WBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[GoPerry]

If there's a better offensive player in the country than Kendall Sosa I'll need convincing.  If she's not burying outside shots, she's drawing fouls and killing you at the FT line or breaking down your defense leaving team mates wide open for their shots.  She was a one gal wrecking crew tonight because, honestly, none of the other Titans played well.

For Millikin, it's inexplicable how Knudsen and Fox kept collapsing off of Sosa and giving her wide open looks.  Almost like they were unaware of her range.

Great comeback by the Greenies.

[Gregory Sager]

Overtime final from NPU:

Wheaton 71
North Park 66

Jayla Johnson: 24 pts, 3:1 a:to
Emily Czuhajewski: 10 pts
Josie Summerville: 11 rebs

Hannah Williams: 20 pts (6-6 FT), 8 rebs
Annie Tate: 16 pts, 3:0 a:to
Ellie Cassel: 14 pts, 7 rebs
Hannah Swider: 11 pts

Wheaton won it at the FT line, and North Park lost it at the FT line. The game was played at North Park's pace, favoring North Park's defensive style, and the Vikings managed to forge an eight-point lead in the final quarter -- and couldn't finish. No excuses; Wheaton played the kind of fourth-quarter stretch and overtime that demanded more of the Vikings, and they just couldn't muster it.

Great game, very exciting and very gritty. Just not happy with the outcome, though.

[Titan Q]

I was lucky to get to watch every minute of Kendall Sosa's performance tonight.

Incredible.

Best in WBB program history, tied for best in IWU basketball history.

- Kendall Sosa: 47 (2/9/21 at Millikin)

- Greg Yess: 47 (12/10/80 vs Indiana Central)

- Lili Nafziger: 45 (1/5/80 vs Eureka)

- Jack Sikma: 44 (1/17/77 at Millikin)

[RogK]

Sosa's 47 points do indeed exceed the prior record for conference action, which was 45 by Elmhurst's Lyndsie Long on Feb 10 2010. I was at that remarkable game, won by Carthage (at Elmhurst) 85-84 via a game-ending nearly halfcourt 3FG by Katie Klemke.
I have no idea if any CCIW WBB player scored 47 or more in a nonconference game.

[GoPerry]

Wheaton 71  NPU 66  (OT)

Coach Madsen still might not be sure how the Thunder pulled this one out, but they did.  Their execution was very shaky from the very beginning and really only got better in the waning minutes of regulation and in the OT.  But for 35 minutes of play it was not pretty.

A lot of that had to do with NPUs aggressive and tight man to man defense the likes of which Wheaton had not yet seen this young season.  That type of pressure D will cause the offense to rush everything and that's exactly what happened to The Thunder.  Lots of missed bunnies and mid-range jumpers and lost composure. 

Wheaton finished 20-56 for 36% from the field, 5-10 from trey all of which were in the second half.  But after a mediocre first half, Hannah Williams had a tremendous second half with some huge treys to get her team back in it.  Annie Tate and Ellie Cassell also had solid games on which to build their confidence.  Sophomore Zoe Nordling brings lots of energy to the floor.  She was better taking care of the ball tonight, a little more under control and made some big FTs down the stretch.

[GoPerry]

I was lucky to get to watch every minute of Kendall Sosa's performance tonight.

Incredible.

Best in WBB program history, tied for best in IWU basketball history.

- Kendall Sosa: 47 (2/9/21 at Millikin)

- Greg Yess: 47 (12/10/80 vs Indiana Central)

- Lili Nafziger: 45 (1/5/80 vs Eureka)

- Jack Sikma: 44 (1/17/77 at Millikin)

Sosa's 47 points do indeed exceed the prior record for conference action, which was 45 by Elmhurst's Lyndsie Long on Feb 10 2010. I was at that remarkable game, won by Carthage (at Elmhurst) 85-84 via a game-ending nearly halfcourt 3FG by Katie Klemke.
I have no idea if any CCIW WBB player scored 47 or more in a nonconference game.

Kendall Sosa is really capable of this every time on the floor.  Last year too.  But with a solid offensive team around her she never really needed to.  Tonight however, Munroe and Lansford had nothing falling and Sosa had to be the first, second, third option.

