WBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[GoPerry]

Nice job on this Ryan -   https://d3hoops.com/columns/around-the-nation/2020-21/hope-seniors-robbed-twice-of-chance-destiny

I would commend all posters to give it a read.

I'd like to see Wheaton do another home/home w Hope in the next season or two.  They're always a top notch RR opponent and early season test.  Much more preferable to play them in the non-con season than the post season.

[RogK]

A new highlight of the season for North Central, as they top the Titans in Bloomington, 66-62.

[iwu70]

Yes, NCC over IWU 66-62.  NCC outplaying the Titans in the second half after IWU led at the half by 9.

IWU:
Sosa 23
Lowis 14

NCC:
Foley 23 and 5
IxChel Leeuwenburgh 11 and 10

Titans outrebounded in this one.

'70

[GoPerry]

A new highlight of the season for North Central, as they top the Titans in Bloomington, 66-62.

I didn't even realize they were playing.  I made the mistake of relying on the CCIW WBB website for tonight's schedule which showed only two games tonight - Carthage @ NPU and Augie @ MU. 

One again a pretty surprising result.  NCC's lone two wins are against Millikin and IWU.  Now they have two vs the Thunder who had better watch out for this team on Thursday at the Hanger and then back to King on Saturday.

Just an all sorts of strange season.

On the men's side Wheaton and IWU just added a game on March 2 at Shirk.  I don't see why the women can't also add a game since that match up is a pretty obvious hole in the schedule.  Let's hope that is getting worked on.

[Gregory Sager]

North Park 56
Carthage 54

Jayla Johnson: 15 pts, 10 rebs
Esther Miller: 13 pts
Sinead Molloy: 10 pts, 4 stls
Josie Summerville: 9 rebs
Zakiya Newsome: 4:1 a:to

Lauren Knight: 18 pts
Margueret Spear: 10 pts
Bridget Barrett: 10 rebs

Vikings looked like they were in trouble, as Jayla Johnson and Josie Summerville both fouled out in the final few minutes. But seniors Sinead Molloy (offense) and Zakiya Newsome (defense) stepped up with a big basket at one end and a charge taken at the other end, and the Vikings eked out a narrow win over the doughty Firebirds. Congrats to Esther Miller, who scored a career high 13 tonight.

I'm very impressed by Carthage's freshman class. If Tim Bernero can keep that freshman trio of Barrett, Knight, and Spear together, the Team Formerly Known As The Lady Reds will be right back to contending within the next year or two.

[RogK]

Augustana will host Millikin on Monday night, per the Big Blue's site.

[RogK]

Carroll at Augie began at 6 Central (the other league games are at 7pm).
Another very good broadcast by the Augie guy; he is diligently prepared, accurately identifying (by name) players on both teams, calmly describing the action and telling us ongoing up-to-date stats. When there is a lull, he will add some analysis or critique, but returns quickly to play-by-play.
He proves that one announcer is all you need or want. No inane blabbing about things or people not involved in the game we are watching.
I can enjoy Lori Kerans doing color on the Millikin WBB games; her opinions are well-versed, developed over many years of coaching WBB.
Speaking of her :
https://cciw.org/news/2021/2/25/womens-basketball-cciw-women-in-athletics-series-4-lori-kerans-millikin-university.aspx
Carroll is up 37-30 at the half.

[RogK]

The Pios take the early game 73-64 in Rock Island.

[GoPerry]

Wheaton over NCC  69-61

Hannah Williams, 24 pts, 6 rebs
Annie Tate         19 pts, 9 rebs
Lily Schwen    12 pts, 4 rebs, 6 asst/2 to

Allison Pearson,  21 pts
Haydn Braun,    12 pts, 4 rebs, 4 asst, 3 stls
IxChel Leeuwenburgh  11 rebs

This was a very gutty win for Wheaton who were once again playing without regulars Hannah Swider and Zoe Nordling and only using seven players total.  It was a close back and forth game for all but the last 5 mins when Wheaton finally was able to extend and take the victory.  Williams (40 mins) and Tate (37) predictably did the heaviest lifting with Williams especially doing a great job in closely guarding NCC's Rebekah Foley.  Lily Schwen had undoubtedly her best game in her young Wheaton career while needing to play 37 mins.

