WBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[badgerwarhawk]

There were so many clutch plays by both teams in the game that it was amazing.  I wasn't sure it would ever end let alone that we'd come out on top. 

#14 WARHAWKS (11-0): 76
#25 Luther (8-3): 73   2OT

Spectators got their $8 worth watching this one as the two teams combined for 30 ties (18) and lead changes (12).  The WARHAWKS scored first and held a single digit lead for the first six and half minutes of the game before Luther took their first and only lead in the quarter.  However  the WARHAWKS reclaimed the lead on their next possession and the quarter ended 11-9 WARHAWKS.  The lead remained in single digits through out the second stanza.  It grew to a high of seven points twice but Luther made a 5-0 run cutting it two before Andrea Meinert's layup made the halftime score 25-21.  Neither team shot that well WW: 35%  L: 19%.  WHITEWATER made six more baskets than Luther however Luther went 8-12 from the free throw line and the WARHAWKS failed to get to the line.  The WARHAWKS depth was a factor as our bench outscored theirs 16-4 and we were getting the ball inside outscoring the Norse 18-0 in the paint.  Perhaps somewhat surprisingly the first half saw only one tie and 2 lead changes.  Meinert's 6 points led all scorers while Andrea Olson and Oliva Freckmann each had 4 points.  A pair of baskets and free throws to start the second half pulled the Norse into a tie 27-27 and a and one and three pointer propelled them to a six point lead 33-27 and it looked as if they were starting to take control.  However the WARHAWKS rallied and baskets from Malia Smith, Fleckmann and Mienert paired with Mienert's free throw regained the lead 34-33.  That lead grew to and remained at four 41-37 when the quarter ended.  The Norse opened the fourth quarter with a three pointer and though Abbie Reeves matched it they continued to cut into the lead and went ahead 47-46.  A Norse three pointer pushed the lead to four but Brooke Trewyn matched it and followed that with a pair of free throws to put the WARHAWKS ahead 51-50.  The lead see-sawed after that and with forty seconds left the Norse led 56-55.  Reeves hit a clutch three pointer to make it 58-56 but the Norse tied it with a offensive rebound put back at the buzzer and the teams headed to overtime.  Another three pointer from Reeves opened the overtime and the WARHAWKS held a lead for the first half of the period.  But the Nose rallied tied it 64-64 and took a four point lead 68-64 with a minute and half to go.  But behind Reeves the WARHAWKS rallied when the senior scored five straight giving them a 69-68 lead with twenty four seconds to go.  A foul with six seconds left put the Norse on the free throw line with a chance to win.  However they only made one and the game moved to double OT.   It was the Norse who took the lead in the second OT and held it for the first three minutes when Jaya Perkins' basket tied it and after the Norse went back ahead Perkins drained a three pointer giving the WARHAWKS a 74-73 lead with thirty-five seconds left.  The Norse missed both of their remaining shot attempts and Meinert hit two free throws between them for the final score.

Reeves finished with 19 points, 16 of which came in the second half and first overtime.  Reeves added 8 rebounds.  Meinert finished with 11 points and also had 8 rebounds.  Olson and Trewyn each had 9 points.  Perkins scored five of her seven points in the final OT.  The WARHAWKS hit 8 more baskets than the Norse including 2 additional three pointers but the Norse went 25-32 from the free throw line while the WARHAWKS only shot 14 free throws making 10.  The WARHAWKS bench outscored the Norse 33-22 and the team outscored them 32-14 in the paint. 

Moran Lonning had a double/double 17 points, 10 rebounds and added 5 steals for the Norse.  I believe she was the IIAC POY last year.   Luther came into the weekend 8-1 with wins over WIAC members LaCrosse, Platteville, EauClaire and River Falls.  They left 8-3 with losses to WIAC members Stevens Point and us. 

[JMM]

took in the Stout and St Mary's (9-1) game. Stout lost 73-72. It is a game Stout could have won. The Blue Devils are playing very well and coach Mark has his two platoon system working very well. Stout has served notice n recent games that they will be very competitive this year in the WIAC. Stout has 10-11 very disciplined and solid players and is exceptional at driving to the basket and moving the ball. I really see the WIAC full of solid teams that are capable of winning on any given night. SP should be able to beat WW at least once this year. OSH will also be able to beat WW at least once. EC should be able to beat OSH at least once and RF should also record some decisive wins. The action starts next week. I still expect the first place team to have at least 3 losses.

