WBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[badgerwarhawk]

The WARHAWKS broke a team and conference tournament record by making 14 three point baskets in a lopsided 92-55 win over Superior.  Going 6 of 6 from beyond the arc to start the game the WARHAWKS quickly built a double digit lead in the first three and half minutes of the game.  Superior managed to cut it to a low of seven afterwards but a three pointer from Emily Bestor stretched it back to double digits and it only got larger after that.  The score was 52-18 at the half.  The WARHAWKS shot 52% from the floor including 7 of 11 three pointers.  Mary Merg led all scorers with 10 points while Jamie Swanson and Bestor each added 9.  Superior only connected on 30% fo their shots and had 17 turnovers 10 of which were steals by the WARHAWK defenders.  The lead grew to a high of 42 points in the first five minutes of the second half before Superior whittled it down to a low of 27 with a full court press against reserves. 

The WARHAWKS finished the game shooting 52% from the floor including 20 assists on 29 baskets and 14 of 25 three pointers.  They out rebounded the Yellow Jackets 40-30.  Seven WARHAWKS hit a three point shot. 

Merg led all scorers with 18 points in 21 minutes of playing time.  Swanson added 17 points and was 4 of 6 from beyond the arc.  Sam Quandt also score in double figures with 10 points.  Chantel Burg had game highs of 7 assists and 5 steals.  The WARHAWKS got points from fourteen different players.  Swanson and Steph Glynn had a team high 6 rebounds apiece.

Bri Davis and Hailey Hart led the Yellow Jackets with 8 points each.  Davis had a game high 7 rebounds.

[JMM]

WoW!  Final regional rankings! Guess what team needs to beat Whitewater to make the tournament. Tomorrow night could be the last game of a great season for that school on the Chippewa River - the "clear water school". I don't see them taking down Whitewater. WW over EC by 8.

[buf]

WoW!  Final regional rankings! Guess what team needs to beat Whitewater to make the tournament. Tomorrow night could be the last game of a great season for that school on the Chippewa River - the "clear water school". I don't see them taking down Whitewater. WW over EC by 8.

Yes, I'm a bit suprised to see EC fall out of the rankings after going 2-0, including a win over the conference leader at the time.  Instead, UWW leapfrogs at least 2 teams into 5th place.  One other factor to consider is that UWEC's results against regional ranked opponents is a bit delayed.  As I found out in the men's CCIW room, since UWW just got in the regional rankings for the 1st time, its opponents will not get credit for  'results against that regionally ranked opponent' until the following week.  So essentially UWEC is 3-4 (7 games) vs 2-3 (5 games).  They will obviously pick up yet another result when they play UWW Thrusday evening.

Just because UWEC is not in the regional rankings doesn't mean that they can't get an at large.  In fact if I remember correctly, the regional rankings throughout the nation don't even add up to the number of teams that will make the national tournament.  Also, you could have lets say 10 teams in from the Central.  Four of those would not show in the last regional rankings.  There is no limit as to how many teams from a particular region can get into the tournament.

With the above said, its a big game for both teams.  I'm not sure who is going to win.  UWW does scare me a bit right now.  In my opinion, they are the team that is peaking the most at the end of the season. 

[badgerwarhawk]

I don't think that there will be any more regional rankings released. 

[Just Bill]

I don't think that there will be any more regional rankings released.

Not released publicly, but there will be another one created by the regional committee that will be passed on to the national committee. And it will have more than the six teams listed. Still, I wouldn't hang out on the bubble if I was UWEC. Too many upsets across the country and they'll be out.

[bulk19]

UWEC will win tonight. By 5. At least.

The Warhawks are not going to hit 14 threes tonight. Rather, with the focus on UWEC's bigs, it'll be time for the Blugold guards to step it up, patiently dictate the tempo, knock down the shots, and keep the turnovers to under 10. And they will do so...

I predict EC will hit the big threes tonight. And the 6th man at Zorn will give the 'Golds the boost they need; the team will feed off that energy again, like it did against the Pointers...

They played extremely well against the UWSP; that will carry over tonight... This team showed the urgency, and hungerness, and confidence, it needed at year's end on Saturday against the Pointers, and is not a bubble team; it is an NCAA D3 tournament team. Period. Anyone who thinks otherwise hasn't seen it.

The Golds will prove tonight that the regional rankings are wrong.

[badgerwarhawk]

A gutsy effort from the WARHAWKS who trailed for the entire game until just under two and half minutes when we took our first lead.  A pair of steals and offensive rebounds in the final minute capped by two free throws from Courtney Kumerow put the game away 57-53. 

EauClaire kills themselves with 28 turnovers (19 steals) to the WARHAWKS 11.  Turnovers, three point baskets  (6 to 2) and offensive rebounds (15) overcomes 27% shooting and sends the WARHAWKS on to Point. 

Only Coach Carollo's second win in eleven tries at Zorn.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I don't think that there will be any more regional rankings released.

Not released publicly, but there will be another one created by the regional committee that will be passed on to the national committee. And it will have more than the six teams listed. Still, I wouldn't hang out on the bubble if I was UWEC. Too many upsets across the country and they'll be out.

IIRC, the final rankings now DO get released, but not until after the selections have already been announced, so not much help for 'Pool C watchers'.