[iwu70]

GoPerry, totally agree with you about the surrounding cast for Sosa . . . tonight was not that great.  Three players fouled out with limited minutes, not much scoring from the others . . . and 28 TOs, even in a closely fought game like this one, won't really cut it longer term.  IWU has lots to clean up and improve upon.  Really need some additional scoring from someone -- Munroe or Lansford, surely more from Brovelli, though her rebounding has been great. I thought Eck would provide more scoring. Sosa is remarkable and does it all in a rather unassuming way, with some really strange, off-balance shots, getting her defender just a little tilted, leaning . . .  and there she goes, to the hoop, a good pass, or a step back three, even looking strange as she shoots it.  I've teased her about it -- but the result is pretty clear, usually accurate, and devastating tonight.  And, the FT shooting is just out of this world.  A gentle smooth stroke, now well above 90%.  18-18 given the minutes she's playing is just money. 

Remarkable.  Congrats to the TITANS on the big win . . . and Kendall Sosa a joy to watch.   

'70

[Jester1390]

The best offensive player in the country is freshman Paige Buckers

[Mr. Ypsi]

The best offensive player in the country is freshman Paige Buckers

Lacking the cast around her that Sosa (usually) has, she may have better individual stats.  Time will tell if she is actually a superior offensive player.  (My guess from a totally biased and ignorant position, is no.)

I'm with RogK that Kendall is able to do this pretty much every game, but usually there is no need to.

[RogK]

That was GoPerry.
And Bueckers is in Div 1.
So there we are.
I feel more like I do now than when I began this post.

[iwu70]

I just hope the surrounding players to Kendall Sosa step up more -- scoring, rebounding, limiting the fouls and TOs.  I'm sure they can do it . . . as they have done in the past.  Need more games to put it all together . . . better shooting from Lansford and Munroe, a bit more scoring to go along with the great rebounding by Brovelli, and some addition contributions and good minutes off the bench -- from Lowis, Bowen, Heller and Eck.  It's tough with so little game-time, game-speed work together. 

At this rate, Sosa could average over 30 pts/game. 

IWU'70

[GoPerry]

I just hope the surrounding players to Kendall Sosa step up more -- scoring, rebounding, limiting the fouls and TOs.  I'm sure they can do it . . . as they have done in the past.  Need more games to put it all together . . . better shooting from Lansford and Munroe, a bit more scoring to go along with the great rebounding by Brovelli, and some addition contributions and good minutes off the bench -- from Lowis, Bowen, Heller and Eck.  It's tough with so little game-time, game-speed work together. 

At this rate, Sosa could average over 30 pts/game. 

IWU'70

My point about last night and Munroe / Lansford was that their performance was an aberration.  One if not both are typically very solid and reliably efficient offensively.  But last night they just weren't.  They're not just a one woman team.

[iwu70]

GoPerry, I agree with you totally about Munroe and Lansford.  I think the others all have great offensive skills and potential, too.  I hope it won't come down on Sosa's shoulders alone, however amazing and remarkable she is . . .

'70

[RogK]

Amanda Crockett will be among those surprised to learn that she called a couple of 2nd quarter timeouts for Elmhurst in their game at Carroll this evening.
I was wondering why the Carroll webcaster would involve the North Park coach, adding a flaw to an otherwise fine broadcast so far.
Here is the explanation :
https://gopios.com/documents/2021/2/11/021121_WBB_Program.pdf
at the top of page 3, Crockett is listed as Elmhurst's head coach.
It will only be fair for Tethnie Carrillo to coach North Park on Saturday.

[Gregory Sager]

Rog, unless Carroll has a new PBP guy (I didn't watch or listen to that game), it's the same one that has been doing men's and women's basketball for the Pios for several years now, Bill Schmidt. Once a broadcaster has worked the league for three or four years, he or she ought to know the names of all the head coaches in the league -- especially in a league such as the CCIW that historically has never had much coaching turnover. Plus, if you look again at the program you'll notice that in the roster box Tethnie Carillo is listed as being the EU head coach, even though Amanda's name is listed in bigger type on the left side of the page. If you're calling the game, you should diligently study the opposing team's page in the program before you go on the air -- and if you see a mistake like that, you ask about it.

In other words, even though Carroll's sports information department made a mistake, I blame the broadcaster for repeating the mistake on the air.