WBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[GoPerry]

Augie 59
Wheaton 56

It's inexplicable that Wheaton lost this game tonight.  They led by as much as 15 or so, were ahead the entire game until Augie took it's first lead with 50 seconds left.  Even without Zeller the Thunder still have better overall talent.  What they seem to lack is intensity and focus, especially on the defensive end late in the game when they were leaving the Vikes wide open for the shots that led their comeback.  I give Augie all the credit in the world for making those clutch baskets but they're easier when they're not even contested.  In the meantime, Augies defensive pressure was all over as Wheaton had no easy time getting shots up.  Wheaton was +10 on rebounds but shot atrociously from the field including on 2/18 from 3pt.

[iwu70]

Inexplicable, for sure.  Augie over WC.

'70

[Gregory Sager]

North Park 118
North Central 108

Liz Rehberger: 42 pts, 9 rebs
Gabby Sandoval: 18 pts (7-10 FG), 6:0 a:to
Amani Davis: 15 pts (6-11 FG), 6 rebs
Soly Román: 12 pts, 8 rebs
Shaylee Sloan: 15 rebs
Nicole Kruckman: 6 rebs, 6:1 a:to

NPU did a terrific job against NCC's version of the Grinnell system last night. The turnovers were equal between the two teams -- 19 apiece -- and the Vikings won the battle of the boards, 60-57. Whenever the system team fails to win those two categories, it usually loses regardless of how well it shoots treys. And, since the Cardinals shot very well from beyond the arc -- 16-49 (33%), about eight percent higher than they usually shoot from out there -- you can see just how dominant the Park was in all of the other facets of the game. The ball protection and rebounding hustle of the Vikes, plus good composure and really solid ball movement, allowed them to control the game from very early on.

Liz Rehberger broke the North Park single-game scoring record with 42 points, eclipsing the old mark of 40 set by Rachel Pearson Bernero (NPU's all-time leading scorer, now the wife of the Carthage head coach) way back in 1993-94. Given the style of play utilized by North Central, it's practically a given that no single-game school record is safe anymore for any of NCC's seven CCIW foes, but it's still worth noting just how well Liz Rehberger played. She is having an outstanding junior season, averaging 18.6 ppg, and it seems to me to be a pretty safe guess that she's going to be in the conversation for first-team All-CCIW if she maintains this scoring pace (although certainly nobody's looking for her to score 42 again!). She wasn't the only star that the Vikings had last night, as freshman point guard Gabby Sandoval played an absolutely fantastic game. I don't think you can realize just how hard it is to protect the ball against a system team until you've actually seen one play, but she posted a spotless 6:0 assist-to-turnover ratio in 27 minutes of game time, made 7 of her 10 shots (including both of her trey attempts), and looked like she had much more energy at the end of the game than did any of the Cardinals, in spite of the fact that she played a lot more minutes than did anybody in home white. Shaylee Sloan, Rachel Torres, and Amani Davis also played really well for the Vikings.

Surviving the Cardinals in the airplane hangar is always an ordeal, but the Vikings came out of this smelling like roses. I feel even better about NPU's chances in the CCIW this season after last night.

[iwumichigander]

Lett also transferred from a higher level program -- from SIU, as I recall.  Only played at IWU two years, including her senior National Player of the Year season. 

I have no doubt that Sydney Moss is one of the top players ever to play women's hoops at the DIII level.  Would love to see her play in person.  She surely set a mark at The Shirk the other night that will likely stand a long long time -- 37 points and 9-15 from treyville. Rebounds and assists too.  Amazing numbers all 'round. 

IWU'70

Correct - D1 SIU transferred in the middle of her sophomore year 2009-10

[shepherd]

Augie 59
Wheaton 56

It's inexplicable that Wheaton lost this game tonight.  They led by as much as 15 or so, were ahead the entire game until Augie took it's first lead with 50 seconds left.  Even without Zeller the Thunder still have better overall talent.  What they seem to lack is intensity and focus, especially on the defensive end late in the game when they were leaving the Vikes wide open for the shots that led their comeback.  I give Augie all the credit in the world for making those clutch baskets but they're easier when they're not even contested.  In the meantime, Augies defensive pressure was all over as Wheaton had no easy time getting shots up.  Wheaton was +10 on rebounds but shot atrociously from the field including on 2/18 from 3pt.

I may be wrong but it looked like Katie McDaniels had trouble getting up and down the floor in the 4th.  A couple of times she didn't want the ball.  Look back at the end of the game and see if you notice an injury also.  If so I hope she doesn't make it worse by playing hurt.

[gordonmann]

Wheaton is really tough to figure. I've watched a couple of their games online (Hope, Wartburg) and they are really inconsistent on offense. When they are on, they look like a Top 5 team. When they are off, they settle for a lot of deep threes.

[Gregory Sager]

Congrats to Liz Rehberger upon winning CCIW Player of the Week.

[GoPerry]

Wheaton is really tough to figure. I've watched a couple of their games online (Hope, Wartburg) and they are really inconsistent on offense. When they are on, they look like a Top 5 team. When they are off, they settle for a lot of deep threes.

I agree with this.  There are times where Wheaton seemed to be over-reliant on the arc.  But then they actually have less 3FGAs than their opponents so far, averaging a little over 17/game, which is not crazy by any stretch.  Their 3FG% is fairly pedestrian at 31%.  2 out their 3 losses have been the result of very poor shooting so it begs the question as to whether Coach Madsen can adjust his team strategy if the shots aren't falling(Hope game was exceptionally egregious).  Only 11 free throw attempts in their loss to Augustana and a paltry 6 FTAs in the Wartburg loss.

I think their present ranking of #17 is a little more accurate.  Top 10 felt a little buoyant to me.  Injuries could be an issue for them going forward.

