WBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Backseat Driver]

Wheaton all over Carthage at the half, 40-27. The Thunder closed the first half on a 15-2 run. I would expect Carthage to make a strong push early in the half to get back in the game.

[iwu70]

IWU up 61-37.

Long way to go.

IWU70

[Backseat Driver]

Wheaton 66
Carthage 51

Wheaton delivered the knockout punch with its 15-2 run to close the first half. Carthage didn't get closer than 9 in the second half, as it seemed like the Thunder really took them out of everything they wanted to do. Wheaton applied constant pressure on the perimeter and really made it tough for the Lady Reds to get the ball inside. This is by far Wheaton's most complete game of the year, as they really played well at both ends throughout the night. I'm sure there was a bit of an emotional carryover for Carthage from their tough loss on Saturday to IWU. Wheaton is really starting to play well now after two stinkers to start conference play. Now they need to see if they can continue their hot streak on the road. The Thunder always seems to struggle a bit at North Park.

Wheaton: 23-50 FG (46%) 8-14 3FG (57%) 12-16 FT (75%) 25 REB 20 TO
       -Lindsey Brenneman: 19 points (7-9 FG; 3-4 3FG)
       -Breanna Bohlen: 15 points (5-6 FG; 3-3 3FG)
       -Maris Hovee: 11 points, 5 rebounds

Carthage: 18-40 FG (45%) 8-17 3FG (47%) 7-10 FT (70%) 24 REB 26 TO
       -Diana Jacklin: 9 points, 7 rebounds, 6 blocks
       -Dani Ripkey:  9 points, 3 rebounds
       -Haley Stercic: 9 points (3-5 3FG)

[iwu70]

Final IWU 87 -- NCC 53

How about this for a line:  Lett 26 points, 8 RB, 2 Asst, 4 steals, 1 block, 1 TO, no fouls. 

Also:
Gardner 18
Bilek, career high 14

Only player in double figures for NCC:

Bobbi Johns with 10

IWU's bench scored 34.  Titans shot 51%, 50% from treyland, hitting 10 treys, 88% from the FT line.

Keep it rolling Titans.  Big game now with ECC on Saturday. 

It could be that Carthage lost tonight to WC, we'll see.

IWU70

[Backseat Driver]

North Park 64
Augustana 58

Elmhurst 72
Millikin 62

[iwu70]

Wow, great game by WC to take down Carthage. WC is coming on strong, which is not surprising.  Thought that game with Carthage would be closer.

IWU70

[Gregory Sager]

North Park 64
Augustana 58

Roxie Jones: 18 pts, 9 rebs
Dana Christensen: 13 pts
Annie Shain: 10 pts

Natalie Runge: 14 pts
Allison Scaggs: 14 pts
Chaney Tambling: 10 pts, 8 rebs

NPU almost blew a 13-point advantage in the second half, as Augie closed to within one with four minutes left, but Amanda Reese's squad held it together, clung to the lead, and closed it out in fine fashion with a six-point road win at the Carver Center. Although NPU didn't take care of the ball particularly well, turning it over 17 times, Augie turned it over a whopping 27 times. That negated a 46-33 rebounding advantage for the Rock Islanders. The difference in the game was Roxie Jones, who pretty much had her way in the low post tonight, and the outside shooting of Dana Christensen and Annie Shain, who each drained three treys. It was also good to see Dominikque Williams back in uniform this evening for the Park after a one-game absence, as her defense and athleticism were missed in Saturday's loss to Millikin.

Good to finally get off the schneid, and even better to get it on the road. Now NPU will have to step up and face a stiffer test on Saturday when the Vikings host a streaking Wheaton outfit.

[Mr. Ypsi]

HUGE game Saturday at Elmhurst - 5-0 IWU at 5-0 Elmhurst (everyone else has at least 2 losses).

Way too early to talk 'driver's seat', but if the Titans can win on the road, they can at least dream it.   A Jay's win would likely set up a helluva showdown in B'town later.  (NOT to say that other teams may not still have a say in it!)

[iwu70]

Ypsi, you are so so right. Should be a great match-up on Saturday, IWU vs. EC with both at 5-0.  EC has been playing exceptionally well and, if you look at their stats and line-up, you see great talent, a very strong team, surely one of the premier teams in the CCIW this season.  They got a bit win on the road vs. Millikin.  IWU also playing well, even with the injuries, the changes of their rotation, etc.  Lett and Gardner are really putting up the numbers, consistent production.  Hope Hasselbring and Solari are healthy, back for Saturday, at Brittiny did not play at NC, and Solari still struggles with the ankle problem.  She did not play at NC either.  Titans are getting great assistance from their bench, role players, but are still vulnerable in the post, IMHO.  That's why Solari being back, getting her toughness and rebounding there, esp. against a strong and tall team like EC, could be key.  Olivia Lett's line last night was one of the best in her career, surely one of the best in the CCIW all season.  Michelle Bilek is really starting to contribute in a significant way.  The "run and jump," the Titan speed and transition game, and the shooting percentage the Titans can manage on Saturday will determine it.  I bet EC is practicing all week against pressure, the full court press IWU is likely to bring.  Should be a great game.   

