MBB: Northwest Conference

[LogShow]

There is one last step for the Logs before the NCAA.  They have already brought back the NWC regular season champs...now it is time take back the NWC tourney champs and get that AQ.

The show is on tonight

[80sshorts]

Huge stunner.  Good news for the Northwest Conference as a whole though, now with two bids into the tournament

[89Pirate]

There is one last step for the Logs before the NCAA.  They have already brought back the NWC regular season champs...now it is time take back the NWC tourney champs and get that AQ.

The show is on tonight

Sorry it didnt go your way tonight, but I am sure we will see each other again in the BIG TOURNEY !

[Buc Up]

Congratulations to Coach Hayford and the Whitworth Pirates!  In the three meeting this year between the two powers, Whitworth was the team that was more affected by foul trouble which is a little weird, considering that part of UPS game plan is to harass the person with the ball and have a lot of hands on the dribbler at all times.  In the past, UPS would get called for a lot of fouls at the beginning of the game and then the refs would eventually get tired of blowing their whistle and back off.  At that point UPS could continue to be aggressive and force an unreasonable amount of turnovers.  This year it seems that they have either backed off that style a bit, or they are simply not getting called for those same fouls.  Whitworth plays more of a move, your feet and try and beat your man to the position approach and yet was plagued with foul trouble in every meeting and it a few of the half's, was putting UPS at the line with the over 7 limit well ahead of the time Whitworth got into the bonus.  Just an observation.

Great individual performances by Montgomery, Nakamura and Riley.  Foster and Kraul were solid as usual and Williams had a little late-game magic as always.  It seems that some of UPS' role players were taken out of their games a little bit while Whitworth got some good production from Sellereit and Gregg.  Jurich didn't have a bad statistical game with 9 point and 8 boards, but foul trouble really limited his production.  It is great to know that the NWC will have two teams in the tournament and it will be interesting to see where the two teams play and if one of the two schools will host....

I look for both teams to win at least a couple of games.  UPS has some great talent and a difficult style for teams to prepare for with short notice.  Coach Hayford and his staff seem to always be able to put their team in a great position with a great game plan.  I surely wouldn't want to play either team in the first or second round.

Congratulations to both teams and good luck in the tourney.

Anyone heard about the all-league stuff?

[nwhoops1903]

WHAT A GREAT GAME TO WATCH TONIGHT.  GREAT JOB PIRATES!  UPS....POOL C!!  GOTTA LOVE THE SOUND OF THAT.

[D O.C.]

Congrats to the privateers. Indeed, UPS in the play-offs will bring the posters back here. Seemed stunned right now.

[bbaddict]

That was a pretty amazing game.   Great job, Pirates!  Hope Gebbers is OK after taking that wild, whapping elbow!  No call, though! 

And Logs, you have this huge student crowd cheering.  But, what a waste.  The only cheers they know are:  B.S., We Can't Hear You, Our House, and UPS, UPS.  Teach 'em some new ones!  Oh, and my favorite, SAT's, SAT's.  Are they seriously ranting that UPS is more academic than Whitworth?  Since when?  And, why on earth does it matter at basketball?

Anyway, that has to be one of the most exciting games I've watched all year.  That's a great venue because you can sit above and see most of the action.  The side where you're sitting is kind of hidden sometimes, but, for the most part, great view!

Go Pirates & Loggers -- make the NWC proud!

[Pugetsoundfan]

Great game, two proud teams hitting one another hard.  Montgomery played a long time with four fouls --it was key that the Loggers couldn't send him to the bench to sit with his large friend.  I thought Krauel had drawn #5 a couple of times, but the whistle we were looking for didn't come.  Riley hitting the 3 with about 30 ticks in regulation, just after Krauel had capped a crazed comeback with a 3 for the lead, was clutch for him.  When the Logs ratcheted up the pressure with a few minutes to go, down big, I think I saw the Pirates fall apart, then the Logs rushed some 3s and that was that....great small college game.

Coach Lunt is in the Tacoma paper this morning lamenting the likelihood that there will almost surely be a fourth UPS-WW game this year.  In the last few years of women's tournaments, UPS and Geo. Fox slugged it out all year, played tough in the NWC tournament, and then had to face one another in the second round of the NCAA.  Both of those teams were great women's teams, but one was inevitably knocked out by the other before they could get far in the tournament.

