WBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[RogK]

GoPerry, I watched the last several minutes (and a few tidbits of earlier action) of the AUG/WHE game and thought both teams were weirdly timid on offense, refusing to attack the basket.
That said, Wheaton scored 21 pts from 27 3FG att and 20 pts from 26 2FG att. So, they were similarly ineffective at either distance. Not sure how much the refs were rewarding drives to the basket in terms of foul calls.
Augie has a good mix of size and talent among its roster, so I'm not surprised when they get a nice win. That said, 56-51 is a really good halftime score!

[GoPerry]

GoPerry, I watched the last several minutes (and a few tidbits of earlier action) of the AUG/WHE game and thought both teams were weirdly timid on offense, refusing to attack the basket.
That said, Wheaton scored 21 pts from 27 3FG att and 20 pts from 26 2FG att. So, they were similarly ineffective at either distance. Not sure how much the refs were rewarding drives to the basket in terms of foul calls.
Augie has a good mix of size and talent among its roster, so I'm not surprised when they get a nice win. That said, 56-51 is a really good halftime score!

Thanks Rog.  The box confirms your impression of general ineptitude for both teams offensively.  Perhaps the most positive thing was that I escaped watching it.  Getting outrebounded like that would've put me in the red on the frustration quotient.

I've seen Augie a couple times and I agree.  I love Jones' aggressiveness and I've always respected Izzy Anderson. 

As I inferred, Wheaton losing @ Augie is not a shock at all.  The way in which they did is disappointing to say the least.

[RogK]

Carthage 71, Carroll 60 --
Bailey Gilbert tallied 22 (.714 eFG%) and 3 steals; Madie Kaelber added 16 pts; Autumn Kalis helped with 11 pts and 4 assists; several Lady Reds grabbed a bunch of rebounds, led by Maggie Berigan, 11 in 18:00.
Carroll received 21 pts from Sierra Grubor, while Katie Rossetti nabbed 11 rebs and 3 stls.

[RogK]

Elmhurst edged Millikin 92-85 :
Six Bluejays scored in double figures, including a career high 28 by Marissa Urso; Kellee Clay scored 15 and Lauren Goff scored 12 (on 5 FG att = 1.200 eFG%).
Kelly Weyhrich led the squad with 8 assists and 5 rebs.
Elmhurst shot a sizzling .700 eFG% as a team, 77 points from 55 FG att.
Millikin got 26 pts by Yanni Saddler and 24 by Aubrey Staton (plus 2 blocks, 3 steals). Jordan Hildebrand's contributions included 14 pts, 5 assists.

[RogK]

So, halfway through conference play, the standings are :
7-1 IWU WHE
6-2 CTG
5-3 AUG
4-4 ELM
3-5 NPU
2-6 CRL
1-7 MIL NCC
Each team has played the others once. But there is imbalance in home/road. Only Carthage, IWU and North Park have played 4 home 4 road. Augie, North Central and Wheaton have only 3 home games in the 2nd half. Carroll, Elmhurst and Millikin are home 5 more times.

[iwu70]

Thanks, RogK.  A great conference race shaping up.  I'd think those top 6 teams might well be the ones to make the new 6-team CCIW tournament field. 

Titans playing well, grinding it out.  Great to see Sam Munroe playing better, putting up some good scoring games.  I always thought she'd play a big part in this edition of the Titans.  Lansford has a bright future there too, in coming years.  Nice to have the senior leadership and experience down the stretch -- with Anderson, Schneider and Merritt.  If the Titans win the conference, a good case for Maddie Merritt to be MOP this season.  IMHO.

Lots of good young players in the league now.  I was most impressed with the NCC newbies.  They can really play, surely a better team in future and likely better than their record indicates this year to date.  That was not an easy win for IWU at home against NCC, at 1-6. 

IWU'70

[RogK]

https://athletics.millikin.edu/news/2019/1/18/mens-basketball-winter-weather-forces-millikin-athletics-schedule-changes.aspx
Carthage at Millikin will be on Sunday at 4 (p.m.) and men's at 6pm.

[RogK]

North Central 77, Carroll 64 :
Maya Walls did well, with 15 pts, 12 rebs, 3 assists; Lyndsay Brennan had 10 pts, 9 rebs, 4 assists;
Mitrese Smith had a productive 20 minutes, with 11 pts and 11 rebs.
For the Pioneers, Sierra Grubor scored 17 and Katie Rossetti contributed 12 pts, 6 rebs, 2 blocks, 2 steals.
Carroll made 19 of 51 2FGs.

[Mr. Ypsi]

First Q is in the books in B'town: IWU 24, Augie 18.  Sydney Shanks already has 12 points.

[iwu70]

IWU upon Augie at the half, 48-30.  A run and gun, up and down affair, Augie trying to speed the Titans up.  Good luck with that!   

'70

[Mr. Ypsi]

IWU upon Augie at the half, 48-30.  A run and gun, up and down affair, Augie trying to speed the Titans up.  Good luck with that!   

'70

Yeah, I would say Augie has a spectacularly poor game plan - the faster the game goes, the farther they fall behind!  The few times they've slowed it down, they've held their own.

The Titans have so far really put the clamps on Izzy Anderson - she has seven so far (Shanks has 17, Merritt has 12).

The Titans have out-rebounded the Vikings, 23-8!

[iwu70]

Sydney Shanks night at The Shirk.  21 and counting . . .   Titan's pine-sitters will get their minutes in this one.

On to the men's game.  Hope IWU can take down #2 Augie tonight. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

Shanks finishes with 25, Merritt had 14, Hughes 11, and Brovelli 10.  Subs certainly got their minutes after the Titans were up 80-49, but did NOT give an encouraging performance: Augie finished the game on a 16-1 run to make the final score a semi-respectable 81-65.

Aside from Shanks' huge game (she only averages about 12 ppg; 25 is a new career high), the big news was Izzy Anderson (either her or the defense on her) - she played 35 minutes but scored only seven points (none in the second half).

[Gregory Sager]

Final from King:

Wheaton 62
North Park 57

The Vikings had a chance to tie the game with the shot clock turned off, but they turned it over.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Final from King:

Wheaton 62
North Park 57

The Vikings had a chance to tie the game with the shot clock turned off, but they turned it over.

An unfortunate missed opportunity for the east Vikings, as they led early 18-0!!