WBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[David Collinge]

NFL references being utterly lost on me, I'll just move on to the scores:

Wittenberg 71, Earlham 57...final congratulations to the Tigers for wrapping up the undisputed conference title!
Allegheny 69, Hiram 55...nevertheless, Hiram clinches the final playoff spot as Earlham is eliminated
Denison 86, Oberlin 52
OWU 72, Kenyon 55

Updated standings:
Wittenberg 15-1 conference, 17-7 overall...Champs & #1 seed
OWU 12-2, 17-6...#2 seed
Denison 9-6, 17-7...very probably #3 seed; see below
Kenyon 8-7, 15-9
Wooster 7-7, 10-13
Allegheny 7-8, 10-14
Oberlin 4-11, 5-19...#7 seed (swept Hiram)
Hiram 3-12, 4-20...#8 seed
Earlham 2-13, 3-21...EC is eliminated

So two of Tuesday's quarterfinals are set:
#7 Oberlin at #2 OWU
#8 Hiram at #1 Wittenberg
#3 at #6 and #4 at #5 are still wide open, although Denison will be one of the two hosts.

[fantastic50]

If I understand the breakdown of the tiebreakers correctly, then the Scots need all of the following, to get a home game next Tuesday...
1) Wins at OWU and at Earlham this weekend
2) Denison beats Hiram
3) Kenyon loses to Oberlin

If all of the above happen, then Wooster is seeded #3.  If not, they'll be #5 or #6.

It has been 13 years since the Scots made it to the weekend portion of the conference tournament, so I'm hoping for a quarterfinal win, whether home or away.

[David Collinge]

If I understand the breakdown of the tiebreakers correctly, then the Scots need all of the following, to get a home game next Tuesday...
1) Wins at OWU and at Earlham this weekend
2) Denison beats Hiram
3) Kenyon loses to Oberlin

If all of the above happen, then Wooster is seeded #3.  If not, they'll be #5 or #6.

Yes, I believe that is correct.  In your scenario, Wooster would be the 3 seed with Denison #4.  In all other scenarios, Denison is the #3.  I've corrected my post above.  Thanks.

[David Collinge]

A very quick look at the tiebreakers for 3-6:
Denison vs. Kenyon ==> Denison (sweep)
Denison vs. Wooster ==> Wooster ("best win": Witt today)
Denison vs. Gheny ==> Denison (sweep)
Kenyon vs. Wooster ==> Kenyon (sweep)
Kenyon vs. Gheny ==> Gheny ("best win": OWU next week, which must happen for this tie to occur)
Wooster vs. Gheny ==> Wooster ("best win": Witt today)
Denison, Kenyon, Wooster ==> in that order (head to head)
Denison, Gheny, Kenyon ==> in that order (head to head Denison sweep, then Gheny over Kenyon as above)
Kenyon, Gheny, Wooster ==> in that order (head to head)
4-way tie:  Denison, Kenyon, Wooster, Gheny (head to head, then Wooster over Gheny as above)

I wanted to make some small revisions here because I was applying the wrong tie-breaker: the NCAC uses a "modified best win" format as the #2 tie-breaker (behind head-to-head).  "Modified best win" looks at the aggregate results against all teams ahead of the tied teams.  It doesn't change the outcome of the process, just how that outcome is arrived at.  So for those ties that are not fully resolved by head-to-head results, here's the actual story:
Denison vs. Wooster ==> Teams split.  If they're tied, it's at 9-7 (with Kenyon at 8-8), and the only teams ahead are Witt and OWU.  Wooster's record against them would be 2-2 while DU's would be 0-4.  Wooster wins this tie.
Kenyon vs. Gheny ==> Teams split.  If they're tied, it's at 8-8.  Witt, OWU, and Denison would be above them, and Wooster might be, too.  So:
  Kenyon vs. Gheny(1): records vs. Witt, OWU, & Denison: Kenyon 0-6, Gheny 1-5 (they need to beat OWU for this tie to happen).  Gheny wins this tie.
  Kenyon vs. Gheny(2): add Wooster to the mix: Kenyon 2-6, Gheny 2-6.  Move to the next tiebreaker, with is unmodified best win.  The best win for either would be the Gheny win over OWU Saturday that makes this tie happen.  So Gheny wins this tie too, and thus wins any tie with Kenyon.
Wooster vs. Gheny ==>  Teams split.  Tie could be at 8-8 or at 7-9.
  Wooster vs. Gheny (8-8)==> They're tied for 5th behind Witt, OWU, Denison, and Kenyon.  Gheny would be 2-6 against this group.  Wooster could be either 3-5 or 2-6.  If 2-6, we move to best win, and that goes to Wooster by virtue of having beaten Wittenberg.
  Wooster vs. Gheny (7-9)==> Still tied for 5th behind the same group.  Gheny would be 1-7 and Wooster 2-6.  So Wooster wins any tie with Gheny.