Maybe others have said this, but it's difficult to believe NCC has only two wins as they are a very solid team.  Both teams will try it again on Saturday at King.

With the W, the Thunder clinch the #1 seed for the conference tourney, whatever that means.

[iwu70]

Another tough loss for the TITANS, NPU 65 IWU 63

The Titans really have issues with ball protection, and making straight-on layups.  So many lost chances.

IWU:
Sosa 31
Lansford 16

Very tough night at the FT line, so many missed chances.

NPU:
J. Johnson 21
Summerville 12
Czuhaj 14

I hope Mia Smith has some hair left after this one.  I'd be pulling my hair out . . .

'70

[lmitzel]

Wheaton over NCC  69-61

Hannah Williams, 24 pts, 6 rebs
Annie Tate         19 pts, 9 rebs
Lily Schwen    12 pts, 4 rebs, 6 asst/2 to

Allison Pearson,  21 pts
Haydn Braun,    12 pts, 4 rebs, 4 asst, 3 stls
IxChel Leeuwenburgh  11 rebs

This was a very gutty win for Wheaton who were once again playing without regulars Hannah Swider and Zoe Nordling and only using seven players total.  It was a close back and forth game for all but the last 5 mins when Wheaton finally was able to extend and take the victory.  Williams (40 mins) and Tate (37) predictably did the heaviest lifting with Williams especially doing a great job in closely guarding NCC's Rebekah Foley.  Lily Schwen had undoubtedly her best game in her young Wheaton career while needing to play 37 mins.

Maybe others have said this, but it's difficult to believe NCC has only two wins as they are a very solid team.  Both teams will try it again on Saturday at King.

With the W, the Thunder clinch the #1 seed for the conference tourney, whatever that means.

I think I have, but I'll point it out too. Other than their first game against IWU and the trip up to Kenosha, the Cardinals have been in every game. The theme though has been the team going cold in the fourth quarter.

Same thing here tonight. I feel like NCC might have played its best half of basketball in the first 20 minutes tonight. Unfortunately, that meant a four point deficit to the Thunder. But even then, it was tied after three quarters. But free throws (3-9) and layups (a couple key misses) are the story.

I like this Cardinal team though. They have heart, they play outstanding defense, they rebound better than I've seen them do in a long time, and the bench is into it. It's just too bad that this team has only two wins when they should have four or five.

[Gregory Sager]

North Park 65, Illinois Wesleyan 63

Jayla Johnson: 21 pts, 9 rebs
Emily Czuhajewski: 14 pts
Josie Summerville: 12 pts, 8 rebs
Esther Miller: 8 rebs
Sinead Molloy: 11:4 a:to
Chantel Hairston: 3 stls

Kendall Sosa: 31 pts, 7 stls
Brooke Lansford: 16 pts, 5 stls
Riley Brovelli: 7 rebs, 3 blks

After a first half in which both offenses were stuck in the mud because of superior defenses -- NPU's D forcing tons of IWU misses, IWU's D taking the ball away practically at will off of ill-considered Vikings diagonal passes -- the two teams came out for the second half and showed why they're two of the premier teams in the region by playing twenty minutes of high-quality, high-excitement basketball. Neither team had a lead bigger than two possessions in the second half, and there were a bunch of ties and lead changes. Both offenses and both defenses were playing at top level, and neither team was giving an inch.

In a close, well-executed game like that, it usually comes down to free throws. And the Titans really cut their own throats there; Kendall Sosa, amazinglly, missed three of 'em down the stretch (including two on one trip to the line), and possibly the worst FT shooter on the team, Anna Lowis, found herself at the line in the final seconds with NPU up one. She missed the first and airballed the second, sparing the Vikings the need to rebound the ball. Meanwhile, at the other end of the floor, senior Zakiya Newsome hit two very big free throws to give NPU the lead that would eventually stand up.