Lunt was quoted in the paper a couple of days ago as saying, "If we can just get out of the conference where they don't know us so well" things could be pretty special.  He has a point.  The Loggers are a highly talented D3 team, a good match for anybody straight up, but the defensive schemes that make them special rest a little on shock and awe, surprise....and by now, WW--also a talented D3 team-- isn't going to be surprised. 

[nwhoops1903]

Hey people, been gone...not surprised but disappointed with last weeks Linfield loss.  I think it firmly made UPS the team to beat and they came to Spokane last night and played well.  No slugfest just two talented teams with the better team winning....better team right now.  All of us who watch should know that UPS has started the last 2 seasons with a 5-0 start and first place.  Then to slide down in the next 3 weeks and be overtaken by WW and in 06-07 WW and LC.  Now that being said..UPS has beaten WW and LC early.  Congrats.

Not accepting defeat or conceding the conference by any means, WW like others is going to fight to make the 4 team playoff (new in 09) and get into the NCAA's.  That has to be the plan..not losing a third time to any team. WW is doing a pretty good job of staying at a high level despite the loss of POTY and senior depth.  UPS is obviously loaded and has plenty of seniors, could be their year. In fact, maybe such a good year that they could get to NWC final, lose and get an at large without a doubt.  Could happen very easily.

If I had a nickle for each of these, I might have like a quarter over the past 10 years.

Great game.  WW didn't get any crazy breaks, calls, or prayers answered, in fact, UPS had more go for them and yet WW's solid performance earned a convincing win.  That comeback was crazy awesome by UPS and WW almost lost the game in a 3 minute period.  WW stopped the madness and won it convincingly in OT.  I think when Kraul went down in OT and laid on the floor, UPS was beat.  He is so good and so tough, to see him lay there still but not motionless for a minute was when WW knew they had the upper hand and UPS knew they didn't have another run in them.  Great finish for Pirates and execution by Hayford and his coaches to get to that game and win it.  The last 6 weeks focus has been about getting to that game and winning it.  No 3 sweep in 09, Log fans have to be stunned.

[pineconefan]

Wow, miracles can happen - the Pirates actually made me look kind of smart:

My only prediction is this - if Whitworth can shoot above 45% in each half (which will be really tough), the Pirates will win.

46% first, 46% second, 67% OT.

[pineconefan]

Buc Up - if you are still reading this stuff - don't just register/post/leave.  Stick around and be part of the on-going conversation.

[Pugetsoundfan]

Two things....looking at the d3 projected brackets, UPS and WW slotted 4-5 in the west and headed for a first round rematch.  It's hard for me to believe that the committee would let that happen.  In any case, UPS/WW round 4 would be a slugfest!   

As to the academic merits of the two institutions, no comment from here.  I know that Puget Sound is a fine school, and know nothing about WW.  But consider these fan chants from strong academic schools:

"Harass them!  Harass them!  Make them relinquish the ball!"
"My my!  Hey hey!  You'll be working for us someday!"

[OxyBob]

Two things....looking at the d3 projected brackets, UPS and WW slotted 4-5 in the west and headed for a first round rematch.  It's hard for me to believe that the committee would let that happen. 

You've obviously never heard of what I like to refer to as the "SCIAC Exception." The NCAA D-III championship handbook provides:

Teams from the same conference do not have to play one another in the first round as long as geographic proximity is maintained.

The NCAA selection committee's overriding concern is cost, otherwise known as "geographic proximity." Making UPS and Whitworth play each other in the first round is a money saver. Therefore, expect that to happen.

OxyBob

[bbaddict]

Wow, miracles can happen - the Pirates actually made me look kind of smart:

My only prediction is this - if Whitworth can shoot above 45% in each half (which will be really tough), the Pirates will win.

46% first, 46% second, 67% OT.

Hey, I was thinking that Pineconefan, last night looking at the box score!  Couldn't remember who said it or where, but thought, "Wow, right on!"

[LogShow]

Don't have much to say right now except...that stings