MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[iwu70]

Yes, game is on, with new spectator protocols.  Most of the IWU coaching staff still not back.  Some players likely out too.

A strange season . . . hard to judge the outcomes when so many schedule changes and likely roster changes too.

'70

[iwu70]

Games tonight:

Carthage @ Carroll
Augie @ Wheaton
MU @ IWU

'70

[Gregory Sager]

Good to see Anthony Bernero out there tonight for Carthage in Van Male.

[Gregory Sager]

Carthage edges Carroll in a back-and-forth game, 78-73, that had some pretty ugly stretches (at one point, the two teams combined for six straight turnovers). Fillip Bulatovic led the way for the Firebirds with 21 and 7, and he was joined in double figures by Garrett Horner (15) and Niko Ostojic (12). Carroll was paced by Josh Hudgens with 16 and 6, while Trenton Nickel contributed 15, Justin Steinike added 14 and 8, and Justin Gruber chipped in 10.

[Titan Q]

IWU will be w/out several key guys tonight for various reasons:
-HC Ron Rose
-Asst Bobby Wheet
-Asst Justin Busch

-2nd leading scorer Cory Noe
-Lockdown defender Pete Lambesis (G/F)
-Backup G/F Connor Heaton
-6-8 backup F Grant Hardy

[Gregory Sager]

Big upset at King:

Augustana 79
Wheaton 73

Augie blistered the nets in the second half, particularly in the final ten minutes.

[GoPerry]

Augustana 79
Wheaton 73

A disappointing performance tonight for the Thunder.  Maybe the one week layoff did not serve them well as they seemed to be down in energy.  Empty gym at home certainly didn't help.  It was a tight back and forth game until about 5 mins left in the game.  But then give the Vikes all the credit in the world as they made several plays when they had to and Wheaton couldn't answer.  The 7 pt lead in a game like this was too much to overcome with 3 minutes remaining.

Giving up 79 points and getting out rebounded 43-32 is not going to get it done.  Augustana was the better team and deserved the W.

Cruickshank  24 pts, Alioth 14 and 8 rebs, Adom a quiet 14.  The Vikings had a very balanced attack and got contributions up and down the roster.

[Gregory Sager]

Illinois Wesleyan 78
Millikin 67

Despite a 17-0 Big Blue run in the first half, the Titans kept Jimmy Millikin at bay for most of the second half by three or four possessions.

[Gregory Sager]

Augustana 79
Wheaton 73

A disappointing performance tonight for the Thunder.  Maybe the one week layoff did not serve them well as they seemed to be down in energy.  Empty gym at home certainly didn't help.  It was a tight back and forth game until about 5 mins left in the game.  But then give the Vikes all the credit in the world as they made several plays when they had to and Wheaton couldn't answer.  The 7 pt lead in a game like this was too much to overcome with 3 minutes remaining.

Giving up 79 points and getting out rebounded 43-32 is not going to get it done.  Augustana was the better team and deserved the W.

Cruickshank  24 pts, Alioth 14 and 8 rebs, Adom a quiet 14.  The Vikings had a very balanced attack and got contributions up and down the roster.

Justin Bottorff in particular was a real Wheaton-killer tonight: 16 points in only 14 minutes off the bench on 7-9 shooting. Daniel Carr had a 12 and 16 double-double. It was one of those rare nights when Cade Alioth was outplayed by opposing bigs. Carter Duwa, the league's Freshman of the Year last season, came back from injury and played his first contest for the Doggies in over a month, but was a non-factor. Augie didn't need him; Tyler Knuth (13 pts), Luke Johnson (12 pts), and Matt Hanushewsky (10 pts, 5:0 a:to) gave Augie plenty of backcourt production.

Mike Schauer gave about as short of a postgame interview as I've ever seen from him. Can't blame him one bit.

[iwu70]

Wow, big upset of Wheaton !  Surprising.

At The Shirk:

IWU 78 MU 67

As mentioned, IWU playing without two starters, most of the coaching staff and two back-up players.  Covid protocols.

Big difference tonight was a great game by Luke Heflen.

For IWU:

Leritz 20 and 9
Yoder 18
Heflen 15
Mitchell 10
Roper 9

For MU:

Livingston 16
Bond 11
Laurence 11
Welch 10
Fisher 9

Titans now 10-2.  Sure could use those players back, esp. Lambesis and Noe.  Not to mention Coach Rose!

New attendance procedures in force tonight, so a pretty light crowd, but still an enthusiastic one, with a pretty good turnout of MU fans, and a pretty good IWU student section, too.  No pep band.

