MBB: Northwest Conference

[Pio20]

I watched UPS/LC.  The Pios put up about as good a fight as they could, got some pretty sweet 3 point shooting from 5 and 24, and kept within shouting distance. I thought that UPS controlled the game throughout, with a little sputtering in the first minutes of the second half. Foster was great in the first half in particular, and Williams (aside from a couple of bad turnovers near the start of the second half) was in command in the second half. 

LC went to a 1-4 offense in the second half, leaving the ball at the point, running the shot clock down to under 15, then (typically) having whoever was at the point step back and shoot the 3.  I hadn't seen anybody attack UPS that way, and for a little while it looked effective.  

I agree..the offense was very odd. I'm not sure why he decided to let the shot clock run down so far before attacking. Perhaps he was trying to give players a breather since he had a short rotation? Or slow the game down and try to stop UPS from running? It was a weird game. LC didn't play particularly bad and UPS didn't play particularly well. In the end, the UPS offense was just too much for LC's poor defense. Antwan Williams sure doesn't hurt either. He is legit. Super quick and has great court awareness. The UPS press gave LC a little trouble, but even when they broke it they pulled the ball back and held the ball for a while. The Fieldhouse is a cool venue. The upper tier gives you a cool perspective on the game. The Pios have a tough end to the season without Josh Kollasch. They fought hard and have a lot of young talent coming back next year. Until then...good luck to UPS and Whitworth! Represent for the NWC!

[89Pirate]

Sorry to say you'll be making the trip to Tacoma.  UPS beat L&C 86 - 74.  Tried to listen to the game, but ended up just looking at LiveStats.  (Was also watching the Whitworth/Linfield game where it overlapped.)  The Pios made the Loggers work for the win.  Seemed like it might have been a pretty good game.

Didn't Montgomery have 14 boards as well?  There is just no other announcer like Bob Castle!  He's the greatest!   Linfield was a pretty tough team this year. 

So, UPS & Whitworth - go represent the NWC!  I'm pretty sure that whatever the outcome of Saturday's game, both teams will go to the tourney.  How sweet is that?

Missed the boards part, but he also had 6 blocks !  He was a monster !

[89Pirate]

So, there's no streaming video for the UPS/L&C game tonight?   What's with that?  Logs, your team needs to upgrade their technology to the level of their team's success.  That's just wrong!

Is the announcer any good?

Because of the women's game at UPS, we can watch 1/2 of the Whitworth/Linfield game before switching over to UPS/L&C.   Then we can alternate back & forth.

A minor detail for me, but then again I live in Tacoma...

Predicting a blowout tonight: Loggers by 18, leads of 30 or close to it throughout the night.  I think WW beats Linfield comfortably as well,  maybe with a late surge, and then it's revenge for last year for the Logs.

I really hope I don't make the two hour trip to see a 30 point blowout 

And I hope I dont have to make the 5 hour trip to see a game in Memorial.  Go Pios tonight and keep the conference champ in Spokane !

You better fill up your gas tank and check the conditions on the pass...you are heading to Tacoma!

Unfortunately NOT going to make Saturday's tourney final - will be listening to the BEST radio guy out there instead !  Will go wherever the committee puts the Pirates for the first weekend of the dance though.

[UPS4Life]

Was at the UPS game (of course) and to be honest, and not to diss L&C, but it never seemed to me that the Loggers were in trouble.  It is just too hard to keep up 3-point shooting throughout a game, especially when you're draining them from 30 feet out and a man in your face.  It's nice when it's happening, but it just won't work all game.  L&C's offense was a little odd, I didn't understand the running down of the shot clock while down by 8/10 points.  Great game by the Loggers, never seemed worried, and Austin Boyce threw down one of the best dunks I've ever seen in in 15 years of attending.  Looking forward to the WW rematch.

[Pugetsoundfan]

LC needed to slow the game down to keep their legs and needed to shoot lights out from long range to have a chance, and therefore the "hold the ball and heave the 3" strategy had something to recommend it.  It also looked to me like they were getting decent rebounding positioning out of that set, doing better than an undersized team might expect to against a pretty strong UPS front line.  LC had some good shooters on the floor.  I appreciated the way that the Pios didn't spend the last minute of a lost game extending things with useless fouls.  Good team, played hard, lost, and they'll take their chances next year....

Sat. should be great....

