WBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[iwu70]

As expected, after the Whitewater and Wash U wins, IWU up in the most recent poll to #4.  Carroll dropping out, now to ORV. 

Now IWU faces the CCIW schedule, along with two tough games in San Antonio, TX. over the Christmas break.  If they can run the table on their pre-CCIW games, it would remarkable, given the SOS.

IWU'70

[iwu70]

Congrats to Lauren Huber for being named to D3hoops' "Team of the Week."  Indeed a great three-game run for Lauren and the Titans.  Three wins, two top-15 wins and rising to #4 in the latest poll.  Huber is so consistent and often the anchor of the Titan offense.  Congrats Lauren!

'70

[iwu70]

IWU also has a tough upcoming game with undefeated University of Chicago, where the Head Coach is one of Mia Smith's former players.  With the two in Texas, IWU has three non-CCIW games yet to play. 

IWU'70

[iwu70]

IWU over NPU 88 - 57.

IWU put the game away with a 37-13 2nd Quarter.

IWU goes to 7-0, 1-0 and will remain #4 in the country, deservedly so in my opinion.

For NPU:
Hershberger 21
Long 9

For IWU:
Powers 15 and 5
Huber 12
Knutsen 8 boards

13 Titans scored and no one logged more than 21 minutes.  All the pine-sitters had their day and got 12-15 minutes in this blow-out.  My friend from Hong Kong, Luigi Lam, got 15 minutes of playing time and scored 6 points!

IWU winning the TO and steals lines, as usual.

IWU goes to 7-0 and 1-0 in CCIW play

A big game up at Carroll this weekend.

IWU'70

[lmitzel]

In the lone non-conference tilt tonight, North Central got out to a 10 point lead on Chicago early in the second quarter, but couldn't maintain it. A back and forth affair was ultimately decided by an 8-0 fourth quarter Maroon run in a 66-62 victory for the #22 team in the country.

Biz Daly: 24 pts, 5 reb
Josylin Simmons-Doxie: 19 pts, 5 ast
Megan McClure: 10 reb

Jocelyn Trotter did not play tonight, and from what I understand is day to day.

[iwu70]

IWU goes to 8-0 with an important win at Carroll, 80-71.

The Titans trailed at the half 37-28, but came back strong in the second, winning the 4th Q 29-15. 

IWU shot 50% but only 11% from three, 2-18, winning the game with 16-20 FTs.

For Carroll:
Gricius 20
Rangel 16
Wizner 7

For IWU:
Bardic 23
Huber 19 and 8
Knutson, the key to the game, 15 and 9
Palmer 8
Powers 8

IWU wins the rebounding line 39-28 -- both teams even on TOs.  An UNusual game for IWU, poor three point shooting and no TO advantage.  The rebounding and the FTs did the trick, it would seem.

IWU at 8-0, 2-0 in CCIW play, this a key road win vs. one of the top opponents in the CCIW race.

Keep it rolling Titans, great comeback.

IWU'70

[Green Beer]

Carroll seems to have our number last couple of years. Like when Wheaton seemed to have us ( Titans) figured out. Can't see winning all three games against them this year.

[iwu70]

Green Beer, lucky to get this one up there, coming back from quite far down.  That 4th Q shooting percentage was something beautiful.

I agree, hard to beat Carroll three times if we see them in the CCIW tournament too.

A great start at 8-0, a very resilient group this year, knowing how to win.

Great game from Caite Knutson tonight and Lauren Huber doing her normal thing.

IWU'70

[lmitzel]

NCC 72
Augie 60

Cardinals open conference play with a win. After falling behind 9-4, an 8-0 NCC run gave them the lead and they never looked back. Augie made it semi-interesting late but never truly threatened.

Biz Daly: 26 pts, 7 reb
Ameli Sanchez: 17 pts, 4 reb
Josylin Simmons-Doxie: 10 pts
Megan McClure: 8 pts, 8 reb, 4 ast
Elle Sutter: 5 pts, 5 reb

Jocelyn Trotter sounds like she's going to miss another couple weeks, and NCC needed reinforcements. Enter Elle Sutter for the first time this season.

[lmitzel]

NCC played an exhibition against UIC yesterday, and it went about as expected. The Flames opened the game on an 11-0 run and won 113-53.

Megan McClure: 8 pts, 6 reb
Kennedy Hartwig: 8 pts
Grace Keiffer: 7 pts
Biz Daly: 7 pts

[RogK]

lmitzel, I've found that some people on the UIC campus are amused (to a finite extent) when you ask them, "Is that you I see?"

[GoPerry]

#8 UW-Whitewater 65
Wheaton  58

The Wheaton ladies gave the Lady Warhawks a very good game last night in Whitewater.  UWW All-American Kacie Carollo pretty much does it all and finished the game with 33 pts, 10 rebs, 3 blks, 3 stls.

Wheaton was down by as much as 9 pts throughout the game but never had the lead.  To their credit the Thunder ladies were able to tie the game at 56-56 with 1:45 left on a pair of Kate Oliver (19pts, 8 rebs) free throws.  But UWW was more experienced and better coached down the stretch to extend the lead and seal it.  I'm not sure why Annika Richardson didn't start the game but she finished with starters minutes and 15 pts.

I'm glad to see Wheaton schedule 3 WIAC opponents (Platteville, #6 Oshkosh, #8 Whitewater)  this season, all on the road.  Platteville was the only one that was not really close.  Hopefully this will help them once conference play begins.  Rebounding and generally sloppy play ( turnovers – 23 last night, 25 game before) continues to drive their losses.

[lmitzel]

Carroll 85
NCC 58

Not much to talk about here. Carroll was the better team and proved it.

Biz Daly: 14 pts, 5 reb
Elle Sutter: 13 pts, 10 reb
Ameli Sanchez: 6 pts, 6 reb

Emilie Wizner: 21 pts
Olivia Rangel: 18 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast
Natalie Gricius: 16 pts, 7 reb

[lmitzel]

Coe 74
NCC 58

The Cardinals led by two at halftime, but the Kohawks surged ahead in the third and put it away with a 10-2 run in the fourth.

Biz Daly: 13 pts, 6 reb
Josylin Simmons-Doxie: 9 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast
Grace Keiffer: 9 pts

[iwu70]

Back from two weeks in Hong Kong -- a great time celebrating my university and institutional partnership ties there during my 41 years in Asia.  Thanks to all the friends and colleagues.

IWU has two more games, in the pre-CCIW season phase, to run the slate.  It will be tough in Texas, vs. always tough Trinity and even tougher East Texas Baptist (who recently took down #2 Wartburg, rather handily).  Hoping the Titans can complete the tough slate and enter January at 12-0.  We'll see. 

The Titans are playing very well with their 8 player rotation, with a little bit of others thrown in.  My girl Luigi is getting some playing time and looks to be next up when the huge group of seniors graduate. 

All kudos to the Titans for the big wins so far against ranked teams.  10-0 against that schedule is not chopped liver. 

We always hoped this would be a special year, with Elyce Knudsen now at ISU, and Millikin way down this year. 

Keep it rolling, Titans!

Here comes the meat of the CCIW race in January and February.

IWU'70