MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

Elmhurst 79
Calvin 77

Great ballgame. EU's defense on Calvin's final possession was absolutely stifling.

[GoPerry]

Elmhurst 79
Calvin 77

Great ballgame. EU's defense on Calvin's final possession was absolutely stifling.

Yeah.  Great game and congrats to EC!

Calvin must not have a timeout left I guess?  If the announcers said so I missed it.

[Gregory Sager]

Wabash will take on the winner of WC @ IWU. It was a tight game between the Diminutive Colossi and Williams in the first half, but in the second half Wabash turned the Purple Cows into meatloaf, eventually cruising to a 73-59 win. Wabash's 2K-scoring superstar Jack Davidson was only the fourth-leading scorer for the Diminutive Colossi tonight, as he scored 11.

This was the first time that I can ever remember Williams playing out here in the midwest. Methinks the Ephs would rather forget this trip ever happened -- or at least forget the second half of their sole game here.

[GoPerry]

IWU  77
Wheaton  73

Yet another really great game between two really good teams.  In the end, however, the Titans are the better team and they proved it tonight.  IWU made a bunch of huge plays whether it was offensive rebounds, Heflen's putback, Yoder drive.  Leritz is just too tough of a presence and Wheaton could never really stop him.

Nothing came easy for the Thunder.  But that's because Wesleyan's defense was unbelievably good and chief among the team was Lambesis.  I think he might have studied Adom film all week because he knew how to defend all of Adom's moves and also the Thunder schemes.  They really concentrated on shutting down Adom, Cruickshank and Alioth.  Schiavello, Anthony and Uveges really stepped up and kept the Thunder in it.  But in the end it wasn't enough.

Great season for the Thunder and for the super seniors Adom, Uveges, Alioth, Anthony.  Cruickshank back next year?

IWU played fantastic and deserved the victory.  The Titan team that showed up tonight will be really tough to beat .  . . unless you're Elmhurst who seem to be gaining steam.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I would assume that Lambesis will be defending Davidson tomorrow.  Anyone want to comment on whether he can handle him alone, or will they need to double him up?

From what I read of Wabash's defense, Leritz may go off for 30+ (do I hear 40?)   (Had company over so missed watching Wabash-Williams.)

[iwu70]

Wabash is very good, very scrappy.  Should be a great game vs. IWU.  Wabash #11, not Davidson, was the star of their show tonight.  Huge Wabash crowd, great following, so I think Shirk filled to capacity tomorrow night. 

IWU shut down two of the three primary WC scorers tonight, with great D.  Adom got his, mostly from the FT line.  Leritz with 23.  Yoder in foul trouble but came through when needed.  Lambesis is a remarkable defender, whomever he's covering.  Titans had a 5-7 point lead most of the second half, with WC only getting within 3 once . . . 

So, two CCIW teams into the Elite 8.  Keep it rolling CCIW.  Keep it rolling Titans!

IWU'70 

[SpringSt7]

I have only seen IWU in spurts---tonight for much of the second half and the Yeshiva game. But Lambesis seems like a great fit. Spencer Spivy drew the Davidson matchup and held him to 11 points on 8 shots. Spivy is 6'6 and not an elite lateral athlete but was consistent in fighting over the top of screens and using his length to contest any time he got beat. Davidson is a great player and didn't force anything and had 8 assists as a result.

Williams hoped it would punish Wabash inside but that was unfortunately not the case. All-league sophomore C Nate Karren is not in the same strastophere as Leritz but shoots in the mid 50s from the field and was just 4-7 from 2. The issue was not so much Wabash's lack of size it was the fact that their guards did a great job of pressuring the Williams guards, in particular Edreece Redmond.

IWU has better ball handlers and is an older and more experienced team than Williams was but it would be shortsighted to think they will dominate Wabash inside without the whole team coming prepared for a fight.

[iwu70]

I watched both games at The Shirk yesterday . . . keys for me tonight.

IWU will have to defend the pick and roll, pick and pop, better than Williams did.  Wabash a very scrappy and good-passing team.  Key will be good half court D and keeping Davidson at bay from distance.  Not sure who IWU will put on him and the others, perhaps some combinations, shifting depending on the foul situation.   I don't think Wabash has anyone who can really guard Leritz well, so I expect the Titans to pound the ball down low, to Leritz and Mitchell.  The new plays IWU has put in, esp. ones for Lambesis off a curl screen at the top of the block, are very good and I expect to see more scoring from Lambesis tonight.  His defense always key.  Would be nice for Noe to shoot the three better tonight and get some further scoring from Sroka and Heflen.  I expect Wabash to double Leritz hard and quick, forcing him to make the decisions on in-out passing.  I think Wabash can be speeded up, as the Titans are often good at doing, getting points off of fast breaks and long rebounds.  Yoder having another good game, staying out of foul trouble, perhaps guarding Davidson at times, will again be key tonight . . .

Win the rebounding and TO lines, shoot a good percentage, and IWU could win this game more easily than the Wheaton contest. 

Just my thoughts.

IWU'70

[Mr. Ypsi]

IWU always wants to be gracious hosts, but letting Wabash have the first ten points of the game seemed a dangerous way to do it!  Fortunately they stormed back to a 14-14 tie, and the rest of the half was fairly even, with the Titans up 39-34 at the midway point. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

Elmhurst and UMHB in a barn-burner.  Elmhurst trails by 3 with 35 seconds left, but has the ball.  Dominic Genco got a 3-point play the old-fashioned way with 33 seconds to go.  They're now headed to OT.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Blue Jays win in OT, 87-84.  Since I was concentrating more on the game in Blo-No, I'll let others fill in the details.

[GoPerry]

Elmhurst pulls it out vs Mary Hardin Baylor in OT 87-84.

Way to go BlueJays!  Awesome playing. Down by as much 15 in the first half.

CCIW style defense did it for EC in the last few possessions.  Rhode, Genco and Ocean Johnson were terrific all game.  Yet another CCIW team heading to the FF.  Congrats to Coach Baines and crew.

[Gregory Sager]

Wabash 81
Illinois Wesleyan 75

Too much Jack Davidson for the Titans.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Wabash 81
Illinois Wesleyan 75

Too much Jack Davidson for the Titans.

Amen.  And too little Cory Noe - he finished with 5 points, all in the last 30 seconds of the game.

[GoPerry]

Wabash 81
Illinois Wesleyan 75

Too much Jack Davidson for the Titans.

Amen.  And too little Cory Noe - he finished with 5 points, all in the last 30 seconds of the game.

Noe just looked uncomfortable with the moment all game. 

Wabash is a tough team, made lots of plays with players stepping up besides Davidson.  Congrats to them on a well deserved and hard earned victory.  The Little Giants haven't lost a game since Dec 4 and you can see why.  And good for Wabash fans for showing up and cheering on their team.