WBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[buf]

EC with a big 2nd half surges past UWL by 15 or so.  Both teams shoot pretty well in the 1st half and head into the lockerroom tied at 33.  However, both teams quickly cool off in the first part of the second half.  The difference is that EC caught fire in the last 10min of the game.  I think they were leading 46-42 and ended up going on a 14-0 run to lead 60-42. 

Ashley Anderson really picked up her game tonight.  It is nice to get inside points and rebounding for a change.  EC will need her to play like she did tonight for the rest of the season if they want to challenge for the conference title.  Good all around effort for EC.  Witt got her 4 or 5 steals again tonight and Heidi A really took charge down the stretch in the 2nd half after she struggled in the first half.  No Fremstad for EC, who was dressed in street clothes.  I caught some of the post game on the radio and it sounded like an illness??  I don't know what her status is for the huge Stout game on Wednesday.

Searing really stood out for UWL.  Abby Johnson is back playing again.

Good crowd at Zorn!

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UW-River Falls 68, UW-Stevens Point 44 at Point   

What the ................!  RF sweeps Point.

[bulk19]

Final UWEC 66 (12-6, 6-3), UWL 49 (11-7, 5-4)

With the win, and UWSP losing to River Falls, UWEC pulls into second all alone in the conference race... Headed to Stout on Wednesday; rumor has it that the Blugolds, who have had the road woes, will be wearing their home golds... Stout's playing well, but the Blugolds have been playing much better, and smarter, than when they beat Stout the first time around...

Buf - Missy fell vicitim to my jinx; I gave her my player of the game award for Wednesday's game.   She had her left hand/thumb wrapped; not sure when it happened. Don't think it happened during that game, but maybe in practice thereafter? I was able to get back to my car to hear the tail end of the postgame wrap on the radio, and it sounded like she may be able to go vs. Stout...

As noted, by buf and the radio announcers, Ashley Anderson was the player of the game... Scored 10 points in the paint, played with a lot of confidence and wanted the ball inside. Her presence and play could be keys to how long the 'Golds extend their season after conference play concludes...

Heidi Arcisewski leads with 19. I don't know how she does it, but she quietly puts up the points; made 10-11 from the free throw line. But she and Michelle Burns, who added 14, are also able to muscle the ball up and in in traffic better than most of the players in this league... Rachel Mueggenborg had two big threes, too...

Kary Searing lead the Eagles with 17. 'Golds D, especially Burns, was able to limit Mackenzie Hunter to just 8, on 4-13 from the field. A local, she had a good fan club on hand in the UWL cheering section...

Tied at half at 33. Golds were able to shut down UWL to just 16 points in the second half - 9 from the field, on just four shots made, and seven from the stripe. That's impressive...

Good crowd again - 1,213, which will boost that season total up nearly 700 per game... Need to take them all to Stout on Wednesday!   And bring along the South middle school pep band, too, since they did a great job entertaining during the game...

[bulk19]

buf - you're always a step ahead of me on here.

I'm taking credit for the UWSP loss, by the way, as part of my continual jinxing I've been able to pull off here: As noted in my Jan. 18 post - Two of three teams can pull ahead in the logjam with wins on Saturday - if Point wins vs. River Falls, and the winner of the UWEC-UWL game. Warhawks will stay at 5-3, with a bye, if I've read the schedule correctly... Of course, that means all kinds of upsets and everything is going to go wacky on Saturday, and my best laid plans of mice and men will go astray, goofing up my nice little summary of things from Saturday. 

Point has a great winning streak at home - in the 20s now for consecutive wins. Still have River Falls, Stout and Whitewater left this season...

[mythicalbird]

Missy has some messed up ligaments in her left thumb.  Whether they are torn or not, I don't remember.  She is hoping to play on Wednesday though......which hopefully she does as she can keep up with the run and gun.

[buf]

Missy has some messed up ligaments in her left thumb.  Whether they are torn or not, I don't remember.  She is hoping to play on Wednesday though......which hopefully she does as she can keep up with the run and gun.

Fremstad is really good at shreading the press.  She is just like Becker was last year, able to bring the ball single handily down the court.  While Witt is good, she hasn't really faced a "Stout" press before.

[hoops49]

We'll need everyone to step up on Wednesday against Stout. No fouls, good perimeter shooting, good post playing. Mugsy is the best 3 pt. shooter, so if she's open that ball better get passed to her. It was real obvious last night that certain players DO NOT pass to her.  Not the first time that has happened either. Anybody else notice that?

[buf]

Hopefully, Mugsy left off where she did last year at Johnson Fieldhouse.  If I remember correctly, she shot the 3-ball very well that game.

