WBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[David Collinge]

Denison 61, Ohio Wesleyan 41 (at Granville)...All Denison from start to finish in this one.  I've seen a lot of the Bishops this season, and I've never seen either Steffi Graf or Kelli Lester play as poorly as they both did tonight.   DU outshot the Bishops 49.0% to 22.6% (and 52.0% to 16.1% in the decisive first half) and outrebounded OWU 45-36.  OWU was a dreadful 1 of 19 from beyond the arc, most of them bricks or airballs.  About the only thing they did well was execute a full-court press which gave the Big Red fits (Denison turned the ball over 25 times, many of them as a result of pressure.)  Denison put four in double figures, led by Katie St. Clair's 17, and got another double-double, her sixth of the season, from Carolyn Simpson (12 & 10.)  Denison moves into a tie for second with Witt, but having been swept by the Tigers, they're essentially in third.  Kenyon coach Suzanne Helfant, whose team faces the Big Red next week, was in attendance charting the home team.
Wittenberg 76, Allegheny 75 (at Meadville)...Witt keeps pace with Denison in the battle for 2nd place, overcoming a 7-point deficit over the last 9 minutes.  Carrie Dyer led the Tigers with a career-high 22.
Oberlin 64, Wooster 63 (At Oberlin)...First-year Syrea Thomas drained a three-pointer with 0:02 left to give the Yeowomen the homecourt victory.  Wooster had led by as many as 10 points in the second half, and the winning basket gave OC their only lead of the final 15:00.
Earlham 73, Hiram 64 (at Hiram)...The Quakers snap a 13-game losing streak with their second NCAC win and first road win of the season, in the process passing the Terriers in the battle for the 8th and final playoff spot.  Hiram led by 12 at the break but were held to 25.7% shooting in the 2nd by the Quaker Sextet, who torched their own nets at a 51.9% clip to stage the comeback.

Updated standings:
Kenyon 12-0 / 15-6
Wittenberg 9-3 / 10-9
Denison 9-3 / 13-8
Ohio Wesleyan 8-4 / 13-7
Allegheny 4-7 / 7-13
Oberlin 4-7 / 5-15
Wooster 3-9 / 6-13
Earlham 2-10 / 3-17
Hiram 1-10 / 3-16
Wabash...DNP

Tomorrow's games:
Kenyon at Wooster
Denison at Oberlin
Wittenberg at Hiram
Earlham at Allegheny
Ohio Wesleyan and Wabash are idle

[David Collinge]

The NCAC women and their fans are "Thinking Pink" this week, starting with three games last night.  At Denison, the Big Red women came out for warmups in pink personalized t-shirts, and the first 100 students in attendance were also given "Think Pink" t-shirts.  Student volunteers collected donations for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.  There was also a raffle for an ipod at halftime.  Despite being a Friday night, the student section was the largest I've seen in Granville this season.  Photo Gallery.

Allegheny is having a "Think Pink" weekend as the two westernmost conference teams visit Meadville.  Last night, donations for the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund were collected, and a moment of silence was observed for Wittenberg's Pam Evans Smith, who lost her battle with cancer last year.  More collections will be solicited at today's contest with Earlham.

Oberlin also solicited donations for the Kay Yow Fund and raffled off a pink ipod, among other prizes, at their game vs. Wooster last night.

More "Think Pink" activities are scheduled for the following venues:
Wednesday: Wooster (vs. Hiram), Wittenberg (vs. OWU), Kenyon (vs. Denison)
Saturday: Hiram (vs Oberlin), Ohio Wesleyan (vs. Allegheny), Earlham (vs. Kenyon)

[David Collinge]

