University Athletic Association

[ronk]

Spotted in the crowd at Brandeis tonight:

1.) Since the Brown women's basketball team is on the road in Ivy League play this weekend, a few Brown students came to cheer on CWRU grad transfer Melissa Heath to a career high 25 pts.

2.(  After halftime, the Adelphi women's basketball team came to cheer on Brandeis transfer Courtney Thrun.  Thrun scored 16 points in the loss. Adelphi plays at Bentley in NE10 play Saturda afternoon.

Other takeaways:

CWRU sophomore Abbey Lawrence had a career high 30 points.  Lawrence and Heath combined for 55 of the 80 points scored by CWRU this evening.

Brandeis was held to 2-3 from the charity stripe for the evening.

3

Saw Melissa play a # of times back in AAU; surprised that she's not starting for CWRU.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

I'll be honest ... not all talent from high school caries over. It is one of the biggest reasons I don't get "excited" or dive deep into recruits. There are times players who are completely undersung turn into super stars and others who seem like super stars never pan out.

I don't think anyone, including coaches, can nail recruiting and nail a student's talent - every human turns out different.

[deiscanton]

Spotted in the crowd at Brandeis tonight:

1.) Since the Brown women's basketball team is on the road in Ivy League play this weekend, a few Brown students came to cheer on CWRU grad transfer Melissa Heath to a career high 25 pts.

2.(  After halftime, the Adelphi women's basketball team came to cheer on Brandeis transfer Courtney Thrun.  Thrun scored 16 points in the loss. Adelphi plays at Bentley in NE10 play Saturda afternoon.

Other takeaways:

CWRU sophomore Abbey Lawrence had a career high 30 points.  Lawrence and Heath combined for 55 of the 80 points scored by CWRU this evening.

Brandeis was held to 2-3 from the charity stripe for the evening.

3

Saw Melissa play a # of times back in AAU; surprised that she's not starting for CWRU.

At Brown, Melissa was mostly used as a practice player who did not get significant minutes.  I even checked Brown's 2 games vs Johnson and Wales over the past few seasons, and she did not play in those games.  Most students  in her position would have transferred after 2 years at DI or DII.  Melissa Heath is unique in that she actually got her bachelor's degree from Brown before transferring to CWRU.  She is competing this season by means of both a medical hardship waiver and a grad transfer waiver.  Coach Reimer told me that Melissa Heath got the grad transfer waiver under the old rules of getting the bachelor's in 3 1/2 years and graduating with a 3.0 GPA.  As such, to my knowledge, Melissa Heath is the first grad transfer in UAA women's basketball history.

Update as to grad transfers-- Under recently adopted rules by DIII, student athletes who transfer after graduating from a D3 institution do not need to get a waiver to compete at another d3 institution if the athlete is otherwise still.eligible to play in the sport that the person wants to play.  In addition, grad transfer waiver requirements have been relaxed in that other athletes can graduate in the normal 4 years as long as they do so with a minimum 3.0 GPA.

Update for clarification-- In the first Brown vs JWU match, Melissa Heath did not play due to the injury for which she got a medical hardship waiver.  Melissa Heath graduated in December, 2018 from Brown and did not play in last season's Brown vs JWU match.  Her Brown season highs came in games against d3 opponents Mt Ida and Rhode Island College.

[deiscanton]

Another thing to add:

Courtney Thrun's 16 points is a new career high and also led all Brandeis scorers last night.

The major takeaway last night was that CWRU went 15-15 from the charity stripe in the 4th quarter while Brandeis was kept away from the charity stripe.

CWRU outscored Brandeis 22-2 from the charity stripe and went 100% from the FT line for the game.

[deiscanton]

In other news--

1.). Julianna Okoniewski of Rochester returned to action last night after sitting out 3 games due to an injury sustained in the game at Brandeis.

2.)  Emma Cain of CWRU got injured in the second quarter last night at Brandeis.   She did not return to the game.

[ronk]

Spotted in the crowd at Brandeis tonight:

1.) Since the Brown women's basketball team is on the road in Ivy League play this weekend, a few Brown students came to cheer on CWRU grad transfer Melissa Heath to a career high 25 pts.

2.(  After halftime, the Adelphi women's basketball team came to cheer on Brandeis transfer Courtney Thrun.  Thrun scored 16 points in the loss. Adelphi plays at Bentley in NE10 play Saturda afternoon.

Other takeaways:

CWRU sophomore Abbey Lawrence had a career high 30 points.  Lawrence and Heath combined for 55 of the 80 points scored by CWRU this evening.

Brandeis was held to 2-3 from the charity stripe for the evening.

3

Saw Melissa play a # of times back in AAU; surprised that she's not starting for CWRU.

At Brown, Melissa was mostly used as a practice player who did not get significant minutes.  I even checked Brown's 2 games vs Johnson and Wales over the past few seasons, and she did not play in those games.  Most students  in her position would have transferred after 2 years at DI or DII.  Melissa Heath is unique in that she actually got her bachelor's degree from Brown before transferring to CWRU.  She is competing this season by means of both a medical hardship waiver and a grad transfer waiver.  Coach Reimer told me that Melissa Heath got the grad transfer waiver under the old rules of getting the bachelor's in 3 1/2 years and graduating with a 3.0 GPA.  As such, to my knowledge, Melissa Heath is the first grad transfer in UAA women's basketball history.

