WBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[bulk19]

A Blugold fan here, stealing a movie title to go along with buf's nice recap. I'm still "Waiting to Exhale." 67-62, 'Golds over UWL...

Wow. What a ball game. I must say that UWL has probably one of the best #6 seeds this tournament has ever had. A break here or there, and it might be a different story tonight.

Credit to the four seniors on that team - Karrie Lamers, Nicole Palmer, Katy Searing and Abby Johnson. They definitely were fun to watch, and they deserve a lot of credit for helping the Eagles turn that program around over their stay there. Best of luck to them in future endeavors, and maybe we'll see a future Eagle WIACer out on the court one day named Searing-Werner...

Searing had 16 boards and 10 points. She was an impressive force tonight, and almost willed that team to a W tonight... Palmer had 12, while Amanda Waldvogel chipped in 11. Like buf said, the Eagles shot the lights out in the first half, including three crucial threes. The 'Golds were able to stick around though, and trailed by one at half, 38-37.

I'll give out game balls to Heather Witt, who had seven steals, five assists and 13 points; Brittanni Hakanson, who had to battle Searing and Johnson in the paint, and pulled down 11 boards, and Heidi Arciszewski, who led the 'Golds in scoring with 22, including a perfect 7-7 from the charity stripe. She nailed some critical ones down the stretch... Key stat was 'Golds only had nine turnovers, vs. UWL's 20...

I'm not sure how this is all going to shake out as far as bids go, and don't even want to try to venture a guess. I figured there would be some upsets tonight, but honestly did not have a good feeling going into tonight's game... So all I'm going to do is focus on putting my fanny in my seat at Zorn for one more game, on Wednesday, vs. Platteville. And see what happens then. 

And hey, UWEC students? There's something happening in the gym on lower campus, called Zorn. Where were you? Get your butts out and support the Lady 'Golds on Wednesday. Sheesh, already. They ask for, want, and acknowledge their fan support, so no excuses! If you plan for it wisely, you can all afford to take a nice two-hour study break on Wednesday... The place should be packed! OK, done with my lecture.  And kudos to the softball team, which showed up in full force...
   

[UWPSUPERFAN77]

WOW! The upset at UWW was only the second time a 7 has beaten a 2seed in the first round of the WIAC tournament. The last time was in 2001 when the Pioneers beat UWEC. I listened to most of the game. I thought the Pioneers were done when both of our starting post players fouled out. Also, you have to give Lisa Grantman credit for hitting the last shot despite her poor shooting. She has a lot of guts and could be the preseason player of the year for next year. this game should have been won by the Warhawks who have a long time to sit and see if they can get an at large bid. They had a substantial lead at HT and with 7 minutes to go. They did not take advantage of their superior depth and the numerous turnovers they forced. Any thought from anyone in attendance? Only 250 in listed attendance, not much support. Too bad as you, UWW, are a very good team.  Thank You and God Bless!

[UWPSUPERFAN77]

Ditto to Bulk about the Student support. + karma to you and Buf! I did not know that Warner and Searing are dating. If the did get married ,and have children, they could potentially be good athletes. just send them to Platteville for our fine academics,Just kidding! They can go where they want. UWEC is favored to beat my Pioneers, but you will have to play the game. I do not feel it will be a kill game, despite no depth due to our injuries. I do believe in miracles and one could occur, my pioneers going to the Championship game like 2001! God Bless!

[The Champ]

  (SP's Lechault becomes WIAC
s all-time leader in blocked shots with 322 and counting.)

Lechault started the season with 171 career blocks, trailing Kelsey Duoss by 7.  Duoss leads the WIAC this season with 66 vs. Lechault with 54.

So....  Through Feb 17th, the numbers are:

Lechault - 225 in 4 seasons.

Duoss - 244 in 3 seasons, with hopefully several games left to play this year...

The current, and probably for quite a while to come, record holder is:

320--Pam Soman (PLT), 1985-89

If Duoss had a 4th WIAC season, she could give Soman a run.