Today's action:
Kenyon 66, Wooster 46 (at Wooster)...Kenyon's just a lot more talented and athletic than the Scots, especially with Kym Wenz still in her warm-ups, but Wooster played stout defense and hustled hard the whole game, and Kenyon was never really able to get comfortable.  Still the Ladies played everyone who made the trip, and with the win captured at least a share of the regular season NCAC title.  Anne Dugan, inexorably headed toward the NCAC Player of the Year trophy, led the Ladies with 18 points in 29 minutes.
Denison 74, Oberlin 47 (at Oberlin)...Denison never trailed as they stayed alive in the conference race.  Oberlin junior Alyssa Clark recorded a double-double with 12 boards and 16 points, including the 1,000th point of her college career.  Congratulations, Alyssa!  Denison had four in double figures, led for the second straight night by Katie St. Clair, whose 22 give her 39 points for the weekend on 16 of 22 shooting.
Wittenberg 86, Hiram 63 (at Hiram)...Wittenberg seems to have a different leading scorer every night; tonight it was Stephanie Boardman with 23 on 8/12 shooting.  Both teams shot around 50%, but the Tigers forced 31 Terrier turnovers leading to a 20 shot advantage in field goal attempts.  Witt also stays alive in the race, although Kenyon has the tiebreaker advantage on the Tigers.
Allegheny 75, Earlham 60 (at Meadville)...Allegheny took control early, and led by 25 midway through the second half, then withstood a couple of Quaker runs to record the victory.  Brittany Bell, the reigning conference Player of the Week, led the Gators with 20 points, 18 of them on another half-dozen three pointers.

Updated standings:
Kenyon 13-0 / 16-6
Wittenberg 10-3 / 11-9
Denison 10-3 / 14-8
Ohio Wesleyan 8-4 / 13-7
Allegheny 5-7 / 8-13
Oberlin 4-8 / 5-16
Wooster 3-10 / 6-14
Earlham 2-11 / 3-18
Hiram 1-11 / 3-17
Wabash...DNP

Wednesday's games--every one key for final conference positioning:
Denison at Kenyon
Ohio Wesleyan at Wittenberg
Oberlin at Allegheny
Hiram at Wooster
Earlham and Wabash are idle

[David Collinge]

Thinking back on this last night, I believe that Kenyon has now cinched the top seed in the tournament.  They could end up tied with Wittenberg, with Denison, or with both, but Kenyon has the tie-breaker advantage in all of these scenarios:
* They swept Wittenberg
* They would have split with Denison, but have the better "best win" by virtue of having beaten Witt, which Denison could not do
* They would hold a 3-1 record in the head-to-head among the threesome, with Witt at 2-2 and Denison at 1-3

So congratulations to the Ladies, although I'll reserve my major applause for (if and) when they clinch the outright title.

[David Collinge]

Congratulations to Wittenberg's Carrie Dyer, this week's NCAC Player of the Week.  Carrie poured in 53 points and snatched 20 rebounds in three games this week, and also contributed 8 assists.  Brava, Carrie! 

[kiltedbryan]

Brava, Carrie! 

Nice use of "Brava," DC.  I always get annoyed hearing people say "Bravo" to a female performer, and always figured I was the only one.

[jscwittfan]

Whoa, someone besides DC and I on the women's boards!  Are you lost, KB?

[kiltedbryan]

Whoa, someone besides DC and I on the women's boards!  Are you lost, KB?

Nah, I come over here and read/lurk.  Don't post though because I don't go to see the women play ever, so I never really feel like I have anything to add to the conversation.  (And based on how on-topic my above post was, I think we can agree that's pretty much true.    )

[kiltedbryan]

I should also say that at times this season I've felt like I've been talking to myself on the OAC men's board...so dropping by the women's side of the boards reminds me that that board is far from the least active on the site.   

[David Collinge]

Kenyon wraps up their third NCAC regular season title, while OWU and Hiram throw monkey wrenches into the standings.

Kenyon 69, Denison 48 (at Gambier)...20 points on 8/11 shooting (4/7 from the arc) from Alisha Moreno, and 11 from Anne Dugan, including her 1,000th point in her career (becoming just the seventh Lady to accomplish this goal), were too much for the defending champions.  Kenyon, winners of 14 straight overall, moves to 14-0 in the conference with home-and-home sweeps of each of their main rivals.  CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NCAC CHAMPIONS, THE KENYON LADIES!
Ohio Wesleyan 63, Wittenberg 62 (at Springfield)...In the first of two crucial OWU/Witt games tonight (both won in nailbiting fashion by the Bishops), Kelli Lester scored the game's final three points on a jumper and a free throw, providing the upset and season sweep for the Bishops.  Lester tossed in 16 points, one of four Bishops in double figures, and clutched a team-high seven boards.  The leading scorer was frosh Pam Quigney, who came off the bench to connect on 8 of 11 shots for 19 points.
Allegheny 73, Oberlin 52 (at Meadville)...A 23-4 first-half spurt gave the Gators a double-digit lead that they'd hold throughout the second half.  Emilie Simone led the home team with 19 points, while Stephanie Wolf chipped in 10 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds.
Hiram 69, Wooster 62 (at Wooster)...Hiram ends a nine-game slide and climbs back into the playoff picture with the road win over the fading Scots.  Hiram had three in double figures, led by sophomore Alex Dellas' 22.  Wooster got another good game out of sophomore Kaitlin Krister (22 points, 10 boards, 3 blocks), but it wasn't enough.

