WBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Pat Coleman]

And the moment I mention that... I notice that the women's are now up.

Dave, I just checked the women's regional rankings page on D3Hoops.com, and it still had only thru week 3.  Is it just not posted yet?  Where can I find the data?

http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-women/d3

No doubt the guys will get it up on D3Hoops also.

Yeah, unfortunately we didn't have anyone on staff available at that time last night to post it when it was out 24 hours late.

[GoPerry]

A veteran and NCAA tourney experienced Thunder team will take on a good Rose Hulman squad making their first ever NCAA appearance.  RHIT has been winning with their defense keeping opponents to an ultra low average of 45.7 pts/game and a FG% of 31%.  Perhaps this might be attributed to their size as their shortest starter is 5'8" and they have 2 relatively bigs of 6'1" and 6'3".  I say "might" because they're only averaging about 5 blocked shots/game and 9.3 steals/game, both of which are the same as Wheaton.  So the Thunder will have to be ready for perhaps a physical defense with some speed and quickness on the perimeter.  I wouldn't be surprised to see RH play some zone as well.

Offensively, on the other hand, the Engineers are not a particularly high scoring team at all.  Their average of 60pts/game would place them only ahead of Carroll in the CCIW this season.  So a slightly more up-tempo game would favor Wheaton, especially if the Thunder can get out on the break and score some easy baskets.  Wheaton will have to play solid defense and just as importantly, rebound well against the RHIT size.

Wheaton's offense had been clicking pretty well since the Carthage debacle until that last IWU game when it was a little more of a struggle.  Hopefully that was an aberration and the Thunder will execute better.  It was a tough week playing IWU twice and Augie.  Now it's win or go home and the Thunder need to turn it up yet another notch.

Enginerd, feel free to chime in.

[Enginerd]

Wheaton will certainly be a very tough opponent for the Fightin' Engineers. A quick glance at the only common opponent, IWU, would suggest that RHIT might be outmatched, given IWU's 28-point thrashing of the Engineers back in December. I would, however, point out that that game was the 6th in twelve days for RHIT, and I'm told there were several girls playing with flu-like symptoms. Additionally, with the exception of RHIT's graduated point guard from 2015-16, I believe both IWU and Rose-Hulman are playing virtually the exact same lineup's as last season, where RHIT jumped all over IWU 70-45.
Wheaton is deeper from what I can tell, and looks to be a bit more dynamic offensively - but RHIT has a very tough bunch of kids who have succeeded these past two years on the basketball court despite the extraordinary demands of the academics at Rose. I think you'd have to look to the service academies to find a more demanding environment.
I think if RHIT can limit Wheaton's transition opportunities, keep them off the offensive boards, and off the foul line, we might see one of the better games of the first round.
I honestly believe that the winner of this game has a shot at taking WashU down.

[Gregory Sager]

Wheaton will certainly be a very tough opponent for the Fightin' Engineers. A quick glance at the only common opponent, IWU,

Illinois Wesleyan is not their only common opponent. Wheaton and RHIT have four common opponents:

Rose-Hulman 73, North Central 49
Wheaton 90, North Central 85
Wheaton 112, North Central 71

Rose-Hulman 59, North Park 55
Wheaton 85, North Park 42
Wheaton 90, North Park 58

Illinois Wesleyan 66, Rose-Hulman 38
Illinois Wesleyan 66, Wheaton 65
Wheaton 76, Illinois Wesleyan 67
Wheaton 66, Illinois Wesleyan 62

Rose-Hulman 61, Chicago 58
Wheaton 76, Chicago 60

[Enginerd]

Of course!
Thanks for the reminder! I suppose I was thinking about common opponents Rose had LOST to.
Rose-Hulman has had great success this year against high-powered, offensive-minded teams such as Chicago and especially Texas-Dallas, by holding them well under their ordinaryou offensive output.
...and its true, RHIT is not going to win simply by outscoring folks - but I would not go so far as to callet them a team that has to win with their defense. If you watch them closely, they do not take quick shots in transition, they kick the ball back out after an offensive rebound, instead of immediately throwing up another shot, and they probably lead the nation in possessions where the first shot is taken inside the 10-second mark on the shot clock.
I'm not quite the basketball person/mind that some others around here are, but I really think that the lack of big offensive numbers is more a reflection of the engineering mindset - discipline, caution, and the desire to wait for the best shot, as opposed to the most readily-available, instead of a lack of offensive talent...if that makes any sense to anyone...

