WBB: Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference

[Baldini]

The race for playoff spots is going to be very interesting the last 5 games of the regular season. Standing as of this morning.

Transylvania  13-0
Hanover  12-1
Franklin  7-6
Defiance  6-7 
Bluffton  5-8
Manchester  5-8
Mount St. Joseph 5-8
Anderson  4-9
Earlham  4-9
Rose-Hulman  4-9

Hanover is still in the hunt for the league title with a huge showdown at home with Transylvania on 2/19.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Franklin on a 3 game skid has fallen back to the clutches of the pack... but 2 of those 3 were to Transy and Hanover. Hopefully they can regain their form against the bottom half of the conference. 2 more wins should see them safely into the conference tournament.

[Baldini]

They still have to play the games and anything can happen, but the schedule does appear to favorite Franklin to hold on to the 3 seed. Unlike RHIT's uphill battle, who still has road games at Transylvania, Hanover and Franklin in their final five.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Baldini 4-1     45-17
Jester 3-2      42-20
FCGG 2-3       39-23
Enginerd 0-0   8-7

Saturday
Rose-Hulman (4-9) @ Transylvania (13-0) 1:00 PM
Bluffton (5-8) @ Anderson (4-9) 2:00 PM
Hanover (12-1) @ Earlham (4-9) 2:00 PM
Defiance (6-7) @ Mount St. Joseph (5-8) 4:00 PM
Manchester (5-8) @ Franklin (7-6) 4:00 PM

[Baldini]

Rose-Hulman (4-9) @ Transylvania (13-0) 1:00 PM
Bluffton (5-8) @ Anderson (4-9) 2:00 PM
Hanover (12-1) @ Earlham (4-9) 2:00 PM
Defiance (6-7) @ Mount St. Joseph (5-8) 4:00 PM
Manchester (5-8) @ Franklin (7-6) 4:00 PM

[Jester1390]

Transy
anderson
hanover
defiance
franklin

[Baldini]

Are you going to the game Saturday Jester?

[Jester1390]

Nope i will be home im not sure if i will be at a game the rest of the year my busy time of year for my company if i go probably a Saturday game

[Baldini]

With six teams making the conference playoffs and Transylvania and Hanover already having the top 2 seeds and first round byes wrapped up, the other 4 spots will be interesting to watch playout. This is a list of each teams remaining games.

Transylvania  13-0  (Rose-Holman, Mount St. Joseph, @Manchester, @Hanover, Bluffton)
Hanover  12-1  (@Earlham, @Anderson, @Bluffton, Transylvania, Rose-Holman)

Franklin  7-6   (Manchester, Rose-Holman, Anderson, @Mount St. Joseph, Defiance)
Defiance  6-7   (@Mount St. Joseph, @Earlham, Rose-Holman, @Bluffton, @Franklin)
Bluffton  5-8   (@Anderson, Manchester, Hanover, Defiance, @Transylvania)
Manchester  5-8   (@Franklin, @Bluffton, Transylvania, Anderson, Earlham)
Mount St. Joseph 5-8  (Defiance, @Transylvania, @Earlham, Franklin, @Anderson)
Anderson  4-9  (Bluffton, Hanover, @Franklin, @Manchester, Mount St. Joseph)
Earlham  4-9   (Hanover, Defiance, Mount St. Joseph, @Rose-Holman, @Manchester)
Rose-Holman  4-9  ( @Transylvania, @Franklin, @Defiance, Earlham, @Hanover)

[Jester1390]

Don't know how my kid is doing it.  Her hip is really hurting her  I just got a text from assistant coach on their way to transy

I think it hurts to move she grimaced a lot yesterday.
I think it's painful for her to push off that side. Tough to do certain things.
She's soldiering on. haven't heard a single complaint from her though

For a coach to send that speaks to the kids character.  After every game they have to adjust her hip. One of her legs gets 1 to 2 inches longer  and they adjust it back

We talked she feels she can play through it she played 38 minutes last game

[Mr. Ypsi]

Don't know how my kid is doing it.  Her hip is really hurting her  I just got a text from assistant coach on their way to tranny

I think it hurts to move she grimaced a lot yesterday.
I think it's painful for her to push off that side. Tough to do certain things.
She's soldiering on. haven't heard a single complaint from her though