[TryMeTeam]

LC needed to slow the game down to keep their legs and needed to shoot lights out from long range to have a chance, and therefore the "hold the ball and heave the 3" strategy had something to recommend it.  It also looked to me like they were getting decent rebounding positioning out of that set, doing better than an undersized team might expect to against a pretty strong UPS front line.  LC had some good shooters on the floor.  I appreciated the way that the Pios didn't spend the last minute of a lost game extending things with useless fouls.  Good team, played hard, lost, and they'll take their chances next year....

Sat. should be great....

Just checked the stats.  It looks like one of the LC starters must have been hurt in the first half, plays 16 minutes 1st half and none the 2nd.  Another only played 3 minutes total.  Two others did not play.  That means 6 players "played" the second half.  Against UPS, that is a prescription for a huge defeat.  It looked like the LC's only chance was to slow it down and hope for a miracle.  But God was at the WW game making sure they beat an inspired Lin team 

With LC's injuries, the two best teams are playing for the championship.  I would have like to see LC play WW and UPS with Kollasch.  There would have been an OR team in the championship today, IMO!

I am hoping for a competitive game tonight, but I am afraid UPS will beat WW by more than they beat LC.  Both teams should make the the big tourny, anyway.  Here' to both representing the NWC well!

[LogShow]

Based on the D3 hoops front page, it sounds like the Pool C bids are getting pretty dicey...

[LogShow]

What a big game tonight, the Memorial Fieldhouse is going to be packed and rocking! 

[LogShow]

From Pabegg on the Pool C board:

UPS and St. Thomas will have Pool C bids if they need them with a loss today.
The WIAC loser and UW-Whitewater have Pool C bids.
Buena Vista will need to sweat out upsets, but they're in good shape.
Claremont has no Pool C chance
Whitworth would replace Buena Vista in national consideration once BV gets in. They have a chance, however slim, of getting a Pool C bid but it really depends on a lack of upsets around the country. The last two days haven't been kind to them.

[pineconefan]

Thankfully I don't think the Whitworth coaches and players are too concerned with where they stand in the Pool C consideration.  They should be focused entirely on tonight's game.  It will be tough enough as it is.

I also will be listening to Bob Castle tonight, but will be interested to know what kind of turnout Whitworth fans make at the game.  Whitworth generally has good road crowds.

[pineconefan]

For Whitworth to have a chance tonight, the Pirates cannot let UPS take them out of their game in the first half like has happened in the first two meetings.  In both games the Loggers built big first half leads by holding Whitworth below 40% from the field and even worse from three point range in the half. 

All credit goes to UPS for that.  It is up to Whitworth to adjust to what UPS has done, which they did okay in the second half of each game, but at that point the lead was too much to overcome.

My only prediction is this - if Whitworth can shoot above 45% in each half (which will be really tough), the Pirates will win.  If not, UPS will win.

[LogShow]

For Whitworth to have a chance tonight, the Pirates cannot let UPS take them out of their game in the first half like has happened in the first two meetings.  In both games the Loggers built big first half leads by holding Whitworth below 40% from the field and even worse from three point range in the half. 

All credit goes to UPS for that.  It is up to Whitworth to adjust to what UPS has done, which they did okay in the second half of each game, but at that point the lead was too much to overcome.

My only prediction is this - if Whitworth can shoot above 45% in each half (which will be really tough), the Pirates will win.  If not, UPS will win.

You are right Pinecone.  UPS needs to step up the defense tonight to beat WW.  They have been able to do that this year...probably partly because WW just isn't quite as versitile without Symes and Willamsen. 

In the last meeting, UPS did a great job of taking WW out of its game...especially in the 1st half, they really limited Riley.  However, UPS did struggle in the battle of the boards against WW's big boys down low.  I think that is a real key to the game tonight.  UPS has to keep WW off the glass and limit their second chances.  If they can do that, and limit Riley...I will be pretty confident in the Logger's chances.

[LogShow]

Thankfully I don't think the Whitworth coaches and players are too concerned with where they stand in the Pool C consideration.  They should be focused entirely on tonight's game.  It will be tough enough as it is.

I also will be listening to Bob Castle tonight, but will be interested to know what kind of turnout Whitworth fans make at the game.  Whitworth generally has good road crowds.

Too bad you can't make the trip...it is going to be a GREAT atmospshere tonight.  WW and UPS always seem to be the ones battling it out to get into the NCAA.

[UPS4Life]

Can't wait for the game tonight, it's going to be awesome.  I'm hoping for a game lacking a large number fouls, would really just like to see a solid, disciplined game from both teams with the refs not being a factor.  As long as the Loggers play solid defense, I don't see them dropping this game at home.

[LogShow]

Almost gametime!   8)