[David Collinge]

So, while OWU may not have anything specific to play for (aside from a 'W'), they will be the opposition in two huge games this weekend.  The first is the twice-postponed matchup with the Fighting Scots, now set for Friday:

Wooster (7-7) at OWU (12-2), 5:30pm -- Live stats -- please note the unusual starting time (which means I'll miss it entirely; it'll be over long before I'm home from work--if they finally manage to get it played!)

Then's Saturday's season-capping slate looks like this:
Hiram (3-12) at Denison (9-6), 2pm -- Live stats
Oberlin (4-11) at Kenyon (8-7), 2pm -- Live everything
Wooster (7-8) at Earlham (2-13), ~3pm -- Live audio and stats -- Game 2 of an EC/COW doubleheader, men at 1pm -- Earlham's final conference game ever
Allegheny (7-8) at OWU (13-2), ~5pm -- Live everything -- Game 2 of an AC/OWU doubleheader, men at 3pm

Wittenberg (15-1), fittingly, is idle

[David Collinge]

This afternoon's score:
OWU 81, Wooster 61...Scots are eliminated from the race for #4 and will be on the road next Tuesday.

Updated standings:
Wittenberg 15-1 conference, 17-7 overall...Champs & #1 seed...yes Virginia, they had a 24-game schedule
OWU 13-2, 18-6...#2 seed
Denison 9-6, 17-7...#3 seed
Kenyon 8-7, 15-9...either #4 or #5
Allegheny 7-8, 10-14...can be #4, #5, or #6
Wooster 7-8, 10-14...either #5 or #6
Oberlin 4-11, 5-19...#7 seed (swept Hiram)
Hiram 3-12, 4-20...#8 seed (swept Earlham)
Earlham 2-13, 3-21...EC is eliminated

#4-#6 seeds:
If Allegheny loses to OWU, the seeding will be #4 Kenyon, #5 Wooster, #6 Allegheny, regardless of the outcomes of the Kenyon/Oberlin and Wooster/Earlham games.
If Allegheny wins and:
a) Kenyon wins and Wooster loses: #4 Kenyon, #5 Allegheny, #6 Wooster
b) Kenyon and Wooster both win: #4 Kenyon, #5 Wooster, #6 Allegheny
c) Kenyon loses and Wooster wins: #4 Kenyon, #5 Allegheny, #6 Wooster
d) Kenyon and Wooster both lose: #4 Allegheny, #5 Kenyon, #6 Wooster

Kenyon clinches the #4 seed and final quarterfinal home game if they defeat Oberlin *or* if Allegheny loses to OWU *or* (oddly enough) if both Wooster and Allegheny win.

[David Collinge]

Finals:

Denison 85, Hiram 35...#3 Denison makes a pre-tournament statement.
Kenyon 62, Oberlin 48...Kenyon wins the #4 seed.
Wooster 72, Earlham 69...Scots trailed by 8 at the half and by 1 inside the final minute.

Seedings/pairing are now set, regardless of the OWU/Allegheny game:
#8 Hiram at #1 Wittenberg...Tigers swept the season series
#7 Oberlin at #2 OWU...Bishops swept the season series
#6 Allegheny at #3 Denison...Big Red swept the season series
#5 Wooster at #4 Kenyon...Ladies swept the season series

OWU is murdering Allegheny...final score of the final game of the regular season is 100-62 for the Bishops.

Final standings:
Wittenberg 15-1 conference, 17-7 overall
OWU 14-2, 19-6
Denison 10-6, 18-7
Kenyon 9-7, 16-9
Allegheny 7-9, 10-15
Wooster 8-8, 11-14
Oberlin 4-12, 5-20
Hiram 3-13, 4-21
Earlham 2-14, 3-22

[David Collinge]

For the second straight week, the NCAC Player of the Week award will remain on the Hill, as last week's winner, Kym Wenz, needs only to attend practice to pass the hardware off to this week's honoree, senior post Kaitlin Krister.  Krister, who together with Wenz created a devastating one-two punch for the Scots over the past four years, averaged a double-double in her two games this week, and contributed 11 assists and 10 blocks leading the Scots to a fifth-place finish.  Krister, who averaged just over ten points per game during the conference season, finishes the campaign as the NCAC's leading defensive rebounder and shot blocker.  Congratulations, Kaitlin!

-----------------------

The tale of the tape for POTW, whatever it may be worth:
Despite dominating the league, Wittenberg's POTW haul was less than that of two of their rivals, as OWU and Wooster led the way with three trophies apiece.  Wittenberg had two, Earlham was shut out, and each of the other squads won one apiece.  Wooster senior Kym Wenz and OWU junior Tyler Cordell were each honored twice.  Just under half of the trophies were bestowed upon seniors, while Oberlin's Allison Anderson was the only first-year to wear the laurels.  Congratulations (again) to all, and to everyone who made this another great season of NCAC women's hoops!

