WBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[RogK]

Saw parts of the webcasts of those two games. I must say the Millikin broadcast was well done; doesn't hurt to have Lori Kerans providing concise on-point color commentary.
Elmhurst -- stop showing replays during live action.
As for the games, a nice win for Carroll. Both teams made a lot of mistakes, but the Pios were alert enough to recognize when Millikin was repeatedly trying to get the ball to Hildebrand late in the game, and also covered Staton when it was clear she'd try threes at the end.
On the other hand, Coach Lett could not convince any of her players to stay glued to Wichser, even after she made several threes.
Elmhurst got some injured players back (Urso, Cabrera) but was without O'Donnell. O'Donnell would've helped the 'jays' shooting, most likely. Elmhurst missed 15 free throws. They made 1/12 threes. Shot 30% on 2FGs.

[Gregory Sager]

That is one big monkey that the Vikings finally got off of their back! Congrats, NPU!

[GoPerry]

NPU 71, Wheaton 58

Congrats to the Vikes on this huge road win.  Wheaton in real trouble...They are having all kinds of difficulty scoring.

[Gregory Sager]

North Park 71
Wheaton 58

Emily Czuhajewski: 21 pts (6-9 trey)
Zakiya Newsome: 14 pts, 3 stls
Lauren Lee: 10 pts, 8 rebs
Jayla Johnson: 9 rebs
Lauryn Alba Garner: 3:0 a:to

Hannah Williams: 17 pts, 4:2 a:to
Hannah Frazier: 10 pts, 6 rebs
Kirsten Madsen: 10 pts
Jordan Myroth: 9 rebs

It actually hasn't been as long as I thought since NPU beat Wheaton -- it was this game at the crackerbox back in 2014-15 -- but it feels as though it's been forever. But I think that the two programs reached a tipping point tonight, not just in that the quickness of the Vikings has finally counterbalanced and then surpassed the size of Wheaton in terms of dictating the game, but that the youth of NPU has now reached the maturity level in which the Vikings can take a punch without flinching. One of the big keys to the game came in the second quarter, when NPU was stuck on 18 points for half the quarter and watched Wheaton ride a 12-0 run to pull out in front at 24-18. In years past, the Vikings would've simply folded their tents at that point. Instead, they sharpened up what had been very sloppy ball control, spaced the floor better, looked to use the skip pass to make things happen on offense, and righted the ship. They outscored Wheaton over the rest of the quarter by a 13-4 margin to take a three-point lead into the locker room at half, and they never trailed again. Then they really ratcheted up the D in the second half, holding Wheaton to 32% shooting from the field over the course of the game.

The other big key came in the endgame, in which the Vikings pulled away by executing much better than a WC team that looked a little worn out and frustrated. It was only a 57-55 NPU lead with 3:44 left, but an Emily Czuhajewski triple -- she was a monster tonight from beyond the arc -- set the Vikings off on a 14-3 run that allowed them to close it out going away.

Jayla Johnson vs. Hannah Frazier down low was worth the price of admission all by itself. It seemed like both of the superstar forwards canceled each other out by playing great defense against each other. The differences, I thought, were the way that unheralded Lauren Lee stepped up and gave NPU great minutes at forward off the bench (this was the best game that she's ever played in a Vikings uniform), the outside shooting of Czuhajewski, and the all-around play at both ends by Zakiya Newsome, who as always showed that she is 5'4" of old shoe leather. She is the toughest player in the CCIW, bar none.

Historic win by NPU to finally beat one of the premier programs not only in the CCIW but in the Central Region, as the Vikings (8-0, 3-0) clearly showed today at King Arena that they are for real.

[RogK]

Noteworthy (perhaps?) that 90% of NPU's playing time went to players 5'9" and smaller. Usually I think that height helps in basketball, but we learn : not always.
I'm not sure that Wheaton is in trouble, but they may tinker with things. Please, nobody ask me what they should tinker with, as I have no idea! (ha!)