Update as to grad transfers-- Under recently adopted rules by DIII, student athletes who transfer after graduating from a D3 institution do not need to get a waiver to compete at another d3 institution if the athlete is otherwise still.eligible to play in the sport that the person wants to play.  In addition, grad transfer waiver requirements have been relaxed in that other athletes can graduate in the normal 4 years as long as they do so with a minimum 3.0 GPA.

Didn't know that there is a min GPA requirement for transfer.

[deiscanton]

Spotted in the crowd at Brandeis tonight:

1.) Since the Brown women's basketball team is on the road in Ivy League play this weekend, a few Brown students came to cheer on CWRU grad transfer Melissa Heath to a career high 25 pts.

2.(  After halftime, the Adelphi women's basketball team came to cheer on Brandeis transfer Courtney Thrun.  Thrun scored 16 points in the loss. Adelphi plays at Bentley in NE10 play Saturda afternoon.

Other takeaways:

CWRU sophomore Abbey Lawrence had a career high 30 points.  Lawrence and Heath combined for 55 of the 80 points scored by CWRU this evening.

Brandeis was held to 2-3 from the charity stripe for the evening.

3

Saw Melissa play a # of times back in AAU; surprised that she's not starting for CWRU.

At Brown, Melissa was mostly used as a practice player who did not get significant minutes.  I even checked Brown's 2 games vs Johnson and Wales over the past few seasons, and she did not play in those games.  Most students  in her position would have transferred after 2 years at DI or DII.  Melissa Heath is unique in that she actually got her bachelor's degree from Brown before transferring to CWRU.  She is competing this season by means of both a medical hardship waiver and a grad transfer waiver.  Coach Reimer told me that Melissa Heath got the grad transfer waiver under the old rules of getting the bachelor's in 3 1/2 years and graduating with a 3.0 GPA.  As such, to my knowledge, Melissa Heath is the first grad transfer in UAA women's basketball history.

Update as to grad transfers-- Under recently adopted rules by DIII, student athletes who transfer after graduating from a D3 institution do not need to get a waiver to compete at another d3 institution if the athlete is otherwise still.eligible to play in the sport that the person wants to play.  In addition, grad transfer waiver requirements have been relaxed in that other athletes can graduate in the normal 4 years as long as they do so with a minimum 3.0 GPA.

Didn't know that there is a min GPA requirement for transfer.

The GPA requirement is an NCAA requirement for athletes who graduate from DI and DII institutions and therefore need to get a waiver to use remaining eligibility to compete for a DIII institution post graduation.

[deiscanton]

Well, Melissa Heath finally got in the starting lineup today at NYU.  Melissa Heath replaced Emma Cain, who did not play due to her injury in Friday's game.  Heath then went on to score 21 points.  Abbey Lawrence scored 28 pts for CWRU, and Case Western Reserve swept the weekend, beating NYU 87-75.

As for me, I got out of the stands in the second quarter when Carnegie Mellon was leading over Brandeis.  I did not want to overreact from the stands and cause a ruckus.  I watched the remainder of the game from a multi-purpose room and standing.  I just hope that Brandeis wins at least one more game.

[deiscanton]

A quick look at the UAA halfway through conference season--

1.). Chicago is in first place at 6-1.

2/)  Emory and CWRU are tied for second at 5-2.

Probably out of contention is NYU at 4-3, as the Violets need to go 7-0 the rest of the way for a shot at the AQ.

Realistically out of the UAA AQ hunt:  Wash U, Brandeis, Carnegie Mellon, Rochester.

[deiscanton]

Abbey Lawrence of Case Western Reserve is the USWBA DIII Women's National    Player of the Week.  Congrats on the honor.

[deiscanton]

How Massey sees the UAA....

UAA is currently ranked in #2 among d3's top conferences, ahead of NESCAC, but behind WIAC.  UAA also has the second highest winning percentage in non conference games at .716. (NESCAC finished higher with a .774 winning pct in non conference games.)

Massey scorelines for Friday:

Brandeis at CWRU--

Spartans (Mather) over Judges, 74-70.

NYU at Carnegie Mellon--

Violets over Tartans, 65-62.

Chicago at Emory --

Eagles over Maroons, 69-66.

Wash U at Rochester --

Bears over Yellowjackets, 76-71.

[deiscanton]

Friday halftime scores--

Brandeis 36, CWRU (Mather College) 30

NYU 37, Carnegie Mellon 34

Emory 22, Chicago 15

Rochester 42, Wash U 32

[deiscanton]

Final scores from Friday, Feb. 7

Brandeis 80, CWRU (Mather College) 71

Brandeis clinches a winning season.

CWRU-- First home loss of season.

Emory 51, Chicago 39

Emory and Chicago now tied in first at 6-2 in UAA.

Rochester 88, Wash U 64

Wash U suffers ninth loss of season-- First time since the founding of the UAA in 1986.

NYU 69, Carnegie Mellon 60

[deiscanton]

Halftime scores of Sunday games--

1.) Rochester 44, Chicago 28

2.) CWRU (Mather College) 30, NYU 26

3.)  Wash U 30, Emory 28

4.)  Carnegie Mellon 38, Brandeis 26

[deiscanton]

Final scores of Sunday games--

Carnegie Mellon 70, Brandeis 56

NYU 64, CWRU (Mather) 55

Rochester 81, Chicago 75

Wash U 72, Emory 61