[David Collinge]

Here's a quick look at some of the statistical leaders (conference only) for the 2009-10 season:

Scoring champion: Kym Wenz, senior, Wooster, for the second consecutive year.  She averaged 20.4 ppg, a little more than one ppg better than last season and two ppg ahead of the runner-up (also for the second straight year), Wittenberg's Stephanie Boardman.
Top rebounder:  Kenyon sophomore Morgan Korinek, last season's Newcomer of the Year, by about a third of a rebound per game over Wooster's Kaitlin Krister (8.9 vs. 8.6).  Krister was the loop's top defensive rebounder (6.3), and Wittenberg junior Katherine Hueter topped the offensive rebounding charts (3.3).
Assists: Freshman sensation Allison Anderson of Oberlin produced a league-leading 92 assists, 0.24 apg better than OWU's Tyler Cordell.
Steals: Again it was Allison Anderson making it happen on both ends of the floor for the Yeowomen.  Her 3.63 spg was nearly a full steal per game better than the runner-up, Kenyon's Morgan Korinek.
Assist to Turnover Ratio: OWU's under-the-radar senior Lauren Gentene was the only NCAC player to have more than twice as many assists as turnovers, clocking in at 2.19.  (Although that's a fine performance, it's a reminder of just how special last year's A/TO champ was, as Denison's Ellen O'Brien had nearly six assists for each of her 13 turnovers.)
Shooting percentages:  The best overall field goal percentage belongs to Kenyon's Morgan Korinek, who connected on just under 60% of her shots this season, easily outdistancing Wittenberg's Carrie Dyer.  Pam Quigney, OWU's sophomore floor leader, was the most accurate shooter from the arc at 44.2%, just ahead of Kym Wenz (43.9%), who was far and away the conference's top free throw shooter (83.1%).
Three point baskets: Allegheny senior Brittany Bell, after a year lost to injury, reclaims the title she won as a sophomore and almost won as a frosh.  Her 2.8 threes per game was enough to top the ubiquitous Kym Wenz by .12.
Blocked shots: Wooster senior Kaitlin Krister swatted away better than 2.3 shots per conference game, easily topping this list.
Minutes per game: Allison Anderson led the contingent of Oberlin Yeo-warriors who finished in three of the top four spots for stamina.  Anderson hardly sat, averaging nearly 39.4 minutes per game, ahead of teammates Syrea Thomas (39.2) and Kelly Warlich (35.8), as well as (you guessed it) Kym Wenz (36.5).
Scoring and rebounding: Five players finished in the league's top ten in both scoring and rebounding.  In rough order of magnitude:
> Wittenberg's Stephanie Boardman--2nd in scoring (18.3), 5th in rebounding (7.6)
> Kenyon's Morgan Korinek--T7th in scoring (14.6), 1st in rebounding (8.9)
> Wittenberg's Carrie Dyer--4th in scoring (15.2), 6th in rebounding (7.3)
> Denison's Shaina Kaiser--T7th in scoring (14.6), 9th in rebounding (6.4)
> Oberlin's Kelly Warlich--10th in scoring (12.9), 7th in rebounding (6.6)

Congratulations to these outstanding performers!

[David Collinge]

Mild upset alert:  OWU leads Oberlin 40-37 with 12:40 left to play in their quarterfinal.  Live Stats.

Also please see the new poll I've posted.  Please vote!

--------------------

Bishops get a scare, but survive, 60-56.
Denison gets no scare at all, beating Allegheny 80-58.  Next up: Denison vs. OWU.

Morgan Korinek blocks a putback by Jessica Wingen as the clock expires, Kenyon slips by Wooster 48-47.
Wittenberg leads Hiram by 15 midway through the second period.

[fantastic50]

The Scots had a chance to advance to the NCAC semifinals for the first time in 14 years, but missed two shots on their last possession, and Kenyon won by a single point. 

Congrats to the Wooster women on an improved season, with an 8-8 regular-season NCAC record.

[David Collinge]

Wittenberg wins, 59-43.

Semifinals, Friday at Wittenberg:
Denison vs. OWU, 6pm
Kenyon vs. Wittenberg, 8pm

A tasty weekend is in store for NCAC fans!

[David Collinge]

The voting in my poll is going about how I expected it would...

[pennstghs]

Don't worry David.......I helped out.

The award hands down should go to Boardman. Best Player on Best Team is the deciding factor this year

[NoDinZone]

First off, David thanks for everything you put into this.

Now, regarding the POY.  I give it to Kym Wenz for being the best player in the league.  Nobody had more to do with their team's position in the standings than this young lady.  21 ppg, 5+ rbpg, almost 50% behind the arc on 150+ attempts.