Standings:
Kenyon 14-0 / 17-6
Wittenberg 10-4 / 11-10
Denison 10-4 / 14-9
Ohio Wesleyan 9-4 / 14-7
Allegheny 6-7 / 9-13
Oberlin 4-9 / 5-17
Wooster 3-11 / 6-15
Earlham 2-11 / 3-18
Hiram 2-11 / 4-17
Wabash...DNP

The battle for second place now gets real interesting, as Denison swept OWU, OWU swept Wittenberg, and Witt swept Denison.  Add in each team's two losses to Kenyon, and you have the four losses each team now has.  Thus, if each of the three teams win out, there will be a series of coin flips to determine the second, third, and fourth seeds.  Not that it matters much, since all three are highly likely to win their first-round games no matter the pairings (no team in 5th thru 9th has beaten any team in the top 4 this season), and unless Kenyon should unthinkably lose to the 8th seed a week from Tuesday, they'll host the conference Final Four.  Here are the remaining games for the 2nd place contenders:
Witt: at Wooster, vs. Oberlin (idle next Weds.)
Denison: vs. Earlham, vs. Allegheny (idle this Saturday)
OWU: vs. Allegheny, at Oberlin, vs. Hiram

Saturday's games:
Kenyon at Earlham
Wittenberg at Wooster
Allegheny at Ohio Wesleyan
Oberlin at Hiram
Denison and Wabash are idle

[David Collinge]

Kenyon 60, Earlham 46 (at Richmond)...Fifteen straight wins for the Ladies, whose starters mostly saw limited action in this one.
Wittenberg 82, Wooster 52 (at Wooster)...Wooster plays at Earlham next Saturday, and the final playoff slot may be on the line.
Ohio Wesleyan 69, Allegheny 57 (at Delaware)...Bishops keep their share of the crazy three-way tie for second place.
Hiram 57, Oberlin 54 (at Hiram)...Hiram moves out of the cellar--and into 7th place. 

Standings (corrected 2/17):
Kenyon 15-0 / 18-6
Wittenberg 11-4 / 12-10
Denison 10-4 / 14-9
Ohio Wesleyan 10-4 / 15-7
Allegheny 6-8 / 9-14
Oberlin 4-10 / 5-18
Hiram 3-11 / 5-17
Wooster 3-11 / 6-17
Earlham 2-12 / 3-20
Wabash...DNP

Wednseday's slate:
Hiram at Kenyon...senior night for six Kenyon seniors; I wonder which one doesn't get to start?
Oberlin at Ohio Wesleyan...senior night for six OWU seniors; I wonder which one doesn't get to start?
Earlham at Denison...senior night at Denison, too, but they have just two seniors...watch out for the Big Red next season
Wooster at Allegheny...it would be senior night in Meadville, too, but there are NO seniors on AC's squad (and just one for Wooster)
Wittenberg and Wabash are idle

[David Collinge]

Taking a closer look at the tournament:
Kenyon has clinched the #1 seed.  As the top 4 teams have yet to lose any games to the bottom 5, I think it's reasonable to assume that OWU, Witt, and Denison will all win out and finish in the three-way tie for second, resulting in a drawing of lots for seeds 2-4.

Allegheny looks to be in good shape for the #5 seed; they'd have to lose twice and have Oberlin win twice to end up tied, and as Oberlin finishes with Witt and OWU, that just ain't gonna happen.  Oberlin, however, appears to have all but clinched a playoff slot (there is a far-fetched scenario in which they end up tied for 7th with both Wooster and Earlham at 4-12, and I'm not sure how that would play out, but it's so unlikely as to not merit further consideration.)

Here's what the bottom 4 have left:
Oberlin (4-10): vs. OWU, at Witt
Hiram (3-11): at Kenyon, at OWU
Wooster (3-11): at Gheny, at Earlham
Earlham (2-12): at Denison, vs. Wooster

Both Oberlin and Hiram will lose their final two games, barring a large upset.  Wooster will probably lose at 'Gheny, and Earlham will surely lose in Granville.  So pending the result of that Woo at EC game next weekend, the standings will likely be
Oberlin 4-12
Wooster 3-12
Hiram 3-13
Earlham 2-13

If Wooster wins that game, Hiram would be the 8 seed, and Wooster and Oberlin would be tied for the #6.  They split on the regular season, but I think Oberlin would hold the tie-breaker by virtue of their victory over Allegheny on Jan. 16.