[Gregory Sager]

North Park 69
Carthage 52

Liz Rehberger: 31 pts
Soly Roman: 12 rebs
Shaylee Sloan: 9 rebs
Nicole Kruckman: 8 rebs
Amani Davis: 3:0 a:to
Rachel Torres: 3:0 a:to

In spite of the fact that she scored 42 points and set a new school single-game scoring record, Liz Rehberger didn't make d3hoops.com Team of the Week because she didn't play against "quality competition" on Saturday night (d3hoops.com's words, not mine). So the unflappable junior out of Resurrection sinply turned around and dropped 31 on the Lady Reds tonight in a "how do you like those apples?" performance. She won a really impressive duel of guards, as Carthage's Morgan Harris had a fantastic 20 and 10 game with a 3:1 ratio. Nevertheless, Carthage is really down this season. Unless Tim Bernero can find a way to up the offensive production he's getting out of his team, particularly his posts, the Lady Reds are going to be hard-pressed to make the CCIW tourney this year.

After only two games, there's only one undefeated team left in CCIW play, and that's NPU. I like the sound of that!

[iwu70]

IWU gave #17 Wheaton a good game but fell just short.  Titans now 6-7, 1-1.   Wheaton really needed this win at home after that inexplicable loss earlier to Augie.

'70

[tjcummingsfan]

It's a really quick first glance, and I acknowledge not know much about D3 Women's basketball, but I'm wondering whether North Park could/should be getting at least some ORV recognition in the polls...  They're 11-2 and haven't lost a game since the 9 point loss to #16 Wartburg a month and a half ago.  Is their competition just not good enough to warrant recognition?  Are they just getting ignored? 

I know there are much brighter D3 Women's bbball minds in here that can shed some light on this. 

[Gregory Sager]

Leaving aside questions of name-brand bias (NPU has never before received votes in the d3hoops.com women's poll) or the overall strength of the league on the women's side (a valid question), the truth of the matter is that the Vikings really don't have a strong enough strength of schedule yet to validate their case for inclusion on anybody's ballot.

The two toughest teams that NPU has faced thus far were #16 Wartburg and Denison (which is 11-3 and should be getting poll votes, but isn't), and the Vikings lost to both of those teams. North Park did handily beat Chicago (8-3), which was ORV in the first three polls, but the Maroons aren't receiving votes anymore. Other than that, the Vikes have beaten Trine, which is 9-5 but only 2-3 in MIAA play; a couple of 7-6 teams, Olivet and North Central; a 5-8 Carthage team that is clearly down from the program's dominance over the past several seasons; and six teams that can only be described as cupcakes. According to Massey, NPU's #35, but the Vikings have only the 133rd-best SOS in D3.

Augustana's currently 6-6, so perhaps if the Park can win tomorrow afternoon's game against Augie it might lead to a stray vote or two -- especially if Chicago obliges by knocking off #9 Wash U at the same time, thereby buttressing NPU's win over the Maroons. But it will probably take a win over Wheaton next Wednesday for NPU to get any poll love.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

You all can find out what North Park thinks about getting no love... Sunday on Hoopsville

[Gregory Sager]

North Park 71
Augustana 62

Liz Rehberger: 31 pts, 4 stls
Nicole Kruckman: 10 pts, 6 rebs
Rachel Torres: 7 rebs, 3 stls

NPU held off a pesky and much-improved Augustana team last night. It was a game in which Augie managed to take a third-quarter lead from what had been a host-dominated game, but NPU had the finishing kick in the final quarter and for the most part kept the lead at three possessions or more, even as Augie refused to fade away entirely.

Liz Rehberger continues to amaze. I don't see how the d3hoops.com Team of the Week selector or selectors can deny her now, after snubbing her following her 42-point school-record performance against NCC. She's now scored 31 points in each of her last two games, and is thus averaging an insane 34.7 ppg in league play, fourteen points per game more than the nearest competitor. She is now getting to the point where she has to be the focus of every opponent, which should aid the inside duo of Nicole Kruckman and Soly Román even more.

I can't remember the last time I saw an Augie women's team as good as this one. (Faint praise, I know.) The 6'5 D1 transfer is not much of a threat at the offensive end of the floor, but her shot-blocking ability changes the game, and that long reach of hers snares plenty of rebounds. And senior Marissa Pezzopane, who led Augie in scoring with 14, has become one of the best all-around players in the league. I'm not sure why head coach Mark Beinborn only gave her 23 minutes of tick last night.

Now comes the big showdown, as NPU travels to King Arena on Wednesday to play a Wheaton team that will clearly be the best opponent that the Vikings have faced this season.

Oh, and I'm looking forward to hearing Amanda Crockett on Hoopsville tonight.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Believe it or not, but we are pretty much halfway through the 2015-16 season and there are plenty of teams still surprising and records being rewritten.

Tonight on Hoopsville we chat with the fourth person to reach the 900 wins in men's college basketball, a woman who keeps herself very busy even when she isn't coaching, and several other teams who are surprising everyone by leading their conference races.

Hoopsville hits the air at 7:00 PM ET and you can watch it here: www.d3hoops.com/hoopsville/archives/2015-16/jan10

Guests include ( in order):
- Glenn Robinson, #17 F&M men's coach - won career game 900 Saturday
- Pat Manning, #18 Williams women's coach - WBCA Center Court segment
- Amanda Crockett, North Park women's coach
- Mac Brown, New Jersey City men's coach
- Kendal Wallace, LaGrange men's coach

You can tune into the podcast after the show airs here::
SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/hoopsville
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hoopsville/id1059517087

And don't forget you can always interact with us:
Website: www.d3hoopsville.com
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