SLIAC

[fcnews]

Your so right. FU faces Murders Row this year before entering the SLIAC. Both of FU's new bigs are down with injuries. Kirby, Collier and Bramble played well this weekend, from what I heard. Without the size in the paint, this could be a tough way to go for awhile.

[jdoug2]

Fontbonne has consistently played a very tough out of conference schedule. I like playing better competition, but not when your team is totally outclassed. If the other team is too tough you can't even run your normal sets. Of course I'm hoping Fontbonne isn't in way over their heads this year.

My niece said she would have played this weekend if they were conference games.  If I were the coach I would pick out they best 7-8 kids and go with them, regardless of their size or lack of.

[y_jack_lok]

Having done a little research on FU's five remaining non-conference opponents I honestly think the only game they have a shot at winning is against Illinois College. Illinois Wesleyan will  move up form its #10 ranking. Millikin, after winning the national championship in 2005 has gone 15-10, 20-5, and 20-5 in a pretty good CCIW. Wash U is Wash U and practically never has even the best team in the SLIAC beaten them. Hawaii Pacific is a D2 team. That leaves Illinios College which was 11-11 last season ad plays in a confernece that I guess is a little better than the SLAIC. Why they only played 22 games last year I have no idea.

[HCACBBALL]

Millikin has a very young team.  I would think if Fontbonne played well they would have a shot this year.  Even though this is a tough schedule, I think it will prepare them for the SLIAC. 

[jdoug2]

I guess you could just pad your schedule with easy wins, but that doesn't improve your team.

Maybe the answer lies somewhere in the middle.

[y_jack_lok]

Millikin has a very young team.  I would think if Fontbonne played well they would have a shot this year.  Even though this is a tough schedule, I think it will prepare them for the SLIAC. 

I knew that first team All-American Lindsay Ippel graduated. I guess just going by the previous year's record isn't enough to base a conclusion on. I hope you are right HCAC and that Fontbonne can hold its own against Millikin, maybe even come away with a W.

And yes, playing stiff competition is always good preperation, but I agree with jdoug that it helps to enter conference play with the confidence that comes from getting at least a couple of wins.

[fcnews]

There was a mistake on the schedule of FU's womens team. FU will be playing LCC tonite at 5 pm. A good chance for one of those W's you guys are talking about.

[y_jack_lok]

Sounds like a winner to me. Does this game replace one of the other non-conference games, or is it in addition to those?

[fcnews]

Not sure on this one.

[jdoug2]

Lauren won't be playing tonight. She is a little bummed. Hopefully her trip back to Texas for Thanksgiving can get her healed up for play in December.

[fcnews]

Fu scores 98 in a blowout win. Griffins have some good young players. But no one in the paint.

Jdoug - Lauren was doing a little shooting around. She said she will practice for the first time tommorrow before heading home.

[y_jack_lok]

fc, that game is not listed on the SLIAC website, although the FU men's game is.

Webster wins a close one in OT over Rose-Hulman 72-68. Not the prettiest of games. Too many entry passes into the low post by Webster that never should have been attempted and resulted in turnovers. Surprising to me that the box score shows Rose-Hulman with two more turnovers (25) than Webster (23). Three pointers by Webster and poor free throw shooting by RHIT were the difference - Webster with 9 threes (out of 22) to RHIT's one (out of 4) and RHIT hit only 15 of 33 free throws while Webster hit 15 of 20. Some games are like that. A win is a win.

[fcnews]

The women had planned a second game in Hawaii. That fell through. Since LCC men were coming down anyway, they picked this game up late.

[jdoug2]

Thanks for the update fc. I'll grill Lauren tomorrow on her health status.

Fontbonne lost all of there post players to graduation. And from what I hear, there are no real replacements for this season.  Like I said earlier... pick 7-8 kids, push the ball and play tough D.

[sully309]

Y_jak, Illinois College only played 22 games last year because that's all the Midwest Conference allows. Some teams end up playing 25 after postseason play, but since IC didn't make the MWC tourney, they only had 22.

You're right about the MWC being better than the SLIAC. I dare say that Monmouth, who will be lucky to be in the top 4 of the MWC, would have little trouble finishing in 2nd place of the SLIAC. Eureka did well to stay within 7 points of them last week. If Fontbonne can beat IC, that would be a very nice win going into conference play. I'm more interested to see how the FU/Blackburn game pans out on Dec. 3. Blackburn recently beat Grinnell (another MWC team).