[GBMAN]

Gutsy performance by the lady Warhawk's.... Congrats to the coaching staff, players, and fans that made the trip to EC.

[buf]

As BW said, EC kills themselves with turnovers.  The press did most of the damage.  But you also have to factor in the time it took EC to get over the half court line (when they didn't turn it over).  Hard to dump it down to the bigs with only 15 seconds in the frontcourt.


With a win, EC would have been a lock.  Now EC sits on the bubble. 

[bulk19]

Throw my UWEC-WW prediction out the window...   

Or just take the opposite of everything I said, and you get a WW win...  Blugold guard play wasn't the key tonight, but for that they didn't keep feeding the ball to Halama the whole night, and let it ride on her shoulders... The Warhawks had trouble stopping her... Plendl had a double-double, too.

Golds only had two threes, and, as badgerwarhawk notes, killed themselves by 28 turnovers. Ouch. Warhawks had 19 steals...

So, that being said, my prognostications prove I'm just a man behind the curtains, so I'll see you all next season, since UWEC's rankings in the national polls are just illusions, and the team isn't worthy of an NCAA bid, due to the regional ratings...

[thrunt01]

Throw my UWEC-WW prediction out the window...   

Or just take the opposite of everything I said, and you get a WW win...  Blugold guard play wasn't the key tonight, but for that they didn't keep feeding the ball to Halama the whole night, and let it ride on her shoulders... The Warhawks had trouble stopping her... Plendl had a double-double, too.

Golds only had two threes, and, as badgerwarhawk notes, killed themselves by 28 turnovers. Ouch. Warhawks had 19 steals...

So, that being said, my prognostications prove I'm just a man behind the curtains, so I'll see you all next season, since UWEC's rankings in the national polls are just illusions, and the team isn't worthy of an NCAA bid, due to the regional ratings...

I just really have a hard time believing the committee would leave out a team that split the WIAC regular season title. If EC does not make the NCAAs it really would be a shame.

[JMM]

Back to my prediction of a few weeks ago. WW wins the tournament. It is desire and ferocious defense. As for EC. Those who follow them know that they are plagued by turnovers for the last two years. WW knew that and put it to them. I was there, the refs out and out stunk the place out. There were bad calls made at times that stopped EC from taking a 15-20 point lead. The crowd Boooo'd the refs and the refs just called more contaversail stuff in the crowds face. I am venturing to SP to see if the "WIAC ACE - Shirley E." can stop the Tasmanian Devil WW Defense. Where do they get that energy? Hope EC makes the tournament. They should be there but probably won't. If they make it - a super great year. That said, they are WIAC champs and that flag will hang until they tear ZORN down.
EC coaching did not make any adjustemnts to stop the trapping at the top of the key. There was the problem. They forgot ball control and fell for the WW intimation game - WW does it sooooo well. Hope you see the NCAA blugolds, if not, you will be called defending champs next year. I'm buying a WIAC Woman's Basketball shirt. It is the best d3 conference.

[badgerwarhawk]

The fouls were 20 to 14 in favor of EC who also shot more free throws.

The officials, good or bad, didn't lose this game for EC.  EC lost this game for EC.  28 turnovers and 15 offensive rebounds gave the WARHAWKS 22 additional shots and a 31-5 scoring advantage.  You can't turn the ball over like that and give your opponent that many more opportunities and expect anything but a loss.  If we hadn't shot the ball so horrendously it could very likely have been a blow out.

All that said I hope EC does make the post season.  I think they're good enough to be in the field and I'd like to see the WIAC get more than two bids.     

[bulk19]

So, if we take two teams only, that has to be the Warhawks and Pointers, since they made the conference finals?...

I can see the next regional ratings (or whatever they call them on Sunday to pick the NCAA dance) having WW vault over EC this week after last night's win, which it earned, but last week's ratings were silly. But UWEC last week didn't do anything to fall out of the top 6, and, in fact, beat UWSP prior to those ratings... Go figure. I guess logic has not been my strong point... So where does that leave UWRF after its win and loss in the WIAC tournament?

I will, despite my blue-and-gold whining here,  grant berths to WW and UWSP. This Whitewater team is scary, and I will repeat my sentiments I've posted here throughout the season about them - they have been flying under the radar this season, as impossible/improbable that sounds... I think this team could go farther than the Pointers, and could be a Final 4 team...

That being said, it's difficult to beat a team three times in a season, and the Pointers did blow the Warhawks out twice this year, but I will pick the Pointers on Saturday...

But the Blugolds and Falcons could also both make noise in the NCAA tournament, because of their styles of play... These four WIAC teams know each other so well, that coaches/players make adjustments, and they all ended up splitting season series, or winning them 2-1, after meeting one another in the conference tourney... Yes, it's the same age-old whine, but they beat themselves up and are able to take advantage of the matchups, etc....

But let's see how the other teams in the nation, who haven't seen UWRF and UWEC play, stack up against them and what kind of coaching non-WIAC teams can bring to the table for a one-and-done game... Let them game plan against the balanced Falcons and, in particular, the Blugolds bigs...

If the conference co-champs Blugolds are, indeed, on the bubble, and don't make it, that's a shame. I guess, alas, they will forever be pointing fingers at themselves for not winning in the WIAC tournament.

But I've made my whines, and cases,  here for all four teams... I guess we shall see how it all shakes out tomorrow and Sunday...