IWU hosting Augie on Saturday 4 p.m.  By the looks of that upset over Wheaton, guess the Titans better really be ready on Saturday!

IWU'70

[GoPerry]

Augustana 79
Wheaton 73

A disappointing performance tonight for the Thunder.  Maybe the one week layoff did not serve them well as they seemed to be down in energy.  Empty gym at home certainly didn't help.  It was a tight back and forth game until about 5 mins left in the game.  But then give the Vikes all the credit in the world as they made several plays when they had to and Wheaton couldn't answer.  The 7 pt lead in a game like this was too much to overcome with 3 minutes remaining.

Giving up 79 points and getting out rebounded 43-32 is not going to get it done.  Augustana was the better team and deserved the W.

Cruickshank  24 pts, Alioth 14 and 8 rebs, Adom a quiet 14.  The Vikings had a very balanced attack and got contributions up and down the roster.

Justin Bottorff in particular was a real Wheaton-killer tonight: 16 points in only 14 minutes off the bench on 7-9 shooting. Daniel Carr had a 12 and 16 double-double. It was one of those rare nights when Cade Alioth was outplayed by opposing bigs. Carter Duwa, the league's Freshman of the Year last season, came back from injury and played his first contest for the Doggies in over a month, but was a non-factor. Augie didn't need him; Tyler Knuth (13 pts), Luke Johnson (12 pts), and Matt Hanushewsky (10 pts, 5:0 a:to) gave Augie plenty of backcourt production.

Mike Schauer gave about as short of a postgame interview as I've ever seen from him. Can't blame him one bit.

Yes - Mike was in no mood for a "what can you take from this loss?" sort of question.  At least he still came over.

[Gregory Sager]

Mike Schauer gave about as short of a postgame interview as I've ever seen from him. Can't blame him one bit.

Yes - Mike was in no mood for a "what can you take from this loss?" sort of question.  At least he still came over.

To be fair to the Wheaton student broadcasters, that's an extremely tough situation for them to be in. I should know; I've been in their shoes before. You have a preset agreement to interview the coach after the game, the coach shows up to the mic after a very tough home loss to a team he (and everybody else) expected to beat, and you're left trying to think of a non-inflammatory yet still journalistically relevant opening question to ask a man who practically has steam coming out of his ears like a cartoon character.

"What can you take from this loss?" is about as safe a gambit as an interviewer can take in that situation, because it directs the incipient conversation into future mode and it gives the coach both some options in terms of how he wants to reply and, because it means that he's going to have to rummage through his brain to think about how he's going to approach the next few practices and think about how his next opponent is going to prepare, it's an opportunity for him to pause a bit and collect himself. Basically, it's the interviewer offering a gift to the coach. It allows him to sidestep the chance that he might blow his gasket and say something that he regrets.

I've opened with the "What can you take from this loss?" gambit as well, and I've gotten my ears pinned back for asking it. Doesn't matter. Better that the coach make some snide reply to me for asking it than to just give him the interrogative equivalent of an open mic while he's still hot under the collar, and thereby run the risk of his saying something about his team that he can't take back.

You've gotta be able to read the situation and read the coach. I don't know if the Wheaton guys thought it out like that, but if it was me I'd ask the exact same question that they did.

[shepherd]

IMHO:
I thought Wheaten played defense a little lackadaisical but more importantly didn't have good match ups defensively.  One ex: subbed in some big guys who are good against big guys who aren't extremely fast but they were matched up against guys who were fast enough to get right buy them. 
This is the CCIW no give me games.  On to the next game, I expect Mike Schauer will have them playing better defense.

[markerickson]

Or start with a positive statement such as, "You have assembled the most racially diverse squad in the history of Wheaton basketball.  Thank you."

Or, be inquisitive, "How many times have you had to counsel Prince Ako against joining the Thunder football team?" 

[iwu70]

No nights off in the CCIW.  Wheaton learned that.  A surprising result.

IWU hosting Augie on Saturday afternoon, after the women's game.  Time to honor Kendall Sosa who will be back from her new life in Colorado.  I'm sure other recent Titans attending, too.

Looks like at least Lambesis and Coach Rose will be back, out of Covid protocols.  Not sure yet about the others.  Best to get it over with at this stage in the season, than in late February or March. 

Good game last night -- showing how strong IWU's depth is with excellent games by Heflen and Roper.  The Titans came out of the gates with great intensity.

IWU'70