WBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

Wheaton's 3 pt shooting this season has been pretty average which is less effective than they've been used to in past seasons.  They defended the 3 pt arc very poorly in some earlier games but have been better lately.   Mentioned Kelly Thornton in an earlier post who decided not to return for her senior year of playing.  She was one of the better Thunder players shooting from the arc.

Kelly is actually a junior, and also plays volleyball and softball. As one could imagine, a 3 sport athlete's life was packed, and basketball was the sport she decided to drop. Thunder definitely missing her stroke from behind the arc.

Softball is easily her best sport.

[Mr. Ypsi]

In Chicago, the Titans led 17-7 after the first quarter and never looked back, beating the Vikings 83-53.  VERY balanced scoring for IWU, with six players in double digits.

[iwu70]

The Shill Report:

Titans rolling:   IWU 83 NPU 53  (now 6-0 in CCIW, everybody else with at least 2 losses).

Story of the game, IWU with 23 steals, NPU with 39 TOs, IWU 47 points off TOs.

For NPU:
Sloan 12
Garner 10

For IWU:
Hughes (very active, following her shots and FTs) 14
McGraw 13 and 6 steals
Merritt 12
Anderson 13 and 6
Ehresman 10 and 6 assists
Sosa 11
Schneider 8 and 6

Titans shooting 40%, 35% from 3

Run and Jump again doing its dirt, the Titans never really challenged in this one.

IWU'70

[iwu70]

Titans now 13-2, 6-0.

'70

[lmitzel]

Wheaton knocked off NCC 72-55 in Naperville tonight as they continue their dominance in the all time series. Hannah Frazier led all scorers with 15 for the Thunder, Maggie Dansdill added 12, Jennifer Berg had seven points and 13 rebounds, and Jordan Myroth had a great all-around game with just four points, but six rebounds, five assists, a block, and four steals. Lyndsay Brennan paced the Cardinals with 10 points and eight boards, Mayson Whipple added nine points (on 15 shots) with four assists, including her 300th apparently.

I've gotten pissed about losses to Wheaton in the past, but not this one. North Central missed a ton of layups, which I'm not thrilled about, but Wheaton missed a ton of shots in the first half, as they only lead 28-20 at the break. They figured it out after halftime though and led by as many as 26, but North Central never gave up and made a nice run against the main part of the rotation to cut the lead back to the mid-teens.

[RogK]

Those 13 rebounds by Jennifer Berg were in 19:00 - hard to top that productivity.
In OT, Carthage got past Elmhurst 71-67, led by Madie Kaelber who scored 28. Bailey Gilbert added 16 and played all 45:00.
Elmhurst's Mikaela Eppard had 21 pts and 14 rebs in 43:00; Kaela Jones scored 17.
Augie 89, Carroll 54
Izzy Anderson scored 22 pts from just 13 FG att and made 2/2 FTs for a sum of 24 pts in 28:00. Meghan Stovall added 14 pts and Scooter Lopez had 11 assists. Sadie Roberts grabbed 9 rebs.
For Carroll, Brittney Wald had 19 pts, 5 stls but also 6 TOs (team had 26). Again no Rachel Van Sluys, whose inside scoring they really need.

[RogK]

I saw IWU for the first time this season and was impressed by their veterans and their freshmen.
When you see Rebekah Ehresman in person, you are reminded that she makes very few mistakes. Her stats do not reveal the full extent of how outstanding she is.
As noted by iwu70, Raven Hughes was very energetic. I was wondering how she was producing her very good stats and now I understand.
The Titans have an abundance of good athletes and plenty of talent/skill spread throughout the roster. This allows them to play in a positive manner, seemingly ready to play (and enjoy) a lot more than 40 minutes. They utilize their athleticism and push the pace. This is fun to watch and it works for them.
I think they could've played even faster yesterday, but they declined to shoot a lot of threes early in possessions, instead working on plays to get close-in shots. They did take 26 FTs, around their average in CCIW play so far.
Incidentally, IWU's Sydney Shanks (#2 on the team in steals and assists) was home sick. NP's injured guard Zakiya Newsome was at the game with crutches and said it wasn't certain if she'd need knee surgery or not. "Get well" goes to both of these players.

[GoPerry]

I saw IWU for the first time this season and was impressed by their veterans and their freshmen.
When you see Rebekah Ehresman in person, you are reminded that she makes very few mistakes. Her stats do not reveal the full extent of how outstanding she is.
As noted by iwu70, Raven Hughes was very energetic. I was wondering how she was producing her very good stats and now I understand.
The Titans have an abundance of good athletes and plenty of talent/skill spread throughout the roster. This allows them to play in a positive manner, seemingly ready to play (and enjoy) a lot more than 40 minutes. They utilize their athleticism and push the pace. This is fun to watch and it works for them.
I think they could've played even faster yesterday, but they declined to shoot a lot of threes early in possessions, instead working on plays to get close-in shots. They did take 26 FTs, around their average in CCIW play so far.
Incidentally, IWU's Sydney Shanks (#2 on the team in steals and assists) was home sick. NP's injured guard Zakiya Newsome was at the game with crutches and said it wasn't certain if she'd need knee surgery or not. "Get well" goes to both of these players.