[JMM]

some predictions for first night of WIAC :

RF over OSH  by 7
WW over STOUT by 6 (closer game than WW expects)
SP over EC by 12
LAX over PLT by 9

My heart goes out to OSH. It is really hard to have national attention early in the year. It puts much added pressure on you. It happened to WW several ago when they started the year ranked #1. Hope OSH can regroup and get back to form. The WIAC  has some great teams  this year. RF has now clearly demonstrated they are one of them....

[Voice of the Titans]

Just a rough game for UWO last night. Some early bunnies missed let RF take a 16-4 lead, and it was catch up from there. Got it to within 5 late, but couldn't get over the hump. Mehus was other worldly last night. And UWO could not take advantage of getting to the line for 35FTA. Convert on half of the 19FT missed, and make half of the missed bunnies and UWO wins by 10+. Hopefully the ship can get back on course.

[JMM]

to OSH fans.....The WIAC season has just started. Hang tight, it will be a battle to the end. OSH will be right there. The conference winner will have at least 3 losses.

[badgerwarhawk]

Stout: 60
WARHAWKS: 72

Emily Jensen's free throws got the WARHAWKS on the board first.  The lead changed hands twice in the first with the WARHAWKS largest lead reaching seven points twice before the quarter ended 21-17 WARHAWKS.  The WARHAWKS maintained their lead throughout the second half however it was always in single digits and the half ended with the score 39-31.   The Blue Devils essentially rotated five players at time however the WARHAWKS bench outscored the Blue Devil's 10-4.  Malia Smith went 4-5 from the floor and led the WARHAWKS with 9 points.  Lisa Palmer followed with 8 points and Andrea Meinert  also had 8 points and added 4 rebounds.  Jensen scored the first points of the second half and pushed the lead to double figures.  For the next few minutes it fluctuated between single and double digits.  Back to back layups by Palmer in the sixth minute made the score 47-36 and after that the WARHAWKS built the lead up to nineteen points 55-36.  Stout would cut it down to eleven, 57-46, with a run of their own before the quarter ended 60-47.  Stout pulled to within nine points twice in the final quarter but that was as close as they could get.

Lisa Palmer: 14 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block
Maddie Bare: 12 points (2-4 3pts), 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 block
Malia Smith: 11 points
Andrea Meinert: 10 points, 7 rebounds
Abbie Reeves: 9 points

Kyleih Hebert had a game high 15 points and Baily Diersen added 12 for the Blue Devils.


 

[badgerwarhawk]

WARHAWKS: 56
Stevens Point: 63

Fouls/Free Throws

WARHAWKS: 30/6-10
Point: 14/26-31

Despite either beating them or playing even with them in virtually every measurable statistic otherwise the Pointers commit fewer than half as many fouls and shoot more than three times the number of free throws and the WARHAWKS lose their first game of the season.  There were a combination of twenty ties and lead changes and neither team's lead ever exceeded eight points.

Lisa Palmer: 15 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists   
Andrea Mienert: 12 points
Brooke Trewyn: 11 points, 6 rebounds
Malia Smith: 13 points 

[JMM]

is it me, or were the warhawks called for a ton of fouls and only a dozen or so on SP.

[badgerwarhawk]

is it me, or were the warhawks called for a ton of fouls and only a dozen or so on SP.

Yes, it's you. 

[Voice of the Titans]

Box score looks like fouls were 25-14, not 30-14.

[JMM]

Thanks. Was wondering if the refs put the clamps on WW tight,tight defense. It has not been as devastating as it was back a few years ago.

[Roundball999]

Also, at least 4 of the UWW fouls were in the last couple of minutes when the Warhawks were behind and needed the ball and UWSP went 8-8 from the line.

[Roundball999]

Thanks. Was wondering if the refs put the clamps on WW tight,tight defense. It has not been as devastating as it was back a few years ago.

As good as they are now, they had some fabulous defenders (Thill, etc) a couple years back that are hard to duplicate.

[JMM]

Now the foul total makes sense. Waiting to see how WW matches up w RF. I never likes the low ceiling there. Other than that not a bad place to play. The Quite a few good teams this year in the WIAC.

[JMM]

I have seen many, many WW games over the past 13-14 years. The defense ruined many an Eau Clare night. Trap, Trap and Trap again.....