For a coach to send that speaks to the kids character.  After every game they have to adjust her hip. One of her legs gets 1 to 2 inches longer  and they adjust it back

We talked she feels she can play through it she played 38 minutes last game

Sounds like a kid with a lot of heart.  The female equivalent of Jordan Zimmer.  Jordan was badly hobbled in the game in Holland (first round, 2012 national tourney), an injury for which he had surgery after the season.  I was sitting behind his grandfather, who said in no uncertain terms that there was no chance he would be able to play in the second round (against #1 ranked Hope).  He not only played, he single-handedly WILLED them to victory in the second overtime of probably the best game I have ever seen firsthand - 28 points, 10 of them in the 2nd OT)!

Your daughter is a WARRIOR.  I hope she can have an experience like Jordan Zimmer did!

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Transy, Anderson, Hanover, MSJ, Franklin

[Jester1390]

wow they almost had the upset of the season tied game with 7 minutes to go  and transy said no its not going to happen.   I felt the team got away from playing team ball a little bit to many black holes once they got the ball alot of open players for kicks on drives and for  posts.   They are night and day better against the press if they handled the press now they would have won a couple more games.  They were destroyed on the boards for the first time this year and was the difference maker.  The kid had 7 and we didnt have anyone above 5.

A note to Engine.  They have asked the girls who plan on coming back next year. I dont want to speak on other players but i know my kid was honest. it really depends on next quarter. she knows she can handle the school academically but she is still not sure if this is what she wants for a career.  She is doing chem labs and feels this will give her a feeling on what she would like. She did tell them that if she does stay she will keep playing which makes me extremely happy I had some doubts with just the grind physically and mentally she has taken.  They asked her what she would do if she left and she would go to Gustavus to be a pre natal nurse. Were  a long way from there. My hope is she finds the happiness she is looking for in being an engineer and staying at Rose  I feel it has helped her grow intellectually as person but i  am comforted knowing how Gustavus feels about her both for the classroom and basketball.

I know there are other players on the bubble as well for different reasons. My hope is they all come back but if i had to guess i think you could see a couple players leave.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

Baldini 5-0     50-17
Jester 4-1      46-21
FCGG 5-0       44-23
Enginerd 0-0   8-7

Wednesday
Mount St. Joseph (6-8) @ Transylvania (14-0) 7:00 PM
Defiance (6-8) @ Earlham (4-10) 7:30 PM
Rose-Hulman (4-10) @ Franklin (8-6) 7:30 PM
Manchester (5-9) @ Bluffton (5-9) 7:30 PM
Hanover (13-1) @ Anderson (5-9) 7:30 PM

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

All games against Transy and Hanover are in red and crossed out because while some have come close, no one has beaten either of them so far. Games the first meeting were double digit losses are red, double digit wins are blue, single digit games black.

Transylvania  14-0  (Mount St. Joseph, @Manchester, @Hanover, Bluffton)
Hanover  13-1  (@Anderson, @Bluffton, Transylvania, Rose-Hulman)

Franklin  8-6   (Rose-Hulman (W17), Anderson (W6), @Mount St. Joseph (L6), Defiance (W13))

Defiance  6-8   (@Earlham (W6), Rose-Hulman (W10), @Bluffton (W5), @Franklin (L13))
Mount St. Joseph 6-8  (@Transylvania (L22), @Earlham (L3), Franklin (W6), @Anderson (W4))
Anderson  5-9  (Hanover (L2), @Franklin (L6), @Manchester (L7), Mount St. Joseph (L4))
Bluffton  5-9   (Manchester (L4), Hanover (L9), Defiance (L5), @Transylvania (L20))
Manchester  5-9   (@Bluffton (W4), Transylvania (L26), Anderson (W7), Earlham (L27))
Earlham  4-10   (Defiance (L6), Mount St. Joseph (W3), @Rose-Hulman (W15), @Manchester (W27))
Rose-Hulman  4-10  (@Franklin (L17), @Defiance (L10), Earlham (L15), @Hanover (L19))

If results went the way the first meetings did (which obviously won't happen), Transy, Hanover, Franklin would be the top 3 joined by Defiance (9-9), MSJ (8-10) and Earlham (7-11). Rounding things out would be Manchester (7-11), Anderson (5-13), Bluffton (5-13), Rose (4-14).