Great game. All kinds of fun to call. It was CCIW women's basketball at its best.

[Gregory Sager]

Carroll at Augie began at 6 Central (the other league games are at 7pm).
Another very good broadcast by the Augie guy; he is diligently prepared, accurately identifying (by name) players on both teams, calmly describing the action and telling us ongoing up-to-date stats. When there is a lull, he will add some analysis or critique, but returns quickly to play-by-play.
He proves that one announcer is all you need or want. No inane blabbing about things or people not involved in the game we are watching.
I can enjoy Lori Kerans doing color on the Millikin WBB games; her opinions are well-versed, developed over many years of coaching WBB.
Speaking of her :
https://cciw.org/news/2021/2/25/womens-basketball-cciw-women-in-athletics-series-4-lori-kerans-millikin-university.aspx
Carroll is up 37-30 at the half.

One announcer may be all you need, but two is best if it's a good crew. And Dan Sand, who calls Augie women's basketball solo, has a great partner on the men's side in Chris Ford, who takes over PBP duties while Dan moves to color. Watching the Augie men's basketball team is worth it just to hear Chris and Dan call the game.

[GoPerry]

North Park 65, Illinois Wesleyan 63

Jayla Johnson: 21 pts, 9 rebs
Emily Czuhajewski: 14 pts
Josie Summerville: 12 pts, 8 rebs
Esther Miller: 8 rebs
Sinead Molloy: 11:4 a:to
Chantal Hairsteon: 3 stls

Kendall Sosa: 31 pts, 7 stls
Brooke Lansford: 16 pts, 5 stls
Riley Brovelli: 7 rebs, 3 blks

After a first half in both offenses were stuck in the mud by superior defenses -- NPU's D forcing tons of IWU misses, IWU's D taking the ball away practically at will off of ill-considered Vikings diagonal passes -- the two teams came out for the second half and showed why they're two of the premier teams in the region by playing twenty minutes of high-quality, high-excitement basketball. Neither team had a lead bigger than two possessions in the second half, and there were a bunch of ties and lead changes. Both offenses and both defenses were playing at top level, and neither team was giving an inch.

In a close, well-executed game like that, it usually comes down to free throws. And the Titans really cut their own throats there; Kendall Sosa, amazinglly, missed three of 'em down the stretch (including two on one trip to the line), and possibly the worst FT shooter on the team, Anna Lowis, found herself at the line in the final seconds with NPU up one. She missed the first and airballed the second, sparing the Vikings from the need to rebound the ball. Meanwhile, at the other end of the floor, senior Zakiya Newsome hit two very big free throws to give NPU the lead that would eventually stand up.

Great game. All kinds of fun to call. It was CCIW women's basketball at its best.

Sosa is a killer at the free throw line (near 90%) especially in those late game situations.  So I practically fell out of my chair at those two late misses.  But then she almost nonchalantly made the next basket to put her team up by one on the next possession. 

[GoPerry]

Another tough loss for the TITANS, NPU 65 IWU 63

The Titans really have issues with ball protection, and making straight-on layups.  So many lost chances.

IWU:
Sosa 31
Lansford 16

Very tough night at the FT line, so many missed chances.

NPU:
J. Johnson 21
Summerville 12
Czuhaj 14

I hope Mia Smith has some hair left after this one.  I'd be pulling my hair out . . .

'70

Munroe being left off the score sheet is a head scratcher. 

After watching several games, I'm not sure what to make of this Titans team.  They have the best offensive player in the league by far.  And both Munroe and Lansford have proven they can score in support.  But it seems to me that the offensive production of Riley Brovelli has been surprising this season.  She was averaging almost 9 pts last season and you figured her to be in double figures.  But she's only averaging around 6.  Only a six game sample size but still.