IWU70

[RogK]

I just checked the play-by-play of the E-M game; Millikin was up 25-12 but Elmhurst cut that to a 2 point deficit by the half. EC's Tess Godhardt had another big game : 22 pts (9/14, 1 three, 3/5 FT), 10 rebs, 3 steals. One major reason EC is doing so well is that they are not allowing many easy shots -- they held Millikin to 14/42 2FGs.
Olya Cholewick had 7 steals for Millikin.
To add to Backseat Driver's report, it was interesting that both Carthage and Wheaton shot better at 3FGs than 2FGs. I think that's due to both defenses' emphasis on not permitting much scoring in the lane (and to the fact that both teams have several outstanding longrange shooters).
Neither Brooke Olson nor Elisabeth Potts shot well (practically everyone else did), but I thought they each made fine contributions toward winning the game. As for Carthage, their main problem was turnovers. None of the Lady Reds had what would be considered a great game, but there were some nice efforts here and there, including the six blocks by Jacklin (she's such a smart, hard-working player) and three by Dani Ripkey (you don't expect that from a guard).

[Hoosier Titan]

The "Hoosier" in my screen name is there because I both was born there and graduated from Indiana University.  Now that my daughter's a graduate student there, my family has been enjoying going back to the "big" Bloomington.  The male Hoosier team has being doing quite a bit better than in recent seasons (it would be hard to do worse!), and we made the choice to go see them play Penn State at home this Sunday rather than follow the Titans to Elmhurst.  Now I'm wishing I could be in Chicago on Saturday and Indiana on Sunday.  Both IWU-Elmhurst matches look to be good ones and both look likely to loom large in the conference title races.

I'll be following both games closely, for sure!

[iwu70]

Seems Elmhurst presents to the Titans a great challenge to their drive for five straight CCIW championships, if not the greatest challenge this season.  EC is playing very well with a range of talent, with new and experienced players.  I've watched them on video and they are long and fast, with great rebounding and defensive intensity.  If they have a weakness, it seems to be that they do, at times, turn the ball over.  ECC starters do play alot of minutes.  How the IWU "run and jump" gets to them or not, may be a major factor.  IWU usually plays best when things are up-tempo and when in transition and high scoring games occur.  Don't think IWU would have the advantage if this game is played at a slower pace, in the half-court sets, most of the game.  IWU is weaker in the post area, especially if Solari is still out.  Of course, Lett can play anywhere, post, wing, top of the key, even PG when Hasselbring sits.  She had an awesome, huge game last night.   IWU role players and bench will have to play well again, as they have been doing (especially Michelle Bilek), and Melissa Gardner will have to be patient, slash to the hoop as well as hit her treys.  Should be a great game.  Hope IWU bigs, Jackson and Burton, are ready for a war with EC post area players.  Scurlock and Seibring also getting some minutes now in the rotation.  Rebounding by IWU will surely be one key to this game. 

IWU70

P.S.  Any word out there on the status of Solari and Hasselbring for Saturday, as both did not play a single minute vs. NCC. 

[Backseat Driver]

Very interesting matchup between IWU and Elmhurst --of course as a Wheaton fan I'd like Elmhurst to beat the Titans and then lose to Carthage next week 

In all seriousness though, IWU will be the best team the Bluejays have played since their loss to UW-Stevens Point way back on Nov. 29. Winning at Millikin really has me convinced that Elmhurst is for real. Decatur is a tough place to win. Now they have the four-time defending champs on their home court. Elmhurst has played the Titans pretty tough at home the last couple of seasons.

From IWU's perspective, they still have to play @Elmhurst, @Wheaton, @Carthage, and @Millikin. If they're going to win the league again, they're going to have to do it by beating the other contenders on the road. That's the mark of a championship team, though, and I certainly don't doubt the Titans' ability to win those games. But they'll be tough ones.

[RogK]

Hoosier Titan, I have a trivial inquiry that you could answer.
When I was in Bloomington IL in December, two local natives pronounced the Bloom part of it so that it rhymed with look and book. The lady who runs the B-and-B where I stayed assured me that it indeed should rhyme with look.
Is Bloomington IN pronounced the same way, or does it rhyme with tooth?

[Hoosier Titan]

Rog,

That's news to me!  But then, I am not a native here, so your B&B landlady may well be right.  I've always just pronounced them both "bloom," as in flowers. 

Of course, most university communities are primarily made up of people not native to the area, so it may not be surprising that I haven't noticed a native accent.