[GoPerry]

Of course!
Thanks for the reminder! I suppose I was thinking about common opponents Rose had LOST to.
Rose-Hulman has had great success this year against high-powered, offensive-minded teams such as Chicago and especially Texas-Dallas, by holding them well under their ordinaryou offensive output.
...and its true, RHIT is not going to win simply by outscoring folks - but I would not go so far as to callet them a team that has to win with their defense. If you watch them closely, they do not take quick shots in transition, they kick the ball back out after an offensive rebound, instead of immediately throwing up another shot, and they probably lead the nation in possessions where the first shot is taken inside the 10-second mark on the shot clock.
I'm not quite the basketball person/mind that some others around here are, but I really think that the lack of big offensive numbers is more a reflection of the engineering mindset - discipline, caution, and the desire to wait for the best shot, as opposed to the most readily-available, instead of a lack of offensive talent...if that makes any sense to anyone...

One small distinction I would point out is that Wheaton's win was @ Chicago while Rose-Hulman's was a home win vs the Maroons.

Interesting thoughts on the Engineer's style, thanks.  Does RHIT run the triangle offense?   

It certainly is shaping up to be a different sort of game than what Wheaton is used to.  Let's see how they'll adjust their level of patience if it's necessary. 

Speaking as objectively as a Wheaton fan can be, it does appear Wheaton has the edge on paper.  But that's about as far as I'll go.  I've not been too impressed with Wheaton's road record against the better teams especially when longer travel has been involved.  Last year's first round exit @ River Falls and this year's losses @ Hope, @ Oshkosh, @ IWU, @ Carthage.  Countering that, the win @ Augie was solid and the game in Holland took Hope to OT in a game where they led by 16 but got outscored by 19 in the 3rd quarter.  The game with Rose is a neutral floor but should they make it through to WashU- a different story.

Wheaton will certainly be a very tough opponent for the Fightin' Engineers. A quick glance at the only common opponent, IWU, would suggest that RHIT might be outmatched, given IWU's 28-point thrashing of the Engineers back in December. I would, however, point out that that game was the 6th in twelve days for RHIT, and I'm told there were several girls playing with flu-like symptoms. Additionally, with the exception of RHIT's graduated point guard from 2015-16, I believe both IWU and Rose-Hulman are playing virtually the exact same lineup's as last season, where RHIT jumped all over IWU 70-45.
Wheaton is deeper from what I can tell, and looks to be a bit more dynamic offensively - but RHIT has a very tough bunch of kids who have succeeded these past two years on the basketball court despite the extraordinary demands of the academics at Rose. I think you'd have to look to the service academies to find a more demanding environment.
I think if RHIT can limit Wheaton's transition opportunities, keep them off the offensive boards, and off the foul line, we might see one of the better games of the first round.
I honestly believe that the winner of this game has a shot at taking WashU down.

Throwing RHIT and Wheaton in with Wash U (and not knowing anything about St Norbert), this pod should be one of the academically smarter ones anyhow!!

[RogK]

Here's a bleak thought for ya : 32 teams will have their seasons cease abruptly tomorrow. And half of the remaining 32 will suffer that fate one day later.
Just wanted to cheer everyone up!

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Here's a bleak thought for ya : 32 teams will have their seasons cease abruptly tomorrow. And half of the remaining 32 will suffer that fate one day later.
Just wanted to cheer everyone up!

Or another way to look at it... 64 teams will have their seasons end tomorrow... and another 32 will have it end by Saturday night.

[GoPerry]

Here's a bleak thought for ya : 32 teams will have their seasons cease abruptly tomorrow. And half of the remaining 32 will suffer that fate one day later.
Just wanted to cheer everyone up!

Or another way to look at it... 64 teams will have their seasons end tomorrow... and another 32 will have it end by Saturday night.

Well, if you don't have a pony in the race (like me on the men's side), then it's not quite as depressing. 

I know what you mean though.  I've especially felt this way about the Wild card game in MLB.  You play all season to make the playoffs and if you're not leading the division, you're slugging it out tooth and nail all of September to secure the Wild card berth. . . to play one single game(if you lose).

[Titan Q]

Illinois Wesleyan (18-9, 12-4) vs Trine (24-2, 15-1), 5:30pm ET/4:30 CT at Ohio Northern...