[The Champ]

19-6, 12-4, sole possession of second place a game behind Stout all from a team of underclassmen picked to finish seventh.  Can you say Coach of the Year?   Admittedly Mark Thomas is a great coach and did an excellent job to win the regular season championship.  But Stout was expected to do that.  Anything less would have been underachieving.  Nobody expected what WHITEWATER and coach Carrollo did. 

What say you, Champ? 

Originally I was going to agree with you with a caveat...  Coach Carollo was trained by Coach Thomas, so it should have been expected that WW would do well this season...

But as you noted, WW was picked to finish 7th, and the were just defeated (in a heartbreaker) by the #7 seed in the WIAC Tourney.

If WW would have at least made it to the next round, I think it would have been hard to deny Coach C the award.

Now, I think there will be a chance for someone else.

[bulk19]

UWPSUPERFAN77 -

Here's a link to a Searing-Werner engagement story. Pretty neat!

http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2007/02/11/sports/00lead.txt

[The Champ]

Boy it was fun finally being able to attend a UW Stout game for the first time this month last night!!!  The last game I was at was the game at River Falls on January 31st, and that was not a happy night!!!  Mrs. Champ and I were out in D.C. and missed the LaCrosse game due to her companies "Holiday Gala" at the Ritz out there. 

It was kind of interesting getting text message updates of the score from one of our friends at the game - our whole table picked up on what was going on and every time I pulled out my phone they all wanted to know what the score was!!!

It was special last night to see Joanna Bird sitting in street clothes on the bench.  I haven't posted about it here, but on Saturday morning before the Point game (Feb 10th), I called Coach T and asked "How's it going?".  T replied, "Well, our bus is late and one of my starters is in the hospital...".  That starter was Joanna (JayBird).  She had an emergency appendectomy that Saturday morning.

Talking to JayBird after the game, she told me that her doctor has cleared her to start shooting tomorrow, and to play by Saturday (if Stout is still playing).

Now I went through a couple of surgeries last fall at Mayo, and I can't even imagine shooting a basketball 10 days out of surgery, much less playing  collegiate basketball after only 14 days!!!  As JayBird's mom told me last night, "Oh to be 21 years old and in shape!!!".  The recuperative powers of athlete's is amazing...

[Just Bill]

  (SP's Lechault becomes WIAC
s all-time leader in blocked shots with 322 and counting.)

Lechault started the season with 171 career blocks, trailing Kelsey Duoss by 7.  Duoss leads the WIAC this season with 66 vs. Lechault with 54.

So....  Through Feb 17th, the numbers are:

Lechault - 225 in 4 seasons.

Duoss - 244 in 3 seasons, with hopefully several games left to play this year...

The current, and probably for quite a while to come, record holder is:

320--Pam Soman (PLT), 1985-89

If Duoss had a 4th WIAC season, she could give Soman a run.

Champ,

Yes, you are correct.  I was going off of this note in the UWSP vs. UWRF game preview (http://www.uwsp.edu/athletics/wbb/2006-07/wbbfeb18notes.pdf):
* - Senior center Nathalie Lechault (Chavannes de Bogis,
Switzerland) needs one block to become the WIAC career leader.
She currently shares the record of 320 with Pam Soman of UWPlatteville
(1986-89).

But clearly, that is an erroroneous statement.

[badgerwarhawk]

Turnovers were the name of the game.  Though WW had 14 at half time Platteville had 18 and we made a very high percentage of the shots we did get while Platteville shot poorly.  But the last 13 minutes of the game that all turned around.  Tesch became unstoppable.  Platteville took much better care of the ball (6 turnovers).  Meanwhile we just kept turning it over and over (15 more times) so when our shooting cooled the lead evaporated.  Then, to top it off, we give them a three-pointer when we're up by two.  The girl didn't shoot that well most of the night but she drilled the shot she had to. 

Congrats to Platteville and good luck to all the teams remaining.   It's going to take a while for the bitter taste of this loss to wear off and fully appreciate what the program has accomplished this year.  We've got all of our contributing players returning next year and a blue-chip recruit who becomes eligible.  Add a few recruits and we'll be set to go. 

