WBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[hoops49]

I was at the EC-UW-L game. The bluegolds didn't come in overconfidant. My opinion? It's not uncommon after getting a big emotional win against a team (Stout) that a team will play flat in their next game. I just don't think they had anything to give. They'll be fine.

[Just Bill]

Interesting one in Whitewater as well with Point coming in. Whitewater beat them at home last year.

I'm not sure whose home you are referring to here, but each team won on their own court last year.

[EagleAlum]

Interesting one in Whitewater as well with Point coming in. Whitewater beat them at home last year.

I'm not sure whose home you are referring to here, but each team won on their own court last year.

Yeah. They beat them in WW, where they play Wed. I guess my point was WW finished as the 8 seed last year but still beat Point, and the gap between the two may have closed a bit. Hence, interesting game.

My opinion? It's not uncommon after getting a big emotional win against a team (Stout) that a team will play flat in their next game. I just don't think they had anything to give. They'll be fine.

If they aren't going to have "anything to give" after big wins, they are not a contender; cause there's a lot of big, emotional wins you need to get to win the WIAC.

I agree they'll be fine and they'll be in it to the end, but that's kind of a lame excuse. La Crosse played a 40 minute tight game against WW the same night EC beat Stout. If La Crosse loses to Platteville it won't be because they "didn't have anything left to give after Eau Claire" it will probably mean Platteville out-played them and beat them.

[badgerwarhawk]

Yeah. They beat them in WW, where they play Wed. I guess my point was WW finished as the 8 seed last year but still beat Point, and the gap between the two may have closed a bit. Hence, interesting game.

Actually WW finished as the sixth seed last year and lost to 3rd seeded Oshkosh in the first round.  LaCrosse was last year's 8th seed.

Not that it matters.

[crazy4hoops]

Yeah. They beat them in WW, where they play Wed. I guess my point was WW finished as the 8 seed last year but still beat Point, and the gap between the two may have closed a bit. Hence, interesting game.

whenever WW steps on the floor it is an interesting game...yeah they were that low in rankings but still beat Point AND Stout last season on their court....WW is tough no doubt about it their own worst enemy in the past has been themselves ... as far as closing the gap between the two...if you know anything about the WIAC you know there is no gap between anyone....yeah Superior seems to be on the same track in years past but i think they will get one if not two W's this WIAC season....no game is an easy game....that is a fact

as far as wednesday goes....looks like another undefeated will fall....

gotta love the WIAC!

[laxeaglepride]

actually LaCrosse hosted River Falls last year and was the 4th seed...then lost to stout on the road

[wiac482002]

early to already start predictions but i figure since this conference title this year is that hectic already lets start early and see what comes of this week wednesday

EC over RF in a well contested game, but the blugolds will get back on track if they can stay outta foul trouble.....EC by 8

LAX continues their winning ways and dominates Platteville....LAX by 10+

Another upset for Point as WW hands them another loss.....WW by 6

Stout at Superior---why should Stout even travel there when they will win by 40 with their reserves

Oshkosh with the week off--probably because they are trying to convince each other that they might have a chance on Sat @ Stout when we all know that's not going to happen

[badgerwarhawk]

2005
Monday, Feb. 21
Quarterfinals
UW-Stout (#1) 73, UW-La Crosse (#8) 66 (at Menomonie) Box Score
UW-Eau Claire (#5) 62, UW-River Falls (#4) 43 (at River Falls) Box Score
UW-Oshkosh (#3) 88, UW-Whitewater (#6) 73 (at Oshkosh) Box Score
UW-Stevens Point (#2) 65, UW-Platteville (#7) 56 (at Stevens Point) Box Score

Wednesday, Feb. 23
Semifinals
UW-Stout 70, UW-Eau Claire 65 (Overtime) (at Menomonie) Box Score
UW-Oshkosh 74, UW-Stevens Point 67 (at Stevens Point) Box Score

Saturday, Feb. 26
Championship
UW-Stout 68, UW-Oshkosh 53 (at Menomonie) Box Score



My bad.  Obviously it was a mistake to rely on information from the WIAC website and I didn't notice that they haven't updated it in almost a year. 

And checking another part of the website I can see that WHITEWATER was indeed the #8 seed by virtue of losing the tiebreaker to Platteville.  Thank you for the correction, pride.   Sorry about that Alum.

[EagleAlum]

Yeah. They beat them in WW, where they play Wed. I guess my point was WW finished as the 8 seed last year but still beat Point, and the gap between the two may have closed a bit. Hence, interesting game.

whenever WW steps on the floor it is an interesting game...yeah they were that low in rankings but still beat Point AND Stout last season on their court....WW is tough no doubt about it their own worst enemy in the past has been themselves ...