[Gregory Sager]

Noteworthy (perhaps?) that 90% of NPU's playing time went to players 5'9" and smaller. Usually I think that height helps in basketball, but we learn : not always.

Speed kills, Rog. Speed kills.

[RogK]

OK, but their speed is not as deceptive as it appears to be. (sorry, that's an old one)

[Gregory Sager]

Augustana 86
Illinois Wesleyan 80

Don't look now, but NPU is all alone in first place.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Rather a surprise in RI this afternoon, as the west Vikings (5-5, 1-1 going in to the game) defeat the Lady Titans (8-2, 2-0) by an 86-80 score.  Kendall Sosa and company almost pulled off a stunning comeback - down 84-69 with under 2 minutes to go, they ran out of time after cutting the deficit to 84-80.

[GoPerry]

Augie beats IWU at Carver, 86-80

Alexis Jones was everywhere and unstoppable in the second half finishing with 24 pts, 14 rebs, 6 stls.  Justice Edell and Lauran Hall contributed 16 and 14 pts respectively, Hall adding 10 rebs.  IWU's Kendall Sosa (29 pts)  was hot early in the game but cooled off in the second half as Augie extended the lead to as much as 15 pts. 

Going into January it'll be the North Park Lady Vikings @ 3-0 and everyone else looking up.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Augie beats IWU at Carver, 86-80

Alexis Jones was everywhere and unstoppable in the second half finishing with 24 pts, 14 rebs, 6 stls.  Justice Edell and Lauran Hall contributed 16 and 14 pts respectively, Hall adding 10 rebs.  IWU's Kendall Sosa (29 pts)  was hot early in the game but cooled off in the second half as Augie extended the lead to as much as 15 pts. 

Going into January it'll be the North Park Lady Vikings @ 3-0 and everyone else looking up.

Sosa was also hot late (alas, too late) in the game - in the not-quite-comeback, she had 10 of IWU's 11 points!

[GoPerry]

Augie beats IWU at Carver, 86-80

Alexis Jones was everywhere and unstoppable in the second half finishing with 24 pts, 14 rebs, 6 stls.  Justice Edell and Lauran Hall contributed 16 and 14 pts respectively, Hall adding 10 rebs.  IWU's Kendall Sosa (29 pts)  was hot early in the game but cooled off in the second half as Augie extended the lead to as much as 15 pts. 

Going into January it'll be the North Park Lady Vikings @ 3-0 and everyone else looking up.

Sosa was also hot late (alas, too late) in the game - in the not-quite-comeback, she had 10 of IWU's 11 points!

Yes agreed Ypsi.  I was referring to a few shots that were falling in the first that didn't go in the third and fourth quarter when the game was tight.

I'd also mention that playing Riley Brovelli 39 minutes has got to take it's toll.  I've noticed she's putting up 38+ in any game that's not a blowout.  Perhaps Smith has no alternative but still.  She missed 4 straight FTs with about 5 mins left which can sometimes be fatigue related.

[Gregory Sager]

#20 Chicago 82
Carthage 74

Great efforts in the losing cause by Autumn Kalis (32 pts) and Sammie Woodward (24 pts).

[iwu70]

Agreed, lots of minutes for the IWU starters . . and poor FT shooting, did the Titans in up in RI.  Augie played very well.

Congrats to NPU on their big win over WC.  A new order at the top of CCIW women's basketball? 

'70

[Gregory Sager]

Congrats to NPU on their big win over WC.  A new order at the top of CCIW women's basketball?

Same thing I said when you speculated in this vein regarding Millikin's hot start: It's too soon to tell.

But I like the way that this is trending.

NPU certainly has its work cut out for it between now and New Year's Day. On Wednesday the Vikings will be down in Florida taking on #4 Hope (9-0). Then, after dealing with Finlandia on Thursday, the Vikings will open a post-Christmas tourney at Loras by tangling with the host Duhawks (7-1), who are currently #24 in the d3hoops.com poll, before facing either #17 UW-Platteville (6-2) or Lawrence (4-2) the next day.