You haven't heard the last from the WARHAWKS. 

Champ, other than Mark Thomas, who can argue that he is the conference champion, what coach deserves COY for something they do in a three game tournament vs the conference season?   No coach accomplished more with their team in that 16 game stretch and you'd negate that because her team lost the last game basically at the buzzer.  If that were the case what would Findlandia do to Mark's case?   Admittedly I'm bias but with the exception of those two I don't see any other coach in the league that has a case.  I guess we'll find out soon enough what the coaches think.

[UWPSUPERFAN77]

To All Posters: I agree with Badger Warhawk on coach Carillo for Coach of the Year! Also, = karma for BW for being very objective and humble at the same time. God Bless!

[billys]

\ Also, you have to give Lisa Grantman credit for hitting the last shot despite her poor shooting. She has a lot of guts and could be the preseason player of the year for next year.

I know you're excited about the win but I think you're going a little overboard here. There are about 10-15 other kids I can think of that would be more likely for that title ... Burns, Hunter, Tyriver, Heidi A are the first four that come to mind ... I do like how hard she plays ... but she's also pretty wreckless ... she had more turnovers than anyone in the league not from Superior.

Statistically speaking Wubben would have a case for better returner on that team. But no disputing ... when it comes to shots of the year in the WIAC ... Grantman's probably got the biggest.

[billys]

\
Champ, other than Mark Thomas, who can argue that he is the conference champion, what coach deserves COY for something they do in a three game tournament vs the conference season?   No coach accomplished more with their team in that 16 game stretch and you'd negate that because her team lost the last game basically at the buzzer.  If that were the case what would Findlandia do to Mark's case?   Admittedly I'm bias but with the exception of those two I don't see any other coach in the league that has a case.  I guess we'll find out soon enough what the coaches think.

It's definitely a two horse race. No question in my mind someone being picked for seventh and finishing second has to be the Coach of the Year. Stout was virtually a unanimous pick to win the league ... had already been there twice ... and although I don't always like how expected winners get shafted in awards ... Keri has earned it.  She went from the 8 seed last year to 2 this year. Biggest improvement in WIAC history! That's gotta be worth something. They may have already voted ... many conferences vote after their regular season ... so last night may not have mattered. But again, I don't think a buzzer beater negates the year they had. And BW is right, they will be back and it might be to stay for awhile.

[The Champ]

Champ, other than Mark Thomas, who can argue that he is the conference champion, what coach deserves COY for something they do in a three game tournament vs the conference season?   No coach accomplished more with their team in that 16 game stretch and you'd negate that because her team lost the last game basically at the buzzer.  If that were the case what would Findlandia do to Mark's case?   Admittedly I'm bias but with the exception of those two I don't see any other coach in the league that has a case.  I guess we'll find out soon enough what the coaches think.

BW

I didn't say that Coach C wouldn't get it, or doesn't deserve it.  What I did say, was the early exit from the WIAC Tourney in a game played on her home court against the #7 seed doesn't help.

I know Coach C, and getting Coach of the Year won't mean near as much (if she gets it) to her as making it deeper in the WIAC Tourney would have.

[The Champ]

Champ,

Yes, you are correct.  I was going off of this note in the UWSP vs. UWRF game preview (http://www.uwsp.edu/athletics/wbb/2006-07/wbbfeb18notes.pdf):
* - Senior center Nathalie Lechault (Chavannes de Bogis,
Switzerland) needs one block to become the WIAC career leader.
She currently shares the record of 320 with Pam Soman of UWPlatteville
(1986-89).

But clearly, that is an erroroneous statement.

Bill

I wonder if Lechault set the school record, not the WIAC record???

[badgerwarhawk]

Champ, you said there was a chance for someone else and I asked, other than Mark, who?   But I know you're in Kari's corner too and I don't really want to get into a lengthy discussion so we'll just wait to see how it works out.

We still haven't won a post season tourney game.  That's a monkey we'll have to wait till next year to get off our backs.

Humble is a word not often used to describe me.