Agreed. I love to watch them play. They've done very well against some of the league's best the past few years. Consistency from one night to the next has been their undoing.

as far as closing the gap between the two...if you know anything about the WIAC you know there is no gap between anyone....yeah Superior seems to be on the same track in years past but i think they will get one if not two W's this WIAC season....no game is an easy game....that is a fact

Since I was the one who mentioned the "gap" I take offense to this. I know the WIAC, believe me, I've been through it. And you are wrong, there is a gap, it's just much smaller than it has been. No question about it, no game is easy in the WIAC and anyone can beat anyone. The gap isn't necessarily or doesn't have to be talent, it can be a simple as your team/program believing they can beat the top teams. Whitewater hasn't finished a season ahead of Point since 2000; so right now, there's a gap between Point and WW. No question by the end of the year it might be closed, but it takes a full season to do it. Head-to-head is as much about matchups as anything.

But at the end of the season, it has, for the most part been the same 4 teams in the top half of the league. Stout, Point, EC, and Oshkosh. There has been the big four and everyone else, the challenge is to get into the top four and unseat one of those programs over the course of the entire season, then continue to do. That's the challenge for River Falls and La Crosse stay in the top half. Things are changing but the past few years it's been the Big 4 in the Semis of the conference tournament except last year when La Crosse got a spot.

[crazy4hoops]

Since I was the one who mentioned the "gap" I take offense to this. I know the WIAC, believe me, I've been through it.

sorry to offend you....you are probably not the only one who has "been through it"...

we will just have to agree to disagree


picks:
stout
EC
UWP
Point

[EagleAlum]

Since I was the one who mentioned the "gap" I take offense to this. I know the WIAC, believe me, I've been through it.

sorry to offend you....you are probably not the only one who has "been through it"...

we will just have to agree to disagree

I understand that, I know there are posters on here who have played, coached, worked in the league. I was responding to the statement as a whole.

And I have no problem with agreeing to disagree; I'll just say, in sports you can't argue the bottom line. Three  or four years ago the division between the top four and the bottom five was huge; it's closed a lot in three years.

The good part I think for the WIAC is it's been more a case of the bottom teams elevating themselves as it is/was the top teams coming back to the pack. Therefore, I think, the overall quality has increased although one team isn't necessarily dominating on the national scene like the Oshkosh's, Eau Claire's, and Point's of the past 20 years. Unfortunately it has cost us some NCAA appearances because it's really tough to do better than 10-6 because of the "any team, any night" quality you mentioned. Oshkosh, Point and La Crosse were all better than at least 12-16 of the teams in the dance but had 4, 5, and 7 conference losses that eliminated them from consideration.

Anyway, I digress.

Picks-
La Crosse over Platteville
Stout over Superior
Eau Claire in a great game over River Falls
Whitewater over Point

I know we probably don't have enough consistent posters to make it interesting but we should have gotten a pick'em together. Maybe after Christmas?

[bulk19]

Well, more big games on tap for tonight. But they are all big games every night, right? Ha.

I'm going to Zorn early, to sit through the UWEC/RF mens' game first. Zzzz. So I hope EagleAlum is right, in that the Lady Blugolds pull out a win in a close one against the Falcons...

That will put the undefeated Falcons at 2-1, I think?, and bring them back to the rest of the pack. After tonight, things could be log-jammed with several 2-1 teams at this early stage of the season...

How is Point, after a tough loss to River Falls, going to respond to Whitewater? Couple of predictions here that Whitewater could win tonight in an upset on the Hawks' home court. Wouldn't surprise me one bit, though....

How about the Pointers' team record 17-game winning streak at home, though, in the friendly confines of the Berg gymnasium? UWL comes to town on Saturday, to see what they can do about that... But let's not get ahead of ourselves here. We've got a full slate of games tonight! 

[EagleAlum]

Upset Alert-
Platteville giving La Crosse trouble again for about the 100th straight game. Platteville's style always gets La Crosse uncomfortable. No exception tonight. LaX however scores the last six points of the half and trails 25-23 at the break.
Platteville jumped out to a 12-2 lead and has not trailed.
Foul trouble for La Crosse with Wagner, Hunter, and Johnson all sitting considerable 1st half minutes with 2 fouls. Fouls are even but La Crosse has yet to get to the line.

Tesch leads everyone with 8. No LaX player has more than 4.

Any updates on WW-Point?

[Just Bill]

Point led WW 28-23 at the half, but there has been no further updates.

UPDATED:  WW nips Point 62-61.

MORE:  LC beats Platteville 60-56; Stout over SUP 85-??

[EagleAlum]

La Crosse gains control with a nice run in the 2nd half, then holds on for a 60-56 win over the Pioneers.

Hunter looks like she took control in the 2nd half, finishes with 16, at least 12 after half. Searing with another double-double, 11 points-12 rebounds.
Liz Tesch goes for 16 and 10 to lead Platteville. Freshman Liz Wisdom has another good game, double-double tonight with 12 points and 13 rebounds.Not positive on the stats but I think Platteville had at least 13 TO's in the 2nd Half.

Eau Claire is cracking River Falls right now 32-14 late 1st Half. Ton of TO's for River right now.

Yeah Warhawks!
Bill, I think it was you with the stellar picks start opening weekend. I should have joined. I think I have an 8-0 start the last two weeks! Vegas baby.