If Earlham wins that game, Oberlin would be the 6 seed, and the other three would all be tied at 3-13.  They will have each split with the other two, and in each case the third conference win would have been Oberlin, with whom they all split, with Oberlin winning a home and losing on the road in each case.  I think that means another three-way coin toss.  That would be a tough way to miss out on the tournament, even a tournament where it's all but certain that the #7 and #8 seeds will lose in the first round anyway.

Should Wooster manage to win this Weds. at Allegheny, they'd be in the catbird seat for the #6 seed.  But let's cross that bridge when--and if--we come to it.

Wabash was eliminated from tournament contention in 1832.

[David Collinge]

Congratulations to OWU's senior post Kelli Lester, whose heroics at Wittenberg on Wednesday led to her being named the NCAC Player of the Week for the penultimate week of the season.  Kelli is the second Bishop to earn this award this season, the other being classmate Steffi Graf.  Congratulations, Kelli! 

[ECHOOPER]

You have to give it up to the Earlham ladies for not giving up on the season, especially with only playing with 8 players.  That was until Samantha Lurie tore her ACL, and is struggling playing less than one minute saturday.  This was a team that asked a player to leave for conduct detrimental.  Players playing sick, and they only have 4 healthy players which two of those see limited action.  I commend this team on not giving up on the season and still have a chance to make the tourney.

[David Collinge]

I give it up for all of the women's players who toil in near-obscurity in our great conference.  I'm proud of all of them, at all nine schools.


Tonight's action:
Kenyon 62, Hiram 50 (at Gambier)...On an emotional Senior Night, in an elaborately decorated gym, the Ladies wrapped up their first unbeaten conference campaign since 1997.  Kenyon won this game with stout defense, holding their guests to 32% shooting and forcing 20 turnovers.  Kenyon's offense misfired all night, with missed jumpers, botched layups, and errant passes, but they put together a nice run at the end of the first half to open a 14-point halftime lead, and another spurt midway through the second period to put the game on ice.  Thousand-point scorer Anne Dugan added yet another double-double to her resume, scoring 10 points and grabbing 15 boards.  Three other seniors scored in double figures; in fact, the six honorees contributed all but 9 of the points as well as 34 rebounds.
Denison 97, Earlham 41 (at Granville)...Denison came out hitting on all cylinders, nailing 63% of their first half shots, including six treys, and never looked back as they coasted to the victory.  Six Big Red players scored in double figures, including 10 pt., 13 board effort from first-year Lindsay Henry.
Ohio Wesleyan 78, Oberlin 49 (at Oberlin)...I apologize for mistaking the location of this game in my post above. First-year Pam Quigney seems to have found her stroke just in time for the tournament.   Tonight she hit 9 of 13 attempts, including six treys, for a game-high 28 points.  Senior Steffi Graf added 18 on 6 of 9 shooting, which came in handy, considering the rest of the team was a dreadful 10 of 44 (22.7%) on the night (4/19 from the arc, where Quigney and Graf were 10/16).  Oberlin got a solid 15 point, 13 board game from Roneisha Kinney in the losing effort.
Allegheny 60, Wooster 47 (at Meadville)...'Gheny roared out to a 24-point halftime lead, then withstood the second-half comeback effort by the visiting Scots to cinch the #5 seed in the upcoming tournament.  The Gators won behind balanced scoring (four Gators in double figures) and defense (forcing 24 Wooster turnovers, including 13 steals).

Standings:
Kenyon 16-0 / 19-6
Wittenberg 11-4 / 12-10
Denison 11-4 / 15-9
Ohio Wesleyan 11-4 / 16-7
Allegheny 7-8 / 10-14
Oberlin 4-11 / 5-19
Hiram 3-12 / 5-18
Wooster 3-12 / 6-18
Earlham 2-13 / 3-21
Wabash...DNP

Saturday's season-ending slate:
Oberlin at Wittenberg
Allegheny at Denison
Hiram at Ohio Wesleyan
Wooster at Earlham
Kenyon and Wabash are idle