I believe I said this in an early season post, but Rebekah Ehresman is IWU's best player and I believe by a pretty wide gap.  Not as conventionally flashy from the scoring standpoint at only 10/game or so.  But she's their leader, keeps things running smoothly offensively (she's 3rd in the nation in assist/turnover ratio) and is very good on the defensive end. 

Elmhurst's Mikaela Eppard might be the slight front runner for MOP, and in a sense it might be "her turn" in the eyes of coaches.  But Ehresman is every bit as deserving and should be given very strong consideration especially if the Titans continue to play well.  It's really only between those two it seems to me.

[iwu70]

GoPerry, I share your high regard for Ehresman and her key role in the IWU successes last year and this year.  She is just so solid, unselfish, and key to both the offensive and defensive schemes that IWU runs.  She gets lots of steals and has an excellent A:TO ratio.  She's just always in the right place on both ends of the floor.  I hear you on Eppard, an excellent overall performance, but see how IWU took EC apart and you can see who was really more valuable from a team - win aspect.  We'll see how it all goes the rest of the year.  IWU is winning by big margins -- and has a challenging game vs. WC upcoming.  But, looks like a good run the CCIW championship to me.  I'm still of the view that 16-0 is possible.  The freshmen have been a very huge bonus -- Hughes, Brovelli, Munroe, Sosa . . . really a great group.

I hope Shanks and Newsome recover quickly, fully.   

IWU'70

[Mr. Ypsi]

GoPerry, I share your high regard for Ehresman and her key role in the IWU successes last year and this year.  She is just so solid, unselfish, and key to both the offensive and defensive schemes that IWU runs.  She gets lots of steals and has an excellent A:TO ratio.  She's just always in the right place on both ends of the floor.  I hear you on Eppard, an excellent overall performance, but see how IWU took EC apart and you can see who was really more valuable from a team - win aspect.  We'll see how it all goes the rest of the year.  IWU is winning by big margins -- and has a challenging game vs. WC upcoming.  But, looks like a good run the CCIW championship to me.  I'm still of the view that 16-0 is possible.  The freshmen have been a very huge bonus -- Hughes, Brovelli, Munroe, Sosa . . . really a great group.

I hope Shanks and Newsome recover quickly, fully.   

IWU'70

Well, of course it is possible as long as they keep a zero in the L position!   I certainly wouldn't bet on it, but, having seen the first six conference games, I would no longer bet against it either.  It only takes one (badly) off night, or some ill-timed injuries, or an opposing team playing the game of their lives, for the option to end, but with 6 down, 10 to go, the chances keep rising with each win!

This may be an unfair comparison (and I sure hope I don't burden her with expectations), but Raven Hughes strikes me a potentially another Olivia Lett.

[RogK]

At this point, I'd say Hughes's game resembles that of Christina Solari more than that of Lett. But, you did say "potentially," so we'll see.

[Mr. Ypsi]

At this point, I'd say Hughes's game resembles that of Christina Solari more than that of Lett. But, you did say "potentially," so we'll see.

I almost said Christina Solari (to put a BIT less pressure on her!), but figured 'what the hey', let's go for potentially national POY!  At the risk of jinxing her, she DOES seem to have that potential.

[titanalum94]

At this point, I'd say Hughes's game resembles that of Christina Solari more than that of Lett. But, you did say "potentially," so we'll see.

Agree w/Solari over Lett for a Hughes comparison. Lett was a major threat from 3-point range. Offensively Hughes seems similar to current starter Maddie Merritt, but with more potential for defense and rebounding.

[iwu70]

Hughes has the length, the quickness, very agile and active, bounding all over the place.  She's surely more like Solari than Lett, as she won't have the pure shooting range that Olivia had.  Solari was one of the most amazing players, able to leverage her body position vs. the defender better than anyone in the women's game that I've seen.  If she got it on the block, it was almost automatic two points or a foul.  Remarkable.  Raven can surely develop her game, learn to slash more and use the left hand better, develop a mid-range game.  She's going to be very very good, very athletic . . . and, as I've mentioned here a few times, she's going to have a very good cast of characters around here for the next few years -- Anderson, Shanks, Sosa, Merritt, Brovelli, Munroe . . . surely others yet to be recruited.  It looks very bright for her career at IWU.  Seems Mia Smith is really finding the talent in BloNo -- from Central Catholic, U High and the Normal high schools.  Brovelli also from a well-known high school program.  Just loved watching Solari play . . . very strong legs and good balance.   On the other hand, Lett had a jump shot and an overall shooting and floor game one rarely sees in the women's game.  Hope she's enjoying her coaching career, position up at U of Chicago -- and they are having a good year up there too, recently beat Wash U, in the top 25 D3hoops rankings now.

IWU'70

[iwu70]

Schneider around for another year too. 

'70