need this one pretty badly.

IWU'70

[Mr. Ypsi]

I've never had trouble with the video feed from IWU before, but tonight it is so bad I've switched to livestats.  Anyone else having trouble, or is my elderly (by computer standards) computer ready for replacement?

[Mr. Ypsi]

At the half in B'town:  IWU 36, Bosko's Boys 33. 

Seems like a helluva game - wish I could WATCH it!

[GoPerry]

Wheaton 93   
Millikin 61

Aston Francis, 32 pts, 11/18 FG (5/8 3pt), 5 asts
Trevor Gunter, 16 pts, 6/6 FG, 8 rebs, 3 stls
Luke Peters, 9 pts, 5 rebs, 5 assts

Jordan Cunningham, 14 pts, 10 rebs
Nathan Lovekamp, 15 pts

I expected this one to be much closer but the Thunder were fairly dominant in all aspects.  Shot 69%(34/49) from the field and 57% from 3(8/14).  Led in rebounds(+7), steals, points in the paint, you name it.  They even shot above their free throw average(77%, 17/22).

The team once again showing plenty of scoring ability.  Now if they could only guard people (altho tonight they didn't have to much). . .

[Mr. Ypsi]

Well, I THINK the Titans won 77-74, but both the video and the livestats were so erratic (downright random at times) that I can't be sure.

[iwu70]

Yup, Ypsi, I had the same trouble.

IWU, in a much-needed win, over CC 77-74.  Very close hard-fought game.  Titans still having trouble with dribble penetration by quick guards.

Rose, a career high, 25
Bausch 13 and 11
Bonnett 11
Beasley 8 rebounds

For CC:
Thomas 18
Stevenson 17

Titans now 4-3 in league play and needed this one, needed to defend home court.

Rose carrying the Titans tonight.  Not playing all that well, IWU fortunate to get this win.

IWU'70

[mr_b]

Final from Chicago: North Park 74, Elmhurst 72.  Elmhurst rallied from 10 points down and had the ball with 15 seconds left but threw the ball away with a second left to preserve the Viking victory.  Jordan Robinson scored 34 points and Juwan Henry had 18 for North Park.

[Gregory Sager]

North Park 74
Elmhurst 72

Jordan Robinson: 34 pts, 10 rebs, 3 blks
Juwan Henry: 18 pts, 6 rebs
Darius Brown: 8 rebs
T.J. Cobbs: 4:0 a:to

Brian Kern: 21 pts
Devin Tennant: 15 pts, 8 rebs
Jalen Loving: 10 pts, 6 rebs
Nathan Rogers: 6 rebs

Ugh. I can't remember the last time that a win felt so much like a loss. Stop me if you've heard this one before, but the Vikings blew yet another second-half double-digit lead. They have a woefully serious problem with putting people away. This time it almost killed them, as EC got the ball with under half a minute to go down two and ran a play after a timeout with :15 left ... and never got off a shot. NPU put up a stout defense, PG Marquis Carter threw the ball away, and the crowd did a collective "Phew!"

NPU, which was ranked in the top five in D3 in team trey shooting, went only 7-28 from downtown tonight.

Take the W, burn the tape,  and call it a night.

[4samuy]

It was all Augustana from the Carver Center 85-66 over Carroll.  Vikings led by 32 five minutes into the second half and played every player on the night.  Carroll was able to cut the lead down to 13 against Augustana's reserves, so Giovanine had to go back to his starters for the final 3 minutes.

Augustana

Johnston. 15 pts
Orange.   14 pts
Wofford.  14 pts  6 reb
Ebel.       10 pts

Carroll

Keranan. 24 pts
Ingebrigtsen 14 pts
Soule.         11 pts

[iwumichigander]

It was all Augustana from the Carver Center 85-66 over Carroll.  Vikings led by 32 five minutes into the second half and played every player on the night.  Carroll was able to cut the lead down to 13 against Augustana's reserves, so Giovanine had to go back to his starters for the final 3 minutes.

Augustana

Johnston. 15 pts
Orange.   14 pts
Wofford.  14 pts  6 reb
Ebel.       10 pts

Carroll

Keranan. 24 pts
Ingebrigtsen 14 pts
Soule.         11 pts

i doubt having to put the starters back in made Coach G happy.  It maybe a long practice Monday for the reserves.