Illinois Wesleyan (18-9, 12-4)
G - Amanda Kelly, 5-6 Sr.   8.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.6 apg
G - Rebekah Ehresman, 5-7 Jr.   12.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 3.4 apg
G - Molly McGraw, 5-8 Jr.   17.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.7 apg
F - Sydney Shanks, 5-8 Fr.   4.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg
C - Maddie Merritt, 6-0 So.   12.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg

F - Ashley Schneider, 5-10 So.    6.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg
G - Nina Anderson, 5-6 So.   5.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg

Trine (24-2, 15-1)
G - Taylor Cole, 5-6 Sr.   3.9 ppg, 3.7 ppg, 2.7 apg
G - Katy Steers, 5-9 Fr.   5.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.4 apg
G - Cassidy Williams, 5-9 So.   6.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.5 apg
G - Brandi Dawson, 5-10 So.   15.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg
F - Hayley Martin, 6-2 Jr.  15.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg

G - Ashley Elliott, 5-8 Jr.   5.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg
G - Montana Martin, 5-10 So.   6.0 ppg


Regional page - http://livestats.onu.edu/livestats/wbb/xlive.htm

Video - https://boxcast.tv/view/wbb---ncaa-1st-round---game-1---3-3-17-700790

Stats - http://livestats.onu.edu/livestats/wbb/xlive.htm

[Mr. Ypsi]

At the end of the first quarter, Trine leads 14-13.

On the plus side, Trine seems rather befuddled by the Titan pressure defense - 6 TOs already to 3 by the Titans.  On the negative side, the Titans seems to have no answer for Hayley Martin, who has 10 of Trine's 14 points.

[Mr. Ypsi]

At the half, IWU up 29-27.  Trine now up to 10 TOs (IWU has 5).  Hayley Martin did not score in the second quarter!

[Mr. Ypsi]

IWU up 1, 45-44, after three.  Brandi Dawson (15) has replaced Hayley Martin (13) as Trine's leading scorer.  Maddie Merritt, after a slow start, now has 12 to lead the Titans.

[Mr. Ypsi]

The Titans fall to a team called the Thunder for the third time in a week and a half, 63-56.  The final margin was the biggest lead Trine had all evening.  The Titans couldn't shoot from the field (33.3% overall, 14.3% from deep) and couldn't rebound (Trine 37, IWU 21).  Two things kept them in the game: aggressive defense (creating 21 TOs) and FT shooting (19 of 21).  Otherwise a very disappointing evening.

I don't want to take anything away from Trine - they are very good, and the first team not named Hope or Calvin to win an outright regular-season title in the MIAA in 25 years.  But I really thought on a better night we should have won.

[iwu70]

IWU's season comes to an end, losing to Trine 63-56.  This was a grind out, defensive affair and Trine is just the kind of team IWU has trouble with.  Even though IWU won the TO battle 21-12, they couldn't overcome a poor shooting night and being out-rebounded 37-21.  Trine has too much size and strength down low. 

Titans shoot only 33%, several key Titans with off nights.  Trine shoots 52%, with many shots close to the basket.  Trine played very good half court defense.  Titans stay in the game on the charity stripe shooting over 90% 19-21. 

Ehresman 15, a valiant effort
Merritt 12
Kelly 10

McGraw only 7, shooting 2-11, making me think she was sick, or having the flu or something.  A terrible game.

Titans could not buy a trey, 3-21.

So, in a way, amazing the game was so close all through-out even to the end, with Trine making the FTs to stretch the winning margin a bit.

Brandi Dawson 21 for Trine.  A very very good player, hard for the Titans to handle in the post.  She also handled the ball well, helping to break the Titan pressure, which had limited impact tonight.  Trine could go quite far in the tournament with that tough defense, though ONU poses a big challenge tomorrow night. 

Overall a good season for IWU, a bright future with most of the starting squad and key role players returning.  Next year should be even better. 

Titans finish 18-10.  Congrats to Coach Smith and the entire team for a great season, much enjoyed.  Special thanks to the seniors.  Good luck with all future endeavors. 

Another season of great Titan basketball in the books.  Time for baseball . . . and now the DI March Madness.

Good luck to Wheaton tonight.  I hope they go far in the tournament.  It's their year to shine. 

IWU70