I don't really notice other players not passing the ball to others, however I am usually just looking at the player with the ball.  The only thing I sometimes notice is when the ball handler doesn't pass to open players down the court on fastbreaks.  However, since EC does happen to make a lot of turnovers on forced passes, I can understand why they would not want to take the risk.

[stoutguy]

Looking forward to a classic matchup on Wed.  Two great teams, two great programs, two great coaches, and a great rivalry.  I have the utmost respect for both of these teams.  I think the biggest factor in this game is the "home game" thing this year.  For whatever reason, it seems so important.  Hope the posters give a good account of how the game goes as I won't be able to see it.  We will be doing the Men's game.  (Our station always does the away game on Wed.)   Someone tell Michelle Burns that  someone should be saying "BOOM!  DYNAMITE"  all night.  She will know what I mean.

[UWPSUPERFAN77]

Too bad, you will be missing the better game. God Bless!

[Mr. Downtown]

Conference Seedings Update

Well...this is the first time cause I totally forgot about doing it on Wednesday.


1   Stout                8-1
8   Platteville          2-7


4   Stevens Point      5-4
5   La Crosse            5-4


3   Whitewater         5-3
6   River Falls            4-5


2   Eau Claire           6-3
7   Oshkosh             4-5



Big game at Kolf on Wednesday, with the Pointers traveling to Oshkosh. On paper, one would think that the "Teen" Titans wouldn't be able to play with the Pointers, but try telling that to Eau Claire and La Crosse (who won on a buzzer beater). Don't expect it to be easy Pointer fans.

 

[Mr. Downtown]

Of course, the Eau Claire and Stout game should be interesting, too!


Eau Claire just seemed out of it when they played in Oshkosh, and we all know they just simply cannot do it again when playing the Blue Devils.

I know they have a 2 game lead, but Stout really needs this one. A loss to the Blugolds means a season sweep for Eau Claire, which could mean in the end that the bid for the national tourney would go through Eau Claire, not Menominee.

Also, La Crosse and Whitewater is a big time game. A chance for the Eagles to bounce back, which they have to, and also another chance for Whitewater to prove that they are a contender.

Big time games this Wednesday.

[hoops49]

Buf & Bulk- if you're going to the game Wed. night yell extra loud for me, okay?
Can't go, gotta work.    Will have to try and listen while at work.

I'm thinking some of our girls played AAU ball at Menomonie, so they should be used to that floor. Let's hope they get refamiliarized and shoot the lights out. I just hope it's a good game, no blow outs. Go lady Blugolds!

[crazy4hoops]

I had the pleasure of sitting through the RF/UWSP game on SAturday......the only pleasure being that the buzzer sounded before RF could push it above 30....props to RF they made it look easy....it is very disappointing to see a UWSP team play the way they did....usually they play with a lot of intensity...Saturday they looked like deer in headlights
Oshkosh has been a home away from home for Point the past few years.....i hope to see a confidence boost in this game!

it looks like Wednesday will be a big day for Bluegolds and Bluedevils....i must say i am rooting for EC on this one!!

good luck to everyone this week! I unfortunately won't see any WIAC games for a while now so keep me updated!

[The Champ]

I know they have a 2 game lead, but Stout really needs this one. A loss to the Blugolds means a season sweep for Eau Claire, which could mean in the end that the bid for the national tourney would go through Eau Claire, not Menominee.

Absolutely this is a big game.  Of course, the I94 rivalry is part of that too.

A win makes a statement to the rest of the teams in the WIAC that the Blue Devils are the team to beat.  A win essentially puts them three or more games up on everyone but Whitewater (assuming a WW victory on Wednesday - which is not a given).

There is only one sure way to get a bid to the NCAA Tourney, and that is to win the WIAC Tourney. 

Sweep or no sweep - putting three games together in the WIAC Tourney is key!  Playing all three of those games on your own floor is a huge advantage. 

Which is what makes the EC/Stout matchup on Wednesday so important - it's another step towards earning home court advantage for the WIAC Tourney.

Lot's of key games this week:

Wednesday

UW-Eau Claire @ UW-Stout Menomonie
UW-La Crosse @ UW-Whitewater
UW-River Falls @ UW-Superior
UW-Stevens Point @ UW-Oshkosh

Saturday

UW-Eau Claire @ UW-Platteville
UW-River Falls @ UW-Oshkosh
UW-Superior @ UW-La Crosse
UW-Whitewater @ UW-Stout

Depending on who wins/who loses, the conference seedings could look different at this time next week!